Inclusion of Saccharina latissima in conventional anaerobic digestion systems.

Loading macroalgae into existing anaerobic digestion (AD) plants allows us to overcome challenges such as low digestion efficiencies, trace elements limitation, excessive salinity levels and accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), observed while digesting algae as a single substrate. In this work, the co-digestion of the brown macroalgae Saccharina latissima with mixed municipal wastewater sludge (WWS) was investigated in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) and the organic loading rate (OLR) were fixed at 19 days and 2.1 g l-1 d-1 of volatile solids (VS), respectively. Initially, WWS was digested alone. Subsequently, a percentage of the total OLR (20%, 50% and finally 80%) was replaced by S. latissima biomass. Optimal digestion conditions were observed at medium-low algae loading (≤50% of total OLR) with an average methane yield close to [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, respectively. The conductivity values increased with the algae loading without inhibiting the digestion process. The viscosities of the reactor sludges revealed decreasing values with reduced WWS loading at both temperatures, enhancing mixing properties.

Effects of trace element addition on process stability during anaerobic co-digestion of OFMSW and slaughterhouse waste.

This study used semi-continuous laboratory scale biogas reactors to simulate the effects of trace-element addition in different combinations, while degrading the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and slaughterhouse waste. The results show that the combined addition of Fe, Co and Ni was superior to the addition of only Fe, Fe and Co or Fe and Ni. However, the addition of only Fe resulted in a more stable process than the combined addition of Fe and Co, perhaps indicating a too efficient acidogenesis and/or homoacetogenesis in relation to a Ni-deprived methanogenic population. The results were observed in terms of higher biogas production (+9%), biogas production rates (+35%) and reduced VFA concentration for combined addition compared to only Fe and Ni. The higher stability was supported by observations of differences in viscosity, intraday VFA- and biogas kinetics as well as by the 16S rRNA gene and 16S rRNA of the methanogens.

Fate of Trace Metals in Anaerobic Digestion.

A challenging, and largely uncharted, area of research in the field of anaerobic digestion science and technology is in understanding the roles of trace metals in enabling biogas production. This is a major knowledge gap and a multifaceted problem involving metal chemistry; physical interactions of metal and solids; microbiology; and technology optimization. Moreover, the fate of trace metals, and the chemical speciation and transport of trace metals in environments--often agricultural lands receiving discharge waters from anaerobic digestion processes--simultaneously represents challenges for environmental protection and opportunities to close process loops in anaerobic digestion.

The feasibility of trace element supplementation for stable operation of wheat stillage-fed biogas tank reactors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of trace element supplementation on operation of wheat stillage-fed biogas tank reactors. The stillage used was a residue from bio-ethanol production, containing high levels of sulfate. In biogas production, high sulfate content has been associated with poor process stability in terms of low methane production and accumulation of process intermediates. However, the results of the present study show that this problem can be overcome by trace element supplementations. Four lab-scale wheat stillage-fed biogas tank reactors were operated for 345 days at a hydraulic retention time of 20 days (37 degrees C). It was concluded that daily supplementation with Co (0.5 mg L(-1)), Ni (0.2 mg L(-1)) and Fe (0.5 g L(-1)) were required for maintaining process stability at the organic loading rate of 4.0 g volatile solids L(-1) day(-1).

Phthalate hydrolysis under landfill conditions.

Experimental data from a study using a landfill simulation reactor were used to develop and calibrate a one-dimensional distributed model of co-digestion of municipal solid waste and three phthalic acid diesters with different water solubilities. The three diesters were diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate. Two types of municipal solid wastes were assumed, easily degradable and recalcitrant. The model considered inhibition of hydrolysis of the recalcitrant fraction and phthalic acid esters, and also methanogenesis at acidic pH. The results indicated that the prolonged steady-state concentrations of the diesters in the leachates could be explained by equilibrium between physicochemical desorption and sorption processes for the three diesters. When methanogenic conditions were induced in the acidogenic landfill simulation reactor, inhibition of both hydrolysis of recalcitrant MSW and of phthalic acid esters ceased.

Methane emissions from a constructed wetland treating wastewater--seasonal and spatial distribution and dependence on edaphic factors.

Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment have many advantages. They can be used for several purposes, for example, to reduce levels of organic matter and nutrients, and to retain toxic metals. However, most wetlands are inherently net sources of gaseous compounds like methane and nitrous oxide, which are of environmental concern due to their rapid current accumulation in the atmosphere and their potent global warming capacity. In order to determine the flux of methane from a constructed wetland a study was conducted over two growth seasons on a pilot scale wetland constructed to reduce nutrient levels in secondary treated wastewater. The emissions for the spring to autumn period averaged 141 mg CH(4)m(-2)d(-1) (S.D.=187), ranging from consumption of 375 mg CH(4)m(-2)d(-1) to emissions of 1739 mg CH(4)m(-2)d(-1). The spatial and temporal variations were large, but could be accounted for by measured environmental factors. Among these factors, sediment and water temperatures were significant in all cases and independent of the scale of analysis (r(2) up to 0.88).

Transformation of phthalates in young landfill cells.

Phthalic acid diesters are additives in a variety of materials that can end up in landfills. Leachates from a series of full-scale young landfill cells were analysed over time for dimethyl, diethyl, dibutyl, butylbenzyl, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (respectively designated DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP), and their corresponding monoesters monomethyl, monoethyl, monobutyl, monobenzyl, and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MMP, MEP, MbutP, MbenzP, and MEHP, respectively), as well as o-phthalic acid (PA). One landfill cell was created in each of three consecutive years by deposition of the same type of waste in July and August. The pH, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and total organic carbon (TOC) were measured to characterise development of the degradation phases in three landfill cells, which revealed early acidogenic to initial methanogenic stages. Analysis of the phthalate compounds showed that observed concentrations of the degradation products were below the detection limit in the acidogenic leachates but exceeded concentrations of their corresponding diesters in leachates from cells in the initial methanogenic phase. Maximum and average concentrations of phthalic acid were 50 and 23 mg/l, respectively, and the corresponding values for the other phthalates were 430 and 27 microg/l. The concentrations of all phthalates decreased during the establishment of stable methanogenic conditions.

Measurements of methane emissions from landfills using a time correlation tracer method based on FTIR absorption spectroscopy.

Methane is an important climate gas contributing significantly to global warming. A large part of the anthropogenic emissions of methane comes from landfills. Due to the biogenic origin of these emissions and the inhomogeneous characteristics of landfills and their soil cover, these emissions show large spatial variation. Thus, development of reliable and cost-effective methods for measurements of these emissions is an important task and a challenge to the scientific community. Traditionally, field chamber methods have been used but also different area integrating methods based on downwind plume measurements. These measurements have been supported by meteorological data either directly from local measurements or by controlled release of tracer gas from the landfill providing the dispersion characteristics of the plume. In this paperwe describe a method,the Time Correlation Tracer method, combining controlled tracer gas release from the landfill with time-resolved concentration measurements downwind the landfill using FTIR absorption spectroscopy. The method has been tested and used on measurements at a landfill in southern Sweden over the past 1.5 years. The method has proven to be a usable method for measurements of total methane emission from landfills, and under favorable meteorological conditions we estimate an achievable accuracy of 15-30%. The real time analysis capability of the FTIR makes it possible to judge the success of the measurement already on site and to decide whether more measurements are necessary. The measurement strategy is relatively simple and straightforward, and one person can make a measurement from a medium sized landfill (1-4 ha) within a few days to a week depending on the meteorological situation.

Methane oxidation in two Swedish landfill covers measured with carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratios.

The release of methane (CH4) from landfills to the atmosphere and the oxidation of CH4 in the cover soils were quantified with static chambers and a 13C-isotope technique on two landfills in Sweden. One of the landfills had been closed and covered 17 years before this investigation while the other was recently covered. On both landfills, the tops of the landfills were compared with the sloping parts in the summer and winter. Emitted CH4, captured in chambers, was significantly enriched in 13C during summer compared with winter (P < 0.0001), and was enriched relative to anaerobic-zone methane. The difference between emitted and anaerobic zone delta 13C-CH4 was used to estimate soil methane oxidation. In summer, these differences ranged from 9 to 26@1000, and CH4 oxidation was estimated to be between 41 and 50% of the produced CH4 in the new landfill, and between 60 and 94% in the old landfill. In winter, when soil temperature was below 0 degree C, no difference in delta 13C was observed between emitted and anaerobic-zone CH4, suggesting that there was no soil oxidation. The temperature effect shown in this experiment suggests that there may be both seasonal and latitudinal differences in the importance of landfill CH4 oxidation. Finally the isotopic fractionation factor (alpha) varied from 1.023 to 1.038 and was temperature dependent, increasing at colder temperatures. Methanotrophic bacteria appeared to have high growth efficiencies and the majority of the methane consumed in incubations did not result in immediate CO2 production.

