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Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) have grown globally since the late 1990s to promote responsible consumption and production in the agri-food sector, although their expansion varies across countries and socio-economic contexts. Initially, the Fair Trade movement and development organizations established AFNs to address socio-environmental challenges faced by producers in the Global South. However, as cooperation and development agendas evolve, more Fair Trade and development actors are forming North-North AFNs (N-N AFNs) to tackle socio-economic imbalances in agri-food systems of the Global North, especially in the EU. Despite their prevalence, these initiatives and their structures lack extensive academic study. Drawing on Le Velly's framework for the analysis of AFNs, this paper conducts an in-depth qualitative analysis of three N-N AFN initiatives in Belgium, Italy, and Greece. The analysis demonstrates that while these initiatives share common objectives in terms of fairness and shortness of the agri-food system, variations arise in terms of its accessibility and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the findings emphasize that there is no one-size-fits-all model for N-N AFNs across Europe, as different organizational arrangements – such as farmers' cooperatives, consumers' cooperatives, and business partnerships – emerge in response to specific project goals within each national context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biohythane (hydrogen + methane) production in a two stage dark fermentation (DF) and anaerobic digestion (AD) process from food waste (FW) has been studied. This paper investigated the effect of operation temperature, i.e. mesophilic (34 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) , on biohythane yield and total energy recovery carried out at the initial culture pH 5.5 and pH 7, respectively for DF and AD batch tests. The mesophilic DF tests gave a higher hydrogen yield of 53.5 ( ± 4) mL H2/g VS added compared to thermophilic DF tests, i.e. 37.6 ( ± 1) mL H2/g VS added. However, higher methane yields, i.e. 307.5 ( ± 10) mL CH4/g VS, were obtained at thermophilic AD tests compared to mesophilic AD, i.e. 276.5 ( ± 4.3) mL CH4/g VS. The total energy recovery from thermophilic DF + AD was higher (11.4 MJ/kg VS) than the mesophilic (10.4 MJ/kg VS) combined process. Interestingly, the analysis of kinetic parameters of mesophilic tests, determined from the Modified Gompertz equation, showed that mesophilic DF had faster H2 production kinetics, which can be attributed to a faster adaptation of the heat-shocked inoculum used in the tests to the incubation temperature. However, thermophilic AD tests exhibited faster kinetics for methane production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet reactivity (PR) has been indicated as a pathophysiological key element for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) development. Patients with not-high before-treatment platelet reactivity (NHPR) have been poorly studied so far. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, response to therapy and outcomes of baseline prior to treatment NHPR among patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. We analyzed the data from 358 STEMI patients with assessment of PR by VerifyNow before P2Y12 inhibitor loading dose (LD). Blood samples were obtained at baseline, and after 1 hour, 2 hours, 4–6 hours and 8–12 hours after LD. High platelet reactivity (HPR) was defined as Platelet Reactivity Unit values ≥208, while patients with values <208 at baseline were defined as having NHPR. Overall, 20% patients had NHPR. Age and male gender both resulted independent predictors of NHPR, even after propensity score adjustment. The percentage of inhibition of PR after ticagrelor or prasugrel LD was similar between HPR and NHPR patients at each time point. However, patients with HPR showed worse in-hospital clinical outcomes, and the composite adverse outcome endpoint of death, reinfarction, stroke, acute kidney injury or heart failure was significantly higher (10.0% vs 1.4%; p =.017) as compared with the NHPR group. In conclusion, a significant proportion of patients presenting with STEMI has a baseline NHPR that is associated with better in-hospital outcomes as compared with patients with HPR. Further studies are needed to better elucidate the potential therapeutic implications of NHPR in terms of secondary prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates how policy narratives developed by proponents and opponents of infrastructure megaprojects generate controversies that affect the megaproject implementation. Drawing evidence from the Lyon-Turin high-speed railway, we argue that megaproject implementation is a complex public management endeavour which can hardly be considered a rational, straightforward process. It is rather a non-linear process involving stakeholders with divergent interests and logics of action engaging in a battle over competing narratives to influence implementation outcomes. Institutional settings opened to opponents' voice in megaproject