Luigi Masotti - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Luigi Masotti

During the production of energy from large combustion plants will cause the combustion process to... more During the production of energy from large combustion plants will cause the combustion process to air pollution stands out various gases. That gases are quite harmful on the urban ecosystem. Wet flue gas desulphurisation systems are preferred because of their applicability and easily operable structures without a deep information. The Station flue gas purification systems are designed as a gas desulphurisation process. Each of these units has their own chimney and fluepurification systems. In flue gas purification systems, SO2, SO3, dust and heavy metals are purified. SO2 which occurs by fuel burning can be increased in flue gas purification systems with 98% efficiency. The process is worked on the basis of spraying the lime milk produced by grinding the limestone in the mill and mixing it with water, into the waste gas in the washing tower. The lime milk polluted after spraying process is segregated by way of hydro cyclones and discarded. The lime milk which diminishes is taken from the stock tank and given to the system. SO2 gas which enters in the flue gas purification system can be increased to 500 mg/Nm 3. It is seen how important the gas desulphurisation process in preventing environment pollution and for a healty landscape. This study has been presented at the II. International Sustainable Buildings Symposium in the same form.

The paper deals with the disposal of the coagulation-flocculation-filtration sludges from water w... more The paper deals with the disposal of the coagulation-flocculation-filtration sludges from water work plants, which treat surface water ("drinking sludges"). It reports their characteristics, discusses the problems connected with their disposal in particular by land-application for agricultural or ecological purposes and analyses what Italian Legislation prescribes, promotes and makes possible for their disposal. Accounts are given for some case studies in Europe and in the USA. In the end, the paper compares the future trends in Italy, in Europe and in the USA, and points out how in Italy land application of these sludges for agricultural reuse is not adequately considered as a valid and economic possibility, as in other Countries is occurring.

Water Science and Technology, 2010

Hospitals are the main source of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into the environment. G... more Hospitals are the main source of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into the environment. Generally, their discharges are co-treated with domestic wastewaters, resulting in a decrement of the recalcitrant compound concentrations in the final effluent due to water dilution. However, as many PhCs resist normal treatments, pollutant load does not change. This paper compares the chemical characteristics of hospital and domestic wastewaters on the basis of an experimental investigation for macro-pollutants and literature data for PhCs. A membrane biological reactor pilot plant fed by a hospital effluent is tested in order to evaluate the feasibility of treating these kinds of wastewaters with membrane systems. The paper then presents the possible scenarios in the management of the effluent of a large hospital situated in a small town. In particular, it reports on a case study of designing a (new) treatment plant for the effluent of the 900 bed hospital in Ferrara, Northern Italy, l...

Water Environment Research, 2011

BSTRACT: Chemical and petrochemical wastewaters contain a host of contaminants that require diffe... more BSTRACT: Chemical and petrochemical wastewaters contain a host of contaminants that require different treatment strategies. Regulation of macropollutants and micropollutants in the final discharge from industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have become increasingly stringent in recent decades, requiring many WWTPs to be upgraded. This article presents an analysis of a WWTP treating petrochemicals in Porto Marghera, Italy, that recently was upgraded following legislative changes. Because of strict legal limits for macropollutants and micropollutants and a lack of space necessary for a full-scale WWTP overhaul, the existing activated sludge tank was converted into a memhrane biological reactor. The paper presents experimental data collected during a five-month investigation showing the removal rates achieved hy the upgraded plant for macropollutants (particularly nitrogen compounds) and micropollutants (heavy metals and organic and inorganic toxic compounds). Water Environ. Res., 83, 739 (2011).

Journal of Hydrology, 2012

ABSTRACT The paper presents a study carried out in the environmentally sensitive area of the Po V... more ABSTRACT The paper presents a study carried out in the environmentally sensitive area of the Po Valley in northern Italy, with the aim of evaluating, from technical and economic perspectives, a project to reuse part of the final effluent from the Ferrara wastewater treatment plant for irrigation and to develop the site for recreational purposes. Although this area features plentiful supplies of surface water, the Ministry of the Environment has declared it to be at risk of environmental crises due to eutrophication and the drought recurring over the last decade. Thus the availability of fresh water, particularly for agricultural purposes, is threatened, and prompt water saving and protection measures are required. Hence, the possibility of reusing reclaimed wastewater from this plant was investigated, with the aim of exploiting the space around the WWTP, situated within a large urban park, to install natural polishing treatment systems and create green spaces for recreational use. Based on experimental investigation on a pilot plant (featuring both natural and conventional treatments), the study outlines the rationale behind the treatment train selected for the project, details the initial and ongoing costs involved, evaluates the benefits deriving from the project, and assesses public acceptance of the project by the contingent valuation method. A cost-benefit analysis completes the study, and various economic indicators (net present value, benefit-cost ratio, pay-back period, and internal rate of return) revealed that the proposed project was financially feasible.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2010

