Study of the normal fecal bacterial flora of man quarterly progress report, jan. 1 - mar. 31, 1965
Human fecal bacteria isolation and metabolic studies for nutrition in digestive system
BACTERIA↗
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Radiotelemetric Investigation of the Ph Content in the Alimentary Canal
Radio telemetry study of ph of digestive system
RADIO TELEMETRY↗
Second Malignant Neoplasms in Digestive Organs After Childhood Cancer: A Cohort-Nested Case-Control Study
Purpose: Cancers of the digestive system constitute a major risk for childhood cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy once they reach adulthood. The aim of this study was to determine therapy-related risk factors for the development of a second malignancy in the digestive organs (SMDO) after a childhood cancer. Methods and Materials: Among 4,568 2-year survivors of a childhood solid cancer diagnosed before 17 years of age at eight French and British centers, and among 25,120 patients diagnosed as having a malignant neoplasm before the age of 20 years, whose data were extracted from the Nordic Cancer Registries, we matched 58 case patients (41 men and 17 women) of SMDO and 167 controls, in their respective cohort, for sex, age at first cancer, calendar year of occurrence of the first cancer, and duration of follow-up. The radiation dose received at the site of each second malignancy and at the corresponding site of its matched control was estimated. Results: The risk of developing a SMDO was 9.7-fold higher in relation to the general populations in France and the United Kingdom. In the case-control study, a strong dose-response relationship was estimated, compared with that in survivors who had not received radiotherapy; the odds ratio was 5.2 (95% CI, 1.7-16.0) for local radiation doses between 10 and 29 Gy and 9.6 (95% CI, 2.6-35.2) for doses equal to or greater than 30 Gy. Chemotherapy was also found to increase the risk of developing SMDO. Conclusions: This study confirms that childhood cancer treatments strongly increase the risk of SMDO, which occur only after a very long latency period.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
Solubility of {sup 238}U radionuclide from various types of soil in synthetic gastrointestinal fluids using “US in vitro” digestion method
238U radionuclide is a naturally occuring radioactive material that can be found in soil. In this study, the solubility of 238U radionuclide obtained from various types of soil in synthetic gastrointestinal fluids was analysed by “US P in vitro” digestion method. The synthetic gastrointestinal fluids were added to the samples with well-ordered, mixed throughly and incubated according to the human physiology digestive system. The concentration of 238U radionuclide in the solutions extracted from the soil was measured using Induced Coupling Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The concentration of 238U radionuclide from the soil samples in synthetic gastrointestinal fluids showed different values due to different homogenity of soil types and chemical reaction of 238U radionuclide. In general, the solubility of 238U radionuclide in gastric fluid was higher (0.050 – 0.209 ppm) than gastrointestinal fluids (0.024 – 0.050 ppm). It could be concluded that the US P in vitro digestion method is practicle for estimating the solubility of 238U radionuclide from soil materials and could be useful for monitoring and risk assessment purposes applying to environmental, health and contaminated soil samples.
