Preface ix Volume 1 (Wastewater characteristics, treatment and disposal) presents an integrated view of water quality and wastewater treatment, analysing wastewater characteristics (flow and major constituents), the impact of the discharge into receiving water bodies and a general overview of wastewater treatment and sludge treatment and disposal. Volume 1 is more introductory, and may be used as teaching material for undergraduate courses in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences and related courses. Volume 2 (Basic principles of wastewater treatment) is also introductory, but at a higher level of detailing. The core of this book is the unit operations and processes associated with biological wastewater treatment. The major topics covered are: microbiology and ecology of wastewater treatment; reaction kinetics and reactor hydraulics; conversion of organic and inorganic matter; sedimentation; aeration. Volume 2 may be used as part of postgraduate courses in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences and related courses, either as part of disciplines on wastewater treatment or unit operations and processes. Volumes 3 to 5 are the central part of the series, being structured according to the major wastewater treatment processes (waste stabilisation ponds, anaerobic reactors, activated sludge and aerobic biofilm reactors). In each volume, all major process technologies and variants are fully covered, including main concepts, working principles, expected removal efficiencies, design criteria, design examples, construction aspects and operational guidelines. Similarly to Volume 2, volumes 3 to 5 can be used in postgraduate courses in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences and related courses. Volume 6 (Sludge treatment and disposal) covers in detail sludge characteristics, production, treatment (thickening, dewatering, stabilisation, pathogens removal) and disposal (land application for agricultural purposes, sanitary landfills, landfarming and other methods). Environmental and public health issues are fully described. Possible academic uses for this part are same as those from volumes 3 to 5. Besides being used as textbooks at academic institutions, it is believed that the series may be an important reference for practising professionals, such as engineers, biologists, chemists and environmental scientists, acting in consulting companies, water authorities and environmental agencies. The present series is based on a consolidated, integrated and updated version of a series of six books written by the authors in Brazil, covering the topics presented in the current book, with the same concern for didactic approach and balance between theory and practice. The large success of the Brazilian books, used at most graduate and postgraduate courses at Brazilian universities, besides consulting companies and water and environmental agencies, was the driving force for the preparation of this international version. In this version, the books aim...

RESUMOEsse artigo apresenta uma revisão sobre os diferentes protocolos para a determinação da atividade metanogênica específica (AME) de lodos anaeróbios. Os protocolos propostos se diferem tanto em relação aos procedimentos adotados para a incubação do lodo, quanto ao método utilizado para quantificação do metano produzido durante o teste. São discutidos os princípios dos métodos manométricos e volumétricos, e descritos brevemente os protocolos de incubação do lodo, de medição do metano e o procedimento para cálculo da AME obtida pelos métodos mais utilizados pela comunidade científica nacional. PALAVRAS-CHAVE:Lodo anaeróbio, dgestão anaeróbia, Atividade Metanogênica Específica, Testes AME. ABSTRACT INTRODUÇÃOA atividade metanogênica específica (AME) pode ser definida como a capacidade máxima de produção de metano por um consórcio de microrganismos anaeróbios, realizada em condições controladas de laboratório, para viabilizar a atividade bioquímica máxima de conversão de substratos orgânicos a biogás. A determinação da capacidade do lodo anaeróbio em produzir metano é importante porque a remoção de elétrons equivalentes, ou seja compostos reduzidos causadores da demanda química de oxigênio (DQO), da água residuária a ser tratada só ocorrerá de fato com a formação do metano, que por ser praticamente insolúvel em água, escapa facilmente da fase líquida.Desta forma, a AME pode ser utilizada como um parâmetro de monitoramento da "eficiência" da população metanogênica presente em um reator biológico e, como tal, constitui-se ainda em uma importante ferramenta para o controle operacional de reatores anaeróbios (Foresti et al, 1999). O conhecimento da AME do lodo de determinado reator permite estabelecer, em última análise, a capacidade máxima de remoção de DQO da fase líquida, e por isso permite estimar a carga orgânica máxima que pode ser aplicada com minimização do risco de desbalanceamento do processo anaeróbio. Fazendo uma análise inversa, a AME permite determinar a massa mínima de lodo anaeróbio a ser mantida no reator para a remoção de determinada carga orgânica aplicada. Consequentemente o conhecimento da AME possibilitaria a adoção de procedimentos mais racionais para o descarte de lodo de sistemas anaeróbios.

ResumoO monitoramento ambiental dos chamados microcontaminantes ou micropoluentes vem ganhando grande interesse da comunidade científica desde os anos 1970. Nesse grupo de contaminantes estão incluídos fármacos de diversas classes, produtos de limpeza e higiene pessoal, substâncias aplicadas na produção de plásticos e resinas, pesticidas, hormônios naturais e seus subprodutos, entre outros compostos. A principal via de contaminação do meio ambiente com fármacos e desreguladores endócrinos (DE) é o lançamento de esgotos in natura e tratado. Nesse contexto, este artigo compila dados de ocorrência de fármacos e DE no afluente e efluente de estações de tratamento de esgoto (ETE), discute os mecanismos envolvidos na sua remoção em ETE e faz uma análise comparativa da remoção de tais compostos em diferentes sistemas de tratamento.Palavras-chave: microcontaminantes; esgoto; tratamento. AbstractThe environmental monitoring of the so-called micropollutants has gained great interest since the 1970s. In this group of compounds are included several classes of pharmaceuticals, cleaning and personal care products, substances applied in plastics and resins, pesticides, natural hormones and their byproducts, among others. The main route of contamination of the environment with pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) is through the discharge of raw and treated sewage. Thus, this paper summarizes data on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and EDC in raw and treated sewage, provides information regarding the mechanisms involved in their removal and compares their removal in different treatment processes.

Recent research has indicated the advantages of combining anaerobic and aerobic processes for the treatment of municipal wastewater, especially for warm-climate countries. Although this configuration is seen as an economical alternative, is has not been investigated in sufficient detail on a worldwide basis. This work presents the results of the monitoring of a pilot-scale plant comprising of an UASB reactor followed by an activated sludge system, treating actual municipal wastewater from a large city in Brazil. The plant was intensively monitored and operated for 261 days, divided into five different phases, working with constant and variable inflows. The plant showed good COD removal, with efficiencies ranging from 69% to 84% for the UASB reactor, from 43% to 56% for the activated sludge system only and from 85% to 93% for the overall system. The final effluent suspended solids concentration was very low, with averages ranging from 13 to 18 mg/l in the typical phases of the research. Based on the very good overall performance of the system, it is believed that it is a better alternative for warm-climate countries than the conventional activated sludge system, especially considering the total low hydraulic detention time (4.0 h UASB; 2.8 h aerobic reactor; 1.1 h final clarifier), the savings in energy consumption, the absence of primary sludge and the possibility of thickening and digesting the aerobic excess sludge in the UASB reactor itself.

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