Papers by Giuseppina OLIVA
Urban Odour Annoyance Management: An Advanced Embedded System for Real-Time Monitoring Enhanced By Citizen Science
Carbon capture and utilization in waste to energy approach by leading-edge algal photo-bioreactors: The influence of the illumination wavelength
Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The exploration of new biomass sources for energy purposes is increasing. Cultivation of algal bi... more The exploration of new biomass sources for energy purposes is increasing. Cultivation of algal biomass for biofuels production through photobioreactor represents an attractive and useful way to obtain clean energy, also thanks to the contribution that the system makes on the reduction of climate change through the recovery and reuse of CO2. However, to prove the complete sustainability of a system the application of a holistic assessment, like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, is necessary. To date LCA is applied through different methodologies, which make evaluations and systems difficult to compare and evaluate. Furthermore only few studies are present in the scientific literature that highlight the parameters used for the evaluation of membrane photobioreactors (mPBR). The research presents and discusses the state-of-the-art of the adopted LCA methodologies to assess mPBR, pointing out strengths and weaknesses. Knowledge gap, uncertainties and recommendations are highlight...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The boosting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere due to anthropogenic activity ... more The boosting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere due to anthropogenic activity contributes significantly to climate change. According to the Green Deal by 2050, net zero greenhouse gas emissions must be achieved. Therefore, actions are needed in order to control GHG emissions. The research presents and discusses the optimization of the microalgae biomass cultivation phase and the harvesting process in an advanced membrane photobioreactor (mPBR) with the aim to improve its production for green fuel generation. Experimental activities are carried out by considering Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as photosynthetic microorganism. A dark/light cycle of 12/12 hours was implemented by varying the light intensity from 100 to 300 μmol m-2 s-1. Different L/G rate, by keeping the gas flow rate (G) constant at 100 ml/min and increasing the liquid flow rate recirculation (L) from 500 to 1500 L min-1, has been tested to boost up the productivity of microalgae. Results highlight o...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Climate change and environmental pollution are just some of the main challenges to be addressed. ... more Climate change and environmental pollution are just some of the main challenges to be addressed. A number of actions have been taken, in particular the circular economy has proved to be among the most effective in overcoming the traditional approach of the linear economy. Circular economy means not only minimizing the waste produced by giving it a new life, but also preserving the use of resources such as energy and water. Among the different technologies developed by a circular economy approach, the use of photobioreactors and aquaponics systems are growing. They are closed systems of cultivation and growth of microalgae, which are the most important microorganisms in aquatic ecosystems for the global carbon balance and are fundamental for the capture and bioconversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into energy, are widely used. The aim of this study is to highlight the synergistic action that could be provided by the combinated action between a photobioreactor microalgae and an aquaponic...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The presence of high concentrations of VOCs in the atmosphere can lead to negative consequences f... more The presence of high concentrations of VOCs in the atmosphere can lead to negative consequences for humans and the environment. The treatment of these compounds is thus necessary before their release into the atmosphere. In the study, an advanced moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) coupled with an algae photobioreactor (APBR) is presented with the aim of investigating its application for the sustainable biodegradation of toluene (C7H8). The results highlight that the MBBR alone shows a high removal efficiency (RE), ranging from 98.37 ±0.79% to 99.84 ±0.14%. Whiile, setting the Algal PhotoBioreactor (APBR) as second treatment, the biodegradation of toluene increases up to 99.91%. The research depicts the potential of the investigated system to biodegrade volatile organic compounds (VOCs), leading to a healthy environment.
Smart instrumental Odour Monitoring Station for the efficient odour emission management and control in wastewater treatment plants
Chemosphere
Water
The release of air pollutants from the operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is often ... more The release of air pollutants from the operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is often a cause of odor annoyance for the people living in the surrounding area. Odors have been indeed recently classified as atmospheric pollutants and are the main cause of complaints to local authorities. In this context, the implementation of effective treatment solutions is of key importance for urban water cycle management. This work presents a critical review of the state of the art of odor treatment technologies (OTTs) applied in full-scale WWTPs to address this issue. An overview of these technologies is given by discussing their strengths and weaknesses. A sensitivity analysis is presented, by considering land requirements, operational parameters and efficiencies, based on data of full-scale applications. The investment and operating costs have been reviewed with reference to the different OTTs. Biofilters and biotrickling filters represent the two most applied technologies for odor a...
Chemical Engineering Transactions, 2016
Several scientific studies suggest using Odour Emission Factors (OEFs) as a tool for the characte... more Several scientific studies suggest using Odour Emission Factors (OEFs) as a tool for the characterization of the odour emissions and impact prediction of odorous plants, defining these taking into account only the plant capacity for the quantification of the "activity index". The research presents the results of the study of a large Anaerobic-Aerobic integrated Treatment Plant (AATP) located in a sensitive area of the municipality of Salerno (southern Italy, Campania Region), identifying the principal odour sources and their characterization in terms of odour concentration and emissions by dynamic olfactometry. OEFs relevant to single-process steps are estimated using the experimental data set as well as compared with the theoretical ones proposed in literature studies on similar treatment facilities. SOEFs (Specific Odour Emission Factors) for the studied AATP are proposed for one unit, calculating them by taking into account specific real observed parameters of the phase...