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
Preclinical pharmacology and toxicology study of Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin, a novel dual cancer-specific oncolytic adenovirus
Clinical studies have demonstrated that conditionally replicating adenovirus is safe. We constructed an oncolytic adenovirus, Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin, using a cancer-specific promoter (human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter, hTERTp) and a cancer cell-selective apoptosis-inducing gene (Apoptin). Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin was proven effective both in vitro and in vivo in our previous study. In this study, the preclinical safety profiles of Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin in animal models were investigated. At doses of 5.0 × 10{sup 8}, 2.5 × 10{sup 9}, and 1.25 × 10{sup 10} viral particles (VP)/kg, Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin had no adverse effects on mouse behavior, muscle cooperation, sedative effect, digestive system, and nervous systems, or on beagle cardiovascular and respiratory systems at 5.0 × 10{sup 8}, 2.5 × 10{sup 9}, and 1.25 × 10{sup 10} VP/kg doses. In acute toxicity tests in mice, the maximum tolerated dose > 5 × 10{sup 10} VP/kg. There was no inflammation or ulceration at the injection sites within two weeks. In repeat-dose toxicological studies, the no observable adverse effect levels of Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin in rats (1.25 × 10{sup 10} VP/kg) and beagles (2.5 × 10{sup 9} VP/kg) were 62.5- and 12.5-fold of the proposed clinical dose, respectively. The anti-virus antibody was produced in animal sera. Bone marrow examination revealed no histopathological changes. Guinea pigs sensitized by three repeated intraperitoneal injections of 1.35 × 10{sup 10} VP/mL Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin each and challenged by one intravenous injection of 1.67 × 10{sup 8} VP/kg Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin did not exhibit any sign of systemic anaphylaxis. Our data from different animal models suggest that Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin is a safe anti-tumor therapeutic agent. - Highlights: • We use the rodents and non-rodents animal models to evaluation Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin. • Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin is a safe anti-tumor therapeutic agent. • Demonstrate the safety and feasibility dose of injected Ad-hTERT-E1a-Apoptin.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Metagenomic and metaproteomic insights into bacterial communities in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens
Herbivores gain access to nutrients stored in plant biomass largely by harnessing the metabolic activities of microbes. Leaf-cutter ants of the genus Atta are a hallmark example; these dominant Neotropical herbivores cultivate symbiotic fungus gardens on massive quantities of fresh plant forage. As the external digestive system of the ants, fungus gardens facilitate the production and sustenance of millions of workers in mature Atta colonies. Here we use metagenomic, and metaproteomic techniques to characterize the bacterial diversity and overall physiological potential of fungus gardens from two species of Atta. Our analysis of over 1.2 Gbp of community metagenomic sequence and three 16S pyrotag libraries reveals that, in addition to harboring the dominant fungal crop, these ecosystems contain abundant populations of Enterobacteriaceae, including the genera Enterobacter, Pantoea, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, and Escherichia. We show that these bacterial communities possess genes commonly associated with lignocellulose degradation, and likely participate in the processing of plant biomass. Additionally, we demonstrate that bacteria in these environments encode a diverse suite of biosynthetic pathways, and that they may enrich the nitrogen-poor forage of the ants with B-vitamins, amino acids, and proteins. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that fungus gardens are highly-specialized fungus-bacteria communities that efficiently convert plant material into usable energy for their ant hosts. Together with recent investigations into the microbial symbionts of vertebrates, our work underscores the importance of microbial communities to the ecology and evolution of herbivorous metazoans.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Gastric Embolization as Treatment for Overweight Patients; Efficacy and Safety
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of left gastric artery (LGA) embolization for the treatment of overweight patients who weren’t candidates for bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data of 16 patients who underwent a selective embolization of the LGA. The mean body mass index (BMI) before intervention was 28.9 kg/m{sup 2} ± 2.5, and therefore, patients were not candidates for bariatric surgery in Belgium. The embolization was realized with 500–700 µm particles via the right common femoral artery approach. Before and following the intervention, an upper endoscopy was performed. Patient demographics, weight loss, hunger sensation and a satisfactory scale were reviewed. Results: Between February 2015 and May 2017, 16 overweight patients were treated, one embolization was unsuccessful. Four (25%) patients were lost in follow-up. Nine (56%) patients showed early weight loss, one (6%) maintained his bodyweight and one (6%) patient underwent bariatric surgery 2 years after consultation. Only one (6%) patient had a gastric ulceration on control endoscopy. One (6%) patient ended in the intensive care unit for pancreatitis and gastric perforation. The mean weight loss was 8 kg ± 5.12, reducing their mean BMI to 25.5 ± 3.5. The hunger sensation was decreased, and patients were satisfied. Conclusion: This is a preliminary study in an overweight population that appears to induce weight loss and appetite suppression. Larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
