40 CFR 427.13 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable. The following...

40 CFR 426.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable. The following...

40 CFR 406.33 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... technology economically achievable: there shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... by the application of the best available technology economically achievable. The following...

Contribution of cooperative sector recycling to greenhouse gas emissions reduction: a case study of Ribeirão Pires, Brazil.

PubMed

King, Megan F; Gutberlet, Jutta

2013-12-01

Solid waste, including municipal waste and its management, is a major challenge for most cities and among the key contributors to climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through recovery and recycling of resources from the municipal solid waste stream. In São Paulo, Brazil, recycling cooperatives play a crucial role in providing recycling services including collection, separation, cleaning, stocking, and sale of recyclable resources. The present research attempts to measure the greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved by the recycling cooperative Cooperpires, as well as highlight its socioeconomic benefits. Methods include participant observation, structured interviews, questionnaire application, and greenhouse gas accounting of recycling using a Clean Development Mechanism methodology. The results show that recycling cooperatives can achieve important energy savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and suggest there is an opportunity for Cooperpires and other similar recycling groups to participate in the carbon credit market. Based on these findings, the authors created a simple greenhouse gas accounting calculator for recyclers to estimate their emissions reductions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An overview of the sustainability of solid waste management at military installations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borglin, S.; Shore, J.; Worden, H.

2009-08-15

Sustainable municipal solid waste management at military solutions necessitates a combined approach that includes waste reduction, alternative disposal techniques, and increased recycling. Military installations are unique because they often represent large employers in the region in which they are located, thereby making any practices they employ impact overall waste management strategies of the region. Solutions for waste sustainability will be dependent on operational directives and base location, availability of resources such as water and energy, and size of population. Presented in this paper are descriptions of available waste strategies that can be used to support sustainable waste management. Results presentedmore » indicate source reduction and recycling to be the most sustainable solutions. However, new waste-to-energy plants and composting have potential to improve on these well proven techniques and allow military installations to achieve sustainable waste management.« less

Method for calcining nuclear waste solutions containing zirconium and halides

DOEpatents

Newby, Billie J.

1979-01-01

A reduction in the quantity of gelatinous solids which are formed in aqueous zirconium-fluoride nuclear reprocessing waste solutions by calcium nitrate added to suppress halide volatility during calcination of the solution while further suppressing chloride volatility is achieved by increasing the aluminum to fluoride mole ratio in the waste solution prior to adding the calcium nitrate.

A total quality management approach to healthcare waste management in Namazi Hospital, Iran.

PubMed

Askarian, Mehrdad; Heidarpoor, Peigham; Assadian, Ojan

2010-11-01

Healthcare waste comprises all wastes generated at healthcare facilities, medical research centers and laboratories. Although 75-90% of these wastes are classified as household waste posing no potential risk, 10-25% are deemed to be hazardous, representing a potential threat to healthcare workers, patients, the environment and even the general population, if not disposed of appropriately. If hazardous and non-hazardous waste is mixed and not segregated prior to disposal, costs will increase substantially. Medical waste management is a worldwide issue. In Iran, the majority of problems are associated with an exponential growth in the healthcare sector together with low- or non-compliance with guidelines and recommendations. The aim of this study was to reduce the amounts of infectious waste by clear definition and segregation of waste at the production site in Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Namazi Hospital was selected as a study site with an aim to achieving a significant decrease in infectious waste and implementing a total quality management (TQM) method. Infectious and non-infectious waste was weighed at 29 admission wards over a 1-month period. Before the introduction of the new guidelines and the new waste management concept, weight of total waste was 6.67 kg per occupied bed per day (kg/occupied bed/day), of which 73% was infectious and 27% non-infectious waste. After intervention, total waste was reduced to 5.92 kg/occupied bed/day, of which infectious waste represented 61% and non-infectious waste 30%. The implementation of a new waste management concept achieved a 26% reduction in infectious waste. A structured waste management concept together with clear definitions and staff training will result in waste reduction, consequently leading to decreased expenditure in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 265.1035 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... waste management units in one recordkeeping system if the system identifies each record by each... data supporting determinations of vent emissions and emission reductions achieved by add-on control... that result in maximum organic emissions, such as when the waste management unit is operating at the...

Optimizing Resource and Energy Recovery for Municipal Solid Waste Management

EPA Science Inventory

Significant reductions of carbon emissions and air quality impacts can be achieved by optimizing municipal solid waste (MSW) as a resource. Materials and discards management were found to contribute ~40% of overall U.S. GHG emissions as a result of materials extraction, transpo...

Waste-to-energy sector and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fotis, S.C.; Sussman, D.

The waste-to-energy sector provides one important avenue for the United States to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the significant GHG reductions capable of being achieved by the waste-to-energy (WTE) sector through avoided fossil generation and reduced municipal landfills. The paper begins with a review of the current voluntary reporting mechanism for {open_quotes}registering{close_quotes} GHG reduction credits under section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The paper then provides an overview of possible emerging international and domestic trends that could ultimately lead to mandatory targets and timetables for GHG mitigation in themore » United States and other countries. The paper ends with an analysis of the GHG benefits achievable by the WTE sector, based on the section 1605(b) report filed by the Integrated Waste Services Association IWSA on the GHG emissions avoided for year 1995.« less

Cap and trade schemes on waste management: A case study of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) in England

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calaf-Forn, Maria, E-mail: mcalaf@ent.cat; ENT Environment and Management, Carrer Sant Joan 39, First Floor, E-08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona; Roca, Jordi

Highlights: • LATS has been effective to achieve a reduction of the amount of landfilled waste. • LATS has been one of the few environmental instruments for waste management with a cap and trade methodology. • LATS has achieved to increase recycling of the biodegradable and other waste fractions. - Abstract: The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) is one of the main instruments used in England to enforce the landfill diversion targets established in the Directive 1999/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (Landfill Directive). Through the LATS, biodegradablemore » municipal waste (BMW) allowances for landfilling are allocated to each local authority, otherwise known as waste disposal authorities (WDAs). The quantity of landfill allowances received is expected to decrease continuously from 2005/06 to 2019/20 so as to meet the objectives of the Landfill Directive. To achieve their commitments, WDAs can exchange, buy, sell or transfer allowances among each other, or may re-profile their own allocation through banking and/or borrowing. Despite the goals for the first seven years – which included two target years (2005/06 and 2009/10) – being widely achieved (the average allocation of allowances per WDA was 22.9% higher than those finally used), market activity among WDAs was high and prices were not very stable. Results in terms of waste reduction and recycling levels have been satisfactory. The reduction of BMW landfilled (in percentage) was higher during the first seven years of the LATS period (2005/06–2011/12) (around 7% annually) than during the previous period (2001/02–2004/05) (4.2% annually). Since 2008, the significance of the LATS diminished because of an increase in the rate of the UK Landfill Tax. The LATS was suppressed after the 2012/13 target year, before what it was initially scheduled. The purpose of this paper is to describe the particularities of the LATS, analyse its performance as a waste management policy, make a comparison with the Landfill Tax, discuss its main features as regards efficiency, effectiveness and the application of the “polluter pays” principle and finally discuss if the effect of the increase in the Landfill Tax is what made the LATS ultimately unnecessary.« less

Waste wood as bioenergy feedstock. Climate change impacts and related emission uncertainties from waste wood based energy systems in the UK.

PubMed

Röder, Mirjam; Thornley, Patricia

2018-04-01

Considering the urgent need to shift to low carbon energy carriers, waste wood resources could provide an alternative energy feedstock and at the same time reduce emissions from landfill. This research examines the climate change impacts and related emission uncertainties of waste wood based energy. For this, different grades of waste wood and energy application have been investigated using lifecycle assessment. Sensitivity analysis has then been applied for supply chain processes and feedstock properties for the main emission contributing categories: transport, processing, pelletizing, urea resin fraction and related N 2 O formation. The results show, depending on the waste wood grade, the conversion option, scale and the related reference case, that emission reductions of up to 91% are possible for non-treated wood waste. Compared to this, energy from treated wood waste with low contamination can achieve up to 83% emission savings, similar to untreated waste wood pellets, but in some cases emissions from waste wood based energy can exceed the ones of the fossil fuel reference - in the worst case by 126%. Emission reductions from highly contaminated feedstocks are largest when replacing electricity from large-scale coal and landfill. The highest emission uncertainties are related to the wood's resin fraction and N 2 O formation during combustion and, pelletizing. Comparing wood processing with diesel and electricity powered equipment also generated high variations in the results, while emission variations related to transport are relatively small. Using treated waste wood as a bioenergy feedstock can be a valid option to reduce emissions from energy production but this is only realisable if coal and landfill gas are replaced. To achieve meaningful emission reduction in line with national and international climate change targets, pre-treatment of waste wood would be required to reduce components that form N 2 O during the energy conversion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste prevention in liquid detergent distribution: a comparison based on life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Nessi, Simone; Rigamonti, Lucia; Grosso, Mario

2014-11-15

The distribution of liquid detergents through self-dispensing systems has been adopted in some Italian retail stores over the last few years. By enabling the consumer to refill several times the same container, it is proposed as a less waste-generating and more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional distribution with single-use plastic containers. For this reason, its implementation is encouraged by the national waste prevention programme recently adopted in Italy. In order to assess such claims, a life cycle assessment was carried out to evaluate whether detergent distribution through self-dispensing systems actually allows to achieve the expected reduction in waste generation and environmental impacts. The focus was on the distribution within the large-scale retail trade and on the categories of laundry detergents, fabric softeners and hand dishwashing detergents. For each of them, a set of baseline single-use scenarios were compared with two alternative waste prevention scenarios, where the detergent is distributed through self-dispensing systems. Beyond waste generation, also the Cumulative Energy Demand and thirteen midpoint-level potential impact indicators were calculated for the comparison. Results showed that a reduction in waste generation up to 98% can be achieved, depending on the category of detergent, on the baseline scenario of comparison and on the number of times the refillable container is used. A progressive reduction in the energy demand and in most of the potential impacts was also observed, starting from a minimum number of uses of the refillable container. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an education and training intervention to reduce health care waste in a tertiary hospital in Spain.

PubMed

Mosquera, Margarita; Andrés-Prado, Maria José; Rodríguez-Caravaca, Gil; Latasa, Pello; Mosquera, Marta E G

2014-08-01

In recent decades there has been a significant increase in waste generation. Training interventions in advanced health care waste management can improve the segregation of regulated medical waste and reduce volume and costs. We carried out a quasi-experimental intervention study with before and after training session analysis to compare waste segregation. Descriptive analysis of the segregated health care waste and an evaluation of the quality of segregation were done. A comparison of monthly average waste to assess the effectiveness of the educational intervention was performed. After the intervention, there was a significant reduction in the monthly average health care waste volume of 6.2%. Statistically significant differences in the infectious waste and genotoxic/pharmaceutical waste weight segregated before and after the intervention (P < .05) were found. Because of the health care waste weight reduction and the improvement of waste classification, a savings cost of €125,205 was achieved. The health care waste management training improves biomedical waste segregation at the hospital, reducing the health care waste volume and costs as an added value. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Couth, R.; Trois, C., E-mail: troisc@ukzn.ac.za

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This is a compendium on GHG reductions via improved waste strategies in Africa. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This note provides a strategic framework for Local Authorities in Africa. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Assists LAs to select Zero Waste scenarios and achieve sustained GHG reduction. - Abstract: Only few Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects (traditionally focussed on landfill gas combustion) have been registered in Africa if compared to similar developing countries. The waste hierarchy adopted by many African countries clearly shows that waste recycling and composting projects are generally the most sustainable. This paper undertakes a sustainability assessment for practical waste treatment and disposal scenariosmore » for Africa and makes recommendations for consideration. The appraisal in this paper demonstrates that mechanical biological treatment of waste becomes more financially attractive if established through the CDM process. Waste will continue to be dumped in Africa with increasing greenhouse gas emissions produced, unless industrialised countries (Annex 1) fund carbon emission reduction schemes through a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol. Such a replacement should calculate all of the direct and indirect carbon emission savings and seek to promote public-private partnerships through a concerted support of the informal sector.« less

Energetic valorization of wood waste: estimation of the reduction in CO2 emissions.

PubMed

Vanneste, J; Van Gerven, T; Vander Putten, E; Van der Bruggen, B; Helsen, L

2011-09-01

This paper investigates the potential CO(2) emission reductions related to a partial switch from fossil fuel-based heat and electricity generation to renewable wood waste-based systems in Flanders. The results show that valorization in large-scale CHP (combined heat and power) systems and co-firing in coal plants have the largest CO(2) reduction per TJ wood waste. However, at current co-firing rates of 10%, the CO(2) reduction per GWh of electricity that can be achieved by co-firing in coal plants is five times lower than the CO(2) reduction per GWh of large-scale CHP. Moreover, analysis of the effect of government support for co-firing of wood waste in coal-fired power plants on the marginal costs of electricity generation plants reveals that the effect of the European Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is effectively counterbalanced. This is due to the fact that biomass integrated gasification combined cycles (BIGCC) are not yet commercially available. An increase of the fraction of coal-based electricity in the total electricity generation from 8 to 10% at the expense of the fraction of gas-based electricity due to the government support for co-firing wood waste, would compensate entirely for the CO(2) reduction by substitution of coal by wood waste. This clearly illustrates the possibility of a 'rebound' effect on the CO(2) reduction due to government support for co-combustion of wood waste in an electricity generation system with large installed capacity of coal- and gas-based power plants, such as the Belgian one. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Usability of food industry waste oils as fuel for diesel engines.

PubMed

Winfried, Russ; Roland, Meyer-Pittroff; Alexander, Dobiasch; Jürgen, Lachenmaier-Kölch

2008-02-01

Two cogeneration units were each fitted with a prechamber (IDI) diesel engine in order to test the feasibility of using waste oils from the food industry as a fuel source, and additionally to test emissions generated by the combustion of these fuels. Esterified waste oils and animal fats as well as mustard oil were tested and compared to the more or less "common" fuels: diesel, rapeseed oil and rapeseed methyl ester. The results show that, in principle, each of these fuels is suitable for use in a prechamber diesel engine. Engine performance can be maintained at a constant level. Without catalytic conversion, the nitrogen oxides emissions were comparable. A significant reduction in NO(x) was achieved through the injection of urea. Combining a urea injection with the SCR catalytic converter reduced NO(x) emissions between 53% and 67%. The carbon monoxide emissions from waste oils are not significantly different from those of "common" fuels and can be reduced the same way as of hydrocarbon emissions, through utilization of a catalytic converter. The rate of carbon monoxide reduction by catalytic conversion was 84-86%. A lower hydrocarbon concentration was associated with fuels of agricultural origin. With the catalytic converter a reduction of 29-42% achieved. Each prechamber diesel engine exhibited its own characteristic exhaust, which was independent of fuel type. The selective catalytic reduction of the exhaust emissions can be realized without restriction using fuels of agricultural origin.

Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Analysis of an Anaerobic Codigestion Facility Processing Dairy Manure and Industrial Food Waste.

PubMed

Ebner, Jacqueline H; Labatut, Rodrigo A; Rankin, Matthew J; Pronto, Jennifer L; Gooch, Curt A; Williamson, Anahita A; Trabold, Thomas A

2015-09-15

Anaerobic codigestion (AcoD) can address food waste disposal and manure management issues while delivering clean, renewable energy. Quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to implementation of AcoD is important to achieve this goal. A lifecycle analysis was performed on the basis of data from an on-farm AcoD in New York, resulting in a 71% reduction in GHG, or net reduction of 37.5 kg CO2e/t influent relative to conventional treatment of manure and food waste. Displacement of grid electricity provided the largest reduction, followed by avoidance of alternative food waste disposal options and reduced impacts associated with storage of digestate vs undigested manure. These reductions offset digester emissions and the net increase in emissions associated with land application in the AcoD case relative to the reference case. Sensitivity analysis showed that using feedstock diverted from high impact disposal pathways, control of digester emissions, and managing digestate storage emissions were opportunities to improve the AcoD GHG benefits. Regional and parametrized emissions factors for the storage emissions and land application phases would reduce uncertainty.

Forecasting the progress towards the target of Millennium Development Goal 1C in children under 5 years of age in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hasan, Md Tanvir; Soares Magalhaes, Ricardo J; Williams, Gail M; Mamun, Abdullah A

2015-07-01

To estimate the average annual rates of reduction of stunting, underweight and wasting for the period 1996 to 2011, and to evaluate whether Bangladesh will be expected to achieve the target of Millennium Development Goal 1C of reducing the prevalence of underweight by half by 2015. We used five nationwide, cross-sectional, Demographic and Health Survey data sets to estimate prevalence of undernutrition defined by stunting, underweight and wasting among children under 5 years of age using the WHO child growth standards. We then computed the average annual rates of reduction of prevalence of undernutrition using the formula derived by UNICEF. Finally, we projected the prevalence of undernutrition for the year 2015 using the estimated average annual rates of reduction. Nationwide covering Bangladesh. Children under 5 years of age (n 28,941). The prevalence of stunting decreased by 18.8% (from 60.0% to 41.2%), underweight by 16.0% (from 52.2% to 36.2%) and wasting by 5.1% (from 20.6% to 15.5%) during 1996 to 2011. The overall average annual rates of reduction were 2.84%, 2.69 % and 2.47%, respectively, for stunting, underweight and wasting. We forecast that in 2015, the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting will be 36.7%, 32.5% and 14.0%, respectively, at the national level. The prevalence of undernutrition is likely to remain high in rural areas, in the Sylhet division and in the poorest wealth quintile. Bangladesh is likely to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 1C target of reducing the prevalence of underweight by half by 2015. However, it is falling behind in reducing stunting and further investment is needed to reduce individual, household and environmental determinants of stunting in Bangladesh.

Continuous high-solids anaerobic co-digestion of organic solid wastes under mesophilic conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dong-Hoon; Oh, Sae-Eun, E-mail: saeun@hanbat.ac.kr

2011-09-15

Highlights: > High-solids (dry) anaerobic digestion is attracting a lot of attention these days. > One reactor was fed with food waste (FW) and paper waste. > Maximum biogas production rate of 5.0 m{sup 3}/m{sup 3}/d was achieved at HRT 40 d and 40% TS. > The other reactor was fed with FW and livestock waste (LW). > Until a 40% LW content increase, the reactor exhibited a stable performance. - Abstract: With increasing concerns over the limited capacity of landfills, conservation of resources, and reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions, high-solids (dry) anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste (OSW) ismore » attracting a great deal of attention these days. In the present work, two dry anaerobic co-digestion systems fed with different mixtures of OSW were continuously operated under mesophilic conditions. Dewatered sludge cake was used as a main seeding source. In reactor (I), which was fed with food waste (FW) and paper waste (PW), hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solid content were controlled to find the maximum treatability. At a fixed solid content of 30% total solids (TS), stable performance was maintained up to an HRT decrease to 40 d. However, the stable performance was not sustained at 30 d HRT, and hence, HRT was increased to 40 d again. In further operation, instead of decreasing HRT, solid content was increased to 40% TS, which was found to be a better option to increase the treatability. The biogas production rate (BPR), CH{sub 4} production yield (MPY) and VS reduction achieved in this condition were 5.0 m{sup 3}/m{sup 3}/d, 0.25 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/g COD{sub added}, and 80%, respectively. Reactor (II) was fed with FW and livestock waste (LW), and LW content was increased during the operation. Until a 40% LW content increase, reactor (II) exhibited a stable performance. A BPR of 1.7 m{sup 3}/m{sup 3}/d, MPY of 0.26 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/g COD{sub added}, and VS reduction of 72% was achieved at 40% LW content. However, when the LW content was increased to 60%, there was a significant performance drop, which was attributed to free ammonia inhibition. The performances in these two reactors were comparable to the ones achieved in the conventional wet digestion and thermophilic dry digestion processes.« less

Occupational exposure to municipal solid wastes and development of toxic neuropathies: possible role of nutrient supplementation, complementary and alternative medicines in chemoprevention.

PubMed

Ekor, Martins; Odewabi, Adesina O

2014-09-01

Achieving effective municipal solid waste (MSW) management remains a major challenge and waste generation and accumulation continue to constitute important environmental and public health concern, particularly in most developing countries. Although the general population is at risk of adverse health consequences and hazards associated with exposure to MSW, the waste management workers (WMWs) are the most vulnerable because of their direct involvement in the disposal of waste, with increasing evidence of work-related health and safety risks among these individuals. Among the numerous work-related health hazards prevalent in WMWs, development of toxic neuropathies following chronic occupational exposure remains poorly recognized. However, the risk or predisposition to toxic neuropathies is becoming evident considering the increasing recognition of large amount of neurotoxic heavy metals and hazardous industrial materials present in MSW in most parts of the world. The present review seeks to draw attention to the continuous vulnerability of the WMWs to developing toxic neuropathies. This is aimed at facilitating conscious efforts by relevant governmental and nongovernmental agencies towards promoting risk reduction and ensuring adequate protection against possible toxic polyneuropathies associated with occupational exposure to solid wastes. While continuous education of the WMWs on the need for adequate compliance to safety regulations and practice remains sacrosanct towards achieving significant reduction in toxic neuropathies and related adverse health consequences of waste handling, it is also our intention in this review to underscore the possible relevance of nutrient supplementation and alternative medicines in chemoprevention.

Eliminating waste in US health care.

PubMed

Berwick, Donald M; Hackbarth, Andrew D

2012-04-11

The need is urgent to bring US health care costs into a sustainable range for both public and private payers. Commonly, programs to contain costs use cuts, such as reductions in payment levels, benefit structures, and eligibility. A less harmful strategy would reduce waste, not value-added care. The opportunity is immense. In just 6 categories of waste--overtreatment, failures of care coordination, failures in execution of care processes, administrative complexity, pricing failures, and fraud and abuse--the sum of the lowest available estimates exceeds 20% of total health care expenditures. The actual total may be far greater. The savings potentially achievable from systematic, comprehensive, and cooperative pursuit of even a fractional reduction in waste are far higher than from more direct and blunter cuts in care and coverage. The potential economic dislocations, however, are severe and require mitigation through careful transition strategies.

Medication Waste Reduction in Pediatric Pharmacy Batch Processes

PubMed Central

Veltri, Michael A.; Hamrock, Eric; Mollenkopf, Nicole L.; Holt, Kristen; Levin, Scott

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To inform pediatric cart-fill batch scheduling for reductions in pharmaceutical waste using a case study and simulation analysis. METHODS: A pre and post intervention and simulation analysis was conducted during 3 months at a 205-bed children's center. An algorithm was developed to detect wasted medication based on time-stamped computerized provider order entry information. The algorithm was used to quantify pharmaceutical waste and associated costs for both preintervention (1 batch per day) and postintervention (3 batches per day) schedules. Further, simulation was used to systematically test 108 batch schedules outlining general characteristics that have an impact on the likelihood for waste. RESULTS: Switching from a 1-batch-per-day to a 3-batch-per-day schedule resulted in a 31.3% decrease in pharmaceutical waste (28.7% to 19.7%) and annual cost savings of $183,380. Simulation results demonstrate how increasing batch frequency facilitates a more just-in-time process that reduces waste. The most substantial gains are realized by shifting from a schedule of 1 batch per day to at least 2 batches per day. The simulation exhibits how waste reduction is also achievable by avoiding batch preparation during daily time periods where medication administration or medication discontinuations are frequent. Last, the simulation was used to show how reducing batch preparation time per batch provides some, albeit minimal, opportunity to decrease waste. CONCLUSIONS: The case study and simulation analysis demonstrate characteristics of batch scheduling that may support pediatric pharmacy managers in redesign toward minimizing pharmaceutical waste. PMID:25024671

Medication waste reduction in pediatric pharmacy batch processes.

PubMed

Toerper, Matthew F; Veltri, Michael A; Hamrock, Eric; Mollenkopf, Nicole L; Holt, Kristen; Levin, Scott

2014-04-01

To inform pediatric cart-fill batch scheduling for reductions in pharmaceutical waste using a case study and simulation analysis. A pre and post intervention and simulation analysis was conducted during 3 months at a 205-bed children's center. An algorithm was developed to detect wasted medication based on time-stamped computerized provider order entry information. The algorithm was used to quantify pharmaceutical waste and associated costs for both preintervention (1 batch per day) and postintervention (3 batches per day) schedules. Further, simulation was used to systematically test 108 batch schedules outlining general characteristics that have an impact on the likelihood for waste. Switching from a 1-batch-per-day to a 3-batch-per-day schedule resulted in a 31.3% decrease in pharmaceutical waste (28.7% to 19.7%) and annual cost savings of $183,380. Simulation results demonstrate how increasing batch frequency facilitates a more just-in-time process that reduces waste. The most substantial gains are realized by shifting from a schedule of 1 batch per day to at least 2 batches per day. The simulation exhibits how waste reduction is also achievable by avoiding batch preparation during daily time periods where medication administration or medication discontinuations are frequent. Last, the simulation was used to show how reducing batch preparation time per batch provides some, albeit minimal, opportunity to decrease waste. The case study and simulation analysis demonstrate characteristics of batch scheduling that may support pediatric pharmacy managers in redesign toward minimizing pharmaceutical waste.

Estimating biogas production of biologically treated municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Scaglia, Barbara; Confalonieri, Roberto; D'Imporzano, Giuliana; Adani, Fabrizio

2010-02-01

In this work, a respirometric approach, i.e., Dynamic Respiration Index (DRI), was used to predict the anaerobic biogas potential (ABP), studying 46 waste samples coming directly from MBT full-scale plants. A significant linear regression model was obtained by a jackknife approach: ABP=(34.4+/-2.5)+(0.109+/-0.003).DRI. The comparison of the model of this work with those of the previous works using a different respirometric approach (Sapromat-AT(4)), allowed obtaining similar results and carrying out direct comparison of different limits to accept treated waste in landfill, proposed in the literature. The results indicated that on an average, MBT treatment allowed 56% of ABP reduction after 4weeks of treatment, and 79% reduction after 12weeks of treatment. The obtainment of another regression model allowed transforming Sapromat-AT(4) limit in DRI units, and achieving a description of the kinetics of DRI and the corresponding ABP reductions vs. MBT treatment-time.

Advances in Glass Formulations for Hanford High-Aluminum, High-Iron and Enhanced Sulphate Management in HLW Streams - 13000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.

2013-07-01

The current estimates and glass formulation efforts have been conservative in terms of achievable waste loadings. These formulations have been specified to ensure that the glasses are homogenous, contain essentially no crystalline phases, are processable in joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters and meet Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Contract terms. The WTP's overall mission will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are dominated by mixtures of aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), bismuth (Bi), iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), zirconium (Zr), and sulphur (S) compounds as waste-limiting components. Glass compositions for these waste mixtures have been developed based upon previousmore » experience and current glass property models. Recently, DOE has initiated a testing program to develop and characterize HLW glasses with higher waste loadings and higher throughput efficiencies. Results of this work have demonstrated the feasibility of increases in waste loading from about 25 wt% to 33-50 wt% (based on oxide loading) in the glass depending on the waste stream. In view of the importance of aluminum limited waste streams at Hanford (and also Savannah River), the ability to achieve high waste loadings without adversely impacting melt rates has the potential for enormous cost savings from reductions in canister count and the potential for schedule acceleration. Consequently, the potential return on the investment made in the development of these enhancements is extremely favorable. Glass composition development for one of the latest Hanford HLW projected compositions with sulphate concentrations high enough to limit waste loading have been successfully tested and show tolerance for previously unreported tolerance for sulphate. Though a significant increase in waste loading for high-iron wastes has been achieved, the magnitude of the increase is not as substantial as those achieved for high-aluminum, high-chromium, high-bismuth or sulphur. Waste processing rate increases for high-iron streams as a combined effect of higher waste loadings and higher melt rates resulting from new formulations have been achieved. (author)« less

Advances in Glass Formulations for Hanford High-Alumimum, High-Iron and Enhanced Sulphate Management in HLW Streams - 13000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.

2013-01-16

The current estimates and glass formulation efforts have been conservative in terms of achievable waste loadings. These formulations have been specified to ensure that the glasses are homogenous, contain essentially no crystalline phases, are processable in joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters and meet Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Contract terms. The WTP?s overall mission will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are dominated by mixtures of aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), bismuth (Bi), iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), zirconium (Zr), and sulphur (S) compounds as waste-limiting components. Glass compositions for these waste mixtures have been developed based upon previousmore » experience and current glass property models. Recently, DOE has initiated a testing program to develop and characterize HLW glasses with higher waste loadings and higher throughput efficiencies. Results of this work have demonstrated the feasibility of increases in waste loading from about 25 wt% to 33-50 wt% (based on oxide loading) in the glass depending on the waste stream. In view of the importance of aluminum limited waste streams at Hanford (and also Savannah River), the ability to achieve high waste loadings without adversely impacting melt rates has the potential for enormous cost savings from reductions in canister count and the potential for schedule acceleration. Consequently, the potential return on the investment made in the development of these enhancements is extremely favorable. Glass composition development for one of the latest Hanford HLW projected compositions with sulphate concentrations high enough to limit waste loading have been successfully tested and show tolerance for previously unreported tolerance for sulphate. Though a significant increase in waste loading for high-iron wastes has been achieved, the magnitude of the increase is not as substantial as those achieved for high-aluminum, high-chromium, high-bismuth or sulphur. Waste processing rate increases for high-iron streams as a combined effect of higher waste loadings and higher melt rates resulting from new formulations have been achieved.« less

Hybrid life-cycle assessment (LCA) of CO2 emission with management alternatives for household food wastes in Japan.

PubMed

Inaba, Rokuta; Nansai, Keisuke; Fujii, Minoru; Hashimoto, Seiji

2010-06-01

In this study, we conducted a hybrid life-cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate reductions in CO(2) emissions by food waste biogasification of household food wastes in Japan. Two alternative scenarios were examined. In one alternative (Ref), all combustible municipal solid wastes (MSWs), including food waste, are incinerated. In the other (Bio), food waste is biogasified, while the other combustible wastes are incinerated. An inventory analysis of energy and material flow in the MSW management system was conducted. Subsequently, the inventory data were summarized into an input-output format, and a make-use input-output framework was applied. Furthermore, a production equilibrium model was established using a matrix representing the input- output relationship of energy and materials among the processes and sectors. Several levels of power generation efficiency from incineration were applied as a sensitivity analysis. The hybrid LCA indicated that the difference between the Bio and Ref scenarios, from the perspective of CO( 2) emissions, is relatively small. However, a 13-14% reduction of CO(2) emissions of the total waste management sector in Japan may be achieved by improving the efficiency of power generation from incineration from 10% to 25%.

Interfacial and mechanical property analysis of waste printed circuit boards subject to thermal shock.

PubMed

Li, Jinhui; Duan, Huabo; Yu, Keli; Wang, Siting

2010-02-01

Waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the focal points for handling electric and electronic waste. In this paper, a thermal shock method was used to pretreat waste PCBs for the improvement of crushing performance. The influence of the thermal shock process on interfacial modification and mechanical property attenuation of PCB waste was studied. The appearance and layer spacing of the basal plane began to change slightly when the temperature reached 200 degrees C. By 250 degrees C, apparent bulging, cracking, and delamination were observed. However, pyrolysis of PCBs occurred when the temperature reached 275 degrees C, where PCBs were carbonized. The thermogravimetric analysis of PCB particles under vacuum showed that 270 degrees C was the starting point of pyrolysis. The tensile and impact strength of PCBs were reduced as shock temperature rose gradually, with a reduction by 2.6 and 16.5%, respectively, at 250 degrees C from its unheated strength. The PCBs that were heated to 250 degrees C achieved 100% liberation, increasing linearly from 13.6% for unheated PCBs through a single-level shear-crusher (2-mm mesh) and resulting in an obvious reduction of 9.5% (dB) in dust and noise at 250 degrees C. These parameters could be helpful for establishing the operational setup for industrial-scale facilities with the aim of achieving a compact process and a highly efficient recovery for waste PCBs compared with those of the traditional combination mechanical technologies.

LCA of waste prevention activities: a case study for drinking water in Italy.

PubMed

Nessi, Simone; Rigamonti, Lucia; Grosso, Mario

2012-10-15

The strategic relevance of waste prevention has considerably increased worldwide during recent years, such that the current European legislation requires the preparation of national waste prevention programmes in which reduction objectives and measures are identified. In such a context, it is possible to recognise how, in order to correctly evaluate the environmental consequences of a prevention activity, a life cycle perspective should be employed. This allows us to go beyond the simple reduction of the generated waste which, alone, does not automatically imply achieving better overall environmental performance, especially when this reduction is not pursued through the simple reduction of consumption. In this study, the energetic and environmental performance of two waste prevention activities considered particularly meaningful for the Italian context were evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The two activities were the utilisation of public network water (two scenarios) and of refillable bottled water (two scenarios) for drinking purposes, instead of one-way bottled water (three scenarios). The energy demand and specific potential impacts of the four waste prevention scenarios and of the three baseline scenarios were compared with the aim of evaluating whether, and under what conditions, the analysed prevention activities are actually associated with overall energetic and environmental benefits. In typical conditions, the use of public network water directly from the tap results in the best scenario, while if water is withdrawn from public fountains, its further transportation by private car can involve significant impacts. The use of refillable PET bottled water seems the preferable scenario for packaged water consumption, if refillable bottles are transported to local distributors along the same (or a lower) distance as one-way bottles to retailers. The use of refillable glass bottled water is preferable to one-way bottled water only if a distance beneath 150 km separates bottling plants from local distributors and retailers (except for eutrophication indicator which is always slightly worse). To reduce waste generation and to achieve meaningful potential savings of natural resources, energy and greenhouse gas emissions, a reduction in one-way bottled water consumption in Italy is recommended in favour of the use of public network water and of the establishment of short distance-PET bottles based refilling systems. The development of closed loop recycling of one-way PET bottles, and especially the reduction of the distance along which one-way bottled water is transported, are also important. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research on the drying kinetics of household food waste for the development and optimization of domestic waste drying technique.

PubMed

Sotiropoulos, A; Malamis, D; Michailidis, P; Krokida, M; Loizidou, M

2016-01-01

Domestic food waste drying foresees the significant reduction of household food waste mass through the hygienic removal of its moisture content at source. In this manuscript, a new approach for the development and optimization of an innovative household waste dryer for the effective dehydration of food waste at source is presented. Food waste samples were dehydrated with the use of the heated air-drying technique under different air-drying conditions, namely air temperature and air velocity, in order to investigate their drying kinetics. Different thin-layer drying models have been applied, in which the drying constant is a function of the process variables. The Midilli model demonstrated the best performance in fitting the experimental data in all tested samples, whereas it was found that food waste drying is greatly affected by temperature and to a smaller scale by air velocity. Due to the increased moisture content of food waste, an appropriate configuration of the drying process variables can lead to a total reduction of its mass by 87% w/w, thus achieving a sustainable residence time and energy consumption level. Thus, the development of a domestic waste dryer can be proved to be economically and environmentally viable in the future.

Cleaner co-combustion of lignite-biomass-waste blends by utilising inhibiting compounds of toxic emissions.

PubMed

Skodras, G; Palladas, A; Kaldis, S P; Sakellaropoulos, G P

2007-04-01

In this paper, the co-combustion behaviour of coal with wastes and biomass and the related toxic gaseous emissions were investigated. The objective of this work is to add on towards a cleaner co-combustion of lignite-waste-biomass blends by utilizing compounds that could inhibit the formation of toxic pollutants. A series of co-combustion tests was performed in a pilot scale incinerator, and the emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured. The co-combustion behaviour of lignite with olive kernels, MDF and sawdust was studied and the ability of additives such as urea, almond shells and municipal sewage sludge to reduce the PCDD/F emissions was examined. All blends were proven good fuels and reproducible combustion conditions were achieved. The addition of inhibitors prior to combustion showed in some cases, relatively high PCDD/F emissions reduction. Among the inhibitors tested, urea seems to achieve a reduction of PCDD/F emissions for all fuel blends, while an unstable behaviour was observed for the others.

40 CFR 427.113 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet Dust... available technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of waste water pollutants to...

40 CFR 427.113 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet Dust... available technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of waste water pollutants to...

40 CFR 406.53 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GRAIN MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Normal Rice Milling... technology economically achievable: there shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to...

40 CFR 406.53 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GRAIN MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Normal Rice Milling... technology economically achievable: there shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to...

40 CFR 406.53 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GRAIN MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Normal Rice Milling... technology economically achievable: there shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to...

40 CFR 406.53 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GRAIN MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Normal Rice Milling... technology economically achievable: there shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to...

40 CFR 427.113 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet... the best available technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of waste water...

40 CFR 427.113 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet... the best available technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of waste water...

40 CFR 427.113 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet... the best available technology economically achievable: There shall be no discharge of waste water...

Introduction to Exide Corporations`s high temperature metals recovery system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rozelle, P.L.; Baranski, J.P.; Bitler, J.A.

1995-12-31

Environmental strategies concerning the processing and ultimate fate of wastes and byproducts are of ever increasing importance to the public and business sectors in the world today. Recycling materials and reusing energy from wastes and byproducts results in a reduction of environmental impacts and the cost of disposal. These are the key steps in reaching the ultimate goal of waste minimization. In response to these needs, Exide Corporation, in its vision to develop waste minimization programs, has developed the Exide High Temperature Metals Recovery (EHTMR) process. This process can treat a variety of wastes and byproducts where metals contents aremore » an issue, recover the metal values for reuse, and produce a metals-depleted slag that can be marketable under the most stringent proposed EPA regulations for leachability of contaminants. The central feature of the EHTMR process is the exposure of treated materials to a transferred arc plasma generated in an electric furnace. The process achieves a reduction in costs and liability by recovering portions of a waste that can be recycled or reclaimed and produces a slag that has beneficial use to society.« less

Use of saline waste water from demineralization of cheese whey for cultivation of Schizochytrium limacinum PA-968 and Japonochytrium marinum AN-4.

PubMed

Humhal, Tomas; Kastanek, Petr; Jezkova, Zuzana; Cadkova, Anna; Kohoutkova, Jana; Branyik, Tomas

2017-03-01

Saline waste water from demineralization of cheese whey was used as the main component of waste saline medium (WSM) for cultivation of thraustochytrids. The suitability of WSM for cultivation of Schizochytrium limacinum PA-968 and Japonochytrium marinum AN-4 was evaluated by comparison with cultivation on nutrient medium (NM) in shake flask and fermenter cultures. Biomass productivities achieved in WSM for the thraustochytrids were comparable with those in NM for both shake flask and fermenter cultures. The maximum total lipid content (56.71% dry cell weight) and docosahexaenoic acid productivity (0.86 g/L/day) were achieved by J. marinum AN-4 grown on WSM in shake flask and fermenter cultures, respectively. A cost estimate of WSM suggests that this medium could result in lower production costs for thraustochytrid biomass and lipids and contribute to the effective reduction in saline diary process waste water.

Nox control for high nitric oxide concentration flows through combustion-driven reduction

DOEpatents

Yeh, James T.; Ekmann, James M.; Pennline, Henry W.; Drummond, Charles J.

1989-01-01

An improved method for removing nitrogen oxides from concentrated waste gas streams, in which nitrogen oxides are ignited with a carbonaceous material in the presence of substoichiometric quantities of a primary oxidant, such as air. Additionally, reductants may be ignited along with the nitrogen oxides, carbonaceous material and primary oxidant to achieve greater reduction of nitrogen oxides. A scrubber and regeneration system may also be included to generate a concentrated stream of nitrogen oxides from flue gases for reduction using this method.

Development of Thermophysical Hydrocarbon Wastes Pyrolysis Model (in the Case of Wood)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shantarin, V. D.; Zemenkova, M. Yu; Zemenkov, Yu D.

2016-10-01

The article is devoted to solving environmental problems in the operation in oil and gas industry objects. Reduction of environmental damage by pollution with hydrocarbons can be achieved by disposing oil-contaminated hydrocarbon wastes, using high-temperature pyrolysis process. Authors proposed a recycling method by which in the output there generates the maximum amount of syngas, which, in its turn, is an expensive resource

Beyond Green: From Issues to Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemeyer, Shirley; Francis, Charles A.

2000-01-01

Achieving sustainability requires pursuit of individual, family, and community solutions to environmental problems. Issues about the equitable use of resources and reduction of waste and consumption must be addressed through policies, regulations, and the building of global consensus. (SK)

Life cycle assessment of biohydrogen and biomethane production and utilisation as a vehicle fuel.

PubMed

Patterson, Tim; Esteves, Sandra; Dinsdale, Richard; Guwy, Alan; Maddy, Jon

2013-03-01

Environmental burdens for the production and utilisation of biomethane vehicle fuel or a biohydrogen/biomethane blend produced from food waste or wheat feed, based on data from two different laboratory experiments, have been compared. For food waste treated by batch processes the two stage system gave high hydrogen yields (84.2l H2kg(-1) VS added) but a lower overall energy output than the single stage system. Reduction in environmental burdens compared with diesel was achieved, supported by the diversion of waste from landfill. For wheat feed, the semi continuously fed two stage process gave low hydrogen yields (7.5l H2kg(-1) VS added) but higher overall energy output. The process delivers reduction in fossil fuel burdens, and improvements in process efficiencies will lead to reduction in CO2 burdens compared with diesel. The study highlights the importance of understanding and optimising biofuel production parameters according to the feedstock utilised. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chapel branch creek TMDL development: integrating TMDL development with implementation

Treesearch

T.M. Williams; D.M. Amatya; D.R. Hitchcock; N. Levine; E.N. Mihalik

2007-01-01

South Carolina assured the USEPA "The State intends to achieve waste load and load allocation reductions in 303(d) listed waters in order to achieve the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act. This includes waters impaired solely or primarily by NPS sources. For each such water, a TMDL will be established that includes specific recommendations for reducing...

40 CFR 440.103 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... that use dump, heap, in situ leach or vat-leach processes to extract copper from ores or ore waste... achievable (BAT). Except as provided in subpart L of this part and 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing... achievable (BAT): (a) The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage from mines that produce...

40 CFR 440.103 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... that use dump, heap, in situ leach or vat-leach processes to extract copper from ores or ore waste... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in subpart L of this part and 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32... economically achievable (BAT): (a) The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage from mines that...

40 CFR 440.103 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... that use dump, heap, in situ leach or vat-leach processes to extract copper from ores or ore waste... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in subpart L of this part and 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32... economically achievable (BAT): (a) The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage from mines that...

40 CFR 440.103 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... that use dump, heap, in situ leach or vat-leach processes to extract copper from ores or ore waste... achievable (BAT). Except as provided in subpart L of this part and 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing... achievable (BAT): (a) The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage from mines that produce...

Progress on Footprint Reduction at the Hanford Site - 12406

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKenney, Dale E.; Seeley, Paul; Farabee, Al

2012-07-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) continues to reduce the footprint of legacy sites throughout the EM complex. Footprint reduction is being accomplished by focusing cleanup activities on decontamination and demolition of excess contaminated facilities, soil and groundwater remediation, and solid waste disposition. All of these initiatives are being accomplished with established technologies in proven regulatory frameworks. Ultimately, completion of these environmental cleanup activities will reduce the monitoring and maintenance costs associated with managing large federal facilities, allowing EM to place more focus on other high priority cleanup efforts and facilitate a successful transition to land-termmore » stewardship of these sites. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) investment, the Department's cleanup footprint has been reduced by 45 percent to date, from 2411 km{sup 2} (931 mi{sup 2}) to 1336 km{sup 2} (516 mi{sup 2}s). With this significant progress on footprint reduction, the Department is on track towards their goal to reduce its overall footprint by approximately 90 percent by 2015. In addition, some areas cleaned up may become available for alternate uses (i.e. recreation, conservation, preservation, industrialization or development). Much of the work to reduce the complex's footprint occurred at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Hanford Site in Washington, but cleanup continues across the complex. Footprint reduction is progressing well at the Hanford Site, supported predominantly through ARRA investment. To date, 994 km{sup 2} (384 mi{sup 2}) (65%) of footprint reduction have been achieved at Hanford, with a goal to achieve a 90% reduction by Fiscal Year 2015. The DOE EM and DOE Richland Operations Office, continue to make great progress to reduce the legacy footprint of the Hanford Site. Footprint reduction is being accomplished by focusing cleanup activities on decontamination and demolition of excess facilities, both contaminated and uncontaminated, waste site cleanup activities, and debris pile removal. All of these activities can be accomplished with proven technologies and within established regulatory frameworks. Footprint reduction goals for Fiscal Year 2011 were exceeded, largely with the help of ARRA funding. As cleanup projects are completed and the total area requiring cleanup shrinks, overall costs for surveillance and maintenance operations and infrastructure services decrease. This work completion and decrease in funding requirements to maintain waste sites and antiquated facilities allows more focus on high priority site missions (i.e. groundwater remediation, tank waste disposition, etc.) and moves Site areas closer to transition from EM to the Legacy Management program. The progress in the Hanford footprint reduction effort will help achieve success in these other important mission areas. (authors)« less

Landfill reduction experience in The Netherlands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scharff, Heijo, E-mail: h.scharff@afvalzorg.nl

Highlights: • ‘Zero waste’ initiatives never consider risks, side effects or experience of achieved low levels of landfill. • This paper provides insight into what works and what not. • Where strong gradients in regulations and tax occur between countries, waste will find its way to landfills across borders. • Strong landfill reduction can create a fierce competition over the remaining waste to be landfilled resulting in losses. • At some point a public organisation should take responsibility for the operation of a ‘safety net’ in waste management. - Abstract: Modern waste legislation aims at resource efficiency and landfill reduction.more » This paper analyses more than 20 years of landfill reduction in the Netherlands. The combination of landfill regulations, landfill tax and landfill bans resulted in the desired landfill reduction, but also had negative effects. A fierce competition developed over the remaining waste to be landfilled. In 2013 the Dutch landfill industry generated €40 million of annual revenue, had €58 million annual costs and therefore incurred an annual loss of €18 million. It is not an attractive option to prematurely end business. There is a risk that Dutch landfill operators will not be able to fulfil the financial obligations for closure and aftercare. Contrary to the polluter pays principle the burden may end up with society. EU regulations prohibiting export of waste for disposal are in place. Strong differentials in landfill tax rate between nations have nevertheless resulted in transboundary shipment of waste and in non-compliance with the self-sufficiency and proximity principles. During the transformation from a disposal society to a recycling society, it is important to carefully plan required capacity and to guide the reorganisation of the landfill sector. At some point, it is no longer profitable to provide landfill services. It may be necessary for public organisations or the state to take responsibility for the continued operation of a ‘safety net’ in waste management. Regulations have created a financial incentive to pass on the burden of monitoring and controlling the impact of waste to future generations. To prevent this, it is necessary to revise regulations on aftercare and create incentives to actively stabilise landfills.« less

Comparing the greenhouse gas emissions from three alternative waste combustion concepts.

PubMed

Vainikka, Pasi; Tsupari, Eemeli; Sipilä, Kai; Hupa, Mikko

2012-03-01

Three alternative condensing mode power and combined heat and power (CHP) waste-to-energy concepts were compared in terms of their impacts on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a heat and power generation system. The concepts included (i) grate, (ii) bubbling fluidised bed (BFB) and (iii) circulating fluidised bed (CFB) combustion of waste. The BFB and CFB take advantage of advanced combustion technology which enabled them to reach electric efficiency up to 35% and 41% in condensing mode, respectively, whereas 28% (based on the lower heating value) was applied for the grate fired unit. A simple energy system model was applied in calculating the GHG emissions in different scenarios where coal or natural gas was substituted in power generation and mix of fuel oil and natural gas in heat generation by waste combustion. Landfilling and waste transportation were not considered in the model. GHG emissions were reduced significantly in all of the considered scenarios where the waste combustion concepts substituted coal based power generation. With the exception of condensing mode grate incinerator the different waste combustion scenarios resulted approximately in 1 Mton of fossil CO(2)-eq. emission reduction per 1 Mton of municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerated. When natural gas based power generation was substituted by electricity from the waste combustion significant GHG emission reductions were not achieved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant U. S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection Submerged Bed Scrubber Condensate Disposition Project - 13460

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yanochko, Ronald M.; Corcoran, Connie

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will generate an off-gas treatment system secondary liquid waste stream [submerged bed scrubber (SBS) condensate], which is currently planned for recycle back to the WTP Low Activity Waste (LAW) melter. This SBS condensate waste stream is high in Tc-99, which is not efficiently captured in the vitrified glass matrix [1]. A pre-conceptual engineering study was prepared in fiscal year 2012 to evaluate alternate flow paths for melter off-gas secondary liquid waste generated by the WTP LAW facility [2]. This study evaluated alternatives for direct off-site disposal of this SBS without pre-treatment, whichmore » mitigates potential issues associated with recycling. This study [2] concluded that SBS direct disposal is a viable option to the WTP baseline. The results show: - Off-site transportation and disposal of the SBS condensate is achievable and cost effective. - Reduction of approximately 4,325 vitrified WTP Low Activity Waste canisters could be realized. - Positive WTP operational impacts; minimal WTP construction impacts are realized. - Reduction of mass flow from the LAW Facility to the Pretreatment Facility by 66%. - Improved Double Shell Tank (DST) space management is a benefit. (authors)« less

Biodegradable packaging materials conception based on starch and polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with cellulose.

PubMed

Masmoudi, Fatma; Bessadok, Atef; Dammak, Mohamed; Jaziri, Mohamed; Ammar, Emna

2016-10-01

The plastic materials used for packaging are increasing leading to a considerable amount of undegradable solid wastes. This work deals with the reduction of conventional plastics waste and the natural resources preservation by using cellulosic polymers from renewable resources (alfa and luffa). Plasticized starch films syntheses were achieved at a laboratory scale. These natural films showed some very attractive mechanical properties at relatively low plasticizers levels (12 to 17 % by weight). Furthermore, mixtures including polylactic acid polymer (PLA) and cellulose fibers extracted from alfa and luffa were investigated by melt extrusion technique. When used at a rate of 10 %, these fibers improved the mixture mechanical properties. Both developed materials were biodegradable, but the plasticized starch exhibited a faster biodegradation kinetic compared to the PLA/cellulose fibers. These new materials would contribute to a sustainable development and a waste reduction.

Treatment of organic waste

DOEpatents

Grantham, LeRoy F.

1979-01-01

An organic waste containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of strontium, cesium, iodine and ruthenium is treated to achieve a substantial reduction in the volume of the waste and provide for fixation of the selected element in an inert salt. The method of treatment comprises introducing the organic waste and a source of oxygen into a molten salt bath maintained at an elevated temperature to produce solid and gaseous reaction products. The gaseous reaction products comprise carbon dioxide and water vapor, and the solid reaction products comprise the inorganic ash constituents of the organic waste and the selected element which is retained in the molten salt. The molten salt bath comprises one or more alkali metal carbonates, and may optionally include from 1 to about 25 wt.% of an alkali metal sulfate.

Efficiency of energy recovery from municipal solid waste and the resultant effect on the greenhouse gas balance.

PubMed

Gohlke, Oliver

2009-11-01

Global warming is a focus of political interest and life-cycle assessment of waste management systems reveals that energy recovery from municipal solid waste is a key issue. This paper demonstrates how the greenhouse gas effects of waste treatment processes can be described in a simplified manner by considering energy efficiency indicators. For evaluation to be consistent, it is necessary to use reasonable system boundaries and to take the generation of electricity and the use of heat into account. The new European R1 efficiency criterion will lead to the development and implementation of optimized processes/systems with increased energy efficiency which, in turn, will exert an influence on the greenhouse gas effects of waste management in Europe. Promising technologies are: the increase of steam parameters, reduction of in-plant energy consumption, and the combined use of heat and power. Plants in Brescia and Amsterdam are current examples of good performance with highly efficient electricity generation. Other examples of particularly high heat recovery rates are the energy-from-waste (EfW) plants in Malmö and Gothenburg. To achieve the full potential of greenhouse gas reduction in waste management, it is necessary to avoid landfilling combustible wastes, for example, by means of landfill taxes and by putting incentives in place for increasing the efficiency of EfW systems.

Comparing the greenhouse gas emissions from three alternative waste combustion concepts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vainikka, Pasi, E-mail: pasi.vainikka@vtt.fi; Tsupari, Eemeli; Sipilae, Kai

2012-03-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Significant GHG reductions are possible by efficient WtE technologies. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CHP and high power-to-heat ratio provide significant GHG savings. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer N{sub 2}O and coal mine type are important in LCA GHG emissions of FBC co-combustion. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Substituting coal and fuel oil by waste is beneficial in electricity and heat production. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Substituting natural gas by waste may not be reasonable in CHP generation. - Abstract: Three alternative condensing mode power and combined heat and power (CHP) waste-to-energy concepts were compared in terms of their impacts on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a heat and power generation system.more » The concepts included (i) grate, (ii) bubbling fluidised bed (BFB) and (iii) circulating fluidised bed (CFB) combustion of waste. The BFB and CFB take advantage of advanced combustion technology which enabled them to reach electric efficiency up to 35% and 41% in condensing mode, respectively, whereas 28% (based on the lower heating value) was applied for the grate fired unit. A simple energy system model was applied in calculating the GHG emissions in different scenarios where coal or natural gas was substituted in power generation and mix of fuel oil and natural gas in heat generation by waste combustion. Landfilling and waste transportation were not considered in the model. GHG emissions were reduced significantly in all of the considered scenarios where the waste combustion concepts substituted coal based power generation. With the exception of condensing mode grate incinerator the different waste combustion scenarios resulted approximately in 1 Mton of fossil CO{sub 2}-eq. emission reduction per 1 Mton of municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerated. When natural gas based power generation was substituted by electricity from the waste combustion significant GHG emission reductions were not achieved.« less

The effect of leachate recirculation with enzyme cellulase addition on waste stability in landfill bioreactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saffira, N.; Kristanto, G. A.

2018-01-01

Landfill bioreactor with leachate recirculation is known to enhance waste stabilization. However, the composition of waste in Indonesia is comprised by organic waste which is lignocellulosic materials that considered take a long time to degrade under anaerobic condition. To accelerate the degradation process, enzyme addition is ought to do. Cellulase is an enzyme that can catalyse cellulose and other polysaccharide decomposition processes. Therefore, operation of waste degradation using leachate recirculation with a cellulase addition to enhance waste stabilization was investigated using anaerobic bioreactor landfill. The experiment was performed on 2 conditions; leachate recirculation with cellulase addition and recirculation only as a control. The addition of cellulase is reported to be significant in decreasing organic content, represented by volatile solid parameter. The volatile solid reduction in the cellulase augmented reactor and control reactor was 17.86% and 7.90%, respectively. Cellulase addition also resulted in the highest cellulose reduction. Settlement of the landfill in a bioreactor with enzyme addition (32.67%) was reported to be higher than the control (19.33%). Stabilization of landfill review by the decreasing rate constant of the cellulose and lignin ratio parameter was more rapidly achieved by the enzyme addition (0.014 day-1) compared to control (0.002 day-1).

A simple awareness campaign to promote food waste reduction in a University canteen.

