Giovanni De Feo

Abstract: CAPS is the acronym for chemically assisted primary sedimentation, which consists of adding chemicals to raw urban wastewater to increase the efficacy of coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation. The principal benefits of CAPS are: upgrading of urban wastewater treatment plants; increasing efficacy of primary sedimentation; and the major production of energy from the anaerobic digestion of primary sludge. Metal coagulants are usually used because they are both effective and cheap, but they can cause damage to the biological processes of anaerobic digestion. Generally, biodegradable compounds do not have these drawbacks, but they are comparatively more expensive. Both metal coagulants and biodegradable compounds have preferential and penalizing properties in terms of CAPS application. The problem can be solved by means of a multicriteria analysis. For this purpose, a series of tests was performed in order to compare the efficacy of several organic and mixed-organic polymers with that of polyaluminium chloride (PACl) under specific conditions. The multi-criteria analysis was carried out coupling the simple additive weighting method with the paired comparison technique as a tool to evaluate the criteria priorities. Five criteria with the following priorities were used: chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal > turbidity, SV60 > coagulant dose, and coagulant cost. The PACl was the best alternative in 70% of the cases. The CAPS process using PACl made it possible to obtain an average COD removal of 68% compared with 38% obtained, on average, with natural sedimentation and 61% obtained, on average, with the best PACl alternatives (cationic polyacrylamide, natural cationic polymer, dicyandiamide resin).

Abstract: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the costs and environmental impacts induced by a fixed model of MSW kerbside separate collection system for communities up to 10,000 inhabitants, in order to evaluate the convenience for the smaller municipalities to unite and form more economically and environmentally sound systems. This topic is important not only due to the large number of small municipalities (e.g. in Italy 72% of the municipalities has less than 5000 inhabitants) but also to the fact that separate collection systems are typically designed to take into account only the technical and economic aspects, which is a practice but not acceptable in the light of the sustainable development paradigm. In economic terms, between 1000 and 4000 inhabitants, the annual per capita cost for vehicles and personnel decreased, with a maximum at approximately 180 �/inhabitants/year; while, from 5000 up to 10,000 inhabitants, the annual per capita cost was practically constant and equal to about 80 �/inhabitants/year. For the municipalities of less than 5000 inhabitants, from an economic point of view the aggregation is always advantageous. The environmental impacts were calculated by means of the Life Cycle Assessment tool SimaPro 7.1, while the economic-environmental convenience was evaluated by combining in a simple multicriteria analysis, the annual total per capita cost (�/inhabitants/year) and the annual total per capita environmental impact (kEco-indicator point/inhabitants/year), giving the same importance to each criteria. The analysis was performed by means of the Paired Comparison Technique using the Simple Additive Weighting method. The economic and environmental convenience of the aggregation diminishes with the size of the municipalities: for less than 4000 inhabitants, the aggregation was almost always advantageous (91.7%); while, for more than or equal to 5000 inhabitants, the aggregation was convenient only in 33.3% of the cases. On the whole, out of 45 cases examined, for the municipalities from 1000 to 9000 inhabitants, the aggregation was both economically and environmentally convenient in 60.0% of the cases.

Abstract: The state of the art on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is based on the domestic separation of materials produced. After domestic separation, the resident has to transfer the separated materials to the MSW manager through the hands of collection workers. It is exactly at this stage that an end-use product changes its status and property becomes waste. This paper analyzes and compares the opinions and awareness of citizens and kerbside collection workers on this subject by means of two structured questionnaires in the city of Mercato San Severino (about 22,000 people), in Southern Italy.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to propose a journey through the history of water and wastewater management technologies in the ancient civilizations, a sort of Appian Way (�Via Appia�, the �regina longarum viarum�) through the Centuries. Moreover, this paper is a sort of short summary of papers presented in the first two IWA Specialty Conferences on Water and Wastewater Technologies in Ancient Civilizations with particular emphasis on the later one. The main topics considered are: aqueducts and tunnels, cisterns and reservoirs, water distributions systems, fountains, toilets and other purgatory structures, drainage and sewerage systems, irrigation systems and, finally, qanats and other similar systems. Upon completing the journey, we have arrived at the conclusion that the meaning of sustainability in modern times should be revaluated in light of ancient hydraulic water and wastewater works and management practices.