Efficacy of Polaprezinc for Acute Radiation Proctitis in a Rat Model
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to standardize the experimental rat model of radiation proctitis and to examine the efficacy of polaprezinc on radiation proctitis. Methods and Materials: A total of 54 female Wistar rats (5 weeks old) were used. The rats were divided into three groups: those treated with polaprezinc (PZ+), those treated with base alone, exclusive of polaprezinc (PZ-), and those treated without any medication (control). All the rats were irradiated to the rectum. Polaprezinc was prepared as an ointment. The ointment was administered rectally each day after irradiation. All rats were killed on the 10th day after irradiation. The mucosal changes were evaluated endoscopically and pathologically. The results were graded from 0 to 4 and compared according to milder or more severe status, as applicable. Results: According to the endoscopic findings, the proportion of mild changes in the PZ+, PZ-, and control group was 71.4%, 25.0%, and 14.3% respectively. On pathologic examination, the proportion of low-grade findings in the PZ+, PZ-, and control group was 80.0%, 58.3%, and 42.9% for mucosal damage, 85.0%, 41.7%, and 42.9% for a mild degree of inflammation, and 50.0%, 33.3%, and 4.8% for a shallow depth of inflammation, respectively. The PZ+ group tended to have milder mucosal damage than the other groups, according to all criteria used. In addition, significant differences were observed between the PZ+ and control groups regarding the endoscopic findings, degree of inflammation, and depth of inflammation. Conclusions: This model was confirmed to be a useful experimental rat model for radiation proctitis. The results of the present study have demonstrated the efficacy of polaprezinc against acute radiation-induced rectal disorders using the rat model.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
Cayuga County Regional Digester: Vision Becomes Reality. Final Report
With an average herd size of 113 mature cows, Cayuga County is home to 280 dairy farms and 31,500 dairy milking cows producing approximately 855 million gallons of milk per year. The Cayuga Dairy industry is a major contributor to the countys economy, employing nearly 1200 people, while generating $140,000,000 of revenue from sale of milk alone. At the same time, the Cayuga County dairy industry also produces 5.7 million gallons of manure daily: (a) Nearly 34% of this manure is produced on smaller farms. (b) Digesters are expensive pieces of equipment and require attention and care. ( c) The on-farm digester systems have fairly long payback (>10 years) even for larger CAFO farms (>1000 milking cows). In 2005, Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District (The District), a Public Agency under Cayuga County, decided to undertake a centralized community digester project. The primary goal of the project was to develop an economically sustainable model, under the auspices of The District to address manure management issues facing the smaller dairies, improve the water quality and improve the quality of life for Cayuga County residents. It is believed that the District has accomplished this goal by completing construction of Cayuga County Regional Digester on a parcel of land behind the Cayuga County Natural Resource Center located at 7413 County House Road in the Town of Sennett in Cayuga County, New York. The digester facility consists of the following major components. 1. Transfer Station: This an indoor truck bay, where 35,000 gallons of manure from three local farms, 8,500 gallons of liquid organic food-processor waste, and 1,200 gallons of brown grease are unloaded from tanker trucks and the digested slurry is loaded onto the tanker trucks for delivery back to the participating farms. 2. Anaerobic Digester: The project utilizes a hydraulic mix anaerobic digester, a unique design that has no internal moving parts for mixing. The digester, which operates at mesophilic temperatures, is designed to process the daily feedstock and produce 220,000 SCF2 of biogas per day. The digester also produces 44,000 gallons of digested slurry per day. 3. Biogas Conditioning System: The plant employs a biological biogas conditioning system to remove the H2S and moisture contents of the biogas and prepare it to be used by the plant generation system. 4. Combined Heat and Power System (CHP): This is a 633kW high efficiency biogas-fired GE-Jenbacher model JMS-312 GS-NL reciprocating engine cogeneration system. The heat recovery system incorporated into the package is designed to capture the waste heat from the engine exhaust, the jacket cooling water and the engine oil circuit. 5. Electrical Substation and Power Distribution Systems: An electrical distribution system has been constructed on-site that aggregates the electrical service of the different county buildings on the District campus into a county owned electric distribution system that is interconnected with the CHP and the local electric grid. The electrical system is designed, in accordance with the utility guidelines, to allow grid-parallel operation of CHP and provide for import and export of electric power. 