PubMed

Pinto, Renata Soares; Pinto, Renata Machado Dos Santos; Melo, Felipe Fochat Silva; Campos, Suzana Santos; Cordovil, Cláudia Marques-Dos-Santos

2018-03-01

Food waste has important environmental, social and economic impacts and increasing attention has been given lately to the unparalleled scale of food waste in the food supply chain worldwide. An initiative aiming to reduce food waste was tested at the School of Agriculture canteen (University of Lisbon, Portugal). The "Clean dish, clean conscience!" initiative consisted of a simple and inexpensive education campaign to raise awareness of reducing plate waste, by establishing the connection between food waste and personal behaviour. As a first stage plate waste from canteen users was measured over a 10 day period. After this period, a waste consumption index and per capita waste consumption were calculated to evaluate the level of satisfaction of the consumer and the related concern about food wastage, and was classified as Bad. After this first stage it was concluded that the users did not have strong convictions about avoiding food waste. During the second stage of the project an education campaign was implemented with plate waste being monitored for a further 16 days to assess the effectiveness of the campaign. The approach consisted of displaying simple and affordable informative posters in strategic areas of the canteen with simple messages reminding not to accept food they knew they would not eat. This led to a mean reduction in the waste consumption index of ∼15%. A parallel action encouraging separation of organic and inorganic waste was implemented as well, with an active participation of >70% of the users. The initiative achieved its objective of reducing plate waste by raising awareness of the daily food waste problem at the institution's canteen and by suggesting "how-to" actions for reducing such waste. This study showed how avoidable waste can be reduced simply by making students aware of the topic of food waste. Simple strategies may be useful to improve behaviours and increase sustainability of the canteens at Universities although this proved to be only efficient with the collaboration of the canteen staff that needs solid education. From the results, a set of measures was presented to the University Social Services for adoption to ensure a permanent reduction of food waste and recyclables in the University canteens. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance-based, cost- and time-effective pcb analytical methodology.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alvarado, J. S.

1998-06-11

Laboratory applications for the analysis of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in environmental matrices such as soil/sediment/sludge and oil/waste oil were evaluated for potential reduction in waste, source reduction, and alternative techniques for final determination. As a consequence, new procedures were studied for solvent substitution, miniaturization of extraction and cleanups, minimization of reagent consumption, reduction of cost per analysis, and reduction of time. These new procedures provide adequate data that meet all the performance requirements for the determination of PCBs. Use of the new procedures reduced costs for all sample preparation techniques. Time and cost were also reduced by combining the newmore » sample preparation procedures with the power of fast gas chromatography. Separation of Aroclor 1254 was achieved in less than 6 min by using DB-1 and SPB-608 columns. With the greatly shortened run times, reproducibility can be tested quickly and consequently with low cost. With performance-based methodology, the applications presented here can be applied now, without waiting for regulatory approval.« less

Toward zero waste: composting and recycling for sustainable venue based events.

PubMed

Hottle, Troy A; Bilec, Melissa M; Brown, Nicholas R; Landis, Amy E

2015-04-01

This study evaluated seven different waste management strategies for venue-based events and characterized the impacts of event waste management via waste audits and the Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The seven waste management scenarios included traditional waste handling methods (e.g. recycle and landfill) and management of the waste stream via composting, including purchasing where only compostable food service items were used during the events. Waste audits were conducted at four Arizona State University (ASU) baseball games, including a three game series. The findings demonstrate a tradeoff among CO2 equivalent emissions, energy use, and landfill diversion rates. Of the seven waste management scenarios assessed, the recycling scenarios provide the greatest reductions in CO2 eq. emissions and energy use because of the retention of high value materials but are compounded by the difficulty in managing a two or three bin collection system. The compost only scenario achieves complete landfill diversion but does not perform as well with respect to CO2 eq. emissions or energy. The three game series was used to test the impact of staffed bins on contamination rates; the first game served as a baseline, the second game employed staffed bins, and the third game had non staffed bins to determine the effect of staffing on contamination rates. Contamination rates in both the recycling and compost bins were tracked throughout the series. Contamination rates were reduced from 34% in the first game to 11% on the second night (with the staffed bins) and 23% contamination rates at the third game. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies for the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste: an overview.

PubMed

Hartmann, H; Ahring, B K

2006-01-01

Different process strategies for anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) are reviewed weighing high-solids versus low-solids, mesophilic versus thermophilic and single-stage versus multi-stage processes. The influence of different waste characteristics such as composition of biodegradable fractions, C:N ratio and particle size is described. Generally, source sorting of OFMSW and a high content of food waste leads to higher biogas yields than the use of mechanically sorted OFMSW. Thermophilic processes are more efficient than mesophilic processes in terms of higher biogas yields at different organic loading rates (OLR). Highest biogas yields are achieved by means of wet thermophilic processes at OLRs lower than 6 kg-VS x m(-3) d(-1). High-solids processes appear to be relatively more efficient when OLRs higher than 6 kg-VS x m(-3)d(-1) are applied. Multi-stage systems show in some investigations a higher reduction of recalcitrant organic matter compared to single-stage systems, but they are seldom applied in full-scale. An extended cost-benefit calculation shows that the highest overall benefit of the process is achieved at an OLR that is lower and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) that is longer than those values of OLR and HRT, at which the highest biogas production is achieved.

Waste reduction plan for The Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schultz, R.M.

1990-04-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a multipurpose Research and Development (R D) facility. These R D activities generate numerous small waste streams. Waste minimization is defined as any action that minimizes the volume or toxicity of waste by avoiding its generation or recycling. This is accomplished by material substitution, changes to processes, or recycling wastes for reuse. Waste reduction is defined as waste minimization plus treatment which results in volume or toxicity reduction. The ORNL Waste Reduction Program will include both waste minimization and waste reduction efforts. Federal regulations, DOE policies and guidelines, increased costs and liabilities associatedmore » with the management of wastes, limited disposal options and facility capacities, and public consciousness have been motivating factors for implementing comprehensive waste reduction programs. DOE Order 5820.2A, Section 3.c.2.4 requires DOE facilities to establish an auditable waste reduction program for all LLW generators. In addition, it further states that any new facilities, or changes to existing facilities, incorporate waste minimization into design considerations. A more recent DOE Order, 3400.1, Section 4.b, requires the preparation of a waste reduction program plan which must be reviewed annually and updated every three years. Implementation of a waste minimization program for hazardous and radioactive mixed wastes is sited in DOE Order 5400.3, Section 7.d.5. This document has been prepared to address these requirements. 6 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.« less

Study of water recovery and solid waste processing for aerospace and domestic applications. Volume 1: Final report summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guarneri, C. A.; Reed, A.; Renman, R. E.

1972-01-01

This study of water reclamation and waste disposal is directed toward a more efficient utilization of natural resources. From an ecological standpoint improved methods of land use, water processing equipment, and ideal population profiles are investigated. Methods are described whereby significant reduction in water usage can be achieved by the adoption of presently available and practically applied technological concepts. Allowances are made for social, natural, and economic contingencies which are likely to occur up to the year 2000.

Bench-scale operation of the DETOX wet oxidation process for mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhooge, P.M.

1993-01-01

Waste matrices containing organics, radionuclides, and metals pose difficult problems in waste treatment and disposal when the organic compounds and/or metals are considered to be hazardous. A means of destroying hazardous organic components while safely containing and concentrating metals would be extremely useful in mixed waste volume reduction or conversion to a radioactive-only form. Previous studies have found the DETOX, a patented process utilizing a novel catalytic wet oxidation by iron(III) oxidant, cold have successful application to mixed wastes, and to many other waste types. This paper describes the results of bench scale studies of DETOX applied to the componentsmore » of liquid mixed wastes, with the goal of establishing parameters for the design of a prototype waste treatment unit. Apparent organic reaction rate orders, and the dependence of apparent reaction rate on the contact area, were measured for vacuum pump oil, scintillation fluids, and trichloroethylene. It was found that reaction rate was proportional to contact area above about 2.% w/w loading of organic. Oxidations in a 4 liter. volume, mixed bench top reactor have given destruction efficiencies of 99.9999+% for common organics. Reaction rates achieved in the mixedbench top reactor were one to two orders of magnitude greater than had been achieved in unmixed reactions; a thoroughly mixed reactor should be capable of oxidizing 10. to 100.+ grams of organic per liter-hour,depending on the nature and concentration of the organic.« less

Bench-scale operation of the DETOX wet oxidation process for mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhooge, P.M.

1993-03-01

Waste matrices containing organics, radionuclides, and metals pose difficult problems in waste treatment and disposal when the organic compounds and/or metals are considered to be hazardous. A means of destroying hazardous organic components while safely containing and concentrating metals would be extremely useful in mixed waste volume reduction or conversion to a radioactive-only form. Previous studies have found the DETOX, a patented process utilizing a novel catalytic wet oxidation by iron(III) oxidant, cold have successful application to mixed wastes, and to many other waste types. This paper describes the results of bench scale studies of DETOX applied to the componentsmore » of liquid mixed wastes, with the goal of establishing parameters for the design of a prototype waste treatment unit. Apparent organic reaction rate orders, and the dependence of apparent reaction rate on the contact area, were measured for vacuum pump oil, scintillation fluids, and trichloroethylene. It was found that reaction rate was proportional to contact area above about 2.% w/w loading of organic. Oxidations in a 4 liter. volume, mixed bench top reactor have given destruction efficiencies of 99.9999+% for common organics. Reaction rates achieved in the mixedbench top reactor were one to two orders of magnitude greater than had been achieved in unmixed reactions; a thoroughly mixed reactor should be capable of oxidizing 10. to 100.+ grams of organic per liter-hour,depending on the nature and concentration of the organic.« less

Energy-environmental benefits and economic feasibility of anaerobic codigestion of Iberian pig slaughterhouse and tomato industry wastes in Extremadura (Spain).

PubMed

González-González, A; Cuadros, F; Ruiz-Celma, A; López-Rodríguez, F

2013-05-01

Anaerobic digestion of Iberian pig slaughterhouse and tomato industry wastes, as well as codigestion operations from such residues, are reported to achieve 54-80% reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand and 6-19 N m(3)/m(3) substrate methane production. Furthermore, 0.79-0.88 m(3)water/m(3) substrate is seen to be recovered after the above mentioned operations, which might be used as irrigation water, and 0.12-0.21 m(3)agricultural amendment/m(3) substrate with 91-98% moisture content. The present paper also reports on the economic feasibility of both an anaerobic codigestion plant operating with 60% slaughterhouse wastes/40% tomato industry wastes (optimal ratio obtained in previous laboratory-scaled experiments), and an anaerobic digestion plant for Iberian pig slaughterhouse waste. Payback times are reported as 14.86 and 3.73 years, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) on fermentative biohydrogen production from melon waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahyari, K.; Sarto; Syamsiah, S.; Prasetya, A.

2016-11-01

This research was meant to investigate performance of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as bioreactor for producing biohydrogen from melon waste through dark fermentation method. Melon waste are commonly generated from agricultural processing stages i.e. cultivation, post-harvesting, industrial processing, and transportation. It accounted for more than 50% of total harvested fruit. Feedstock of melon waste was fed regularly to CSTR according to organic loading rate at value 1.2 - 3.6 g VS/ (l.d). Optimum condition was achieved at OLR 2.4 g VS/ (l.d) with the highest total gas volume 196 ml STP. Implication of higher OLR value is reduction of total gas volume due to accumulation of acids (pH 4.0), and lower substrate volatile solid removal. In summary, application of this method might valorize melon waste and generates renewable energy sources.

Application of Waste Heat Recovery Energy Saving Technology in Reform of UHP-EAF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, J. H.; Zhang, S. X.; Yang, W.; Yu, T.

2017-08-01

The furnace waste heat of a company’s existing 4 × 100t ultra-high-power electric arc furnaces is not used and discharged directly of the situation has been unable to meet the national energy-saving emission reduction requirements, and also affected their own competitiveness and sustainable development. In order to make full use of the waste heat of the electric arc furnace, this paper presents an the energy-saving transformation program of using the new heat pipe boiler on the existing ultra-high-power electric arc furnaces for recovering the waste heat of flue gas. The results show that after the implementation of the project can save energy equivalent to 42,349 tons of standard coal. The flue gas waste heat is fully utilized and dust emission concentration is accorded with the standard of Chinese invironmental protection, which have achieved good results.

40 CFR 458.43 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... this paragraph, which may be discharged from the carbon black lamp process by a point source subject to... Lamp Process Subcategory § 458.43 Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent... achievable: There shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to navigable waters. ...

Ecotoxicity tests using the green algae Chlorella vulgaris--a useful tool in hazardous effluents management.

PubMed

Silva, Aurora; Figueiredo, Sónia A; Sales, M Goreti; Delerue-Matos, Cristina

2009-08-15

The treatment efficiency of laboratory wastewaters was evaluated and ecotoxicity tests with Chlorella vulgaris were performed on them to assess the safety of their environmental discharge. For chemical oxygen demand wastewaters, chromium (VI), mercury (II) and silver were efficiently removed by chemical treatments. A reduction of ecotoxicity was achieved; nevertheless, an EC50 (effective concentration that causes a 50% inhibition in the algae growth) of 1.5% (v/v) indicated still high level of ecotoxicity. For chloride determination wastewaters, an efficient reduction of chromium and silver was achieved after treatment. Regarding the reduction of ecotoxicity observed, EC50 increased from 0.059% to 0.5%, only a 0.02% concentration in the aquatic environment would guarantee no effects. Wastewaters containing phenanthroline/iron (II) complex were treated by chemical oxidation. Treatment was satisfactory concerning chemical parameters, although an increase in ecotoxicity was observed (EC50 reduced from 0.31% to 0.21%). The wastes from the kinetic study of persulphate and iodide reaction were treated with sodium bisulphite until colour was removed. Although they did not reveal significant ecotoxicity, only over 1% of the untreated waste produced observable effects over algae. Therefore, ecotoxicity tests could be considered a useful tool not only in laboratory effluents treatment, as shown, but also in hazardous wastewaters management.

Stabilization of waste-activated sludge through the anoxic-aerobic digestion process.

PubMed

Hashimoto, S; Fujita, M; Terai, K

1982-08-01

During the aerobic digestion process, the nitrogen which had been embedded in the activated sludge is solubilized to form ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen which are in turn transferred to the liquor and cause the increase of nitrogen loading in the sewage treatment plant. In this study, the anoxic-aerobic sludge digestion system which is a modified form of the conventional aerobic sludge digestion is made up of aerobic and anoxic tanks and are designed to remove both the volatile suspended solids and the total nitrogen (TN) simultaneously. The removal efficiencies of both VSS and TN were investigated by feeding waste-activated sludge continuously and semicontinuously. The maximum percent reduction of both VSS and TN was achieved at a Q(r)/Q(s) ratio of 2 in the continuous process. The semicontinuous process was used to improve the nitrogen removal efficiency further. In the semicontinuous process, the VSS reduction efficiency as well as the nitrogen removal efficiency increased remarkably under a constant Q(r)/Q(s) ratio of 2. This process also achieved a VSS reduction efficiency higher than the aerobic digestion process (control). It was suggested that the additional anoxic tank enhanced the sludge digestion. Furthermore, the anoxic-aerobic digestion system can be applied to other treatment media like the primary sludge, industrial sludge, animal manure, etc.

Life cycle environmental impacts of substituting food wastes for traditional anaerobic digestion feedstocks.

PubMed

Pérez-Camacho, María Natividad; Curry, Robin; Cromie, Thomas

2018-03-01

In this study, life cycle assessment has been used to evaluate life cycle environmental impacts of substituting traditional anaerobic digestion (AD) feedstocks with food wastes. The results have demonstrated the avoided GHG emissions from substituting traditional AD feedstocks with food waste (avoided GHG-eq emissions of 163.33 CO 2 -eq). Additionally, the analysis has included environmental benefits of avoided landfilling of food wastes and digestate use as a substitute for synthetic fertilisers. The analysis of the GHG mitigation benefits of resource management/circular economy policies, namely, the mandating of a ban on the landfilling of food wastes, has demonstrated the very substantial GHG emission reduction that can be achieved by these policy options - 2151.04 kg CO 2 eq per MWh relative to UK Grid. In addition to the reduction in GHG emission, the utilization of food waste for AD instead of landfilling can manage the leakage of nutrients to water resources and eliminate eutrophication impacts which occur, typically as the result of field application. The results emphasise the benefits of using life-cycle thinking to underpin policy development and the implications for this are discussed with a particular focus on the analysis of policy development across the climate, renewable energy, resource management and bioeconomy nexus and recommendations made for future research priorities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modern technology for landfill waste placement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, D.L.

1995-12-31

The City of Albany, New York, together with the principals of Landfill Service Corporation, proposed in November 1991 to demonstrate the successful practice of biostabilized solid waste placement in the newly constructed, double composite lined Interim Landfill located at Rapp Road in the City of Albany. This is a small facility, only 12 acres in area, which is immediately adjacent to residential neighbors. Significant advancements have been made for the control of environmental factors (odors, vectors, litter) while successfully achieving waste stabilization and air space conservations goals. Also, the procedure consumes a significant quantity of landfill leachate. The benefits ofmore » this practice include a dramatic improvement in the orderlines of waste placement with significant reduction of windblown dust and litter. The biostabilization process also reduces the presence of typical landfill vectors such as flies, crows, seagulls and rodents. All of these factors can pose serious problems for nearby residents to the City of Albany`s Interim landfill site. The physically and biologically uniform character of the stabilized waste mass can result in more uniform future landfill settlement and gas production properties. This can allow for more accurate prediction of postclosure conditions and reduction or elimination of remedial costs attendant to post closure gross differential settlement. Recent research in Europe indicates that aerobic pretreatment of waste also reduces contaminant loading of leachate.« less

Optimised anaerobic treatment of house-sorted biodegradable waste and slaughterhouse waste in a high loaded half technical scale digester.

PubMed

Resch, C; Grasmug, M; Smeets, W; Braun, R; Kirchmayr, R

2006-01-01

Anaerobic co-digestion of organic wastes from households, slaughterhouses and meat processing industries was optimised in a half technical scale plant. The plant was operated for 130 days using two different substrates under organic loading rates of 10 and 12 kgCOD.m(-3).d(-1). Since the substrates were rich in fat and protein components (TKN: 12 g.kg(-1) the treatment was challenging. The process was monitored on-line and in the laboratory. It was demonstrated that an intensive and stable co-digestion of partly hydrolysed organic waste and protein rich slaughterhouse waste can be achieved in the balance of inconsistent pH and buffering NH4-N. In the first experimental period the reduction of the substrate COD was almost complete in an overall stable process (COD reduction >82%). In the second period methane productivity increased, but certain intermediate products accumulated constantly. Process design options for a second digestion phase for advanced degradation were investigated. Potential causes for slow and reduced propionic and valeric acid degradation were assessed. Recommendations for full-scale process implementation can be made from the experimental results reported. The highly loaded and stable codigestion of these substrates may be a good technical and economic treatment alternative.

Biodrying process: A sustainable technology for treatment of municipal solid waste with high moisture content.

PubMed

Tom, Asha P; Pawels, Renu; Haridas, Ajit

2016-03-01

Municipal solid waste with high moisture content is the major hindrance in the field of waste to energy conversion technologies and here comes the importance of biodrying process. Biodrying is a convective evaporation process, which utilizes the biological heat developed from the aerobic reactions of organic components. The numerous end use possibilities of the output are making the biodrying process versatile, which is possible by achieving the required moisture reduction, volume reduction and bulk density enhancement through the effective utilization of biological heat. In the present case study the detailed research and development of an innovative biodrying reactor has been carried out for the treatment of mixed municipal solid waste with high moisture content. A pilot scale biodrying reactor of capacity 565 cm(3) was designed and set up in the laboratory. The reactor dimensions consisted of an acrylic chamber of 60 cm diameter and 200 cm height, and it was enveloped by an insulation chamber. The insulation chamber was provided to minimise the heat losses through the side walls of the reactor. It simulates the actual condition in scaling up of the reactor, since in bigger scale reactors the heat losses through side walls will be negligible while comparing the volume to surface area ratio. The mixed municipal solid waste with initial moisture content of 61.25% was synthetically prepared in the laboratory and the reactor was fed with 109 kg of this substrate. Aerobic conditions were ensured inside the reactor chamber by providing the air at a constant rate of 40 litre per minute, and the direction of air flow was from the specially designed bottom air chamber to the reactor matrix top. The self heating inside reactor matrix was assumed in the range of 50-60°C during the design stage. Innovative biodrying reactor was found to be efficiently working with the temperature inside the reactor matrix rising to a peak value of 59°C by the fourth day of experiment (the peak observed at a height of 60 cm from the air supply). The process analyses results were promising with a reduction of 56.5% of volume, and an increase of 52% of bulk density of the substrate at the end of 33 days of biodrying. Also the weight of mixed MSW substrate has been reduced by 33.94% in 20 days of reaction and the average moisture reduction of the matrix was 20.81% (reduced from the initial value of 61.25% to final value of 48.5%). The moisture reduction would have been higher, if the condensation of evaporated water at the reactor matrix has been avoided. The non-homogeneous moisture reduction along the height of the reactor is evident and this needs further innovation. The leachate production has been completely eliminated in the innovative biodrying reactor and that is a major achievement in the field of municipal solid waste management technology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of landfill treatment approaches for stabilization of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Bolyard, Stephanie C; Reinhart, Debra R

2016-09-01

This research sought to compare the effectiveness of three landfill enhanced treatment approaches aimed at removing releasable carbon and nitrogen after anaerobic landfilling including flushing with clean water (FB 1), leachate recirculation with ex-situ treatment (FB 2), and leachate recirculation with ex-situ treatment and in-situ aeration (FB 3). After extensive treatment of the waste in the FB scenarios, the overall solids and biodegradable fraction were reduced relative to the mature anaerobically treated waste. In terms of the overall degradation, aeration did not provide any advantage over flushing and anaerobic treatment. Flushing was the most effective approach at removing biodegradable components (i.e. cellulose and hemicellulose). Leachate quality improved for all FBs but through different mechanisms. A significant reduction in ammonia-nitrogen occurred in FB 1 and 3 due to flushing and aeration, respectively. The reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in FB 1 was primarily due to flushing. Conversely, the reduction in COD in FBs 2 and 3 was due to oxidation and precipitation during Fenton's Reagent treatment. A mass balance on carbon and nitrogen revealed that a significant fraction still remained in the waste despite the additional treatment provided. Carbon was primarily converted biologically to CH4 and CO2 in the FBs or removed during treatment using Fenton's Reagent. The nitrogen removal occurred through leaching or biological conversion. These results show that under extensive treatment the waste and leachate characteristics did meet published stability values. The minimum stability values achieved were through flushing although FB 2 and 3 were able to improve leachate quality and solid waste characteristics but not to the same extent as FB 1. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cities’ Role in Mitigating United States Food System Greenhouse Gas Emissions

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Current trends of urbanization, population growth, and economic development have made cities a focal point for mitigating global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The substantial contribution of food consumption to climate change necessitates urban action to reduce the carbon intensity of the food system. While food system GHG mitigation strategies often focus on production, we argue that urban influence dominates this sector’s emissions and that consumers in cities must be the primary drivers of mitigation. We quantify life cycle GHG emissions of the United States food system through data collected from literature and government sources producing an estimated total of 3800 kg CO2e/capita in 2010, with cities directly influencing approximately two-thirds of food sector GHG emissions. We then assess the potential for cities to reduce emissions through selected measures; examples include up-scaling urban agriculture and home delivery of grocery options, which each may achieve emissions reductions on the order of 0.4 and ∼1% of this total, respectively. Meanwhile, changes in waste management practices and reduction of postdistribution food waste by 50% reduce total food sector emissions by 5 and 11%, respectively. Consideration of the scale of benefits achievable through policy goals can enable cities to formulate strategies that will assist in achieving deep long-term GHG emissions targets. PMID:29717606

Cities' Role in Mitigating United States Food System Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

PubMed

Mohareb, Eugene A; Heller, Martin C; Guthrie, Peter M

2018-05-15

Current trends of urbanization, population growth, and economic development have made cities a focal point for mitigating global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The substantial contribution of food consumption to climate change necessitates urban action to reduce the carbon intensity of the food system. While food system GHG mitigation strategies often focus on production, we argue that urban influence dominates this sector's emissions and that consumers in cities must be the primary drivers of mitigation. We quantify life cycle GHG emissions of the United States food system through data collected from literature and government sources producing an estimated total of 3800 kg CO 2 e/capita in 2010, with cities directly influencing approximately two-thirds of food sector GHG emissions. We then assess the potential for cities to reduce emissions through selected measures; examples include up-scaling urban agriculture and home delivery of grocery options, which each may achieve emissions reductions on the order of 0.4 and ∼1% of this total, respectively. Meanwhile, changes in waste management practices and reduction of postdistribution food waste by 50% reduce total food sector emissions by 5 and 11%, respectively. Consideration of the scale of benefits achievable through policy goals can enable cities to formulate strategies that will assist in achieving deep long-term GHG emissions targets.

Applying multi-criteria decision-making to improve the waste reduction policy in Taiwan.

PubMed

Su, Jun-Pin; Hung, Ming-Lung; Chao, Chia-Wei; Ma, Hwong-wen

2010-01-01

Over the past two decades, the waste reduction problem has been a major issue in environmental protection. Both recycling and waste reduction policies have become increasingly important. As the complexity of decision-making has increased, it has become evident that more factors must be considered in the development and implementation of policies aimed at resource recycling and waste reduction. There are many studies focused on waste management excluding waste reduction. This study paid more attention to waste reduction. Social, economic, and management aspects of waste treatment policies were considered in this study. Further, a life-cycle assessment model was applied as an evaluation system for the environmental aspect. Results of both quantitative and qualitative analyses on the social, economic, and management aspects were integrated via the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method into the comprehensive decision-making support system of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). A case study evaluating the waste reduction policy in Taoyuan County is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this model. In the case study, reinforcement of MSW sorting was shown to be the best practice. The model in this study can be applied to other cities faced with the waste reduction problems.

Savannah River Site Footprint Reduction Results under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - 13302

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flora, Mary; Adams, Angelia; Pope, Robert

2013-07-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is an 802 square-kilometer United States Department of Energy (US DOE) nuclear facility located along the Savannah River near Aiken, South Carolina, managed and operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. Construction of SRS began in the early 1950's to enhance the nation's nuclear weapons capability. Nuclear weapons material production began in the early 1950's, eventually utilizing five production reactors constructed to support the national defense mission. Past operations have resulted in releases of hazardous constituents and substances to soil and groundwater, resulting in 515 waste sites with contamination exceeding regulatory thresholds. More than 1,000 facilitiesmore » were constructed onsite with approximately 300 of them considered radiological, nuclear or industrial in nature. In 2003, SRS entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with its regulators to accelerate the cleanup using an Area Completion strategy. The strategy was designed to focus cleanup efforts on the 14 large industrial areas of the site to realize efficiencies of scale in the characterization, assessment, and remediation activities. This strategy focuses on addressing the contaminated surface units and the vadose zone and addressing groundwater plumes subsequently. This approach streamlines characterization and remediation efforts as well as the required regulatory documentation, while enhancing the ability to make large-scale cleanup decisions. In February 2009, Congress approved the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) to create jobs and promote economic recovery. At SRS, ARRA funding was established in part to accelerate the completion of environmental remediation and facility deactivation and decommissioning (D and D). By late 2012, SRS achieved 85 percent footprint reduction utilizing ARRA funding by accelerating and coupling waste unit remediation with D and D of remnant facilities. Facility D and D activities were sequenced and permitted with waste unit remediation activities to streamline regulatory approval and execution. Achieving footprint reduction fulfills the Government's responsibility to address legacy contamination; allows earlier completion of legally enforceable compliance agreement milestones; and enables future potential reuse of DOE resources, including land and infrastructure for other missions. Over the last 3.5 years significant achievements were met that contributed to footprint reduction, including the closure of 41 waste units (including 20 miles of radiologically contaminated stream) and decommissioning of 30 facilities (including the precedent setting in situ closure of two former production reactors, the first in the DOE Complex). Other notable achievements included the removal of over 39,750 cubic meters of debris and 68,810 cubic meters of contaminated soils, including 9175 cubic meters of lead-contaminated soil from a former site small arms testing range and treatment of 1,262 cubic meters of tritium-laden soils and concrete using a thermal treatment system. (authors)« less

Development of sustainable waste management toward zero landfill waste for the petrochemical industry in Thailand using a comprehensive 3R methodology: A case study.

PubMed

Usapein, Parnuwat; Chavalparit, Orathai

2014-06-01

Sustainable waste management was introduced more than ten years ago, but it has not yet been applied to the Thai petrochemical industry. Therefore, under the philosophy of sustainable waste management, this research aims to apply the reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) concept at the petrochemical factory level to achieve a more sustainable industrial solid waste management system. Three olefin plants in Thailand were surveyed for the case study. The sources and types of waste and existing waste management options were identified. The results indicate that there are four sources of waste generation: (1) production, (2) maintenance, (3) waste treatment, and (4) waste packaging, which correspond to 45.18%, 36.71%, 9.73%, and 8.37% of the waste generated, respectively. From the survey, 59 different types of industrial wastes were generated from the different factory activities. The proposed 3R options could reduce the amount of landfill waste to 79.01% of the amount produced during the survey period; this reduction would occur over a period of 2 years and would result in reduced disposal costs and reduced consumption of natural resources. This study could be used as an example of an improved waste management system in the petrochemical industry. © The Author(s) 2014.

Winery waste recycling through anaerobic co-digestion with waste activated sludge.

PubMed

Da Ros, C; Cavinato, C; Pavan, P; Bolzonella, D

2014-11-01

In this study biogas and high quality digestate were recovered from winery waste (wine lees) through anaerobic co-digestion with waste activated sludge both in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The two conditions studied showed similar yields (0.40 m(3)/kgCODfed) but different biological process stability: in fact the mesophilic process was clearly more stable than the thermophilic one in terms of bioprocess parameters. The resulting digestates showed good characteristics for both the tested conditions: heavy metals, dioxins (PCDD/F), and dioxin like bi-phenyls (PCBs) were concentred in the effluent if compared with the influent because of the important reduction of the solid dry matter, but remained at levels acceptable for agricultural reuse. Pathogens in digestate decreased. Best reductions were observed in thermophilic condition, while at 37°C the concentration of Escherichia coli was at concentrations level as high as 1000 UFC/g. Dewatering properties of digestates were evaluated by means of the capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) tests and it was found that a good dewatering level was achievable only when high doses of polymer (more than 25 g per kg dry solids) were added to sludge. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste-to-energy incineration plants as greenhouse gas reducers: a case study of seven Japanese metropolises.

PubMed

Tabata, Tomohiro

2013-11-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is a greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter; however, if GHG reductions, achieved by accounting for waste-to-energy, exceed GHG emissions, incineration can be considered as a net GHG reducer. In Japan, only 24.5% of MSW incineration plants perform energy recovery despite 80% of MSW being incinerated; therefore, there is great potential to extract more energy from MSW. In this study, the factors that should be considered to achieve net GHG reductions from incineration were analysed from a life cycle perspective. These considerations were then applied to the energy supply requirements in seven Japanese metropolises. Firstly, the carbon footprints of approximately 1500 incineration plants in Japan were calculated. Then, the incineration plants with negative carbon footprint values were classified as net GHG reducers. Next, the processes that contribute to the carbon footprint were evaluated, and two processes-plastic burning and electricity savings-were found to have the greatest influence. Based on the results, the energy supply requirements were analysed and discussed for seven metropolises (Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Takamatsu and Fukuoka) taking into account the energy demands of households. In Kobe, 16.2% of the electricity demand and 25.0% of the hot water demand could be satisfied by incineration to realise a net GHG reducer, although urban design for energy utilisation would be required.

Argonne National Laboratory Expedited Site Characterization: First International Symposium on Integrated Technical Approaches to Site Characterization - Proceedings Volume

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-06-08

Laboratory applications for the analysis of PCBS (polychlorinated biphenyls) in environmental matrices such as soil/sediment/sludge and oil/waste oil were evaluated for potential reduction in waste, source reduction, and alternative techniques for final determination. As a consequence, new procedures were studied for solvent substitution, miniaturization of extraction and cleanups, minimization of reagent consumption, reduction of cost per analysis, and reduction of time. These new procedures provide adequate data that meet all the performance requirements for the determination of PCBS. Use of the new procedures reduced costs for all sample preparation techniques. Time and cost were also reduced by combining the newmore » sample preparation procedures with the power of fast gas chromatography. Separation of Aroclor 1254 was achieved in less than 6 min by using DB-1 and SPB-608 columns. With the greatly shortened run times, reproducibility can be tested quickly and consequently with low cost. With performance-based methodology, the applications presented here can be applied now, without waiting for regulatory approval.« less

Effects of organic composition on the anaerobic biodegradability of food waste.

PubMed

Li, Yangyang; Jin, Yiying; Borrion, Aiduan; Li, Hailong; Li, Jinhui

2017-11-01

This work investigated the influence of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids on the anaerobic digestion of food waste (FW) and the relationship between the parameters characterising digestion. Increasing the concentrations of proteins and lipids, and decreasing carbohydrate content in FW, led to high buffering capacity, reduction of proteins (52.7-65.0%) and lipids (57.4-88.2%), and methane production (385-627 mLCH 4 /g volatile solid), while achieving a short retention time. There were no significant correlations between the reduction of organics, hydrolysis rate constant (0.25-0.66d -1 ) and composition of organics. Principal Component Analysis revealed that lipid, C, and N contents as well as the C/N ratio were the principal components for digestion. In addition, methane yield, the final concentrations of total ammonia nitrogen and free ammonia nitrogen, final pH values, and the reduction of proteins and lipids could be predicted by a second-order polynomial model, in terms of the protein and lipid weight fraction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dielectric Properties of Low-Level Liquid Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. E. Lagos; M. A. Ebadian

1998-10-20

The purpose of this study was to develop a data collection containing values for the dielectric properties of various low-level liquid waste (LLLW) simulants measured as a function of frequency, temperature, and composition. The investigation was motivated by current interest in the use of microwave processing for the treatment of radioactive waste. A large volume of transuranic liquid and sludge produced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) during the production of nuclear fiel bars is stored at several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites around the United States. Waste storage and disposal space is scarce, expensive, and must bemore » minimized. Thus, several DOE sites are pursuing the use of microwave heating as a means of achieving volume reduction and solidification of low-level liquid wastes. It is important to know which microwave frequencies should be employed tc achieve the most efficient processing at a range of different temperatures. The dielectric properties of the LLLW simulants can be utilized to determine the optimum frequencies for use with a particular LLLW or with other LLLWS of similar composition. Furthermore, nonlinear thermal processes, such as thermal runaway, which occur in the material being treated cannot be modeled without a knowledge of the temperature dependence of the dielectric properties. Often, this data does not exist; however, when it does, only very limited data near room temperature are available. The data collection generated in this study can be used to predict the behavior of a variety of microwave thermal treatment technologies, which have the potential of substantially reducing the volume of the LLLWS that are currently stored at many DOE sites. This information should help the users of the microwave reduction and solidification technology to optimize microwave processes used in the treatment of LLLW. The microwave reduction and solidification technology has clear advantages over other methods of reducing LLLWS. These include the incineration of combustibles, the evaporation of combustibles, the evaporation of liquids, and the compaction of noncombustibles. The handling of radioactive liquid waste is generally carried out within closed systems consisting of highly corrosion-resistant, welded, leak-tight pipes, tanks, and other apparatus. High power microwave processing is a promising technology for reducing risks to the environment and human health, thereby supporting the DOE's decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) objectives.« less

Toward zero waste: Composting and recycling for sustainable venue based events

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hottle, Troy A., E-mail: troy.hottle@asu.edu; Bilec, Melissa M., E-mail: mbilec@pitt.edu; Brown, Nicholas R., E-mail: nick.brown@asu.edu

Highlights: • Venues have billions of customers per year contributing to waste generation. • Waste audits of four university baseball games were conducted to assess venue waste. • Seven scenarios including composting were modeled using EPA’s WARM. • Findings demonstrate tradeoffs between emissions, energy, and landfill avoidance. • Sustainability of handling depends on efficacy of collection and treatment impacts. - Abstract: This study evaluated seven different waste management strategies for venue-based events and characterized the impacts of event waste management via waste audits and the Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The seven waste management scenarios included traditional waste handling methods (e.g.more » recycle and landfill) and management of the waste stream via composting, including purchasing where only compostable food service items were used during the events. Waste audits were conducted at four Arizona State University (ASU) baseball games, including a three game series. The findings demonstrate a tradeoff among CO{sub 2} equivalent emissions, energy use, and landfill diversion rates. Of the seven waste management scenarios assessed, the recycling scenarios provide the greatest reductions in CO{sub 2} eq. emissions and energy use because of the retention of high value materials but are compounded by the difficulty in managing a two or three bin collection system. The compost only scenario achieves complete landfill diversion but does not perform as well with respect to CO{sub 2} eq. emissions or energy. The three game series was used to test the impact of staffed bins on contamination rates; the first game served as a baseline, the second game employed staffed bins, and the third game had non staffed bins to determine the effect of staffing on contamination rates. Contamination rates in both the recycling and compost bins were tracked throughout the series. Contamination rates were reduced from 34% in the first game to 11% on the second night (with the staffed bins) and 23% contamination rates at the third game.« less

Cadmium: Simulation of environmental control strategies to reduce exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yost, K. J.; Miles, L. J.; Greenkorn, R. A.

1981-07-01

The effects of selected environmental control strategies on human dietary and respiratory exposure to environmental cadmium (Cd) have been simulated. For each control strategy, mean Cd dietary and respiratory exposures are presented for a twenty-year simulation period. Human exposures related to cadmium are associated with both process waste disposal and product disposal. Dietary exposure is by far the dominant mechanism for Cd intake. Dietary exposure related to aqueous discharges is primarily a result of municipal sludge landspreading, whereas that associated with emissions to the atmosphere derives mainly from the deposition on cropland of airborne particulates from product incineration. Only relatively small dietary exposure reductions are possible through restrictions on any single Cd use. Combinations of waste management and environmental control measures promise greater reductions in dietary and respiratory exposure than those achievable through use restrictions.

Application of mixed based membrane technology from component materials bintaro, zeolite and bentonite to reduction of songket waste liquid cloth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlan, Muhammad Hatta; Saleh, Abdullah; Asip, Faisol; Makmun, Akbar; Defi

2017-11-01

Application of membrane technology based on clay mixture, Activated Carbon from Bintaro, Zeolite and Bentonit to process the waste water of Songket cloth is Palembang traditionally cloth. The applied research is into the superior field of industrial and household waste processing with membrane ceramic technology. The objective of this research is to design the liquid waste separation tool of jumputan cloth using better and simpler ceramic membrane so that it can help the artisans of Palembang songket or songket in processing the waste in accordance with the standard of environmental quality standard (BML) and Pergub Sumsel no. 16 in 2005. The specific target to be achieved can decrease the waste of cloth jumputan in accordance with applicable environmental quality standards the method used in achieving the objectives of this study using 2 processes namely the adsorption process using activated carbon and the separation process using a ceramic membrane based on the composition of the mixture. The activated carbon from bintaro seeds is expected to decrease the concentration of liquid waste of Songket cloth. Bintaro seeds are non-edible fruits where the composition contains organic ingredients that can absorb because contains dyes and filler metals. The process of membranization in the processing is expected to decrease the concentration of waste better and clear water that can be used as recycled water for household use. With the composition of a mixture of clay-based materials: zeolite, bentonit, activated carbon from bintaro seeds are expected Find the solution and get the novelty value in the form of patent in this research

E-waste: a problem or an opportunity? Review of issues, challenges and solutions in Asian countries.

PubMed

Herat, Sunil; Agamuthu, P

2012-11-01

Safe management of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste/WEEE) is becoming a major problem for many countries around the world. In particular, developing countries face a number of issues with the generation, transboundary movement and management of e-waste. It is estimated that the world generates around 20-50 million tonnes of e-waste annually, most of it from Asian countries. Improper handling of e-waste can cause harm to the environment and human health because of its toxic components. Several countries around the world are now struggling to deal with this emerging threat. Although the current emphasis is on end-of-life management of e-waste activities, such as reuse, servicing, remanufacturing, recycling and disposal, upstream reduction of e-waste generation through green design and cleaner production is gaining much attention. Environmentally sound management (ESM) of e-waste in developing countries is absent or very limited. Transboundary movement of e-waste is a major issue throughout the region. Dealing with the informal recycling sector is a complex social and environmental issue. There are significant numbers of such challenges faced by these countries in achieving ESM of e-waste. This article aims to present a review of challenges and issues faced by Asian countries in managing their e-waste in a sustainable way.

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) WasteWise Data

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA??s WasteWise encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and reduce select industrial wastes. WasteWise is part of EPA??s sustainable materials management efforts, which promote the use and reuse of materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. All U.S. businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, endorser or both. Current participants range from small local governments and nonprofit organizations to large multinational corporations. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste. WasteWise helps organizations reduce their impact on global climate change through waste reduction. Every stage of a product's life cycle??extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal??indirectly or directly contributes to the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere and affects the global climate. WasteWise is part of EPA's larger SMM program (https://www.epa.gov/smm). Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. It represents a change in how our society thinks about the use of natural resources

Laboratory scale studies on removal of chromium from industrial wastes.

PubMed

Baig, M A; Mir, Mohsin; Murtaza, Shazad; Bhatti, Zafar I

2003-05-01

Chromium being one of the major toxic pollutants is discharged from electroplating and chrome tanning processes and is also found in the effluents of dyes, paint pigments, manufacturing units etc. Chromium exists in aqueous systems in both trivalent (Cr(3+)) and hexavalent (Cr(6+)) forms. The hexavalent form is carcinogenic and toxic to aquatic life, whereas Cr(3+) is however comparatively less toxic. This study was undertaken to investigate the total chromium removal from industrial effluents by chemical means in order to achieve the Pakistan NEQS level of 1 mg/L by the methods of reduction and precipitation. The study was conducted in four phases. In phase I, the optimum pH and cost effective reducing agent among the four popular commercial chemicals was selected. As a result, pH of 2 was found to be most suitable and sodium meta bisulfate was found to be the most cost effective reducing agent respectively. Phase II showed that lower dose of sodium meta bisulfate was sufficient to obtain 100% efficiency in reducing Cr(6+) to Cr(3+), and it was noted that reaction time had no significance in the whole process. A design curve for reduction process was established which can act as a tool for treatment of industrial effluents. Phase III studies indicated the best pH was 8.5 for precipitation of Cr(3+) to chromium hydroxide by using lime. An efficiency of 100% was achievable and a settling time of 30 minutes produced clear effluent. Finally in Phase IV actual waste samples from chrome tanning and electroplating industries, when precipitated at pH of 12 gave 100% efficiency at a settling time of 30 minutes and confined that chemical means of reduction and precipitation is a feasible and viable solution for treating chromium wastes from industries.

Biosurfactant production by Mucor circinelloides on waste frying oil and possible uses in crude oil remediation.

PubMed

Hasanizadeh, Parvin; Moghimi, Hamid; Hamedi, Javad

2017-10-01

Biosurfactants are biocompatible surface active agents which many microorganisms produce. This study investigated the production of biosurfactants by Mucor circinelloides. The effects of different factors on biosurfactant production, including carbon sources and concentrations, nitrogen sources, and iron (II) concentration, were studied and the optimum condition determined. Finally, the strain's ability to remove the crude oil and its relationship with biosurfactant production was evaluated. The results showed that M. circinelloides could reduce the surface tension of the culture medium to 26.6 mN/m and create a clear zone of 12.9 cm diameter in an oil-spreading test. The maximum surface tension reduction was recorded 3 days after incubation. The optimum condition for biosurfactant production was achieved in the presence of 8% waste frying oil as a carbon source, 2 g/L yeast extract as a nitrogen source, and 0.01 mM FeSO 4 . M. circinelloides could consume 8% waste frying oil in 5 days of incubation, and 87.6% crude oil in 12 days of incubation. A direct correlation was observed between oil degradation and surface tension reduction in the first 3 days of fungal growth. The results showed that the waste frying oil could be recommended as an inexpensive oily waste substance for biosurfactant production, and M. circinelloides could have the potential to treat waste frying oil. According to the results, the produced crude biosurfactant or fungal strain could be directly used for the mycoremediation of crude oil contamination in oil fields.

Small boiler uses waste coal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Virr, M.J.

Burning coal waste in small boilers at low emissions poses considerable problem. While larger boiler suppliers have successfully installed designs in the 40 to 80 MW range for some years, the author has been developing small automated fluid bed boiler plants for 25 years that can be applied in the range of 10,000 to 140,000 lbs/hr of steam. Development has centered on the use of an internally circulating fluid bed (CFB) boiler, which will burn waste fuels of most types. The boiler is based on the traditional D-shaped watertable boiler, with a new type of combustion chamber that enables amore » three-to-one turndown to be achieved. The boilers have all the advantages of low emissions of the large fluid boilers while offering a much lower height incorporated into the package boiler concept. Recent tests with a waste coal that had a high nitrogen content of 1.45% demonstrated a NOx emission below the federal limit of 0.6 lbs/mm Btu. Thus a NOx reduction on the order of 85% can be demonstrate by combustion modification alone. Further reductions can be made by using a selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system and sulfur absorption of up to 90% retention is possible. The article describes the operation of a 30,000 lbs/hr boiler at the Fayette Thermal LLC plant. Spinheat has installed three ICFB boilers at a nursing home and a prison, which has been tested on poor-grade anthracite and bituminous coal. 2 figs.« less

A dynamic model for assessing the effects of management strategies on the reduction of construction and demolition waste.

PubMed

Yuan, Hongping; Chini, Abdol R; Lu, Yujie; Shen, Liyin

2012-03-01

During the past few decades, construction and demolition (C&D) waste has received increasing attention from construction practitioners and researchers worldwide. A plethora of research regarding C&D waste management has been published in various academic journals. However, it has been determined that existing studies with respect to C&D waste reduction are mainly carried out from a static perspective, without considering the dynamic and interdependent nature of the whole waste reduction system. This might lead to misunderstanding about the actual effect of implementing any waste reduction strategies. Therefore, this research proposes a model that can serve as a decision support tool for projecting C&D waste reduction in line with the waste management situation of a given construction project, and more importantly, as a platform for simulating effects of various management strategies on C&D waste reduction. The research is conducted using system dynamics methodology, which is a systematic approach that deals with the complexity - interrelationships and dynamics - of any social, economic and managerial system. The dynamic model integrates major variables that affect C&D waste reduction. In this paper, seven causal loop diagrams that can deepen understanding about the feedback relationships underlying C&D waste reduction system are firstly presented. Then a stock-flow diagram is formulated by using software for system dynamics modeling. Finally, a case study is used to illustrate the validation and application of the proposed model. Results of the case study not only built confidence in the model so that it can be used for quantitative analysis, but also assessed and compared the effect of three designed policy scenarios on C&D waste reduction. One major contribution of this study is the development of a dynamic model for evaluating C&D waste reduction strategies under various scenarios, so that best management strategies could be identified before being implemented in practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The potential of household solid waste reduction in Sukomanunggal District, Surabaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warmadewanthi, I. D. A. A.; Kurniawati, S.

2018-01-01

The rapid population growth affects the amount of waste generated. Sukomanunggal Subdistrict is the densest area in West Surabaya which has a population of 100,602 inhabitants with a total area of 11.2 km2. The population growth significantly affects the problem of limited land for landfill facilities (final processing sites). According to the prevailing regulations, solid waste management solutions include the solid waste reduction and management. This study aims to determine the potential reduction of household solid waste at the sources. Household solid waste samplings were performed for eight consecutive days. The samples were then analyzed to obtain the generation rate, density, and composition so that the household solid waste reduction potential for the next 20 years could be devised. Results of the analysis showed that the value of waste is 0.27 kg/person/day, while the total household solid waste generation amounted to 27,162.58 kg/day or 187.70 m3/day. Concerning the technical aspects, the current solid waste reduction in Sukomanunggal Subdistrict has reached 2.1% through the application of waste bank, composting, and scavenging activities at the dumping sites by the garbage collectors. In the year of 2036, the potential reduction of household solid waste in Sukomanunggal Subdistrict has been estimated to reach 28.0%.

Effect of ultrasonic and ozone pre-treatments on pharmaceutical waste activated sludge's solubilisation, reduction, anaerobic biodegradability and acute biological toxicity.

PubMed

Pei, Jin; Yao, Hong; Wang, Hui; Shan, Dan; Jiang, Yichen; Ma, Lanqianya; Yu, Xiaohua

2015-09-01

Ultrasonic and ozone pre-treatment technologies were employed in this study to improve the anaerobic digestion efficiency of pharmaceutical waste activated sludge. The sludge solubilisation achieved 30.01% (150,000 kJ/kg TS) and 28.10% (0.1g O3/g TS) after ultrasonic treatment and ozone treatment. The anaerobic biodegradability after ultrasonic treatment was higher compared to ozonation due to the higher cumulative methane volume observed after 6 days (249 ml vs 190 ml). The ozonated sludge released the highest concentration of Cu(2+) into the liquid phase (6.640 mg L(-1)) compared to 0.530 mg/L for untreated sludge and 0.991 mg/L for sonicated sludge. The acute toxicity test measured by luminescent bacteria showed that anaerobic digestion could degrade toxic compounds and result in a reduction in toxicity. The main mechanism of action led to some differences in the treated sludge exhibiting higher potential for methane production from pharmaceutical waste sludge with ultrasonic treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solid Waste Reduction--A Hands-on Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiessinger, Diane

1991-01-01

This lesson plan uses grocery shopping to demonstrate the importance of source reduction in the handling of solid waste problems. Students consider different priorities in shopping (convenience, packaging, and waste reduction) and draw conclusions about the relationship between packaging techniques and solid waste problems. (MCO)

Microwave-specific heating of crystalline species in nuclear waste glass

DOE PAGES

Christian, Jonathan H.; Fox, Kevin M.; Washington, Aaron L.

2016-08-03

Here, the microwave heating of a crystal-free and a partially trevorite-crystallized nuclear waste glass simulant was evaluated. Our results show that a 500-mg monolith of partially crystallized waste glass can be heated from room temperature to above 1600°C within 2 min using a single-mode, highly focused, 2.45 GHz microwave, operating at 300 W. Using X-ray diffraction measurements, we show that trevorite is no longer detectable after irradiation and thermal quenching. When a crystal-free analog of the same waste glass simulant composition was exposed to the same microwave radiation, it could not be heated above 450°C regardless of the heating time.more » The reduction in crystalline content achieved by selectively heating spinels in the presence of glass suggests that microwave-specific heating should be further explored as a technique for remediating crystal accumulation in a glass melt.« less

Nitrite addition to acidified sludge significantly improves digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Fangzhou; Keller, Jürg; Yuan, Zhiguo; Batstone, Damien J.; Freguia, Stefano; Pikaar, Ilje

2016-12-01

Sludge management is a major issue for water utilities globally. Poor digestibility and dewaterability are the main factors determining the cost for sludge management, whereas pathogen and toxic metal concentrations limit beneficial reuse. In this study, the effects of low level nitrite addition to acidified sludge to simultaneously enhance digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction were investigated. Waste activated sludge (WAS) from a full-scale waste water treatment plant was treated at pH 2 with 10 mg NO2--N/L for 5 h. Biochemical methane potential tests showed an increase in the methane production of 28%, corresponding to an improvement from 247 ± 8 L CH4/kg VS to 317 ± 1 L CH4/kg VS. The enhanced removal of toxic metals further increased the methane production by another 18% to 360 ± 6 L CH4/kg VS (a total increase of 46%). The solids content of dewatered sludge increased from 14.6 ± 1.4% in the control to 18.2 ± 0.8%. A 4-log reduction for both total coliforms and E. coli was achieved. Overall, this study highlights the potential of acidification with low level nitrite addition as an effective and simple method achieving multiple improvements in terms of sludge management.

Stabilization of waste-activated sludge through the anoxic-aerobic digestion process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hashimoto, S.; Fujita, M.; Terai, K.

1982-08-01

During the aerobic digestion process, the nitrogen which had been embedded in the activated sludge is solubilized to form ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen which are in turn transferred to the liquor and cause the increase of nitrogen loading in the sewage treatment plant. In this study, the anoxic-aerobic sludge digestion system which is a modified form of the conventional aerobic sludge digestion is made up of aerobic and anoxic tanks and are designed to remove both the volatile suspended solids and the total nitrogen (TN) simultaneously. The removal efficiencies of both VSS and TN were investigated by feeding waste-activated sludgemore » continuously and semicontinuously. The maximum percent reduction of both VSS and TN was achieved at a Q /SUB r/ /Q /SUB s/ ratio of 2 in the continuous process. The semicontinuous process was used to improve the nitrogen removal efficiency further. In the semicontinuous process, the VSS reduction efficiency as well as the nitrogen removal efficiency increased remarkably under a constant Q /SUB r/ /Q /SUB s/ ratio of 2. This process also achieved a VSS reduction efficiency higher than the aerobic digestion process (control). It was suggested that the additional anoxic tank enhanced the sludge digestion. Furthermore, the anoxic-aerobic digestion system can be applied to other treatment media like the primary sludge, industrial sludge, animal manure, etc.« less

Nitrite addition to acidified sludge significantly improves digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction

PubMed Central

Du, Fangzhou; Keller, Jürg; Yuan, Zhiguo; Batstone, Damien J.; Freguia, Stefano; Pikaar, Ilje

2016-01-01

Sludge management is a major issue for water utilities globally. Poor digestibility and dewaterability are the main factors determining the cost for sludge management, whereas pathogen and toxic metal concentrations limit beneficial reuse. In this study, the effects of low level nitrite addition to acidified sludge to simultaneously enhance digestibility, toxic metal removal, dewaterability and pathogen reduction were investigated. Waste activated sludge (WAS) from a full-scale waste water treatment plant was treated at pH 2 with 10 mg NO2−-N/L for 5 h. Biochemical methane potential tests showed an increase in the methane production of 28%, corresponding to an improvement from 247 ± 8 L CH4/kg VS to 317 ± 1 L CH4/kg VS. The enhanced removal of toxic metals further increased the methane production by another 18% to 360 ± 6 L CH4/kg VS (a total increase of 46%). The solids content of dewatered sludge increased from 14.6 ± 1.4% in the control to 18.2 ± 0.8%. A 4-log reduction for both total coliforms and E. coli was achieved. Overall, this study highlights the potential of acidification with low level nitrite addition as an effective and simple method achieving multiple improvements in terms of sludge management. PMID:28004811

Assessment of anaerobic biodegradability of five different solid organic wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristanto, Gabriel Andari; Asaloei, Huinny

2017-03-01

The concept of waste to energy emerges as an alternative solution to increasing waste generation and energy crisis. In the waste to energy concept, waste will be used to produce renewable energy through thermochemical, biochemical, and physiochemical processes. In an anaerobic digester, organic matter brake-down due to anaerobic bacteria produces methane gas as energy source. The organic waste break-down is affected by various characteristics of waste components, such as organic matter content (C, N, O, H, P), solid contents (TS and VS), nutrients ratio (C/N), and pH. This research aims to analyze biodegradability and potential methane production (CH4) from organic waste largely available in Indonesia. Five solid wastes comprised of fecal sludge, cow rumen, goat farm waste, traditional market waste, and tofu dregs were analyzed which showed tofu dregs as waste with the highest rate of biodegradability compared to others since the tofu dregs do not contain any inhibitor which is lignin, have 2.7%VS, 14 C/N ratios and 97.3% organic matter. The highest cumulative methane production known as Biochemical Methane Potential was achieved by tofu dregs with volume of 77 ml during 30-day experiment which then followed by cow rumen, goat farm waste, and traditional market waste. Subsequently, methane productions were calculated through percentage of COD reduction, which showed the efficiency of 99.1% that indicates complete conversion of the high organic matter into methane.

Resource recovery of organic sludge as refuse derived fuel by fry-drying process.

PubMed

Chang, Fang-Chih; Ko, Chun-Han; Wu, Jun-Yi; Wang, H Paul; Chen, Wei-Sheng

2013-08-01

The organic sludge and waste oil were collected from the industries of thin film transistor liquid crystal display and the recycled cooking oil. The mixing ratio of waste cooking oil and organic sludge, fry-drying temperatures, fry-drying time, and the characteristics of the organic sludge pellet grain were investigated. After the fry-drying process, the moisture content of the organic sludge pellet grain was lower than 5% within 25 min and waste cooking oil was absorbed on the dry solid. The fry-drying organic sludge pellet grain was easy to handle and odor free. Additionally, it had a higher calorific value than the derived fuel standards and could be processed into organic sludge derived fuels. Thus, the granulation and fry-drying processes of organic sludge with waste cooking oil not only improves the calorific value of organic sludge and becomes more valuable for energy recovery, but also achieves waste material disposal and cost reduction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reuse of municipal solid wastes incineration fly ashes in concrete mixtures.