CO2-dependent fermentation of phenol to acetate, butyrate and benzoate by an anaerobic, pasteurised culture.

Fermentative degradation of phenol was studied using a non-methanogenic, pasteurised enrichment culture containing two morphologically different bacteria. Phenol was fermented to benzoate, acetate and butyrate and their relative occurrence depended on the concentration of hydrogen. Proportionately more benzoate was formed with high initial levels of H2. The influence of PH2 on the fermentation pattern was studied both in dense cell suspensions and in growing cultures by addition of hydrogen. An increase in growth yield (OD578) was observed, compared to controls, as a consequence of phenol degradation; however, the increase was less in H2-amended treatments, in which most of the phenol ended up as benzoate. The degradation of phenol in the dense cell suspension experiments was dependent on CO2. Benzoate was not degraded when added as a substrate to the growing culture. This is, to our knowledge, the first report concerning the fermentative degradation of phenol to nonaromatic products.

Degradation of phenol under meso- and thermophilic, anaerobic conditions.

Based on the results of preliminary studies on phenol degradation under mesophilic conditions with a mixed methanogenic culture, we proposed a degradation pathway in which phenol is fermented to acetate: Part of the phenol is reductively transformed to benzoate while the rest is oxidised, forming acetate as end product. According to our calculations, this should result in three moles of phenol being converted to two moles of benzoate and three moles of acetate (3 phenol + 2 CO2 + 3 H2O --> 3 acetate + 2 benzoate): To assess the validity of our hypothesis concerning the metabolic pathway, we studied the transformation of phenol under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions in relation to the availability of hydrogen. Hence, methanogenic meso- and thermophilic cultures amended with phenol were run with or without an added over-pressure of hydrogen under methanogenic and non-methanogenic conditions. Bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES) was used to inhibit methanogenic activity. In the mesophilic treatments amended with only BES, about 70% of the carbon in the products found was benzoate. During the course of phenol transformation in these BES-amended cultures, the formation pattern of the degradation products changed: Initially nearly 90% of the carbon from phenol degradation was recovered as benzoate, whereas later in the incubation, in addition to benzoate formation, the aromatic nucleus degraded completely to acetate. Thus, the initial reduction of phenol to benzoate resulted in a lowering of H2 levels, giving rise to conditions allowing the degradation of phenol to acetate as the end product. Product formation in bottles amended with BES and phenol occurred in accordance with the hypothesised pathway; however, the overall results indicate that the degradation of phenol in this system is more complex. During phenol transformation under thermophilic conditions, no benzoate was observed and no phenol was transformed in the BES-amended cultures. This suggests that the sensitivity of phenol transformation to an elevated partial pressure of H2 is higher under thermophilic conditions than under mesophilic ones. The lack of benzoate formation could have been due to a high turnover of benzoate or to a difference in the phenol degradation pathway between the thermophilic and mesophilic cultures.

Clostridium ultunense sp. nov., a mesophilic bacterium oxidizing acetate in syntrophic association with a hydrogenotrophic methanogenic bacterium.

A syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacterium, strain BST (T = type strain), was isolated from a previously described mesophilic triculture that was able to syntrophically oxidize acetate and form methane in stoichiometric amounts. Strain BST was isolated with substrates typically utilized by homoacetogenic bacteria. Strain BST was a spore-forming, gram-positive, rod-shaped organism which utilized formate, glucose, ethylene glycol, cysteine, betaine, and pyruvate. Acetate and sometimes formate were the main fermentation products. Small amounts of alanine were also produced from glucose, betaine, and cysteine. Strain BST grew optimally at 37 degrees C and pH 7. The G+C content of the DNA of strain BST was 32 mol%. A 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that strain BST was a member of a new species of the genus Clostridium. We propose the name Clostridium ultunense for this organism; strain BS is the type strain of C. ultunense.

