This study presents an example of blackwater (0.8 L flush water, faeces, urine and toilet paper) composting from low-flush vacuum toilets, which is a part of a pilot-scale source separation system. Blackwater (BW) was collected from vacuum toilets into a tank and applied over peat filters for particle retention and dewatering on the gravity principle to obtain a solid fraction (SF). Before composting, SF was mixed with pine bark and wheat bran. With no mixing, the thermophilic phase was achieved only in the middle layer and lasted for three weeks. Sanitation was indicated by the inactivation of enterobacterial pathogens, the absence of parasites, and the cessation of phytotoxicity. At the end of composting, the NH4+-N/NO3- N mass ratio was between 0.5 and 3.0, which indicates mature compost that is ready for use in agriculture. In terms of the percentage of dry matter, the nutrients were nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium = 3.0:3.2:1.6, with a favourable ratio of C:N = 10, indicating the biological stability of the produced compost. The tested pilot-scale model has thus proved that the composting of SF is a viable option as a part of the separation system.
COBISS.SI-ID: 8230009
The knowledge and experiences gained in the research described in this paper were successfully transferred and used in the research conducted in the frame of our project, since our project is dealing also with the structural materials addition in composting for e.g. different types of soil. In this article results of a long-term field experiment performed to evaluate the impact of minimum tillage (MT) compared to conventional mouldboard ploughing (CT) on soil chemical, physical and microbial properties in a shallow Cambisol formed over fluvioglacial deposits of Drava river in Slovenia are showed. The results indicate that MT generates modest changes in soil structure and soil water retention properties and could support measures against erosion, drought and nutrient leaching. Considering increased microbial biomass in the topsoil of MT and shifts in microbial diversity, the impacts of MT on soil microbiome are also evident and need to be further investigated to identify the affected functional traits.
COBISS.SI-ID: 8210553
The knowledge and experiences gained in the research described in this paper were successfully transferred and used in the research conducted in the frame of our project, especially in the field of algae cultivation. In the first part of this paper a general overview of techniques that employ hydrodynamic cavitation for cleaning of water and wastewater is presented. In the second part of the paper the focus is on using hydrodynamic cavitation for removal of different pollutants and organisms like toxic cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa) and green microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) from water and wastewater.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3649871
The aim of this paper is to present a survey on the current status of wastewater treatment systems in 11 central and eastern European (CEE) countries, with a focus on rural areas and on small treatment wetlands for settlements of below 2,000 people. The results indicate that CEE countries have insufficient sanitation systems with different performance efficiencies. These differences stem from the different historical, political and economic developments as well as legislation in the previous five to six decades. CEE settlements with less than 2,000 inhabitants represent almost 30.0 % of the overall number of persons living in CEE countries. These data show that CEE countries have a mainly rural character, but this is slowly decreasing. Over 42 million inhabitants are waiting for proper sanitation systems. This requirement will be evergrowing in the next future, and it is important to know and to prepare appropriate steps for progressive realisation.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31737049
This study assesses the total suspended solids (TSS) retention capacity of different organic filter media for two potential applications: (i) a polishing unit for package treatment plants and (ii) a pre-treatment for blackwater from low-flushing toilets. The experimental system reached a TSS reduction of 60–70% for blackwater and 80–90% for simulated effluent peaks from a package treatment plant. The main challenge of a full-scale application of an organic filter is the issue of clogging, especially when treating concentrated blackwater. However, this work indicates that a clogged filter media can be regenerated by mixing the uppermost filter layer without significant loss of filter performance regarding TSS. More research is needed to develop an appropriate mechanical unit for automatic filter media regeneration.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4696939