A new index, the Wastewater Polishing Index (WWPI), has been defined for the rapid assessment of ... more A new index, the Wastewater Polishing Index (WWPI), has been defined for the rapid assessment of the quality achieved by different polishing treatments for water discharged into surface water bodies and for reuse purposes. The index is defined by a weighted average of six parameters (SS, BOD 5 COD, ammonia, total phosphorus, and E. scherichia coli), each transformed onto a sub-index scaled from 0 to 100. E. coli has been assigned a greater weight than the other indicators. The index is equal to 0 if none of the six pollutants are present in the effluent and to 100 when all six parameters equal their corresponding Italian legal limits for discharge into surface water bodies. When all six of them equal their corresponding Italian legal limits for reuse, the WWPI is 36. The index has been validated and tested on a pilot plant including a rapid sand filtration, a slow filtration through a horizontal subsurface flow sys

Water Science & Technology, 2008

This paper deals with the case of one of the most important industrial application of membrane te... more This paper deals with the case of one of the most important industrial application of membrane technology in the world: the upgrading of the main industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the petrochemical site of Porto Marghera, Northern Italy, completed on December 2005 and tested on September 2006. It describes the principal interventions of the plant upgrading and it discusses the removal obtained during the test periods for conventional pollutants as well as for micropollutants. The plant upgrading consisted of a series of improvements of the existing industrial WWTP, in order to increase the removal efficiency of the total suspended solids and the associate removal of ten micropollutant compounds, the so called forbidden substances. The most important intervention was the conversion of the existing activated sludge section into a membrane biological reactor, in order to guarantee adherence to the severe limits imposed by the special law issued to protect the Venice Lagoo...

During the production of energy from large combustion plants will cause the combustion process to... more During the production of energy from large combustion plants will cause the combustion process to air pollution stands out various gases. That gases are quite harmful on the urban ecosystem. Wet flue gas desulphurisation systems are preferred because of their applicability and easily operable structures without a deep information. The Station flue gas purification systems are designed as a gas desulphurisation process. Each of these units has their own chimney and fluepurification systems. In flue gas purification systems, SO2, SO3, dust and heavy metals are purified. SO2 which occurs by fuel burning can be increased in flue gas purification systems with 98% efficiency. The process is worked on the basis of spraying the lime milk produced by grinding the limestone in the mill and mixing it with water, into the waste gas in the washing tower. The lime milk polluted after spraying process is segregated by way of hydro cyclones and discarded. The lime milk which diminishes is taken from the stock tank and given to the system. SO2 gas which enters in the flue gas purification system can be increased to 500 mg/Nm 3. It is seen how important the gas desulphurisation process in preventing environment pollution and for a healty landscape. This study has been presented at the II. International Sustainable Buildings Symposium in the same form.

The paper deals with the disposal of the coagulation-flocculation-filtration sludges from water w... more The paper deals with the disposal of the coagulation-flocculation-filtration sludges from water work plants, which treat surface water ("drinking sludges"). It reports their characteristics, discusses the problems connected with their disposal in particular by land-application for agricultural or ecological purposes and analyses what Italian Legislation prescribes, promotes and makes possible for their disposal. Accounts are given for some case studies in Europe and in the USA. In the end, the paper compares the future trends in Italy, in Europe and in the USA, and points out how in Italy land application of these sludges for agricultural reuse is not adequately considered as a valid and economic possibility, as in other Countries is occurring.

