Carbon Footprint Analysis for the Waste Oil Management System in Portugal.

Aims: The study analyzes the carbon footprint of the waste oil management system operating in Portugal to ensure the sustainable operation in the future. The analysis was carried out in 2011for the system that is composed of a treatment procedure collecting the treated oil for re-refining, followed by the production of expanded clay and recycling for electricity production. Methodology: Carbon footprint analysis was conducted by using the Umberto software 5.5 based on the concepts of life cycle assessment with respect to international standards (ISO). Within this context, the substances considered for such carbon footprint analysis are directly relevant to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007). Results: The results showed that managing waste oils may contribute to the reduction of carbon footprint due to the avoided emissions of greenhouse gas through the reuse of treated waste oils. The carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from collection and treatment of waste oils would not outweigh such benefit earned from the substitution of virgin lubricant oil even though the use of treated waste oils for producing expanded clay may end up some more carbon dioxide emissions. Conclusion: The carbon footprint analysis in this study has shown the potential for improvements in the waste oil management system in Portugal. The most significant improvement that could be made is the increase of using treated waste oils for the expanded clay production. However, such a strategy would not be consistent with the waste hierarchy principle which dominates the current decision making in managing waste nationally.

Monitoramento de parâmetros físicos, qúimicos e biológicos em um reator anaeróbio híbrido (RAH) em escala piloto, tratando água residuária do café produzido por via úmida / Monitoring of physical, chemical, and biological parameters of a hibrid anaerobic reactor (HAR) in pilot scale, treating wastewater from wet coffee production

Conduziu-se este trabalho, com o objetivo de fornecer informações a respeito da investigação experimental realizada na estação piloto no Núcleo de Estudos em Cafeicultura (NECAF/UFLA), para tratamento de água residuária do café (ARC) especificamente, o monitoramento de um Reator Anaeróbio Híbrido (RAH), utilizando minifiltros preenchidos com dois tipos de meio suporte (argila expandida e seixo rolado). O RAH possuía fundo falso e foi utilizado como inóculo lodo anaeróbio de Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reator (reator anaeróbio de manta de lodo) - UASB (escala-plena), de esgoto doméstico. O sistema foi monitorado por meio de parâmetros operacionais e de análises químicas e físico-químicas. Foi constatado que a fase experimental em que se deu o experimento dificultou a eficiência do RAH por ter sido submetido a cargas inferiores às previstas, uma vez que o efluente passava por tratamento em outras unidades, minimizando assim, a concentração orgânica a ser tratada. O RAH apresentou concentrações afluentes médias de: 484; 168 e 92 mg DQOtot L-1 e concentrações efluentes médias de 344; 159 e 90 mg DQOtot L-1, para os tempos de detenção hidráulica (TDH) de 28,5; 23,7 e 18,0 horas, respectivamente. O RAH apresentou equilíbrio com relação aos parâmetros medidos e boa estabilidade. O efluente analisado não apresentou riscos de salinidade, uma vez que a CE ficou na faixa, entre 0,70 e 3,0 dS m-1 e os SDT, entre 450 a 2000 mg L-1. Quanto à sodificação, a Razão de Adsorção de Sódio (RAS) ficou entre 0 e 3 e a CE>0,7 dS m-1, podendo ser reutilizado para irrigação da maioria das culturas e solos.

The purpose of this work is to supply information regarding to the experimental investigation carried out in a pilot scale system, located at Coffee Study Research Center (NECAF/UFLA). The research focused mainly on a Hybrid Anaerobic Reactor (HAR) operating with mini-filters filled with two types of physical support (expanded clay and pebble "round quartz stone"). The HAR used a three-phase-separator; and during the start-up, sludge from a full-scale UASB reactor treating domestic wastewater was utilized. The experimental results did not show great efficiency due to the removal of the organic matter in other treatment units located before the HAR, minimizing in this way the concentration of organic matter to be treated in the HAR. The HAR presented an average affluent concentration of: 484, 168, and 92 mg CODtot L-1, and an average effluent concentration of: 344, 159, and 90 mg CODtot L-1. The HAR also presented good balance in relation to the parameters measured, as well as good stability.

Influência do nível de adubação de plantas matrizes na formação de mudas de cafeeiros em sistema hidropônico / Influence of the level of fertilization of the matrix plants in the formation of seedlings of coffee plants in hydroponic systems

Objetivou-se neste trabalho avaliar o desenvolvimento de mudas de quatro cultivares de cafeeiro arábico, originadas de sementes de plantas submetidas aos níveis de adubação baixo, adequado e alto, em sistema hidropônico com argila expandida. Utilizou-se, para este experimento, sementes de quatro cultivares de cafeeiro arábico (Catuaí, Rubi, Icatu e Acaiá), submetidos a três níveis de adubação. Os níveis baixo e alto de adubação receberam, respectivamente, 0,4 e 1,4 vezes a recomendação feita para o nível adequado. Após a coleta e preparo, as sementes foram germinadas em papel "germitest" e depois de 30 dias foram transplantadas para tubetes de 120 ml preenchidos com substrato comercial. O sistema hidropônico empregado foi de subirrigação com argila expandida (cinasita) onde foram fixados os tubetes. Utilizou-se ainda o delineamento de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 4 X 3 com 4 repetições e 7 plantas úteis por parcela. Assim que as plantas atingiram 5 a 6 pares de folhas foi medida a altura de plantas, o peso de matéria seca das folhas, caule e sistema radicular. Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Duncan. Observou-se que o nível de adubação das plantas matrizes pouco influenciou no crescimento e desenvolvimento das mudas de cafeeiro, no sistema hidropônico. O sistema hidropônico proposto promoveu bom desenvolvimento das respectivas mudas de cafeeiro.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of seedlings of four varieties of arabic coffee plant in hydroponic system with expanded clay. The seeds of the cultivars Catuaí, Rubi, Icatu e Acaiá were colected from plants submitted to three levels of fertilization. The low and high levels of fertilization received 0.4 and 1.4 times the recommendation done for the appropriate level, respectively. After the collection and preparation, the seeds were germinated in paper rolls and after 30 days they were transplanted to 120 ml containers filled out with commercial substratum. The nutritive solution was supplied to the channels with expanded clay by sub-irrigation. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in a 4 x 3 factorial scheme with 4 replications and 7 useful plants per plot. As soon as the plants reached 5 to 6 pairs of leaves the height of plants and dry matter weight of leaves, stems and root system were measured. The obtained results were submitted to the variance analysis and the averages were compared by the Duncan test. It was observed that the level of fertilization of the matrix plants had little influence upon growth and development of the coffee plant seedlings. The proposed hydroponic system promoted adequate development of the coffee plant seedlings.