Ventilation and deodorization system optimization of a wastewater treatment plant

Quality of life is entirely linked to air quality around us, whether inside or outside a building. Therefore, it is not surprising that the owners and occupants of certain spaces pay attention to the air quality, especially when they work or are close to a wastewater treatment plant. The aims of this work are to diagnose the existing situation in ventilation and deodorization system of covered wastewater treatment plant and to suggest changes to improve indoor air quality and make the operation of this system more reliable and economical. The ventilation system, consisting of 10 air handling units, supply 230.000 m3/h, where some ventilation lines have 250 m. The system’s optimization solution, as well as the two new centrifugal fans implementation, with speed variation, allow a reduction in the total fans power to 60 kW and increase the energy efficiency in 60 %

Livro Verde dos Montados

O Livro Verde dos Montados apresenta diversos objectivos que se interligam: Em primeiro lugar, o Livro Verde pretende reunir e sistematizar, de uma forma simples e acessível ao público, o conhecimento produzido em Portugal pelos investigadores e técnicos de várias instituições de investigação ou de gestão que estudam o Montado. Assume-se como uma oportunidade de caracterizar o sistema tendo em conta as suas várias dimensões, identificando as principais ameaças à sua preservação assim como os caminhos que podem ajudar à sua sustentabilidade. Não sendo um documento científico, baseia-se no conhecimento científico e pretende constituir a base para uma plataforma de organização, tanto dos investigadores como do conhecimento científico actualmente produzido em Portugal sobre o Montado.Em segundo lugar, o Livro Verde deverá contribuir para um entendimento partilhado do que é o Montado, por parte do público, de técnicos e de especialistas, conduzindo a uma classificação mais clara do que pode ser considerado Montado e de quais os tipos distintos de Montados que podem ser identificados. Em terceiro lugar, o Livro Verde estabelece as bases para uma estratégia coordenada de disponibilização de informação sobre o sistema Montado, visando o seu conhecimento, apreciação e valorização pela sociedade portuguesa no seu conjunto. Deste modo, o Livro Verde poderá constituir um instrumento congregador e inspirador para a realização de acções de sensibilização e informação sobre o Montado. Em quarto lugar, pretende-se que o Livro Verde contribua para um maior reconhecimento e valorização do Montado como sistema, a nível do desenho das políticas nacionais por parte dos vários sectores envolvidos.Finalmente, o Livro Verde constituirá um documento parceiro do Livro Verde das Dehesas, produzido em Espanha em 2010, de forma a reforçar o reconhecimento e a devida valorização destes sistemas silvo-pastoris no desenho das estratégias e políticas relevantes pelas instituições europeias. Em suma, os autores pretendem que o Livro Verde dos Montados se afirme como o primeiro passo para uma efectiva definição e implementação de uma estratégia nacional para os Montados

ZONAS INUNDÁVEIS E QUANTIFICAÇÃO DO RISCO DE INUNDAÇÃO EM MEIOS URBANOS: ESTUDO EM COIMBRA

As inundações urbanas são, hoje em dia, um tema bastante atual em praticamente todos os países e, em particular, em zonas muito urbanizadas. Os danos por elas causados são, frequentemente, bastante graves, o que se afigura serem necessárias medidas preventivas para evitar, quando possível, ou mitigar esses eventos. A crescente urbanização e, eventualmente, as alterações climáticas recentes apresentam um forte contributo para os eventos de inundações em zonas urbanas. Associados às preocupações inerentes às inundações, surgem os mapas de risco, os quais classificam determinada zona, quando atingida por uma inundação, consoante as consequências sofridas. Em 2007, a União Europeia publicou a Diretiva 2007/60/CE que prevê, para todos os Estados-Membros, o dever de elaborarem mapas de risco de inundação. Assim, este artigo tem como objetivo a elaboração de mapas de zonas inundáveis e mapas de risco de inundação para a Zona Central de Coimbra, Portugal. Com esse propósito, simularam-se eventos pluviométricos com diferentes períodos de retorno e, com base nos resultados, elaboraram-se os referidos mapas. Através da sua elaboração, verificou-se que estes proporcionavam uma indicação clara de quais as zonas e os edifícios mais sujeitos a sofrerem maiores prejuízos em caso de inundação

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

How to Improve the Biological Quality of Urban Streams? Reviewing the Effect of Hydromorphological Alterations and Rehabilitation Measures on Benthic Invertebrates