Water Science and Technology, 2010

Hospitals are the main source of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into the environment. G... more Hospitals are the main source of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into the environment. Generally, their discharges are co-treated with domestic wastewaters, resulting in a decrement of the recalcitrant compound concentrations in the final effluent due to water dilution. However, as many PhCs resist normal treatments, pollutant load does not change. This paper compares the chemical characteristics of hospital and domestic wastewaters on the basis of an experimental investigation for macro-pollutants and literature data for PhCs. A membrane biological reactor pilot plant fed by a hospital effluent is tested in order to evaluate the feasibility of treating these kinds of wastewaters with membrane systems. The paper then presents the possible scenarios in the management of the effluent of a large hospital situated in a small town. In particular, it reports on a case study of designing a (new) treatment plant for the effluent of the 900 bed hospital in Ferrara, Northern Italy, l...

Water Environment Research, 2011

BSTRACT: Chemical and petrochemical wastewaters contain a host of contaminants that require diffe... more BSTRACT: Chemical and petrochemical wastewaters contain a host of contaminants that require different treatment strategies. Regulation of macropollutants and micropollutants in the final discharge from industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have become increasingly stringent in recent decades, requiring many WWTPs to be upgraded. This article presents an analysis of a WWTP treating petrochemicals in Porto Marghera, Italy, that recently was upgraded following legislative changes. Because of strict legal limits for macropollutants and micropollutants and a lack of space necessary for a full-scale WWTP overhaul, the existing activated sludge tank was converted into a memhrane biological reactor. The paper presents experimental data collected during a five-month investigation showing the removal rates achieved hy the upgraded plant for macropollutants (particularly nitrogen compounds) and micropollutants (heavy metals and organic and inorganic toxic compounds). Water Environ. Res., 83, 739 (2011).

Journal of Hydrology, 2012

ABSTRACT The paper presents a study carried out in the environmentally sensitive area of the Po V... more ABSTRACT The paper presents a study carried out in the environmentally sensitive area of the Po Valley in northern Italy, with the aim of evaluating, from technical and economic perspectives, a project to reuse part of the final effluent from the Ferrara wastewater treatment plant for irrigation and to develop the site for recreational purposes. Although this area features plentiful supplies of surface water, the Ministry of the Environment has declared it to be at risk of environmental crises due to eutrophication and the drought recurring over the last decade. Thus the availability of fresh water, particularly for agricultural purposes, is threatened, and prompt water saving and protection measures are required. Hence, the possibility of reusing reclaimed wastewater from this plant was investigated, with the aim of exploiting the space around the WWTP, situated within a large urban park, to install natural polishing treatment systems and create green spaces for recreational use. Based on experimental investigation on a pilot plant (featuring both natural and conventional treatments), the study outlines the rationale behind the treatment train selected for the project, details the initial and ongoing costs involved, evaluates the benefits deriving from the project, and assesses public acceptance of the project by the contingent valuation method. A cost-benefit analysis completes the study, and various economic indicators (net present value, benefit-cost ratio, pay-back period, and internal rate of return) revealed that the proposed project was financially feasible.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2010

A new index, the Wastewater Polishing Index (WWPI), has been defined for the rapid assessment of ... more A new index, the Wastewater Polishing Index (WWPI), has been defined for the rapid assessment of the quality achieved by different polishing treatments for water discharged into surface water bodies and for reuse purposes. The index is defined by a weighted average of six parameters (SS, BOD 5 COD, ammonia, total phosphorus, and E. scherichia coli), each transformed onto a sub-index scaled from 0 to 100. E. coli has been assigned a greater weight than the other indicators. The index is equal to 0 if none of the six pollutants are present in the effluent and to 100 when all six parameters equal their corresponding Italian legal limits for discharge into surface water bodies. When all six of them equal their corresponding Italian legal limits for reuse, the WWPI is 36. The index has been validated and tested on a pilot plant including a rapid sand filtration, a slow filtration through a horizontal subsurface flow sys

Water Science & Technology, 2008

This paper deals with the case of one of the most important industrial application of membrane te... more This paper deals with the case of one of the most important industrial application of membrane technology in the world: the upgrading of the main industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the petrochemical site of Porto Marghera, Northern Italy, completed on December 2005 and tested on September 2006. It describes the principal interventions of the plant upgrading and it discusses the removal obtained during the test periods for conventional pollutants as well as for micropollutants. The plant upgrading consisted of a series of improvements of the existing industrial WWTP, in order to increase the removal efficiency of the total suspended solids and the associate removal of ten micropollutant compounds, the so called forbidden substances. The most important intervention was the conversion of the existing activated sludge section into a membrane biological reactor, in order to guarantee adherence to the severe limits imposed by the special law issued to protect the Venice Lagoo...