Influence of composition and degradation on the shear strength of municipal solid waste.

This study aimed to evaluate the shear strength of municipal solid waste (MSW) of different landfilling ages exhumed from disposal sites in a subtropical humid environment. Wastes which had been landfilled from ages of 2 up to 25years were characterized using physical, chemical and biochemical tests and were tested in a large scale direct shear device. The results indicate that the tested wastes older than five years had reached similar decomposition stages, but showed different compositions in terms of soft plastics, incompressible material and reinforcing elements.

Characterizing a Brazilian sanitary landfill using geophysical seismic techniques.

Two different geophysical techniques, namely crosshole and multichannel analysis of surface waves - MASW, were applied to investigate the mechanical response of Municipal Solid Waste buried under humid, subtropical climate. Direct investigations revealed that the buried waste was composed mainly of soil-like material (51%) and plastics (31%) with moisture content average values of 43% near the surface and 53% after around 11m depth. Unit weight varied between 9kN/m(3) and 15kN/m(3).

Methane generation in tropical landfills: simplified methods and field results.

This paper deals with the use of simplified methods to predict methane generation in tropical landfills. Methane recovery data obtained on site as part of a research program being carried out at the Metropolitan Landfill, Salvador, Brazil, is analyzed and used to obtain field methane generation over time. Laboratory data from MSW samples of different ages are presented and discussed; and simplified procedures to estimate the methane generation potential, Lo, and the constant related to the biodegradation rate, k are applied.

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) concentration and acrosin activity in human spermatozoa. Their relation with the sperm penetration assay (SPA).

Fertility of men depends on the quality of semen. The aim of the present paper is to determine both the acrosin activity by radioimmunoassay and ATP concentration by bioluminescence in human spermatozoa, and evaluate these results in those samples with normal or low sperm penetration according to SPA test. Ejaculates obtained from 42 untreated men, were studied one hour after the obtention.