Urbanisation alters the natural hydromorphology of streams, affecting aquatic communities and ecological quality. Increasing efforts have been put into the rehabilitation of urban streams due to their importance for urban sustainability. Despite these efforts, many projects fail to achieve the improvement of aquatic communities. This study aims to provide specific recommendations to enhance the biological rehabilitation of urban streams by reviewing: (i) the impacts of urbanisation and climate change on urban stream hydrology, (ii) the responses of invertebrate assemblages to alterations in the hydrology and morphology of streams, and (iii) the hydromorphological rehabilitation measures applied to streams and their effect on invertebrate communities. This review found that commonly employed measures of habitat heterogeneity enhancement (such as the addition of meanders, boulders, and artificial riffles) are not enough to improve invertebrate communities. On the other hand, the most effective measures are those leading to the re-establishment of natural hydrological patterns and good water quality. Ultimately, an integrated ecohydrological approach that considers the entire watershed and its interactions between ecosystems and anthropological activities is the key to managing and rehabilitating urban streams.</jats:p

How to Improve the Biological Quality of Urban Streams? Reviewing the Effect of Hydromorphological Alterations and Rehabilitation Measures on Benthic Invertebrates

Urbanisation alters the natural hydromorphology of streams, affecting aquatic communities and ecological quality. Increasing efforts have been put into the rehabilitation of urban streams due to their importance for urban sustainability. Despite these efforts, many projects fail to achieve the improvement of aquatic communities. This study aims to provide specific recommendations to enhance the biological rehabilitation of urban streams by reviewing: (i) the impacts of urbanisation and climate change on urban stream hydrology, (ii) the responses of invertebrate assemblages to alterations in the hydrology and morphology of streams, and (iii) the hydromorphological rehabilitation measures applied to streams and their effect on invertebrate communities. This review found that commonly employed measures of habitat heterogeneity enhancement (such as the addition of meanders, boulders, and artificial riffles) are not enough to improve invertebrate communities. On the other hand, the most effective measures are those leading to the re-establishment of natural hydrological patterns and good water quality. Ultimately, an integrated ecohydrological approach that considers the entire watershed and its interactions between ecosystems and anthropological activities is the key to managing and rehabilitating urban streams

Identification and Evaluation of New Surface Water Reserves as Part of Urban and Water Resources Planning in Guarda Municipality, Portugal

With climate change, dry periods are more frequent, and intense short rainfall events are increasing in Mediterranean areas. It is essential to have better and more accurate territorial planning that does not expose the population to risks. The feasibility of small dams&rsquo; construction was studied in the municipality of Guarda to improve and include the information in the respective Master Plan. This paper presents the methodologies implemented and results obtained in the identification of sites for the possible construction of hydraulic structures of less than 15 m height to retain and store water

Avaliação de reservas de água superficial e de risco de inundação na Guarda, Portugal

A vida sem água é impossível. Assim, a necessidade de origens de água adequadas, sistemas de abastecimento de água, controlo de cheias e reservas de água sempre levou à necessidade de desenvolver o planeamento dos recursos hídricos. As alterações climáticas, hoje um facto cientificamente demonstrado, implicarão agravamento de situações extremas e de eventos de seca e precipitação intensa, evidenciam a urgência de fortalecer a relação entre o planeamento urbano e a gestão de recursos hídricos, apostando em cidades mais sustentáveis e mais resilientes com mudanças na política de ocupação do solo, privilegiando soluções técnicas diferenciadas, preservando áreas de inundação ainda existentes, complementadas com intervenções para retenção na origem. No âmbito do planeamento urbano e dos recursos hídricos, neste artigo, identificam-se e avaliam-se possíveis reservas de água de superfície do concelho da Guarda e são avaliadas as áreas inundadas pelo Rio Diz, dentro da cidade da Guarda

Radar–raingauge data combination techniques: a revision and analysis of their suitability for urban hydrology

The applicability of the operational radar and raingauge networks for urban hydrology is insufficient. Radar rainfall estimates provide a good description of the spatiotemporal variability of rainfall; however, their accuracy is in general insufficient. It is therefore necessary to adjust radar measurements using raingauge data, which provide accurate point rainfall information. Several gauge-based radar rainfall adjustment techniques have been developed and mainly applied at coarser spatial and temporal scales; however, their suitability for small-scale urban hydrology is seldom explored. In this paper a review of gauge-based adjustment techniques is first provided. After that, two techniques, respectively based upon the ideas of mean bias reduction and error variance minimisation, were selected and tested using as case study an urban catchment (∼8.65 km2) in North-East London. The radar rainfall estimates of four historical events (2010–2012) were adjusted using in situ raingauge estimates and the adjusted rainfall fields were applied to the hydraulic model of the study area. The results show that both techniques can effectively reduce mean bias; however, the technique based upon error variance minimisation can in general better reproduce the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall, which proved to have a significant impact on the subsequent hydraulic outputs. This suggests that error variance minimisation based methods may be more appropriate for urban-scale hydrological applications.</jats:p