6. Thermal Energy Distribution System: The heat recovery system has been integrated into a high temperature water distribution system that distributes the heat to the thermal circuits for the anaerobic digester facility. Additional piping has also been installed to transfer the remaining thermal energy to other county buildings on the campus. On a daily basis, the plant will co-process 35,000 gallons of manure from local dairy farms, 8,500 gallons of food-processor waste and 1,200 gallons of brown grease to produce 200,000 ft3/d of biogas and 44,000 gallons of pathogen-free nutrient-rich digested slurry for agricultural use by farms and in the local area.The biogas fueled CHP produces 5,157,000 kWh of electricity and 19,506 dekatherms of thermal energy per year. Electrical power generated by the cogeneration system powers all the buildings on the Cayuga County campus and any surplus power is exported to the grid under a power purchase agreement. Heat recovered from the cogeneration system will be used to maintain the temperature of the process equipment and the excess will be transported to the Cayuga County Public Safety Building to offset purchase of fossil fuel to fuel the boilers. The majority of plant operations are unmanned and automated. However, the plant will have a small staff of well-trained personnel to coordinate the feedstock deliveries and shipments, supervise the day-to-day operation, monitor the systems and perform maintenance, maintain a safe and reliable operation and to respond to emergencies.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Heat Stress Monitor
The heavy, cumbersome body protection suits worn by members of hazardous materials response teams cause marked elevation of body temperatures, which can reduce effectiveness and lead to heat stress and injury. The CorTemp System, marketed by Human Technologies, Inc., provides the basis for a body temperature monitoring alarm system. Encased in a three-quarter-inch ingestible capsule, the system includes a mini-thermometer, miniature telemetry system, a microbattery and temperature sensor. It makes its way through the digestive system, continuously monitoring temperature. Findings are sent to the recorder by telemetry, and then displayed and stored for transfer to a computer.
Source record↗
Composting, anaerobic digestion and biochar production in Ghana. Environmental–economic assessment in the context of voluntary carbon markets
Highlights: • Economic–environmental assessment of combining composting with biogas and biochar in Ghana. • These technologies can save greenhouse gas emissions for up to 0.57 t CO{sub 2} eq/t of waste treated. • Labor intensive, small-scale organic waste management is not viable without financial support. • Carbon markets would make these technologies viable with carbon prices in the range of 30–84 EUR/t. - Abstract: In some areas of Sub-Saharan Africa appropriate organic waste management technology could address development issues such as soil degradation, unemployment and energy scarcity, while at the same time reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper investigates the role that carbon markets could have in facilitating the implementation of composting, anaerobic digestion and biochar production, in the city of Tamale, in the North of Ghana. Through a life cycle assessment of implementation scenarios for low-tech, small scale variants of the above mentioned three technologies, the potential contribution they could give to climate change mitigation was assessed. Furthermore an economic assessment was carried out to study their viability and the impact thereon of accessing carbon markets. It was found that substantial climate benefits can be achieved by avoiding landfilling of organic waste, producing electricity and substituting the use of chemical fertilizer. Biochar production could result in a net carbon sequestration. These technologies were however found not to be economically viable without external subsidies, and access to carbon markets at the considered carbon price of 7 EUR/ton of carbon would not change the situation significantly. Carbon markets could help the realization of the considered composting and anaerobic digestion systems only if the carbon price will rise above 75–84 EUR/t of carbon (respectively for anaerobic digestion and composting). Biochar production could achieve large climate benefits and, if approved as a land based climate mitigation mechanism in carbon markets, it would become economically viable at the lower carbon price of 30 EUR/t of carbon.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Energy production from waste: Evaluation of anaerobic digestion and bioelectrochemical systems based on energy efficiency and economic factors
Anaerobic digesters (AD) and bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are becoming increasingly popular technologies for the generation of renewable energy from wastes. Synergies between these technologies exist, however, configurations to couple them have been insufficiently investigated. This study compares the theoretical energy efficiencies of converting waste directly into electricity, using AD and BES alone and in various combinations. This study reviews the experimentally demonstrated energy efficiencies reported in the literature with comparisons to the maximum theoretical efficiencies, considering thermodynamic limits. Acetate is used as an ideal substrate for theoretical calculations, whereas complex wastes are used for extended analyses of practical efficiencies. In addition, to evaluate the economic potential of this technology, a brief case study was conducted using the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) water resource recovery facility (WRRF). Sensitivity analysis was performed on several parameters in the economic model. The results of this study indicate the combined Anaerobic Digester/Microbial Electrolysis Cell (ADMEC) process may be the best path forward due to the high energy efficiency, combined with potential economic benefits, but is not at commercial readiness. We estimate energy efficiencies of 52.9% and 45.6% for the ADMEC process, using current state-of-the-technology, for converting food waste and sewage sludge to a CH 4 /H 2 mix, respectively. Finally, this study concludes with a discussion of new strategies to improve the energy efficiency of AD and BES processes.