PubMed

Collivignarelli, Carlo; Sorlini, Sabrina

2002-01-01

This study is aimed at assessing the feasibility of concrete production using stabilized m.s.w. (municipal solid waste) incineration fly ashes in addition to natural aggregates. The tested fly ashes were washed and milled, then stabilized by a cement-lime process and finally were reused as a "recycled aggregate" for cement mixture production, in substitution of a natural aggregate (with dosage of 200-400 kg m(-3)). These mixtures, after curing, were characterized with conventional physical-mechanical tests (compression, traction, flexure, modulus of elasticity, shrinkage). In samples containing 200 kg(waste) m(-3)(concrete), a good compressive strength was achieved after 28 days of curing. Furthermore, concrete leaching behavior was evaluated by means of different leaching tests, both on milled and on monolithic samples. Experimental results showed a remarkable reduction of metal leaching in comparison with raw waste. In some cases, similar behavior was observed in "natural" concrete (produced with natural aggregates) and in "waste containing" concrete.

76 FR 58543 - Draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-21

...-Level Radioactive Waste Management AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Reopening of comment... for public comment a draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management that updates the 1981 Policy Statement on Low-Level Waste Volume Reduction. The revised Policy...

Potential reduction of non-residential solid waste in Sukomanunggal district West Surabaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warmadewanthi, I. D. A. A.; Reswari, S. A.

2018-01-01

Sukomanunggal district a development unit 8 with the designation as a regional trade and services, industrial, education, healthcare, offices, and shopping center. The development of this region will make an increasing solid waste generation, especially waste from non-residential facilities. The aims of this research to know the potential reduction of waste source. The method used is the Likert scale questionnaire to determine the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of non-residential facilities manager. Results from this research are the existing reduction of non-residential solid waste is 5.34%, potential reduction of the waste source is optimization of plastic and paper waste with the reduction rate up to 19,52%. The level of public participation existing amounted to 46.79% with a willingness to increase recycling efforts amounted to 72.87%. Efforts that can be developed to increase public awareness of 3R are providing three types of bins, modification of solid waste collection schedule according to a type of waste that has been sorted, the provision of the communal bin.

Stimulation of waste decomposition in an old landfill by air injection.

PubMed

Wu, Chuanfu; Shimaoka, Takayuki; Nakayama, Hirofumi; Komiya, Teppei; Chai, Xiaoli

2016-12-01

Three pilot-scale lysimeters were operated for 4.5years to quantify the change in the carbon and nitrogen pool in an old landfill under various air injection conditions. The results indicate that air injection at the bottom layer facilitated homogeneous distribution of oxygen in the waste matrix. Substantial total organic carbon (TOC) decomposition and methane generation reduction were achieved. Considerable amount of nitrogen was removed, suggesting that in situ nitrogen removal via the effective simultaneous nitrification and denitrification mechanism is viable. Moreover, material mass change measurements revealed a slight mass reduction of aged MSW (by approximately 4.0%) after 4.5years of aeration. Additionally, experiments revealed that intensive aeration during the final stage of the experiment did not further stimulate the degradation of the aged MSW. Therefore, elimination of the labile fraction of aged MSW should be considered the objective of in situ aeration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Declassification of radioactive water from a pool type reactor after nuclear facility dismantling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnal, J. M.; Sancho, M.; García-Fayos, B.; Verdú, G.; Serrano, C.; Ruiz-Martínez, J. T.

2017-09-01

This work is aimed to the treatment of the radioactive water from a dismantled nuclear facility with an experimental pool type reactor. The main objective of the treatment is to declassify the maximum volume of water and thus decrease the volume of radioactive liquid waste to be managed. In a preliminary stage, simulation of treatment by the combination of reverse osmosis (RO) and evaporation have been performed. Predicted results showed that the combination of membrane and evaporation technologies would result in a volume reduction factor higher than 600. The estimated time to complete the treatment was around 650 h (25-30 days). For different economical and organizational reasons which are explained in this paper, the final treatment of the real waste had to be reduced and only evaporation was applied. The volume reduction factor achieved in the real treatment was around 170, and the time spent for treatment was 194 days.

Vermiremediation and nutrient recovery of non-recyclable paper waste employing Eisenia fetida.

PubMed

Gupta, Renuka; Garg, V K

2009-02-15

With the industrial growth, changing life style and consumeristic attitude paper consumption has increased significantly in yesteryears. The authors have observed that waste paper obtained from consumable items and used paper products are disposed in open by the consumers as these are not accepted by the salvaging industry. In the present study, an attempt has been made to vermicompost non-recyclable post-consumer paper waste (PW) amended with cow dung (CD) employing Eisenia fetida earthworm in order to transform it into a value added product, i.e., vermicompost. Vermicomposting of paper waste resulted in net reduction in ash content and total organic carbon (42.5-56.8%) but increment in total Kjeldhal nitrogen (2.0-2.4-fold), total potassium (2.0-fold), and total phosphorous (1.4-1.8-fold) was achieved after 91 days of worms' activity. The C:N ratio decreased with time in all the worm-worked vermireactors in the range of 71.9-82.0%, depicting advanced degree of organic matter stabilization. The FT-IR spectroscopy of the vermicomposts showed reduction in aliphatic compounds during the vermicomposting process. The results also demonstrated the worm growth and reproduction are not significantly affected if PW content is upto 30% in the vermireactor.

CO₂ uptake performance and life cycle assessment of CaO-based sorbents prepared from waste oyster shells blended with PMMA nanosphere scaffolds.

PubMed

Wang, Tsinghai; Xiao, Da-Cheng; Huang, Chih-Hung; Hsieh, Yi-Kong; Tan, Chung-Sung; Wang, Chu-Fang

2014-04-15

In this paper, we demonstrate a means of simultaneously solving two serious environmental issues by reutilization of calcinated mixture of pulverized waste oyster shells blending with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanospheres to prepare CaO-based sorbents for CO2 capture. After 10 cycles of isothermal carbonation/calcination at 750°C, the greatest CO2 uptake (0.19 g CO2/g sorbent) was that for the sorbent featuring 70 wt% of PMMA, which was almost three times higher than that (0.07 g CO2/g sorbent) of untreated waste oyster shell. The greater CO2 uptake was likely a result of particle size reduction and afterwards surface basicity enhancement and an increase in the volume of mesopores and macropores. Following simplified life cycle assessment, whose all input values were collected from our experimental results, suggested that a significant CO2 emission reduction along with lesser human health and ecosystems impacts would be achieved immediately once waste is reutilized. Most importantly, the CO2 uptake efficiency must be greater than 20% or sorbents prepared from limestone mining would eventually produce a net positive CO2 emission. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reductive capacity measurement of waste forms for secondary radioactive wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Um, Wooyong; Yang, Jung-Seok; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2015-12-01

The reductive capacities of dry ingredients and final solid waste forms were measured using both the Cr(VI) and Ce(IV) methods and the results were compared. Blast furnace slag (BFS), sodium sulfide, SnF2, and SnCl2 used as dry ingredients to make various waste forms showed significantly higher reductive capacities compared to other ingredients regardless of which method was used. Although the BFS exhibits appreciable reductive capacity, it requires greater amounts of time to fully react. In almost all cases, the Ce(IV) method yielded larger reductive capacity values than those from the Cr(VI) method and can be used as an upper boundmore » for the reductive capacity of the dry ingredients and waste forms, because the Ce(IV) method subjects the solids to a strong acid (low pH) condition that dissolves much more of the solids. Because the Cr(VI) method relies on a neutral pH condition, the Cr(VI) method can be used to estimate primarily the waste form surface-related and readily dissolvable reductive capacity. However, the Cr(VI) method does not measure the total reductive capacity of the waste form, the long-term reductive capacity afforded by very slowly dissolving solids, or the reductive capacity present in the interior pores and internal locations of the solids.« less

Risk Reduction from Minimization of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Waste Materials Within the U.S. Industrial Solid Waste Management System

EPA Science Inventory

This study addressed three questions of interest in national-scale solid and hazardous waste management decision-making within the United States: 1) can we quantify the reduction in risk to human and ecological receptors resulting from the reduction of certain industrial waste s...

Waste reduction and recycling initiatives in Japanese cities: lessons from Yokohama and Kamakura.

PubMed

Hotta, Yasuhiko; Aoki-Suzuki, Chika

2014-09-01

Waste reduction and recycling at the city level will acquire greater significance in the near future due to rising global volumes of waste. This paper seeks to identify policy-relevant drivers for successful promotion of waste reduction and recycling. Factors influencing the success of waste reduction and recycling campaigns are identified. Two case study cities in Japan which depict the successful use of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) at the municipal level are presented. In these cases, the existence of incinerators, which are generally considered as disincentives for recycling, was not functioning as a disincentive but rather as an incentive for waste reduction. Owing to the high cost of incineration facilities, the movement to close incinerators has become a strong incentive for waste reduction and recycling in these two cities. The study suggests that careful consideration is necessary when making decisions concerning high-cost waste treatment facilities with high installation, maintenance and renewal outlays. In addition, intensive source separation and other municipal recycling initiatives have a high potential for producing positive results. © The Author(s) 2014.

Space Mission Utility and Requirements for a Heat Melt Compactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, John W.; Lee, Jeffrey M.

2016-01-01

Management of waste on long-duration space missions is both a problem and an opportunity. Uncontained or unprocessed waste is a crew health hazard and a habitat storage problem. A Heat Melt Compactor (HMC) such as NASA has been developing is capable of processing space mission trash and converting it to useful products. The HMC is intended to process space mission trash to achieve a number of objectives including: volume reduction, biological safening and stabilization, water recovery, radiation shielding, and planetary protection. This paper explores the utility of the HMC to future space missions and how this translates into HMC system requirements.

Waste Reduction Model

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

To help solid waste planners and organizations track/report GHG emissions reductions from various waste management practices. To assist in calculating GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste management practices and provide the history of WARM.

Cap and trade schemes on waste management: a case study of the landfill allowance trading scheme (LATS) in England.

PubMed

Calaf-Forn, Maria; Roca, Jordi; Puig-Ventosa, Ignasi

2014-05-01

The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) is one of the main instruments used in England to enforce the landfill diversion targets established in the Directive 1999/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (Landfill Directive). Through the LATS, biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) allowances for landfilling are allocated to each local authority, otherwise known as waste disposal authorities (WDAs). The quantity of landfill allowances received is expected to decrease continuously from 2005/06 to 2019/20 so as to meet the objectives of the Landfill Directive. To achieve their commitments, WDAs can exchange, buy, sell or transfer allowances among each other, or may re-profile their own allocation through banking and/or borrowing. Despite the goals for the first seven years - which included two target years (2005/06 and 2009/10) - being widely achieved (the average allocation of allowances per WDA was 22.9% higher than those finally used), market activity among WDAs was high and prices were not very stable. Results in terms of waste reduction and recycling levels have been satisfactory. The reduction of BMW landfilled (in percentage) was higher during the first seven years of the LATS period (2005/06-2011/12) (around 7% annually) than during the previous period (2001/02-2004/05) (4.2% annually). Since 2008, the significance of the LATS diminished because of an increase in the rate of the UK Landfill Tax. The LATS was suppressed after the 2012/13 target year, before what it was initially scheduled. The purpose of this paper is to describe the particularities of the LATS, analyse its performance as a waste management policy, make a comparison with the Landfill Tax, discuss its main features as regards efficiency, effectiveness and the application of the "polluter pays" principle and finally discuss if the effect of the increase in the Landfill Tax is what made the LATS ultimately unnecessary. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The state of municipal solid waste management in Israel.

PubMed

Daskal, Shira; Ayalon, Ofira; Shechter, Mordechai

2018-06-01

Regulation is a key tool for implementing municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategies and plans. While local authorities in Israel are responsible for the storage, collection, and disposal of MSW, Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP) is responsible for the formulation and implementation of waste management policies and legislation. For the past 12 years, about 80% of the MSW in Israel has been landfilled and recycling rates have not increased, despite regulations. This paper presents the state of MSW management in Israel in light of the MoEP's strategic goal of landfilling reduction, the regulations and legislation designed and implemented for achieving this goal, and the ensuing results. Among other things, the results indicate the importance of monitoring and assessing policy and regulations to examine whether regulation is in fact effective and whether it keeps track of its own targets and goals or not. It is also concluded that even when there is an extensive regulation that includes a wide range of laws, economic penalties and financial incentives (such as landfill levy and financing of MSW separation at source arrangements), this does not guarantee proper treatment or even an improvement in waste management. The key to success is first and foremost a suitable infrastructure that will enable achievement of the desired results.

Biodegradation and flushing of MBT wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siddiqui, A.A., E-mail: aasiddiqui.cv@amu.ac.in; Richards, D.J.; Powrie, W.

Highlights: • Stabilization was achieved for MBT wastes of different degrees of pretreatment. • About 92% reduction in the gas generation compared with raw MSW. • Pretreatment resulted in reduced TOC, nitrogen and heavy metals in leachate. • A large proportion of carbon and nitrogen remained in the waste material. - Abstract: Mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) processes are increasingly being adopted as a means of diverting biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill, for example to comply with the EU Landfill Directive. However, there is considerable uncertainty concerning the residual pollution potential of such wastes. This paper presents the results of laboratorymore » experiments on two different MBT waste residues, carried out to investigate the remaining potential for the generation of greenhouse gases and the flushing of contaminants from these materials when landfilled. The potential for gas generation was found to be between 8% and 20% of that for raw MSW. Pretreatment of the waste reduced the potential for the release of organic carbon, ammoniacal nitrogen, and heavy metal contents into the leachate; and reduced the residual carbon remaining in the waste after final degradation from ∼320 g/kg dry matter for raw MSW to between 183 and 195 g/kg dry matter for the MBT wastes.« less

Method and apparatus for reducing mixed waste

DOEpatents

Elliott, Michael L.; Perez, Jr., Joseph M.; Chapman, Chris C.; Peters, Richard D.

1995-01-01

The present invention is a method and apparatus for in-can waste reduction. The method is mixing waste with combustible material prior to placing the waste into a waste reduction vessel. The combustible portion is ignited, thereby reducing combustible material to ash and non-combustible material to a slag. Further combustion or heating may be used to sinter or melt the ash. The apparatus is a waste reduction vessel having receiving canister connection means on a first end, and a waste/combustible mixture inlet on a second end. An oxygen supply is provided to support combustion of the combustible mixture.

Technical assistance for hazardous-waste reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thompson, F.M.; McComas, C.A.

1987-12-01

Minnesota's Waste Management Board has established, developed, and funded the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP). The MnTAP programs offers technical assistance to generators of hazardous waste by offering telephone and onsite consultation, a waste reduction resource bank, information dissemination, a student intern program, and research awards for waste reduction projects. The program has completed three years of successful operation. The increasing interest in and use of MnTAP's services by hazardous-waste generators has justified the belief that state technical assistance programs have an important role to play in helping generators to reduce their waste production.

Force Provider Solid Waste Characterization Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-08-01

energy converter (WEC) and/or composter . For a five-day period in June 2000, the solid waste generated by soldiers at the Force Provider Training Module...MATERIALS REDUCTION WASTE DISPOSAL MILITARY FACILITIES SANITARY ENGINEERING DISPOSAL FORCE PROVIDER FIELD FEEDING COMPOSTS WASTES GARBAGE WASTE RECYCLING...waste reduction through onsite waste-to-energy conversion and/or composting . The work was performed by Hughes Associates, Inc., 3610 Commerce

WASTE REDUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY EVALUATIONS OF THE U.S. EPA WRITE PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation (WRITE)Program was established in 1989 to provide objective, accurate performance and cost data about waste reducing technologies for a variety of industrial and commercial application. EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laborato...

WASTE REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY EVALUATIONS AT THREE PRINTED WIRE BOARD MANUFACTURERS

EPA Science Inventory

Technologies at three printed wire board (PWB) manufacturers were evaluated for waste reduction, and costs were compared to existing operations. rom 1989 to 1993, these evaluations were conducted under US EPA's Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation (WRITE) Program, in ...

Investigations regarding the wet decontamination of fluorescent lamp waste using iodine in potassium iodide solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tunsu, Cristian, E-mail: tunsu@chalmers.se; Ekberg, Christian; Foreman, Mark

Highlights: • A wet-based decontamination process for fluorescent lamp waste is proposed. • Mercury can be leached using iodine in potassium iodide solution. • The efficiency of the process increases with an increase in leachant concentration. • Selective leaching of mercury from rare earth elements is achieved. • Mercury is furthered recovered using ion exchange, reduction or solvent extraction. - Abstract: With the rising popularity of fluorescent lighting, simple and efficient methods for the decontamination of discarded lamps are needed. Due to their mercury content end-of-life fluorescent lamps are classified as hazardous waste, requiring special treatment for disposal. A simplemore » wet-based decontamination process is required, especially for streams where thermal desorption, a commonly used but energy demanding method, cannot be applied. In this study the potential of a wet-based process using iodine in potassium iodide solution was studied for the recovery of mercury from fluorescent lamp waste. The influence of the leaching agent’s concentration and solid/liquid ratio on the decontamination efficiency was investigated. The leaching behaviour of mercury was studied over time, as well as its recovery from the obtained leachates by means of anion exchange, reduction, and solvent extraction. Dissolution of more than 90% of the contained mercury was achieved using 0.025/0.05 M I{sub 2}/KI solution at 21 °C for two hours. The efficiency of the process increased with an increase in leachant concentration. 97.3 ± 0.6% of the mercury contained was dissolved at 21 °C, in two hours, using a 0.25/0.5 M I{sub 2}/KI solution and a solid to liquid ratio of 10% w/v. Iodine and mercury can be efficiently removed from the leachates using Dowex 1X8 anion exchange resin or reducing agents such as sodium hydrosulphite, allowing the disposal of the obtained solution as non-hazardous industrial wastewater. The extractant CyMe{sub 4}BTBP showed good removal of mercury, with an extraction efficiency of 97.5 ± 0.7% being achieved in a single stage. Better removal of mercury was achieved in a single stage using the extractants Cyanex 302 and Cyanex 923 in kerosene, respectively.« less

Quantification of food waste in public catering services - A case study from a Swedish municipality.

PubMed

Eriksson, Mattias; Persson Osowski, Christine; Malefors, Christopher; Björkman, Jesper; Eriksson, Emelie

2017-03-01

Food waste is a major problem that must be reduced in order to achieve a sustainable food supply chain. Since food waste valorisation measures, like energy recovery, have limited possibilities to fully recover the resources invested in food production, there is a need to prevent food waste. Prevention is most important at the end of the value chain, where the largest number of sub-processes have already taken place and occur in vain if the food is not used for its intended purpose, i.e. consumption. Catering facilities and households are at the very end of the food supply chain, and in Sweden the public catering sector serves a large number of meals through municipal organisations, including schools, preschools and elderly care homes. Since the first step in waste reduction is to establish a baseline measurement in order to identify problems, this study sought to quantify food waste in schools, preschools and elderly care homes in one municipality in Sweden. The quantification was conducted during three months, spread out over three semesters, and was performed in all 30 public kitchen units in the municipality of Sala. The kitchen staff used kitchen scales to quantify the mass of wasted and served food divided into serving waste (with sub-categories), plate waste and other food waste. The food waste level was quantified as 75g of food waste per portion served, or 23% of the mass of food served. However, there was great variation between kitchens, with the waste level ranging from 33g waste per portion served (13%) to 131g waste per portion served (34%). Wasted food consisted of 64% serving waste, 33% plate waste and 3% other food waste. Preschools had a lower waste level than schools, possibly due to preschool carers eating together with the children. Kitchens that received warm food prepared in another kitchen (satellite kitchens) had a 42% higher waste level than kitchens preparing all food themselves (production units), possibly due to the latter having higher flexibility in cooking the right amount of food and being able to chill and save surplus food. The large variation between kitchens indicates that they have different causes of food waste, but also different opportunities to reduce it. Detailed waste quantification for each kitchen can therefore be the first step in the process of waste reduction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nurses lead on waste reduction.

PubMed

2016-06-29

Waste in the NHS accounts for about 20% of health expenditure. This article examines the literature on reducing waste, analyses some approaches to waste reduction, and identifies the role of nurses and other health professionals in developing a sustainable NHS.

40 CFR 62.14590 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... in my waste management plan? A waste management plan must include consideration of the reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, batteries, or metals; or the... waste management measures already in place, the costs of additional measures, the emissions reductions...

Strategies for the municipal waste management system to take advantage of carbon trading under competing policies: The role of energy from waste in Sydney

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

El Hanandeh, Ali; El-Zein, Abbas

2009-07-15

Climate change is a driving force behind some recent environmental legislation around the world. Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets have been set in many industrialised countries. A change in current practices of almost all greenhouse-emitting industrial sectors is unavoidable, if the set targets is to be achieved. Although, waste disposal contributes around 3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia (mainly due to fugitive methane emissions from landfills), the carbon credit and trading scheme set to start in 2010 presents significant challenges and opportunities to municipal solid waste practitioners. Technological advances in waste management, if adopted properly, allow themore » municipal solid waste sector to act as carbon sink, hence earning tradable carbon credits. However, due to the complexity of the system and its inherent uncertainties, optimizing it for carbon credits may worsen its performance under other criteria. We use an integrated, stochastic multi-criteria decision-making tool that we developed earlier to analyse the carbon credit potential of Sydney municipal solid waste under eleven possible future strategies. We find that the changing legislative environment is likely to make current practices highly non-optimal and increase pressures for a change of waste management strategy.« less

Benefits of improved municipal solid waste management on greenhouse gas reduction in Luangprabang, Laos.

PubMed

Vilaysouk, Xaysackda; Babel, Sandhya

2017-07-01

Climate change is a consequence of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the waste sector contribute to 3% of total anthropogenic emissions. In this study, applicable solutions for municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Luangprabang (LPB) and Laos were examined. Material flow analysis of MSW was performed to estimate the amount of MSW generated in 2015. Approximately 29,419 tonnes of MSW is estimated for 2015. Unmanaged landfilling was the main disposal method, while MSW open burning was also practiced to some extent. The International Panel on Climate Change 2006 model and the Atmospheric Brown Clouds Emission Inventory Manual were used to estimate GHG emissions from existing MSW management, and total emissions are 33,889 tonnes/year carbon dioxide-equivalents (CO 2 -eq). Three scenarios were developed in order to reduce GHG emissions and environmental problems. Improvement of the MSW management by expanding MSW collection services, introducing composting and recycling, and avoiding open burning, can be considered as solutions to overcome the problems for LPB. The lowest GHG emissions are achieved in the scenario where composting and recycling are proposed, with the total GHG emissions reduction by 18,264 tonnes/year CO 2 -eq.

Removal of chromium from synthetic plating waste by zero-valent iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria.

PubMed

Guha, Saumyen; Bhargava, Puja

2005-01-01

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of zero-valent iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for reduction and removal of chromium from synthetic electroplating waste. The zero-valent iron shows promising results as a reductant of hexavalent chromium (Cr+6) to trivalent chromium (Cr+3), capable of 100% reduction. The required iron concentration was a function of chromium concentration in the waste stream. Removal of Cr+3 by adsorption or precipitation on iron leads to complete removal of chromium from the waste and was a slower process than the reduction of Cr+6. Presence SRB in a completely mixed batch reactor inhibited the reduction of Cr+6. In a fixed-bed column reactor, SRB enhanced chromium removal and showed promising results for the treatment of wastes with low chromium concentrations. It is proposed that, for waste with high chromium concentration, zero-valent iron is an efficient reductant and can be used for reduction of Cr+6. For low chromium concentrations, a SRB augmented zero-valent iron and sand column is capable of removing chromium completely.

Policy implementation of the Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 in the Philippines: a case study of Cebu City.

PubMed

Premakumara, Dickella Gamaralalage Jagath; Canete, Aloysius Mariae L; Nagaishi, Masaya; Kurniawan, Tonni Agustiono

2014-06-01

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is considered to be one of the most serious environmental issues in the Philippines. The annual waste generation was estimated at 10.6 million tonnes in 2012 and this is expected to double in 2025. The Republic Act (RA) No. 9003, widely known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, provides the required policy framework, institutional mechanisms and mandate to the Local Government Units (LGUs) to achieve 25% waste reduction target through establishing an integrated solid waste management plan based on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycling). Although the initial impact of the LGUs is still very limited in implementing the national mandate, this article highlights the successful experiences of Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines, in reducing its MSW generation by more than 30% in the past three years. This study also explores the implementation process, innovative actions taken by the Cebu City Government in implementing the national mandate at local level and identifies the factors that influence the policy implementation. The findings suggest that the impacts of the national mandate can be achieved if the LGUs have the high degree of political commitment, planning and development of effective local strategies in a collaborative manner to meet with local conditions, partnership building with other stakeholders, capacity development, adequate financing and incentives, and in the close monitoring and evaluation of performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perverse effects of carbon markets on HFC-23 and SF6 abatement projects in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Lambert; Kollmuss, Anja

2015-12-01

Carbon markets are considered a key policy tool to achieve cost-effective climate mitigation. Project-based carbon market mechanisms allow private sector entities to earn tradable emissions reduction credits from mitigation projects. The environmental integrity of project-based mechanisms has been subject to controversial debate and extensive research, in particular for projects abating industrial waste gases with a high global warming potential (GWP). For such projects, revenues from credits can significantly exceed abatement costs, creating perverse incentives to increase production or generation of waste gases as a means to increase credit revenues from waste gas abatement. Here we show that all projects abating HFC-23 and SF6 under the Kyoto Protocol’s Joint Implementation mechanism in Russia increased waste gas generation to unprecedented levels once they could generate credits from producing more waste gas. Our results suggest that perverse incentives can substantially undermine the environmental integrity of project-based mechanisms and that adequate regulatory oversight is crucial. Our findings are critical for mechanisms in both national jurisdictions and under international agreements.

The economic case for low carbon waste management in rapidly growing cities in the developing world: The case of Palembang, Indonesia.

PubMed

Papargyropoulou, Effie; Colenbrander, Sarah; Sudmant, Andrew Heshedahl; Gouldson, Andy; Tin, Lee Chew

2015-11-01

The provision of appropriate waste management is not only an indicator of development but also of broader sustainability. This is particularly relevant to expanding cities in developing countries faced with rising waste generation and associated environmental health problems. Despite these urgent issues, city authorities often lack the evidence required to make well-informed decisions. This study evaluates the carbon and economic performance of low-carbon measures in the waste sector at a city level, within the context of a developing country. Palembang in Indonesia is used as a case of a medium-sized city in a newly industrialized country, with relevance to other similar cities in the developing world. Evidence suggests that the waste sector can achieve substantial carbon emission reductions, and become a carbon sink, in a cost effective way. Hence there is an economic case for a low carbon development path for Palembang, and possibly for other cities in developing and developed countries facing similar challenges. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kara, Mustafa, E-mail: mustafa.kara@mam.gov.t; Guenay, Esin; Tabak, Yasemin

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most important environmental problems arising from rapid urbanization and industrialization. The use of alternative fuels in rotary kilns of cement plants is very important for reducing cost, saving fossil fuels and also eliminating waste materials, accumulated during production or after using these materials. Cement industries has an important potential for supplying preferable solutions to the waste management. Energy recovery from waste is also important for the reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions. This paper presents an investigation of the development of refuse derived fuel (RDF) materials from non-recycling wastes and the determination ofmore » its potential use as an alternative fuel in cement production in Istanbul, Turkey. RDF produced from MSW was analyzed and its effects on cement production process were examined. For this purpose, the produced RDF was mixed with the main fuel (LPG) in ratios of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. Then chemical and mineralogical analyses of the produced clinker were carried out. It is believed that successful results of this study will be a good example for municipalities and cement industries in order to achieve both economic and environmental benefits.« less

Current practices of construction waste reduction through 3R practice among contractors in malaysia: Case study in penang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, L. S.; Tan, L. W.; Seow, T. W.

2017-11-01

The effectiveness of the implementation of construction waste reduction through 3R reflects the sustainability in construction waste management. Weak implementation of construction waste reduction through 3R among contractors will lead to unsustainable construction waste management. Increase in construction waste on landfills is critical especially on islands where land is very limited for solid waste disposal. This aim of this paper is to investigate current practice of construction waste reduction through 3R practice among contractors in Penang, Malaysia. The findings reported herein is based on feedbacks from 143 construction contractors of grade CIDB G7, G6 and G5 in Penang and experts from Penang Local Authority, CIDB in Penang and its Headquarters, National Solid Waste Management Department, and Headquarters of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation. Interviews and questionnaire surveys have been found that 3R practice is not mandatory in construction waste management in Penang. Only 39.8% construction contractors practiced 3R in managing their waste. Therefore, 3R practices should be emphasized in construction industry. Reducing wastes through 3R practices in construction industry is a way forward towards sustainable construction waste management especially in expanding the lifetime of landfill.

Performance analysis of exhaust heat recovery using organic Rankine cycle in a passenger car with a compression ignition engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghilvacs, M.; Prisecaru, T.; Pop, H.; Apostol, V.; Prisecaru, M.; Pop, E.; Popescu, Gh; Ciobanu, C.; Mohanad, A.; Alexandru, A.

2016-08-01

Compression ignition engines transform approximately 40% of the fuel energy into power available at the crankshaft, while the rest part of the fuel energy is lost as coolant, exhaust gases and other waste heat. An organic Rankine cycle (ORC) can be used to recover this waste heat. In this paper, the characteristics of a system combining a compression ignition engine with an ORC which recover the waste heat from the exhaust gases are analyzed. The performance map of the diesel engine is measured on an engine test bench and the heat quantities wasted by the exhaust gases are calculated over the engine's entire operating region. Based on this data, the working parameters of ORC are defined, and the performance of a combined engine-ORC system is evaluated across this entire region. The results show that the net power of ORC is 6.304kW at rated power point and a maximum of 10% reduction in brake specific fuel consumption can be achieved.

Hospitals and plastics. Dioxin prevention and medical waste incinerators.

PubMed

Thornton, J; McCally, M; Orris, P; Weinberg, J

1996-01-01

CHLORINATED DIOXINS and related compounds are extremely potent toxic substances, producing effects in humans and animals at extremely low doses. Because these compounds are persistent in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, they are now distributed globally, and every member of the human population is exposed to them, primarily through the food supply and mothers' milk. An emerging body of information suggests that dioxin contamination has reached a level that may pose a large-scale, long-term public health risk. Of particular concern are dioxin's effects on reproduction, development, immune system function, and carcinogenesis. Medical waste incineration is a major source of dioxins. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, as the dominant source of organically bound chlorine in the medical waste stream, is the primary cause of "iatrogenic" dioxin produced by the incineration of medical wastes. Health professionals have a responsibility to work to reduce dioxin exposure from medical sources. Health care institutions should implement policies to reduce the use of PVC plastics, thus achieving major reductions in medically related dioxin formation.

Advanced Life Support Technologies and Scenarios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.

2011-01-01

As NASA looks beyond the International Space Station toward long-duration, deep space missions away from Earth, the current practice of supplying consumables and spares will not be practical nor affordable. New approaches are sought for life support and habitation systems that will reduce dependency on Earth and increase mission sustainability. To reduce launch mass, further closure of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) beyond the current capability of the ISS will be required. Areas of particular interest include achieving higher degrees of recycling within Atmosphere Revitalization, Water Recovery and Waste Management Systems. NASA is currently investigating advanced carbon dioxide reduction processes that surpass the level of oxygen recovery available from the Sabatier Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA) on the ISS. Improving the efficiency of the recovery of water from spacecraft solid and liquid wastes is possible through use of emerging technologies such as the heat melt compactor and brine dewatering systems. Another significant consumable is that of food. Food production systems based on higher plants may not only contribute significantly to the diet, but also contribute to atmosphere revitalization, water purification and waste utilization. Bioreactors may be potentially utilized for wastewater and solid waste management. The level at which bioregenerative technologies are utilized will depend on their comparative requirements for spacecraft resources including mass, power, volume, heat rejection, crew time and reliability. Planetary protection requirements will need to be considered for missions to other solar system bodies.

Cryo-comminution of plastic waste.

PubMed

Gente, Vincenzo; La Marca, Floriana; Lucci, Federica; Massacci, Paolo; Pani, Eleonora

2004-01-01

Recycling of plastics is a big issue in terms of environmental sustainability and of waste management. The development of proper technologies for plastic recycling is recognised as a priority. To achieve this aim, the technologies applied in mineral processing can be adapted to recycling systems. In particular, the improvement of comminution technologies is one of the main actions to improve the quality of recycled plastics. The aim of this work is to point out suitable comminution processes for different types of plastic waste. Laboratory comminution tests have been carried out under different conditions of temperature and sample pre-conditioning adopting as refrigerant agents CO2 and liquid nitrogen. The temperature has been monitored by thermocouples placed in the milling chamber. Also different internal mill screens have been adopted. A proper procedure has been set up in order to obtain a selective comminution and a size reduction suitable for further separation treatment. Tests have been performed on plastics coming from medical plastic waste and from a plant for spent lead batteries recycling. Results coming from different mill devices have been compared taking into consideration different indexes for representative size distributions. The results of the performed tests show as cryo-comminution improves the effectiveness of size reduction of plastics, promotes liberation of constituents and increases specific surface size of comminuted particles in comparison to a comminution process carried out at room temperature. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Formation and removal of PCDD/Fs in a municipal waste incinerator during different operating periods.

PubMed

Wang, Hou Chuan; Hwang, Jyh Feng; Chi, Kai Hsien; Chang, Moo Been

2007-04-01

The PCDD/F concentrations and removal efficiencies achieved with air pollution control devices (APCDs) during different operating periods (start-up, normal operation, and shut-down) at an existing municipal waste incinerator (MWI) in Taiwan are evaluated via stack sampling and analysis. The MWI investigated is equipped with electrostatic precipitators (EP), wet scrubbers (WS), and selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) as APCDs. The sampling results indicate that the PCDD/F concentrations at the EP inlet during start-up period were 15 times higher than that measured during normal operation period. The PCDD/F concentration observed at shut-down period was close to that measured at normal operation period. The CO concentration was between 400 and 1000 ppm during start-up period, which was about 50 times higher compared with the normal operation. Hence, combustion condition significantly affected the PCDD/F formation concentration during the waste incineration process. In addition, the distributions of the PCDD/F congeners were similar at different operating periods. During the normal operation and shut-down periods, the EP decreases the PCDD/F concentration (based on TEQ) by 18.4-48.6%, while the removal efficiency of PCDD/Fs achieved with SCR system reaches 99.3-99.6%. Nevertheless, the PCDD/F removal efficiency achieved with SCR was only 42% during the 19-h start-up period due to the low SCR operating temperature (195 degrees C).

Electricity generation: options for reduction in carbon emissions.

PubMed

Whittington, H W

2002-08-15

Historically, the bulk production of electricity has been achieved by burning fossil fuels, with unavoidable gaseous emissions, including large quantities of carbon dioxide: an average-sized modern coal-burning power station is responsible for more than 10 Mt of CO(2) each year. This paper details typical emissions from present-day power stations and discusses the options for their reduction. Acknowledging that the cuts achieved in the past decade in the UK CO(2) emissions have been achieved largely by fuel switching, the remaining possibilities offered by this method are discussed. Switching to less-polluting fossil fuels will achieve some measure of reduction, but the basic problem of CO(2) emissions continues. Of the alternatives to fossil fuels, only nuclear power represents a zero-carbon large-scale energy source. Unfortunately, public concerns over safety and radioactive waste have still to be assuaged. Other approaches include the application of improved combustion technology, the removal of harmful gases from power-station flues and the use of waste heat to improve overall power-station efficiency. These all have a part to play, but many consider our best hope for emissions reduction to be the use of renewable energy. The main renewable energy contenders are assessed in this paper and realistic estimates of the contribution that each could provide are indicated. It appears that, in the time-scale envisaged by planners for reduction in CO(2) emission, in many countries renewable energy will be unlikely to deliver. At the same time, it is worth commenting that, again in many countries, the level of penetration of renewable energy will fall short of the present somewhat optimistic targets. Of renewable options, wind energy could be used in the short to medium term to cover for thermal plant closures, but for wind energy to be successful, the network will have to be modified to cope with wind's intermittent nature. Globally, hydroelectricity is currently the largest developed source of renewable electricity, but future large-scale projects will probably be limited to the less-developed world: the best schemes in the developed countries have already been exploited. Wave and tidal can be looked on as medium- to long-term generators of electricity, as their respective industries are not as mature as competing renewable resources. Municipal solid-waste combustion and landfill gas technologies can also be seen as short term, as can their rural equivalents, agriculture and forestry waste. Any widespread exploitation of renewable energy will depend on being able to transmit the energy from source to point of use, so the implications for the electrical network from the penetration of substantial levels of renewable energy are presented. Effective management of renewable energy installations will require technical assessment of the range of exploitation strategies, to compare local production of, say, hydrogen and the more traditional transmission of electricity. Such resources will have to compete with others in any national, or grid, system and detailed economic analysis will be necessary to determine the deployment that best fits the trading regime under which the energy will be sold. Consideration will also be necessary to determine how best to control the introduction of this radically new resource such that it does not attract punitive cost overheads until it is mature enough to cope. Finally, it is inescapable that nuclear power is a proven technology that could take its place in any future generation portfolio. Unfortunately, suspicion and mistrust surround waste management and radioactivity release. Unless this is overcome, the lack of confidence engendered by this public mistrust may result in few, if any, new nuclear power stations being built. In the event of that decision, it is difficult to see how CO(2) levels can be significantly reduced: the irony is that nuclear energy may emerge as environmentally essential.

INFLUENCE OF PH AND OXIDATION-REDUCTION POTENTIAL (EH) ON THE DISSOLUTION OF MERCURY-CONTAINING MINE WASTES FROM THE SULFUR BANK MERCURY MINE

EPA Science Inventory

This study was undertaken as a part of developing treatment alternatives for waste materials, primarily waste rock and roaster tailings, from sites contaminated with mercury (Hg) mining wastes. Leaching profiles of waste rock over a range of different pH and oxidation-reduction (...

Transesterification of Waste Activated Sludge for Biosolids Reduction and Biodiesel Production.

PubMed

Maeng, Min Ho; Cha, Daniel K

2018-02-01

  Transesterification of waste activated sludge (WAS) was evaluated as a cost-effective technique to reduce excess biosolids and recover biodiesel feedstock from activated sludge treatment processes. A laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated with recycling transesterification-treated WAS back to the aeration basin. Seventy percent recycling of WAS resulted in a 48% reduction of excess biosolids in comparison with a conventional SBR, which was operated in parallel as the control SBR. Biodiesel recovery of 8.0% (dried weight basis) was achieved at an optimum transesterification condition using acidic methanol and xylene as cosolvent. Average effluent soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations from the test SBR and control SBR were comparable, indicating that the recycling of transesterification-treated WAS did not have detrimental effect on the effluent quality. This study demonstrated that transesterification and recycling of WAS may be a feasible technique for reducing excess biosolids, while producing valuable biodiesel feedstock from the activated sludge process.

Waste reduction through consumer education. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harrison, E.Z.

The Waste Reduction through Consumer Education research project was conducted to determine how environmental educational strategies influence purchasing behavior in the supermarket. The objectives were to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate consumer education strategies for waste reduction. The amount of waste generated by packaging size and form, with an adjustment for local recyclability of waste, was determined for 14 product categories identified as having more waste generating and less waste generating product choices (a total of 484 products). Using supermarket scan data and shopper identification numbers, the research tracked the purchases of shoppers in groups receiving different education treatments for 9more » months. Statistical tests applied to the purchase data assessed patterns of change between the groups by treatment period. Analysis of the data revealed few meaningful statistical differences between study groups or changes in behavior over time. Findings suggest that broad brush consumer education about waste reduction is not effective in changing purchasing behaviors in the short term. However, it may help create a general awareness of the issues surrounding excess packaging and consumer responsibility. The study concludes that the answer to waste reduction in the future may be a combination of voluntary initiatives by manufacturers and retailers, governmental intervention, and better-informed consumers.« less

Constraints to 3R construction waste reduction among contractors in Penang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, L. S.; Tan, L. W.; Seow, T. W.

2018-04-01

Rapid development of construction industry increases construction waste on landfill leading to shorter life span of the landfill. Waste reduction through Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) practice has been encouraged in construction industry towards sustainable waste management since couple of decades ago. However, waste reduction through 3R is still at its infancy in construction industry in Penang, Malaysia. The aim of this paper is to determinate the constraints to construction waste reduction through 3R among contractors in Penang. The findings reported herein is based on feedbacks from 143 construction contractors of grade CIDB G7, G6 and G5 based in Penang, experts from Penang Local Authority, CIDB in Penang and its headquarters, National Solid Waste Management Department, and headquarters of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp). Based on interviews and questionnaire surveys, constraints identified are Time and cost, Contractor’s attitude and low participation, Lack of enforcement law and regulation, Lack of awareness and knowledge, Lack of coordination, and Lack of space. Awareness and knowledge, and enforcement law and regulation are the major barriers which influence others constraints as well. Therefore, these constraints should be emphasized by the authorities in order to improve the implementation of 3R construction waste reduction.

Towards Ideal NOx and CO2 Emission Control Technology for Bio-Oils Combustion Energy System Using a Plasma-Chemical Hybrid Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okubo, M.; Fujishima, H.; Yamato, Y.; Kuroki, T.; Tanaka, A.; Otsuka, K.

2013-03-01

A pilot-scale low-emission boiler system consisting of a bio-fuel boiler and plasma-chemical hybrid NOx removal system is investigated. This system can achieve carbon neutrality because the bio-fuel boiler uses waste vegetable oil as one of the fuels. The plasma-chemical hybrid NOx removal system has two processes: NO oxidation by ozone produced from plasma ozonizers and NO2 removal using a Na2SO3 chemical scrubber. Test demonstrations of the system are carried out for mixed oils (mixture of A-heavy oil and waste vegetable oil). Stable combustion is achieved for the mixed oil (20 - 50% waste vegetable oil). Properties of flue gas—e.g., O2, CO2 and NOx—when firing mixed oils are nearly the same as those when firing heavy oil for an average flue gas flow rate of 1000 Nm3/h. NOx concentrations at the boiler outlet are 90 - 95 ppm. Furthermore, during a 300-min continuous operation when firing 20% mixed oil, NOx removal efficiency of more than 90% (less than 10 ppm NOx emission) is confirmed. In addition, the CO2 reduction when heavy oil is replaced with waste vegetable oil is estimated. The system comparison is described between the plasma-chemical hybrid NOx removal and the conventional technology.

Thermodynamic Modeling and Mechanical Design of a Liquid Nitrogen Vaporization and Pressure Building Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leege, Brian J.

The design of a liquid nitrogen vaporization and pressure building device that has zero product waste while recovering some of its stored energy is of interest for the cost reduction of nitrogen for use in industrial processes. Current devices may waste up to 30% of the gaseous nitrogen product by venting it to atmosphere. Furthermore, no attempt is made to recover the thermal energy available in the coldness of the cryogen. A seven step cycle with changing volumes and ambient heat addition is proposed, eliminating all product waste and providing the means of energy recovery from the nitrogen. This thesis discusses the new thermodynamic cycle and modeling as well as the mechanical design and testing of a prototype device. The prototype was able to achieve liquid nitrogen vaporization and pressurization up to 1000 psi, while full cycle validation is ongoing with promising initial results.

Waste in the U.S. Health care system: a conceptual framework.

PubMed

Bentley, Tanya G K; Effros, Rachel M; Palar, Kartika; Keeler, Emmett B

2008-12-01

Health care costs in the United States are much higher than those in industrial countries with similar or better health system performance. Wasteful spending has many undesirable consequences that could be alleviated through waste reduction. This article proposes a conceptual framework to guide researchers and policymakers in evaluating waste, implementing waste-reduction strategies, and reducing the burden of unnecessary health care spending. This article divides health care waste into administrative, operational, and clinical waste and provides an overview of each. It explains how researchers have used both high-level and sector- or procedure-specific comparisons to quantify such waste, and it discusses examples and challenges in both waste measurement and waste reduction. Waste is caused by factors such as health insurance and medical uncertainties that encourage the production of inefficient and low-value services. Various efforts to reduce such waste have encountered challenges, such as the high costs of initial investment, unintended administrative complexities, and trade-offs among patients', payers', and providers' interests. While categorizing waste may help identify and measure general types and sources of waste, successful reduction strategies must integrate the administrative, operational, and clinical components of care, and proceed by identifying goals, changing systemic incentives, and making specific process improvements. Classifying, identifying, and measuring waste elucidate its causes, clarify systemic goals, and specify potential health care reforms that-by improving the market for health insurance and health care-will generate incentives for better efficiency and thus ultimately decrease waste in the U.S. health care system.

The contribution of waste management to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with applications in the city of Bucharest.

PubMed

Sandulescu, Elena

2004-12-01

Waste management is a key process to protect the environment and conserve resources. The contribution of appropriate waste management measures to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the city of Bucharest was studied. An analysis of the distribution of waste flows into various treatment options was conducted using the material flows and stocks analysis (MFSA). An optimum scenario (i.e. municipal solid waste stream managed as: recycling of recoverable materials, 8%; incineration of combustibles, 60%; landfilling of non-combustibles, 32%) was modelled to represent the future waste management in Bucharest with regard to its relevance towards the potential for GHG reduction. The results indicate that it can contribute by 5.5% to the reduction of the total amount of GHGs emitted from Bucharest.

Short mechanical biological treatment of municipal solid waste allows landfill impact reduction saving waste energy content.

PubMed

Scaglia, Barbara; Salati, Silvia; Di Gregorio, Alessandra; Carrera, Alberto; Tambone, Fulvia; Adani, Fabrizio

2013-09-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of full scale MBT process (28 d) in removing inhibition condition for successive biogas (ABP) production in landfill and in reducing total waste impact. For this purpose the organic fraction of MSW was treated in a full-scale MBT plant and successively incubated vs. untreated waste, in simulated landfills for one year. Results showed that untreated landfilled-waste gave a total ABP reduction that was null. On the contrary MBT process reduced ABP of 44%, but successive incubation for one year in landfill gave a total ABP reduction of 86%. This ABP reduction corresponded to a MBT process of 22 weeks length, according to the predictive regression developed for ABP reduction vs. MBT-time. Therefore short MBT allowed reducing landfill impact, preserving energy content (ABP) to be produced successively by bioreactor technology since pre-treatment avoided process inhibition because of partial waste biostabilization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Resources for State and Local Government/Solid Waste Planners

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides a brief overview of how EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) can be used by state and local government/solid waste planners. The page includes a brief summary of uses of WARM for the audience and links to other resources.

Polymer-based composites for aerospace: An overview of IMAST results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milella, Eva; Cammarano, Aniello

2016-05-01

This paper gives an overview of technological results, achieved by IMAST, the Technological Cluster on Engineering of Polymeric Composite Materials and Structures, in the completed Research Projects in the aerospace field. In this sector, the Cluster developed different solutions: lightweight multifunctional fiber-reinforced polymer composites for aeronautic structures, advanced manufacturing processes (for the optimization of energy consumption and waste reduction) and multifunctional components (e.g., thermal, electrical, acoustic and fire resistance).

Does industrial waste taxation contribute to reduction of landfilled waste? Dynamic panel analysis considering industrial waste category in Japan.

PubMed

Sasao, Toshiaki

2014-11-01

Waste taxes, such as landfill and incineration taxes, have emerged as a popular option in developed countries to promote the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle). However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of waste taxes. In addition, quite a few studies have considered both dynamic relationships among dependent variables and unobserved individual heterogeneity among the jurisdictions. If dependent variables are persistent, omitted variables cause a bias, or common characteristics exist across the jurisdictions that have introduced waste taxes, the standard fixed effects model may lead to biased estimation results and misunderstood causal relationships. In addition, most existing studies have examined waste in terms of total amounts rather than by categories. Even if significant reductions in total waste amounts are not observed, some reduction within each category may, nevertheless, become evident. Therefore, this study analyzes the effects of industrial waste taxation on quantities of waste in landfill in Japan by applying the bias-corrected least-squares dummy variable (LSDVC) estimators; the general method of moments (difference GMM); and the system GMM. In addition, the study investigates effect differences attributable to industrial waste categories and taxation types. This paper shows that industrial waste taxes in Japan have minimal, significant effects on the reduction of final disposal amounts thus far, considering dynamic relationships and waste categories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of microwave and alkali induced pretreatment on sludge solubilization and subsequent aerobic digestion.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Jung; Tyagi, Vinay Kumar; Lo, Shang-Lien

2011-09-01

Individual and combined effects of microwave (MW) and alkali pretreatments on sludge disintegration and subsequent aerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) were studied. Pretreatments with MW (600W-85°C-2 min), conventional heating (520 W-80°C-12 min) and alkali (1.5 g NaOH/L - pH 12-30 min) achieved 8.5%, 7% and 18% COD solubilization, respectively. However, combined MW-alkali pretreatment synergistically enhanced sludge solubilization and achieved 46% COD solubilization, 20% greater than the additive value of MW alone and alkali alone (8.5+18%=26.5%). Moreover, the results of the batch aerobic digestion study on MW-alkali pretreated sludge showed 93% and 63% reductions in SCOD and VSS concentrations, respectively, at 16 days of SRT. The VSS reduction was 20% higher than that of WAS without pretreatment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aeration control of thermophilic aerobic digestion using fluorescence monitoring.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Kee; Oh, Byung-Keun

2009-01-01

The thermophilic aerobic digestion (TAD) process is recognized as an effective method for rapid waste activated sludge (WAS) degradation and the deactivation of pathogenic microorganisms. Yet, high energy costs due to heating and aeration have limited the commercialization of economical TAD processes. Previous research on autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) has already reduced the heating cost. However, only a few studies have focused on reducing the aeration cost. Therefore, this study applied a two-step aeration control strategy to a fill-and-draw mode semicontinuous TAD process. The NADH-dependent fluorescence was monitored throughout the TAD experiment, and the aeration rate shifted according to the fluorescence intensity. As a result, the simple two-step aeration control operation achieved a 20.3% reduction in the total aeration, while maintaining an effective and stable operation. It is also expected that more savings can be achieved with a further reduction of the lower aeration rate or multisegmentation of the aeration rate.

Effect of fermentation time of mixture of solid and liquid wastes from tapioca industry to percentage reduction of TSS (Total Suspended Solids)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandia, S.; Tanata, S.; Rachel, M.; Octiva, C.; Sialagan, N.

2018-02-01

The waste from tapioca industry is as an organic waste that contains many important compounds such as carbohydrate, protein, and glucose. This research as aimed to know the effect of fermentation time from solid waste combined with waste-water from the tapioca industry to percentage reduction of TSS. The study was started by mixing the solid and liquid wastes from tapioca industry at a ratio of 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, and 30:70 (w/w) with a starter from solid waste of cattle in a batch anaerobic digester. The percentage reduction of TSS was 72.2289 at a ratio by weight of the composition of solid and liquid wastes from tapioca industry was 70:30 after 30 days of fermentation time.

Screening of intact yeasts and cell extracts to reduce Scrapie prions during biotransformation of food waste.

PubMed

Huyben, David; Boqvist, Sofia; Passoth, Volkmar; Renström, Lena; Allard Bengtsson, Ulrika; Andréoletti, Olivier; Kiessling, Anders; Lundh, Torbjörn; Vågsholm, Ivar

2018-02-08

Yeasts can be used to convert organic food wastes to protein-rich animal feed in order to recapture nutrients. However, the reuse of animal-derived waste poses a risk for the transmission of infectious prions that can cause neurodegeneration and fatality in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of yeasts to reduce prion activity during the biotransformation of waste substrates-thereby becoming a biosafety hurdle in such a circular food system. During pre-screening, 30 yeast isolates were spiked with Classical Scrapie prions and incubated for 72 h in casein substrate, as a waste substitute. Based on reduced Scrapie seeding activity, waste biotransformation and protease activities, intact cells and cell extracts of 10 yeasts were further tested. Prion analysis showed that five yeast species reduced Scrapie seeding activity by approximately 1 log10 or 90%. Cryptococcus laurentii showed the most potential to reduce prion activity since both intact and extracted cells reduced Scrapie by 1 log10 and achieved the highest protease activity. These results show that select forms of yeast can act as a prion hurdle during the biotransformation of waste. However, the limited ability of yeasts to reduce prion activity warrants caution as a sole barrier to transmission as higher log reductions are needed before using waste-cultured yeast in circular food systems.

Waste in the U.S. Health Care System: A Conceptual Framework

PubMed Central

Bentley, Tanya G K; Effros, Rachel M; Palar, Kartika; Keeler, Emmett B

2008-01-01

Context Health care costs in the United States are much higher than those in industrial countries with similar or better health system performance. Wasteful spending has many undesirable consequences that could be alleviated through waste reduction. This article proposes a conceptual framework to guide researchers and policymakers in evaluating waste, implementing waste-reduction strategies, and reducing the burden of unnecessary health care spending. Methods This article divides health care waste into administrative, operational, and clinical waste and provides an overview of each. It explains how researchers have used both high-level and sector- or procedure-specific comparisons to quantify such waste, and it discusses examples and challenges in both waste measurement and waste reduction. Findings Waste is caused by factors such as health insurance and medical uncertainties that encourage the production of inefficient and low-value services. Various efforts to reduce such waste have encountered challenges, such as the high costs of initial investment, unintended administrative complexities, and trade-offs among patients', payers', and providers' interests. While categorizing waste may help identify and measure general types and sources of waste, successful reduction strategies must integrate the administrative, operational, and clinical components of care, and proceed by identifying goals, changing systemic incentives, and making specific process improvements. Conclusions Classifying, identifying, and measuring waste elucidate its causes, clarify systemic goals, and specify potential health care reforms that—by improving the market for health insurance and health care—will generate incentives for better efficiency and thus ultimately decrease waste in the U.S. health care system. PMID:19120983

The impact of an efficient collection sites location on the zoning phase in municipal solid waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghiani, Gianpaolo, E-mail: gianpaolo.ghiani@unisalento.it; Manni, Andrea, E-mail: andrea.manni@unisalento.it; Manni, Emanuele, E-mail: emanuele.manni@unisalento.it

2014-11-15

Highlights: • We study the problems of locating collection areas and zoning the service territory in a municipal waste management system. • We investigate the impact that an efficient collection sites location has on the subsequent zoning phase. • On a real-world test case, we show that the proposed approach could allow achieving significant monetary savings. - Abstract: In this paper, we study two decisional problems arising when planning the collection of solid waste, namely the location of collection sites (together with bin allocation) and the zoning of the service territory, and we assess the potential impact that an efficientmore » location has on the subsequent zoning phase. We first propose both an exact and a heuristic approach to locate the unsorted waste collection bins in a residential town, and to decide the capacities and characteristics of the bins to be located at each collection site. A peculiar aspect we consider is that of taking into account the compatibility between the different types of bins when allocating them to collection areas. Moreover, we propose a fast and effective heuristic approach to identify homogeneous zones that can be served by a single collection vehicle. Computational results on data related to a real-life instance show that an efficient location is fundamental in achieving consistent monetary savings, as well as a reduced environmental impact. These reductions are the result of one vehicle less needed to perform the waste collection operations, and an overall traveled distance reduced by about 25% on the average.« less

Comparative Evaluation of Cutting Methods of Activated Concrete from Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning - 13548

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, HakSoo; Chung, SungHwan; Maeng, SungJun

2013-07-01

The amount of radioactive wastes from decommissioning of a nuclear power plant varies greatly depending on factors such as type and size of the plant, operation history, decommissioning options, and waste treatment and volume reduction methods. There are many methods to decrease the amount of decommissioning radioactive wastes including minimization of waste generation, waste reclassification through decontamination and cutting methods to remove the contaminated areas. According to OECD/NEA, it is known that the radioactive waste treatment and disposal cost accounts for about 40 percentage of the total decommissioning cost. In Korea, it is needed to reduce amount of decommissioning radioactivemore » waste due to high disposal cost, about $7,000 (as of 2010) per a 200 liter drum for the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW). In this paper, cutting methods to minimize the radioactive waste of activated concrete were investigated and associated decommissioning cost impact was assessed. The cutting methods considered are cylindrical and volume reductive cuttings. The study showed that the volume reductive cutting is more cost-effective than the cylindrical cutting. Therefore, the volume reductive cutting method can be effectively applied to the activated bio-shield concrete. (authors)« less

Reduction experiment of iron scale by adding waste plastics.