Abstract: A qanat is an underground channel consisting of verticals shafts connected at their bottom with a sub-horizontal tunnel bringing water from an aquiferous stratum, with a slight downward slope useful for the water tapped to run down it and into the open air by gravity. Qanats were first developed in Kurdistan as a side result of mining activity by the early millennium B.C. at the latest. Qanats exist in more than 34 countries all over the world, but most are concentrated in present day Iran. In Italy, Sicily is usually cited for its �Ingruttati�, but also in the Campania Region, there are some qanats (�Qanate�). As a matter of fact, this paper describes the historical, biological and morphological aspects of the Roccarainola qanat located in the district of Naples, in Southern Italy. It dates back to the Roman Ages, but currently the hypogean environmental condition misrepresents its ancient state. The animal species discovered forty years ago in the Roccarainola qanat were substantially small sized arthropods, a planaria and some species of bats. The Roccarainola qanat is composed of three branches for a total length of 786 m, with a drop of 9m. The tunnel slope varies from around 1.70cm/m to 5.20 cm/m. However, original slopes have been modified due to accumulation of debris and waste. Seventeen vertical shafts (not internally covered) with a circular section were found along the hypogeum. On the average, the shafts are spaced 36.5m apart.

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the greatest water reservoirs in the ancient Roman world and, in particular, the �Piscina Mirabilis� in Misenum, in Southern Italy. In our study, we considered the reservoirs with a volume in the order of thousands of cubic metres, storing flowing water, set low in the ground or actually underground, and roofed over. In general, a Roman aqueduct was not built to provide drinking water, nor to promote hygiene, but either to supply the baths or for military aims. As a matter of fact, the population of Rome at the end of the 1st century AD had an average water supply of 1,550 L /d per capita especially used for baths. This circumstance required reservoirs of huge capacity. The reservoir of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome could contain over 80,000m3 of water. The use of columns in a Roman reservoir was introduced in the ancient Constantinopolis and the Yerebatan Saray with a maximum capacity of almost 85,000 cubic metres can be considered the biggest Roman reservoir. While for military aims, the Piscina Mirabilis in Misenum can be considered the biggest Roman resevoirs used for military aims ever known until now (provide the Classis Praetoria Misenensis) with a volumetric capacity of 12,600m3 of water.

Abstract: The principal aim of this study was to define and apply a procedure based on a structured questionnaire survey useful to analyze the people�s environmental knowledge in order to select the areas and age groups with a low level of knowledge in a municipality (in Southern Italy) and, therefore, suggest a specific educational campaign for each. The detailed sampling procedure made it possible to carry out a meticulous statistical analysis of the results. The youngest and oldest people showed the lowest level of awareness for each district. A high level of education did not necessarily imply a high level of environmental awareness as well as a greater acceptance of MSW facilities. The satisfaction level of the recycling program was higher amongst the oldest age group. All the citizens in the several areas were unanimous in pointing out the presence of dirt in the street as the main shortcoming of the bring separate collection program. Only the youngest age group self-criticised, considering that they revealed a low level of participation to the separate collection program. While, the oldest people retaining them less influential, claimed that the citizens were not responsible for the failure of the separate collection program. The prevailing opinion of the sample was that people protested against the construction of waste facilities because they were not well-informed, with the most significant opinion of all the age subdivisions being that incineration is a hazardous treatment. The presence of criminal organizations was indicated as the main reason why the Campania Region suffers a serious solid waste emergency. While, the percentage of people pointing their finger at politicians increases with the average age of the respondents with there being a very strong correlation (r2 = 0.9903).

Abstract: The main aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of using an innovative criteria weighting tool (the ��priority scale�) for stakeholders involvement to rank a list of suitable municipal solid waste (MSW) facility sites with the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique known as analytic hierarchy process (AHP). One of the main objectives of the study was to verify the behaviour of the ��priority scale� with both technical and non-technical decision-makers. All over the world, the siting of MSW treatment or disposal plants is a complex process involving politicians, technicians as well as citizens, where stakeholders who are not effectively involved strongly oppose (or even obstruct) the realization of new facilities. In this study, in order to pursue both the technical (select the best site) and social aims (all the stakeholders have to give their aware contribution), the use of the ��priority scale� is suggested as a tool to easily collect non-contradictory criteria preferences by the various decision-makers. Every decisionmaker filled in ��priority scale�, which was subsequently uploaded in the AHP tool in order to indirectly calculate the individual priority of alternatives given by each stakeholder (not using group aggregation techniques). The proposed method was applied to the siting of a composting plant in an area suffering from a serious MSW emergency, which has lasted for over 15 years, in the Campania Region, in Southern Italy. The best site (the ��first choice�) was taken as the one that appeared the most times at the first place of each decision-maker ranking list. The involved technical and non-technical decision-makers showed the same behaviour in (indirectly) selecting the best site as well as in terms of the most appraised criteria (��absence of areas of the highest value for natural habitats and species of plants and animals�). Moreover, they showed the same AHP inconsistency ratio as well as the same behaviour in comparison with a ��balanced decision-maker� (who assigns identical weights to all the considered criteria). Therefore, the proposed criteria weighting tool could be widely as well as easily used for stakeholders involvement to rank MSW facility sites (or other kinds of alternatives) with the AHP or with other MCDM techniques, taking or not into consideration group aggregation methods.