decision-making facilitate and streamline the resolution of controversies, whereas difficult and conflictual conditions emerge in the opposite case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified as the cause of a pneumonia cluster in Wuhan, China. Since then, the contagion has rapidly spread all over the world resulting in a global pandemic. Since frequent cardiovascular (CV) system involvement has soon been detected in patients occurring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we would provide a simple review available to cardiologists who are going to be involved in the management of COVID-19 patients from several levels: from diagnosis to prevention and management of CV complications. We investigate the role of CV diseases in COVID-19: from the incidence of CV comorbidities to their negative impact on prognosis. We also search Literature in order to identify the main CV manifestations in patients occurring virus infection and their management by cardiologists. Specific treatments for CV involvement associated with COVID-19 are still debated. Results from ongoing trials are needed to further clarify issues about the therapeutic approach, which is constantly changing according to the continuous flow of published evidence. Finally, it seems necessary to sensitize all population to raise awareness on CV diseases in the COVID era, to hinder the underestimation of both new-onset acute CV diseases and the consequences of chronic mistreated CV diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the knowledge and use of technology-based interventions (TBIs) by health personnel working in the addiction field across Europe. Methods: An online questionnaire was designed using SurveyMonkey® in order to determine the level of knowledge, use and perceived efficacy of TBIs in substance use disorders (SUDs), among health professionals across six EU Member States: Germany, Italy, UK, France, Poland and the Netherlands. The survey was sent to a convenience sample of 1200 addiction experts. Results: Surveyed participants (311, response rate 26%), had a mean professional addiction experience of 17 years; 23% stated to have good knowledge of TBIs, while 12% use them in their clinical practice. Forty-six percent consider TBIs useful in the treatment of addiction, and 44% foresee a significant increase of them in the future. TBIs were considered important for people facing barriers to accessing treatment (63%) and for providing support outside the formal care settings (60%). Lack of technical support (48%), poor infrastructure and equipment (42%), and lack of digital literacy among health workers (38%) were identified as the main obstacles in the diffusion of TBIs. Conclusions: Knowledge and utilisation of TBIs among health workers in drug addiction field is low. Nevertheless, TBIs are perceived as a possible means of facilitation in providing access to treatment, and as therapeutic tools which will become more important in the future. The need to improve training policies, awareness and attitudes towards TBIs among EU health professionals, working in the field of addiction is paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the integration of lactic acid adsorption and desorption onto commercially available resins in batch reactors with consequent scale-up in fixed-bed reactors. Amberlite® IRA-900, IRA-400, IRA-96 and IRA-67 were used as adsorbents for lactic acid recovery from solutions that mimic the fermentation broth of Thermotoga neapolitana. The best resins were further tested in adsorption-desorption batch experiments, over 13 cycles, with IRA-67 showing an average removal efficiency of 97%. IRA-67 was tested in fixed-bed reactor experiments and an average desorption efficiency of 68% was achieved using three bed volumes of 0.5 M NaOH as the desorbing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium concentrations in the soil environment are directly linked to its transfer in the food chain, eventually causing either deficiency or toxicity associated with several physiological dysfunctions in animals and humans. Selenium bioavailability depends on its speciation in the soil environment, which is mainly influenced by the prevailing pH, redox potential, and organic matter content of the soil. The selenium cycle in the environment is primarily mediated through chemical and biological selenium transformations. Interactions of selenium with microorganisms and plants in the soil environment have been studied in order to understand the underlying interplay of selenium conversions and to develop environmental technologies for efficient bioremediation of seleniferous soils. In situ approaches such as phytoremediation, soil amendment with organic matter and biovolatilization are promising for remediation of seleniferous soils. Ex situ remediation of contaminated soils by soil washing with benign leaching agents is widely considered for removing heavy metal pollutants. However, it has not been applied until now for remediation of seleniferous soils. Washing of seleniferous soils with benign leaching agents and further treatment of Se-bearing leachates in bioreactors through microbial