Odour and H2S degradation in a full scale biofilter with a mineral based organic coated filter media

[Abstract] In order to minimize the odorous emissions from sludge storage tanks on the waste water treatment plant «Niederrad» of the city of Frankfurt/Main, about 12.000 m3/h of foul air has to be treated. Due to high Hydrogen-Sulphide (H2S) loads, the installed standard biofilter systems failed operation after one year. Thus, one of the existing filter beds was filled with a mineral based organic coated material; the other one was re-filled at the same time with a standard biofilter media to allow a comparative study. In a long term monitoring program from May 2006 to June 2007, both media were compared regarding degradation of H2S and odour. The one-year measurement program revealed that the mineral high performance media performs much better then the standard organic media

Review of Environmental Monitoring for Radionuclides in Air at the Sandia National Laboratory

The Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is a major laboratory of the Department of Energy (DOE) in the nuclear weapons complex. Past and present operations have resulted in the contamination of air, soil, biosphere, groundwater and surface water with radioactive and other pollutants that pose a risk to human health and the environment. This report focuses on the monitoring of radioactive pollutants that are or could be present in ambient air, i.e. outside breathable air. Ambient air monitoring can be conducted either close to potential sources of emissions on the property of Sandia National Laboratory itself, on the perimeter of the plant, or in greater distance. This report provides an assessment of the current monitoring system for radionuclides in ambient air at SNL. The following issues are addressed: (a) whether monitoring at SNL is at par with state-of-the-art systems, and (b) whether it provides for detection of unmonitored and/or short-term releases from sources at the site. Chapter 2 describes existing and potential sources for airborne radionuclides at and around SNL and presents the official estimates of radionuclide releases and resulting radiation exposures to members of the public. Chapter 3 compares the existing monitoring system for radionuclides in air at SNL with the systems that exist at other DOE sites. Chapter 4 evaluates the adequacy of the monitoring system with respect to detect unmonitored and/or short-term releases and the compliance with regulatory requirements. Chapter 5 provides recommendations based on the analysis. This research was completed money allocated during Round 3 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/albcenter/1001/thumbnail.jp

Hybrid antenna design for an optically powered SHF RFID transponder applicable in metals

This paper presents a hybrid antenna design for an optically powered super high frequency (SHF) radio frequency identification transponder applicable for the integration into metal. The key feature of the antenna is its ability to receive microwave signals at SHF for data communication and optical signals for the power supply of the transponder. The antenna design is based on a circular waveguide which is filled with a bundle of polymer optical fibers to guide light to the photodiodes. In addition, a transition is placed within the circular waveguide to transfer the waveguide mode of the SHF signal into a microstrip mode which is a more suitable structure for the integration of electronic transponder components. This paper discusses the constraints and solutions for the aforementioned combination of SHF microwave and light. The figures of merit of the optical power supply are presented, including considerations of the light distribution and the obtained power as a function of the incident angle and the used polymer optical fiber diameter. Furthermore, the measured gain and return loss of the SHF antenna structure is compared to the simulated results. © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association, 2013

AI based video analysis of red blood cells in oscillating microchannels

The flow dynamics of red blood cells in vivo in blood capillaries and in vitro in microfluidic channels is rather complex. Cells can obtain differnet shapes such as discoid, parachute, slipper-like shapes and various intermediate states depending on flow conditions and their viscoelastic properties. We use artificial based analysis of shapes in an oscillating mircorchannel to categorize red blood cells (RBCs). Two population are prepared and tested for comparison. Healthy red blood cells and red blood cells treated with diamid to chemically modify their viscoelastic behavior. Based on image analysis and tensor flow decision making we group them into two categories and validate the algorithm on a separate samples achieving a 90% confidence. This methode is a first step to a non-invasive, lable free characterization of diseased red blood cells and will be useful for diagnostic purposes in haematology labs. The methode give quatitative data on the number of affected cells on a single cell level.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of Decontamination and Decommissioning Activities for Research Reactors at the Brookhaven National Laboratory

It is the overall goal of the project to determine the environmental impacts of decontamination and decommissioning activities for research reactors at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, STAR Foundation from East Hampton, NY contracted with the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research based in Heidelberg, Germany (IFEU) to provide a detailed technical analysis in collaboration with the Institute for Resource and Security Studies (IRSS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A focal point was the comparative assessment of various alternatives (i.e. current status, entombment and various types of decommissioning). Whereas efforts by IRSS centered on engineering questions, IFEU focused on public health impacts. This research was completed money allocated during Round 3 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/starfound/1000/thumbnail.jp

The new critical metals database “HTMET”: High tech trace element characteristics of sulphides from base metal provinces in the variscan basement and adjacent sedimentary rocks in Germany