PubMed

Zhang, Chongmin; Chen, Shuwen; Miao, Xincheng; Yuan, Hao

2009-01-01

The special features of waste plastics in China are huge in total amount, various in type and dispersive in deposition. Therefore, it is necessary to try some new ways that are fit to Chinese situation for disposing waste plastics as metallurgical raw materials more effectively and flexibly. Owing to its high ferrous content and less impurity, the iron scale became ideal raw material to produce pure iron powder. One of the methods to produce pure iron powder is Hoganas Method, by which, after one or multistage of reduction steps, the iron scale can be reduced pure iron powder. However, combining utilization of waste plastics and iron powder production, a series of reduction experiments were arranged and investigated, which is hoped to take use of both thermal and chemical energy contained in waste plastics as well as to improve the reducing condition of iron scale, and hence to develop a new metallurgical way of disposing waste plastics. The results show that under these experimental conditions, the thermal-decomposition of water plastics can conduce to an increase of porosity in the reduction systems. Moreover, better thermodynamics and kinetics conditions for the reduction of scale can be reached. As a result, the reduction rate is increased.

Vermicomposting as manure management strategy for urban small-holder animal farms – Kampala case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lalander, Cecilia Helena, E-mail: cecilia.lalander@slu.se; Komakech, Allan John; Department of Agricultural & Bio-systems Engineering, Makerere University, Kampala

Highlights: • Poor manure management can increase burden of disease and environmental impact. • A low-maintenance vermicompost reactor was set-up in Kampala, Uganda. • High material reduction (45.9%) and waste-to-biomass conversion (3.6% on a TS basis). • Five year return on investment of 275% of system in Uganda. • Technically and economically viable system for improved urban manure management. - Abstract: Inadequate organic waste management can contribute to the spread of diseases and have negative impacts on the environment. Vermicomposting organic waste could have dual beneficial effects by generating an economically viable animal feed protein in the form of wormmore » biomass, while alleviating the negative effects of poor organic waste management. In this study, a low-maintenance vermicomposting system was evaluated as manure and food waste management system for small-holder farmers. A vermicomposting system using the earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae and treating cow manure and food waste was set up in Kampala, Uganda, and monitored for 172 days. The material degradation and protein production rates were evaluated after 63 days and at the end of the experiment. The material reduction was 45.9% and the waste-to-biomass conversion rate was 3.5% in the vermicomposting process on a total solids basis. A possible increase in the conversion rate could be achieved by increasing the frequency of worm harvesting. Vermicomposting was found to be a viable manure management method in small-scale urban animal agriculture; the return of investment was calculated to be 280% for treating the manure of a 450 kg cow. The vermicompost was not sanitised, although hygiene quality could be improved by introducing a post-stabilisation step in which no fresh material is added. The value of the animal feed protein generated in the process can act as an incentive to improve current manure management strategies.« less

Auditing Operating Room Recycling: A Management Case Report.

PubMed

McGain, Forbes; Jarosz, Katherine Maria; Nguyen, Martin Ngoc Hoai Huong; Bates, Samantha; O'Shea, Catherine Jane

2015-08-01

Much waste arises from operating rooms (ORs). We estimated the practical and financial feasibility of an OR recycling program, weighing all waste from 6 ORs in Melbourne, Australia. Over 1 week, 237 operations produced 1265 kg in total: general waste 570 kg (45%), infectious waste 410 kg (32%), and recyclables 285 kg (23%). The achieved recycling had no infectious contamination. The achieved recycling/potential recycling rate was 285 kg/517 kg (55%). The average waste disposal costs were similar for general waste and recycling. OR recycling rates of 20%-25% total waste were achievable without compromising infection control or financial constraints.

WASTE TREATMENT BUILDING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

F. Habashi

2000-06-22

The Waste Treatment Building System provides the space, layout, structures, and embedded subsystems that support the processing of low-level liquid and solid radioactive waste generated within the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR). The activities conducted in the Waste Treatment Building include sorting, volume reduction, and packaging of dry waste, and collecting, processing, solidification, and packaging of liquid waste. The Waste Treatment Building System is located on the surface within the protected area of the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System helps maintain a suitable environment for the waste processing and protects the systems within the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) from mostmore » of the natural and induced environments. The WTB also confines contaminants and provides radiological protection to personnel. In addition to the waste processing operations, the Waste Treatment Building System provides space and layout for staging of packaged waste for shipment, industrial and radiological safety systems, control and monitoring of operations, safeguards and security systems, and fire protection, ventilation and utilities systems. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides the required space and layout for maintenance activities, tool storage, and administrative facilities. The Waste Treatment Building System integrates waste processing systems within its protective structure to support the throughput rates established for the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides shielding, layout, and other design features to help limit personnel radiation exposures to levels which are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System, and with other MGR systems that support the waste processing operations. The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the General Site Transportation System, Site Communications System, Site Water System, MGR Site Layout, Safeguards and Security System, Site Radiological Monitoring System, Site Electrical Power System, Site Compressed Air System, and Waste Treatment Building Ventilation System.« less

Waste audit study: Research and educational institutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-08-15

This document reports on hazardous-waste reduction audits performed at three diverse research/educational institutions in southern California. Waste-reduction opportunities identified include: utilizing microscale experiments; chemical substitution; treating waste chemicals in the final step in experiments; and recycle, recovery, and treatment options. A generic self-audit was developed for use by educational and research institutions throughout the state.

Improvement of biogas production from orange peel waste by leaching of limonene.

PubMed

Wikandari, Rachma; Nguyen, Huong; Millati, Ria; Niklasson, Claes; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2015-01-01

Limonene is present in orange peel wastes and is known as an antimicrobial agent, which impedes biogas production when digesting the peels. In this work, pretreatment of the peels to remove limonene under mild condition was proposed by leaching of limonene using hexane as solvent. The pretreatments were carried out with homogenized or chopped orange peel at 20-40°C with orange peel waste and hexane ratio (w/v) ranging from 1 : 2 to 1 : 12 for 10 to 300 min. The pretreated peels were then digested in batch reactors for 33 days. The highest biogas production was achieved by treating chopped orange peel waste and hexane ratio of 12 : 1 at 20°C for 10 min corresponding to more than threefold increase of biogas production from 0.061 to 0.217 m(3) methane/kg VS. The solvent recovery was 90% using vacuum filtration and needs further separation using evaporation. The hexane residue in the peel had a negative impact on biogas production as shown by 28.6% reduction of methane and lower methane production of pretreated orange peel waste in semicontinuous digestion system compared to that of untreated peel.

Energy or compost from green waste? - A CO{sub 2} - Based assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kranert, Martin, E-mail: martin.kranert@iswa.uni-stuttgart.d; Gottschall, Ralf; Bruns, Christian

2010-04-15

Green waste is increasingly extracted from the material recycling chain and, as a result of the financial subsidy arising from the German renewable energy law for the generation of energy from renewable raw materials; it is fed into the energy recovery process in biomass power stations. A reduction in climate relevant gases is also linked to the material recovery of green waste - in particular when using composts gained from the process as a new raw material in different types of potting compost and plant culture media as a replacement for peat. Unlike energy recovery, material valorisation is not currentlymore » subsidised. Through the analysis of material and energy valorisation methods for green waste, with particular emphasis on primary resource consumption and CO{sub 2}-balance, it could be determined that the use of green waste for energy generation and its recovery for material and peat replacement purposes can be considered to be on a par. Based on energy recovery or material oriented scenarios, it can be further deduced that no method on its own will achieve the desired outcome and that a combination of recycling processes is more likely to lead to a significant decrease of greenhouse gas emissions.« less

Codigestion of manure and organic wastes in centralized biogas plants: status and future trends.

PubMed

Angelidaki, I; Ellegaard, L

2003-01-01

Centralized biogas plants in Denmark codigest mainly manure, together with other organic waste such as industrial organic waste, source sorted household waste, and sewage sludge. Today 22 large-scale centralized biogas plants are in operation in Denmark, and in 2001 they treated approx 1.2 million tons of manure as well as approx 300,000 of organic industrial waste. Besides the centralized biogas plants there are a large number of smaller farm-scale plants. The long-term energy plan objective is a 10-fold increase of the 1998 level of biogas production by the year 2020. This will help to achieve a target of 12-14% of the national energy consumption being provided by renewable energy by the year 2005 and 33% by the year 2030. A major part of this increase is expected to come from new centralized biogas plants. The annual potential for biogas production from biomass resources available in Denmark is estimated to be approx 30 Peta Joule (PJ). Manure comprises about 80% of this potential. Special emphasis has been paid to establishing good sanitation and pathogen reduction of the digested material, to avoid risk of spreading pathogens when applying the digested manure as fertilizer to agricultural soils.

WASTE MINIMIZATION OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT: PHILADELPHIA NAVAL SHIPYARD

EPA Science Inventory

The Waste Reduction Evaluation at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program consists of a series of demonstration and evaluation projects for waste reduction conducted cooperatively by EPA and various parts of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and other Federal ag...

Berm design to reduce risks of catastrophic slope failures at solid waste disposal sites.

PubMed

De Stefano, Matteo; Gharabaghi, Bahram; Clemmer, Ryan; Jahanfar, M Ali

2016-11-01

Existing waste disposal sites are being strained by exceeding their volumetric capacities because of exponentially increasing rates of municipal solid waste generation worldwide, especially in densely populated metropolises. Over the past 40 years, six well-documented and analyzed disposal sites experienced catastrophic failure. This research presents a novel analysis and design method for implementation of a series of in-situ earth berms to slow down the movement of waste material flow following a catastrophic failure. This is the first study of its kind that employs a dynamic landslide analysis model, DAN-W, and the Voellmy rheological model to approximate solid waste avalanche flow. A variety of single and multiple berm configuration scenarios were developed and tested to find an optimum configuration of the various earth berm geometries and number of berms to achieve desired energy dissipation and reduction in total waste material runout length. The case study application of the novel mitigation measure shows that by constructing a series of six relatively inexpensive 3 m high earth berms at an optimum distance of 250 m from the slope toe, the total runout length of 1000 m and associated fatalities of the Leuwigajah dumpsite catastrophic failure in Bandung, Indonesia, could have been reduced by half. © The Author(s) 2016.

Waste Minimization Study on Pyrochemical Reprocessing Processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boussier, H.; Conocar, O.; Lacquement, J.

2006-07-01

Ideally a new pyro-process should not generate more waste, and should be at least as safe and cost effective as the hydrometallurgical processes currently implemented at industrial scale. This paper describes the thought process, the methodology and some results obtained by process integration studies to devise potential pyro-processes and to assess their capability of achieving this challenging objective. As example the assessment of a process based on salt/metal reductive extraction, designed for the reprocessing of Generation IV carbide spent fuels, is developed. Salt/metal reductive extraction uses the capability of some metals, aluminum in this case, to selectively reduce actinide fluoridesmore » previously dissolved in a fluoride salt bath. The reduced actinides enter the metal phase from which they are subsequently recovered; the fission products remain in the salt phase. In fact, the process is not so simple, as it requires upstream and downstream subsidiary steps. All these process steps generate secondary waste flows representing sources of actinide leakage and/or FP discharge. In aqueous processes the main solvent (nitric acid solution) has a low boiling point and evaporate easily or can be removed by distillation, thereby leaving limited flow containing the dissolved substance behind to be incorporated in a confinement matrix. From the point of view of waste generation, one main handicap of molten salt processes, is that the saline phase (fluoride in our case) used as solvent is of same nature than the solutes (radionuclides fluorides) and has a quite high boiling point. So it is not so easy, than it is with aqueous solutions, to separate solvent and solutes in order to confine only radioactive material and limit the final waste flows. Starting from the initial block diagram devised two years ago, the paper shows how process integration studies were able to propose process fittings which lead to a reduction of the waste variety and flows leading at an 'ideal' new block diagram allowing internal solvent recycling, and self eliminating reactants. This new flowsheet minimizes the quantity of inactive inlet flows that would have inevitably to be incorporated in a final waste form. The study identifies all knowledge gaps to be filled and suggest some possible R and D issues to confirm or infirm the feasibility of the proposed process fittings. (authors)« less

Environmental audits and process flow mapping to assess management of solid waste and wastewater from a healthcare facility: an Italian case study.

PubMed

Vaccari, Mentore; Montasser, Waleed; Tudor, Terry; Leone, Luigi

2017-05-01

In Europe, there are an increasing number of policy and legislative drivers for a more sustainable approach to the management of natural resources as well as for the mitigation of environmental health risks. However, despite significant progress in recent years, there is still some way to go to achieve circularity of process, as well as risk mitigation within organisations. Using a case study of the Gardone Val Trompia hospital in northern Italy, this manuscript offers a novel holistic examination of strategies to enhance resource efficiency and environmental health within a key sector, i.e. the healthcare sector. Through the use of environmental audits and process flow mapping, trends in waste and wastewater arisings and the associated financial and environmental costs and risks were identified. Recommendations for developing more resource efficient approaches as well as mitigating the environmental and public health risks are suggested. These include strategies for improved resource efficiency (including reduction in the hazardous waste) and reduced environmental impacts during the containment, transport and treatment of the waste.

Pilot-scale anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste and waste activated sludge in China: Effect of organic loading rate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu Xiao, E-mail: liuxiao07@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn; Wang Wei; Shi Yunchun

2012-11-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co-digestion of municipal biomass waste (MBW) and waste activated sludge (WAS) was examined on a pilot-scale reactor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer System performance and stability under OLR of 1.2, 2.4, 3.6, 4.8, 6.0 and 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} were analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A maximum methane production rate of 2.94 m{sup 3} (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} was achieved at OLR of 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} and HRT of 15d. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer With the increasing OLRs, pH values, VS removal rate and methane concentration decreased and VFA increased. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The changing of biogas production rate can be a practicalmore » approach to monitor and control anaerobic digestion system. - Abstract: The effects of organic loading rate on the performance and stability of anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste (MBW) and waste activated sludge (WAS) were investigated on a pilot-scale reactor. The results showed that stable operation was achieved with organic loading rates (OLR) of 1.2-8.0 kg volatile solid (VS) (m{sup 3} d){sup -1}, with VS reduction rates of 61.7-69.9%, and volumetric biogas production of 0.89-5.28 m{sup 3} (m{sup 3} d){sup -1}. A maximum methane production rate of 2.94 m{sup 3} (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} was achieved at OLR of 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1} and hydraulic retention time of 15 days. With increasing OLRs, the anaerobic reactor showed a decrease in VS removal rate, average pH value and methane concentration, and a increase of volatile fatty acid concentration. By monitoring the biogas production rate (BPR), the anaerobic digestion system has a higher acidification risk under an OLR of 8.0 kg VS (m{sup 3} d){sup -1}. This result remarks the possibility of relating bioreactor performance with BPR in order to better understand and monitor anaerobic digestion process.« less

Quantifying the waste reduction potential of using prefabrication in building construction in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Jaillon, L; Poon, C S; Chiang, Y H

2009-01-01

As Hong Kong is a compact city with limited available land and high land prices, the construction of high-rise buildings is prevalent. The construction industry produces a significant amount of building waste. In 2005, about 21.5 million tonnes of construction waste were generated, of which 11% was disposed of in landfills and 89% in public filling areas. At the present rate, Hong Kong will run out of both public filling areas and landfill space within the next decade. The government is taking action to tackle the problem, such as by introducing a construction waste landfill charge, and promoting prefabrication to reduce on-site waste generation. This paper reports an ongoing study on the use of prefabrication in buildings and its impact on waste reduction in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was administered to experienced professionals, and case studies of recently completed building projects were conducted. The results revealed that construction waste reduction is one of the major benefits when using prefabrication compared with conventional construction. The average wastage reduction level was about 52%. This implies that a wider use of prefabrication could considerably reduce construction waste generation in Hong Kong and alleviate the burdens associated with its management.

Energy recovery from organic fractions of municipal solid waste: A case study of Hyderabad city, Pakistan.

PubMed

Safar, Korai M; Bux, Mahar R; Aslam, Uqaili M; Ahmed, Memon S; Ahmed, Lashari I

2016-04-01

Non-renewable energy sources have remained the choice of the world for centuries. Rapid growth in population and industrialisation have caused their shortage and environmental degradation by using them. Thus, at the present rate of consumption, they will not last very long. In this prospective, this study has been conducted. The estimation of energy in terms of biogas and heat from various organic fractions of municipal solid waste is presented and discussed. The results show that organic fractions of municipal solid waste possess methane potential in the range of 3%-22% and their heat capacity ranges from 3007 to 20,099 kJ kg(-1) Also, theoretical biogas potential of different individual fruit as well as vegetable components and mixed food waste are analysed and estimated in the range of 608-1244 m(3) t(-1) Further, the share of bioenergy from municipal solid waste in the total primary energy supply in Pakistan has been estimated to be 1.82%. About 8.43% of present energy demand of the country could be met from municipal solid waste. The study leads us to the conclusion that the share of imported energy (i.e. 0.1% of total energy supply) and reduction in the amount of energy from fossil fuels can be achieved by adopting a waste-to-energy system in the country. © The Author(s) 2016.

Renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sectors of European Union member states: a panel data analysis.

PubMed

Domingos, Hélde Araujo; De Melo Faria, Alexandre Magno; Fuinhas, José Alberto; Marques, António Cardoso

2017-08-01

In the last two decades, there has been a rich debate about the environmental degradation that results from exposure to solid urban waste. Growing public concern with environmental issues has led to the implementation of various strategic plans for waste management in several developed countries, especially in the European Union. In this paper, the relationships were assessed between economic growth, renewable energy extraction and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the waste sector. The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis was analysed for the member states of the European Union, in the presence of electricity generation, landfill and GHG emissions for the period 1995 to 2012. The results revealed that there is no inverted-U-shaped relationship between income and GHG emissions in European Union countries. The renewable fuel extracted from waste contributes to a reduction in GHG, and although the electricity produced also increases emissions somewhat, they would be far greater if the waste-based generation of renewable energy did not take place. The waste sector needs to strengthen its political, economic, institutional and social communication instruments to meet its aims for mitigating the levels of pollutants generated by European economies. To achieve the objectives of the Horizon 2020 programme, currently in force in the countries of the European Union, it will be necessary to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix.

Cultivation of a bacterial consortium with the potential to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbon using waste activated sludge.

PubMed

Sivakumar, S; Song, Y C; Kim, S H; Jang, S H

2015-11-01

Waste activated sludge was aerobically treated to demonstrate multiple uses such as cultivating an oil degrading bacterial consortium; studying the influence of a bulking agent (peat moss) and total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration on bacterial growth and producing a soil conditioner using waste activated sludge. After 30 days of incubation, the concentration of oil-degrading bacteria was 4.3 x 10(8) CFU g(-1) and 4.5 x 10(8) CFU g(-1) for 5 and 10 g of total petroleum hydrocarbon, respectively, in a mixture of waste activated sludge (1 kg) and peat moss (0.1 kg). This accounts for approximately 88.4 and 91.1%, respectively, of the total heterotrophic bacteria (total-HB). The addition of bulking agent enhanced total-HB population and total petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial population. Over 90% of total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation was achieved by the mixture of waste activated sludge, bulking agent and total petroleum hydrocarbon. The results of physico-chemical parameters of the compost (waste activated sludge with and without added peat moss compost) and a substantial reduction in E. coli showed that the use of this final product did not exhibit risk when used as soil conditioner. Finally, the present study demonstrated that cultivation of total petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial consortium and production of compost from waste activated sludge by aerobic treatment was feasible.

Optimizing Anesthesia-Related Waste Disposal in the Operating Room: A Brief Report.

PubMed

Hubbard, Richard M; Hayanga, Jeremiah A; Quinlan, Joseph J; Soltez, Anita K; Hayanga, Heather K

2017-10-01

Misappropriation of noncontaminated waste into regulated medical waste (RMW) containers is a source of added expense to health care facilities. The operating room is a significant contributor to RMW waste production. This study sought to determine whether disposing of anesthesia-related waste in standard waste receptacles before patient entry into the operating room would produce a reduction in RMW. A median of 0.35 kg of waste was collected from 51 cases sampled, with a potential annual reduction of 13,800 kg of RMW to the host institution, and a cost savings of $2200.

Determining the release of radionuclides from tank waste residual solids. FY2015 report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, William D.; Hobbs, David T.

Methodology development for pore water leaching studies has been continued to support Savannah River Site High Level Waste tank closure efforts. For FY2015, the primary goal of this testing was the achievement of target pH and Eh values for pore water solutions representative of local groundwater in the presence of grout or grout-representative (CaCO 3 or FeS) solids as well as waste surrogate solids representative of residual solids expected to be present in a closed tank. For oxidizing conditions representative of a closed tank after aging, a focus was placed on using solid phases believed to be controlling pH andmore » E h at equilibrium conditions. For three pore water conditions (shown below), the target pH values were achieved to within 0.5 pH units. Tank 18 residual surrogate solids leaching studies were conducted over an E h range of approximately 630 mV. Significantly higher Eh values were achieved for the oxidizing conditions (ORII and ORIII) than were previously observed. For the ORII condition, the target Eh value was nearly achieved (within 50 mV). However, E h values observed for the ORIII condition were approximately 160 mV less positive than the target. E h values observed for the RRII condition were approximately 370 mV less negative than the target. Achievement of more positive and more negative E h values is believed to require the addition of non-representative oxidants and reductants, respectively. Plutonium and uranium concentrations measured during Tank 18 residual surrogate solids leaching studies under these conditions (shown below) followed the general trends predicted for plutonium and uranium oxide phases, assuming equilibrium with dissolved oxygen. The highest plutonium and uranium concentrations were observed for the ORIII condition and the lowest concentrations were observed for the RRII condition. Based on these results, it is recommended that these test methodologies be used to conduct leaching studies with actual Tank 18 residual solids material. Actual waste testing will include leaching evaluations of technetium and neptunium, as well as plutonium and uranium.« less

Controlling changes - lessons learned from waste management facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, B.M.; Koplow, A.S.; Stoll, F.E.

This paper discusses lessons learned about change control at the Waste Reduction Operations Complex (WROC) and Waste Experimental Reduction Facility (WERF) of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). WROC and WERF have developed and implemented change control and an as-built drawing process and have identified structures, systems, and components (SSCS) for configuration management. The operations have also formed an Independent Review Committee to minimize costs and resources associated with changing documents. WROC and WERF perform waste management activities at the INEL. WROC activities include storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous and mixed waste. WERF provides volume reduction of solid low-levelmore » waste through compaction, incineration, and sizing operations. WROC and WERF`s efforts aim to improve change control processes that have worked inefficiently in the past.« less

Recovery and recycling practices in municipal solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kofoworola, O.F.

The population of Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, increased seven times from 1950 to 1980 with a current population of over 10 million inhabitants. The majority of the city's residents are poor. The residents make a heavy demand on resources and, at the same time, generate large quantities of solid waste. Approximately 4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated annually in the city, including approximately 0.5 million of untreated industrial waste. This is approximately 1.1 kg/cap/day. Efforts by the various waste management agencies set up by the state government to keep its streets and neighborhoods cleanmore » have achieved only minimal success. This is because more than half of these wastes are left uncollected from the streets and the various locations due to the inadequacy and inefficiency of the waste management system. Whilst the benefits of proper solid waste management (SWM), such as increased revenues for municipal bodies, higher productivity rate, improved sanitation standards and better health conditions, cannot be overemphasized, it is important that there is a reduction in the quantity of recoverable materials in residential and commercial waste streams to minimize the problem of MSW disposal. This paper examines the status of recovery and recycling in current waste management practice in Lagos, Nigeria. Existing recovery and recycling patterns, recovery and recycling technologies, approaches to materials recycling, and the types of materials recovered from MSW are reviewed. Based on these, strategies for improving recovery and recycling practices in the management of MSW in Lagos, Nigeria are suggested.« less

Quantification of landfill methane using modified Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's waste model and error function analysis.

PubMed

Govindan, Siva Shangari; Agamuthu, P

2014-10-01

Waste management can be regarded as a cross-cutting environmental 'mega-issue'. Sound waste management practices support the provision of basic needs for general health, such as clean air, clean water and safe supply of food. In addition, climate change mitigation efforts can be achieved through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management operations, such as landfills. Landfills generate landfill gas, especially methane, as a result of anaerobic degradation of the degradable components of municipal solid waste. Evaluating the mode of generation and collection of landfill gas has posted a challenge over time. Scientifically, landfill gas generation rates are presently estimated using numerical models. In this study the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Waste Model is used to estimate the methane generated from a Malaysian sanitary landfill. Key parameters of the model, which are the decay rate and degradable organic carbon, are analysed in two different approaches; the bulk waste approach and waste composition approach. The model is later validated using error function analysis and optimum decay rate, and degradable organic carbon for both approaches were also obtained. The best fitting values for the bulk waste approach are a decay rate of 0.08 y(-1) and degradable organic carbon value of 0.12; and for the waste composition approach the decay rate was found to be 0.09 y(-1) and degradable organic carbon value of 0.08. From this validation exercise, the estimated error was reduced by 81% and 69% for the bulk waste and waste composition approach, respectively. In conclusion, this type of modelling could constitute a sensible starting point for landfills to introduce careful planning for efficient gas recovery in individual landfills. © The Author(s) 2014.

Westinghouse Modular Grinding Process - Enhancement of Volume Reduction for Hot Resin Supercompaction - 13491

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fehrmann, Henning; Aign, Joerg

2013-07-01

In nuclear power plants (NPP) ion exchange (IX) resins are used in several systems for water treatment. Spent resins can contain a significant amount of contaminates which makes treatment for disposal of spent resins mandatory. Several treatment processes are available such as direct immobilization with technologies like cementation, bitumisation, polymer solidification or usage of a high integrity container (HIC). These technologies usually come with a significant increase in final waste volume. The Hot Resin Supercompaction (HRSC) is a thermal treatment process which reduces the resin waste volume significantly. For a mixture of powdered and bead resins the HRSC process hasmore » demonstrated a volume reduction of up to 75 % [1]. For bead resins only the HRSC process is challenging because the bead resins compaction properties are unfavorable. The bead resin material does not form a solid block after compaction and shows a high spring back effect. The volume reduction of bead resins is not as good as for the mixture described in [1]. The compaction properties of bead resin waste can be significantly improved by grinding the beads to powder. The grinding also eliminates the need for a powder additive.Westinghouse has developed a modular grinding process to grind the bead resin to powder. The developed process requires no circulation of resins and enables a selective adjustment of particle size and distribution to achieve optimal results in the HRSC or in any other following process. A special grinding tool setup is use to minimize maintenance and radiation exposure to personnel. (authors)« less

Diet change and food loss reduction: What is their combined impact on global water use and scarcity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalava, Mika; Guillaume, Joseph H. A.; Kummu, Matti; Porkka, Miina; Siebert, Stefan; Varis, Olli

2016-03-01

There is a pressing need to improve food security and reduce environmental impacts of agricultural production globally. Two of the proposed measures are diet change from animal-based to plant-based foodstuffs and reduction of food losses and waste. These two measures are linked, as diet change affects production and consumption of foodstuffs and consequently loss processes through their different water footprints and loss percentages. This paper takes this link into account for the first time and provides an assessment of the combined potential contribution of diet change and food loss reduction for reducing water footprints and water scarcity. We apply scenarios in which we change diets to follow basic dietary recommendations, limit animal-based protein intake to 25% of total protein intake, and halve food losses to study single and combined effects of diet change and loss reduction. Dietary recommendations alone would achieve 6% and 7% reductions of blue and green water consumption, respectively, while changing diets to contain less animal products would result in savings of 11% and 18%, respectively. Halving food loss would alone achieve 12% reductions for both blue and green water. Combining the measures would reduce water consumption by 23% and 28%, respectively, lowering water scarcity in areas with a population of over 600 million. At a global scale, effects of diet change and loss reduction were synergistic with loss reductions being more effective under changed diet. This demonstrates the importance of considering the link between diet change and loss reduction in assessments of food security and resource use.

Monitoring environmental burden reduction from household waste prevention.

PubMed

Matsuda, Takeshi; Hirai, Yasuhiro; Asari, Misuzu; Yano, Junya; Miura, Takahiro; Ii, Ryota; Sakai, Shin-Ichi

2018-01-01

In this study, the amount of prevented household waste in Kyoto city was quantified using three methods. Subsequently, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction by waste prevention was calculated in order to monitor the impact of waste prevention. The methods of quantification were "relative change from baseline year (a)," "absolute change from potential waste generation (b)," and "absolute amount of activities (c)." Method (a) was popular for measuring waste prevention, but method (b) was the original approach to determine the absolute amount of waste prevention by estimating the potential waste generation. Method (c) also provided the absolute value utilizing the information of activities. Methods (b) and (c) enable the evaluation of the waste prevention activities with a similar baseline for recycling. Methods (b) and (c) gave significantly higher GHG reductions than method (a) because of the difference in baseline between them. Therefore, setting a baseline is very important for evaluating waste prevention. In practice, when focusing on the monitoring of a specific policy or campaign, method (a) is an appropriate option. On the other hand, when comparing the total impact of waste prevention to that of recycling, methods (b) and (c) should be applied. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of mechanically sorted organic waste by bioreactor landfill: Experimental results and preliminary comparative impact assessment with biostabilization and conventional landfill.

PubMed

Di Maria, Francesco; Micale, Caterina; Sisani, Luciano; Rotondi, Luca

2016-09-01

Treatment and disposal of the mechanically sorted organic fraction (MSOF) of municipal solid waste using a full-scale hybrid bioreactor landfill was experimentally analyzed. A preliminary life cycle assessment was used to compare the hybrid bioreactor landfill with the conventional scheme based on aerobic biostabilization plus landfill. The main findings showed that hybrid bioreactor landfill was able to achieve a dynamic respiration index (DRI)<1000 mgO2/(kgVSh) in 20weeks, on average. Landfill gas (LFG) generation with CH4 concentration >55% v/v started within 140days from MSOF disposal, allowing prompt energy recovery and higher collection efficiency. With the exception of fresh water eutrophication with the bioreactor scenario there was a reduction of the impact categories by about 30% compared to the conventional scheme. Such environmental improvement was mainly a consequence of the reduction of direct and indirect emissions from conventional aerobic biostabilization and of the lower amount of gaseous loses from the bioreactor landfill. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimum Water Chemistry in radiation field buildup control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Chien, C.

1995-03-01

Nuclear utilities continue to face the challenGE of reducing exposure of plant maintenance personnel. GE Nuclear Energy has developed the concept of Optimum Water Chemistry (OWC) to reduce the radiation field buildup and minimize the radioactive waste production. It is believed that reduction of radioactive sources and improvement of the water chemistry quality should significantly reduce both the radiation exposure and radwaste production. The most important source of radioactivity is cobalt and replacement of cobalt containing alloy in the core region as well as in the entire primary system is considered the first priority to achieve the goal of lowmore » exposure and minimized waste production. A plant specific computerized cobalt transport model has been developed to evaluate various options in a BWR system under specific conditions. Reduction of iron input and maintaining low ionic impurities in the coolant have been identified as two major tasks for operators. Addition of depleted zinc is a proven technique to reduce Co-60 in reactor water and on out-of-core piping surfaces. The effect of HWC on Co-60 transport in the primary system will also be discussed.« less

Enhanced high-solids anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge by the addition of scrap iron.

PubMed

Zhang, Yaobin; Feng, Yinghong; Yu, Qilin; Xu, Zibin; Quan, Xie

2014-05-01

Anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge usually requires pretreatment procedure to improve the bioavailability of sludge, which involves considerable energy and high expenditures. This study proposes a cost-effective method for enhanced anaerobic digestion of sludge without a pretreatment by directly adding iron into the digester. The results showed that addition of Fe(0) powder could enhance 14.46% methane yield, and Fe scrap (clean scrap) could further enhance methane yield (improving rate 21.28%) because the scrap has better mass transfer efficiency with sludge and liquid than Fe(0) powder. The scrap of Fe with rust (rusty scrap) could induce microbial Fe(III) reduction, which resulted in achieving the highest methane yield (improving rate 29.51%), and the reduction rate of volatile suspended solids (VSS) was also highest (48.27%) among Fe powder, clean scrap and rusty scrap. PCR-DGGE proved that the addition of rusty scrap could enhance diversity of acetobacteria and enrich iron-reducing bacteria to enhance degradation of complex substrates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomethanization of mixtures of fruits and vegetables solid wastes and sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Gomez-Lahoz, C; Fernández-Giménez, B; Garcia-Herruzo, F; Rodriguez-Maroto, J M; Vereda-Alonso, C

2007-03-01

The possible management of Fruit and Vegetable Solid Wastes (FVSWs) through their simultaneous digestion with the primary sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment plants is investigated. This alternative allows the recovery of energy and a solid product that can be used as an amendment for soils that generated the residue, while is not expensive. Results indicate that the ratio of FVSWs to sludge and the pH control are the main variables determining the methane production and concentration. NaHCO3 was selected to achieve the pH control. The results for a ratio of 50% sludge together with 10 g NaHCO3/kg of residue are among the best obtained, with a methane yield of about 90 L per kg of volatile solids, and a methane concentration of 40% (v/v) of the biogas. A 50% reduction of the total solids; 21% reduction of the volatile solids (in terms of total solids); and a pH value of the sludge, which is 6.9 indicate that the digested sludge can be a good material for soil amendment.

[Health impact assessment of policies for municipal solid waste management: findings of the SESPIR Project].

PubMed

Ranzi, Andrea; Ancona, Carla; Angelini, Paola; Badaloni, Chiara; Cernigliaro, Achille; Chiusolo, Monica; Parmagnani, Federica; Pizzuti, Renato; Scondotto, Salvatore; Cadum, Ennio; Forastiere, Francesco; Lauriola, Paolo

2014-01-01

The SESPIR Project (Epidemiological Surveillance of Health Status of Resident Population Around the Waste Treatment Plants) assessed the impact on health of residents nearby incinerators, landfills and mechanical biological treatment plants in five Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily). The assessment procedure took into account the available knowledge on health effects of waste disposal facilities. Analyses were related to three different scenarios: a Baseline scenario, referred to plants active in 2008-2009; the regional future scenario, with plants expected in the waste regional plans; a virtuous scenario (Green 2020), based on a policy management of municipal solid waste (MSW) through the reduction of production and an intense recovery policy. Facing with a total population of around 24 million for the 5 regions, the residents nearby the plants were more than 380,000 people at Baseline. Such a population is reduced to approximately 330.000 inhabitants and 170.000 inhabitants in the regional and Green 2020 scenarios, respectively. The health impact was assessed for the period 2008-2040. At Baseline, 1-2 cases per year of cancer attributable to MSW plants were estimated, as well as 26 cases per year of adverse pregnancy outcomes (including low birth weight and birth defects), 102 persons with respiratory symptoms, and about a thousand affected from annoyance caused by odours. These annual estimates are translated into 2,725 years of life with disability (DALYs) estimated for the entire period. The DALYs are reduced by approximately 20% and 80% in the two future scenarios. Even in these cases, health impact is given by the greater effects on pregnancy and the annoyance associated with the odours of plants. In spite of the limitations due to the inevitable assumptions required by the present exercise, the proposed methodology is suitable for a first approach to assess different policies that can be adopted in regional planning in the field of waste management. The greatest reduction in health impact is achieved with a virtuous policy of reducing waste production and a significant increase in the collection and recycling of waste.

The impact of alternate weekly collections on waste arisings.

PubMed

Williams, I D; Cole, C

2013-02-15

Residual waste is commonly collected separately from recyclable and organic materials. Different forms of collection and disposal are used internationally since regional or municipal authorities have to adapt to their own circumstances. Many authorities have adopted an alternate weekly collection (AWC) of residual waste and recyclables to force/encourage householders to recycle; however, the degree to which they achieve waste reduction has yet to be reliably quantified. This study reports on how the introduction of AWCs affects household waste arisings. The paper evaluates single and dual stream collection methods and compares their performance with the previous system. Household waste collection trials were conducted between March and June 2009 in England (Lichfield). The trials examined changes to frequency of collection, type of container issued, amounts of sorting required of residents, household participation and productivity levels. A survey of households was completed before any changes were implemented. The quantity of recyclates collected was examined for 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. The study showed that the AWC scheme positively impacted on recycling rates and household behaviour, with no adverse impacts on public participation, household waste arisings or the local environment. No public health problems were reported. Both trials saw an increase in the quantities of recyclates collected per household during the trial period compared to the same period of time in the previous year. The dual stream performed better than the single stream, collecting an average of 5.94 kg/hh/week compared to an average of 5.63 kg/hh/week. The single stream system showed a greater increase in the weight of material collected (0.53 kg/hh/week vs. 0.48 kg/hh/week). Participation and set-out rates showed an increase during the trial period. The single stream option (comingled materials in one container) outperformed the dual stream service. The reduction in costs and improved productivity were the principal reasons used for extending the trial and making changes to the district's waste collections. The study clearly demonstrates the benefits of local authorities and universities collaborating and identifies practical logistical and operational issues that need to be anticipated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local Gov`t assistance in commercial waste reduction & recycling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hannah, C.W.

This paper outlines programs and strategies for reducing the waste stream by targeting the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors. The programs described are implemented by the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division, North Carolina. Findings and recommendations of a task force focusing on the role of the private sector in meeting state waste reduction mandates are summarized. Commercial initiatives, educational initiatives, and a grant program are described. Several case studies are provided which overview the variety of businesses and waste materials addressed.

WASTE REDUCTION PRACTICES AT TWO CHROMATED COPPER ARSENATE WOOD-TREATING PLANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Two chromated copper arsenate (CCA) wood-treating plants were assessed for their waste reduction practices. The objectives of this study were to estimate the amount of hazardous wastes that a well-designed and well-main- tained CCA treatment facility would generate and to iden- t...

Development of construction materials using nano-silica and aggregates recycled from construction and demolition waste.

PubMed

Mukharjee, Bibhuti Bhusan; Barai, Sudhirkumar V

2015-06-01

The present work addresses the development of novel construction materials utilising commercial grade nano-silica and recycled aggregates retrieved from construction and demolition waste. For this, experimental work has been carried out to examine the influence of nano-silica and recycled aggregates on compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, water absorption, density and volume of voids of concrete. Fully natural and recycled aggregate concrete mixes are designed by replacing cement with three levels (0.75%, 1.5% and 3%) of nano-silica. The results of the present investigation depict that improvement in early days compressive strength is achieved with the incorporation of nano-silica in addition to the restoration of reduction in compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete mixes caused owing to the replacement of natural aggregates by recycled aggregates. Moreover, the increase in water absorption and volume of voids with a reduction of bulk density was detected with the incorporation of recycled aggregates in place of natural aggregates. However, enhancement in density and reduction in water absorption and volume of voids of recycled aggregate concrete resulted from the addition of nano-silica. In addition, the results of the study reveal that nano-silica has no significant effect on elastic modulus of concrete. © The Author(s) 2015.

Plasma vitrification and re-use of non-combustible fiber reinforced plastic, gill net and waste glass.

PubMed

Chu, J P; Chen, Y T; Mahalingam, T; Tzeng, C C; Cheng, T W

2006-12-01

Fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composite material has widespread use in general tank, special chemical tank and body of yacht, etc. The purpose of this study is directed towards the volume reduction of non-combustible FRP by thermal plasma and recycling of vitrified slag with specific procedures. In this study, we have employed three main wastes such as, FRP, gill net and waste glass. The thermal molten process was applied to treat vitrified slag at high temperatures whereas in the post-heat treatment vitrified slags were mixed with specific additive and ground into powder form and then heat treated at high temperatures. With a two-stage heat treatment, the treated sample was generated into four crystalline phases, cristobalite, albite, anorthite and wollastonite. Fine and relatively high dense structures with desirable properties were obtained for samples treated by the two-stage heating treatment. Good physical and mechanical properties were achieved after heat treatment, and this study reveals that our results could be comparable with the commercial products.

Nitrogen-doped microporous carbon: An efficient oxygen reduction catalyst for Zn-air batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li-Yuan; Wang, Meng-Ran; Lai, Yan-Qing; Li, Xiao-Yan

2017-08-01

N-doped microporous carbon as an exceptional metal-free catalyst from waste biomass (banana peel as representative) was obtained via fast catalysis carbonization, followed by N-doping modification. The method achieves a relatively high C conversion efficiency of ∼41.9%. The final carbon materials are doped by N (∼3 at.%) and possess high surface area (∼1097 m2 g-1) and abundant micropores. Compared to commercial Pt/C materials, the as-prepared carbon catalyst exhibits a comparable electrocatalytic activity and much better stability. Furthermore, the metal-free catalyst loaded Zn-air battery possesses higher discharge voltage and power density as compared with that of commercial Pt/C. This novel technique can also be readily applied to produce metal-free carbon catalysts from other typical waste biomass (e.g., orange peel, leaves) as the carbon sources. The method can be developed as a potentially general and effective industrial route to transform waste biomass into high value-added microporous carbon with superior functionalities.

Pulp fiction - The volunteer concept (or how not to site additional LLRW disposal capacity)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burton, D.A.

1995-12-31

Experiences of compacts and of individual states throughout the nation indicate that low-level radioactive waste disposal siting processes, based from the beginning upon the volunteer concept are fraught with problems. Most apparent among these problems is that the volunteer concept does not lead to scientifically and technically based siting endeavors. Ten years have passed since the Amendments Act of 1985, and no compact or state has been - successful in providing for new LLRW disposal capacity. That failure can be traced in part to the reliance upon the volunteer concept in siting attempts. If success is to be achieved, themore » future direction for LLRW management must focus on three areas: first, a comprehensive evaluation of all LLRW management options, including reduction of waste generated and on-site storage; secondly, a comprehensive evaluation of the current as well as projected waste stream, to determine the amount of disposal capacity actually needed; and, finally, sound scientifically and technically based siting processes.« less

Electrochemical evaluation of manganese reducers - Recovery of Mn from Zn-Mn and Zn-C battery waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobianowska-Turek, Agnieszka; Szczepaniak, Włodzimierz; Zabłocka-Malicka, Monika

2014-12-01

Extraction of manganese from ores or battery waste involves the use of reductive reagents for transformation of MnO2 to Mn2+ ions. There are many reducers, both organic and inorganic, described in the literature. A series of 18 reducers has been discussed in the paper and they were classified according to standard redox potential (pE = -log ae- where pE is used to express formal electron activity and ae- is formal electron activity). The experiments of manganese extraction from paramagnetic fraction of Zn-C and Zn-Mn battery waste in the laboratory scale have been described for 3 reducers of different origin. The best result was achieved with oxalic acid (75%, with the lowest redox potential) and urea (with typical redox potential) appeared inactive. Extraction supported by hydrogen peroxide resulted in moderate yield (50%). It shows that formal thermodynamic scale is only preliminary information useful for selection of possible reducers for manganese extraction resources.

System evaluation and microbial analysis of a sulfur cycle-based wastewater treatment process for Co-treatment of simple wet flue gas desulfurization wastes with freshwater sewage.

PubMed

Qian, Jin; Liu, Rulong; Wei, Li; Lu, Hui; Chen, Guang-Hao

2015-09-01

A sulfur cycle-based wastewater treatment process, namely the Sulfate reduction, Autotrophic denitrification and Nitrification Integrated process (SANI(®) process) has been recently developed for organics and nitrogen removal with 90% sludge minimization and 35% energy reduction in the biological treatment of saline sewage from seawater toilet flushing practice in Hong Kong. In this study, sulfate- and sulfite-rich wastes from simple wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) were considered as a potential low-cost sulfur source to achieve beneficial co-treatment with non-saline (freshwater) sewage in continental areas, through a Mixed Denitrification (MD)-SANI process trialed with synthetic mixture of simple WFGD wastes and freshwater sewage. The system showed 80% COD removal efficiency (specific COD removal rate of 0.26 kg COD/kg VSS/d) at an optimal pH of 7.5 and complete denitrification through MD (specific nitrogen removal rate of 0.33 kg N/kg VSS/d). Among the electron donors in MD, organics and thiosulfate could induce a much higher denitrifying activity than sulfide in terms of both NO3(-) reduction and NO2(-) reduction, suggesting a much higher nitrogen removal rate in organics-, thiosulfate- and sulfide-based MD in MD-SANI compared to sulfide alone-based autotrophic denitrification in conventional SANI(®). Diverse sulfate/sulfite-reducing bacteria (SRB) genera dominated in the bacterial community of sulfate/sulfite-reducing up-flow sludge bed (SRUSB) sludge without methane producing bacteria detected. Desulfomicrobium-like species possibly for sulfite reduction and Desulfobulbus-like species possibly for sulfate reduction are the two dominant groups with respective abundance of 24.03 and 14.91% in the SRB genera. Diverse denitrifying genera were identified in the bacterial community of anoxic up-flow sludge bed (AnUSB) sludge and the Thauera- and Thiobacillus-like species were the major taxa. These results well explained the successful operation of the lab-scale MD-SANI process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WASTE REDUCTION EVALUATION OF SOY-BASED INK AT A SHEET-FED OFFSET PRINTER

EPA Science Inventory

This Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation (WRITE) project quantifies and compares wastes generated from the use of soy-based and petroleum-based inks in sheet-fed offset printing. Data were collected in a full-scale print run on a Miller TP104 Plus 6-color press in Ju...

Tribal Waste Management Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA’s Tribal Waste Management Program encourages environmentally sound waste management practices that promote resource conservation through recycling, recovery, reduction, clean up, and elimination of waste.

The potential for land sparing to offset greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, Anthony; Green, Rhys; Bateman, Ian; Broadmeadow, Mark; Bruce, Toby; Burney, Jennifer; Carey, Pete; Chadwick, David; Crane, Ellie; Field, Rob; Goulding, Keith; Griffiths, Howard; Hastings, Astley; Kasoar, Tim; Kindred, Daniel; Phalan, Ben; Pickett, John; Smith, Pete; Wall, Eileen; Zu Ermgassen, Erasmus K. H. J.; Balmford, Andrew

2016-05-01

Greenhouse gas emissions from global agriculture are increasing at around 1% per annum, yet substantial cuts in emissions are needed across all sectors. The challenge of reducing agricultural emissions is particularly acute, because the reductions achievable by changing farming practices are limited and are hampered by rapidly rising food demand. Here we assess the technical mitigation potential offered by land sparing--increasing agricultural yields, reducing farmland area and actively restoring natural habitats on the land spared. Restored habitats can sequester carbon and can offset emissions from agriculture. Using the UK as an example, we estimate net emissions in 2050 under a range of future agricultural scenarios. We find that a land-sparing strategy has the technical potential to achieve significant reductions in net emissions from agriculture and land-use change. Coupling land sparing with demand-side strategies to reduce meat consumption and food waste can further increase the technical mitigation potential--however, economic and implementation considerations might limit the degree to which this technical potential could be realized in practice.

Current Status and Future Potential of Energy Derived from Chinese Agricultural Land: A Review

PubMed Central

Mao, Chunlan; Feng, Yongzhong; Zhang, Tong; Xing, Zhenjie; Wang, Yanhong; Zou, Shuzhen; Yin, Dongxue; Han, Xinhui; Ren, Guangxin; Yang, Gaihe

2015-01-01

Energy crisis is receiving attention with regard to the global economy and environmental sustainable development. Developing new energy resources to optimize the energy supply structure has become an important measure to prevent energy shortage as well as achieving energy conservation and emission reduction in China. This study proposed the concept of energy agriculture and constructed an energy agricultural technical support system based on the analysis of energy supply and demand and China's foreign dependence on energy resources, combined with the function of agriculture in the energy field. Manufacturing technology equipment and agricultural and forestry energy, including crop or forestry plants and animal feces, were used in the system. The current status and future potential of China's marginal land resources, energy crop germplasm resources, and agricultural and forestry waste energy-oriented resources were analyzed. Developing the function of traditional agriculture in food production may promote China's social, economic, and environmental sustainable development and achieve energy saving and emission reduction. PMID:25874229

Current status and future potential of energy derived from Chinese agricultural land: a review.

PubMed

Zhai, Ningning; Mao, Chunlan; Feng, Yongzhong; Zhang, Tong; Xing, Zhenjie; Wang, Yanhong; Zou, Shuzhen; Yin, Dongxue; Han, Xinhui; Ren, Guangxin; Yang, Gaihe

2015-01-01

Energy crisis is receiving attention with regard to the global economy and environmental sustainable development. Developing new energy resources to optimize the energy supply structure has become an important measure to prevent energy shortage as well as achieving energy conservation and emission reduction in China. This study proposed the concept of energy agriculture and constructed an energy agricultural technical support system based on the analysis of energy supply and demand and China's foreign dependence on energy resources, combined with the function of agriculture in the energy field. Manufacturing technology equipment and agricultural and forestry energy, including crop or forestry plants and animal feces, were used in the system. The current status and future potential of China's marginal land resources, energy crop germplasm resources, and agricultural and forestry waste energy-oriented resources were analyzed. Developing the function of traditional agriculture in food production may promote China's social, economic, and environmental sustainable development and achieve energy saving and emission reduction.

Efficiency of a novel "Food to waste to food" system including anaerobic digestion of food waste and cultivation of vegetables on digestate in a bubble-insulated greenhouse.

PubMed

Stoknes, K; Scholwin, F; Krzesiński, W; Wojciechowska, E; Jasińska, A

2016-10-01

At urban locations certain challenges are concentrated: organic waste production, the need for waste treatment, energy demand, food demand, the need for circular economy and limited area for food production. Based on these factors the project presented here developed a novel technological approach for processing organic waste into new food. In this system, organic waste is converted into biogas and digester residue. The digester residue is being used successfully as a stand-alone fertilizer as well as main substrate component for vegetables and mushrooms for the first time - a "digeponics" system - in a closed new low energy greenhouse system with dynamic soap bubble insulation. Biogas production provides energy for the process and CO2 for the greenhouse. With very limited land use highly efficient resource recycling was established at pilot scale. In the research project it was proven that a low energy dynamic bubble insulated greenhouse can be operated continuously with 80% energy demand reduction compared to conventional greenhouses. Commercial crop yields were achieved based on fertilization with digestate; in individual cases they were even higher than the control yields of vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce among others. For the first time an efficient direct use of digestate as substrate and fertilizer has been developed and demonstrated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvement of Biogas Production from Orange Peel Waste by Leaching of Limonene

PubMed Central

Wikandari, Rachma; Nguyen, Huong; Millati, Ria; Niklasson, Claes; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J.

2015-01-01

Limonene is present in orange peel wastes and is known as an antimicrobial agent, which impedes biogas production when digesting the peels. In this work, pretreatment of the peels to remove limonene under mild condition was proposed by leaching of limonene using hexane as solvent. The pretreatments were carried out with homogenized or chopped orange peel at 20–40°C with orange peel waste and hexane ratio (w/v) ranging from 1 : 2 to 1 : 12 for 10 to 300 min. The pretreated peels were then digested in batch reactors for 33 days. The highest biogas production was achieved by treating chopped orange peel waste and hexane ratio of 12 : 1 at 20°C for 10 min corresponding to more than threefold increase of biogas production from 0.061 to 0.217 m3 methane/kg VS. The solvent recovery was 90% using vacuum filtration and needs further separation using evaporation. The hexane residue in the peel had a negative impact on biogas production as shown by 28.6% reduction of methane and lower methane production of pretreated orange peel waste in semicontinuous digestion system compared to that of untreated peel. PMID:25866787

Profile of medical waste management in two healthcare facilities in Lagos, Nigeria: a case study.

PubMed

Idowu, Ibijoke; Alo, Babajide; Atherton, William; Al Khaddar, Rafid

2013-05-01

Proper management and safe disposal of medical waste (MW) is vital in the reduction of infection or illness through contact with discarded material and in the prevention of environmental contamination in hospital facilities. The management practices for MW in selected healthcare facilities in Lagos, Nigeria were assessed. The cross-sectional study involved the use of questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions and participant observation strategies. It also involved the collection, segregation, identification and weighing of waste types from wards and units in the representative facilities in Lagos, Nigeria, for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the MW streams. The findings indicated that the selected Nigerian healthcare facilities were lacking in the adoption of sound MW management (MWM) practices. The average MW ranged from 0.01 kg/bed/day to 3.98 kg/bed/day. Moreover, about 30% of the domestic waste from the healthcare facilities consisted of MW due to inappropriate co-disposal practices. Multiple linear regression was applied to predict the volume of waste generated giving a correlation coefficient (R(2)) value of 0.99 confirming a good fit of the data. This study revealed that the current MWM practices and strategies in Lagos are weak, and suggests an urgent need for review to achieve vital reversals in the current trends.

A new process for NOx reduction in combustion systems for the generation of energy from waste.

PubMed

Gohlke, Oliver; Weber, Toralf; Seguin, Philippe; Laborel, Yann

2010-07-01

In the EU, emissions from energy from waste plants are largely reduced by applying the Waste Incineration Directive with its limit of 200 mg/m3(s) for NO(x) emissions. The need for further improvement is reflected by new German legislation effective as of 27 January 2009, requiring 100 mg/m3(s). Other countries are expected to follow this example due to the national emission ceilings of the Gothenburg protocol and the concluding EU directive 2001/81/EC. On the other hand, an increase in energy efficiency will be encouraged by the EU Waste Framework Directive. This is why there is a need for new technologies that make it possible to reconcile both requirements: reduced emissions and increased energy efficiency. A new process combining the internal recirculation of flue gas with ammonia or urea injection in order to achieve less then 80 mg/m3(s) of NO(x) is described. Important additional features of the process are an R1 efficiency above the required 0.65 of the EU Waste Framework Directive even with standard steam parameters of 40 bar/380 degrees C as well as low ammonia slip in the flue gas at the boiler outlet of below 10 mg/m3(s). Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate change mitigation for agriculture: water quality benefits and costs.

