Exploring GHG emissions in the mainstream SCEPPHAR configuration during wastewater resource recovery.

The wastewater sector paradigm is shifting from wastewater treatment to resource recovery. In addition, concerns regarding sustainability during the operation have increased. In this sense, many water utilities have become aware of the potential GHG emissions during the operation of wastewater treatment. This study assesses the nitrous oxide and methane emissions during the long-term operation of a novel wastewater resource recovery facility (WRRF) configuration: the mainstream SCEPPHAR. The long-term N2O and CH4 emission factors calculated were in the low range of the literature, 1 % and 0.1 %, respectively, even with high nitrite accumulation in the case of N2O. The dynamics and possible sources of production of these emissions are discussed. Finally, different aeration strategies were implemented to study the impact on the N2O emissions in the nitrifying reactor. Results showed that operating the pilot-plant under different dissolved oxygen concentrations (between 1 and 3 g O2 m-3) did not have an effect on the N2O emission factor. Intermittent aeration was the aeration strategy that most mitigated the N2O emissions in the nitrifying reactor, obtaining a reduction of 40 % compared to the normal operation of the pilot plant.

A plant-wide model describing GHG emissions and nutrient recovery options for water resource recovery facilities.

In this study, a plant-wide model describing the fate of C, N and P compounds, upgraded to account for (on-site/off-site) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, was implemented within the International Water Association (IWA) Benchmarking Simulation Model No. 2 (BSM2) framework. The proposed approach includes the main biological N2O production pathways and mechanistically describes CO2 (biogenic/non-biogenic) emissions in the activated sludge reactors as well as the biogas production (CO2/CH4) from the anaerobic digester. Indirect GHG emissions for power generation, chemical usage, effluent disposal and sludge storage and reuse are also included using static factors for CO2, CH4 and N2O. Global and individual mass balances were quantified to investigate the fluxes of the different components. Novel strategies, such as the combination of different cascade controllers in the biological reactors and struvite precipitation in the sludge line, were proposed in order to obtain high plant performance as well as nutrient recovery and mitigation of the GHG emissions in a plant-wide context. The implemented control strategies led to an overall more sustainable and efficient plant performance in terms of better effluent quality, reduced operational cost and lower GHG emissions. The lowest N2O and overall GHG emissions were achieved when ammonium and soluble nitrous oxide in the aerobic reactors were controlled and struvite was recovered in the reject water stream, achieving a reduction of 27% for N2O and 9% for total GHG, compared to the open loop configuration.

Intervención del profesional de enfermería durante la contingencia de influenza A H1N1, en el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias / Intervention of the professional nursing during the contingency of influenza AH1N1 in the National Institute of respiratory diseases

El INER es una institución normativa en las afecciones respiratorias, quien a lo largo de su historia ha enfrentado desafíos ante situaciones emergentes de salud, como lo son la tuberculosis y el VIH. Actualmente afronta un nuevo reto de salud respiratoria, la epidemia de influenza A H1N1, la cual se presentó de forma inesperada en México en la primavera del 2009, provocando la implementación de medidas sanitarias urgentes, al rebasarse la capacidad de atención médica en el Instituto. Por ello, fue necesario organizar todos sus recursos humanos, físicos y materiales. Instaurar el Comité de Influenza Institucional y en apoyo y coordinación con el Comité de Control de Infecciones, tomar decisiones urgentes enfocadas a la prevención, manejo y control de la enfermedad. Se implementó el Triage en los servicios de concentración para la atención integral del paciente con sospecha y/o confirmación de influenza (Consulta Urgencias, Urgencias Observación, Unidades de Terapia Intensiva e Intermedia y clínico 5). Con todo ello y gracias a la intervención y el trabajo en equipo que realizó el profesional de enfermería del Instituto, se logró controlar la propagación de la epidemia y una vez más lograr conciencia en el personal de salud (médicos y enfermeras), para afrontar manera exitosa, nuevos retos en la salud respiratoria.

INER is a respiratory-illness treating institution which has faced diverse health challenges including tuberculosis and VIH; yet, at present, it is facing a new one: the unexpected 2009 A H1N1 influenza outbreak in Mexico. This massive incident provoked the implementation of urgent sanitary measurements including: the organization of human, physical and material resources; the establishment of-Infection Committee coordinated measurement towards illness prevention, control and management; and the establishment of the TRIAGE on concentration services towards patients with confirmed or dubious influenza (Urgencies, Consult, Urgencies Observation, Intensive Therapy Unit, Intermediate Therapy Unit and Clinical 5). Thanks to these measurements and the INER's nursing personnel team work, we were able to control the outbreak propagation, but also to create consciousness among doctors and nurses to successfully face the new respiratory-illnesses challenges.