Abstract: This paper focuses on the study of eleven environmental impact categories produced by several municipal solid waste management systems (scenarios) operating on a provincial scale in Southern Italy. In particular, the analysis takes into account 12 management scenarios with 16 management phases for each one. The only difference among ten of the scenarios (separated kerbside collection of all recyclables, glass excepted, composting of putrescibles, RDF pressed bales production and incineration, final landfilling) is the percentage of separated collection varying in the range of 35�80%, while the other two scenarios, for 80% of separate collection, consider different alternatives in the disposal of treatment residues (dry residue sorting and final landfilling or direct disposal in landfill). The potential impacts induced on the environmental components were analysed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) procedure called ��WISARD� (Waste Integrated System Assessment for Recovery and Disposal). Paper recycling was the phase with the greatest influence on avoided impacts, while the collection logistics of dry residue was the phase with the greatest influence on produced impacts. For six impact categories (renewable and total energy use, water, suspended solids and oxydable matters index, eutrophication and hazardous waste production), for high percentages of separate collection a management system based on recovery and recycling but without incineration would be preferable.

Abstract: Tannery wastewater contains high concentrations of organic matter (COD) with a significant percentage of refractory organic compounds, ammonium substances, salts (i.e. chloride and sulphate) as well as sulphur. Contaminants have to be removed in order to avoid significant environmental impacts. This paper presents the results obtained from a pilot scale study developed in the tannery district of Solofra in Southern Italy. It was aimed at evaluating the reuse of wastewater produced in the retanning process. The treatment process consisted of a biological treatment, as a pre-treatment, followed by a physico-chemical process (with a polymer as a coagulant) and reverse osmosis with a plane membrane. The biological pre-treatment was able to remove approx. 67% of COD, while the membrane system completed the purification process with the removal of the refractory organic compounds (chloride and sulphate). In the test carried out, the combination of a biological pre-treatment with a plane membrane system showed satisfactory results in terms of wastewater recovery and reuse in the tannery production cycle.

Abstract: Chemically assisted primary sedimentation (CAPS) or chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) consists of adding chemicals in order to increase the coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation of raw wastewater. Over the last twenty years, the use of CAPS has increased due to the development of better coagulants and flocculation enhancers, stricter standards as well as the need for low-energy treatment technologies, especially in developing countries. This paper defines a very simple multi-criteria procedure to be used in order to select the best combination of coagulant and dose when using jar tests. It is based on the adoption of the following 5 criteria: COD percentage removal, sludge volume after 2 h, coagulant dose, coagulant cost, pH percentage variation. The mathematical affordability of the procedure was tested by comparing it with the well known analytic hierarchy process.

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the secondary and tertiary treatment of low -strength domestic wastewater with submerged biological filters (BFs). The experiments were carried out with a two-stage pilot plant consisting of two subsequent filter columns. In the first aerated reactor, the removal of carbon and nitrification was accomplished (secondary nitrification); while, in the second anoxic reactor a post-denitrification process with methanol as external carbon source was performed. During the 3 months of experimental period, in average terms, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) concentrations of 156 mg/L were reduced to 5 mg/L; Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) concentrations of 179 mg/Lwere reduced to 43 mg/L. In the secondary nitrification, mean influent NH+4 concentrations of 6.1 mg/L were reduced to average values of 1.8 mg/L. During the post-denitrification, mean influent NO�3 concentrations of 12.0 mg/L were reduced to average values of 6.1 mg/L. The overall process produced a backwashing effluent with an average concentration of about 175 mg/L of TSS.

Abstract: This study was undertaken to investigate the behaviour of a vertical flow reed bed system with 3 kind of wastewaters (W1,W2 andW3) and for two hydraulic retention times (3 and 7 days) aswell as to assess the role of PhragmitesAustralis in constructedwetland treatment processes. The adopted batch experimental system consisted of six vertical flow filters, filled with granular media and planted with reeds. For each vegetated reactor there was a correspondent blank in order to make a comparison.Wastewaters were obtained mixing tap water, MSW landfill leachate and activated sludge in different percentages. W1, W2 and W3 were designed in order to reproduce treated or untreated wastewaters not in compliance with legislation in force (Directive 91/271/EEC), with increasing level of NH+4 -N fromW1 (16.3 mg/L) toW3 (76.0 mg/L). In average terms, 3 days was sufficient forW1 andW2 to face the compliance limits; while, for W3 even 7 days was not sufficient to respect the compliance limit for ammonia nitrogen (1.4 times greater). The obtained results shown that the vegetation played an essential role especially in the removal of nitrogen: for the wastewater with the highest loads the contribution of reeds in the removal of nitrogen was greater than that of biofiltration processes. The contribution of the vegetation was also detectable in the removal of orthophosphate, but with minus efficiency.

