This paper will describe, with minimal reference to mathematically derived formulae, the importance and use of respirometry as a design and process operating tool. The authors will report on the latest findings of their team working in the United Kingdom. They will present case studies of events that were rapidly identified by the use of on-line respirometry.
The Congress of the United States of America enacted legislation to control the environmental effects of the wastes generated by the various activities of American society upon the air, water and land resources of the nation. These laws involved the best thinking of the Congress and of the publics it consulted in their development; but not of other important publics including those involved in collecting, treating and disposing of waste materials. In additional the legislation appeared as a series of separaxe acts directed towards control of a single medium and were phrased and administered so that an overall review of the net impact upon all mediums (the total environment) was not readily possible. Furthermore the concept of a single national standard rather than individual evaluation of each waste problem was introduced as well as an adversary approach by the Federal government. The results do not appear to have substantially advanced the nation towards the goal of environmental improvement and may in fact have introduced substantial impediments. Examples of problems which have arisen because of this approach are given.
Disposal of sewage solids resulting from wastewater treatment processes has historically been the most difficult and “unsolved” problem in the handling of water-carried wastes in Southern California. Continuing rapid growth combined with Federal laws which essentially prohibit any discharge of sludge to the ocean regardless of net effects upon the land) water and air total environment have exacerbated this problem to an almost critical state. Complex incineration processes directed at producing energy from dried sludge while minimizing negative atmospheric impacts are under construction. Their complexity has resulted in start-up problems related to the short time allowed for design and break-in by Federal Court action. Increased sludge disposal amounts are also resulting from Federal insistence upon full secondary treatment prior to ocean disposal regardless of net environmental impact. Four large facilities were examined: the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the City of San Diego and the City of Los Angeles. Differing approaches to disposal have been chosen with landfills receiving most sludge at the present and incineration planned for most in the future. Description of the current practices with the amounts of solids to be disposed of and the current costs are outlined.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.