Chemical Engineering Transactions, 2021
Odours emissions from various facilities such as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), are becomin... more Odours emissions from various facilities such as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), are becoming one of the main issues to face down for the plant operators to avoid complaints and potential impact, especially for the plants located nearby to the residential areas. The need to implement odour control strategies, for instance by using treatment technologies, is therefore a key point in the management of the plant. Moreover, in a world increasingly concerned about sustainability and environmental preservation, the identification of environmentally friendly odour treatment technologies is to be recommended and prescribed. The research presents the development of an advanced sustainable biotechnology-based control system able to treat odour and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with the aim to guarantee a sustainable process. The performance of the advanced biotechnology system is highlighted in terms of CO2 capture and reduction, by analysing different operating conditions (e.g. CO2 in...
An integrated algal membrane photobioreactor as a green-transition technology for the carbon capture and utilization
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2022
Chemical engineering transactions, 2021
Oil refinery and petrochemical plants are of crucial importance to enhance world economy. Besides... more Oil refinery and petrochemical plants are of crucial importance to enhance world economy. Besides the related considerable economic impact of this industries, the population and governments pose towards a great attention which boosted the necessity of developing effective tools for the control of the associated environmental pressures, without hindering economy growth. Among the environmental aspects of key relevance in the refinery sector, air quality and atmospheric pollution in terms of odour emissions, especially in the last years, have become a priority concern in the management of the plants. The monitoring and control of the odour emissions are thus needed in order to prevent potential impact and avoid complaints from the exposed population. Nowadays, senso-instrumental methods by using Instrumental Odour Emissions Systems (IOMSs) represents the most attractive tool for the monitoring of environmental odours, allowing the possibility to obtain real-time and continuous informa...
Abatement of odour emissions by advanced oxidation
The growing expectations of the population in the urban areas with respect to air quality and the... more The growing expectations of the population in the urban areas with respect to air quality and the increasingly stringent regulations regarding air pollution have resulted in the need to minimize and conveniently treat the waste gas from different emission sources. The emissions from a large variety of plants, including waste and wastewater treatment plants, derive mainly from the degradation of organic matter. These emissions are composed of a complex of substances emitted at low concentrations from diffusive sources. These characteristics make complex their treatment on economically efficient conditions. The design and management of environmental engineering and industrial plants, therefore, require the implementation of focused processes for the control of the target compounds. The present study shows the applicability of an UV-Ozone lab-scale system for odours and VOCs removal. An artificial gaseous stream contaminated by toluene, at different incoming concentrations, was treated...
Good practices in landfill odour emission management: case study of borgo montello (Italy)
Municipal solid waste (MSW) management facilities can be source of an adverse environmental impac... more Municipal solid waste (MSW) management facilities can be source of an adverse environmental impact, as emissions of biogas, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other odorants. Particularly, MSW landfills are among the existing types of industrial installations which are mostly related to significant odour emissions. The particular composition of odorants outcome from landfills causes the earlier perception of odour nuisances, which are perceived at very low concentrations. Therefore, the installation of tools for odour impact mitigation is of primary importance. With the aim of identifying the most suitable strategies and measures for the odour control, the implementation of simulation model for the impact prediction becomes necessary. In this study, it was evaluated the efficiency of different environmental protection practices for the control of odour emission from the MSW landfill plant located in Borgo Montello (Latina), in the Central Italy. An odour sampling campaign in the area of the landfill and in the surroundings was specifically conducted. The samples were analyzed in terms of odour concentration by the Laboratory of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Division (SEED) of the University of Salerno. The odour measurements were carried out by dynamic olfactometer (T08, Ecoma GmbH, Germany) according to EN 13725:2003, using the ‘yes/no’ method. The dispersion model CALPUFF was implemented in order to simulate the odor emissions and diffusion in different scenarios. The outputs of the model were evaluated taken as references "Guideline for the characterization, analysis and permission of gas emissions into the atmosphere of the activities to impact odour" (Lombardia Region, 2009) and the “Environmental Guidelines of the United Kingdom (UK-EA) IPPC-H4”. The results of the different scenarios, in terms of odour concentrations, were compared to identify the best practices, which allow to achieve a sustainable and significant reduction of odour emission for the analyzed landfil
Chemical engineering transactions, 2018
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions from a wide range of industrial plants have become a ... more Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions from a wide range of industrial plants have become a major issue in the framework of atmospheric pollution, due to their negative effects on human and environmental health. VOC-laden emissions are also responsible for odour annoyance. To comply with the stringent regulations and to avoid complaints from the population living near these plants, the most suitable treatment technologies should be identified and implemented. Chemical-physical off-gas treatments such as adsorption and scrubbing, are proven and tested technologies; however, they only promote the transfer of the contaminants from the gaseous to solid or liquid phase, and further treatments are thus required. Biological processes and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), instead, are able to support the degradation and mineralization of organic compounds, resulting in more effective solutions. This study presents and discusses a comparative analysis of the biological processes and ...