PubMed

Wilcock, Robert; Elliott, Sandy; Hudson, Neale; Parkyn, Stephanie; Quinn, John

2008-01-01

New Zealand is unique in that half of its national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory derives from agriculture--predominantly as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), in a 2:1 ratio. The remaining GHG emissions predominantly comprise carbon dioxide (CO2) deriving from energy and industry sources. Proposed strategies to mitigate emissions of CH4 and N2O from pastoral agriculture in New Zealand are: (1) utilising extensive and riparian afforestation of pasture to achieve CO2 uptake (carbon sequestration); (2) management of nitrogen through budgeting and/or the use of nitrification inhibitors, and minimizing soil anoxia to reduce N2O emissions; and (3) utilisation of alternative waste treatment technologies to minimise emissions of CH4. These mitigation measures have associated co-benefits and co-costs (disadvantages) for rivers, streams and lakes because they affect land use, runoff loads, and receiving water and habitat quality. Extensive afforestation results in lower specific yields (exports) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), suspended sediment (SS) and faecal matter and also has benefits for stream habitat quality by improving stream temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH regimes through greater shading, and the supply of woody debris and terrestrial food resources. Riparian afforestation does not achieve the same reductions in exports as extensive afforestation but can achieve reductions in concentrations of N, P, SS and faecal organisms. Extensive afforestation of pasture leads to reduced water yields and stream flows. Both afforestation measures produce intermittent disturbances to waterways during forestry operations (logging and thinning), resulting in sediment release from channel re-stabilisation and localised flooding, including formation of debris dams at culverts. Soil and fertiliser management benefits aquatic ecosystems by reducing N exports but the use of nitrification inhibitors, viz. dicyandiamide (DCD), to achieve this may under some circumstances impair wetland function to intercept and remove nitrate from drainage water, or even add to the overall N loading to waterways. DCD is water soluble and degrades rapidly in warm soil conditions. The recommended application rate of 10 kg DCD/ha corresponds to 6 kg N/ha and may be exceeded in warm climates. Of the N2O produced by agricultural systems, approximately 30% is emitted from indirect sources, which are waterways draining agriculture. It is important therefore to focus strategies for managing N inputs to agricultural systems generally to reduce inputs to wetlands and streams where these might be reduced to N2O. Waste management options include utilizing the CH4 resource produced in farm waste treatment ponds as a source of energy, with conversion to CO2 via combustion achieving a 21-fold reduction in GHG emissions. Both of these have co-benefits for waterways as a result of reduced loadings. A conceptual model derived showing the linkages between key land management practices for greenhouse gas mitigation and key waterway values and ecosystem attributes is derived to aid resource managers making decisions affecting waterways and atmospheric GHG emissions. Copyright (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

Life cycle greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol, biomethane and limonene production from citrus waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourbafrani, Mohammad; McKechnie, Jon; MacLean, Heather L.; Saville, Bradley A.

2013-03-01

The production of biofuel from cellulosic residues can have both environmental and financial benefits. A particular benefit is that it can alleviate competition for land conventionally used for food and feed production. In this research, we investigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of ethanol, biomethane, limonene and digestate from citrus waste, a byproduct of the citrus processing industry. The study represents the first life cycle-based evaluations of citrus waste biorefineries. Two biorefinery configurations are studied—a large biorefinery that converts citrus waste into ethanol, biomethane, limonene and digestate, and a small biorefinery that converts citrus waste into biomethane, limonene and digestate. Ethanol is assumed to be used as E85, displacing gasoline as a light-duty vehicle fuel; biomethane displaces natural gas for electricity generation, limonene displaces acetone in solvents, and digestate from the anaerobic digestion process displaces synthetic fertilizer. System expansion and two allocation methods (energy, market value) are considered to determine emissions of co-products. Considerable GHG reductions would be achieved by producing and utilizing the citrus waste-based products in place of the petroleum-based or other non-renewable products. For the large biorefinery, ethanol used as E85 in light-duty vehicles results in a 134% reduction in GHG emissions compared to gasoline-fueled vehicles when applying a system expansion approach. For the small biorefinery, when electricity is generated from biomethane rather than natural gas, GHG emissions are reduced by 77% when applying system expansion. The life cycle GHG emissions vary substantially depending upon biomethane leakage rate, feedstock GHG emissions and the method to determine emissions assigned to co-products. Among the process design parameters, the biomethane leakage rate is critical, and the ethanol produced in the large biorefinery would not meet EISA’s requirements for cellulosic biofuel if the leakage rate is higher than 9.7%. For the small biorefinery, there are no GHG emission benefits in the production of biomethane if the leakage rate is higher than 11.5%. Compared to system expansion, the use of energy and market value allocation methods generally results in higher estimates of GHG emissions for the primary biorefinery products (i.e., smaller reductions in emissions compared to reference systems).

Advanced Technologies to Improve Closure of Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.

2016-01-01

As NASA looks beyond the International Space Station toward long-duration, deep space missions away from Earth, the current practice of supplying consumables and spares will not be practical nor affordable. New approaches are sought for life support and habitation systems that will reduce dependency on Earth and increase mission sustainability. To reduce launch mass, further closure of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) beyond the current capability of the ISS will be required. Areas of particular interest include achieving higher degrees of recycling within Atmosphere Revitalization, Water Recovery and Waste Management Systems. NASA is currently investigating advanced carbon dioxide reduction processes that surpass the level of oxygen recovery available from the Sabatier Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA) on the ISS. Candidate technologies will potentially improve the recovery of oxygen from about 50% (for the CRA) to as much as 100% for technologies who's end product is solid carbon. Improving the efficiency of water recycling and recovery can be achieved by the addition of advanced technologies to recover water from brines and solid wastes. Bioregenerative technologies may be utilized for water reclaimation and also for the production of food. Use of higher plants will simultaneously benefit atmosphere revitalization and water recovery through photosynthesis and transpiration. The level at which bioregenerative technologies are utilized will depend on their comparative requirements for spacecraft resources including mass, power, volume, heat rejection, crew time and reliability. Planetary protection requirements will need to be considered for missions to other solar system bodies.

Concept of waste and its impact on human health.

PubMed

Pashkov, Vitalii M; Batyhina, Olena M; Trotska, Maryna V

Impact of the environment on human health is increasingly being paid attention both at the international level and at the level of individual countries. Among the factors that anyhow can affect it negatively, various objects are distinguished and waste is not of the last consequence. It has different nature of origin, ways of further utilization and a degree of impact on human health and the environment. Its generation, utilization and neutralization are determined by the relevant processes; their research allows continuous improvement and reduction of their negative impact on human health and the environment. To analyze provisions of the international legislation concerning the concept of waste and its classification, as well as its potential impacts on human health and the environment. The study analyzes and uses international legal documents, data of international organizations and scientists' deductions. Furthermore, the study integrates information from scientific journals with scientific methods from the medical and legal point of view. Within the framework of the system approach, as well as analysis and synthesis, the concept of waste, its classification and impact on human health and the environment have been researched. In consequence of the conducted study, it has been found that at the European level, considerable attention is paid to waste in the context of its possible negative impact on human health and the environment. Solution of this problem is carried out with the integrated approach, which is expressed both in enacting statutory acts and amending existing ones, as well as elucidating various aspects at the scientific, methodological, statistical and other levels. Waste in itself has different nature of origin, negative impact, ways of its further utilization. Some kinds of it can be used further in order to achieve other goals and needs that are not related to their generation, others can no longer be used for human benefits taking into account existing achievements.

Oil sorbents from plastic wastes and polymers: A review.

PubMed

Saleem, Junaid; Adil Riaz, Muhammad; Gordon, McKay

2018-01-05

A large volume of the waste produced across the world is composed of polymers from plastic wastes such as polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) amongst others. For years, environmentalists have been looking for various ways to overcome the problems of such large quantities of plastic wastes being disposed of into landfill sites. On the other hand, the usage of synthetic polymers as oil sorbents in particular, polyolefins, including polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) have been reported. In recent years, the idea of using plastic wastes as the feed for the production of oil sorbents has gained momentum. However, the studies undertaking such feasibility are rather scattered. This review paper is the first of its kind reporting, compiling and reviewing these various processes. The production of an oil sorbent from plastic wastes is being seen to be satisfactorily achievable through a variety of methods Nevertheless, much work needs to be done regarding further investigation of the numerous parameters influencing production yields and sorbent qualities. For example, differences in results are seen due to varying operating conditions, experimental setups, and virgin or waste plastics being used as feeds. The field of producing oil sorbents from plastic wastes is still very open for further research, and seems to be a promising route for both waste reduction, and the synthesis of value-added products such as oil sorbents. In this review, the research related to the production of various oil sorbents based on plastics (plastic waste and virgin polymer) has been discussed. Further oil sorbent efficiency in terms of oil sorption capacity has been described. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glass Ceramic Waste Forms for Combined CS+LN+TM Fission Products Waste Streams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crum, Jarrod V.; Turo, Laura A.; Riley, Brian J.

2010-09-23

In this study, glass ceramics were explored as an alternative waste form for glass, the current baseline, to be used for immobilizing alkaline/alkaline earth + lanthanide (CS+LN) or CS+LN+transition metal (TM) fission-product waste streams generated by a uranium extraction (UREX+) aqueous separations type process. Results from past work on a glass waste form for the combined CS+LN waste streams showed that as waste loading increased, large fractions of crystalline phases precipitated upon slow cooling.[1] The crystalline phases had no noticeable impact on the waste form performance by the 7-day product consistency test (PCT). These results point towards the development ofmore » a glass ceramic waste form for treating CS+LN or CS+LN+TM combined waste streams. Three main benefits for exploring glass ceramics are: (1) Glass ceramics offer increased solubility of troublesome components in crystalline phases as compared to glass, leading to increased waste loading; (2) The crystalline network formed in the glass ceramic results in higher heat tolerance than glass; and (3) These glass ceramics are designed to be processed by the same melter technology as the current baseline glass waste form. It will only require adding controlled canister cooling for crystallization into a glass ceramic waste form. Highly annealed waste form (essentially crack free) with up to 50X lower surface area than a typical High-Level Waste (HLW) glass canister. Lower surface area translates directly into increased durability. This was the first full year of exploring glass ceramics for the Option 1 and 2 combined waste stream options. This work has shown that dramatic increases in waste loading are achievable by designing a glass ceramic waste form as an alternative to glass. Table S1 shows the upper limits for heat, waste loading (based on solubility), and the decay time needed before treatment can occur for glass and glass ceramic waste forms. The improvements are significant for both combined waste stream options in terms of waste loading and/or decay time required before treatment. For Option 1, glass ceramics show an increase in waste loading of 15 mass % and reduction in decay time of 24 years. Decay times of {approx}50 years or longer are close to the expected age of the fuel that will be reprocessed when the modified open or closed fuel cycle is expected to be put into action. Option 2 shows a 2x to 2.5x increase in waste loading with decay times of only 45 years. Note that for Option 2 glass, the required decay time before treatment is only 35 years because of the waste loading limits related to the solubility of MoO{sub 3} in glass. If glass was evaluated for similar waste loadings as those achieved in Option 2 glass ceramics, the decay time would be significantly longer than 45 years. These glass ceramics are not optimized, but already they show the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of waste generated while still utilizing the proven processing technology used for glass production.« less

Comparison of waste composition in a continuing-care retirement community.

PubMed

Kim, T; Shanklin, C W; Su, A Y; Hackes, B L; Ferris, D

1997-04-01

To determine the composition of wastes generated in a continuing-care retirement community (CCRC) and to analyze the effects of source-reduction activities and meal delivery system change on the amount of waste generated in the facility. A waste stream analysis was conducted at the same CCRC during spring 1994 (period 1: baseline), spring 1995 (period 2: source reduction intervention), and fall 1995 (period 3: service delivery intervention). Weight, volume, and collapsed volume were determined for food and packaging wastes. Tray service and wait staff service are provided to 70 residents in a health care unit, and family-style service is an optional service available to 130 residents in the independent-living units. A mean of 229 meals are served per day. Intervention included the implementation of source-reduction activities and a change in a service-delivery system in periods 2 and 3, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the composition of waste. Analysis of variance and a multiple comparison method (least significant difference) were used to compare mean weight and volume of waste generated in period 1 with data collected during periods 2 and 3. Mean waste generated per meal by weight and volume ranged from 0.93 to 1.00 lb and 1.44 to 1.65 gal, respectively. Significantly less production waste by weight (0.18 lb/meal) and volume (0.12 gal/meal) was generated in period 2 than in period 1 (0.32 lb/meal and 0.16 gal/meal, respectively). Significantly less service waste by weight (0.31 lb/meal) and volume (0.05 gal/meal) was discarded in period 3 than in period 1 (0.37 lb/meal and 0.15 gal/meal, respectively). Significantly less total waste and plastic by weight was disposed of after the interventions. The study conclusions indicated that implementing source-reduction practices and changing the meal-delivery system affected the composition of waste generated. Knowledge of waste stream composition can help other foodservice professionals and consulting dietitians identify waste-reduction activities and recycling opportunities. The quantity and type of waste generated should be considered when operational decisions are made relative to market form of food, menu choices, service-delivery systems, and production forecast and controls.

Environmental evaluation of municipal waste prevention

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gentil, Emmanuel C.; Gallo, Daniele; Christensen, Thomas H., E-mail: thho@env.dtu.dk

Highlights: > Influence of prevention on waste management systems, excluding avoided production, is relatively minor. > Influence of prevention on overall supply chain, including avoided production is very significant. > Higher relative benefits of prevention are observed in waste management systems relying mainly on landfills. - Abstract: Waste prevention has been addressed in the literature in terms of the social and behavioural aspects, but very little quantitative assessment exists of the environmental benefits. Our study evaluates the environmental consequences of waste prevention on waste management systems and on the wider society, using life-cycle thinking. The partial prevention of unsolicited mail,more » beverage packaging and food waste is tested for a 'High-tech' waste management system relying on high energy and material recovery and for a 'Low-tech' waste management system with less recycling and relying on landfilling. Prevention of 13% of the waste mass entering the waste management system generates a reduction of loads and savings in the waste management system for the different impacts categories; 45% net reduction for nutrient enrichment and 12% reduction for global warming potential. When expanding our system and including avoided production incurred by the prevention measures, large savings are observed (15-fold improvement for nutrient enrichment and 2-fold for global warming potential). Prevention of food waste has the highest environmental impact saving. Prevention generates relatively higher overall relative benefit for 'Low-tech' systems depending on landfilling. The paper provides clear evidence of the environmental benefits of waste prevention and has specific relevance in climate change mitigation.« less

A solid waste audit and directions for waste reduction at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Felder, M A; Petrell, R J; Duff, S J

2001-08-01

A novel design for a solid waste audit was developed and applied to the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1998. This audit was designed to determine the characteristics of the residual solid waste generated by the campus and provide directions for waste reduction. The methodology was constructed to address complications in solid waste sampling, including spatial and temporal variation in waste, extrapolation from the study area, and study validation. Accounting for spatial effects decreased the variation in calculating total waste loads. Additionally, collecting information on user flow provided a means to decrease daily variation in solid waste and allow extrapolation over time and space. The total annual waste estimated from the experimental design was compared to documented values and was found to differ by -18%. The majority of this discrepancy was likely attributable to the unauthorised disposal of construction and demolition waste. Several options were proposed to address waste minimisation goals. These included: enhancing the current recycling program, source reduction of plastic materials, and/or diverting organic material to composting (maximum diversion: approximately 320, approximately 270, and approximately 1510 t yr(-1), respectively). The greatest diversion by weight would be accomplished through the diversion of organic material, as it was estimated to comprise 70% of the projected waste stream. The audit methodology designed is most appropriate for facilities/regions that have a separate collection system for seasonal wastes and have a means for tracking user flow.

Hospitals and plastics. Dioxin prevention and medical waste incinerators.

PubMed Central

Thornton, J; McCally, M; Orris, P; Weinberg, J

1996-01-01

CHLORINATED DIOXINS and related compounds are extremely potent toxic substances, producing effects in humans and animals at extremely low doses. Because these compounds are persistent in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, they are now distributed globally, and every member of the human population is exposed to them, primarily through the food supply and mothers' milk. An emerging body of information suggests that dioxin contamination has reached a level that may pose a large-scale, long-term public health risk. Of particular concern are dioxin's effects on reproduction, development, immune system function, and carcinogenesis. Medical waste incineration is a major source of dioxins. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, as the dominant source of organically bound chlorine in the medical waste stream, is the primary cause of "iatrogenic" dioxin produced by the incineration of medical wastes. Health professionals have a responsibility to work to reduce dioxin exposure from medical sources. Health care institutions should implement policies to reduce the use of PVC plastics, thus achieving major reductions in medically related dioxin formation. Images p298-a p299-a p300-a p301-a p305-a p307-a p310-a PMID:8711095

System analyses on advanced nuclear fuel cycle and waste management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheon, Myeongguk

To evaluate the impacts of accelerator-driven transmutation of waste (ATW) fuel cycle on a geological repository, two mathematical models are developed: a reactor system analysis model and a high-level waste (HLW) conditioning model. With the former, fission products and residual trans-uranium (TRU) contained in HLW generated from a reference ATW plant operations are quantified and the reduction of TRU inventory included in commercial spent-nuclear fuel (CSNF) is evaluated. With the latter, an optimized waste loading and composition in solidification of HLW are determined and the volume reduction of waste packages associated with CSNF is evaluated. WACOM, a reactor system analysis code developed in this study for burnup calculation, is validated by ORIGEN2.1 and MCNP. WACOM is used to perform multicycle analysis for the reference lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled transmuter. By applying the results of this analysis to the reference ATW deployment scenario considered in the ATW roadmap, the HLW generated from the ATW fuel cycle is quantified and the reduction of TRU inventory contained in CSNF is evaluated. A linear programming (LP) model has been developed for determination of an optimized waste loading and composition in solidification of HLW. The model has been applied to a US-defense HLW. The optimum waste loading evaluated by the LP model was compared with that estimated by the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) in the US and a good agreement was observed. The LP model was then applied to the volume reduction of waste packages associated with CSNF. Based on the obtained reduction factors, the expansion of Yucca Mountain Repository (YMR) capacity is evaluated. It is found that with the reference ATW system, the TRU contained in CSNF could be reduced by a factor of ˜170 in terms of inventory and by a factor of ˜40 in terms of toxicity under the assumed scenario. The number of waste packages related to CSNF could be reduced by a factor of ˜8 in terms of volume and by factor of ˜10 on the basis of electricity generation when a sufficient cooling time for discharged spent fuel and zero process chemicals in HLW are assumed. The expansion factor of Yucca Mountain Repository capacity is estimated to be a factor of 2.4, much smaller than the reduction factor of CSNF waste packages, due to the existence of DOE-owned spent fuel and HLW. The YMR, however, could support 10 times greater electricity generation as long as the statutory capacity of DOE-owned SNF and HLW remains unchanged. This study also showed that the reduction of the number of waste packages could strongly be subject to the heat generation rate of HLW and the amount of process chemicals contained in HLW. For a greater reduction of the number of waste packages, a sufficient cooling time for discharged fuel and efforts to minimize the amount of process chemicals contained in HLW are crucial.

PAH emissions from coal combustion and waste incineration.

PubMed

Hsu, Wei Ting; Liu, Mei Chen; Hung, Pao Chen; Chang, Shu Hao; Chang, Moo Been

2016-11-15

The characteristics of PAHs that are emitted by a municipal waste incinerator (MWI) and coal-fired power plant are examined via intensive sampling. Results of flue gas sampling reveal the potential for PAH formation within the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system of a coal-fired power plant. In the large-scale MWI, the removal efficiency of PAHs achieved with the pilot-scaled catalytic filter (CF) exceeds that achieved by activated carbon injection with a bag filter (ACI+BF) owing to the effective destruction of gas-phase contaminants by a catalyst. A significantly lower PAH concentration (1640ng/g) was measured in fly ash from a CF module than from an ACI+BF system (5650ng/g). Replacing the ACI+BF system with CF technology would significantly reduce the discharge factor (including emission and fly ash) of PAHs from 251.6 to 77.8mg/ton-waste. The emission factors of PAHs that are obtained using ACI+BF and the CF system in the MWI are 8.05 and 7.13mg/ton, respectively. However, the emission factor of MWI is significantly higher than that of coal-fired power plant (1.56mg/ton). From the perspective of total environmental management to reduce PAH emissions, replacing the original ACI+BF process with a CF system is expected to reduce environmental impact thereof. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Versions of the Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides a brief chronology of changes made to EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM), organized by WARM version number. The page includes brief summaries of changes and updates since the previous version.

Defense Waste Processing Facility Process Enhancements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bricker, Jonathan

2010-11-01

Jonathan Bricker provides an overview of process enhancements currently being done at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS. Some of these enhancements include: melter bubblers; reduction in water use, and alternate reductant.

Versions of the Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2017-02-14

This page provides a brief chronology of changes made to EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM), organized by WARM version number. The page includes brief summaries of changes and updates since the previous version.

Anaerobic co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste with FOG waste from a sewage treatment plant: Recovering a wasted methane potential and enhancing the biogas yield

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin-Gonzalez, L., E-mail: lucia.martin@uab.ca; Colturato, L.F.; Font, X.

2010-10-15

Anaerobic digestion is applied widely to treat the source collected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (SC-OFMSW). Lipid-rich wastes are a valuable substrate for anaerobic digestion due to their high theoretical methane potential. Nevertheless, although fat, oil and grease waste from sewage treatment plants (STP-FOGW) are commonly disposed of in landfill, European legislation is aimed at encouraging more effective forms of treatment. Co-digestion of the above wastes may enhance valorisation of STP-FOGW and lead to a higher biogas yield throughout the anaerobic digestion process. In the present study, STP-FOGW was evaluated as a co-substrate in wet anaerobic digestion of SC-OFMSWmore » under mesophilic conditions (37 {sup o}C). Batch experiments carried out at different co-digestion ratios showed an improvement in methane production related to STP-FOGW addition. A 1:7 (VS/VS) STP-FOGW:SC-OFMSW feed ratio was selected for use in performing further lab-scale studies in a 5 L continuous reactor. Biogas yield increased from 0.38 {+-} 0.02 L g VS{sub feed}{sup -1} to 0.55 {+-} 0.05 L g VS{sub feed}{sup -1} as a result of adding STP-FOGW to reactor feed. Both VS reduction values and biogas methane content were maintained and inhibition produced by long chain fatty acid (LCFA) accumulation was not observed. Recovery of a currently wasted methane potential from STP-FOGW was achieved in a co-digestion process with SC-OFMSW.« less

Anaerobic co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste with FOG waste from a sewage treatment plant: recovering a wasted methane potential and enhancing the biogas yield.

PubMed

Martín-González, L; Colturato, L F; Font, X; Vicent, T

2010-10-01

Anaerobic digestion is applied widely to treat the source collected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (SC-OFMSW). Lipid-rich wastes are a valuable substrate for anaerobic digestion due to their high theoretical methane potential. Nevertheless, although fat, oil and grease waste from sewage treatment plants (STP-FOGW) are commonly disposed of in landfill, European legislation is aimed at encouraging more effective forms of treatment. Co-digestion of the above wastes may enhance valorisation of STP-FOGW and lead to a higher biogas yield throughout the anaerobic digestion process. In the present study, STP-FOGW was evaluated as a co-substrate in wet anaerobic digestion of SC-OFMSW under mesophilic conditions (37 degrees C). Batch experiments carried out at different co-digestion ratios showed an improvement in methane production related to STP-FOGW addition. A 1:7 (VS/VS) STP-FOGW:SC-OFMSW feed ratio was selected for use in performing further lab-scale studies in a 5L continuous reactor. Biogas yield increased from 0.38+/-0.02 L g VS(feed)(-1) to 0.55+/-0.05 L g VS(feed)(-1) as a result of adding STP-FOGW to reactor feed. Both VS reduction values and biogas methane content were maintained and inhibition produced by long chain fatty acid (LCFA) accumulation was not observed. Recovery of a currently wasted methane potential from STP-FOGW was achieved in a co-digestion process with SC-OFMSW. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biogas production from municipal solid wastes using an integrated rotary drum and anaerobic-phased solids digester system.

PubMed

Zhu, Baoning; Zhang, Ruihong; Gikas, Petros; Rapport, Joshua; Jenkins, Bryan; Li, Xiujin

2010-08-01

This research was conducted to develop an integrated rotary drum reactor (RDR)-anaerobic-phased solids (APS) digester system for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) to produce biogas energy and achieve waste reduction. A commercial RDR facility was used to provide a 3-d pretreatment and sufficient separation of the organics from MSW and then the organics were digested in a laboratory APS-digester system for biogas production. The organics generated from the RDR contained 50% total solids (TS) and 36% volatile solids (VS) on wet basis. The APS-digester was started at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.1 gVS L(-1) d(-1) and operated at three higher OLRs of 4.6, 7.7 and 9.2 gVS L(-1) d(-1). At the OLR of 9.2 gVS L(-1) d(-1) the system biogas production rate was 3.5 L L(-1) d(-1) and the biogas and methane yields were 0.38 and 0.19 L gVS(-1), respectively. Anaerobic digestion resulted in 38% TS reduction and 53% VS reduction in the organic solids. It was found that the total VFA concentration reached a peak value of 15,000 mg L(-1) as acetic acid in the first 3d of batch digestion and later decreased to about 500 mg L(-1). The APS-digester system remained stable at each OLRs for over 100d with the pH in the hydrolysis reactors in the range of 7.3-7.8 and the pH in the biogasification reactor in 7.9-8.1. The residual solids after the digestion had a high heating value of 14.7 kJ gTS(-1). Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring and optimizing the co-composting of dewatered sludge: a mixture experimental design approach.

PubMed

Komilis, Dimitrios; Evangelou, Alexandros; Voudrias, Evangelos

2011-09-01

The management of dewatered wastewater sludge is a major issue worldwide. Sludge disposal to landfills is not sustainable and thus alternative treatment techniques are being sought. The objective of this work was to determine optimal mixing ratios of dewatered sludge with other organic amendments in order to maximize the degradability of the mixtures during composting. This objective was achieved using mixture experimental design principles. An additional objective was to study the impact of the initial C/N ratio and moisture contents on the co-composting process of dewatered sludge. The composting process was monitored through measurements of O(2) uptake rates, CO(2) evolution, temperature profile and solids reduction. Eight (8) runs were performed in 100 L insulated air-tight bioreactors under a dynamic air flow regime. The initial mixtures were prepared using dewatered wastewater sludge, mixed paper wastes, food wastes, tree branches and sawdust at various initial C/N ratios and moisture contents. According to empirical modeling, mixtures of sludge and food waste mixtures at 1:1 ratio (ww, wet weight) maximize degradability. Structural amendments should be maintained below 30% to reach thermophilic temperatures. The initial C/N ratio and initial moisture content of the mixture were not found to influence the decomposition process. The bio C/bio N ratio started from around 10, for all runs, decreased during the middle of the process and increased to up to 20 at the end of the process. The solid carbon reduction of the mixtures without the branches ranged from 28% to 62%, whilst solid N reductions ranged from 30% to 63%. Respiratory quotients had a decreasing trend throughout the composting process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-benefit analysis of a socio-technical intervention in a Brazilian footwear company.

PubMed

Guimarães, L B de M; Ribeiro, J L D; Renner, J S

2012-09-01

This article presents a costs-benefits analysis of a macroergonomic intervention in a Brazilian footwear company. Comparing results of a pilot line (composed by 100 multiskilled workers organized in teams) with eight traditional lines (still working in a one human being/one task model) the intervention showed to be worth pursuing since achieved gains were higher than intervention costs: there was a reduction in human resource costs (80% reduction in industrial accidents, 100% reduction in work-related musculoskeletal disorders or WMSD, medical consultations and turnover, and a 45.65% reduction in absenteeism) and production improvement (productivity increased in 3% and production waste decrease to less than 1%). The net intervention value of the intervention was around U$ 430,000 with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 7.2. Moreover, employees who worked in the pilot line understood that their quality of work life improved, compensating the anxiety brought up by the radical changes implemented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The usage of waste heat recovery units with improved heat engineering rates: theory and experimental research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chebotarev, Victor; Koroleva, Alla; Pirozhnikova, Anastasia

2017-10-01

Use of recuperator in heat producing plants for utilization of natural gas combustion products allows to achieve the saving of gas fuel and also provides for environmental sanitation. Decrease of the volumes of natural gas combustion due to utilization of heat provides not only for reduction of harmful agents in the combustion products discharged into the atmosphere, but also creates conditions for increase of energy saving in heating processes of heat producing plants due to air overheating in the recuperator. Grapho-analytical method of determination of energy saving and reduction of discharges of combustion products into the atmosphere is represented in the article. Multifunctional diagram is developed, allowing to determine simultaneously savings from reduction of volumes of natural gas combusted and from reduction of amounts of harmful agents in the combustion products discharged into the atmosphere. Calculation of natural gas economy for heat producing plant taking into consideration certain capacity is carried out.

Radioactive Waste Characterization Strategies; Comparisons Between AK/PK, Dose to Curie Modeling, Gamma Spectroscopy, and Laboratory Analysis Methods- 12194

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singledecker, Steven J.; Jones, Scotty W.; Dorries, Alison M.

2012-07-01

In the coming fiscal years of potentially declining budgets, Department of Energy facilities such as the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will be looking to reduce the cost of radioactive waste characterization, management, and disposal processes. At the core of this cost reduction process will be choosing the most cost effective, efficient, and accurate methods of radioactive waste characterization. Central to every radioactive waste management program is an effective and accurate waste characterization program. Choosing between methods can determine what is classified as low level radioactive waste (LLRW), transuranic waste (TRU), waste that can be disposed of under an Authorizedmore » Release Limit (ARL), industrial waste, and waste that can be disposed of in municipal landfills. The cost benefits of an accurate radioactive waste characterization program cannot be overstated. In addition, inaccurate radioactive waste characterization of radioactive waste can result in the incorrect classification of radioactive waste leading to higher disposal costs, Department of Transportation (DOT) violations, Notice of Violations (NOVs) from Federal and State regulatory agencies, waste rejection from disposal facilities, loss of operational capabilities, and loss of disposal options. Any one of these events could result in the program that mischaracterized the waste losing its ability to perform it primary operational mission. Generators that produce radioactive waste have four characterization strategies at their disposal: - Acceptable Knowledge/Process Knowledge (AK/PK); - Indirect characterization using a software application or other dose to curie methodologies; - Non-Destructive Analysis (NDA) tools such as gamma spectroscopy; - Direct sampling (e.g. grab samples or Surface Contaminated Object smears) and laboratory analytical; Each method has specific advantages and disadvantages. This paper will evaluate each method detailing those advantages and disadvantages including; - Cost benefit analysis (basic materials costs, overall program operations costs, man-hours per sample analyzed, etc.); - Radiation Exposure As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) program considerations; - Industrial Health and Safety risks; - Overall Analytical Confidence Level. The concepts in this paper apply to any organization with significant radioactive waste characterization and management activities working to within budget constraints and seeking to optimize their waste characterization strategies while reducing analytical costs. (authors)« less

Rethink Disposable: Packaging Waste Source Reduction Pilot Project

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information about the SFBWQP Rethink Disposable: Packaging Waste Source Reduction Pilot Project, part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

Inventories and reduction scenarios of urban waste-related greenhouse gas emissions for management potential.

PubMed

Yang, Dewei; Xu, Lingxing; Gao, Xueli; Guo, Qinghai; Huang, Ning

2018-06-01

Waste-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been recognized as one of the prominent contributors to global warming. Current urban waste regulations, however, face increasing challenges from stakeholders' trade-offs and hierarchic management. A combined method, i.e., life cycle inventories and scenario analysis, was employed to investigate waste-related GHG emissions during 1995-2015 and to project future scenarios of waste-driven carbon emissions by 2050 in a pilot low carbon city, Xiamen, China. The process-based carbon analysis of waste generation (prevention and separation), transportation (collection and transfer) and disposal (treatment and recycling) shows that the main contributors of carbon emissions are associated with waste disposal processes, solid waste, the municipal sector and Xiamen Mainland. Significant spatial differences of waste-related CO 2e emissions were observed between Xiamen Island and Xiamen Mainland using the carbon intensity and density indexes. An uptrend of waste-related CO 2e emissions from 2015 to 2050 is identified in the business as usual, waste disposal optimization, waste reduction and the integrated scenario, with mean annual growth rates of 8.86%, 8.42%, 6.90% and 6.61%, respectively. The scenario and sensitivity analysis imply that effective waste-related carbon reduction requires trade-offs among alternative strategies, actions and stakeholders in a feasible plan, and emphasize a priority of waste prevention and collection in Xiamen. Our results could benefit to the future modeling of urban multiple wastes and life-cycle carbon control in similar cities within and beyond China. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Smelting reduction and kinetics analysis of magnetic iron in copper slag using waste cooking oil.

PubMed

Li, Bo; Wang, Xubin; Wang, Hua; Wei, Yonggang; Hu, Jianhang

2017-05-25

To improve the recovery of copper, the viscosity of copper molten slag is decreased by the reduction of magnetic iron, which, in turn, accelerates the settling and separation of copper droplets from the slag. A new technology is proposed in which waste cooking oil is used as a reductant to reduce magnetic iron in the copper smelting slag and consequently reduce carbon emissions in the copper smelting process. A kinetic model of the reduction of magnetic iron in copper slag by waste cooking oil was built using experimental data, and the accuracy of the model was verified. The results indicated that the magnetic iron content in the copper slag decreased with increasing reduction time and an increase in temperature more efficiently reduced magnetic iron in the copper slag. The magnetic iron in the copper slag gradually transformed to fayalite, and the viscosity of the copper molten slag decreased as the magnetic iron content decreased during the reduction process. The reduction of magnetic iron in the copper molten slag using waste cooking oil was a first-order reaction, and the rate-limiting step was the mass transfer of Fe 3 O 4 through the liquid boundary layer.

Cutting pollution loads in the Netherlands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suurland, J.

Environmental policy in the Netherlands is based on the view that highly industrialized and affluent nations should take the lead in working toward sustainable development. Under the broad focus of the National Environmental Policy Plan, the Dutch government is using a variety of voluntary and command-and-control schemes to reduce pollution loads in the Netherlands to between 70 and 90 percent of 1985 levels by 2010. Interim targets for 2000 require emissions reductions of between 50 and 70 percent, relative to 1985 levels. Central to achieving those goals is the target group approach,'' which will be used to achieve emissions reductionsmore » and resource efficiency in the subsectors of industry, agriculture, energy conversion, building and construction, traffic and transport, waste management services, and consumerism.« less

Synthesis of silica gel from waste glass bottles and its application for the reduction of free fatty acid (FFA) on waste cooking oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudjarwo, Wisnu Arfian A.; Bee, Mei Magdayanti F.

2017-06-01

Synthesis of silica gel from waste glass bottles was conducted with aims to characterize the product and to analyze its application forthe reduction of free fatty acid (FFA) on waste cooking oil. Silica source taken from waste glass bottles was synthesized into silica gel by using the sol-gel method. Several types of silica gel were produced with three different weight ratios of waste glass and sodium hydroxide as an extractor. They were: 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3. The results indicated that synthesized silica possessed morphology innano-sizedranging from 85 nm to 459 nm. Adsorption performance was investigated by a batch system atthe temperature between 70°C and 110°C by a range of 10°C in an hour. Analysis of the adsorption characteristic showed that the highest efficiency value of FFA reduction of 91% was obtained by silica gel with ratiosof 1:1 (SG 1) and 1:3 (SG 3). Their performances were also followed by the decline of the refractive index and the density of waste cooking oil.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Resources for Students

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides a brief overview of how EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) can be used by students. The page includes a brief summary of uses of WARM for the audience and links to other resources.

Backcasting to identify food waste prevention and mitigation opportunities for infant feeding in maternity services.

PubMed

Ryan-Fogarty, Yvonne; Becker, Genevieve; Moles, Richard; O'Regan, Bernadette

2017-03-01

Food waste in hospitals is of major concern for two reasons: one, healthcare needs to move toward preventative and demand led models for sustainability and two, food system sustainability needs to seek preventative measures such as diet adaptation and waste prevention. The impact of breast-milk substitute use on health services are well established in literature in terms of healthcare implications, cost and resourcing, however as a food demand and waste management issue little has been published to date. This paper presents the use of a desk based backcasting method to analyse food waste prevention, mitigation and management options within the Irish Maternity Service. Best practice in healthcare provision and waste management regulations are used to frame solutions. Strategic problem orientation revealed that 61% of the volume of ready to use breast-milk substitutes purchased by maternity services remains unconsumed and ends up as waste. Thirteen viable strategies to prevent and manage this waste were identified. Significant opportunities exist to prevent waste and also decrease food demand leading to both positive health and environmental outcomes. Backcasting methods display great promise in delivering food waste management strategies in healthcare settings, especially where evidenced best practice policies exist to inform solution forming processes. In terms of food waste prevention and management, difficulties arise in distinguishing between demand reduction, waste prevention and waste reduction measures under the current Waste Management Hierarchy definitions. Ultimately demand reduction at source requires prioritisation, a strategy which is complimentary to health policy on infant feeding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of waste activated sludge aerobic digestion by electrochemical pre-treatment.

PubMed

Song, Li-Jie; Zhu, Nan-Wen; Yuan, Hai-Ping; Hong, Ying; Ding, Jin

2010-08-01

Electrochemical technology with a pair of RuO(2)/Ti mesh plate electrode is first applied to pre-treat Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) prior to aerobic digestion in this study. The effects of various operating conditions were investigated including electrolysis time, electric power, current density, initial pH of sludge and sludge concentration. The study showed that the sludge reduction increased with the electrolysis time, electric power or current density, while decreased with the sludge concentration. Additionally, higher or lower pH than 7.0 was propitious to remove organic matters. The electrochemical pre-treatment removed volatile solids (VS) and volatile suspended solids (VSS) by 2.75% and 7.87%, respectively, with a WAS concentration of 12.9 g/L, electrolysis time of 30 min, electric power of 5 W and initial sludge pH of 10. In the subsequent aerobic digestion, the sludge reductions for VS and VSS after solids retention time (SRT) of 17.5 days were 34.25% and 39.59%, respectively. However, a SRT of 23.5 days was necessary to achieve equivalent reductions without electrochemical pre-treatment. Sludge analysis by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images and infrared (IR) spectra indicated that electrochemical pre-treatment can rupture sludge cells, remove and solubilize intracellular substances, especially protein and polysaccharide, and consequently enhance the aerobic digestion. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of various pretreatments on biological sulfate reduction with waste activated sludge as electron donor and waste activated sludge diminution under biosulfidogenic condition.

PubMed

Sheng, Yuxing; Cao, Hongbin; Li, Yuping; Zhang, Yi

2010-07-15

The current study focused on the influences of various pretreatments, including alkaline, ultrasonic and thermal pretreatments on biological sulfate reduction with waste activated sludge (WAS) as sole electron donor. Our results showed that thermal and ultrasonic pretreatments increased the sulfate reduction percentage by 14.8% and 7.1%, respectively, compared with experiment with raw WAS, while alkaline pretreatment decreased the sulfate reduction percentage by 46%. By analyzing the WAS structure, particle size distribution, organic component, and enzyme activity after different pretreatments, we studied the effects of these pretreatments on WAS as well as on the mechanisms of how biological sulfate reduction was affected. The reduction of WAS and variation of WAS structure in the process of sulfate reduction were investigated. Our results showed that biosulfidogenesis was an efficient method of diminishing WAS, and various pretreatments could enhance the reduction efficiency of volatile solid in the WAS. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Managing and Transforming Waste Streams – A Tool for Communities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Managing and Transforming Waste Streams Tool features 100 policy and program options communities can pursue to increase rates of recycling, composting, waste reduction, and materials reuse across waste stream generators.

Iodine retention during evaporative volume reduction

DOEpatents

Godbee, H.W.; Cathers, G.I.; Blanco, R.E.

1975-11-18

An improved method for retaining radioactive iodine in aqueous waste solutions during volume reduction is disclosed. The method applies to evaporative volume reduction processes whereby the decontaminated (evaporated) water can be returned safely to the environment. The method generally comprises isotopically diluting the waste solution with a nonradioactive iodide and maintaining the solution at a high pH during evaporation.

A new approach for concurrently improving performance of South Korean food waste valorization and renewable energy recovery via dry anaerobic digestion under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dinh Duc; Yeop, Jeong Seong; Choi, Jaehoon; Kim, Sungsu; Chang, Soon Woong; Jeon, Byong-Hun; Guo, Wenshan; Ngo, Huu Hao

2017-08-01

Dry semicontinuous anaerobic digestion (AD) of South Korean food waste (FW) under four solid loading rates (SLRs) (2.30-9.21kg total solids (TS)/m 3 day) and at a fixed TS content was compared between two digesters, one each under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. Biogas production and organic matter reduction in both digesters followed similar trends, increasing with rising SLR. Inhibitor (intermediate products of the anaerobic fermentation process) effects on the digesters' performance were not observed under the studied conditions. In all cases tested, the digesters' best performance was achieved at the SLR of 9.21kg TS/m 3 day, with 74.02% and 80.98% reduction of volatile solids (VS), 0.87 and 0.90m 3 biogas/kg VS removed , and 0.65 (65% CH 4 ) and 0.73 (60.02% CH 4 ) m 3 biogas/kg VS fed , under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, respectively. Thermophilic dry AD is recommended for FW treatment in South Korea because it is more efficient and has higher energy recovery potential when compared to mesophilic dry AD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alkaline electrochemical advanced oxidation process for chromium oxidation at graphitized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Xue, Yudong; Zheng, Shili; Sun, Zhi; Zhang, Yi; Jin, Wei

2017-09-01

Alkaline electrochemical advanced oxidation processes for chromium oxidation and Cr-contaminated waste disposal were reported in this study. The highly graphitized multi-walled carbon nanotubes g-MWCNTs modified electrode was prepared for the in-situ electrochemical generation of HO 2 - . RRDE test results illustrated that g-MWCNTs exhibited much higher two-electron oxygen reduction activity than other nanocarbon materials with peak current density of 1.24 mA cm -2 , %HO 2 - of 77.0% and onset potential of -0.15 V (vs. Hg/HgO). It was originated from the highly graphitized structure and good electrical conductivity as illustrated from the Raman, XRD and EIS characterizations, respectively. Large amount of reactive oxygen species (HO 2 - and ·OH) were in-situ electro-generated from the two-electron oxygen reduction and chromium-induced alkaline electro-Fenton-like reaction. The oxidation of Cr(III) was efficiently achieved within 90 min and the conversion ratio maintained more than 95% of the original value after stability test, offering an efficient and green approach for the utilization of Cr-containing wastes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maximum organic loading rate for the single-stage wet anaerobic digestion of food waste.

PubMed

Nagao, Norio; Tajima, Nobuyuki; Kawai, Minako; Niwa, Chiaki; Kurosawa, Norio; Matsuyama, Tatsushi; Yusoff, Fatimah Md; Toda, Tatsuki

2012-08-01

Anaerobic digestion of food waste was conducted at high OLR from 3.7 to 12.9 kg-VS m(-3) day(-1) for 225 days. Periods without organic loading were arranged between the each loading period. Stable operation at an OLR of 9.2 kg-VS (15.0 kg-COD) m(-3) day(-1) was achieved with a high VS reduction (91.8%) and high methane yield (455 mL g-VS-1). The cell density increased in the periods without organic loading, and reached to 10.9×10(10) cells mL(-1) on day 187, which was around 15 times higher than that of the seed sludge. There was a significant correlation between OLR and saturated TSS in the sludge (y=17.3e(0.1679×), r(2)=0.996, P<0.05). A theoretical maximum OLR of 10.5 kg-VS (17.0 kg-COD) m(-3) day(-1) was obtained for mesophilic single-stage wet anaerobic digestion that is able to maintain a stable operation with high methane yield and VS reduction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A case study in pollution prevention at the Northrop Grumman B-2 division

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haltmeyer, T.

1995-12-31

In 1990, Northrop Grumman Corporation outlined a pollution prevention program to be jointly chartered by all operating elements. This concept was expanded by the B-2 Division, to become a comprehensive industrial multimedia program known as Zero 2000. The Zero 2000 program mandates the elimination of releases of hazardous materials to air, land and water by 2000. Northrop Grumman B-2 Division has effectively identified and defined environmental needs associated with the operations and is meeting or exceeding pollution prevention goals to affect measurable improvements to the quality of air, land and water. Through the Zero 2000 program, they have achieved amore » reduction of over 85% in hazardous waste generated and a reduction of ozone-depleting chemical emissions by 90%. In addition, they have reduced mobile air pollution by approximately 280 tons per year; reduced water usage by an average of 34%; and, have reduced solid waste disposal by 55%. Their environmental needs were defined through a grass roots assessment by environmental staff members and other professionals. This evaluation emerged from a basic Northrop Grumman philosophy to find innovative solutions to technological problems.« less

Documentation for the Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page describes the WARM documentation files and provides links to all documentation files associated with EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The page includes a brief summary of the chapters documenting the greenhouse gas emission and energy factors.

Generation and collection of restaurant waste: Characterization and evaluation at a case study in Italy.

PubMed

Tatàno, Fabio; Caramiello, Cristina; Paolini, Tonino; Tripolone, Luca

2017-03-01

Because restaurants (as a division of the hospitality sector) contribute to the generation of commercial and institutional waste, thus representing both a challenge and an opportunity, the objective of the present study was to deepen the knowledge of restaurant waste in terms of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of waste generation and the performance achievable by the implementation of a separate collection scheme. In this study, the generated waste was characterized and the implemented separate collection was evaluated at a relevant case study restaurant in a coastal tourist area of Central Italy (Marche Region, Adriatic Sea side). The qualitative (compositional) characterization of the generated total restaurant waste showed considerable incidences of, in decreasing order, food (28.2%), glass (22.6%), paper/cardboard (19.1%), and plastic (17.1%). The quantitative (parametric) characterization of the generated restaurant waste determined the unit generation values of total waste and individual fractions based on the traditional employee and area parameters and the peculiar meal parameter. In particular, the obtained representative values per meal were: 0.72kgmeal -1 for total waste, and ranging, for individual fractions, from 0.20 (for food) to 0.008kgmeal -1 (for textile). Based on the critical evaluation of some of the resulting unit waste generation values, possible influences of restaurant practices, conditions, or characteristics were pointed out. In particular, food waste generation per meal can likely be limited by: promoting and using local, fresh, and quality food; standardizing and limiting daily menu items; basing food recipes on consolidated cooking knowledge and experience; and limiting plate sizes. The evaluation of the monthly variation of the monitored separate collection, ranging from an higher level of 52.7% to a lower level of 41.4%, indicated the following: a reduction in the separate collection level can be expected at times of high working pressure or the closing of a seasonal business (typical for restaurants in tourist areas); and the monthly variation of the separate collection level is inversely correlated with that of the unit generation of total waste per meal. The interception rates of the different restaurant waste fractions collected separately presented a ranking order (i.e., 96.0% for glass, 67.7% for paper/cardboard, 34.4% for food, 20.6% for metal, and 17.9% for plastic) similar to the order of efficiencies achievable at both small and large urban levels. Finally, the original concept of the customer equivalent person (P ce ) was introduced and behaviorally evaluated at the case study restaurant, providing the values of 0.42 and 0.39kgP ce -1 day -1 for the food waste generation and the landfilling of biodegradable waste by the customer equivalent person, respectively. These values were compared, respectively, with the food waste generation per person at the household level and the landfilling of biodegradable waste per inhabitant at the territorial level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduction of acid rock drainage using steel slag in cover systems over sulfide rock waste piles.

PubMed

de Almeida, Rodrigo Pereira; Leite, Adilson do Lago; Borghetti Soares, Anderson

2015-04-01

The extraction of gold, coal, nickel, uranium, copper and other earth-moving activities almost always leads to environmental damage. In metal and coal extraction, exposure of sulfide minerals to the atmosphere leads to generation of acid rock drainage (ARD) and in underground mining to acid mine drainage (AMD) due to contamination of infiltrating groundwater. This study proposes to develop a reactive cover system that inhibits infiltration of oxygen and also releases alkalinity to increase the pH of generated ARD and attenuate metal contaminants at the same time. The reactive cover system is constructed using steel slag, a waste product generated from steel industries. This study shows that this type of cover system has the potential to reduce some of the adverse effects of sulfide mine waste disposal on land. Geochemical and geotechnical characterization tests were carried out. Different proportions of sulfide mine waste and steel slag were studied in leachate extraction tests. The best proportion was 33% of steel slag in dry weight. Other tests were conducted as follows: soil consolidation, saturated permeability and soil water characteristic curve. The cover system was numerically modeled through unsaturated flux analysis using Vadose/w. The solution proposed is an oxygen transport barrier that allows rain water percolation to treat the ARD in the waste rock pile. The results showed that the waste pile slope is an important factor and the cover system must have 5 m thickness to achieve an acceptable effectiveness. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effects of soda-lime-silica waste glass on mullite formation kinetics and micro-structures development in vitreous ceramics.

PubMed

Marinoni, Nicoletta; D'Alessio, Daniela; Diella, Valeria; Pavese, Alessandro; Francescon, Ferdinando

2013-07-30

The effects of soda-lime waste glass, from the recovery of bottle glass cullet, in partial replacement of Na-feldspar for sanitary-ware ceramic production are discussed. Attention is paid to the mullite growth kinetics and to the macroscopic properties of the final output, the latter ones depending on the developed micro-structures and vitrification grade. Measurements have been performed by in situ high temperature X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal dilatometry, water absorption and mechanical testing. Glass substituting feldspar from 30 to 50 wt% allows one (i) to accelerate the mullite growth reaction kinetics, and (ii) to achieve macroscopic features of the ceramic output that comply with the latest technical requirements. The introduction of waste glass leads to (i) a general saving of fuel and reduction of the CO2-emissions during the firing stage, (ii) a preservation of mineral resources in terms of feldspars, and (iii) an efficient management of the bottle glass refuse by readdressing a part of it in the sanitary-ware manufacturing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-stage high temperature sludge gasification using the waste heat from hot blast furnace slags.

PubMed

Sun, Yongqi; Zhang, Zuotai; Liu, Lili; Wang, Xidong

2015-12-01

Nowadays, disposal of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants and recovery of waste heat from steel industry, become two important environmental issues and to integrate these two problems, a two-stage high temperature sludge gasification approach was investigated using the waste heat in hot slags herein. The whole process was divided into two stages, i.e., the low temperature sludge pyrolysis at ⩽ 900°C in argon agent and the high temperature char gasification at ⩾ 900°C in CO2 agent, during which the heat required was supplied by hot slags in different temperature ranges. Both the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms were identified and it was indicated that an Avrami-Erofeev model could best interpret the stage of char gasification. Furthermore, a schematic concept of this strategy was portrayed, based on which the potential CO yield and CO2 emission reduction achieved in China could be ∼1.92∗10(9)m(3) and 1.93∗10(6)t, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concept of sustainable waste management in the city of Zagreb: Towards the implementation of circular economy approach.

PubMed

Ribić, Bojan; Voća, Neven; Ilakovac, Branka

2017-02-01

Improvement of the current waste management is one of the main challenges for most municipalities in Croatia, mainly due to legal obligations set in different European Union (EU) directives regarding waste management, such as reduction of waste generation and landfilling, or increase of separately collected waste and recycling rates. This paper highlights the current waste management in the city of Zagreb by analyzing the waste generation, collection, and disposal scenario along with the regulatory and institutional framework. Since the present waste management system mainly depends upon landfilling, with the rate of separate waste collection and recycling far from being adequate, it is necessary to introduce a new system that will take into account the current situation in the city as well as the obligations imposed by the EU. Namely, in the coming years, the Waste Framework and Landfill Directives of the European Union will be a significant driver of change in waste management practices and governance of the city of Zagreb. At present, the yearly separate waste collection makes somewhat less than 5 kg per capita of various waste fractions, i.e., far below the average value for the (28) capital cities of the EU, which is 108 kg per capita. This is possible to achieve only by better and sustainable planning of future activities and facilities, taking into account of environmental, economic, and social aspects of waste management. This means that the city of Zagreb not only will have to invest in new infrastructure to meet the targets, but also will have to enhance public awareness in diverting this waste at the household level. The solution for the new waste management proposed in this paper will certainly be a way of implementing circular economy approach to current waste management practice in the city of Zagreb. Municipal waste management in the developing countries in the EU (new eastern EU members) is often characterized by its limited utilization of recycling activities, inadequate management of nonindustrial hazardous waste, and inadequate landfill disposal. Many cities in Eastern Europe and Zagreb as well are facing serious problems in managing municipal wastes due to the existing solid waste management system that is found to be highly inefficient. The proposed scenario for city of Zagreb in the paper is an innovative upgrading of municipal waste management based on the waste management hierarchy and circular economy approach.

Pollution balance method and the demonstration of its application to minimizing waste in a biochemical process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hilaly, A.K.; Sikdar, S.K.

In this study, the authors introduced several modifications to the WAR (waste reduction) algorithm developed earlier. These modifications were made for systematically handling sensitivity analysis and various tasks of waste minimization. A design hierarchy was formulated to promote appropriate waste reduction tasks at designated levels of the hierarchy. A sensitivity coefficient was used to measure the relative impacts of process variables on the pollution index of a process. The use of the WAR algorithm was demonstrated by a fermentation process for making penicillin.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Illinois Solid Waste Management Act, enacted in September 1986, established the State`s commitment to adress solid waste handling, based on a solid waste management hierarchy as folloew: (1) volume reduction at the source; (2) recycling and reuse; (3) combustion with energy recovery; (4) combustion for volume reduction; and (5) disposal in landfill facilities. Under this Act, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is required to publish an annual report `regarding the projected disposal capacity available for solid waste in sanitary landfills`. The information presented in this report reflects the reporting period January 1, 1994 - Decenber 31, 1994.

Integrated waste management as a climate change stabilization wedge.

PubMed

Bahor, Brian; Van Brunt, Michael; Stovall, Jeff; Blue, Katherine

2009-11-01

Anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions are known to contribute to global increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and are widely believed to contribute to climate change. A reference carbon dioxide concentration of 383 ppm for 2007 is projected to increase to a nominal 500 ppm in less than 50 years according to business as usual models. This concentration change is equivalent to an increase of 7 billion tonnes of carbon per year (7 Gt C year(-1)). The concept of a stabilization wedge was introduced by Pacala and Socolow (Science, 305, 968-972, 2004) to break the 7 Gt C year(- 1) into more manageable 1 Gt C year(- 1) reductions that would be achievable with current technology. A total of fifteen possible 'wedges' were identified; however, an integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management system based on the European Union's waste management hierarchy was not evaluated as a wedge. This analysis demonstrates that if the tonnage of MSW is allocated to recycling, waste to energy and landfilling in descending order in lieu of existing 'business-as-usual' practices with each option using modern technology and best practices, the system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 Gt C year( -1). This integrated waste management system reduces CO(2) by displacing fossil electrical generation and avoiding manufacturing energy consumption and methane emissions from landfills.

Land-use and alternative bioenergy pathways for waste biomass.

PubMed

Campbell, J E; Block, E

2010-11-15

Rapid escalation in biofuels consumption may lead to a trade regime that favors exports of food-based biofuels from tropical developing countries to developed countries. There is growing interest in mitigating the land-use impacts of these potential biofuels exports by converting biorefinery waste streams into cellulosic ethanol, potentially reducing the amount of land needed to meet production goals. This increased land-use efficiency for ethanol production may lower the land-use greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol but would come at the expense of converting the wastes into bioelectricity which may offset fossil fuel-based electricity and could provide a vital source of domestic electricity in developing countries. Here we compare these alternative uses of wastes with respect to environmental and energy security outcomes considering a range of electricity production efficiencies, ethanol yields, land-use scenarios, and energy offset assumptions. For a given amount of waste biomass, we found that using bioelectricity production to offset natural gas achieves 58% greater greenhouse gas reductions than using cellulosic ethanol to offset gasoline but similar emissions when cellulosic ethanol is used to offset the need for more sugar cane ethanol. If bioelectricity offsets low-carbon energy sources such as nuclear power then the liquid fuels pathway is preferred. Exports of cellulosic ethanol may have a small impact on the energy security of importing nations while bioelectricity production may have relatively large impacts on the energy security in developing countries.

Annotated Bibliography of Law-Related Pollution Prevention Sources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Holly; Murphy, Elaine

This annotated bibliography of law-related pollution prevention sources was prepared by the National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education. Some topics of the items include waste reduction, hazardous wastes, risk reduction, environmental policy, pollution prevention, environmental protection, environmental leadership, environmental…

Environmental Optimization Using the WAste Reduction Algorithm (WAR)

EPA Science Inventory

Traditionally chemical process designs were optimized using purely economic measures such as rate of return. EPA scientists developed the WAste Reduction algorithm (WAR) so that environmental impacts of designs could easily be evaluated. The goal of WAR is to reduce environme...

