A Modeling Analysis of Wastewater Heat Recovery Effects on Wastewater Treatment Plant Nitrification

A global shift towards renewable energy production, driven primarily by the challenges posed by climate change, is currently underway. In this context, the utilization of heat recovery from municipal wastewater emerges as a promising green technology. Notably, the advantage of implementing energy recovery in sewers, as opposed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), lies in the higher temperature of the wastewater and its proximity to potential heat users. Despite these benefits, concerns arise regarding the potential adverse effects on biological wastewater treatment processes downstream of the heat recovery section, particularly during colder seasons. This paper seeks to assess the impact of a heat recovery system along the sewer network on the efficiency of biological wastewater treatment processes. The methodology involves a modeling analysis of a real sewage network in Italy. Under typical northern Italy climate conditions, the results demonstrate the feasibility of heat recovery in sewers for WWTPs designed with a sludge residence time under aerobic conditions (SRTaer) greater than 13 days. In such cases, the nitrification process remains relatively unaffected. However, for lower SRTaer values, a case-specific feasibility assessment is recommended to evaluate the overall process efficiency comprehensively

Lifestyle Modifications to Help Prevent Headache at a Developmental Age

Headache is the world’s seventh most significant cause of disability-adjusted-life in people aged between 10 and 14 years. Therapeutic management is based on pharmacological approaches and lifestyle recommendations. Many studies show associations between each migraine-promoting lifestyle, behavioral triggers, frequency, and intensity of headaches. Nevertheless, the overall aspects of this topic lack any definitive evidence. Educational programs advise that pediatric patients who suffer from migraines follow a correct lifestyle and that this is of the utmost importance in childhood, as it will improve quality of life and assist adult patients in avoiding headache chronicity, increasing general well-being. These data are important due to the scarcity of scientific evidence on drug therapy for prophylaxis during the developmental age. The “lifestyle recommendations” described in the literature include a perfect balance between regular sleep and meal, adequate hydration, limited consumption of caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol, regular physical activity to avoid being overweight as well as any other elements causing stress. The ketogenic diet is a possible new therapeutic strategy for the control of headache in adults, however, the possible role of dietary factors requires more specific studies among children and adolescents. Educational programs advise that the improvement of lifestyle as a central element in the management of pediatric headache will be of particular importance in the future to improve the quality of life of these patients and reduce the severity of cephalalgic episodes and increase their well-being in adulthood. The present review highlights how changes in different aspects of daily life may determine significant improvements in the management of headaches in people of developmental age

Pediatric hypnic headache. a systematic review

Introduction: Hypnic headache (HH) is a primary headache, and it is considered a rare condition in children. The underlying mechanisms of HH are not yet fully understood. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive description of the clinical features of all published cases of pediatric HH. It will also discuss the differences in headache features between children and adults, the increased diagnostic sensitivity of the new diagnostic criteria (ICHD-3), potential pathophysiological hypotheses explaining the higher incidence in adults, differential diagnoses, and therapeutic options for children. Methods: A systematic search was conducted to identify and analyze articles reporting cases of HH in patients under the age of 18. The search was performed in major medical databases including Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Embase, Medline, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search covered the period from 1988 to April 2023. Relevant studies were screened for eligibility, and data extraction was performed using a standardized approach. Results: Seven children with HH were included in the analysis. The mean age of onset for headache attacks was 10 ± 4.3 years (range 3-15 years). The average time from the start of headaches to diagnosis was 15.8 ± 25.0 months (range 1-60 months). Headache features in children differed from those observed in adult HH patients. Children experienced throbbing/pulsating pain, while adults reported dull/pressure-like pain. Children also had lower frequency and shorter duration of attacks compared to adults. The use of ICHD-3 criteria appeared to be more sensitive and inclusive for diagnosing HH in children compared to the previous ICHD-2 criteria. The association of headache attacks with sleep suggests that HH may be a primary disorder with a chronobiological origin. Hypothalamic dysfunction and melatonin dysregulation, which are more prevalent in older individuals, could potentially explain the higher incidence of HH in adults. Other primary headaches and secondary causes should be ruled out. Melatonin prophylactic therapy may be considered for pediatric patients. Discussion: Further evaluation of the clinical features of HH in children is needed. The development of specific diagnostic criteria for pediatric cases could improve diagnostic rates and enhance the management of children with HH

Multi-Objective Performance of Detention Basins and Rainwater Harvesting Systems Using Real-Time Controls with Rainfall Forecasts

Climate change and an increase in urbanization are severely testing urban drainage systems; at the same time, population growth is leading to an increase in demand for water resources, while climate change is more likely to reduce the amount of water that is available to meet this demand. The present study finds a solution to both problems by assuming a hybrid use of detention basins, i.e., providing a real-time control system (RTC) for the outfall discharge managed according to the rainfall forecast and the water level in the tank, to reuse rainwater for non-potable use and, at the same time, to guarantee the hydraulic protection of the downstream system. Twenty-seven scenarios were simulated using the numerical model SWMM 5.1, assuming different types of controls on the discharge. The simulations show a non-potable water-saving efficiency from a minimum of 32% to a maximum of 90%, and the reduction in volume discharged is between 11% and 31%, while the peak flow rate varies more significantly depending on the type of control used. These results highlight the detention basins’ potential deriving from the hybrid use of this system with rainwater harvesting systems

Lo studio della qualità dell'acqua di corpi idrici soggetti a scaricatori di piena: il caso studio del torrente Savena a Bologna

Nelle reti di drenaggio di tipo unitario, durante gli eventi pluviometrici, alle portate reflue si sommano altresì, le portate di origine meteorica, e nel loro insieme possono essere regolarmente convogliate dalla rete fognaria verso l’impianto di trattamento e qui depurate entro limiti prestabiliti. In quest'ottica si collocano gli scolmatori di piena, preposti al rilascio delle portate eccedenti tale limite, posizionati lungo il tracciato della rete fognaria. L'inserimento nella rete di tali scaricatori comporta, inevitabilmente, un'uscita incontrollata di inquinanti verso il corpo idrico ricettore finale: numerosi studi hanno dimostrato il forte carico inquinante non solo dell’acqua reflua ma anche dell’acqua meteorica. È a questo proposito che si rende necessario rappresentare e descrivere i complessi fenomeni fisici, chimici e biologici, che hanno luogo all'interno dei corpi d'acqua, al fine di individuare, in termini quantitativi e qualitativi, il rapporto instaurato tra gli scarichi provenienti dagli scolmatori e le acque riceventi tali scarichi. Nel seguente lavoro di tesi, il rapporto tra i due elementi viene indagato attraverso l'impiego di un modello matematico, le cui simulazioni offrono un metodo integrato per valutare i possibili scenari generati dall’immissione, nel corso d’acqua, dei carichi inquinanti provenienti dagli scolmatori di piena durante gli eventi meteorici. WASP, Water Quality Simulation Program, è il codice di calcolo utilizzato per simulare il trasporto e le trasformazioni delle sostanze inquinanti all'interno della colonna d'acqua. La validità del modello è stata comprovata attraverso la sua applicazione a un caso di studio, il torrente Savena a Bologna: disponendo delle misure sperimentali effettuate in tempo di pioggia, le curve simulate dal programma riferite alle variabili di qualità di interesse (BOD5, COD, SST, DO), sono state verificate dalle corrispondenti curve registrate dai campionatori posti lungo il torrente