Agricultural Waste Products as Filter Media and as Cover Materials in Biofilters for Mediterranean Countries


Book Description

In this work, agricultural and industrial waste products were proposed as an alternative low-cost filter medium and as alternative cover material to reduce evaporation in the filter bed for biofilters especially in the regions with Mediterranean climate.




Research EU.


Book Description




Waste Water Treatment and Reuse in the Mediterranean Region


Book Description

Water scarcity and the need for ecological sustainability have led to the introduction of treated waste water as an additional water resource in the national water resource management plans of Mediterranean countries. Summarizing the results generated within the European Union-funded project INNOVA-MED, this volume highlights the following topics: Application of innovative technologies and practices for waste water treatment and reuse adapted to the Mediterranean region Constraints on the application of advanced treatments and reuse of reclaimed water and sludge Problems and requirements of sustainable water management in the Mediterranean area The book includes several examples of Mediterranean countries, such as Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Palestine and Spain, and presents their practical experiences in the application of innovative processes and practices for waste water treatment and reuse.




Nature Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment


Book Description

There are 2.4 billion people without improved sanitation and another 2.1 billion with inadequate sanitation (i.e. wastewater drains directly into surface waters), and despite improvements over the past decades, the unsafe management of fecal waste and wastewater continues to present a major risk to public health and the environment (UN, 2016). There is growing interest in low cost sanitation solutions which harness natural systems. However, it can be difficult for wastewater utility managers to understand under what conditions such nature-based solutions (NBS) might be applicable and how best to combine traditional infrastructure, for example an activated sludge treatment plant, with an NBS such as treatment wetlands. There is increasing scientific evidence that treatment systems with designs inspired by nature are highly efficient treatment technologies. The cost-effective design and implementation of ecosystems in wastewater treatment is something that exists and has the potential to be further promoted globally as both a sustainable and practical solution. This book serves as a compilation of technical references, case examples and guidance for applying nature-based solutions for treatment of domestic wastewater, and enables a wide variety of stakeholders to understand the design parameters, removal efficiencies, costs, co-benefits for both people and nature and trade-offs for consideration in their local context. Examples through case studies are from across the globe and provide practical insights into the variety of potentially applicable solutions.




Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture


Book Description

This book offers a broad and global level description of the current status of wastewater use in agriculture and then brings the readers to various places in the MENA Region and Europe to explain how some countries and regions have addressed the challenges during implementation. On a global scale, over 20 million hectares of agricultural land are irrigated using wastewater. This is one good, and perhaps the most prominent, example of the safe use potential of wastewater. Water scarcity and the cost of energy and fertilisers are among the main factors driving millions of farmers and other entrepreneurs to make use of wastewater. In order to address the technical, institutional, and policy challenges of safe water reuse, developing countries and countries in transition need clear institutional arrangements and more skilled human resources, with a sound understanding of the opportunities and potential risks of wastewater use. Stakeholders in wastewater irrigation who need to implement from scratch or improve current conditions, find it difficult to gather the necessary information on practical implementation aspects. The main objective of this book is to bridge that gap.




Small-scale Aquaponic Food Production


Book Description

This technical paper begins by introducing the concept of aquaponics, including a brief history of its development and its place within the larger category of soil-less culture and modern agriculture. It discusses the main theoretical concepts of aquaponics, including the nitrogen cycle and the nitrification process, the role of bacteria, and the concept of balancing an aquaponic unit. It then moves on to cover important considerations of water quality parameters, water testing, and water sourcing for aquaponics, as well as methods and theories of unit design, including the three main methods of aquaponic systems: media beds, nutrient film technique, and deep water culture. The publication discusses in detail the three groups of living organisms (bacteria, plants and fish) that make up the aquaponic ecosystem. It also presents management strategies and troubleshooting practices, as well as related topics, specifically highlighting local and sustainable sources of aquaponic inputs. The publication also includes nine appendixes that present other key topics: ideal conditions for common plants grown in aquaponics; chemical and biological controls of common pests and diseases including a compatible planting guide; common fish diseases and related symptoms, causes and remedies; tools to calculate the ammonia produced and biofiltration media required for a certain fish stocking density and amount of fish feed added; production of homemade fish feed; guidelines and considerations for establishing aquaponic units; a cost-benefit analysis of a small-scale, media bed aquaponic unit; a comprehensive guide to building small-scale versions of each of the three aquaponic methods; and a brief summary of this publication designed as a supplemental handout for outreach, extension and education.







Waste Management for the Food Industries


Book Description

The continuously increasing human population, has resulted in a huge demand for processed and packaged foods. As a result of this demand, large amounts of water, air, electricity and fuel are consumed on a daily basis for food processing, transportation and preservation purposes. Although not one of the most heavily polluting, the food industry does contribute to the increase in volume of waste produced as well as to the energy expended to do so. For the first time, nine separate food industry categories are thoroughly investigated in Waste Management for the Food Industries in an effort to help combat this already acute problem. The current state of environmental management systems is described, offering comparisons of global legislation rarely found in other resources. An extensive review of commercial equipment, including advantages and disadvantages per employed waste management technique, offers a unique perspective for any academic, student, professional, and/or consultant in the food, agriculture and environmental industries. - Thoroughly examines the most prevalent and most polluting industries such as Meat, Fish, Dairy, Olive Oil, Juice and Wine industries - Includes synoptical tables [methods employed, physicochemical or microbiological parameters altered after treatment etc] and comparative figures of the effectiveness of various waste management methods - Contains nearly 2500 of the most up-to-date references available







Wastewater and Biosolids Management


Book Description

Wastewater and Biosolids Management covers a wide range of current, new and emerging topics in wastewater and biosolids. The book addresses the theoretical and practical aspect of the reuse and looks to advance our knowledge on wastewater reuse and its application in agricultural production. The book aims to present existing modern information about wastewater reuse management based on earlier literature on the one hand and recent research developments, many of which have not so far been implemented into actual practice on the other. It combines the practical and theoretical knowledge about ‘wastewater and biosolids management’ and in this sense it is useful for researchers, students, academicians as well as for professionals.