reduction will be advantageous as it is aimed at removal as well as recovery of selenium for potential re-use for agricultural and industrial applications. This review summarizes the impact of selenium deficiency and toxicity on ecosystems in selenium deficient and seleniferous regions across the globe, and recent research in the field of bioremediation of seleniferous soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential improvement of biomethanation of food waste (FW) by adding dung of herbivore (giraffe, llama, koala), carnivore (tiger), and omnivore (sloth bear) animals to anaerobic sludge (AnS) was investigated. Adding 30% giraffe, sloth bear or koala dung to the AnS inoculum yielded, respectively, a 11.17 (±4.51), 10.10 (±1.23), and 1.41 (±0.56)% higher biomethane production, as compared to the control (FW with solely AnS). The highest biomethane production of 564.00 (±3.88) ml CH4/gVSaddedobtained with 30% giraffe dung and 70% AnS was attributed to a higher solubilization of proteins (6.96 ± 2.76%) and recalcitrant carbohydrates (344.85 ± 54.31 mg/L as compared to zero). The biomethanation process could have been stimulated by the microorganisms or enzymes newly introduced, and/or the trace elements (Ni, Zn, and Co) present in the giraffe dung. These results indicate that bioaugmentation with zoo animals dung is worthy of further investigation as a strategy for improving the biomethane recovery from organic wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a naturally co-contaminated soil by PAHs and heavy metals with an initial concentration of 620 mg of total PAHs kg−1dry soil was investigated. The efficiency of landfarming in removing phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene and the group of total 16 US EPA PAHs was evaluated. The process was biostimulated by adding centrifuged activated sewage sludge (SS) as an organic amendment. The tested ratios of contaminated soil to SS were 1:2, 1:1, 1:0.5 and 1:0 as wet weight basis. The process performance was monitored through chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological analyses during 105 days of incubation. The results of analyses demonstrated that the treatment without centrifuged SS achieved a significantly higher total 16 US EPA PAH removal efficiency (i.e. 32%) compared to treatments with amendment. In the same treatment, the removal efficiency of the PAH bioavailable fraction was 100% for phenanthrene, benzo(a)pyrene and the group of total 16 US EPA PAHs, whereas 76% for pyrene. Ecotoxicity test performed with bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri confirmed the effectiveness of landfarming. Finally, the results showed that indigenous microorganisms under certain and controlled operating conditions have greater potential for PAH biodegradation compared to allochthonous microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Landfarming is an attractive bioremediation treatment approach for soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), since it is less expensive and more environmentally friendly than other soil remediation methods. PAHs are contaminants of concern due to their potentially harmful effects on human health. Therefore interest in developing removal methods has grown in the last few decades. These persistent and hydrophobic organic pollutants are commonly found at high concentrations in soils contaminated by industrial activities and nearby urban areas, and these hazardous situations make their removal even more urgent. This paper reviews the efficiency and application conditions of landfarming as a suitable bioremediation treatment. Moreover, this work discusses the feasibility of improving the bioremediation performance when landfarming is combined with biostimulation and bioaugmentation promoted by the composting of organic waste. This integration of landfarming and composting creates more favorable conditions for biological activity and has been shown to be both effective and economical in removing organic pollutants from contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal supply of trace elements (TE) is a prerequisite for microbial growth and activity in anaerobic digestion (AD) bioprocesses. However, the required concentrations and ratios of essential TE for AD biotechnologies strongly depend on prevailing operating conditions as well as feedstock composition. Furthermore, TE in AD bioreactors undergo complex physicochemical reactions and may be present as free ions, complex bound or as precipitates depending on pH, or on the presence of sulfur compounds or organic macromolecules. To overcome TE deficiency, various commercial mineral products are typically applied to AD processes. The addition of heavy metals poses the risk of overdosing operating systems, which may be toxic to microbial consortia and ultimately the environment. Adequate supplementation, therefore, requires appropriate knowledge not only about the composition, but also on the speciation and bioavailability of TE. However, very little is yet fully understood on this specific issue. Evaluations of TE typically only include the measurement of total TE concentrations but do not consider the chemical forms in which TE exist. Thus detailed information on bioavailability and potential toxicity cannot be provided. This review provides an overview of the state of the art in approaches to determine bioavailable TE in anaerobic bioprocesses, including sequential fractionation and speciation techniques. Critical aspects and considerations, including with respect to sampling and analytical procedures, as well as mathematical modeling, are examined. The approaches discussed in this review are based on our experiences and on previously published studies in the context of the “COST Action 1302: European Network on Ecological Roles of Trace Metals in Anaerobic Biotechnologies.