Chemical engineering transactions, 2016
One of the most reliable methods for the prediction of odour impact from environmental facilities... more One of the most reliable methods for the prediction of odour impact from environmental facilities, strongly influenced by topography and local atmospheric dynamics, involves the use of atmospheric dispersion models.The present study focuses on the implementation of a dispersion model for the prediction of odour impact from a large and complex landfill system, localized in Borgo Montello (Latina), in the Lazio Region (Central Italy). The Calpuff dispersion model was selected for the simulations of odour impact, since it is well recognized as the preferred model for assessing the long range transport of pollutants. The odour emission rates, which are the inputs to the dispersion model, were defined on the basis of dynamic olfactometric analyses on air samples taken in the landfills areas. Different scenarios were simulated, with the aim of evaluating the odour impact caused by a project of landfill expansion through height raise. The environmental odour impacts were assessed through t...
Chemical engineering transactions, 2021
The characterization and quantification of the odour emissions in wastewater treatment plant (WWT... more The characterization and quantification of the odour emissions in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) represents a fundamental step in order to identify potential odour problems and establish the best and most appropriate odour management tools. Nowadays odour emissions in WWTP are characterized by the use of sampling techniques which take samples directly from the gaseous phase: i.e. when the emission and consequently the potential problem are already present.The definition of proactive tools for the assessment of potential odour emissions from the emitting sources can prevent the occurrence of potential significant odours events and as consequence complaints.The research presents and describes a novel system, called H2Odour, useful to measure the potential Odour Emission Capacity (OEC) directly from liquids. The system has been designed and developed to standardize the stripping phase of gaseous samples, ensuring the maximization of the odour compounds transfer from the liquid to th...
Chemosensors, 2021
Odour emissions generated by industrial and environmental protection plants are often a cause of ... more Odour emissions generated by industrial and environmental protection plants are often a cause of nuisances and consequent conflicts in exposed populations. Their control is a key action to avoid complaints. Among the odour measurement techniques, the sensory-instrumental method with the application of Instrumental Odour Monitoring Systems (IOMSs) currently represents an effective solution to allow a continuous classification and quantification of odours in real time, combining the advantages of conventional analytical and sensorial techniques. However, some aspects still need to be improved. The study presents and discusses the investigation and optimization of the operational phases of an advanced IOMS, applied for monitoring of environmental odours, with the aim of increasing their performances and reliability of the measures. Accuracy rates of over 98% were reached in terms of classification performances. The implementation of automatic correction systems for the resistance value...
Degradation of Gaseous VOCs by Ultrasonication: Effect of Water Recirculation and Ozone Addition
Frontiers in Water-Energy-Nexus—Nature-Based Solutions, Advanced Technologies and Best Practices for Environmental Sustainability, 2019
Ultrasonication with water recirculation slightly enhanced the removal of toluene compared to wat... more Ultrasonication with water recirculation slightly enhanced the removal of toluene compared to water recirculation alone due to conjunction of pyrolysis and hydroxyl radical oxidation with absorption. On the other hand, the addition of ozone with ultrasonication decreased the removal efficiency due to scavenging of hydroxyl radicals. The reaction rate for ozone and OH radicals produced during the US process was faster compared to the rate for ozone and toluene.
Innovative membrane photobioreactor for sustainable CO2 capture and utilization
Chemosphere, 2021
The rising of greenhouse-gas emissions (GHG), during the last 200 years, is associated to the wel... more The rising of greenhouse-gas emissions (GHG), during the last 200 years, is associated to the well known global warming phenomena. One of the main sources of CO2-equivalent GHGs emissions are the environmental protection plants accounting for 1.57% of the global emissions and thus sustainable and effective technologies for their mitigation are strongly needed. The current paper presents and discusses the assessment of an innovative membrane photo-bioreactor (MPBR) whose aim was the promotion of CO2 capture from conveyed flows, such as those from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), landfill and composting plants, for production and energy valorisation of algal biomass. Chlorella vulgaris microalgae strain was selected as photosynthetic platform for the abovementioned purposes. The influence of various operating parameters has been explored, including the photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) (60 and 120 μmol m-2 s-1), liquid/gas ratio (L/G = 5, 10 or 15) and CO2 concentration (5, 10 and 15%) in order to investigated their effects on carbon capture effectiveness and biomass production. The results demonstrated that the increasing of PPFD significantly enhanced the biomass production in terms of biomass productivity (P) and total dry weight (DW). The highest biomass concentration of 1.01 g L-1 was achieved at PPFD of 120 μmol m-2 s-1 with a L/G of 15. Under the aforementioned conditions, carbon dioxide removal efficiency (RE) reached values up to 80%. In addition, the novel MPBR equipped with an innovative self-forming dynamic membrane (SFDM) showed a simultaneous biomass harvesting rate of 41 g m-2 h-1.
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Papers by Giuseppina OLIVA