In Print

My second journal article is in print. Click here if you are using a university computer/connection, or click here to view the pdf version.

Citation: S. Vedachalam, J. P. Schmiedeler, K. M. Mancl. 2009. Automation of Delivery Device for Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 25(6): 915-921.

This time, paper rejection

I received this in my mail (postal mail, not email) a few days ago from the American Water Works Association (AWWA):

Dear Mr. Vedachalam:

Thank you for submitting your abstract entitled (sic) "Designing an Automated Delivery Device for Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection" to the International Symposium on Waterborne Pathogens Planning Committee for consideration for a presentation at the 2010 symposium.

On behalf of the technical committee, I'm sorry to inform you that your abstract was not chosen for a technical session. The planning committee reviews all the submitted abstracts, taking into consideration the timeliness of the abstract topic, the number of abstracts submitted on a specific topic, and the limitation on the number of sessions.
...

And the letter talks about how my abstract was good, but didn't have a place in the program, yada, yada. I am sad, not for getting this paper rejected, but because I missed a chance to visit Manhattan Beach, California, the venue of the symposium. If you didn't know, the median price of a single family dwelling with an ocean view is close to 2.1 million dollars in that town. Wow!

Paper acceptance

From the inbox:

31-Jul-2009
Dear Mr. Sridhar Vedachalam:

I am pleased to advise you that your revised manuscript SW-07966-2009.R1 "Automation of Delivery Device for Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection" is accepted for publication in Applied Engineering in Agriculture. The most recent files you submitted (uploaded) will be used.

Thank you for your contribution to the literature of the profession.

"Dirty Water" Explained

So, here goes the much-promised post on my lab-mate's work on treatment of wastewater, coming out of turkey processing plants.

The lab, the boss, Karen Mancl (pronounced Man-sil) and stand-in boss, Rashmi.

hmm...lots of food! wait a second...


Read the label carefully. This is where all the wastewater is stored. Refrigeration prevents decay of organic matter and thereby, the stink that we get in sewers and septic tanks.

Wastewater from the turkey processing plant - "dirty", smelly, red in color, full of animal blood and fat, high in carbon content (BOD)

It needs to go through these tower like structures, filled with sand, pea gravel /textile felt, where it gets filtered. Microbes growing on the media (sand, felt, etc) eat the carbon present in the wastewater, and reduce the organic content, thereby, cleaning the water.

The final outcome looks like this - clear and devoid of any suspended or organic matter. This water has very low BOD, and it almost drinkable, except for one thing - disinfection. It needs to be treated with disinfectants like chlorine, ozone before it can be consumed by humans. I am working on the disinfection, and that will be another blogpost sometime later.

Hope this was interesting enough.