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the start-up phase of anaerobic digestion in wet, semi-dry and dry conditions of rice straw analysing the role of volatile fatty acid (VFA) production on process kinetics. Methane production yields and biodegradation kinetics in reactors operated under wet semi-dry and dry conditions were investigated. The experimental results showed a reduction in the specific final methane production yield of 57% and 63% in, respectively, semi-dry (TS = 14.8%) and dry (TS = 23.4%) conditions compared to wet (TS = 4.8%) conditions. The total VFA concentration and speciation are proposed as indicators of process development at different total solids content. High VFA concentrations were found in dry conditions, with a maximum total VFA concentration of 2110 mg/kg in dry conditions, 930 mg/kg in semi-dry conditions and 180 mg/kg in wet conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of agricultural wastes (groundnut shell, orange and banana peel, rice husk, coconut husk and Wawa tree saw dust) as potential cost-effective adsorbent for heavy metal removal from wastewater was evaluated. The effect of pH (2.0–6.0), adsorbent dosage (0.6–2.2 g), contact time (10–130 min) and initial concentration (Pb: 5–105 mg/L, Cu and Zn: 2.5–52.7 mg/L) on the metal removal efficiency and uptake capacity were investigated using response surface methodology to optimize the process conditions. Groundnut shell showed a high potential to remove Cu, Pb and Zn from synthetic wastewater. The highest removal efficiencies with groundnut as the adsorbent were 85% at pH 5.0 for Cu and 98% at pH 3.0 for Pb and Zn. The optimum conditions obtained were 2.5 g adsorbent with 40.7 mg/L Cu at pH 4.4 and 64 min contact time, 2.5 g adsorbent with 196.1 mg/L Pb at pH 5.6 and 60 min contact time and 3.1 g adsorbent with 70.2 mg/L Zn at pH 4.3 and 50 min contact time, for Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively. The regeneration of the groundnut shell was possible for a maximum of three cycles using 0.2 M HCl as the desorbing solution without any significant change in the adsorbing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A critical review of the different hydrodynamic mathematical models available for nonideal flow configurations of both low-rate and high-rate anaerobic reactors is presented, including upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors, anaerobic fluidized bed reactors, anaerobic biofilters, wet and dry digesters. The review highlights the role of mathematical modeling on design and operational optimization of organic waste and wastewater treatment plants. For each reactor configuration the following approaches, proposed by various authors, are presented and compared: (a) plug flow model, (b) tank in series model, (c) dispersion model, and (d) computational fluid dynamic model. The review gives a general overview on mathematical modeling of anaerobic nonideal plug-flow reactors and compares different models indicating the advantages and disadvantages to apply them for different reactor type. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Anaerobic digestion is investigated as a sustainable depurative strategy of olive oil mill wastewater (OOMW). The effect of thermal pretreatment on the anaerobic biodegradation of aromatic compounds present in (OMWW) was investigated. The anaerobic degradation of phenolic compounds, well known to be the main concern related to this kind of effluents, was monitored in batch anaerobic tests at a laboratory scale on samples pretreated at mild (80 ± 1 °C), intermediate (90 ± 1 °C) and high temperature (120 ± 1 °C). The obtained results showed an increase of 34% in specific methane production (SMP) for OMWW treated at the lowest temperature and a decrease of 18% for treatment at the highest temperature. These results were related to the different decomposition pathways of the lignocellulosic compounds obtained in the tested conditions. The decomposition pathway was determined by measuring the concentrations of volatile organic acids, phenols, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) versus time. Cyclohexane carboxylic acid (CHCA) production was identified in all the tests with a maximum concentration of around 200 µmol L−1in accordance with the phenols degradation, suggesting that anaerobic digestion of aromatic compounds follows the benzoyl-CoA pathway. Accurate monitoring of this compound was proposed as the key element to control the process evolution. The total phenols (TP) and total COD removals were, with SMP, the highest (TP 62.7% – COD 63.2%) at 80 °C and lowest (TP 44.9% - COD 32.2%) at 120 °C. In all cases, thermal pretreatment was able to enhance the TP removal ability (up to 42% increase). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—ketoprofen, naproxen and piroxicam—in both deionized (DI) water and surface lake water (SW) (Tallahassee, FL), were exposed to varying ozone treatment regimes or H2O2/O3advanced oxidation on the laboratory bench. Recently used biofilm-supporting granular activated carbon (BAC) was sampled from a municipal drinking water treatment facility (Tampa, FL, USA), and employed to determine the bio-availability of chemical intermediates formed in ozonated water. Advanced chemical analysis was used to identify oxidation by-products formed and combined with a bioanalytical tool to assess non-specific toxicity (Microtox assay). All 3 target pharmaceuticals were efficiently removed by different processes, with a lower NSAIDs removal yield observed in lake water compared to DI water experiments. The removal yields of ketoprofen, naproxen, and piroxicam improved with increasing ozone dose, H2O2/O3ratio and empty bed contact time (EBCT) with BAC. Ozonation with BAC filtration had a positive impact by reducing the initial ozone dose required to achieve > 90% removal of all 3 pharmaceuticals (when an initial ozone dose < 1 mg L-1was combined with EBCT < 15 min). The toxicity evolution of the treated samples was monitored by Microtox bioassay. Ozone doses higher than 2 mg L-1for 2 min contact time were optimal to reach the lower water samples toxicity with NSAIDs removal yields ranging from 95.5 to 99.0% in DI water and from 77 to 90% in SW. Also, higher ozone doses were not shown to remove the residual toxicity. In contrast, the BAC filtration hardly decreases the sample toxicity when an EBCT of 15 min was chosen despite a NSAIDs removal yield equal or higher than 90% in SW. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The role of total solids (TS) content in anaerobic digestion of selected complex organic matter, e.g. rice straw and food waste, was investigated. A range of TS from wet (4.5%) to dry (23%) was evaluated. A modified version of the Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 for a complex organic substrate is proposed to take into account the effect of the TS content on anaerobic digestion. A linear function that correlates the kinetic constants of three specific processes (i.e. disintegration, acetate and propionate up-take) was included in the model. Results of biomethanation and volatile fatty acids production tests were used to calibrate the proposed model. Model simulations showed a good agreement between numerical and observed data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Existing mathematical models of wastewater treatment plants focus primarily on the bioconversion processes and often do not cope with the reactor hydrodynamics. However, in the literature several aerobic plug flow bioreactors with both kinetics modelling and hydrodynamics description are reported. The authors review mathematical models of aerobic plug flow reactors, such as activated sludge reactors, fluidized bed reactors, biofilters, and trickling filters focusing on their hydrodynamic approach and on the role of the reactor configuration on the process performance. For each reactor type the following modelling approach is compared: (a) ideal model, such as plug flow or complete mixed, (b) tank in series model, (c) dispersion model and (d) computational fluid dynamic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and demolition debris (CDD) is a product of construction, renovation or demolition activities. It has a high gypsum content (52.4% of total gypsum), concentrated in the CDD sand (CDDS) fraction. To comply with the posed limit of the maximum amount of sulphate present in building sand, excess sulphate needs to be removed. In order to enable reuse of CDDS, a novel treatment process is developed based on washing of the CDDS to remove most of the gypsum, and subsequent sulphate removal from the sulphate-rich CDDS leachate. This study aims to assess chemical techniques, i.e. precipitation and adsorption, for sulphate removal from the CDDS leachate. Good sulphate removal efficiencies (up to 99.9%) from the CDDS leachate can be achieved by precipitation with barium chloride (BaCl2) and lead(II) nitrate (Pb(NO3)2). Precipitation with calcium chloride (CaCl2), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and calcium oxide (CaO) gave less efficient sulphate removal. Adsorption of sulphate to aluminium oxide (Al2O3) yielded a 50% sulphate removal efficiency, whereas iron oxide-coated sand as adsorbent gave only poor (10%) sulphate removal efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Soils contaminated by hydrophobic organic pollutants are a common concern because they are extremely difficult to remove and their potential toxicological impacts are significant. As an alternative to traditional pump-and-treat technologies, soil washing and soil flushing are conceivable and efficient approaches. Extracting agents such as cyclodextrins are compared to traditional surfactants, cosolvents, and less conventional agents. Ability of cyclodextrin derivatives to form a ternary pollutant-cyclodextrin-iron complex allows discussing about promising integrated treatments requiring modified Fenton treatments such as electro-Fenton process with or without combination to a biological step and a recirculation loop. