Browsing by Author "Yuen, STS"

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    Factors affecting the performance of septic tank systems treating domestic wastewater in developing countries
    (2013-11-20) Jayarathne, R; Connor, MA; Yuen, STS; Pivonka, P
    Septic tank systems are in widespread use for treating domestic wastewaters. They are particularly attractive to developing countries because they are simple in concept and, if correctly designed, installed and maintained, require little attention from householders. However, present design guidelines disregard the influence of climatic conditions and surface vegetation on septic tank system performance. A combined field monitoring and numerical modelling study was undertaken to evaluate how these factors affect the hydrological performance of septic tank absorption trenches. The study revealed that a substantial proportion of water inflows to trenches is lost via evaporation and transpiration.
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    Phytocapping as a cost-effective and sustainable cover option for waste disposal sites in developing countries
    (2013-11-18) Yuen, STS; Michael, RN; Salt, M; Jaksa, MB; Sun, J
    Few waste disposal sites in developing countries are designed and operated as engineered sanitary landfills due to common technical and financial constraints. Phytocapping presents a natural soil-plant alternative to the conventional engineered landfill cover design. It requires less engineering input and has a lower cost than conventional impermeable covers as it only utilizes local recourses. It also offers the advantage of oxidating methane to reduce landfill greenhouse emissions. This type of covers has the potential to make a significant difference in the way that developing countries are capping their waste sites. This paper introduces the phytocap concept as well as discusses its relevance and advantages for developing countries.