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
Inflight Medical Events in the Shuttle Program
Since the first launch of the Space Shuttle in 1981, the astronauts and their flight surgeons have dealt with a variety of inflight medical issues. A review will be provided of these issues as well as medications used in the treatment of these medical problems. Detailed medical debriefs are conducted by the flight ,surgeon with the individual crewmembers three days after landing. These debriefs were review for Shuttle flights from 1988 through 1999 to determine the frequency of inflight medical events. Medical events were grouped by ICD category and the frequency of medical events within those categories were reviewed. The ICD category of Symptoms, Signs and Ill-defined Conditions had the most medical events. Facial fullness and headache were the most common complaints within this category. The ICD category of Respiratory System had the next most common medical events with sinus congestion being the most common complaint. This was followed by Digestive System complaints and Nervous System/Sense Organ complaints. A variety of inflight medical events have occurred throughout the Shuttle program. Fortunately, the majority of these problems have been minor and have been well within the capability of the medical equipment flown and the skills of the Crew Medical Officers. Medical ,problems/procedures that are routine on the ground often present unique problems in the space flight environment. It is important that the flight surgeon understand the common medical problems encountered.
Baisden, Denise L.↗
Identifying microbial functional guilds performing cryptic organotrophic and lithotrophic redox cycles in anaerobic granular biofilms
Granular biofilms used in anaerobic digester systems contain diverse microbial populations that interact to hydrolyze organic matter and produce methane within controlled environments. Prior research investigated the feasibility of utilizing granular biofilms obtained from an anaerobic digester to remove nitrate without the addition of exogenous electron donors. These granules possessed a unique structure of alternating light and dark iron sulfide and pyrite rich layers that potentially served as both an electron source and sink, linking carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron cycles. To characterize the functional roles of diverse microbial populations enriched within these layered biofilms, we analyzed metagenomes obtained from three different granules. Comparisons between the functional gene content of forty metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) identified phylogenetically cohesive functional guilds. Each of these functional MAG clusters was assigned to specific steps in anaerobic digestion (hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis) and anaerobic respiration (denitrification and sulfate reduction). Comparisons with metagenomes derived from a variety of natural and engineered ecosystems confirmed that the enriched denitrifying bacteria were similar to populations typically found in wetlands and biological nitrogen removal systems. Analysis of read alignments to individual genes within the forty MAGs identified conserved genomic features that were representative of the functions that distinguished functional guilds. Overall, this research illustrates the utility of functional based classification of microorganisms for characterizing ecosystem functions and highlights the potential application of engineered ecosystems to serve as experimental models for complex natural ecosystems.