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Material Descriptions and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2017-02-14

This page provides a summary of the materials included in EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The page includes a list of materials, a description of the material as defined in the primary data source, and citations for primary data sources.

Microbial stabilization and mass reduction of wastes containing radionuclides and toxic metals

DOEpatents

Francis, A.J.; Dodge, C.J.; Gillow, J.B.

1991-09-10

A process is provided to treat wastes containing radionuclides and toxic metals with Clostridium sp. BFGl to release a large fraction of the waste solids into solution and convert the radionuclides and toxic metals to a more concentrated and stable form with concurrent volume and mass reduction. The radionuclides and toxic metals being in a more stable form are available for recovery, recycling and disposal. 18 figures.

Microbial stabilization and mass reduction of wastes containing radionuclides and toxic metals

DOEpatents

Francis, Arokiasamy J.; Dodge, Cleveland J.; Gillow, Jeffrey B.

1991-01-01

A process is provided to treat wastes containing radionuclides and toxic metals with Clostridium sp. BFGl to release a large fraction of the waste solids into solutin and convert the radionuclides and toxic metals to a more concentrated and stable form with concurrent volume and mass reduction. The radionuclides and toxic metals being in a more stable form are available for recovery, recycling and disposal.

Elaboration d'une structure de collecte des matieres residuelles selon la Theorie Constructale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Maalouf, George

Currently, more than 80% of the waste management costs are attributed to the waste collection phase. In order to reduce these costs, one current solution resides in the implementation of waste transfer stations. In these stations, at least 3 collection vehicles transfer their load into a larger hauling truck. This cost reduction is based on the principle of economy of scale applied to the transportation sector. This solution improves the efficiency of the system; nevertheless, it does not optimize it. Recent studies show that the compactor trucks used in the collection phase generate significant economic losses mainly due to the frequent stops and the transportation to transfer stations often far from the collection area. This study suggests the restructuring of the waste collection process by dividing it into two phases: the collection phase, and the transportation to the transfer station phase. To achieve this, a deterministic theory called: "the Constructal Theory" (CT) is used. The results show that starting a certain density threshold, the application of the CT minimizes energy losses in the system. In fact, the collection is optimal if it is done using a combination of low capacity vehicle to collect door to door and transfer their charge into high-capacity trucks. These trucks will then transport their load to the transfer station. To minimize the costs of labor, this study proposes the use of Cybernetic Transport System (CTS) as an automated collection vehicle to collect small amounts of waste. Finally, the optimization method proposed is part of a decentralized approach to the collection and treatment of waste. This allows the implementation of multi-process waste treatment facilities on a territory scale. Keywords: Waste collection, Constructal Theory, Cybernetic Transportation Systems.

Focussing on recycling attitudes of engineering students at UiTM Shah Alam - towards zero discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifah, A. S. A. K.; Khamaruddin, P. F. M.; Mohamad, N. N.; Saharuddin, M. Q.

2018-03-01

The generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Malaysia over the past 10 years has increased by 95 percent due to rapid development in the urban areas. 16.76 million tonne of waste is expected to be generated by Malaysian in the year 2020. Presently, there are about 70 percent of waste produced reported to be collected and 95 percent of it are disposed in landfills with only 5 percent left are being recycled. A 40 percent reduction of waste disposed to landfill by year 2020, through recycling and intermediate treatments such as waste to energy, composting and material recovery is very much needed as opening new landfills are not socially attractive. It clearly shows the awareness in reducing waste through recycling is still at infancy among Malaysians. Hence, a proper solid waste management should be enhanced through education among youngsters to ensure an integrated solid waste management towards zero discharge is achievable. The purpose of the research is two-fold. Firstly, to determine the recycling practices awareness among engineering students through manual and on-line survey. Secondly, a study on the effectiveness of recycling bins at the engineering students’ centre. The data collected were analyzed using statistical analysis. Results show that there is significant relationship (p<0.05) between gender and knowledge on recycling using Chi square test. However, there is an insignificant relationship (p>0.05) between knowledge and awareness of students towards recycling using partial correlation. Nevertheless, it is important to note that recycling practices through the provision of well-designed recycling bins and continuous education will ensure a sound society upholding a Zero Discharge attitude in the future.

Kinetic comparison of microbial assemblages for the anaerobic treatment of wastewater with high sulfate and heavy metal contents.

PubMed

Sinbuathong, Nusara; Sirirote, Pramote; Liengcharernsit, Winai; Khaodhiar, Sutha; Watts, Daniel J

2009-01-01

Mixed-microbial assemblages enriched from a septic tank, coastal sediment samples, the digester sludge of a brewery wastewater treatment plant and acidic sulfate soil samples were compared on the basis of growth rate, waste and sulfate reduction rate under sulfate reducing conditions at 30 degrees C. The specific growth rate of various cultures was in the range 0.0013-0.0022 hr(-1). Estimates of waste and sulfate reduction rate were obtained by fitting substrate depletion and sulfate reduction data with the Michaelis-Menten equation. The waste reduction rates were in the range 4x10(-8)-1x10(-7) I mg(-1) hr(-1) and generally increased in the presence of copper, likely by copper sulfide precipitation that reduced sulfide and copper toxicity and thus protected the anaerobic microbes. Anaerobic microorganisms from a brewery digester sludge were found to be the most appropriate culture for the treatment of wastewater with high sulfate and heavy metal content due to their growth rate, and waste and sulfate reduction rate.

CHARACTERIZATION AND PH/EH-BASED LEACHING TESTS OF MINING WASTES CONTAINING MERCURY

EPA Science Inventory

This study was undertaken as a part of developing treatment alternatives for waste materials, primarily waste rock and roaster tailings, from sites contaminated with mercury (Hg) mining wastes. Leaching profiles of waste rock over a range of different pH and oxidation-reduction (...

CHARACTERIZATION AND PH/EH-BASED LEACHING TESTS OF MINING WASTES CONTAINING MERCURY

EPA Science Inventory

This study was undertaken as a part of developing treatment alternatives for waste materials, primarily waste rock and roaster tailings, from sites contaminated with Mercury (Hg) mining wastes. Leaching profiles of waste rock over a range of different pH and oxidation-reduction ...

Waste in Place Elementary Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., Stamford, CT.

This curriculum guide is a behavioral-based, systematic approach to changing attitudes and practices related to waste handling. Activities included are on litter prevention, waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, waste-to-energy, and landfill. These activities are used to assist students in making informed decisions about waste disposal…

40 CFR 62.14770 - When must I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14770 When must I achieve final compliance? If you plan to continue...

40 CFR 62.14770 - When must I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14770 When must I achieve final compliance? If you plan to continue...

40 CFR 62.14770 - When must I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14770 When must I achieve final compliance? If you plan to continue...

40 CFR 62.14770 - When must I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14770 When must I achieve final compliance? If you plan to continue...

40 CFR 62.14770 - When must I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14770 When must I achieve final compliance? If you plan to continue...

Copper recovery and cyanide oxidation by electrowinning from a spent copper-cyanide electroplating electrolyte.

PubMed

Dutra, A J B; Rocha, G P; Pombo, F R

2008-04-01

Copper-cyanide bleed streams arise from contaminated baths from industrial electroplating processes due to the buildup of impurities during continuous operation. These streams present an elevated concentration of carbonate, cyanide and copper, constituting a heavy hazard, which has to be treated for cyanide destruction and heavy metals removal, according to the local environmental laws. In the Brazilian Mint, bleed streams are treated with sodium hypochlorite, to destroy cyanide and precipitate copper hydroxide, a solid hazardous waste that has to be disposed properly in a landfill or treated for metal recovery. In this paper, a laboratory-scale electrolytic cell was developed to remove the copper from the bleed stream of the electroplating unit of the Brazilian Mint, permitting its reutilization in the plant and decreasing the amount of sludge to waste. Under favorable conditions copper recoveries around 99.9% were achieved, with an energy consumption of about 11 kWh/kg, after a 5-h electrolysis of a bath containing copper and total cyanide concentrations of 26 and 27 g/L, respectively. Additionally, a substantial reduction of the cyanide concentration was also achieved, decreasing the pollution load and final treatment costs.

Advanced Flue Gas Desulfurization (AFGD) Demonstration Project, A DOE Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-08-31

The AFGD process as demonstrated by Pure Air at the Bailly Station offers a reliable and cost-effective means of achieving a high degree of SO{sub 2} emissions reduction when burning high-sulfur coals. Many innovative features have been successfully incorporated in this process, and it is ready for widespread commercial use. The system uses a single-loop cocurrent scrubbing process with in-situ oxidation to produce wallboard-grade gypsum instead of wet sludge. A novel wastewater evaporation system minimizes effluents. The advanced scrubbing process uses a common absorber to serve multiple boilers, thereby saving on capital through economies of scale. Major results of themore » project are: (1) SO{sub 2} removal of over 94 percent was achieved over the three-year demonstration period, with a system availability exceeding 99.5 percent; (2) a large, single absorber handled the combined flue gas of boilers generating 528 MWe of power, and no spares were required; (3) direct injection of pulverized limestone into the absorber was successful; (4) Wastewater evaporation eliminated the need for liquid waste disposal; and (5) the gypsum by-product was used directly for wallboard manufacture, eliminating the need to dispose of waste sludge.« less

Energy recovery system

DOEpatents

Moore, Albert S.; Verhoff, Francis H.

1980-01-01

The present invention is directed to an improved wet air oxidation system and method for reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of waste water used from scrubbers of coal gasification plants, with this COD reduction being sufficient to effectively eliminate waste water as an environmental pollutant. The improvement of the present invention is provided by heating the air used in the oxidation process to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature in the oxidation reactor before compressing or pressurizing the air. The compression of the already hot air further heats the air which is then passed in heat exchange with gaseous products of the oxidation reaction for "superheating" the gaseous products prior to the use thereof in turbines as the driving fluid. The superheating of the gaseous products significantly minimizes condensation of gaseous products in the turbine so as to provide a substantially greater recovery of mechanical energy from the process than heretofore achieved.

Modified fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration as catalyst support for Mn-Ce composite oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiongbo; Liu, Ying; Yang, Ying; Ren, Tingyan; Pan, Lang; Fang, Ping; Chen, Dingsheng; Cen, Chaoping

2017-08-01

Fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration was modified by hydrothermal treatment and used as catalyst support for Mn-Ce composite oxides. The prepared catalyst showed good activity for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by NH3. A NO conversion of 93% could be achieved at 300 °C under a GHSV of 32857 h-1. With the help of characterizations including XRD, BET, SEM, TEM, XPS and TPR, it was found that hydrothermal treatment brought a large surface area and abundant mesoporous to the modified fly ash, and Mn-Ce composite oxides were highly dispersed on the surface of the support. These physical and chemical properties were the intrinsic reasons for the good SCR activity. This work transformed fly ash into high value-added products, providing a new approach to the resource utilization and pollution control of fly ash.

Johnston Atoll Plutonium Cleanup Project. Contract bridge report. Technical report, 1 June-5 August 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hellier, C.L.; Doane, R.W.

1995-04-01

This report continues the documentation of the operation of TMA/Eberline`s Segmented Gate System technology for removing mixed plutonium and americium contamination at DNA`s Johnston Atoll site. Contaminated feed is conveyed under arrays of radiation detectors coupled with sophisticated computer software developed by Eberline Instrument Corporation. Segmented gates (chutes) on pneumatically-driven pistons move forward when contamination is detected to remove only the contaminated portion from the main flow of feed material. Only about one pint of contaminant is removed during each diversion event. At the JA site, a 98% volume reduction has been achieved, with the remediated soil cleaned to DNA`smore » criteria for release for unrestricted use of 500 Bq/kg total transuranic alpha contamination and no hot particles of greater than 5000 Becquerrels. The low level waste concentrate is expected to be packaged for shipment to an approved defense waste disposal site.« less

Lean Six Sigma in Health Care: Improving Utilization and Reducing Waste.

PubMed

Almorsy, Lamia; Khalifa, Mohamed

2016-01-01

Healthcare costs have been increasing worldwide mainly due to over utilization of resources. The savings potentially achievable from systematic, comprehensive, and cooperative reduction in waste are far higher than from more direct and blunter cuts in care and coverage. At King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center inappropriate and over utilization of the glucose test strips used for whole blood glucose determination using glucometers was observed. The hospital implemented a project to improve its utilization. Using the Six Sigma DMAIC approach (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control), an efficient practice was put in place including updating the related internal policies and procedures and the proper implementation of an effective users' training and competency check off program. That resulted in decreasing the unnecessary Quality Control (QC) runs from 13% to 4%, decreasing the failed QC runs from 14% to 7%, lowering the QC to patient testing ratio from 24/76 to 19/81.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Resources for Small Businesses and Organizations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides a brief overview of how EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) can be used by small businesses and organizations. The page includes a brief summary of uses of WARM for the audience and links to other resources.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Material Descriptions and Data Sources

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides a summary of the materials included in EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The page includes a list of materials, a description of the material as defined in the primary data source, and citations for primary data sources.

Biomethanization of citrus waste: Effect of waste characteristics and of storage on treatability and evaluation of limonene degradation.

PubMed

Lotito, Adriana Maria; De Sanctis, Marco; Pastore, Carlo; Di Iaconi, Claudio

2018-06-01

This study proposes the evaluation of the suitability of mesophilic anaerobic digestion as a simple technology for the treatment of the citrus waste produced by small-medium agro-industrial enterprises involved in the transformation of Citrus fruits. Two different stocks of citrus peel waste were used (i.e., fresh and stored citrus peel waste), to evaluate the influence of waste composition (variability in the type of processed Citrus fruits) and of storage (potentially necessary to operate the anaerobic digester continuously over the whole year due to the seasonality of the production) on anaerobic degradation treatability. A thorough characterization of the two waste types has been performed, showing that the fresh one has a higher solid and organic content, and that, in spite of the similar values of oil fraction amounts, the two stocks are significantly different in the composition of essential oils (43% of limonene and 34% of linalyl acetate in the fresh citrus waste and 20% of limonene and 74% of linalyl acetate in the stored citrus waste). Contrarily to what observed in previous studies, anaerobic digestion was successful and no reactor acidification occurred. No inhibition by limonene and linalyl acetate even at the maximum applied organic load value (i.e., 2.72 gCOD waste /gVS inoculum ) was observed in the treatment of the stored waste, with limonene and linalyl acetate concentrations of 104 mg/l and 385 mg/l, respectively. On the contrary, some inhibition was detected with fresh citrus peel waste when the organic load increased from 2.21 to 2.88 gCOD waste /gVS inoculum , ascribable to limonene at initial concentration higher than 150 mg/l. A good conversion into methane was observed with fresh peel waste, up to 0.33  [Formula: see text] at the highest organic load, very close to the maximum theoretical value of 0.35 [Formula: see text] , while a lower efficiency was achieved with stored peel waste, with a reduction down to 0.24  [Formula: see text] at the highest organic load. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surpassing the current limitations of high purity H2 production in microbial electrolysis cell (MECs): Strategies for inhibiting growth of methanogens.

PubMed

Kadier, Abudukeremu; Kalil, Mohd Sahaid; Chandrasekhar, Kuppam; Mohanakrishna, Gunda; Saratale, Ganesh Dattatraya; Saratale, Rijuta Ganesh; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Pugazhendhi, Arivalagan; Sivagurunathan, Periyasamy

2018-02-01

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are perceived as a potential and promising innovative biotechnological tool that can convert carbon-rich waste biomass or wastewater into hydrogen (H 2 ) or other value-added chemicals. Undesired methane (CH 4 ) producing H 2 sinks, including methanogens, is a serious challenge faced by MECs to achieve high-rate H 2 production. Methanogens can consume H 2 to produce CH 4 in MECs, which has led to a drop of H 2 production efficiency, H 2 production rate (HPR) and also a low percentage of H 2 in the produced biogas. Organized inference related to the interactions of microbes and potential processes has assisted in understanding approaches and concepts for inhibiting the growth of methanogens and profitable scale up design. Thus, here in we review the current developments and also the improvements constituted for the reduction of microbial H 2 losses to methanogens. Firstly, the greatest challenge in achieving practical applications of MECs; undesirable microorganisms (methanogens) growth and various studied techniques for eliminating and reducing methanogens activities in MECs were discussed. Additionally, this extensive review also considers prospects for stimulating future research that could help to achieve more information and would provide the focus and path towards MECs as well as their possibilities for simultaneously generating H 2 and waste remediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Torrefaction Processing for Human Solid Waste Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Serio, Michael A.; Cosgrove, Joseph E.; Wójtowicz, Marek A.; Stapleton, Thomas J.; Nalette, Tim A.; Ewert, Michael K.; Lee, Jeffrey; Fisher, John

2016-01-01

This study involved a torrefaction (mild pyrolysis) processing approach that could be used to sterilize feces and produce a stable, odor-free solid product that can be stored or recycled, and also to simultaneously recover moisture. It was demonstrated that mild heating (200-250 C) in nitrogen or air was adequate for torrefaction of a fecal simulant and an analog of human solid waste (canine feces). The net result was a nearly undetectable odor (for the canine feces), complete recovery of moisture, some additional water production, a modest reduction of the dry solid mass, and the production of small amounts of gas and liquid. The liquid product is mainly water, with a small Total Organic Carbon content. The amount of solid vs gas plus liquid products can be controlled by adjusting the torrefaction conditions (final temperature, holding time), and the current work has shown that the benefits of torrefaction could be achieved in a low temperature range (< 250 C). These temperatures are compatible with the PTFE bag materials historically used by NASA for fecal waste containment and will reduce the energy consumption of the process. The solid product was a dry material that did not support bacterial growth and was hydrophobic relative to the starting material. In the case of canine feces, the solid product was a mechanically friable material that could be easily compacted to a significantly smaller volume (approx. 50%). The proposed Torrefaction Processing Unit (TPU) would be designed to be compatible with the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), now under development by NASA. A stand-alone TPU could be used to treat the canister from the UWMS, along with other types of wet solid wastes, with either conventional or microwave heating. Over time, a more complete integration of the TPU and the UWMS could be achieved, but will require design changes in both units.

Analysis on carbon dioxide emission reduction during the anaerobic synergetic digestion technology of sludge and kitchen waste: Taking kitchen waste synergetic digestion project in Zhenjiang as an example.

PubMed

Guo, Qia; Dai, Xiaohu

2017-11-01

With the popularization of municipal sewage treatment facilities, the improvement of sewage treatment efficiency and the deepening degree of sewage treatment, the sludge production of sewage plant has been sharply increased. Carbon emission during the process of municipal sewage treatment and disposal has become one of the important sources of greenhouse gases that cause greenhouse effect. How to reduce carbon dioxide emissions during sewage treatment and disposal process is of great significance for reducing air pollution. Kitchen waste and excess sludge, as two important organic wastes, once uses anaerobic synergetic digestion technology in the treatment process can on the one hand, avoid instability of sludge individual anaerobic digestion, improve sludge degradation rate and marsh gas production rate, and on the other hand, help increase the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to a great extent. The paper uses material balance method, analyzes and calculates the carbon dioxide emissions from kitchen waste and sludge disposed by the anaerobic synergetic digestion technology, compares the anaerobic synergetic digestion technology with traditional sludge sanitary landfill technology and works out the carbon dioxide emission reductions after synergetic digestion. It takes the kitchen waste and sludge synergetic digestion engineering project of Zhenjiang city in Jiangsu province as an example, makes material balance analysis using concrete data and works out the carbon dioxide daily emission reductions. The paper analyzes the actual situation of emission reduction by comparing the data, and found that the synergetic digestion of kitchen waste and sludge can effectively reduce the carbon dioxide emission, and the reduction is obvious especially compared with that of sludge sanitary landfill, which has a certain effect on whether to promote the use of the technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diesel NO(x) aftertreatment by combined process using temperature swing adsorption, NO(x) reduction by nonthermal plasma, and NO(x) recirculation: improvement of the recirculation process.

PubMed

Yoshida, Keiichiro; Kuwahara, Takuya; Kuroki, Tomoyuki; Okubo, Masaaki

2012-09-15

NO(x) emitted from a stationary diesel engine generator was treated with a hybrid system comprising NO(x) reduction by nonthermal plasma (NTP) and temperature swing adsorption (TSA) driven by engine waste heat. TSA produces a low-volume gas mixture of N(2) and highly concentrated NO(x), which is effectively reduced by NTP treatment. Improved treatment performance and efficiency are achieved by re-injecting the NTP-treated gas mixture into the engine intake. The system comprises two switchable adsorption chambers; the operation of this system was simulated by using a one-chamber system. The maximum energy efficiency for NO(x) treatment is 200 g(NO(2))/kWh. The respective contributions of NTP and injection of N(2) and NO(x) to the performance were theoretically analyzed. The analysis predicts that high energy efficiency and high NO(x)-removal efficiency can be simultaneously achieved with this system but miniaturization of the adsorption chambers will be a challenge. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by supported ZnO nanoparticles on biochar derived from waste water hyacinth.

PubMed

Yu, Jiangdong; Jiang, Chunyan; Guan, Qingqing; Ning, Ping; Gu, Junjie; Chen, Qiuling; Zhang, Junmin; Miao, Rongrong

2018-03-01

Biochar derived from waste water hyacinth was prepared and modified by ZnO nanoparticles for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solution with the aim of Cr(VI) removal and management of waste biomass. The effect of carbonization temperature (500-800 °C), ZnO content (10-50 wt%) loaded on biochar and contact time (0.17-14 h) on the Cr(VI) removal were investigated. It was found that higher than 95% removal efficiency of Cr(VI) can be achieved with the biochar loaded 30 wt% ZnO. The adsorption kinetics of the sorbent is consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and adsorption isotherm follows the Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity of 43.48 mg g -1 for Cr(VI). Multiple techniques such as XRD, XPS, SEM, EDX and FT-IR were performed to investigate the possible mechanisms involved in the Cr (VI) adsorption. The results show that there is precipitation between chromium ions and Zn oxide. Furthermore, the ZnO nanoparticles acts as photo-catalyst to generate photo-generated electrons to enhance the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The as-prepared ZnO/BC possess good recyclability and the removal ratio remained at about 70% in the fifth cycle, which suggests that both contaminants removal and effective management of water hyacinth can be achieved by the approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Installation Restoration Program. Phase 1. Records Search. Air Force Plant Number 3, Tulsa, Oklahoma

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

treatment plant was designed for cyanide and chromium treat- ment. Wastes are collected in two separate sewer systems; acid-chrome, and alkali cyanide...reduction of hexavalent chrome to trivalent chrome with sulfur dioxide. After the oxidation and reduction are accomplished separately, the wastes are...uses of the water. CCNVEPSI N COATING WASTE: Acidic solution containinq chromium . 0COOLANT: An oil-water mixture used for coolina metal parts durirq

Planet Patrol. An Educational Unit on Solid Waste Solutions for Grades 4-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shively, Patti J.; And Others

This educational unit on solid waste solutions is intended to convey to students an understanding of the four methods of solid waste handling, in priority order, as recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency: (1) reduction in the volume of waste produced; (2) recycling and composting; (3) waste combustion, i.e., incineration of waste; and…

Innovative Application of Mechanical Activation for Rare Earth Elements Recovering: Process Optimization and Mechanism Exploration

PubMed Central

Tan, Quanyin; Deng, Chao; Li, Jinhui

2016-01-01

With the rapidly expanding use of fluorescent lamps (FLs) and increasing interest in conservation and sustainable utilization of critical metals such as rare earth elements (REEs), the recovering of REEs from phosphors in waste FLs is becoming a critical environmental and economic issue. To effectively recycle REEs with metallurgical methods, mechanical activation by ball milling was introduced to pretreat the waste phosphors. This current study put the emphasis on the mechanical activation and leaching processes for REEs, and explored the feasibility of the method from both theoretical and practical standpoints. Results showed physicochemical changes of structural destruction and particle size reduction after mechanical activation, leading to the easy dissolution of REEs in the activated samples. Under optimal conditions, dissolution yields of 89.4%, 93.1% and 94.6% for Tb, Eu and Y, respectively, were achieved from activated waste phosphors using hydrochloric acid as the dissolution agent. The shrinking core model proved to be the most applicable for the leaching procedure, with an apparent activation energy of 10.96 ± 2.79 kJ/mol. This novel process indicates that mechanical activation is an efficient method for recovering REEs from waste phosphors, and it has promising potential for REE recovery with low cost and high efficiency. PMID:26819083

Innovative Application of Mechanical Activation for Rare Earth Elements Recovering: Process Optimization and Mechanism Exploration.

PubMed

Tan, Quanyin; Deng, Chao; Li, Jinhui

2016-01-28

With the rapidly expanding use of fluorescent lamps (FLs) and increasing interest in conservation and sustainable utilization of critical metals such as rare earth elements (REEs), the recovering of REEs from phosphors in waste FLs is becoming a critical environmental and economic issue. To effectively recycle REEs with metallurgical methods, mechanical activation by ball milling was introduced to pretreat the waste phosphors. This current study put the emphasis on the mechanical activation and leaching processes for REEs, and explored the feasibility of the method from both theoretical and practical standpoints. Results showed physicochemical changes of structural destruction and particle size reduction after mechanical activation, leading to the easy dissolution of REEs in the activated samples. Under optimal conditions, dissolution yields of 89.4%, 93.1% and 94.6% for Tb, Eu and Y, respectively, were achieved from activated waste phosphors using hydrochloric acid as the dissolution agent. The shrinking core model proved to be the most applicable for the leaching procedure, with an apparent activation energy of 10.96 ± 2.79 kJ/mol. This novel process indicates that mechanical activation is an efficient method for recovering REEs from waste phosphors, and it has promising potential for REE recovery with low cost and high efficiency.

Innovative Application of Mechanical Activation for Rare Earth Elements Recovering: Process Optimization and Mechanism Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Quanyin; Deng, Chao; Li, Jinhui

2016-01-01

With the rapidly expanding use of fluorescent lamps (FLs) and increasing interest in conservation and sustainable utilization of critical metals such as rare earth elements (REEs), the recovering of REEs from phosphors in waste FLs is becoming a critical environmental and economic issue. To effectively recycle REEs with metallurgical methods, mechanical activation by ball milling was introduced to pretreat the waste phosphors. This current study put the emphasis on the mechanical activation and leaching processes for REEs, and explored the feasibility of the method from both theoretical and practical standpoints. Results showed physicochemical changes of structural destruction and particle size reduction after mechanical activation, leading to the easy dissolution of REEs in the activated samples. Under optimal conditions, dissolution yields of 89.4%, 93.1% and 94.6% for Tb, Eu and Y, respectively, were achieved from activated waste phosphors using hydrochloric acid as the dissolution agent. The shrinking core model proved to be the most applicable for the leaching procedure, with an apparent activation energy of 10.96 ± 2.79 kJ/mol. This novel process indicates that mechanical activation is an efficient method for recovering REEs from waste phosphors, and it has promising potential for REE recovery with low cost and high efficiency.

INCORPORATING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS INTO PROCESS DESIGN: THE WASTE REDUCTION (WAR) ALGORITHM

EPA Science Inventory

A general theory known as the WAste Reduction (WASR) algorithm has been developed to describe the flow and the generation of potential environmental impact through a chemical process. This theory integrates environmental impact assessment into chemical process design Potential en...

THE WASTE REDUCTION (WAR) ALGORITHM: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, AND ENGINEERING ECONOMICS

EPA Science Inventory

A general theory known as the WAste Reduction (WAR) algorithm has been developed to describe the flow and the generation of potential environmental impact through a chemical process. This theory defines potential environmental impact indexes that characterize the generation and t...

Destined for indecision? A critical analysis of waste management practices in England from 1996 to 2013.

PubMed

Farmer, T D; Shaw, P J; Williams, I D

2015-05-01

European nations are compelled to reduce reliance on landfill as a destination for household waste, and should, in principle, achieve this goal with due recognition of the aims and principles of the waste hierarchy. Past research has predominantly focused on recycling, whilst interactions between changing waste destinies, causes and drivers of household waste management change, and potential consequences for the goal of the waste hierarchy are less well understood. This study analysed Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW) for England, at national, regional and sub-regional level, in terms of the destination of household waste to landfill, incineration and recycling. Information about waste partnerships, waste management infrastructure and collection systems was collected to help identify and explain changes in waste destinies. Since 1996, the proportion of waste landfilled in England has decreased, in tandem with increases in recycling and incineration. At the regional and sub-regional (Local Authority; LA) level, there have been large variations in the relative proportions of waste landfilled, incinerated and recycled or composted. Annual increases in the proportion of household waste incinerated were typically larger than increases in the proportion recycled. The observed changes took place in the context of legal and financial drivers, and the circumstances of individual LAs (e.g. landfill capacity) also explained the changes seen. Where observed, shifts from landfill towards incineration constitute an approach whereby waste management moves up the waste hierarchy as opposed to an attempt to reach the most preferred option(s); in terms of resource efficiency, this practice is sub-optimal. The requirement to supply incinerators with a feedstock over their lifespan reduces the benefits of developing of recycling and waste reduction, although access to incineration infrastructure permits short-term and marked decreases in the proportion of LACW landfilled. We conclude that there is a need for clearer national strategy and co-ordination to inform and guide policy, practice, planning and investment in infrastructure such that waste management can be better aligned with the principles of the circular economy and resource efficiency. If the ongoing stand-off between national political figures and the waste sector continues, England's waste policy remains destined for indecision. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of addition of organic waste on reduction of Escherichia coli during cattle feces composting under high-moisture condition.

PubMed

Hanajima, Dai; Kuroda, Kazutaka; Fukumoto, Yasuyuki; Haga, Kiyonori

2006-09-01

To ensure Escherichia coli reduction during cattle feces composting, co-composting with a variety of organic wastes was examined. A mixture of dairy cattle feces and shredded rice straw (control) was blended with organic wastes (tofu residue, rice bran, rapeseed meal, dried chicken feces, raw chicken feces, or garbage), and composted using a bench-scale composter under the high-moisture condition (78%). The addition of organic waste except chicken feces brought about maximum temperatures of more than 55 degrees C and significantly reduced the number of E. coli from 10(6) to below 10(2)CFU/g-wet after seven days composting, while in the control treatment, E. coli survived at the same level as that of raw feces. Enhancements of the thermophilic phase and E. coli reduction were related to the initial amount of easily digestible carbon in mass determined as BOD. BOD value more than 166.2 mg O2/DMg brought about significant E. coli reduction.

Influence of the size reduction of organic waste on their anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Palmowski, L M; Müller, J A

2000-01-01

The rate-limiting step in anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste is generally their hydrolysis. A size reduction of the particles and the resulting enlargement of the available specific surface can support the biological process in two ways. Firstly, in case of substrates with a high content of fibres and a low xegradability, their comminution yields to an improved digester gas production. This leads to a decreased amount of residues to be disposed of and to an increased quantity of useful digester gas. The second effect of the particle size reduction observed with all the substrates but particularly with those of low degradability is a reduction of the technical digestion time. Furthermore, the particle size of organic waste has an influence on the dewaterability after codigestion with sewage sludge. The presence of organic waste residues improves the dewaterability measured as specific resistance to filtration but this positive effect is attenuated if the particle size of the solids is reduced.

40 CFR 62.14795 - How do I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14795 How do I achieve final compliance? For the final compliance, you must...

40 CFR 62.14795 - How do I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14795 How do I achieve final compliance? For the final compliance, you must...

40 CFR 62.14795 - How do I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14795 How do I achieve final compliance? For the final compliance, you must...

40 CFR 62.14795 - How do I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14795 How do I achieve final compliance? For the final compliance, you must...

40 CFR 62.14795 - How do I achieve final compliance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Air Curtain Incinerators That Burn 100 Percent Wood Wastes, Clean Lumber And/or Yard Waste § 62.14795 How do I achieve final compliance? For the final compliance, you must...

Removal of boron (B) from waste liquors.

PubMed

Jiang, J Q; Xu, Y; Simon, J; Quill, K; Shettle, K

2006-01-01

This paper explores the use of electrocoagulation to remove boron from waste effluent in comparison with alum coagulation. In treating model test wastes, greater boron removals were achieved with electrocoagulation at low doses than conventional alum coagulation when reaction was undertaken for the same conditions (pH 8.5, and initial boron concentration was 500 mg/L). Al electrocoagulation can achieve good boron removal performance (68.3%) at a dose of 2.1 (as molar ratio of Al:B, and for current density of 62.1 A/m2), while alum coagulation can only achieve the maximum boron removal of 56% at a dose of 2.4. Also, Al electrocoagulation can remove 15-20% more boron than alum coagulation for the same dose compared in the treatment of both model test wastes and industry effluent. The estimation of running costs shows that to achieve 75% boron removal from industry waste effluent, i.e. removing 150 g of boron from 1 m3 of effluent, electrocoagulation was 6.2 times cheaper than alum coagulation. The economic advantage of electrocoagulation in the treatment of boron-containing waste effluent is thus significant.

Processing industrial wastes with the liquid-phase reduction romelt process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romenets, V.; Valavin, V.; Pokhvisnev, Yu.; Vandariev, S.

1999-08-01

The Romelt technology for liquid-phase reduction has been developed for processing metallurgical wastes containing nonferrousmetal components. Thermodynamic calculations were made to investigate the behavior of silver, copper, zinc, manganese, vanadium, chrome, and silicon when reduced from the slag melt into the metallic solution containing iron. The process can be applied to all types of iron-bearing wastes, including electric arc furnace dust. The distribution of elements between the phases can be controlled by adjusting the slag bath temperature. Experiments at a pilot Romelt plant proved the possibility of recovering the metallurgical wastes and obtaining iron.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tu, Qingshi; Zhu, Chao; McAvoy, Drew C., E-mail: mcavoydm@ucmail.uc.edu

Highlights: • A case study to show the benefits of waste-to-energy projects at a university. • Evaluated the technical and economic feasibilities as well as GHG reduction. • A tool for other universities/communities to evaluate waste-to-energy projects. - Abstract: This paper evaluates the implementation of three waste-to-energy projects at the University of Cincinnati: waste cooking oil-to-biodiesel, waste paper-to-fuel pellets and food waste-to-biogas, respectively. The implementation of these waste-to-energy (WTE) projects would lead to the improvement of campus sustainability by minimizing waste management efforts and reducing GHG emissions via the displacement of fossil fuel usage. Technical and economic aspects of theirmore » implementation were assessed and the corresponding GHG reduction was estimated. Results showed that on-site implementation of these projects would: (1) divert 3682 L (974 gallons) of waste cooking oil to 3712 L (982 gallons) of biodiesel; (2) produce 138 tonnes of fuel pellets from 133 tonnes of waste paper (with the addition of 20.75 tonnes of plastics) to replace121 tonnes of coal; and (3) produce biogas that would be enough to replace 12,767 m{sup 3} natural gas every year from 146 tonnes of food waste. The economic analysis determined that the payback periods for the three projects would be 16 months for the biodiesel, 155 months for the fuel pellet, and 74 months for the biogas projects. The reduction of GHG emission from the implementation of the three WTE projects was determined to be 9.37 (biodiesel), 260.49 (fuel pellets), and 11.36 (biogas) tonnes of CO{sub 2}-eq per year, respectively.« less

Incineration of European non-nuclear radioactive waste in the USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moloney, B. P.; Ferguson, D.; Stephenson, B.

2013-07-01

Incineration of dry low level radioactive waste from nuclear stations is a well established process achieving high volume reduction factors to minimise disposal costs and to stabilise residues for disposal. Incineration has also been applied successfully in many European Union member countries to wastes arising from use of radionuclides in medicine, nonnuclear research and industry. However, some nations have preferred to accumulate wastes over many years in decay stores to reduce the radioactive burden at point of processing. After decay and sorting the waste, they then require a safe, industrial scale and affordable processing solution for the large volumes accumulated.more » This paper reports the regulatory, logistical and technical issues encountered in a programme delivered for Eckert and Ziegler Nuclitec to incinerate safely 100 te of waste collected originally from German research, hospital and industrial centres, applying for the first time a 'burn and return' process model for European waste in the US. The EnergySolutions incinerators at Bear Creek, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA routinely incinerate waste arising from the non-nuclear user community. To address the requirement from Germany, EnergySolutions had to run a dedicated campaign to reduce cross-contamination with non-German radionuclides to the practical minimum. The waste itself had to be sampled in a carefully controlled programme to ensure the exacting standards of Bear Creek's license and US emissions laws were maintained. Innovation was required in packaging of the waste to minimise transportation costs, including sea freight. The incineration was inspected on behalf of the German regulator (the BfS) to ensure suitability for return to Germany and disposal. This first 'burn and return' programme has safely completed the incineration phase in February and the arising ash will be returned to Germany presently. The paper reports the main findings and lessons learned on this first of its kind project. (authors)« less

THE WASTE REDUCTION (WAR) ALGORITHM: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, AND ENGINEERING ECONOMICS

EPA Science Inventory

A general theory known as the Waste Reduction (WAR) Algorithm has been developed to describe the flow and the generation of potential environmental impact through a chemical process. The theory defines indexes that characterize the generation and the output of potential environm...

GREENER CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN ALTERNATIVES ARE REVEALED USING THE WASTE REDUCTION DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (WAR DSS)

EPA Science Inventory

The Waste Reduction Decision Support System (WAR DSS) is a Java-based software product providing comprehensive modeling of potential adverse environmental impacts (PEI) predicted to result from newly designed or redesigned chemical manufacturing processes. The purpose of this so...

Transparency to Reduce Surgical Implant Waste.

PubMed

Pfefferle, Kiel J; Dilisio, Matthew F; Patti, Brianna; Fening, Stephen D; Junko, Jeffrey T

2015-06-01

Rising health care costs and emphasis on value have placed the onus of reducing healthcare costs on the surgeon. Financial data from 3,973 hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasties performed at a physician owned orthopedic hospital was retrospectively reviewed over a two-year period. A wasted implant financial report was posted starting the second year of the study. Each surgeon's performance could be identified by his peers. After posting of the financial report, 1.11% of all hip and knee arthroplasty cases had a waste event compared to 1.50% during the control year. Shoulder arthroplasty waste events occurred twice as often than that observed in hip and knee arthroplasty during the study period. A decrease in waste events was observed but was not statistically significant (p = 0.30). Posting a non-blinded wasted implant data sheet was associated with a reduction in the number of wasted orthopedic surgical implants in this series, although the reduction was not statistically significant.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Seattle's Waste Haulers are Going Green

Science.gov Websites

-hauling companies in the Puget Sound region, Waste Management and CleanScapes, were the first two private revolution in Washington's waste-hauling industry. Eager to win the Seattle contract, both Waste Management per year of greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Waste Management continues to rise to the challenge

Water resources protection today: end-of-pipe technology and cleaner production. Case study of the Czech Odra River watershed.

PubMed

Chour, V

2001-01-01

This paper reports on integrated watershed-based protection and sustainable use of water resources to increase the effectiveness of water pollution abatement. The approach includes improvements in end-of-pipe waste-water treatment technologies and implementation of Cleaner Production (CP) principles and policies within the watershed. An example of the general effectiveness of this approach is illustrated by the Czech Odra River Cleaner Production Project where reductions in pollution were achieved with improved industrial production. The CP theme is worth considering as an important challenge for the IWA.

Minimization and management of wastes from biomedical research.

PubMed Central

Rau, E H; Alaimo, R J; Ashbrook, P C; Austin, S M; Borenstein, N; Evans, M R; French, H M; Gilpin, R W; Hughes, J; Hummel, S J; Jacobsohn, A P; Lee, C Y; Merkle, S; Radzinski, T; Sloane, R; Wagner, K D; Weaner, L E

2000-01-01

Several committees were established by the National Association of Physicians for the Environment to investigate and report on various topics at the National Leadership Conference on Biomedical Research and the Environment held at the 1--2 November 1999 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. This is the report of the Committee on Minimization and Management of Wastes from Biomedical Research. Biomedical research facilities contribute a small fraction of the total amount of wastes generated in the United States, and the rate of generation appears to be decreasing. Significant reductions in generation of hazardous, radioactive, and mixed wastes have recently been reported, even at facilities with rapidly expanding research programs. Changes in the focus of research, improvements in laboratory techniques, and greater emphasis on waste minimization (volume and toxicity reduction) explain the declining trend in generation. The potential for uncontrolled releases of wastes from biomedical research facilities and adverse impacts on the general environment from these wastes appears to be low. Wastes are subject to numerous regulatory requirements and are contained and managed in a manner protective of the environment. Most biohazardous agents, chemicals, and radionuclides that find significant use in research are not likely to be persistent, bioaccumulative, or toxic if they are released. Today, the primary motivations for the ongoing efforts by facilities to improve minimization and management of wastes are regulatory compliance and avoidance of the high disposal costs and liabilities associated with generation of regulated wastes. The committee concluded that there was no evidence suggesting that the anticipated increases in biomedical research will significantly increase generation of hazardous wastes or have adverse impacts on the general environment. This conclusion assumes the positive, countervailing trends of enhanced pollution prevention efforts by facilities and reductions in waste generation resulting from improvements in research methods will continue. PMID:11121362

Benefits of using biogas technology in rural area: karo district on supporting local action plan for greenhouse gas emission reduction of north sumatera province 2010-2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, N.

2017-05-01

Indonesia committed to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) by 26% in 2020. At the UNFCCC (Conference of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change) held in Paris in December 2015 Indonesia committed to reduce GHG; one way by promoting clean energy use for example biogas. Agricultural industry produces organic waste which contributes to global warming and climate change. In Karo District, mostly the people were farmers, either horticulture or fruit and produces massive organic waste. Biogas research was conducted in Karo District in May until July 2016 used 5 biodigesters. The purpose was to determine benefits of using biogas technology in order to reduct GHG emissions. The used design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with treatments: T1 (100% cow feces), T2 (75% cow feces + 25% horticultural waste), T3 (50% cow feces + 50% horticultural waste), T4 (25% cow feces + 75% horticultural waste) and T5 (100% horticultural waste). Parameter research were gas production, pH and temperature. The research result showed that T1 produced the highest methane ( P<0.05) compared to other treatments while T2 produced methane higher (P<0.05) compared to T4 or T5. There was no difference on methane production between T4 and T5. As conclusion application of biogas on agricultural waste supported local action plan for greenhouse gas emission reduction of North Sumatera Province 2010-2020. From horticultural waste, there were 2.1 × 106 ton CO2 eq in 2014 which were not calculated in RAD GRK (Regional Action Plan for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction).

Waste Reduction Guide for Indiana Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indiana State Dept. of Education, Indianapolis. Center for School Improvement and Performance.

This guide describes a waste reduction program for Indiana schools, kindergarten through 12th grade. It is designed to be used by any school administrator, teacher, staff person, student and/or parent willing to provide leadership, generate enthusiasm, and publicize the program. By combining traditional lessons with the actual practice of waste…

40 CFR Appendix Vi to Part 268 - Recommended Technologies To Achieve Deactivation of Characteristics in Section 268.42

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt. 268, App. VI....42 The treatment standard for many characteristic wastes is stated in the § 268.40 Table of Treatment... combination, can achieve the deactivation portion of the treatment standard. Characteristic wastes that are...

40 CFR Appendix Vi to Part 268 - Recommended Technologies To Achieve Deactivation of Characteristics in Section 268.42

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt. 268, App. VI....42 The treatment standard for many characteristic wastes is stated in the § 268.40 Table of Treatment... combination, can achieve the deactivation portion of the treatment standard. Characteristic wastes that are...

40 CFR Appendix Vi to Part 268 - Recommended Technologies To Achieve Deactivation of Characteristics in Section 268.42

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt. 268, App. VI....42 The treatment standard for many characteristic wastes is stated in the § 268.40 Table of Treatment... combination, can achieve the deactivation portion of the treatment standard. Characteristic wastes that are...

40 CFR Appendix Vi to Part 268 - Recommended Technologies To Achieve Deactivation of Characteristics in Section 268.42

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt. 268, App. VI....42 The treatment standard for many characteristic wastes is stated in the § 268.40 Table of Treatment... combination, can achieve the deactivation portion of the treatment standard. Characteristic wastes that are...

LEATHER TANNERY WASTE MANAGEMENT THROUGH PROCESS CHANGE, REUSE AND PRETREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Reduction of tannery waste, i.e., trivalent chromium, sulfide and oil and grease components has been accomplished by process change. Protein recovery and hydroclonic separation of solids was shown to be possible in tannery processing in reducing waste loading. All waste load redu...

A novel aerobic sulfate reduction process in landfill mineralized refuse.

PubMed

Liu, Weijia; Long, Yuyang; Fang, Yuan; Ying, Luyao; Shen, Dongsheng

2018-05-08

It is thought that mineralized refuse could be excavated from almost-full landfill sites to provide space for the increasing burden of municipal solid waste. When excavating, however, the H 2 S emissions from the mineralized waste need to be considered carefully. In an attempt to understand how H 2 S emissions might change during this excavation process, we carried out a series of tests, including exposing anaerobic mineralized refuse to oxygen, isolating and determining possible functional bacteria, and characterizing the electron donors and/or acceptors. The results showed that H 2 S would be released when landfill mineralized refuse was exposed to oxygen (O 2 ), and could reach concentrations of 6 mg m -3 , which was 3 times the concentrations of H 2 S released from anaerobic mineralized refuse. Sulfur-metabolized microorganisms accounted for only 0.5% of the microbial functional bacteria (MFB) derived from the mineralized refuse when exposed to O 2 for 60 days, and SRB were not present. The MFB maintained H 2 S production by aerobic sulfate reduction using SO 4 2- and S 2 O 3 2- as electron acceptors, and sulfate-reducing rates of 16% and 55%, respectively, were achieved. Lactate and S 2 O 3 2- were the preferred electron donor and acceptor, respectively. By enhancing the carbon source and electron transfer, MFB may undergo strong aerobic sulfate reduction even at low abundances of sulfur-metabolized microorganisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the Influence of Bio-catalytic Enzyme Produced from Fruit and Vegetable Waste on Palm Oil Mill Effluent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasit, Nazaitulshila; Chee Kuan, Ooi

2018-04-01

Pre-consumer waste from supermarkets, such as vegetables and fruits dreg are always discarded as solid waste and disposed to landfill. Implementing waste recovery method as a form of waste management strategy will reduce the amount of waste disposed. One of the ways to achieve this goal is through fermentation of the pre-consumer supermarket waste to produce a solution known as garbage enzyme. This study has been conducted to produce and characterize biocatalytic garbage enzyme and to evaluate its influence on palm oil mill effluent as a pre-treatment process before further biological process takes place. Garbage enzyme was produced by three-month long fermentation of a mixture of molasses, pre-consumer supermarket residues, and water in the ratio of 1:3:10. Subsequently, the characterization of enzyme was conducted based on pH, total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and enzyme activities. The influence of produced enzyme was evaluated on oil & grease (O&G), TSS and COD of palm oil mill effluent (POME). Different levels of dilution of garbage enzyme to POME samples (5%, 10%, 15%) were explored as pre-treatment (duration of six days) and the results showed that the garbage enzyme contained bio-catalytic enzyme such as amylase, protease, and lipase. The pre-treatment showed removal of 90% of O&G in 15% dilution of garbage enzyme. Meanwhile, reduction of TSS and COD in dilution of 10% garbage enzyme were measured at 50% and 25% respectively. The findings of this study are important to analyse the effectiveness of pre-treatment for further improvement of anaerobic treatment process of POME, especially during hydrolysis stage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Voluntary Reporting Program, developed pursuant to Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, permits corporations, government agencies, households, and voluntary organizations to report on their emissions of greenhouse gases, and on actions taken that have reduced or avoided emissions or sequestered carbon, to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This, the second annual report of the Voluntary Reporting Program, describes information provided by the participating organizations on their aggregate emissions and emissions reductions, as well as their emissions reduction or avoidance projects, through 1995. This information has been compiled into a database that includes reports from 142 organizationsmore » and descriptions of 967 projects that either reduced greenhouse gas emissions or sequestered carbon. Fifty-one reporters also provided estimates of emissions, and emissions reductions achieved, for their entire organizations. The projects described actions taken to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from energy production and use; to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions from energy use, waste management, and agricultural processes; to reduce emissions of halocarbons, such as CFCs and their replacements; and to increase carbon sequestration.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erhart, Steven C.; Spencer, Charles G.

The accomplishments to date and the long-range planning of the Y-12 Energy Management and Sustainability and Stewardship programs support the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) vision for a commitment to energy effi ciency and sustainability and to achievement of the Guiding Principles. Specifi cally, the Y-12 vision is to support the Environment, Safety and Health Policy and the DOE Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (SSPP), while promoting overall sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The mission of the Y-12 Energy Management program is to incorporate energy-efficient technologies site-wide and to position Y-12more » to meet NNSA energy requirement needs through 2025 and beyond. This plan addresses: Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Inventory; Buildings, ESPC Initiative Schedule, and Regional and Local Planning; Fleet Management; Water Use Efficiency and Management; Pollution Prevention and Waste Reduction; Sustainable Acquisition; Electronic Stewardship and Data Centers; Renewable Energy; Climate Change; and Budget and Funding.« less

Greenhouse gas reductions through enhanced use of residues in the life cycle of Malaysian palm oil derived biodiesel.

PubMed

Hansen, Sune Balle; Olsen, Stig Irving; Ujang, Zaini

2012-01-01

This study identifies the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, which can be achieved by optimizing the use of residues in the life cycle of palm oil derived biodiesel. This is done through compilation of data on existing and prospective treatment technologies as well as practical experiments on methane potentials from empty fruit bunches. Methane capture from the anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent was found to result in the highest GHG reductions. Among the solid residues, energy extraction from shells was found to constitute the biggest GHG savings per ton of residue, whereas energy extraction from empty fruit bunches was found to be the most significant in the biodiesel production life cycle. All the studied waste treatment technologies performed significantly better than the conventional practices and with dedicated efforts of optimized use in the palm oil industry, the production of palm oil derived biodiesel can be almost carbon neutral. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using life cycle assessment to address stakeholders' potential for improving municipal solid waste management.

PubMed

de Andrade Junior, Milton Aurelio Uba; Zanghelini, Guillherme Marcelo; Soares, Sebastião Roberto

2017-05-01

Because the consumption of materials is generally higher than their recovery rate, improving municipal solid waste (MSW) management is fundamental for increasing the efficiency of natural resource use and consumption in urban areas. More broadly, the characteristics of a MSW management system influence the end-of-life (EOL) impacts of goods consumed by households. We aim to indicate the extent to which greenhouse gas emissions from a MSW management system can be reduced by increasing waste paper recycling. We also address the stakeholders' contribution for driving transition towards an improved scenario. Life cycle assessment (LCA) addresses the EOL impacts of the paper industry, driven by the characteristics of MSW management in Florianópolis, Brazil, by varying the level of stakeholders' commitment through different recycling scenarios. The results show that 41% of the climate change impacts from waste paper management could be reduced when increasing the waste paper recycling rates and reducing waste paper landfilling. To achieve such emissions reduction, the industry contribution to the MSW management system would have to increase from 17% in the business-as-usual scenario to 74% in the target scenario. We were able to measure the differences in stakeholders' contribution by modelling the MSW management system processes that are under the industry's responsibility separately from the processes that are under the government's responsibility, based on the Brazilian legal framework. The conclusions indicate that LCA can be used to support policy directions on reducing the impacts of MSW management by increasing resource recovery towards a circular economy.

Archaeal community structure in leachate and solid waste is correlated to methane generation and volume reduction during biodegradation of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Fei, Xunchang; Zekkos, Dimitrios; Raskin, Lutgarde

2015-02-01

Duplicate carefully-characterized municipal solid waste (MSW) specimens were reconstituted with waste constituents obtained from a MSW landfill and biodegraded in large-scale landfill simulators for about a year. Repeatability and relationships between changes in physical, chemical, and microbial characteristics taking place during the biodegradation process were evaluated. Parameters such as rate of change of soluble chemical oxygen demand in the leachate (rsCOD), rate of methane generation (rCH4), rate of specimen volume reduction (rVt), DNA concentration in the leachate, and archaeal community structures in the leachate and solid waste were monitored during operation. The DNA concentration in the leachate was correlated to rCH4 and rVt. The rCH4 was related to rsCOD and rVt when waste biodegradation was intensive. The structures of archaeal communities in the leachate and solid waste of both simulators were very similar and Methanobacteriaceae were the dominant archaeal family throughout the testing period. Monitoring the chemical and microbial characteristics of the leachate was informative of the biodegradation process and volume reduction in the simulators, suggesting that leachate monitoring could be informative of the extent of biodegradation in a full-scale landfill. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fate of pathogens present in livestock wastes spread onto fescue plots.

PubMed

Hutchison, Mike L; Walters, Lisa D; Moore, Tony; Thomas, D John I; Avery, Sheryl M

2005-02-01

Fecal wastes from a variety of farmed livestock were inoculated with livestock isolates of Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts at levels representative of the levels found in naturally contaminated wastes. The wastes were subsequently spread onto a grass pasture, and the decline of each of the zoonotic agents was monitored over time. There were no significant differences among the decimal reduction times for the bacterial pathogens. The mean bacterial decimal reduction time was 1.94 days. A range of times between 8 and 31 days for a 1-log reduction in C. parvum levels was obtained, demonstrating that the protozoans were significantly more hardy than the bacteria. Oocyst recovery was more efficient from wastes with lower dry matter contents. The levels of most of the zoonotic agents had declined to below detectable levels by 64 days. However, for some waste types, 128 days was required for the complete decline of L. monocytogenes levels. We were unable to find significant differences between the rates of pathogen decline in liquid (slurry) and solid (farmyard manure) wastes, although concerns have been raised that increased slurry generation as a consequence of more intensive farming practices could lead to increased survival of zoonotic agents in the environment.

Architects' perspectives on construction waste reduction by design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osmani, M.; Glass, J.; Price, A.D.F.

2008-07-01

The construction, demolition and excavation waste arising in England was estimated at 91 million tonnes in 2003. The current thinking on construction waste minimisation is heavily focussed on several issues relating to physical construction waste and recycling guides. Indeed, much had been published on ways to improve on-site waste management and recycling activities but very few attempts made to address the effect of design practices on waste generation. However, there is a consensus in the literature that the architect has a decisive role to play in helping to reduce waste by focussing on designing out waste. This paper examines previousmore » studies on architects' approach towards construction waste minimisation; and by means of a postal questionnaire, investigates: the origins of waste; waste minimisation design practices in the UK; and responsibilities and barriers within the UK architectural profession. The findings reveal that waste management is not a priority in the design process. Additionally, the architects seemed to take the view that waste is mainly produced during site operations and rarely generated during the design stages; however, about one-third of construction waste could essentially arise from design decisions. Results also indicate that a number of constraints, namely: lack of interest from clients; attitudes towards waste minimisation; and training all act as disincentives to a proactive and sustainable implementation of waste reduction strategies during the design process.« less

Architects' perspectives on construction waste reduction by design.

PubMed

Osmani, M; Glass, J; Price, A D F

2008-01-01

The construction, demolition and excavation waste arising in England was estimated at 91 million tonnes in 2003. The current thinking on construction waste minimisation is heavily focussed on several issues relating to physical construction waste and recycling guides. Indeed, much had been published on ways to improve on-site waste management and recycling activities but very few attempts made to address the effect of design practices on waste generation. However, there is a consensus in the literature that the architect has a decisive role to play in helping to reduce waste by focussing on designing out waste. This paper examines previous studies on architects' approach towards construction waste minimisation; and by means of a postal questionnaire, investigates: the origins of waste; waste minimisation design practices in the UK; and responsibilities and barriers within the UK architectural profession. The findings reveal that waste management is not a priority in the design process. Additionally, the architects seemed to take the view that waste is mainly produced during site operations and rarely generated during the design stages; however, about one-third of construction waste could essentially arise from design decisions. Results also indicate that a number of constraints, namely: lack of interest from clients; attitudes towards waste minimisation; and training all act as disincentives to a proactive and sustainable implementation of waste reduction strategies during the design process.

