Evaluation of different air dosing strategies to enhance H2S removal in microaerobic systems treating low-strength wastewaters.

This study aimed to evaluate different air dosing strategies such as microaeration flow rates and air dosing points to enhance H2S removal in microaerobic systems treating low-strength wastewaters. Efficiency and stability of the reactors, as well as biogas quality, were assessed, and microbial community changes were evaluated using the PCR-DGGE technique. The results showed that the air dosing point affected the H2S concentration and that air dosing at the headspace promoted the highest H2S removal efficiency. The airflow rate also affected the process, since H2S concentration in the biogas was higher at 0.1 mL air.min-1 than at 0.3 mL air.min-1. The methane concentration in the biogas was also affected by both air dosing point and flow rate, since the lowest value was observed at the highest airflow rate of the headspace dosing point, due to dilution by the N2 influx applied to the system. The highest productivity and operational efficiency were observed at this air dosing point, with this airflow (HD0.3), which corroborates with the operational results and the ecological parameters, since the microaeration at this stage promoted high bacterial and archaeal species richness and diversity, optimum functional organization, high COD and H2S removal efficiencies.

Individual sample conditioning in flow analysis. Determination of N-total in plant materials.

A flow-batch system allowing in-line individual sample matrix matching is proposed for analysis of sample lots with high variability in acidity. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in the spectrophotometric determination of total nitrogen in Kjeldahl digests, using a column with a slightly soluble reagent (AgCl). The solutions are sequentially injected by means of an 8-port selecting valve and processed in a mixing chamber that is also used as a monitoring unit. The system yields reproducible results (r.s.d. usually < 2.5%) and the sampling rate is 14 samples/h. The analytical curve is linear within 1.00 and 6.00% N (dry basis), and the regression coefficient is > 0.999 (n = 6). Results are in agreement with certified values of standard reference materials and with results obtained by conductometry.