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the groundwater pollution in an endoreic basin in southern Italy. The aquifer circulation was carried out on two different levels: a shallow groundwater, with a water table of about 10 m, and a deep groundwater in a karst aquifer, with a water table of 140�190 m. Reclaimed municipal wastewater and superficial water collected in the catchment area were both drained in a swallow hole linked with the deep groundwater. The agricultural practice conducted in the endoreic basin produced an excess of nitrate in the soil. Nitrate was subsequently washed out and displaced in the groundwater. With regard to the EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC), the research activity conducted during 2003 showed the absence of pollution in the deep groundwater used for drinking water supply. The shallow groundwater, instead, was strongly influenced by agricultural and pasture activities, with detectable levels of nitrates and bacteria. In order to reduce the load of pollution entering the swallow hole and then in the deep groundwater, the realisation of a constructed wetland plant was proposed to improve the quality of reclaimed wastewater, as well as to pursue the wastewater reuse in agriculture.

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the historical development of the Augustan Aqueduct Serino-Naples-Miseno in the Campania Region, in Southern Italy. The Serino aqueduct is not well known because there are no remains of spectacular bridges, but it was a masterpiece of engineering and one of the largest aqueduct systems in the whole Roman Empire. The Serino aqueduct was constructed during the Augustus period of the Roman Empire, probably between 33 and 12 BC when Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was curator aquarum in Rome, principally in order to refurnish the Roman fleet of Misenum and secondarily to supply water for the increasing demand of the important commercial harbour of Puteoli as well as drinking water for big cities such as Cumae and Neapolis. The main channel of the Serino aqueduct was approximately 96 km long, and had 7 main branches to towns along its trace such as Nola, Pompeii, Acerra, Herculaneum, Atella, Pausillipon, Nisida, Puteoli, Cumae and Baiae. Since the total length of all the branches was approximately 49 km, the Serino aqueduct complex had a length of around 145 km and therefore it should be considered the largest aqueduct system in the Roman world.

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the potential reuse of a leather tanning district and an urban wastewater treatment plant (UWWTP) effluents. The UWWTP discharges into the Sarno river which is one of the most polluted river in Europe. A water restoration program covering the rationalisation of the water use between industry and irrigation is in progress for this river. However, no use for fire protection which gains the most importance in summer season in the river catchement area as well as in all over Italy, was considered. The evaluation of potential reuse in this study included industrial reuse and storage for fire protection. Chlorine is suggested as disinfectant before fire protection use while UV is for the non-contact industrial use. The existing water reuse limits in Italy are discussed. Finally, the establishment of compliance limits for each reuse alternative is emphasised.

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behaviour of vertical flow constructed wetlands to treat high strength wastewater. Influents were obtained mixing tap water with different percentages of MSW landfill leachate (5%, 10% and 20%). Phragmites australis seedlings were used as macrophytes. The reeds were nurtured during three spring months, before the start of the experimental period. Three and four days of detention time were adopted. Influent concentrations of 510�2,050 mg L21, 180�740 mg L21 and 65�260 mg L21 were obtained for COD, N�NH4þ and N�NO32, respectively. The environmental temperature averaged around 31.0 ^ 1.4 8C. During the experimental period, all parameters showed an increasing removal efficiency trend. Best results in terms of COD removal were obtained for mixtures at lowest rate of landfill leachate; while, denitrification process showed an opposite behaviour; finally, the removal of ammonia nitrogen appeared to be independent upon influent concentrations. Analysis carried out on the reed tissues showed a theoretic maximum storage of TKN in the leaves of about 55 mg/g dry weight. A leachate percentage of about 35% was derived to be able to fully inhibit the growth of macrophytes.

Abstract: Gasification technology is by no means new: in the 1850s, most of the city of London was illuminated by ��town gas�� produced from the gasification of coal. Nowadays, gasification is the main technology for biomass conversion to energy and an attractive alternative for the thermal treatment of solid waste. The number of different uses of gas shows the flexibility of gasification and therefore allows it to be integrated with several industrial processes, as well as power generation systems. The use of a waste�biomass energy production system in a rural community is very interesting too. This paper describes the current state of gasification technology, energy recovery systems, pre-treatments and prospective in syngas use with particular attention to the different process cycles and environmental impacts of solid wastes gasification.