Conversion of transuranic waste to low level waste by decontamination: a site specific update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, R.P.; Hazelton, R.F.

1985-09-01

As a followup to an FY-1984 cost/benefit study, a program was conducted in FY-1985 to transfer to the relevant DOE sites the information and technology for the direct conversion of transuranic (TRU) waste to low-level waste (LLW) by decontamination. As part of this work, the economic evaluation of the various TRUW volume reduction and conversion options was updated and expanded to include site-specific factors. The results show, for the assumptions used, that size reduction, size reduction followed by decontamination, or in situ decontamination are cost effective compared with the no-processing option. The technology transfer activities included site presentations and discussionsmore » with operations and waste management personnel to identify application opportunities and site-specific considerations and constraints that could affect the implementation of TRU waste conversion principles. These discussions disclosed definite potential for the beneficial application of these principles at most of the sites, but also confirmed the existence of site-specific factors ranging from space limitations to LLW disposal restrictions that could preclude particular applications or diminish expected benefits. 8 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Transuranic Waste Burning Potential of Thorium Fuel in a Fast Reactor - 12423

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wenner, Michael; Franceschini, Fausto; Ferroni, Paolo

Westinghouse Electric Company (referred to as 'Westinghouse' in the rest of this paper) is proposing a 'back-to-front' approach to overcome the stalemate on nuclear waste management in the US. In this approach, requirements to further the societal acceptance of nuclear waste are such that the ultimate health hazard resulting from the waste package is 'as low as reasonably achievable'. Societal acceptability of nuclear waste can be enhanced by reducing the long-term radiotoxicity of the waste, which is currently driven primarily by the protracted radiotoxicity of the transuranic (TRU) isotopes. Therefore, a transition to a more benign radioactive waste can bemore » accomplished by a fuel cycle capable of consuming the stockpile of TRU 'legacy' waste contained in the LWR Used Nuclear Fuel (UNF) while generating waste which is significantly less radio-toxic than that produced by the current open U-based fuel cycle (once through and variations thereof). Investigation of a fast reactor (FR) operating on a thorium-based fuel cycle, as opposed to the traditional uranium-based is performed. Due to a combination between its neutronic properties and its low position in the actinide chain, thorium not only burns the legacy TRU waste, but it does so with a minimal production of 'new' TRUs. The effectiveness of a thorium-based fast reactor to burn legacy TRU and its flexibility to incorporate various fuels and recycle schemes according to the evolving needs of the transmutation scenario have been investigated. Specifically, the potential for a high TRU burning rate, high U-233 generation rate if so desired and low concurrent production of TRU have been used as metrics for the examined cycles. Core physics simulations of a fast reactor core running on thorium-based fuels and burning an external TRU feed supply have been carried out over multiple cycles of irradiation, separation and reprocessing. The TRU burning capability as well as the core isotopic content have been characterized. Results will be presented showing the potential for thorium to reach a high TRU transmutation rate over a wide variety of fuel types (oxide, metal, nitride and carbide) and transmutation schemes (recycle or partition of in-bred U-233). In addition, a sustainable scheme has been devised to burn the TRU accumulated in the core inventory once the legacy TRU supply has been exhausted, thereby achieving long-term virtually TRU-free. A comprehensive 'back-to-front' approach to the fuel cycle has recently been proposed by Westinghouse which emphasizes achieving 'acceptable', low-radiotoxicity, high-level waste, with the intent not only to satisfy all technical constraints but also to improve public acceptance of nuclear energy. Following this approach, the thorium fuel cycle, due to its low radiotoxicity and high potential for TRU transmutation has been selected as a promising solution. Additional studies not shown here have shown significant reduction of decay heat. The TRU burning potential of the Th-based fuel cycle has been illustrated with a variety of fuel types, using the Toshiba ARR to perform the analysis, including scenarios with continued LWR operation of either uranium fueled or thorium fueled LWRs. These scenarios will afford overall reduction in actinide radiotoxicity, however when the TRU supply is exhausted, a continued U- 235 LWR operation must be assumed to provide TRU makeup feed. This scenario will never reach the characteristically low TRU content of a closed thorium fuel cycle with its associated potential benefits on waste radiotoxicity, as exemplified by the transition scenario studied. At present, the cases studied indicate ThC as a potential fuel for maximizing TRU burning, while ThN with nitrogen enriched to 95% N-15 shows the highest breeding potential. As a result, a transition scenario with ThN was developed to show that a sustainable, closed Th-cycle can be achieved starting from burning the legacy TRU stock and completing the transmutation of the residual TRU remaining in the core inventory after the legacy TRU external supply has been exhausted. The radiotoxicity of the actinide waste during the various phases has been characterized, showing the beneficial effect of the decreasing content of TRU in the recycled fuel as the transition to a closed Th-based fuel cycle is undertaken. Due to the back-to-front nature of the proposed methodology, detailed designs are not the first step taken when assessing a fuel cycle scenario potential. As a result, design refinement is still required and should be expected in future studies. Moreover, significant safety assessment, including determination of associated reactivity coefficients, fuel and reprocessing feasibility studies and economic assessments will still be needed for a more comprehensive and meaningful comparison against other potential solutions. With the above considerations in mind, the potential advantages of thorium fuelled reactors on HLW management optimization lead us to believe that thorium fuelled reactor systems can play a significant role in the future and deserve further consideration. (authors)« less

Preliminary evaluation of pathogenic bacteria loading on organic Municipal Solid Waste compost and vermicompost.

PubMed

Soobhany, Nuhaa

2018-01-15

The use of composts or vermicomposts derived from organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) brought about certain disagreement in terms of high level of bacterial pathogens, thereby surpassing the legal restrictions. This preliminary study was undertaken to compare the evolution of pathogenic bacteria on OFMSW compost against vermicompost (generated by Eudrilus eugeniae) with promises of achieving sanitation goals. Analysis to quality data showed that OFMSW vermicomposting caused a moderately higher reduction in total coliforms in contrast to composting. E. coli in OFMSW composts was found to be in the range of 4.72-4.96 log 10  CFU g -1 whilst on a clear contrary, E. coli was undetectable in the final vermicomposts (6.01-6.14 logs of reduction) which might be explained by the involvement of the digestive processes in worms' guts. Both OFMSW composts and vermicomposts generated Salmonella-free products which were acceptable for agricultural usage and soil improvement. In comparison to compost, the analysis of this research indicated that earthworm activity can effectively destroy bacterial pathogenic load in OFMSW vermicomposts. But still, this study necessitates extra research in order to comprehend the factors that direct pathogenic bacteria in vermicomposting and earthworm-free decomposition systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of initial total solids concentration on volatile fatty acid production from food waste during anaerobic acidification.

PubMed

Wang, Quan; Jiang, Jianguo; Zhang, Yujing; Li, Kaimin

2015-01-01

The effect of initial total solids (TS) concentration on volatile fatty acid (VFAs) production from food waste under mesophilic conditions (35 °C) was determined. VFAs concentration and composition, biogas production, soluble chemical oxygen demand concentration, TS and volatile solids (VS) reduction, and ammonia nitrogen [Formula: see text] release were investigated. The VFAs concentrations were 26.10, 39.68, 59.58, and 62.64 g COD/L at TS contents of 40, 70, 100, and 130 g/L, respectively. While the VFAs' yields ranged from 0.467 to 0.799 g COD/g VSfed, decreased as initial TS increased. The percentage of propionate was not affected by TS concentration, accounting for 30.19-34.86% of the total VFAs, while a higher percentage of butyrate and lower percentage of acetate was achieved at a higher TS concentration. Biogas included mainly hydrogen and carbon dioxide and the maximum hydrogen yield of 148.9 ml/g VSfed was obtained at 130 g TS/L. [Formula: see text] concentration, TS and VS reductions increased as initial TS increased. Considering the above variables, we conclude that initial TS of 100 g/L shall be the most appropriate to VFAs production.

Polyethylene recycling: Waste policy scenario analysis for the EU-27.

PubMed

Andreoni, Valeria; Saveyn, Hans G M; Eder, Peter

2015-08-01

This paper quantifies the main impacts that the adoption of the best recycling practices together with a reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic bags and the adoption of a kerbside collection system could have on the 27 Member States of the EU. The main consequences in terms of employment, waste management costs, emissions and energy use have been quantified for two scenarios of polyethylene (PE) waste production and recycling. That is to say, a "business as usual scenario", where the 2012 performances of PE waste production and recycling are extrapolated to 2020, is compared to a "best practice scenario", where the best available recycling practices are modelled together with the possible adoption of the amended Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive related to the consumption of single-use plastic bags and the implementation of a kerbside collection system. The main results show that socio-economic and environmental benefits can be generated across the EU by the implementation of the best practice scenario. In particular, estimations show a possible reduction of 4.4 million tonnes of non-recycled PE waste, together with a reduction of around €90 million in waste management costs in 2020 for the best practice scenario versus the business as usual scenario. An additional 35,622 jobs are also expected to be created. In environmental terms, the quantity of CO2 equivalent emissions could be reduced by around 1.46 million tonnes and the net energy requirements are expected to increase by 16.5 million GJ as a consequence of the reduction in the energy produced from waste. The main analysis provided in this paper, together with the data and the model presented, can be useful to identify the possible costs and benefits that the implementation of PE waste policies and Directives could generate for the EU. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Waste Reduction (WAR) Algorithm in Cape-Open Based Process Simulators

EPA Science Inventory

The Sustainable Technology Division has recently completed an implementation of the U.S. EPA's Waste Reduction (WAR) Algorithm that can be directly accessed from a Cape-Open compliant process modeling environment. The WAR Algorithm add-in can be used in AmsterChem's COFE (Cape-Op...

Rethinking Recycling: An Oregon Waste Reduction Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Environmental Quality, Portland.

This updated curriculum guide is designed to provide teachers of elementary school science with a set of activities on recycling and waste reduction. The curriculum has three sections: (1) Grades K-3 Lessons; (2) Grades 4-5 Lessons; and (3) Teacher's Resource Guide. It is designed to take students from an introduction to natural resources and…

Areas on which to focus when seeking to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of commercial waste management. A case study of a hypermarket, Finland.

PubMed

Hupponen, M; Grönman, K; Horttanainen, M

2018-03-22

This study focuses on commercial waste, which has received less attention than household waste in regards to greenhouse gas emission research. First, the global warming potential (GWP) of commercial waste management was calculated. Second, the impacts of different waste fractions and the processes of waste management were recognised. Third, the key areas on which to focus when aiming to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of commercial waste management were determined. This study was conducted on the waste generated by a real hypermarket in South-East Finland and included eight different waste fractions. The waste treatment plants were selected based on the actual situation. Three different scenarios were employed to evaluate the environmental impact of managing mixed waste: landfilling, combustion and more accurate source separation. The GaBi software and impact assessment methodology CML 2001 were used to perform a life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts associated with the waste management. The results indicated that the total GWP of commercial waste management could be reduced by 93% by directing the mixed waste to combustion instead of landfill. A further 5% GWP reduction could be achieved by more accurate source separation of the mixed waste. Utilisation of energy waste had the most significant influence (41-52%) on the total GWP (-880 to -860 kgCO 2 -eq./t), followed by landfilling of mixed waste (influence 15-23% on the total GWP, 430 kgCO 2 -eq./t), recycling polyethylene (PE) plastic (influence 18-21% on the total GWP, -1800 kgCO 2 -eq./t) and recycling cardboard (influence 11-13% on the total GWP, 51 kgCO 2 -eq./t). A key focus should be placed on treatment processes and substitutions, especially in terms of substitutions of energy waste and PE plastic. This study also clarified the importance of sorting PE plastic, even though the share of this waste fraction was not substantial. The results of this paper were compared to those of previous studies. The output of this analysis indicated that the total GWP can be significantly reduced by identifying an alternative recycling or incineration location for cardboard where it is used to substitute virgin material or replace fossil fuels respectively. In conclusion, it is essential to note that waste management companies have a notable influence on the emissions of commercial waste management because they choose the places at which the waste fractions are treated and utilised. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Destined for indecision? A critical analysis of waste management practices in England from 1996 to 2013

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farmer, T.D.; Shaw, P.J.; Williams, I.D., E-mail: idw@soton.ac.uk

Highlights: • Critical analysis of municipal waste management practices and performance in England. • Trends visualised via innovative ternary plots and changes and reasons explored. • Performance 1996–2013 moved slowly away from landfill dominance. • Large variations in %s of waste landfilled, incinerated and recycled/composted. • Progress to resource efficiency slow; affected by poor planning and hostile disputes. - Abstract: European nations are compelled to reduce reliance on landfill as a destination for household waste, and should, in principle, achieve this goal with due recognition of the aims and principles of the waste hierarchy. Past research has predominantly focused onmore » recycling, whilst interactions between changing waste destinies, causes and drivers of household waste management change, and potential consequences for the goal of the waste hierarchy are less well understood. This study analysed Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW) for England, at national, regional and sub-regional level, in terms of the destination of household waste to landfill, incineration and recycling. Information about waste partnerships, waste management infrastructure and collection systems was collected to help identify and explain changes in waste destinies. Since 1996, the proportion of waste landfilled in England has decreased, in tandem with increases in recycling and incineration. At the regional and sub-regional (Local Authority; LA) level, there have been large variations in the relative proportions of waste landfilled, incinerated and recycled or composted. Annual increases in the proportion of household waste incinerated were typically larger than increases in the proportion recycled. The observed changes took place in the context of legal and financial drivers, and the circumstances of individual LAs (e.g. landfill capacity) also explained the changes seen. Where observed, shifts from landfill towards incineration constitute an approach whereby waste management moves up the waste hierarchy as opposed to an attempt to reach the most preferred option(s); in terms of resource efficiency, this practice is sub-optimal. The requirement to supply incinerators with a feedstock over their lifespan reduces the benefits of developing of recycling and waste reduction, although access to incineration infrastructure permits short-term and marked decreases in the proportion of LACW landfilled. We conclude that there is a need for clearer national strategy and co-ordination to inform and guide policy, practice, planning and investment in infrastructure such that waste management can be better aligned with the principles of the circular economy and resource efficiency. If the ongoing stand-off between national political figures and the waste sector continues, England’s waste policy remains destined for indecision.« less

Food waste reduction practices in German food retail.

PubMed

Hermsdorf, David; Rombach, Meike; Bitsch, Vera

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate food retailers food waste reduction practices in Germany. The focus is on selling and redistributing agricultural produce with visual impairments and other surplus food items. In addition, drivers and barriers regarding the implementation of both waste reduction practices are explored. In total, 12 in-depth interviews with managerial actors in the food retail sector and a food bank spokesperson were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. In contrast to organic retailers, conventional retailers were reluctant to include agricultural produce with visual impairments in their product assortments, due to fears of negative consumer reactions. Another obstacle was EU marketing standards for specific produce. All retailers interviewed engaged in redistribution of surplus food. Logistics and the regulatory framework were the main barriers to food redistribution. The present study adds to the existing body of literature on food waste reduction practices as it explores selling produce with visual impairments and elaborates on the legal background of food redistribution in German retail. The results are the foundation for providing recommendations to policy makers and charitable food organizations.

The effect of young children's faeces disposal practices on child growth: evidence from 34 countries.

PubMed

Bauza, Valerie; Guest, Jeremy S

2017-10-01

To characterize the relationship between child faeces disposal and child growth in low- and middle-income countries. We analysed caregiver responses and anthropometric data from Demographic and Health Surveys (2005-2014) for 202 614 children under five and 82 949 children under two to examine the association between child faeces disposal and child growth. Child faeces disposal in an improved toilet was associated with reduced stunting for children under five [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-0.92] and a 0.12 increase in height-for-age z-score (HAZ; 95% CI: 0.10-0.15) among all households. Among households with improved sanitation access, practicing improved child faeces disposal was still associated with a decrease in stunting (aPR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.96) and a 0.09 increase in HAZ (95% CI: 0.06-0.13). Improved child faeces disposal was also associated with reductions in underweight and wasting, and an increase in weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), but not an increase in weight-for-height z-score (WHZ). Community coverage level of improved child faeces disposal was also associated with stunting, with 75-100% coverage associated with the greatest reduction in stunting. Child faeces disposal in an unimproved toilet was associated with reductions in underweight and wasting, but not stunting. Improved child faeces disposal practices could achieve greater reductions in child undernutrition than improving toilet access alone. Additionally, the common classification of child faeces disposal as 'safe' regardless of the type of toilet used for disposal may underestimate the benefits of disposal in an improved toilet and overestimate the benefits of disposal in an unimproved toilet. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thermal treatment for pathogen inactivation as a risk mitigation strategy for safe recycling of organic waste in agriculture.

PubMed

Elving, Josefine; Vinnerås, Björn; Albihn, Ann; Ottoson, Jakob R

2014-01-01

Thermal treatment at temperatures between 46.0°C and 55.0°C was evaluated as a method for sanitization of organic waste, a temperature interval less commonly investigated but important in connection with biological treatment processes. Samples of dairy cow feces inoculated with Salmonella Senftenberg W775, Enterococcus faecalis, bacteriophage ϕX174, and porcine parvovirus (PPV) were thermally treated using block thermostats at set temperatures in order to determine time-temperature regimes to achieve sufficient bacterial and viral reduction, and to model the inactivation rate. Pasteurization at 70°C in saline solution was used as a comparison in terms of bacterial and viral reduction and was proven to be effective in rapidly reducing all organisms with the exception of PPV (decimal reduction time of 1.2 h). The results presented here can be used to construct time-temperature regimes in terms of bacterial inactivation, with D-values ranging from 0.37 h at 55°C to 22.5 h at 46.0°C and 0.45 h at 55.0°C to 14.5 h at 47.5°C for Salmonella Senftenberg W775 and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively and for relevant enteric viruses based on the ϕX174 phage with decimal reduction times ranging from 1.5 h at 55°C to 16.5 h at 46°C. Hence, the study implies that considerably lower treatment temperatures than 70°C can be used to reach a sufficient inactivation of bacterial pathogens and potential process indicator organisms such as the ϕX174 phage and raises the question whether PPV is a valuable process indicator organism considering its extreme thermotolerance.

Exploring the life cycle management of industrial solid waste in the case of copper slag.

PubMed

Song, Xiaolong; Yang, Jianxin; Lu, Bin; Li, Bo

2013-06-01

Industrial solid waste has potential impacts on soil, water and air quality, as well as human health, during its whole life stages. A framework for the life cycle management of industrial solid waste, which integrates the source reduction process, is presented and applied to copper slag management. Three management scenarios of copper slag are developed: (i) production of cement after electric furnace treatment, (ii) production of cement after flotation, and (iii) source reduction before the recycling process. A life cycle assessment is carried out to estimate the environmental burdens of these three scenarios. Life cycle assessment results showed that the environmental burdens of the three scenarios are 2710.09, 2061.19 and 2145.02 Pt respectively. In consideration of the closed-loop recycling process, the environmental performance of the flotation approach excelled that of the electric furnace approach. Additionally, although flash smelting promotes the source reduction of copper slag compared with bath smelting, it did not reduce the overall environmental burdens resulting from the complete copper slag management process. Moreover, it led to the shifting of environmental burdens from ecosystem quality damage and resources depletion to human health damage. The case study shows that it is necessary to integrate the generation process into the whole life cycle of industrial solid waste, and to make an integrated assessment for quantifying the contribution of source reduction, rather than to simply follow the priority of source reduction and the hierarchy of waste management.

Environmental assessment of food waste valorization in producing biogas for various types of energy use based on LCA approach.

PubMed

Woon, Kok Sin; Lo, Irene M C; Chiu, Sam L H; Yan, Dickson Y S

2016-04-01

This paper aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of valorizing food waste for three types of energy use, namely electricity and heat, city gas, and biogas fuel as a petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas substitute for vehicle use, with reference to the Hong Kong scenario. The life cycle based environmental assessment is conducted from bin-to-cradle system boundary via SimaPro 7.2.4 with ReCiPe 1.04. All of the inventory data of included processes is based on reports of government and industrial sectors. The results show that biogas fuel as a petrol substitute for vehicle use is advantageous over other types of energy use in regard to human health and ecosystems, and it is also the best considering the government's future emission reduction targets set out for the power and transport sectors in Hong Kong. By turning 1080 tonnes per day of food waste into biogas vehicle fuel as petrol substitute, it reduces 1.9% of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sectors, which results a larger decrease of GHG emissions than the achieved mitigation in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2010. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A urine-fuelled soil-based bioregenerative life support system for long-term and long-distance manned space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maggi, Federico; Tang, Fiona H. M.; Pallud, Céline; Gu, Chuanhui

2018-05-01

A soil-based cropping unit fuelled with human urine for long-term manned space missions was investigated with the aim to analyze whether a closed-loop nutrient cycle from human liquid wastes was achievable. Its ecohydrology and biogeochemistry were analysed in microgravity with the use of an advanced computational tool. Urine from the crew was used to supply primary (N, P, and K) and secondary (S, Ca and Mg) nutrients to wheat and soybean plants in the controlled cropping unit. Breakdown of urine compounds into primary and secondary nutrients as well as byproduct gases, adsorbed, and uptake fractions were tracked over a period of 20 years. Results suggested that human urine could satisfy the demand of at least 3 to 4 out of 6 nutrients with an offset in pH and salinity tolerable by plants. It was therefore inferred that a urine-fuelled life support system can introduce a number of advantages including: (1) recycling of liquids wastes and production of food; (2) forgiveness of neglect as compared to engineered electro-mechanical systems that may fail under unexpected or unplanned conditions; and (3) reduction of supply and waste loads during space missions.

Comparisons of four categories of waste recycling in China's paper industry based on physical input-output life-cycle assessment model.

PubMed

Liang, Sai; Zhang, Tianzhu; Xu, Yijian

2012-03-01

Waste recycling for paper production is an important component of waste management. This study constructs a physical input-output life-cycle assessment (PIO-LCA) model. The PIO-LCA model is used to investigate environmental impacts of four categories of waste recycling in China's paper industry: crop straws, bagasse, textile wastes and scrap paper. Crop straw recycling and wood utilization for paper production have small total intensity of environmental impacts. Moreover, environmental impacts reduction of crop straw recycling and wood utilization benefits the most from technology development. Thus, using crop straws and wood (including wood wastes) for paper production should be promoted. Technology development has small effects on environmental impacts reduction of bagasse recycling, textile waste recycling and scrap paper recycling. In addition, bagasse recycling and textile waste recycling have big total intensity of environmental impacts. Thus, the development of bagasse recycling and textile waste recycling should be properly limited. Other pathways for reusing bagasse and textile wastes should be explored and evaluated. Moreover, imports of scrap paper should be encouraged to reduce large indirect impacts of scrap paper recycling on domestic environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon capture and biogas enhancement by carbon dioxide enrichment of anaerobic digesters treating sewage sludge or food waste.

PubMed

Bajón Fernández, Y; Soares, A; Villa, R; Vale, P; Cartmell, E

2014-05-01

The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere and the stringent greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction targets, require the development of CO2 sequestration technologies applicable for the waste and wastewater sector. This study addressed the reduction of CO2 emissions and enhancement of biogas production associated with CO2 enrichment of anaerobic digesters (ADs). The benefits of CO2 enrichment were examined by injecting CO2 at 0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 M fractions into batch ADs treating food waste or sewage sludge. Daily specific methane (CH4) production increased 11-16% for food waste and 96-138% for sewage sludge over the first 24h. Potential CO2 reductions of 8-34% for sewage sludge and 3-11% for food waste were estimated. The capacity of ADs to utilise additional CO2 was demonstrated, which could provide a potential solution for onsite sequestration of CO2 streams while enhancing renewable energy production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using the Lives Saved Tool to aid country planning in meeting mortality targets: a case study from Mali.

PubMed

Keita, Youssouf; Sangho, Hamadoun; Roberton, Timothy; Vignola, Emilia; Traoré, Mariam; Munos, Melinda

2017-11-07

Mali is one of four countries implementing a National Evaluation Platform (NEP) to build local capacity to answer evaluation questions for maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition (MNCH&N). In 2014-15, NEP-Mali addressed questions about the potential impact of Mali's MNCH&N plans and strategies, and identified priority interventions to achieve targeted mortality reductions. The NEP-Mali team modeled the potential impact of three intervention packages in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) from 2014 to 2023. One projection included the interventions and targets from Mali's ten-year health strategy (PDDSS) for 2014-2023, and two others modeled intervention packages that included scale up of antenatal, intrapartum, and curative interventions, as well as reductions in stunting and wasting. We modeled the change in maternal, newborn and under-five mortality rates under these three projections, as well as the number of lives saved, overall and by intervention. If Mali were to achieve the MNCH&N coverage targets from its health strategy, under-5 mortality would be reduced from 121 per 1000 live births to 93 per 1000, far from the target of 69 deaths per 1000. Projections 1 and 2 produced estimated mortality reductions from 121 deaths per 1000 to 70 and 68 deaths per 1000, respectively. With respect to neonatal mortality, the mortality rate would be reduced from 39 to 32 deaths per 1000 live births under the current health strategy, and to 25 per 1000 under projections 1 and 2. This study revealed that achieving the coverage targets for the MNCH&N interventions in the 2014-23 PDDSS would likely not allow Mali to achieve its mortality targets. The NEP-Mali team was able to identify two packages of MNCH&N interventions (and targets) that achieved under-5 and neonatal mortality rates at, or very near, the PDDSS targets. The Malian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene is using these results to revise its plans and strategies.

A study of palm biomass processing strategy in Sarawak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S. J. Y.; Ng, W. P. Q.; Law, K. H.

2017-06-01

In the past decades, palm industry is booming due to its profitable nature. An environmental concern regarding on the palm industry is the enormous amount of waste produced from palm industry. The waste produced or palm biomass is one significant renewable energy source and raw material for value-added products like fiber mats, activated carbon, dried fiber, bio-fertilizer and et cetera in Malaysia. There is a need to establish the palm biomass industry for the recovery of palm biomass for efficient utilization and waste reduction. The development of the industry is strongly depending on the two reasons, the availability and supply consistency of palm biomass as well as the availability of palm biomass processing facilities. In Malaysia, the development of palm biomass industry is lagging due to the lack of mature commercial technology and difficult logistic planning as a result of scattered locality of palm oil mill, where palm biomass is generated. Two main studies have been carried out in this research work: i) industrial study of the feasibility of decentralized and centralized palm biomass processing in Sarawak and ii) development of a systematic and optimized palm biomass processing planning for the development of palm biomass industry in Sarawak, Malaysia. Mathematical optimization technique is used in this work to model the above case scenario for biomass processing to achieve maximum economic potential and resource feasibility. An industrial study of palm biomass processing strategy in Sarawak has been carried out to evaluate the optimality of centralized processing and decentralize processing of the local biomass industry. An optimal biomass processing strategy is achieved.

Anaerobic digestion of pressed off leachate from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nayono, Satoto E.; Institute of Biology for Engineers and Biotechnology of Wastewater, University of Karlsruhe, Am Fasanengarten, 76131 Karlsruhe; Winter, Josef, E-mail: josef.winter@iba.uka.d

2010-10-15

A highly polluted liquid ('press water') was obtained from the pressing facility for the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in a composting plant. Methane productivity of the squeezed-off leachate was investigated in batch assays. To assess the technical feasibility of 'press water' as a substrate for anaerobic digestion, a laboratory-scale glass column reactor was operated semi-continuously at 37 {sup o}C. A high methane productivity of 270 m{sup -3} CH{sub 4} ton{sup -1} COD{sub added} or 490 m{sup -3} CH{sub 4} ton{sup -1} VS{sub added} was achieved in the batch experiment. The semi-continuously run laboratory-scale reactor was initially operated atmore » an organic loading rate of 10.7 kg COD m{sup -3} d{sup -1}. The loading was increased to finally 27.7 kg COD m{sup -3} d{sup -1}, corresponding to a reduction of the hydraulic retention time from initially 20 to finally 7.7 days. During the digestion, a stable elimination of organic material (measured as COD elimination) of approximately 60% was achieved. Linearly with the increment of the OLR, the volumetric methane production of the reactor increased from 2.6 m{sup 3} m{sub reactor}{sup -3} d{sup -1} to 7.1 m{sup 3} m{sub reactor}{sup -3} d{sup -1}. The results indicated that 'press water' from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste was a suitable substrate for anaerobic digestion which gave a high biogas yield even at very high loading rates.« less

Human Factor Investigation of Waste Processing System During the HI-SEAS 4 Month Mars Analog Mission in Support of NASA's Logistic Reduction and Repurposing Project: Trash to Gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caraccio, Anne; Hintze, Paul; Miles, John D.

2014-01-01

NASAs Logistics Reduction and Repurposing (LRR) project is a collaborative effort in which NASA is tasked with reducing total logistical mass through reduction, reuse and recycling of various wastes and components of long duration space missions and habitats. Trash to Gas (TtG) is a sub task to LRR with efforts focused on development of a technology that converts wastes generated during long duration space missions into high-value products such as methane, water for life support, raw material production feedstocks, and other energy sources. The reuse of discarded materials is a critical component to reducing overall mission mass. The 120 day Hawaii Space Exploration and Analog Simulation provides a unique opportunity to answer questions regarding crew interface and system analysis for designing and developing future flight-like versions of a TtG system. This paper will discuss the human factors that would affect the design of a TtG or other waste processing systems. An overview of the habitat, utility usage, and waste storage and generation is given. Crew time spent preparing trash for TtG processing was recorded. Gas concentrations were measured near the waste storage locations and at other locations in the habitat. In parallel with the analog mission, experimental processing of waste materials in a TtG reactor was performed in order to evaluate performance with realistic waste materials.

Human Factor Investigation of Waste Processing System During the HI-SEAS 4-month Mars Analog Mission in Support of NASA's Logistic Reduction and Repurposing Project: Trash to Gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caraccio, Anne; Hintze, Paul E.; Miles, John D.

2014-01-01

NASA's Logistics Reduction and Repurposing (LRR) project is a collaborative effort in which NASA is tasked with reducing total logistical mass through reduction, reuse and recycling of various wastes and components of long duration space missions and habitats. Trash to Gas (TtG) is a sub task to LRR with efforts focused on development of a technology that converts wastes generated during long duration space missions into high-value products such as methane, water for life support, raw material production feedstocks, and other energy sources. The reuse of discarded materials is a critical component to reducing overall mission mass. The 120 day Hawaii Space Exploration and Analog Simulation provides a unique opportunity to answer questions regarding crew interface and system analysis for designing and developing future flight-like versions of a TtG system. This paper will discuss the human factors that would affect the design of a TtG or other waste processing systems. An overview of the habitat, utility usage, and waste storage and generation is given. Crew time spent preparing trash for TtG processing was recorded. Gas concentrations were measured near the waste storage locations and at other locations in the habitat. In parallel with the analog mission, experimental processing of waste materials in a TtG reactor was performed in order to evaluate performance with realistic waste materials.

Technique for Reduction of Environmental Pollution from Construction Wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakaeva, N. V.; Klimenko, M. Y.

2017-11-01

The results of the research on the negative impact construction wastes have on the urban environment and construction ecological safety are described. The research results are based on the statistical data and indicators calculated with the use of environmental pollution assessment in the restoration system of urban buildings technical conditions. The technique for the reduction of environmental pollution from construction wastes is scientifically based on the analytic summary of scientific and practical results for ecological safety ensuring at major overhaul and current repairs (reconstruction) of the buildings and structures. It is also based on the practical application of the probability theory method, system analysis and disperse system theory. It is necessary to execute some stages implementing the developed technique to reduce environmental pollution from construction wastes. The stages include various steps starting from information collection to the system formation with optimum performance characteristics which are more resource saving and energy efficient for the accumulation of construction wastes from urban construction units. The following tasks are solved under certain studies: basic data collection about construction wastes accumulation; definition and comparison of technological combinations at each system functional stage intended for the reduction of construction wastes discharge into the environment; assessment criteria calculation of resource saving and energy efficiency; optimum working parameters of each implementation stage are created. The urban construction technique implementation shows that the resource saving criteria are from 55.22% to 88.84%; potential of construction wastes recycling is 450 million tons of construction damaged elements (parts).

Scenario analysis of the benefit of municipal organic-waste composting over landfill, Cambodia.

PubMed

Seng, Bunrith; Hirayama, Kimiaki; Katayama-Hirayama, Keiko; Ochiai, Satoru; Kaneko, Hidehiro

2013-01-15

This paper presents insight into the benefits of organic waste recycling through composting over landfill, in terms of landfill life extension, compost product, and mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Future waste generation from 2003 to 2020 was forecast, and five scenarios of organic waste recycling in the municipality of Phnom Penh (MPP), Cambodia, were carried out. Organic waste-specifically food and garden waste-was used for composting, and the remaining waste was landfilled. The recycling scenarios were set based on organic waste generated from difference sources: households, restaurants, shops, markets, schools, hotels, offices, and street sweeping. Through the five scenarios, the minimum volume reductions of waste disposal were about 56, 123, and 219 m(3) d(-1) in 2003, 2012, and 2020, respectively, whereas the maximum volume reductions in these years were about 325, 643, and 1025 m(3) d(-1). These volume reductions reflect a landfill life extension of a minimum of half a year and a maximum of about four years. Compost product could be produced at a minimum of 14, 30, and 54 tons d(-1) in 2003, 2012, and 2020, respectively, and at a maximum in those years of about 80, 158, and 252 tons d(-1). At the same time benefit is gained in compost product, GHG emissions could be reduced by a minimum of 12.8% and a maximum of 65.0% from 2003 to 2020. This means about 3.23 (minimum) and 5.79 million tons CO(2)eq (maximum) contributed to GHG mitigation. In this regard, it is strongly recommended that MPP should try to initiate an organic-waste recycling strategy in a best fit scenario. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recovery of metals and nonmetals from electronic waste by physical and chemical recycling processes.

PubMed

Kaya, Muammer

2016-11-01

This paper reviews the existing and state of art knowledge for electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. Electrical and/or electronic devices which are unwanted, broken or discarded by their original users are known as e-waste. The main purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of e-waste problem, strategies of e-waste management and various physical, chemical and metallurgical e-waste recycling processes, their advantages and disadvantages towards achieving a cleaner process of waste utilization, with special attention towards extraction of both metallic values and nonmetallic substances. The hazards arise from the presence of heavy metals Hg, Cd, Pb, etc., brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and other potentially harmful substances in e-waste. Due to the presence of these substances, e-waste is generally considered as hazardous waste and, if improperly managed, may pose significant human and environmental health risks. This review describes the potential hazards and economic opportunities of e-waste. Firstly, an overview of e-waste/printed circuit board (PCB) components is given. Current status and future perspectives of e-waste/PCB recycling are described. E-waste characterization, dismantling methods, liberation and classification processes are also covered. Manual selective dismantling after desoldering and metal-nonmetal liberation at -150μm with two step crushing are seen to be the best techniques. After size reduction, mainly physical separation processes employing gravity, electrostatic, magnetic separators, froth floatation, etc. have been critically reviewed here for separation of metals and nonmetals, along with useful utilizations of the nonmetallic materials. The recovery of metals from e-waste material after physical separation through pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical or biohydrometallurgical routes is also discussed along with purification and refining. Suitable PCB recycling flowsheets for industrial applications are also given. It seems that hydrometallurgical route will be a key player in the base and precious metals recoveries from e-waste. E-waste recycling will be a very important sector in the near future from economic and environmental perspectives. Recycling technology aims to take today's waste and turn it into conflict-free, sustainable polymetallic secondary resources (i.e. Urban Mining) for tomorrow. Recycling technology must ensure that e-waste is processed in an environmentally friendly manner, with high efficiency and lowered carbon footprint, at a fraction of the costs involved with setting multibillion dollar smelting facilities. Taking into consideration our depleting natural resources, this Urban Mining approach offers quite a few benefits. This results in increased energy efficiency and lowers demand for mining of new raw materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Annual waste reduction activities report. Issue 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1991-03-18

This report discusses the waste minimization activities for the Pinellas Plant. The Pinellas Plant deals with low-level radioactive wastes, solvents, scrap metals and various other hazardous materials. This program has realized cost savings through recycling and reuse of materials.

GUIDES TO POLLUTION PREVENTION: THE AUTOMOTIVE REFINISHING INDUSTRY

EPA Science Inventory

Automotive refinishing shops generate a variety of wastes while performing typical auto body repair and refinishing operations such as welding, filling dents, body section adjustments, alignments, sanding and painting. pportunities for waste reduction exist for the waste thinners...

An incentive-based source separation model for sustainable municipal solid waste management in China.

PubMed

Xu, Wanying; Zhou, Chuanbin; Lan, Yajun; Jin, Jiasheng; Cao, Aixin

2015-05-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management (MSWM) is most important and challenging in large urban communities. Sound community-based waste management systems normally include waste reduction and material recycling elements, often entailing the separation of recyclable materials by the residents. To increase the efficiency of source separation and recycling, an incentive-based source separation model was designed and this model was tested in 76 households in Guiyang, a city of almost three million people in southwest China. This model embraced the concepts of rewarding households for sorting organic waste, government funds for waste reduction, and introducing small recycling enterprises for promoting source separation. Results show that after one year of operation, the waste reduction rate was 87.3%, and the comprehensive net benefit under the incentive-based source separation model increased by 18.3 CNY tonne(-1) (2.4 Euros tonne(-1)), compared to that under the normal model. The stakeholder analysis (SA) shows that the centralized MSW disposal enterprises had minimum interest and may oppose the start-up of a new recycling system, while small recycling enterprises had a primary interest in promoting the incentive-based source separation model, but they had the least ability to make any change to the current recycling system. The strategies for promoting this incentive-based source separation model are also discussed in this study. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effect of Increasing Total Solids Contents on Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste under Mesophilic Conditions: Performance and Microbial Characteristics Analysis

PubMed Central

Jin, Jingwei; Dai, Xiaohu

2014-01-01

The total solids content of feedstocks affects the performances of anaerobic digestion and the change of total solids content will lead the change of microbial morphology in systems. In order to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, it is necessary to understand the role of the total solids content on the behavior of the microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of organic matter from wet to dry technology. The performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste with different total solids contents from 5% to 20% were compared and the microbial communities in reactors were investigated using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Three stable anaerobic digestion processes were achieved for food waste biodegradation and methane generation. Better performances mainly including volatile solids reduction and methane yield were obtained in the reactors with higher total solids content. Pyrosequencing results revealed significant shifts in bacterial community with increasing total solids contents. The proportion of phylum Chloroflexi decreased obviously with increasing total solids contents while other functional bacteria showed increasing trend. Methanosarcina absolutely dominated in archaeal communities in three reactors and the relative abundance of this group showed increasing trend with increasing total solids contents. These results revealed the effects of the total solids content on the performance parameters and the behavior of the microbial communities involved in the anaerobic digestion of food waste from wet to dry technologies. PMID:25051352

Using Pyrolysis and its Bioproducts to Help Close the Loop in Sustainable Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCoy, LaShelle E.

2012-01-01

The next step in human exploration of space is beyond low Earth orbit and possibly to sites such as the Moon and Mars. Resupply of critical life support components for missions such as these are difficult or impossible. Life support processes for closing the loop of water, oxygen and carbon have to be identified .. Currently, there are many technologies proposed for terrestrial missions for waste, water, air processing and the creation of consumables. There are a variety of different approaches, but few address all of these issues simultaneously. One candidate is pyrolysis; a method where waste streams can be heated in the absence of oxygen to undergo a thermochemical conversion producing a series of bioproducts. Bioproducts like biochar made from non-edible biomass and human solid waste can possibly provide valuable benefits such as waste reduction, regolith fertilization for increased food production, and become a consumable for water processing and air revitalization systems. Syngas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and cbon dioxide, can be converted to methane and dimethyl ether to create propellants. Bio-oils can be utilized as a heating fuel or fed to bioreactors that utilize oil-eating microbes. Issues such as carbon sequestration and subsequent carbon balance of the closed system and identifying ideal process methods to achieve the highest quality products, whilst being energy friendly, will also be addressed.

Effect of increasing total solids contents on anaerobic digestion of food waste under mesophilic conditions: performance and microbial characteristics analysis.

PubMed

Yi, Jing; Dong, Bin; Jin, Jingwei; Dai, Xiaohu

2014-01-01

The total solids content of feedstocks affects the performances of anaerobic digestion and the change of total solids content will lead the change of microbial morphology in systems. In order to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, it is necessary to understand the role of the total solids content on the behavior of the microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of organic matter from wet to dry technology. The performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste with different total solids contents from 5% to 20% were compared and the microbial communities in reactors were investigated using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Three stable anaerobic digestion processes were achieved for food waste biodegradation and methane generation. Better performances mainly including volatile solids reduction and methane yield were obtained in the reactors with higher total solids content. Pyrosequencing results revealed significant shifts in bacterial community with increasing total solids contents. The proportion of phylum Chloroflexi decreased obviously with increasing total solids contents while other functional bacteria showed increasing trend. Methanosarcina absolutely dominated in archaeal communities in three reactors and the relative abundance of this group showed increasing trend with increasing total solids contents. These results revealed the effects of the total solids content on the performance parameters and the behavior of the microbial communities involved in the anaerobic digestion of food waste from wet to dry technologies.

Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2007

2007-01-01

This guide was produced to help schools and school districts reduce the amount of waste they generate It shows how to start a waste reduction program or expand an existing one. The booklet shows how such programs can benefit schools, communities, and the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. Each section--schools, school…

Developing Strategies for Waste Reduction by Means of Tailored Interventions in Santiago De Cuba

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobias, Robert; Brugger, Adrian; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

2009-01-01

This article introduces an approach to tailoring behavior-change campaigns to target populations using the example of solid waste reduction in Santiago de Cuba. Tailoring is performed in the following steps: (1) Psychological constructs are selected to detect problems in performing the target behavior, and data are gathered on these constructs.…

Rethinking Recycling: An Oregon Waste Reduction Curriculum. Teacher Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Environmental Quality, Portland.

In 1993, the Oregon State Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), developed four "Classroom Activity Packets" with waste reduction and recycling lessons for each of the following groups: Grades K-2; Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; and Grades 9-12. This teacher resource guide is the final…

TREATMENT OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IN CHROMITE ORE PROCESSING SOLID WASTE USING A MIXED REDUCTANT SOLUTION OF FERROUS SULFATE AND SODIUM DITHIONITE

EPA Science Inventory

We developed a method for disseminating ferrous iron in the subsurface to enhance chemical reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in a chromite ore processing solid waste derived from the production of ferrochrome alloy. The method utilizes ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) in combinati...

Direct and indirect effects of waste management policies on household waste behaviour: The case of Sweden.

PubMed

Andersson, Camilla; Stage, Jesper

2018-03-28

Swedish legislation makes municipalities responsible for recycling or disposing of household waste. Municipalities therefore play an important role in achieving Sweden's increased levels of ambition in the waste management area and in achieving the goal of a more circular economy. This paper studies how two municipal policy instruments - weight-based waste tariffs and special systems for the collection of food waste - affect the collected volumes of different types of waste. We find that a system of collecting food waste separately is more effective overall than imposing weight-based waste tariffs in respect not only of reducing the amounts of waste destined for incineration, but also of increasing materials recycling and biological recovery, despite the fact that the direct incentive effects of these two systems should be similar. Separate food waste collection was associated with increased recycling not only of food waste but also of other waste. Introducing separate food waste collection indirectly signals to households that recycling is important and desirable, and our results suggest that this signalling effect may be as important as direct incentive effects. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Achievements and Perspectives of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Louvat, D.; Lacoste, A.C.

The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management is the first legal instrument to directly address the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management on a global scale. The Joint Convention entered into force in 2001. This paper describes its process and its main achievements to date. The perspectives to establish of a Global Waste Safety Regime based on the Joint Convention are also discussed. (authors)

Small-Scale Waste-to-Energy Technology for Contingency Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-24

Expedient, No Waste Sorting Technology Readiness Level High Fuel Demand Water Required Steam Infrastructure Required Air Emissions Gasification ...Full gasification system • Costs $26K • GM Industrial Engine (GM 4 Cylinder, 3.00 L) • MeccAlte Generator Head • Imbert type downdraft reactor...Solid waste volume reduction − Response to waste streams  biomass , refuse-derived fuel, shredded waste − Operation and maintenance requirements

Mitigating ammonia inhibition of thermophilic anaerobic treatment of digested piggery wastewater: use of pH reduction, zeolite, biomass and humic acid.

PubMed

Ho, L; Ho, G

2012-09-15

High free ammonia released during anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes is widely known to inhibit methanogenic microorganisms and result in low methane production. This was encountered during our earlier thermophilic semi-continuously fed continuously-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) treatment of piggery wastewater. This study explored chemical and biological means to mitigate ammonia inhibition on thermophilic anaerobic treatment of piggery wastewater with the aim to increase organic volatile carbon reduction and methane production. A series of thermophilic anaerobic batch experiments were conducted on the digested piggery effluent to investigate the effects of pH reduction (pH 8.3 to 7.5, 7.0 and 6.5) and additions of biomass (10% v/v and 19% v/v anaerobic digested piggery biomass and aerobic-anaerobic digested municipal biomass), natural zeolite (10, 15 and 20 g/L) and humic acid (1, 5 and 10 g/L) on methane production at 55 °C for 9-11 days. Reduction of the wastewater pH from its initial pH of 8.3 to 6.5 produced the greatest stimulation of methane production (3.4 fold) coupled with reductions in free ammonia (38 fold) and total volatile fatty acids (58% TVFA), particularly acetate and propionate. Addition of 10-20 g/L zeolite to piggery wastewater with and without pH reduction to 6.5 further enhanced total VFA reduction and methane production over their respective controls, with 20 g/L zeolite producing the highest enhancement effect despite the ammonia-nitrogen concentrations of the treated wastewaters remaining high. Without pH reduction, zeolite concentration up to 20 g/L was required to achieve comparable methane enhancement as the pH-reduced wastewater at pH 6.5. Although biomass (10% v/v piggery and municipal wastes) and low humic acid (1 and 5 g/L) additions enhanced total VFA reduction and methane production, they elevated the residual effluent total COD concentrations over the control wastewaters (pH-unadjusted and pH-reduced) unlike zeolite treatment. The outcomes from these batch experiments support the use of pH reduction to 6.5 and zeolite treatment (10-20 g/L) as effective strategies to mitigate ammonia inhibition of the thermophilic anaerobic treatment of piggery wastewater. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rajamani, S.

The leather industry is an important export-oriented industry in India, with more than 3,000 tanneries located in different clusters. Sodium sulfide, a toxic chemical, is used in large quantities to remove hair and excess flesh from hides and skins. Most of the sodium sulfide used in the process is discharged as waste in the effluent, which causes serious environmental problems. Reduction of sulfide in the effluent is generally achieved by means of chemicals in the pretreatment system, which involves aerobic mixing using large amounts of chemicals and high energy, and generating large volumes of sludge. A simple biotechnological system thatmore » uses the residual biosludge from the secondary settling tank was developed, and the commercial-scale application established that more than 90% of the sulfide could be reduced in the primary treatment system. In addition to the reduction of sulfide, foul smells, BOD and COD are reduced to a considerable level. 3 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

Preparation of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires via molten salt mediated carbothermal reduction route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ju; Yan, Shuai; Jia, Quanli; Huang, Juntong; Lin, Liangxu; Zhang, Shaowei

2016-06-01

The growth of silicon carbide (SiC) crystal generally requires a high temperature, especially when low quality industrial wastes are used as the starting raw materials. In this work, SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires (NWs) were synthesized from low cost silica fume and sucrose via a molten salt mediated carbothermal reduction (CR) route. The molten salt was found to be effective in promoting the SiC growth and lowering the synthesis temperature. The resultant NWs exhibited a heterostructure composed of a 3C-SiC core of 100 nm in diameter and a 5-10 nm thick amorphous SiO2 shell layer. The photoluminescence spectrum of the achieved SiC NWs displayed a significant blue shift (a dominant luminescence at round 422 nm), which suggested that they were high quality and could be a promising candidate material for future optoelectronic applications.

Y-12 Site Sustainability Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spencer, Charles G

2012-12-01

The accomplishments to date and the long-range planning of the Y-12 Energy Management and Sustainability and Stewardship programs support the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) vision for a commitment to energy effi ciency and sustainability and to achievement of the Guiding Principles. Specifi cally, the Y-12 vision is to support the Environment, Safety and Health Policy and the DOE Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, while promoting overall sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The mission of the Y-12 Energy Management program is to incorporate energy-effi cient technologies site-wide and to position Y-12 tomore » meet NNSA energy requirement needs through 2025 and beyond. The plan addresses greenhouse gases, buildings, fleet management, water use, pollution prevention, waste reduction, sustainable acquisition, electronic stewardship and data centers, site innovation and government-wide support.« less

Rapid and Decentralized Human Waste Treatment by Microwave Radiation.

PubMed

Nguyen, Tu Anh; Babel, Sandhya; Boonyarattanakalin, Siwarutt; Koottatep, Thammarat

2017-07-01

  This study evaluates the technical feasibility of using microwave radiation for the rapid treatment of human feces. Human feces of 1000 g were radiated with a commercially available household microwave oven (with rotation) at different exposure time lengths (30, 50, 60, 70, and 75 mins) and powers (600, 800, and 1000 W). Volume reduction over 90% occurred after 1000 W microwave radiation for 75 mins. Pathogen eradiation performances of six log units or more at a high range of microwave powers were achieved. Treatments with the same energy input of 1000 Wh, but at lower powers with prolonged exposure times, significantly enhanced moisture removal and volume reduction. Microwave radiation caused carbonization and resulted in a more stable end product. The energy content of the samples after microwave treatment at 1000 W and 75 mins is 3517 ± 8.85 calories/g of dried sample, and the product can also be used as compost.

Targeted intervention strategies to optimise diversion of BMW in the Dublin, Ireland region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Purcell, M., E-mail: mary.purcell@cit.ie; Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, Newstead, Belfield, Dublin 4; Magette, W.L.

Highlights: > Previous research indicates that targeted strategies designed for specific areas should lead to improved diversion. > Survey responses and GIS model predictions from previous research were the basis for goal setting. > Then logic modelling and behavioural research were employed to develop site-specific management intervention strategies. > Waste management initiatives can be tailored to specific needs of areas rather than one size fits all means currently used. - Abstract: Urgent transformation is required in Ireland to divert biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill and prevent increases in overall waste generation. When BMW is optimally managed, it becomes amore » resource with value instead of an unwanted by-product requiring disposal. An analysis of survey responses from commercial and residential sectors for the Dublin region in previous research by the authors proved that attitudes towards and behaviour regarding municipal solid waste is spatially variable. This finding indicates that targeted intervention strategies designed for specific geographic areas should lead to improved diversion rates of BMW from landfill, a requirement of the Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC. In the research described in this paper, survey responses and GIS model predictions from previous research were the basis for goal setting, after which logic modelling and behavioural research were employed to develop site-specific waste management intervention strategies. The main strategies devised include (a) roll out of the Brown Bin (Organics) Collection and Community Workshops in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, (b) initiation of a Community Composting Project in Dublin City (c) implementation of a Waste Promotion and Motivation Scheme in South Dublin (d) development and distribution of a Waste Booklet to promote waste reduction activities in Fingal (e) region wide distribution of a Waste Booklet to the commercial sector and (f) Greening Irish Pubs Initiative. Each of these strategies was devised after interviews with both the residential and commercial sectors to help make optimal waste management the norm for both sectors. Strategy (b), (e) and (f) are detailed in this paper. By integrating a human element into accepted waste management approaches, these strategies will make optimal waste behaviour easier to achieve. Ultimately this will help divert waste from landfill and improve waste management practice as a whole for the region. This method of devising targeted intervention strategies can be adapted for many other regions.« less

Importance of food-demand management for climate mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bajželj, Bojana; Richards, Keith S.; Allwood, Julian M.; Smith, Pete; Dennis, John S.; Curmi, Elizabeth; Gilligan, Christopher A.

2014-10-01

Recent studies show that current trends in yield improvement will not be sufficient to meet projected global food demand in 2050, and suggest that a further expansion of agricultural area will be required. However, agriculture is the main driver of losses of biodiversity and a major contributor to climate change and pollution, and so further expansion is undesirable. The usual proposed alternative--intensification with increased resource use--also has negative effects. It is therefore imperative to find ways to achieve global food security without expanding crop or pastureland and without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Some authors have emphasized a role for sustainable intensification in closing global `yield gaps' between the currently realized and potentially achievable yields. However, in this paper we use a transparent, data-driven model, to show that even if yield gaps are closed, the projected demand will drive further agricultural expansion. There are, however, options for reduction on the demand side that are rarely considered. In the second part of this paper we quantify the potential for demand-side mitigation options, and show that improved diets and decreases in food waste are essential to deliver emissions reductions, and to provide global food security in 2050.

Kinetics of inactivation of indicator pathogens during thermophilic anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Popat, Sudeep C; Yates, Marylynn V; Deshusses, Marc A

2010-12-01

Thermophilic anaerobic sludge digestion is a promising process to divert waste to beneficial use, but an important question is the required temperature and holding time to achieve a given degree of pathogen inactivation. In this study, the kinetics of inactivation of Ascaris suum and vaccine strain poliovirus type 1 (PVS-1), selected as indicators for helminth ova and enteric viruses respectively, were determined during anaerobic digestion at temperatures ranging from 51 to 56 °C. Inactivation of both indicator organisms was fast with greater than two log reductions achieved within 2 h for A. suum and three log reductions for PVS-1, suggesting that the current U.S. regulations are largely conservative. The first-order inactivation rate constants k followed Arrhenius relationship with activation energies of 105 and 39 KJ mol(-1) for A. suum and PVS-1, respectively indicating that A. suum was more sensitive to temperature. Although inactivation was fast, the presence of compounds in the sludge that are known to be protective of pathogen inactivation was observed, suggesting that composition-dependent time-temperature relationships are necessary. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-gasification of municipal solid waste and material recovery in a large-scale gasification and melting system.

PubMed

Tanigaki, Nobuhiro; Manako, Kazutaka; Osada, Morihiro

2012-04-01

This study evaluates the effects of co-gasification of municipal solid waste with and without the municipal solid waste bottom ash using two large-scale commercial operation plants. From the viewpoint of operation data, there is no significant difference between municipal solid waste treatment with and without the bottom ash. The carbon conversion ratios are as high as 91.7% and 95.3%, respectively and this leads to significantly low PCDD/DFs yields via complete syngas combustion. The gross power generation efficiencies are 18.9% with the bottom ash and 23.0% without municipal solid waste bottom ash, respectively. The effects of the equivalence ratio are also evaluated. With the equivalence ratio increasing, carbon monoxide concentration is decreased, and carbon dioxide and the syngas temperature (top gas temperature) are increased. The carbon conversion ratio is also increased. These tendencies are seen in both modes. Co-gasification using the gasification and melting system (Direct Melting System) has a possibility to recover materials effectively. More than 90% of chlorine is distributed in fly ash. Low-boiling-point heavy metals, such as lead and zinc, are distributed in fly ash at rates of 95.2% and 92.0%, respectively. Most of high-boiling-point heavy metals, such as iron and copper, are distributed in metal. It is also clarified that slag is stable and contains few harmful heavy metals such as lead. Compared with the conventional waste management framework, 85% of the final landfill amount reduction is achieved by co-gasification of municipal solid waste with bottom ash and incombustible residues. These results indicate that the combined production of slag with co-gasification of municipal solid waste with the bottom ash constitutes an ideal approach to environmental conservation and resource recycling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sequencing biological acidification of waste-activated sludge aiming to optimize phosphorus dissolution and recovery.