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sphaerotilus natansis a neutrophilic sheath-forming microorganism from theSphaerotilus-Leptothrixgroup of iron-related bacteria, known to form bacteriogenic iron oxides (BIOS) frequently deposited on cell surfaces as well as on sheaths and extracellular polymeric substances.S. natanshas been reported to be an excellent sorbent for inorganic pollutants, either due to direct sorption onto biological surfaces or due to sorption onto BIOS. However, its filaments can cause bulking problems in wastewater treatment plants. This article promotes the potential applications ofSphaerotilus natansin bioremediation by reviewing its physiology and the fundamental understanding of sheath-forming mechanisms as well as iron biomineralization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The anaerobic digestion of rice straw has been studied for the past century, but the renewable energy potential is barely utilized. Greenhouse gas emissions from rice fields can be substantially reduced if straw is removed. Methane yields ranging from 92 to 280 l/kg of volatile solids have been achieved. Optimal digestion conditions such as pH (6.5–8.0), temperature (35–40°C), and nutrients (C:N ratio of 25–35) are defined. Pretreatment (i.e., fungi, acid, and alkali solutions) and microbial engineering can increase biogas production, but research is lacking on the overall logistics for a full-scale system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorination is the most widely used method for disinfection of drinking water, but there are concerns about the formation of by-products, such as trihalomethanes (THMs), since the chronic exposure to them may pose risks to human health. For these reasons regulations fix maximum acceptable THMs levels throughout distribution networks, so it is very important to be able to correctly reproduce their formation. In the literature many models for predicting THMs formation have been developed, both based on empirical relationships and on kinetics involved during chlorine reactions. In this work the use of some of these models and their reliability in real situations is investigated through the application to the Aurunci-Valcanneto Water Supply System in Southern Lazio (Italy). The comparison of the performances of 18 selected literature empirical models furnishes interesting observations, indicating that the formula, developed using field data, results in being more suitable for reproducing THMs formation for the presented case study. Other considerations are also offered from the comparison with the results obtained using a simple first order kinetic model, calibrated using measured data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper deals with an experimental study aimed at assessing the effect of mixing different organic wastes on the anaerobic digestion process. Livestock manure and organic solid wastes have been taken into account as substrates to verify if their mixing gives rise to higher methane production rates and lower risk of process failure. Bio-methane potential (BMP) tests have been conducted using the following substrates: buffalo manure (BM), poultry manure (PM), organic fraction of the municipal solid waste (OFMSW), greengrocery waste (GW) and two different mixtures composed of BM and OFMSW. Mixing BM with OFMSW resulted in 12% and 30% higher methane volumes after 30 and 15 days from the test start, respectively. Experimental data have been also used to calibrate and validate a mathematical model previously proposed by the authors, showing its capability to reproduce the synergistic effect on methane production promoted by co-digesting BM and OFSMW. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A Modified Activated Sludge Model No.1 (M-ASM1), including six COD components (SI, SS, XI, XS, XH and SO) and three biochemical processes (aerobic growth of heterotrophs, aerobic decay of heterotrophs and hydrolysis of entrapped organics) was used to simulate the anaerobic hydrolysis-aeration-sedimentation treatment series in a full-scale textile dyeing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with an influent flow rate of 200,000 m3/d. Using a respirometry method, the influent COD components of the WWTP activated sludge system were estimated. Then, calibration equations were set up depending on the full-scale treatment plant running data in order to calibrate the measurement results. This paper indicates that the influent COD components of a low biodegradability wastewater can be estimated using a respirometry method coupled with a calibration procedure based on full-scale plant running data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]