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A hybrid two-phase system, consisting of a solid waste reactor as the acidification reactor and a wastewater reactor, i.e. an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, as the methanogenic reactor, for anaerobic digestion of food waste was investigated. After the pre-acidification stage, COD and total VFA removals in the methanogenic phase were in the ranges of 74-93% and 77-100%, respectively, while leachate COD and total VFA concentrations in the acidification phase decreased by 95% and 97-99%, respectively. Some 99% of the total CH4 generated was from the methanogenic phase with the CH4 content of 68-70%. About 77-79% of TOC, 57-60% of volatile solids and 79-80% of total COD were removed. The results of this laboratory-scale study show that the hybrid two-phase anaerobic batch reactor system is suitable for effective conversion of food waste into CH4 and CO2. The hybrid two-phase system can be further developed into an effective and efficient way to enhance waste stabilization in operating bioreactor landfills.

In Taiwan, non-point source (NPS) pollution is one of the major causes of impairment of surface waters. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using constructed wetlands on NPS pollutant removal and water quality improvements. A field-scale constructed wetland system was built inside the campus of National Sun Yat-Sen University (located in southern Taiwan) to remove (1) NPS pollutants due to the stormwater runoff, and (2) part of the untreated wastewater from school drains. The constructed wetland was 40 m (L) x 30 m (W) x 1 m (D), which received approximately 85 m3 per day of untreated wastewater from school drainage pipes. The plants grown on the wetland included floating (Pistia stratiotes L.) and emergent (Phragmites communis L.) species. One major storm event and baseline water quality samples were analyzed during the monitoring period. Analytical results indicate that the constructed wetland removed a significant amount of NPS pollutants and wastewater constituents. More than 88% of nitrogen, 81% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 85% of heavy metals, and 60% of the total suspended solids (TSS) caused by the storm runoff were removed by the wetland system before discharging. Results from this study may be applied to the design of constructed wetlands for NPS pollution control and water quality improvement.

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