Anaerobic degradation of phthalic acid esters during digestion of municipal solid waste under landfilling conditions.

Anaerobic microorganisms in municipal solid waste samples from laboratory-scale landfill reactors and a pilot-plant biogas digestor were investigated with the aim of assessing their ability to transform four commercially used phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and phthalic acid (PA). The PAEs studied were diethyl phthalate (DEP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). No biological transformation of DEHP could be detected in any of the experiments. Together with waste samples from the simulated landfilling conditions, the PAEs (except DEHP) were hydrolytically transformed to their corresponding monoesters. These accumulated as end products, and in most cases they were not further degraded. During incubation with waste from the biogas digestor, the PAEs (except DEHP) were completely degraded to methane and carbon dioxide. The influence of the landfill development phase on the transformations was investigated utilizing PA and DEP as model substances. We found that during both the intense and stable methanogenic (but not the acidogenic) phases, the microorganisms in the samples had the potential to transform PA. A shorter lag phase was observed for the PA transformation in the samples from the stable methanogenic phase as compared with earlier phases. This indicates an increased capacity to degrade PA during the aging phases of the municipal solid waste in landfills. No enhancement of the DEP transformation could be observed as conditions in the methanogenic landfill model changed over a year's time. The results indicate that microorganisms developing in a methanogenic landfill environment have a substantially lower potential to degrade compared with those developing in a biogas reactor.

[Microalbuminuria in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Mikroalbuminuri ved reumatoid artritis.

To assess the prevalence of microalbuminuria in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation with disease activity and drug treatment, we studied 65 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 51 sex and age matched control persons. Microalbuminuria was significantly increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (27.7%) as compared to 7.8% in the control group. Patients with microalbuminuria had a significantly greater median duration of disease (11.2 v 7.8 years; p < 0.001). We found a significant correlation to C-reactive protein as a marker for disease activity. Also, a significant association to treatment with gold and penicillamine was found. The measurement of microalbuminuria by immunochemical methods represents a simple and sensitive test to detect subclinical renal damage and may be a sensitive indicator of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We suggest its use in the monitoring of patients with rheumatoid arthritis to detect early subclinical renal dysfunction and drug induced renal damage.

Anaerobic degradation of xenobiotics by organisms from municipal solid waste under landfilling conditions.

The potential for biological transformation of 23 xenobiotic compounds by microorganisms in municipal solid waste (MSW) samples from a laboratory scale landfill reactor was studied. In addition the influence of these xenobiotic compounds on methanogenesis was investigated. All R11, 1,1 dichloroethylene, 2,4,6 trichlorophenol, dimethyl phthalate, phenol, benzoate and phthalic acid added were completely transformed during the period of incubation ( > 100 days). Parts of the initially added perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, R12, R114, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and benzylbutyl phthalate were transformed. Methanogenesis from acetate was completely inhibited in the presence of 2,5 dichlorophenol, whereas 2,4,6 trichlorophenol and R11 showed an initial inhibition, whenafter methane formation recovered. No transformation or effect on the anaerobic microflora occurred for R13, R22, R114, 3 chlorobenzoate, 2,4,6 trichlorobenzoate, bis(2 ethyl)hexyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate and dinonyl phthalate. The results indicate a limited potential for degradation, of the compounds tested, by microorganisms developing in a methanogenic landfill environment as compared with other anaerobic habitats such as sewage digestor sludge and sediments.

Degradation of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate constituents under methanogenic conditions.

The degradation of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its intermediary hydrolysis products 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) was investigated in a methanogenic phthalic acid ester-degrading enrichment culture at 37 degrees C. 2-Ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA), a plausible degradation product of 2-EH, was also studied. The culture readily degraded 2-EH via 2-EHA to methane which was formed in stoichiometric amounts assuming complete degradation of 2-EH to methane and carbon dioxide. MEHP was degraded to stoichiometric amounts of methane with phthalic acid as a transient intermediate. DEHP remained unaffected throughout the experimental period (330 days).

Alanine as an end product during fermentation of monosaccharides by Clostridium strain P2.

