Distributed Quantization for Partially Cooperating Sensors Using the Information Bottleneck Method.

This paper addresses the optimization of distributed compression in a sensor network with partial cooperation among sensors. The widely known Chief Executive Officer (CEO) problem, where each sensor has to compress its measurements locally in order to forward them over capacity limited links to a common receiver is extended by allowing sensors to mutually communicate. This extension comes along with modified statistical dependencies among involved random variables compared to the original CEO problem, such that well-known outer and inner bounds do not hold anymore.

Organic matter parameters in WWTP - a critical review and recommendations for application in activated sludge modelling.

This paper includes a comprehensive literature review of sludge composition data from wastewater treatment plants. 722 data sets from 249 sources were used to establish typical ratios between COD and solids-based parameters and to verify rule-of-thumb values, respectively. Confirmation of these typical ratios can also be accomplished by using biochemical composition data.

A black-box model for generation of site-specific WWTP influent quality data based on plant routine data.

This paper presents a simple method for the generation of continuous influent quality datasets for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that is based on incomplete available routine data, only, without referring to any further measurement. In the approach, Weibull-distributed random data are fitted to the available routine data, such that the resulting distribution of influent quality data shows the identical statistical characteristics. Beside the description of the method, this paper contains a comprehensive analysis of robustness and universality of the approach.

Co-digestion of press liquids of source-sorted municipal organic waste in anaerobic sludge treatment of municipal wastewater treatment plants.

This paper describes a semi-continuous laboratory-scale investigation of a potential co-substrate for mesophilic anaerobic sludge digestion in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. A feed liquid produced from source-sorted municipal organic waste by pretreatment with a screw press was subjected to the investigation. Quantities produced in press trials as well as the composition of the feed liquid are presented.

Mass flow of antibiotics in a wastewater treatment plant focusing on removal variations due to operational parameters.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed to purposefully eliminate antibiotics and therefore many previous investigations have been carried out to assess their fate in biological wastewater treatment processes. In order to consolidate previous findings regarding influencing factors like the solid and hydraulic retention time an intensive monitoring was carried out in a municipal WWTP in Germany. Over a period of 12months daily samples were taken from the in- and effluent as well as diverse sludge streams.

Environmental risk assessment of antibiotics including synergistic and antagonistic combination effects.

The interaction-based hazard index (HIint) allows a prediction of mixture effects different from linear additivity by including information on binary mixtures between the chemicals. The aim of this study is to make a solid estimate on the possible synergistic potential of combined antibiotics and to quantify the subsequent effect for the case of the receiving river Elbe, Germany. Pieces of information on binary interactions between antibiotic groups were used from literature and from knowledge on human antibiotic combination therapy.

Representative input load of antibiotics to WWTPs: Predictive accuracy and determination of a required sampling quantity.

Predicting the input loads of antibiotics to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) using certain input data (e.g. prescriptions) is a reasonable method if no analytical data is available.

Temperature as an alternative tracer for the determination of the mixing characteristics in wastewater treatment plants.

The hydraulic characteristics, i.e. the residence time distributions, of wastewater treatment plant reactors are usually determined using conventional tracers.