High tech (HT) trace elements such as germanium, gallium and indium gain rising importance in the development of innovative technologies. The database “HTMET” forms the first nationwide metal-ore database for Germany, created to visualise HT metal characteristics of base metal ores from important mining districts. Mineralogical and geochemical investigations on 478 samples and ore concentrates from 109 Pb-Zn-Cu occurrences were carried out using analytical methods with high spatial resolution and bulk sample methods. The database provides aggregated data based on 17,000 geochemical data sets, compiled information on regional infrastructure and environmental risks as well as data on innovative raw material-efficient processing techniques. Evaluation of combined data provides interactive maps revealing new potentials for specific HT metals in Germany. Differences in regional distribution of these trace elements and dependency of their concentration levels in the ore on the genetic deposit type became apparent. Sphalerite from the sediment-hosted massive sulphide (SHMS) deposit “Rammelsberg” and skarn deposits in the Erzgebirge contain elevated indium contents (median 14–119 ppm), whereas the SHMS deposit “Meggen” is poor in HT metals. Germanium forms the predominant HT trace element in colloform sphalerite of Mississippi-Valley-Type (MVT) deposits (median 29–147 ppm); in contrast, crystalline sphalerite is low in germanium in this deposit type. Sphalerite in all hydrothermal vein deposits shares a distinct enrichment in gallium (median 6–81 ppm); however, germanium and indium concentrations vary significantly depending on the metal source and fluid conditions. The Ruhrgebiet and the Schwarzwald ore veins show an enrichment in germanium (median 55–73 ppm), whilst vein sphalerite from the Erzgebirge is specialised in indium (median 33 ppm). The data demonstrate that the HT trace element inventory of the studied base metal sulphides is not only a function of the genetic ore deposit type, but is also triggered by locally variable geology such as source rock and fluid composition and organic content of the rock. Gallium seems to derive from adjacent lithologies, whereas indium and germanium may have more distant sources

Robert Schwarz: Hirnschalen der Autoren ; Katalog zur Ausstellung in der Teilbibliothek 4 vom 17. April 2018 bis 17. Juni 2018

Die Werke von Robert Schwarz (geb. 1951) sind in der Welt zu Hause, der Künstler selbst lebt in der Gutenbergstadt Mainz. Seit Jahrzehnten beschäftigt er sich mit der Literatur der Antike, des Barock, der Klassik und des 19. Jahrhunderts, für seine Zwecke wählt er Texte oder Textfragmente aus. Häufig setzt der Künstler dann diese Texte, interpretiert sie auf seine Weise als bildender Künstler. Seine Profession besteht aus dem Malen mit dem Lithostein, einem höchst aufwendigen Verfahren, das viele Druckvorgänge verlangt, in seltenen Fällen bis zu 40, und in nur kleiner bis kleinster Auflage dokumentiert is

DOE Environmental Management Programs in New Mexico: Environmental and Economic Impacts

In August 2001 Nuclear Watch of New Mexico (NWNM) was funded by the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment (MTA) Fund to conduct an “Assessment of the Environmental and Economic Impacts of Department of Energy Environmental Management Programs in New Mexico.” New Mexico is home to two of the three nuclear weapons laboratories in the United States, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. New Mexico also hosts the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the world’s only deep geological disposal site for radioactive transuranic wastes (which are primarily plutonium contaminated wastes resulting from bomb research and production). These three sites were the focus of NWNM’s project. In May 2002, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued under its Resource and Recovery Act (RCRA) authority a draft “Corrective Action Order” against Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This Order mandates the investigation and compilation by the lab of comprehensive environmental information categorized by different lab Technical Areas, watersheds and groundwater. The bulk of our project on LANL environmental issues turned to analyzing and commenting on the draft Corrective Action Order. Subsequently Bernd Franke and Jay Coghlan collaboratively provided NMED with 19 pages of technical comments, which we believe had a salutary effect in strengthening the November 2002 Final Order. It is our hope that the LANL Order will lead, in time, to State-mandated cleanup. Unfortunately, to date implementation of the Order has been stayed under the threat of DOE lawsuits against NMED. The purpose of our Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project to was to look closely at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) anticipated remote-handled transuranic (RH-TRU) waste program as it pertains to WIPP. [RH-TRU wastes are those too hot for humans to handle.] However, because of the consistently changing nature of the DOE’s environmental management program and because of the interlocking nature of those changes, our WIPP project took on a broader scope. Not only did NWNM analyze and comment on the proposed addition of RH-TRU waste disposal, but also analyzed and commented on 22 other proposed additions or changes to WIPP. We believe that we have played a significant role in helping to ensure that the State WIPP RCRA permit remains strong and that the DOE’s requested modifications are not just perfunctorily approved by the NMED. This research was completed money allocated during Round 2 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/nuclearwatch/1000/thumbnail.jp

New Mexico\u27s Right to Know: The Impacts of LANL Operations on Public Health and the Environment

Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS) contracted with Bernd Franke, Catherine M. Richards, M.S., Steve Wing, Ph.D., and David Richardson, Ph.D. to investigate the following public health issues concerning LANL emissions: • Historical and current emissions of radioactive materials from LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) operations into the air; • Incidence and mortality rates for LAC (Los Alamos County) residents for 24 types of cancer compared with state and national reference populations; and • Occupational health studies of LANL employees exposed to radionuclides. These studies focus on localized impacts at LANL and in LAC. LANL employees and LAC residents may receive the highest dose of radiation because of their proximity to the facility. Therefore, exposure of LANL employees and LAC residents may serve as an indicator of impacts to those living in the surrounding communities. This research was completed money allocated during Round 1 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/ccns/1000/thumbnail.jp