SIMI 2019

This article provides a detailed analysis of the fundamental elements required prior to conducting on-field research of an areas chosen as case studies for the assessment of soil and water quality in the unpolluted zones. The ultimate goal of the research to be carried out over the next two years is to obtain solid and reliable data on the quality of the two environmental components in these areas. All the data obtained will be integrated into a solid and georeference database, consisting of a sample identification module (soil and water) and a module of a varied parameters that will contain up to 42 parameters analyzed in the testing laboratories. Finally, the article presents the conclusions regarding the transposition of the proposed objectives into field and laboratory activities, graphical and descriptive details integrated into a conceptual model, universally valid in order to evaluate protected natural areas without direct anthropogenic impact. Particular importance in assessing these areas is attributed to detailing aspects that can influence the research results in major way. Issues related to the sampling and subsampling of soil and water samples, their conservation and transport to the laboratory are considered relevant and major. Geomorphological criteria of details, geographic and geological information are considered important in assessing the areas chosen as case studies. The five areas selected in the present study have been described and a number of objectives and activities have been proposed for on-site research to be carried out in the near future.

The continuous increase of the volume of waste, in direct correlation with the number of the population represents an important problem for the specialists involved in waste management and the identification of the most efficient solutions for their management in an environmentally friendly way with minimal impact on the environment. A large-scale waste reduction solution is to incinerate them in dedicated installations with strict control over air pollutant emissions from the incineration process. The paper presents the results of the tests carried out in two types of waste incinerators for the assessment of pollutant emissions in the air in order to reduce them and to meet the requirements of the environmental regulations in this field.

Nowadays, the air pollution has become a major environmental problem due to rapid increase of industrialization and anthropogenic activities which led to climate change. Air pollution is considered as a harmful agent for human health. Different classes of pollutants like gaseous (SOx, NOx) are continuously released in air and perceived/recognized as pollutants. Among the biological models, plants could indicate pollution load in a particular area via alterations in physiological parameters so, there is a need for reliable and sustainable air pollution monitoring and control methods.

The hygiene process imposes a high usage of household cleaning products and personal care products, which after use reach the municipal and industrial wastewater of the sewerage networks and finally the surface waters. Depending on the physic, chemical and biological properties of the constituent substances, they could manifest various harmful effects on the aquatic organisms such as mortality, inhibition or stimulation of growth / development, and changes of the community structure linked to particular ecosystems and water quality degradation. The study objective was to highlighted the aquatic toxicity effects of some cleaning products on freshwater fish, green microalgae and planktonic crustaceans in order to correspond to EU ecolabel criteria. Three products based on anionic, non ionic and amphoteric surfactants were tested using OECD methodologies. The laboratory experiments showed non toxic acute effects on tested organisms. The acute toxicity concentrations (EC 50 / LC50) being more than 100 mg/l for each tested product. According to international norms for toxicity classification all the products were non harmful for aquatic live.

A good function of waste-to-energy installation requires knowledge of the combustion characteristics of the fuel and fusion characteristics of the ash produced in the combustion process. Sewage sludge could be considered as renewable fuel due the high quantity of organics of sufficiently high calorific value. The combustion of sewage sludge can cause operating problems due to high ash content containing mineral compounds. This paper presents the oxide composition of three kinds of sewage sludge ashes and the influence on the slagging and fouling process in combustion. For comparation, two coal samples were selected, a low and a high rank coal. The mineral matter were investigated by the X-ray fluorescence analytical technique using the Rigaku CG X-ray Spectrofluorimeter. The evaluation of slagging and fouling process was performed on the basis of some indices: the basic oxides, the base-to-acid ratio, the slagging index and the fouling index. The conclusion based on experimental studies is that depending on mineral content the sewage sludge ash can cause high to moderate slagging and fouling hazard.

Prior to discharge, high-loads wastewater needs intensive treatment, that can be carried out by physical, chemical or biological means towards discharge water quality. Extensive research has been carried out to identify solutions with reduced costs and high efficiencies. The paper presents the lab scale performance efficiencies of an innovative biological complex product obtained for the treatment of several samples (municipal wastewater, pig farm wastewater, wastewater from a restaurant’s grease removal tank). The experiments were carried out in laboratory bioreactors, the sample volume considered ranging from 1.5L to 4L depending on the waste water load and the number of simultaneous samples. Each sample was tested in parallel under similar conditions, the only varied parameter being the dissolved oxygen concentration. The results have shown that, under the tested conditions, the product contributes to pollutants degradation, with good efficiency for nitrogen ammonium and Kjeldahl nitrogen removal, managing to partially reduce the organic load. However, after 42 days of experiment, the effluent does not meet the sewage discharge conditions imposed by NTPA 002-H.G.352.

The paper presents the influence of pH on the dissolved organic carbon in industrial waste samples as a decision indicator in determining the hazardousness of the waste at storage according to the environmental legislation. Waste storage is a common method of management and is realizing according to GO 95/2005, which requires limit concentrations of the indicators analyzed according to each type of deposit (inert, non-hazardous, and hazardous). For the analysis of the dissolved organic carbon, 6 samples of waste from different sectors of activity were subjected to the leaching test and the eluate was analyzed on a multi N/C 3100 equipment at both the pH of the waste, itself and between 7.5 and 8 pH units. From the results obtained it is found that the modification of the pH leads to significant variations in the concentration of the dissolved organic carbon, variations which can provide essential information for the subsequent management of the waste.

Global population growth is associated with an increase in the amount of water used. A consequence of this increase is the high amount of wastewater volume resulted, which can affect ecosystems balance. For this reason, the authorities are forced to account and improve wastewater treatment processes to minimize environmental impact. The physical-chemical properties of the effluent are unique and depend on the origin of the leakage, the sewer system infrastructure, the level of development of the area, the climatic conditions, and hence the wastewater stream has a unique composition of organic and inorganic loads. For a quick and easy understanding of wastewater quality, two types of water quality indices were developed. This study presents the results of a complex analytical investigation of effluents discharged from six rural WWTP’s situated in southern part of Romania compared with a simplified interpretation of wastewater quality by using a pollution index (PI) and a wastewater quality index (WWQI). Data recorded with a monthly frequency between 2013 and 2017 were used. Regarding the WWQI values calculated in this study, all wastewater analysed from the six WWTP’s, fit to the ‘Marginal’ Designation.