The thermophilic Clostridium P2 was isolated from a semi-continuously fed reactor with high ammonium concentration. This bacterium formed substantial amounts of L-alanine as a major fermentation product from glucose, fructose and mannose. Low amounts of acetate, butyrate, carbon dioxide and hydrogen were also formed. A high partial pressure of hydrogen inhibited the degradation of the monosaccharides, whereas hydrogen removal, in the form of methanogenesis was found to be stimulatory. However, the amount of alanine produced per mole of hexose degraded did not change. Hexose degradation and alanine production were favoured by high ammonium concentrations. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies provided strong evidence that an active Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway existed and that alanine was produced via an amination of pyruvate.

Stimulation of conversion rates and bacterial activity in a silage-fed two-phase biogas process by initiating liquid recirculation.

The effects of liquid recirculation on a liquefaction-acidogenic reactor in an anaerobic two-phase digesting system operating with grass-clover silage was studied during 40 days after initiating recirculation of effluent from the methanogenic reactor to the liquefaction-acidogenic reactor. An increase in alkalinity and, thus, an increase in pH from 5.2 to 6.0 occurred in the liquefaction-acidogenic reactor. During the same period, a 10-fold increase (from 0.2 to 1.9 g.l-1.h-1) in the degradation rate of mannitol and an almost 9-fold increase in the activity of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was observed. The estimated number of these bacteria increased by one order of magnitude. The average degradation rate of lactate increased 3-fold, probably as a consequence of the more efficient hydrogen consumption by the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. An observed increase in net mineralization of organic nitrogen compounds was probably the main reason for an enhanced net production of organic acids (from 0.2 to 0.9 g.l-1.d-1). The liquefaction of cellulose and hemicellulose was low from the start of recirculation (3% and 20% reduction, respectively) and did not seem to be affected by the liquid recirculation. This was in accordance with the low number of cellulose degraders (4.0 x 10(2) counts.ml-1) observed. The results from this investigation show that the initiation of liquid recirculation in silage-fed two-phase biogas processes will stimulate the activity of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the liquefaction-acidogenic reactor. This will lead to more thermodynamically favourable conditions for acidification reactions which are dependent upon interspecies transfer of reducing equivalents.

Depth distribution of microbial production and oxidation of methane in northern boreal peatlands.

The depth distributions of anaerobic microbial methane production and potential aerobic microbial methane oxidation were assessed at several sites in both Sphagnum- and sedge-dominated boreal peatlands in Sweden, and compared with net methane emissions from the same sites. Production and oxidation of methane were measured in peat slurries, and emissions were measured with the closed-chamber technique. Over all eleven sites sampled, production was, on average, highest 12 cm below the depth of the average water table. On the other hand, highest potential oxidation of methane coincided with the depth of the average water table. The integrated production rate in the 0-60 cm interval ranged between 0.05 and 1.7 g CH4 m (-2) day(-) and was negatively correlated with the depth of the average water table (linear regression: r (2) = 0.50, P = 0.015). The depth-integrated potential CH4-oxidation rate ranged between 3.0 and 22.1 g CH4 m(-2) day(-1) and was unrelated to the depth of the average water table. A larger fraction of the methane was oxidized at sites with low average water tables; hence, our results show that low net emission rates in these environments are caused not only by lower methane production rates, but also by conditions more favorable for the development of CH4-oxidizing bacteria in these environments.

[Effect of pneumatic compression in connection with ergotherapeutic treatment of Colles' fracture. A clinical controlled trial]. / Effekten af trykbandagebehandling i forbindelse med ergoterapeutisk behandling af Colles-fraktur. En klinisk kontrolleret undersøgelse.

We followed forty women with functional deficits in the wrist and hand after sustaining a Colles' fracture. The women participated in occupational therapy three times a week for three weeks. At the initial evaluation, after three weeks, and at a three month evaluation, we measured the following: range of joint movement, grip strength, hand volume (oedema), pain and ADL. There was significant improvement in most of the parameters measured after three weeks of occupational therapy, with a less significant improvement from three weeks to three months. Seventeen of the forty women received twenty minutes of intermittent pneumatic compression before occupational therapy. These patients showed significant improvement in wrist extension, compared with the control group of twenty-three patients. Occupational therapy is recommended for patients showing a functional deficit after Colles' fracture. Intermittent pneumatic compression is recommended as a supplement to occupational therapy.