Occurrence and concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sewage sludge from three wastewater treatment plants in Kuwait.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations were measured in sewage sludge samples collected from three wastewater treatment plants in Kuwait over a six month period. PBDEs were detected in all samples analyzed and there were significant differences between the three wastewater treatment plants. The mean (and range) of summation PBDEs concentrations measured are as follows: Jahra 52.

A comparative study of sludge dewatering units for sludge management.

A comparative study of three different types of municipal sludge dewatering unit was performed including sludge dewatering, centrifuge, and sand drying bed. The purpose of that was to examine the capability of each dewatering unit for dewatering municipal sludge at the Jahra treatment plant. The testing program was performed to select the most feasible and effective unit under local conditions.

Changes in the environmental parameters of treated wastewater in soils.

Available data about treated sanitary and industrial wastewater in Kuwait were collected and reviewed. Potential changes in the environmental parameters of these waters when permeated through predominantly loamy sand soil samples collected from three agricultural sites in Kuwait, an arid land desert area. The environmental parameters investigated included pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total organic content (TOC), and total hydrocarbon content (THC).

Parallel characterization of anaerobic toluene- and ethylbenzene-degrading microbial consortia by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, RNA-DNA membrane hybridization, and DNA microarray technology.

A mesophilic toluene-degrading consortium (TDC) and an ethylbenzene-degrading consortium (EDC) were established under sulfate-reducing conditions. These consortia were first characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments, followed by sequencing. The sequences of the major bands (T-1 and E-2) belonging to TDC and EDC, respectively, were affiliated with the family Desulfobacteriaceae.