Ecosystem engineering↗
Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Vegetable and Fruit Market Waste in LBR + CSTR Two-Stage Process for Waste Reduction and Biogas Production
Vegetable and fruit waste (VFW) is becoming a heavy burden of municipal waste disposal because of its huge amount, but it is a potentially valuable resource that can be developed into high value products such as methane. Conventional anaerobic digestion processes are not suitable for solving the problem of easy acidification of VFW. Thus, a two-stage laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion system was assembled for waste reduction and biogas production of VFW in the mesophilic temperatures. The biphasic system consists of a 70-L leach bed reactor (LBR) and a 35-L continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Water is sprinkled over the material to enhance the extraction process of acidification phase. The leachate was then transferred to the CSTR for biogas production. Batch digestion was lasted 120 h until no biogas was produced. Leachate with a volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration of 7.6 g/L was obtained within 10 h. The results showed that overall 70.9% of the volatile solids (VS) was removed in the solid-phase system. Over 90% of VFAs were reduced in the methanogenic reactor, and it has been observed that the maximum biogas production rate was 51.26 mL/(d gVS). The maximum methane concentration in the produced biogas was 71%.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Dissolved gas recovery from water using a sidestream hollow-fiber membrane module: First principles model synthesis and steady-state validation
This paper presents a first-principles model for the recovery of dissolved gases from liquids using a sidestream hollow-fiber membrane module. The model avoids the use of new empirical coefficients, thus providing a parametric understanding of the process behavior for future design and optimization of membrane modules. This type of first-principles model could be particularly useful when gas recovery is beneficial to biological or chemical reactions of interest, such as the acetogenesis reactions in two-stage anaerobic digesters. The steady-state behavior of the model was validated against both new experimental data for the recovery of H 2 , CH 4 and H 2 –CH 4 mixtures from pure water, as well as existing published data. The modeled gas recovery predictions agreed with experimental data to an absolute average error of 13%, and an average R value of 0.98. Parametric analysis of mixed-gas recovery suggests possible key transition points in the composition of the recovered gases. For example, at 40 °C, increasing trans-membrane pressure while keeping hydraulic residence time (HRT) under 0.5 s will result in an increase in the ratio of H 2 to CH 4 recovered. Otherwise, increasing trans-membrane pressure will instead decrease the ratio of H 2 to CH 4 recovered. The model has potential to be extended to transient analysis, but has yet to be validated with transient experimental data. Furthermore, this model was successfully implemented in both Python and MATLAB, and provides valuable insights for future net-energy optimization for anaerobic digestion systems with in-situ gas recovery.
Anaerobic Digestion↗
Lignases and aldo-keto reductases for conversion of lignin-containing materials to fermentable products
Termites have specialized digestive systems that overcome the lignin barrier in wood to release fermentable simple sugars. Using the termite Reticulitermes flavipes and its gut symbionts, high-throughput titanium pyrosequencing and proteomics approaches experimentally compared the effects of lignin-containing diets on host-symbiont digestome composition. Proteomic investigations and functional digestive studies with recombinant lignocellulases conducted in parallel provided strong evidence of congruence at the transcription and translational levels and provide enzymatic strategies for overcoming recalcitrant lignin barriers in biofuel feedstocks. Briefly described, therefore, the disclosure provides a system for generating a fermentable product from a lignified plant material, the system comprising a cooperating series of at least two catalytically active polypeptides, where said catalytically active polypeptides are selected from the group consisting of: cellulase Cell-1, $\beta$-glu cellulase, an aldo-keto-reductase, a catalase, a laccase, and an endo-xylanase.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Evaluating the biogas potential of the dry fraction from pretreatment of food waste from households
Highlights: ► A novel approach for biogas production from a waste fraction that today is incinerated. ► Biogas production is possible in spite of the impurities of the waste. ► Tracer studies are applied in a novel way. ► Structural material is needed to improve the flow pattern of the waste. ► We provide a solution to biological treatment for the complex waste fraction. - Abstract: At the waste handling company NSR, Helsingborg, Sweden, the food waste fraction of source separated municipal solid waste is pretreated to obtain a liquid fraction, which is used for biogas production, and a dry fraction, which is at present incinerated. This pretreatment and separation is performed to remove impurities, however also some of the organic material is removed. The possibility of realising the methane potential of the dry fraction through batch-wise dry anaerobic digestion was investigated. The anaerobic digestion technique used was a two-stage process consisting of a static leach bed reactor and a methane reactor. Treatment of the dry fraction alone and in a mixture with structural material was tested to investigate the effect on the porosity of the leach bed. A tracer experiment was carried out to investigate the liquid flow through the leach beds, and this method proved useful in demonstrating a more homogenous flow through the leach bed when structural material was added. Addition of structural material to the dry fraction was needed to achieve a functional digestion process. A methane yield of 98 m{sup 3}/ton was obtained from the dry fraction mixed with structural material after 76 days of digestion. This was in the same range as obtained in the laboratory scale biochemical methane potential test, showing that it was possible to extract the organic content in the dry fraction in this type of dry digestion system for the production of methane.
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