PubMed

Guilayn, Felipe; Braak, Etienne; Piveteau, Simon; Daumer, Marie-Line

2017-06-01

Phosphorus (P) recovery in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) as pure crystals such as struvite (MgNH 4 PO 4 .6H 2 O), potassium struvite (KMgPO 4 .6H 2 O) and calcium phosphates (e.g. Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) is an already feasible technique that permits the production of green and marketable fertilizers and the reduction of operational costs. Commercial crystallizers can recovery more than 90% of soluble P. However, most of the P in WWTP sludge is unavailable for the processes (not dissolved). P solubilization and separation are thus the limiting steps in P-crystallization. With an innovative two-step sequencing acidification strategy, the current study has aimed to improve biological P solubilization on waste-activated sludge (WAS) from a full-scale plant. In the first step (P-release), low charges of organic waste were used as co-substrates of WAS pre-fermentation, seeking to produce volatile fatty acids to feed the P-release by Polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, while keeping its optimal metabolic pH (6-7). In this phase, milk serum, WWTP grease, urban organic waste and collective restaurant waste were individually applied as co-substrates. In the second step (P-dissolution), pH 4 was aimed at as it allows the dissolution of the most common precipitated species of P. Biological acidification was performed by white sugar addition, as a carbohydrate-rich organic waste model, which was compared to chemical acidification by HCl (12M) addition. With short retention times (48-96 h) and without inoculum application, all experiences succeeded on P solubilization (37-55% of soluble P), principally when carbohydrate-rich co-substrates were applied. Concentrations from 270 to 450 mg [Formula: see text] were achieved. [Formula: see text].

Effects of organic composition on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste.

PubMed

Li, Yangyang; Jin, Yiying; Borrion, Aiduan; Li, Hailong; Li, Jinhui

2017-11-01

Anaerobic digestion of food waste (FW) has been widely investigated, however, little is known about the influence of organic composition on the FW digestion process. This study aims to identify the optimum composition ratios of carbohydrate (CA), protein (CP) and lipid (EE) for maintaining high methane yield and process stability. The results show that the CA-CP-EE ratio was significantly correlated with performance and degradability parameters. Controlling the CA-CP-EE ratio higher than 1.89 (CA higher than 8.3%, CP lower than 5.0%, and EE lower than 5.6%) could be an effective way to maintain stable digestion and achieve higher methane production (385-627mL/gVS) and shorter digestion retention (196-409h). The CA-CP-EE ratio could be used as an important indicator for digestion performance. To effectively evaluate organic reduction, the concentration and removal efficiency of organic compositions in both solid phases and total FW should be considered. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of deflocculation on microwave disintegration and anaerobic biodegradability of waste activated sludge.

PubMed

Ebenezer, A Vimala; Kaliappan, S; Adish Kumar, S; Yeom, Ick-Tae; Banu, J Rajesh

2015-06-01

In the present study, the potential benefits of deflocculation on microwave pretreatment of waste activated sludge were investigated. Deflocculation in the absence of cell lysis was achieved through the removal of extra polymeric substances (EPS) by sodium citrate (0.1g sodium citrate/g suspended solids), and DNA was used as a marker for monitoring cell lysis. Subsequent microwave pretreatment yielded a chemical oxygen demand (COD) solubilisation of 31% and 21%, suspended solids (SS) reduction of 37% and 22%, for deflocculated and flocculated sludge, respectively, with energy input of 14,000kJ/kg TS. When microwave pretreated sludge was subjected to anaerobic fermentation, greater accumulation of volatile fatty acid (860mg/L) was noticed in deflocculated sludge, indicating better hydrolysis. Among the samples subjected to BMP (Biochemical methane potential test), deflocculated microwave pretreated sludge showed better amenability towards anaerobic digestion with high methane production potential of 0.615L (gVS)(-1). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Johnston Atoll Plutonium Cleanup Project, plant modification and operation. Volume 1. Annual report option year 2. Technical report, 1 October 1992-24 May 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moroney, K.S.; Moroney, J.D.; Johnson, N.R.

1995-04-01

This report continues the documentation of the operation of TMA/Eberline`s Segmented Gate System technology for removing mixed plutonium and americium contamination at DNA`s Johnston Atoll site. Contaminated feed is conveyed under arrays of radiation detectors coupled with sophisticated computer software developed by Eberline Instrument Corporation. Segmented gates (chutes) on pneumatically-driven pistons move forward when contamination is detected to remove only the contaminated portion from the main flow of feed material. Only about one pint of contaminant is removed during each diversion event. At the JA site, a 98% volume reduction has been achieved, with the remediated soil cleaned to DNA`smore » criteria for release for unrestricted use of 500 Bq/kg total tnansuranic alpha contamination and no hot particles of greater than 5000 Becquerrels. The low level waste concentrate is expected to be packaged for shipment to an approved defense waste disposal site.« less

Johnston Atoll Plutonium Cleanup Project. Plant modification and operation. Volume 2. Annual report option year 2. Appendix A. Technical report, 1 October 1992-24 May 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moroney, K.S.; Moroney, J.D.; Johnson, N.R.

1995-04-01

This report continues the documentation of the operation of TMA/Eberline`s Segmented Gate System technology for removing mixed plutonium and americium contamination at DNA`s Johnston Atoll site. Contaminated feed is conveyed under arrays of radiation detectors coupled with sophisticated computer software developed by Eberline Instrument Corporation. Segmented gates (chutes) on pneumatically-driven pistons move forward when contamination is detected to remove only the contaminated portion from the main flow of feed material. Only about one pint of contaminant is removed during each diversion event. At the JA site, a 98% volume reduction has been achieved, with the remediated soil cleaned to DNA`smore » criteria for release for unrestricted use of 500 Bq/kg total transuranic alpha contamination and no hot particles of greater than 5000 Becquerrels. The low level waste concentrate is expected to be packaged for shipment to an approved defense waste disposal site.« less

Johnston Atoll Plutonium Cleanup Project, plant modification and operation. Volume 3. Annual report option year 2. Appendices b through h. Technical report, 1 October 1992-24 May 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moroney, K.S.; Moroney, J.D.; Johnson, N.R.

1995-04-01

This report continues the documentation of the operation of TMA/Eberline`s Segmented Gate System technology for removing mixed plutonium and americium contamination at DNA`s Johnston Atoll site. Contaminated feed is conveyed under arrays of radiation detectors coupled with sophisticated computer software developed by Eberline Instrument Corporation. Segmented gates (chutes) on pneumatically-driven pistons move forward when contamination is detected to remove only the contaminated portion from the main flow of feed material. Only about one pint of contaminant is removed during each diversion event. At the JA site, a 98% volume reduction has been achieved, with the remediated soil cleaned to DNA`smore » criteria for release for unrestricted use of 500 Bq/kg total transuranic alpha contamination and no hot particles of greater than 5000 Becquerrels. The low level waste concentrate is expected to be packaged for shipment to an approved defense waste disposal site.« less

Corrosion Testing of Monofrax K-3 Refractory in Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Alternate Reductant Feeds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, M.; Jantzen, C.; Burket, P.

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) uses a combination of reductants and oxidants while converting high level waste (HLW) to a borosilicate waste form. A reducing flowsheet is maintained to retain radionuclides in their reduced oxidation states which promotes their incorporation into borosilicate glass. For the last 20 years of processing, the DWPF has used formic acid as the main reductant and nitric acid as the main oxidant. During reaction in the Chemical Process Cell (CPC), formate and formic acid release measurably significant H 2 gas which requires monitoring of certain vessel’s vapor spaces.more » A switch to a nitric acid-glycolic acid (NG) flowsheet from the nitric-formic (NF) flowsheet is desired as the NG flowsheet releases considerably less H 2 gas upon decomposition. This would greatly simplify DWPF processing from a safety standpoint as close monitoring of the H 2 gas concentration could become less critical. In terms of the waste glass melter vapor space flammability, the switch from the NF flowsheet to the NG flowsheet showed a reduction of H 2 gas production from the vitrification process as well. Due to the positive impact of the switch to glycolic acid determined on the flammability issues, evaluation of the other impacts of glycolic acid on the facility must be examined.« less

Efficacy of on-farm use of ultraviolet light for inactivation of bacteria in milk for calves.

PubMed

Gelsinger, S L; Heinrichs, A J; Jones, C M; Van Saun, R J; Wolfgang, D R; Burns, C M; Lysczek, H R

2014-05-01

Ultraviolet light is being employed for bacterial inactivation in milk for calves; however, limited evidence is available to support the claim that UV light effectively inactivates bacteria found in milk. Thus, the objective of this observational study was to investigate the efficacy of on-farm UV light treatment in reducing bacteria populations in waste milk used for feeding calves. Samples of nonsaleable milk were collected from 9 Pennsylvania herds, twice daily for 15 d, both before and after UV light treatment (n=60 samples per farm), and analyzed for standard plate count, coliforms, noncoliform, gram-negative bacteria, environmental and contagious streptococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus count, and total solids percentage, and log reduction and percentage log reduction were calculated. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure in SAS. In all bacteria types, samples collected after UV treatment contained significantly fewer bacteria compared with samples collected before UV treatment. Weighted least squares means for log reduction (percentage log reduction) were 1.34 (29%), 1.27 (58%), 1.48 (53%), 1.85 (55%), 1.37 (72%), 1.92 (63%), 1.07 (33%), and 1.67 (82%) for standard plate count, coliforms, noncoliform, gram-negative bacteria, environmental and contagious streptococci, Strep. agalactiae, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and Staph. aureus, respectively. A percentage log reduction greater than 50% was achieved in 6 of 8 bacteria types, and 43 and 94% of samples collected after UV treatment met recommended bacterial standards for milk for feeding calves. Based on these results, UV light treatment may be effective for some, but not all bacteria types found in nonsaleable waste milk. Thus, farmers should take into account the bacteria types that may need to be reduced when considering the purchase of a UV-treatment system. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reducing the carbon footprint of the operating theatre: a multicentre quality improvement report.

PubMed

Southorn, T; Norrish, A R; Gardner, K; Baxandall, R

2013-06-01

Currently, there are very few provisions for recycling in theatres. We measured the weight of clinical waste for several orthopaedic operations. This waste was then examined and sorted into domestic waste and clinical waste. With staff education it is possible to reduce the amount of clinical waste generated by the operating theatre by roughly 50%. A greater awareness of disposal options leads to a reduction in waste disposed of by incineration.

Evaluation of in situ layers for treatment of acid mine drainage: a field comparison.

PubMed

Hulshof, Andrea H M; Blowes, David W; Gould, W Douglas

2006-05-01

Reactive treatment layers, containing labile organic carbon, were evaluated to determine their ability to promote sulfate reduction and metal sulfide precipitation within a tailings impoundment, thereby treating tailings effluent prior to discharge. Organic carbon materials, including woodchips and pulp waste, were mixed with the upper meter of tailings in two separate test cells, a third control cell contained only tailings. In the woodchip cell sulfate reduction rates were 500 mg L-1a-1, (5.2 mmol L-1a-1) this was coupled with the gradual removal of 350 mg L-1 Zn (5.4 mmol L-1). Decreased delta13CDIC values from -3 per thousand to as low as -12 per thousand indicated that sulfate reduction was coupled with organic carbon oxidation. In the pulp waste cell the most dramatic change was observed near the interface between the pulp waste amended tailings and the underlying undisturbed tailings. Sulfate reduction rates were 5000 mg L-1a-1 (52 mmol L-1a-1), Fe concentrations decreased by 80-99.5% (148 mmol L-1) and Zn was consistently <5 mg L-1. Rates of sulfate reduction and metal removal decreased as the pore water migrated upward into the shallower tailings. Increased rates of sulfate reduction in the pulp waste cell were consistent with decreased delta13CDIC values, to as low as -22 per thousand, and increased populations of sulfate reducing bacteria. Lower concentrations of the nutrients, phosphorus, organic carbon and nitrogen in the woodchip material contribute to the lower sulfate reduction rates observed in the woodchip cell.

Upgraded biogas from municipal solid waste for natural gas substitution and CO2 reduction--a case study of Austria, Italy, and Spain.

PubMed

Starr, Katherine; Villalba, Gara; Gabarrell, Xavier

2015-04-01

Biogas is rich in methane and can be further purified through biogas upgrading technologies, presenting a viable alternative to natural gas. Landfills and anaerobic digestors treating municipal solid waste are a large source of such biogas. They therefore offer an attractive opportunity to tap into this potential source of natural gas while at the same time minimizing the global warming impact resulting from methane emissions in waste management schemes (WMS) and fossil fuel consumption reduction. This study looks at the current municipal solid waste flows of Spain, Italy, and Austria over one year (2009), in order to determine how much biogas is generated. Then it examines how much natural gas could be substituted by using four different biogas upgrading technologies. Based on current waste generation rates, exploratory but realistic WMS were created for each country in order to maximize biogas production and potential for natural gas substitution. It was found that the potential substitution of natural gas by biogas resulting from the current WMS seems rather insignificant: 0.2% for Austria, 0.6% for Italy and 0.3% for Spain. However, if the WMS is redesigned to maximize biogas production, these figures can increase to 0.7% for Austria, 1% for Italy and 2% for Spain. Furthermore, the potential CO2 reduction as a consequence of capturing the biogas and replacing fossil fuel can result in up to a 93% reduction of the annual national waste greenhouse gas emissions of Spain and Italy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 421.13 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of process waste water pollutants to navigable waters. (b) During any calendar month there may be discharged from the overflow of a process waste water impoundment either a volume of process waste water... the evaporation within the impoundment for that month, or, if greater, a volume of process waste water...

Repairs, Reuse, Recycling--First Steps toward a Sustainable Society. Worldwatch Paper 23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Denis

Two-thirds of what we waste could be reused without important changes in our life-styles. One benefit of recycling would be the diminishing contribution of raw materials prices to inflation. For a sustainable resource policy there are three basic components: waste reduction, waste separation, and waste recovery. The first can be met by producing…

77 FR 10485 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Idaho National Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-22

... Status EM/National Nuclear Security Administration Integration Ecological Surveys Ground Water Waste Area... and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related... Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) Workforce Reductions Advanced Mixed Waste Cleanup Project (AMWTP) Workforce...

A MIXED CHEMICAL REDUCTANT FOR TREATING HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IN A CHROMITE ORE PROCESSING SOLID WASTE

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluated a method for delivering ferrous iron into the subsurface to enhance chemical reduction of Cr(VI) in a chromite ore processing solid waste (COPSW). The COPSW is characterized by high pH (8.5 -11.5), high Cr(VI) concentrations in the solid phase (up to 550 mg kg-1) and...

A COMPARATIVE RISK REDUCTION ANALYSIS OF THE OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE'S WASTE MINIMIZATION PRIORITY CHEMICALS INITIATIVE USING THE 3MRA MULTIMEDIA MODELING SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

A study was initiated by the EPA/ORD National Exposure Research Lab (NERL) in FY05 to quantify risk reduction resulting from this national EPA initiative to reduce WMPC disposal. Using the 3MRA modeling system, which was recommended for use by the EPA Science Advisory Board for ...

Development and application of a methodology for a clean development mechanism to avoid methane emissions in closed landfills.

PubMed

Janke, Leandro; Lima, André O S; Millet, Maurice; Radetski, Claudemir M

2013-01-01

In Brazil, Solid Waste Disposal Sites have operated without consideration of environmental criteria, these areas being characterized by methane (CH4) emissions during the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. The United Nations organization has made efforts to control this situation, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, where projects that seek to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) can be financially rewarded through Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) if they respect the requirements established by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), such as the use of methodologies approved by the CDM Executive Board (CDM-EB). Thus, a methodology was developed according to the CDM standards related to the aeration, excavation and composting of closed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills, which was submitted to CDM-EB for assessment and, after its approval, applied to a real case study in Maringá City (Brazil) with a view to avoiding negative environmental impacts due the production of methane and leachates even after its closure. This paper describes the establishment of this CDM-EB-approved methodology to determine baseline emissions, project emissions and the resultant emission reductions with the application of appropriate aeration, excavation and composting practices at closed MSW landfills. A further result obtained through the application of the methodology in the landfill case study was that it would be possible to achieve an ex-ante emission reduction of 74,013 tCO2 equivalent if the proposed CDM project activity were implemented.

Characteristics and management of infectious industrial waste in Taiwan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, M.-C.; Lin, Jim Juimin

Infectious industrial waste management in Taiwan is based on the specific waste production unit. In other countries, management is based simply on whether the producer may lead to infectious disease. Thus, Taiwan has a more detailed classification of infectious waste. The advantage of this classification is that it is easy to identify the sources, while the disadvantage lies in the fact that it is not flexible and hence increases cost. This study presents an overview of current management practices for handling infectious industrial waste in Taiwan, and addresses the current waste disposal methods. The number of small clinics in Taiwanmore » increased from 18,183 to 18,877 between 2003 and 2005. Analysis of the data between 2003 and 2005 showed that the majority of medical waste was general industrial waste, which accounted for 76.9%-79.4% of total medical waste. Infectious industrial waste accounted for 19.3%-21.9% of total medical waste. After the SARS event in Taiwan, the amount of infectious waste reached 19,350 tons in 2004, an increase over the previous year of 4000 tons. Waste minimization was a common consideration for all types of waste treatment. In this study, we summarize the percentage of plastic waste in flammable infectious industrial waste generated by medical units, which, in Taiwan was about 30%. The EPA and Taiwan Department of Health have actively promoted different recycling and waste reduction measures. However, the wide adoption of disposable materials made recycling and waste reduction difficult for some hospitals. It has been suggested that enhancing the education of and promoting communication between medical units and recycling industries must be implemented to prevent recyclable waste from entering the incinerator.« less

A quantitative analysis of municipal solid waste disposal charges in China.

PubMed

Wu, Jian; Zhang, Weiqian; Xu, Jiaxuan; Che, Yue

2015-03-01

Rapid industrialization and economic development have caused a tremendous increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in China. China began implementing a policy of MSW disposal fees for household waste management at the end of last century. Three charging methods were implemented throughout the country: a fixed disposal fee, a potable water-based disposal fee, and a plastic bag-based disposal fee. To date, there has been little qualitative or quantitative analysis on the effectiveness of this relatively new policy. This paper provides a general overview of MSW fee policy in China, attempts to verify whether the policy is successful in reducing general waste collected, and proposes an improved charging system to address current problems. The paper presents an empirical statistical analysis of policy effectiveness derived from an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) test on panel data of China. EKC tests on different kinds of MSW charge systems were then examined for individual provinces or cities. A comparison of existing charging systems was conducted using environmental and economic criteria. The results indicate the following: (1) the MSW policies implemented over the study period were effective in the reduction of waste generation, (2) the household waste discharge fee policy did not act as a strong driver in terms of waste prevention and reduction, and (3) the plastic bag-based disposal fee appeared to be performing well according to qualitative and quantitative analysis. Based on current situation of waste discharging management in China, a three-stage transitional charging scheme is proposed and both advantages and drawbacks discussed. Evidence suggests that a transition from a fixed disposal fee to a plastic bag-based disposal fee involving various stakeholders should be the next objective of waste reduction efforts.

Plastic wastes as modifiers of the thermoplasticity of coal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M.A. Diez; C. Barriocanal; R. Alvarez

2005-12-01

Plastic waste recycling represents a major challenge in environmental protection with different routes now available for dealing with mechanical, chemical, and energy recycling. New concepts in plastic waste recycling have emerged so that now such wastes can be used to replace fossil fuels, either as an energy source or as a secondary raw material. Our objective is to explore the modification of the thermoplastic properties of coal in order to assess the possibility of adding plastic waste to coal for the production of metallurgical coke. Two bituminous coals of different rank and thermoplastic properties were used as a base componentmore » of blends with plastic wastes such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and acrilonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). In all cases, the addition of plastic waste led to a reduction in Gieseler maximum fluidity, the extent of the reduction depending on the fluidity of the base coal, and the amount, the molecular structure, and the thermal behavior of the polymer. As a consequence, the amount of volatile matter released by the plastic waste before, during, and after the maximum fluidity of the coal and the hydrogen-donor and hydrogen-acceptor capacities of the polymer were concluded to be key factors in influencing the extent of the reduction in fluidity and the development of anisotropic carbons. The incorporation of the plastic to the carbon matrix was clearly established in semicokes produced from blends of a high-fluid coal and the plastic tested by SEM examination. 42 refs., 10 figs., 7 tabs.« less

Macroergonomic intervention for work design improvement and raw materials waste reduction in a small footwear components company in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil.

PubMed

Cornelli, Renata; Guimarães, Lia Buarque de Macedo

2012-01-01

This article presents a macroergonomic intervention carried out in a small footwear components company located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The company's demand was related to the waste of the expensive raw-material (thermoplastic polyurethane or TPU) used to manufacture the components (high heels pegs). According to the managerial staff, the waste was workers responsibility due to the craft characteristic of the process. A participative method was used to evaluate the problems, propose and implement solutions, as well as evaluate their impact on the workers and the Company. Improvements in the work conditions resulted in increase of workers' satisfaction with the work and in 31.5% waste reduction.

Talking Trash: Bringing Research into Action while Reducing Household Solid Waste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connell, Elizabeth J.

2012-01-01

This dissertation was an exploration of how changing the waste system is a necessary part of achieving sustainable human systems and how transforming consumer attitudes towards waste is a vital piece of sustainable waste management. This research was also an exploration of the attitudes and beliefs that promote and prohibit waste reduction…

Toxic Overload: The Waste Disposal Dilemma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knox, Robert J.

1991-01-01

The role of the Environmental Protection Agency as ombudsman concerning waste disposal is examined with respect to both the current options of source reduction and recycling as pollution prevention, and alternative approaches that expand upon these current options, particularly with respect to toxic and medical waste. (JJK)

An analysis of the technical status of high level radioactive waste and spent fuel management systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

English, T.; Miller, C.; Bullard, E.; Campbell, R.; Chockie, A.; Divita, E.; Douthitt, C.; Edelson, E.; Lees, L.

1977-01-01

The technical status of the old U.S. mailine program for high level radioactive nuclear waste management, and the newly-developing program for disposal of unreprocessed spent fuel was assessed. The method of long term containment for both of these waste forms is considered to be deep geologic isolation in bedded salt. Each major component of both waste management systems is analyzed in terms of its scientific feasibility, technical achievability and engineering achievability. The resulting matrix leads to a systematic identification of major unresolved technical or scientific questions and/or gaps in these programs.

Bioremediation of waste under ocean acidification: Reviewing the role of Mytilus edulis.

PubMed

Broszeit, Stefanie; Hattam, Caroline; Beaumont, Nicola

2016-02-15

Waste bioremediation is a key regulating ecosystem service, removing wastes from ecosystems through storage, burial and recycling. The bivalve Mytilus edulis is an important contributor to this service, and is used in managing eutrophic waters. Studies show that they are affected by changes in pH due to ocean acidification, reducing their growth. This is forecasted to lead to reductions in M. edulis biomass of up to 50% by 2100. Growth reduction will negatively affect the filtering capacity of each individual, potentially leading to a decrease in bioremediation of waste. This paper critically reviews the current state of knowledge of bioremediation of waste carried out by M. edulis, and the current knowledge of the resultant effect of ocean acidification on this key service. We show that the effects of ocean acidification on waste bioremediation could be a major issue and pave the way for empirical studies of the topic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An advanced pretreatment strategy involving hydrodynamic and acoustic cavitation along with alum coagulation for the mineralization and biodegradability enhancement of tannery waste effluent.

PubMed

Saxena, Shivendu; Rajoriya, Sunil; Saharan, Virendra Kumar; George, Suja

2018-06-01

In the present study, coagulation followed by cavitation was studied as a pretreatment tool for tannery waste effluent (TWE) with the aim of reducing its COD, TOC, TSS etc. and enhancing its biodegradability to make it suitable for anaerobic digestion. Initially, coagulation was applied to TWE using alum as a coagulant. The residual pH of treated effluent was found to be around pH of 4.5 where maximum COD and TSS reduction was achieved. In order to enhance the efficiency of pretreatment process, coagulated tannery waste effluent (CTWE) was further subjected to hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and ultrasonication (US). In case of HC, effect of process parameters such as inlet pressure and dilution on the treatment of CTWE was initially investigated. Lower operating pressure (5 bar) was more favorable for the treatment of CTWE using HC in order to enhance the biodegradability index (BI) from 0.14 to 0.57 in 120 min. The CTWE samples when subjected to 50% dilution, HC pretreatment exhibited higher percentage and quantum reduction in TOC and COD. On the other hand, pretreatment of TWE using coagulation followed by US demonstrated that BI of effluent was enhanced from 0.10 to 0.41 in 150 min. Energy efficiency evaluation for all processes at their optimized conditions was done based on the actual amount of COD reduced per unit energy delivered to the system. Coagulation followed by HC for the pretreatment of TWE was found to be six times more energy efficient as compared to coagulation followed by US. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of zinc recovery by hydrogen reduction assisted pyrolysis of alkaline and zinc-carbon battery waste.

PubMed

Ebin, Burçak; Petranikova, Martina; Steenari, Britt-Marie; Ekberg, Christian

2017-10-01

Zinc (Zn) recovery from alkaline and zinc-carbon (Zn-C) battery waste were studied by a laboratory scale pyrolysis process at a reaction temperature of 950°C for 15-60min residence time using 5%H 2(g) -N 2(g) mixture at 1.0L/min gas flow rate. The effect of different cooling rates on the properties of pyrolysis residue, manganese oxide particles, were also investigated. Morphological and structural characterization of the produced Zn particles were performed. The battery black mass was characterized with respect to the properties and chemical composition of the waste battery particles. The thermodynamics of the pyrolysis process was studied using the HSC Chemistry 5.11 software. A hydrogen reduction reaction of the battery black mass (washed with Milli-Q water) takes place at the chosen temperature and makes it possible to produce fine Zn particles by rapid condensation following the evaporation of Zn from the pyrolysis batch. The amount of Zn that can be separated from the black mass increases by extending the residence time. Recovery of 99.8% of the Zn was achieved at 950°C for 60min residence time using 1.0L/min gas flow rate. The pyrolysis residue contains MnO and Mn 2 O 3 compounds, and the oxidation state of manganese can be controlled by cooling rate and atmosphere. The Zn particles exhibit spherical and hexagonal particle morphology with a particle size varying between 200nm and 3µm. However the particles were formed by aggregation of nanoparticles which are primarily nucleated from the gas phase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Economic Growth Reduce Childhood Undernutrition in Ethiopia?

PubMed

Biadgilign, Sibhatu; Shumetie, Arega; Yesigat, Habtamu

2016-01-01

Policy discussions and debates in the last couple of decades emphasized efficiency of development policies for translating economic growth to development. One of the key aspects in this regard in the developing world is achieving improved nutrition through economic development. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of literature that empirically verifies the association between economic growth and reduction of childhood undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, the aim of the study is to assess the interplay between economic growth and reduction of childhood undernutrition in Ethiopia. The study used pooled data of three rounds (2000, 2005 and 2010) from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of Ethiopia. A multilevel mixed logistic regression model with robust standard errors was utilized in order to account for the hierarchical nature of the data. The dependent variables were stunting, underweight, and wasting in children in the household. The main independent variable was real per capita income (PCI) that was adjusted for purchasing power parity. This information was obtained from World Bank. A total of 32,610 children were included in the pooled analysis. Overall, 11,296 (46.7%) [46.0%-47.3%], 8,197(33.8%) [33.2%-34.4%] and 3,175(13.1%) [12.7%-13.5%] were stunted, underweight, and wasted, respectively. We found a strong correlation between prevalence of early childhood undernutrition outcomes and real per capita income (PCI). The proportions of stunting (r = -0.1207, p<0.0001), wasting (r = -0.0338, p<0.0001) and underweight (r = -0.1035, p<0.0001) from the total children in the household were negatively correlated with the PCI. In the final model adjustment with all the covariates, economic growth substantially reduced stunting [β = -0.0016, SE = 0.00013, p<0.0001], underweight [β = -0.0014, SE = 0.0002, p<0.0001] and wasting [β = -0.0008, SE = 0.0002, p<0.0001] in Ethiopia over a decade. Economic growth reduces child undernutrition in Ethiopia. This verifies the fact that the economic growth of the country accompanied with socio-economic development and improvement of the livelihood of the poor. Direct nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions could also be recommended in order to have an impact on the massive reduction of childhood undernutrition in the country.

Controlled Landfill Project in Yolo County, California for Environmental Benefits of Waste Stabilization and Minimization of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdani, R.; Augenstein, D.; Kieffer, J.; Cohen, K.

2003-12-01

The Department of Public Works of Yolo County, California, USA has been testing an advanced approach to landfill bioreactors, controlled (or "enhanced") landfilling, at its Yolo County Central Landfill site near Davis, CA, since 1994. Overall objectives have been the management of waste landfilling for: (1) rapid completion of total gas generation; (2) maximum, high-efficiency gas capture; (3) waste volume reduction; and (4) maximum greenhouse gas and carbon sequestration benefits. Methane generation is controlled and enhanced through carefully managed moisture additions, and by taking advantage of landfill temperature elevation. The generated landfill methane, an important greenhouse gas, is recovered with high efficiency through extraction from a porous recovery layer beneath a surface geomembrane cover. Instrumentation included a total of 56 moisture and 15 temperature sensors in the two cells, gas flow monitoring by positive displacement gas meters, and accurate quantification of liquid inputs and outputs. Gas composition, waste volume reduction, base hydrostatic head, and a range of environmental compliance parameters has been monitored since 1995. Partitioning gas tracer tests using the injection of two gases at dilute concentrations in the landfill have also been initiated to compute the fraction of pore space occupied by water between the points of tracer injection and tracer measurement. There has been rapid waste volume reduction in the enhanced cell that corresponds to the solids' reduction to gas. Monitoring is planned for the next several years, until stabilization parameters are determined complete. Encouraging performance is indicated by: (1) sensor data; (2) gas generation results; (3) data from landfill cores; and (4) decomposition-related indicators including rapid volume reduction. When data are synthesized, project results have attractive implications for new approaches to landfill management. Over seven-years, methane recoveries have averaged over fivefold the "typical" values for comparable landfill waste. In terms of "greenhouse benefit," fractional VOC and methane energy recovery are estimated to exceed 90%, with corresponding methane and VOC emission reductions. Analyses done for the greenhouse gas mitigation program of the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory indicate favorable economics justified on landfill life extension, as well as environmental benefits. The "controlled landfill" project findings suggest potential for low-cost mitigation of waste greenhouse methane emissions, maximum landfill carbon sequestration, and maximization of beneficial energy capture from landfills. Details and results obtained since 1994 will be presented.

Planet Patrol. An Environmental Unit on Solid Waste Solutions for Grades 4-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Procter and Gamble Educational Services, Cincinnati, OH.

This classroom unit was developed for use in grades 4-6 to help teach the concept of solid waste management. The teacher's guide provides an overview of the issue of solid waste disposal, a description of government, industry, and consumer roles in resolving the solid waste issue, and four lessons involving sanitary landfills, the reduction of…

Monitoring and Testing the Parts Cleaning Stations, Abrasive Blasting Cabinets, and Paint Booths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Tracee M.

2004-01-01

I have the opportunity to work in the Environmental Management Office (EMO) this summer. One of the EMO's tasks is to make sure the Environmental Management System is implemented to the entire Glenn Research Center (GRC). The Environmental Management System (EMS) is a policy or plan that is oriented toward minimizing an organization's impact to the environment. Our EMS includes the reduction of solid waste regeneration and the reduction of hazardous material use, waste, and pollution. With the Waste Management Team's (WMT) help, the EMS can be implemented throughout the NASA Glenn Research Center. The WMT is responsible for the disposal and managing of waste throughout the GRC. They are also responsible for the management of all chemical waste in the facility. My responsibility is to support the waste management team by performing an inventory on parts cleaning stations, abrasive cabinets, and paint booths through out the entire facility. These booths/stations are used throughout the center and they need to be monitored and tested for hazardous waste and material. My job is to visit each of these booths/stations, take samples of the waste, and analyze the samples.

Management of hazardous medical waste in Croatia.

PubMed

Marinković, Natalija; Vitale, Ksenija; Janev Holcer, Natasa; Dzakula, Aleksandar; Pavić, Tomo

2008-01-01

This article provides a review of hazardous medical waste production and its management in Croatia. Even though Croatian regulations define all steps in the waste management chain, implementation of those steps is one of the country's greatest issues. Improper practice is evident from the point of waste production to final disposal. The biggest producers of hazardous medical waste are hospitals that do not implement existing legislation, due to the lack of education and funds. Information on quantities, type and flow of medical waste are inadequate, as is sanitary control. We propose an integrated approach to medical waste management based on a hierarchical structure from the point of generation to its disposal. Priority is given to the reduction of the amounts and potential for harm. Where this is not possible, management includes reduction by sorting and separating, pretreatment on site, safe transportation, final treatment and sanitary disposal. Preferred methods should be the least harmful for human health and the environment. Integrated medical waste management could greatly reduce quantities and consequently financial strains. Landfilling is the predominant route of disposal in Croatia, although the authors believe that incineration is the most appropriate method. In a country such as Croatia, a number of small incinerators would be the most economical solution.

WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER OF SPEED REDUCTION EQUIPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded a pilot project to assist small- and medium-size manufacturers who want to minimize their generation of hazardous waste but lack the expertise to do so. Waste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were established at sel...

POLLUTION BALANCE METHOD AND THE DEMONSTRATION OF ITS APPLICATION TO MINIMIZING WASTE IN A BIOCHEMICAL PROCESS

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, we introduced several modifications to the WAR (waste reduction) algorithm developed earlier. These modifications were made for systematically handling sensitivity analysis and various tasks of waste minimization. A design hierarchy was formulated to promote appro...

Design of an innovative, ecological portable waste compressor for in-house recycling of paper, plastic and metal packaging waste.

PubMed

Xevgenos, D; Athanasopoulos, N; Kostazos, P K; Manolakos, D E; Moustakas, K; Malamis, D; Loizidou, M

2015-05-01

Waste management in Greece relies heavily on unsustainable waste practices (mainly landfills and in certain cases uncontrolled dumping of untreated waste). Even though major improvements have been achieved in the recycling of municipal solid waste during recent years, there are some barriers that hinder the achievement of high recycling rates. Source separation of municipal solid waste has been recognised as a promising solution to produce high-quality recycled materials that can be easily directed to secondary materials markets. This article presents an innovative miniature waste separator/compressor that has been designed and developed for the source separation of municipal solid waste at a household level. The design of the system is in line with the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), since it allows for the separate collection (and compression) of municipal solid waste, namely: plastic (polyethylene terephthalate and high-density polyethylene), paper (cardboard and Tetrapak) and metal (aluminium and tin cans). It has been designed through the use of suitable software tools (LS-DYNA, INVENTROR and COMSOL). The results from the simulations, as well as the whole design process and philosophy, are discussed in this article. © The Author(s) 2015.

Clean Air Act, TRI drive emission reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heller, K.

1994-06-22

When asked to rank priority environmental engineering projects, many chemical firms put emissions reduction first. The chief motivators are the need to comply with rules governing major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAA), along with the need to reduce the volumes of chemicals on EPA`s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Deep-welling of toxics is getting special attention as the practice adds considerably to TRI numbers. {open_quotes}We want to eliminate our air toxics so that we can get entirely out of the [CAA] Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) requirements,{close_quotes} says Thomas Zosel, manager/pollutionmore » prevention programs for 3M (St. Paul, MN). He estimates that 3M`s 1993 total research expenditures for environmental improvements were at least $200 million, out of an annual research budget of a little more than $1 billion. And, he says, the spending level is not expected to drop. Among its many efforts, 3M is striving to move away from solvents in all of its processes. To help reach that goal, the company developed a {open_quotes}waste measurement metric{close_quotes} that calculates the wastes produced by each of the company`s 50 operating divisions. In the case of Magic Tape, the company eliminated solvent emission by switching to a water-based adhesive that does not require a solvent.« less

Reducing mortality risk by targeting specific air pollution sources: Suva, Fiji.

PubMed

Isley, C F; Nelson, P F; Taylor, M P; Stelcer, E; Atanacio, A J; Cohen, D D; Mani, F S; Maata, M

2018-01-15

Health implications of air pollution vary dependent upon pollutant sources. This work determines the value, in terms of reduced mortality, of reducing ambient particulate matter (PM 2.5 : effective aerodynamic diameter 2.5μm or less) concentration due to different emission sources. Suva, a Pacific Island city with substantial input from combustion sources, is used as a case-study. Elemental concentration was determined, by ion beam analysis, for PM 2.5 samples from Suva, spanning one year. Sources of PM 2.5 have been quantified by positive matrix factorisation. A review of recent literature has been carried out to delineate the mortality risk associated with these sources. Risk factors have then been applied for Suva, to calculate the possible mortality reduction that may be achieved through reduction in pollutant levels. Higher risk ratios for black carbon and sulphur resulted in mortality predictions for PM 2.5 from fossil fuel combustion, road vehicle emissions and waste burning that surpass predictions for these sources based on health risk of PM 2.5 mass alone. Predicted mortality for Suva from fossil fuel smoke exceeds the national toll from road accidents in Fiji. The greatest benefit for Suva, in terms of reduced mortality, is likely to be accomplished by reducing emissions from fossil fuel combustion (diesel), vehicles and waste burning. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The degradability of biodegradable plastics in aerobic and anaerobic waste landfill model reactors.

PubMed

Ishigaki, Tomonori; Sugano, Wataru; Nakanishi, Akane; Tateda, Masafumi; Ike, Michihiko; Fujita, Masanori

2004-01-01

Degradabilities of four kinds of commercial biodegradable plastics (BPs), polyhydroxybutyrate and hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) plastic, polycaprolactone plastic (PCL), blend of starch and polyvinyl alcohol (SPVA) plastic and cellulose acetate (CA) plastic were investigated in waste landfill model reactors that were operated as anaerobically and aerobically. The application of forced aeration to the landfill reactor for supplying aerobic condition could potentially stimulate polymer-degrading microorganisms. However, the individual degradation behavior of BPs under the aerobic condition was completely different. PCL, a chemically synthesized BP, showed film breakage under the both conditions, which may have contributed to a reduction in the waste volume regardless of aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Effective degradation of PHBV plastic was observed in the aerobic condition, though insufficient degradation was observed in the anaerobic condition. But the aeration did not contribute much to accelerate the volume reduction of SPVA plastic and CA plastic. It could be said that the recalcitrant portions of the plastics such as polyvinyl alcohol in SPVA plastic and the highly substituted CA in CA plastic prevented the BP from degradation. These results indicated existence of the great variations in the degradability of BPs in aerobic and anaerobic waste landfills, and suggest that suitable technologies for managing the waste landfill must be combined with utilization of BPs in order to enhance the reduction of waste volume in landfill sites.

Increased productivity through waste reduction effort in oil and gas company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayati, J.; Silviana, NA; Matondang, RA

2018-02-01

National companies engaged in oil and gas activities in the upstream sector. In general, the on going operations include drilling, exploration, and production activities with the result being crude oil channelled for shipment. Production activities produce waste gas (flare) of 0.58 MMSCFD derived from 17.05% of natural gas produced. Gas flares are residual gases that have been burning through flare stacks to avoid toxic gases such as H2S and CO that are harmful to human health and the environment. Therefore, appropriate environmental management is needed; one of them is by doing waste reduction business. Through this approach, it is expected that waste reduction efforts can affect the improvement of environmental conditions while increasing the productivity of the company. In this research begins by identifying the existence of problems on the company related to the amount of waste that is excessive and potentially to be reduced. Alternative improvements are then formulated and selected by their feasibility to be implemented through financial analysis, and the estimation of alternative contributions to the level of productivity. The result of this research is an alternative solution to solve the problem of the company by doing technological based engineering by reusing gas flare into fuel for incinerator machine. This alternative contributes to the increased productivity of material use by 23.32%, humans 83.8%, capital 10.13 %, and waste decreased by 0.11%.

Using benchmarking to minimize common DOE waste streams: Volume 5. Office paper waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levin, V.

Finding innovative ways to reduce waste streams generated at US Department of Energy (DOE) sites by 50% by the year 2000 is a challenge for DOE`s waste minimization efforts. A team composed of members from several DOE facilities used the quality tool known as benchmarking to improve waste minimization efforts. First the team examined office waste generation and handling processes at their sites. Then team members developed telephone and written questionnaires to help identify potential ``best-in-class`` industry partners willing to share information about their best waste minimization techniques and technologies. The team identified two benchmarking partners, NIKE, Inc., in Beaverton,more » Oregon, and Microsoft, Inc., in Redmond, Washington. Both companies have proactive, employee-driven environmental issues programs. Both companies report strong employee involvement, management commitment, and readily available markets for recyclable materials such as white paper and nonwhite assorted paper. The availability of markets, the initiative and cooperation of employees, and management support are the main enablers for their programs. At both companies, recycling and waste reduction programs often cut across traditional corporate divisions such as procurement, janitorial services, environmental compliance, grounds maintenance, cafeteria operations, surplus sales, and shipping and receiving. These companies exhibited good cooperation between these functions to design and implement recycling and waste reduction programs.« less

2013 Los Alamos National Laboratory Hazardous Waste Minimization Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salzman, Sonja L.; English, Charles J.

2015-08-24

Waste minimization and pollution prevention are inherent goals within the operating procedures of Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). The US Department of Energy (DOE) and LANS are required to submit an annual hazardous waste minimization report to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) in accordance with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Laboratory) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit. The report was prepared pursuant to the requirements of Section 2.9 of the LANL Hazardous Waste Facility Permit. This report describes the hazardous waste minimization program (a component of the overall Waste Minimization/Pollution Prevention [WMin/PP] Program) administered by the Environmentalmore » Stewardship Group (ENV-ES). This report also supports the waste minimization and pollution prevention goals of the Environmental Programs Directorate (EP) organizations that are responsible for implementing remediation activities and describes its programs to incorporate waste reduction practices into remediation activities and procedures. LANS was very successful in fiscal year (FY) 2013 (October 1-September 30) in WMin/PP efforts. Staff funded four projects specifically related to reduction of waste with hazardous constituents, and LANS won four national awards for pollution prevention efforts from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). In FY13, there was no hazardous, mixedtransuranic (MTRU), or mixed low-level (MLLW) remediation waste generated at the Laboratory. More hazardous waste, MTRU waste, and MLLW was generated in FY13 than in FY12, and the majority of the increase was related to MTRU processing or lab cleanouts. These accomplishments and analysis of the waste streams are discussed in much more detail within this report.« less

Comparisons of four categories of waste recycling in China's paper industry based on physical input-output life-cycle assessment model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liang Sai; Zhang, Tianzhu, E-mail: zhangtz@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; Xu Yijian

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using crop straws and wood wastes for paper production should be promoted. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bagasse and textile waste recycling should be properly limited. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Imports of scrap paper should be encouraged. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sensitivity analysis, uncertainties and policy implications are discussed. - Abstract: Waste recycling for paper production is an important component of waste management. This study constructs a physical input-output life-cycle assessment (PIO-LCA) model. The PIO-LCA model is used to investigate environmental impacts of four categories of waste recycling in China's paper industry: crop straws, bagasse, textile wastes and scrap paper. Crop straw recycling and wood utilization for papermore » production have small total intensity of environmental impacts. Moreover, environmental impacts reduction of crop straw recycling and wood utilization benefits the most from technology development. Thus, using crop straws and wood (including wood wastes) for paper production should be promoted. Technology development has small effects on environmental impacts reduction of bagasse recycling, textile waste recycling and scrap paper recycling. In addition, bagasse recycling and textile waste recycling have big total intensity of environmental impacts. Thus, the development of bagasse recycling and textile waste recycling should be properly limited. Other pathways for reusing bagasse and textile wastes should be explored and evaluated. Moreover, imports of scrap paper should be encouraged to reduce large indirect impacts of scrap paper recycling on domestic environment.« less

Landfill reduction experience in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Scharff, Heijo

2014-11-01

Modern waste legislation aims at resource efficiency and landfill reduction. This paper analyses more than 20 years of landfill reduction in the Netherlands. The combination of landfill regulations, landfill tax and landfill bans resulted in the desired landfill reduction, but also had negative effects. A fierce competition developed over the remaining waste to be landfilled. In 2013 the Dutch landfill industry generated €40 million of annual revenue, had €58 million annual costs and therefore incurred an annual loss of €18 million. It is not an attractive option to prematurely end business. There is a risk that Dutch landfill operators will not be able to fulfil the financial obligations for closure and aftercare. Contrary to the polluter pays principle the burden may end up with society. EU regulations prohibiting export of waste for disposal are in place. Strong differentials in landfill tax rate between nations have nevertheless resulted in transboundary shipment of waste and in non-compliance with the self-sufficiency and proximity principles. During the transformation from a disposal society to a recycling society, it is important to carefully plan required capacity and to guide the reorganisation of the landfill sector. At some point, it is no longer profitable to provide landfill services. It may be necessary for public organisations or the state to take responsibility for the continued operation of a 'safety net' in waste management. Regulations have created a financial incentive to pass on the burden of monitoring and controlling the impact of waste to future generations. To prevent this, it is necessary to revise regulations on aftercare and create incentives to actively stabilise landfills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-anaerobic digestion thermal hydrolysis of sewage sludge and food waste: Effect on methane yields, dewaterability and solids reduction.

PubMed

Svensson, Kine; Kjørlaug, Oda; Higgins, Matthew J; Linjordet, Roar; Horn, Svein J

2018-04-01

Post-anaerobic digestion (PAD) treatment technologies have been suggested for anaerobic digestion (AD) to improve process efficiency and assure hygenization of organic waste. Because AD reduces the amount of organic waste, PAD can be applied to a much smaller volume of waste compared to pre-digestion treatment, thereby improving efficiency. In this study, dewatered digestate cakes from two different AD plants were thermally hydrolyzed and dewatered, and the liquid fraction was recirculated to a semi-continuous AD reactor. The thermal hydrolysis was more efficient in relation to methane yields and extent of dewaterability for the cake from a plant treating waste activated sludge, than the cake from a plant treating source separated food waste (SSFW). Temperatures above 165 °C yielded the best results. Post-treatment improved volumetric methane yields by 7% and the COD-reduction increased from 68% to 74% in a mesophilic (37 °C) semi-continuous system despite lowering the solid retention time (from 17 to 14 days) compared to a conventional system with pre-treatment of feed substrates at 70 °C. Results from thermogravimetric analysis showed an expected increase in maximum TS content of dewatered digestate cake from 34% up to 46% for the SSFW digestate cake, and from 17% up to 43% in the sludge digestate cake, after the PAD thermal hydrolysis process (PAD-THP). The increased dewatering alone accounts for a reduction in wet mass of cake leaving the plant of 60% in the case of sludge digestate cake. Additionaly, the increased VS-reduction will contribute to further reduce the mass of wet cake. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of copper and zinc recovery from MSWI fly ash in Guangzhou based on a hydrometallurgical process.

PubMed

Tang, Jinfeng; Su, Minhua; Zhang, Hongguo; Xiao, Tangfu; Liu, Yu; Liu, Yifan; Wei, Lezhang; Ekberg, Christian; Steenari, Britt-Marie

2018-06-01

Fly ash commonly accumulates a significant amount of heavy metals and most of these heavy metals are toxic and easily leached out to the environment, posing risks to human health. Thus, fly ash has been classified as a type of hazardous waste and requires proper treatment before disposal in specific landfill sites for hazardous waste. In this study, a hydrometallurgical process developed to recover copper and zinc performed in pilot scale close to industrial scale followed by a landfill compliance leaching test of the ash residue is evaluated. LIX860N-I and Cyanex 572 gave high selectively for extractions, a yield efficiency of 95% and 61% was achieved for copper and zinc respectively. Results of pilot experiments reveals that the combining metal recovery/recycling and landfill disposal of the ash residue in a local regular landfill was demonstrated to be a technically and economically effective strategy. Specifically, the economic and environmental aspects of a scenario, in which the fly ash generated in Guangzhou is processed were systematically assessed. the assessment results show that a 7.15 million US$ of total expense reduction, a less energy cost of 19k GJ as well as 2100 tons less CO 2 emissions could be achieved annually comparing to the current alternative, direct disposal of the fly ash as hazardous waste. The results reveal that the hydrometallurgical process has industrial application potential on both economic and environmental aspects and further optimization of the process can give more accurate assessment of the cost and environment effect. In addition, leaching tests and evaluation of solid residue according to the regulations specific to the country should be studied in future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 9747 - Request To Amend A License To Import; Radioactive Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-11

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend A License To Import; Radioactive Waste Pursuant to... Country from application no.; docket no. Diversified Scientific Class A radioactive Up to 378,000 Volume reduction...... Canada Services, Inc.; January 10, mixed waste kilograms. Amend to: (1) add four 2013...

77 FR 25760 - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and Volume Reduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-01

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0183] Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and Volume.... Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is revising its 1981 Policy Statement on Low-Level..., the NRC staff issued SECY-10-0043, ``Blending of Low-Level Radioactive Waste'' (ADAMS Accession No...

Resource Cycles: A Curriculum for Middle and High School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Francisco Recycling Program, CA.

Learning about issues such as natural resources, solid waste management, waste reduction, and the economics of recycling can encourage people to make better choices for the future. This curriculum provides teachers and students with background information and activities relating to four major ecological issues: natural resources, waste management,…

Waking Up to Waste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vrdlovcova, Jill

2005-01-01

All homes and schools produce waste. Children may have been astonished at how much people throw away, and this could be the "wake-up call" that arouses their interest. At Carymoor Environmental Centre (an Eco-Centre in South Somerset) getting children involved in active waste reduction and recycling is a priority. Carymoor tries to model…

Guides to Pollution Prevention: Research and Educational Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH. Office of Research and Development.

This guide provides an overview of waste generating processes and operations that occur in educational or research institutions and presents options for minimizing waste generation through source reduction and recycling. A broad spectrum of waste chemicals in laboratories, art studios, print shops, maintenance, and other operations can be…

Using multivariate regression modeling for sampling and predicting chemical characteristics of mixed waste in old landfills.

PubMed

Brandstätter, Christian; Laner, David; Prantl, Roman; Fellner, Johann

2014-12-01

Municipal solid waste landfills pose a threat on environment and human health, especially old landfills which lack facilities for collection and treatment of landfill gas and leachate. Consequently, missing information about emission flows prevent site-specific environmental risk assessments. To overcome this gap, the combination of waste sampling and analysis with statistical modeling is one option for estimating present and future emission potentials. Optimizing the tradeoff between investigation costs and reliable results requires knowledge about both: the number of samples to be taken and variables to be analyzed. This article aims to identify the optimized number of waste samples and variables in order to predict a larger set of variables. Therefore, we introduce a multivariate linear regression model and tested the applicability by usage of two case studies. Landfill A was used to set up and calibrate the model based on 50 waste samples and twelve variables. The calibrated model was applied to Landfill B including 36 waste samples and twelve variables with four predictor variables. The case study results are twofold: first, the reliable and accurate prediction of the twelve variables can be achieved with the knowledge of four predictor variables (Loi, EC, pH and Cl). For the second Landfill B, only ten full measurements would be needed for a reliable prediction of most response variables. The four predictor variables would exhibit comparably low analytical costs in comparison to the full set of measurements. This cost reduction could be used to increase the number of samples yielding an improved understanding of the spatial waste heterogeneity in landfills. Concluding, the future application of the developed model potentially improves the reliability of predicted emission potentials. The model could become a standard screening tool for old landfills if its applicability and reliability would be tested in additional case studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards low carbon society in Iskandar Malaysia: Implementation and feasibility of community organic waste composting.

PubMed

Bong, Cassendra Phun-Chien; Goh, Rebecca Kar Yee; Lim, Jeng-Shiun; Ho, Wai Shin; Lee, Chew-Tin; Hashim, Haslenda; Abu Mansor, Nur Naha; Ho, Chin Siong; Ramli, Abdul Rahim; Takeshi, Fujiwara

2017-12-01

Rapid population growth and urbanisation have generated large amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) in many cities. Up to 40-60% of Malaysia's MSW is reported to be food waste where such waste is highly putrescible and can cause bad odour and public health issue if its disposal is delayed. In this study, the implementation of community composting in a village within Iskandar Malaysia is presented as a case study to showcase effective MSW management and mitigation of GHG emission. The selected village, Felda Taib Andak (FTA), is located within a palm oil plantation and a crude palm oil processing mill. This project showcases a community-composting prototype to compost food and oil palm wastes into high quality compost. The objective of this article is to highlight the economic and environment impacts of a community-based composting project to the key stakeholders in the community, including residents, oil palm plantation owners and palm oil mill operators by comparing three different scenarios, through a life cycle approach, in terms of the greenhouse gas emission and cost benefit analysis. First scenario is the baseline case, where all the domestic waste is sent to landfill site. In the second scenario, a small-scale centralised composting project was implemented. In the third scenario, the data obtained from Scenario 2 was used to do a projection on the GHG emission and costing analysis for a pilot-scale centralised composting plant. The study showed a reduction potential of 71.64% on GHG emission through the diversion of food waste from landfill, compost utilisation and significant revenue from the compost sale in Scenario 3. This thus provided better insight into the feasibility and desirability in implementing a pilot-scale centralised composting plant for a sub-urban community in Malaysia to achieve a low carbon and self-sustainable society, in terms of environment and economic aspects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of concrete waste basin in Integrated Temporarily Sanitary Landfill (ITSL) in Siosar, Karo Regency, Indonesia on supporting clean environment and sustainable fertilizers for farmers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, N.; Siahaan, J.; Tarigan, A. P.

2018-03-01

A new settlement in Siosar village of Karo Regency has been developed for people whose villages have been completely destroyed by the prolong eruptions of Sinabung. An integrated temporarily sanitary landfill (ITSL) was built there to support the new living environment. The objective of this study is to investigate the organic waste decomposing in order to improve the design of the conventional concrete waste basin installed in the ITSL. The study was last from May until August 2016. The used design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in which organic waste was treated using decomposer with five replications in three composter bins. Decomposting process lasted for three weeks. Research parameters were pH, temperature, waste reduction in weight, C/N, and organic fertilizer production(%). The results of waste compost as follows : pH was 9.45, ultimate temperature was 31.6°C, C/N was in the range of 10.5-12.4, waste reduction was 53% and organic fertilizer production was 47%. Based on the decomposting process and the analysis, it is recommended that the conventional concrete waste basin should be divided into three colums and each column would be filled with waste when previous column is fulled. It is predicted that when the third column is fully occupied then the waste in the first column already become a sustainable fertilizer.

Model selection and averaging in the assessment of the drivers of household food waste to reduce the probability of false positives.

PubMed

Grainger, Matthew James; Aramyan, Lusine; Piras, Simone; Quested, Thomas Edward; Righi, Simone; Setti, Marco; Vittuari, Matteo; Stewart, Gavin Bruce

2018-01-01

Food waste from households contributes the greatest proportion to total food waste in developed countries. Therefore, food waste reduction requires an understanding of the socio-economic (contextual and behavioural) factors that lead to its generation within the household. Addressing such a complex subject calls for sound methodological approaches that until now have been conditioned by the large number of factors involved in waste generation, by the lack of a recognised definition, and by limited available data. This work contributes to food waste generation literature by using one of the largest available datasets that includes data on the objective amount of avoidable household food waste, along with information on a series of socio-economic factors. In order to address one aspect of the complexity of the problem, machine learning algorithms (random forests and boruta) for variable selection integrated with linear modelling, model selection and averaging are implemented. Model selection addresses model structural uncertainty, which is not routinely considered in assessments of food waste in literature. The main drivers of food waste in the home selected in the most parsimonious models include household size, the presence of fussy eaters, employment status, home ownership status, and the local authority. Results, regardless of which variable set the models are run on, point toward large households as being a key target element for food waste reduction interventions.

A preliminary analysis of the reduction of chemotherapy waste in the treatment of cancer with centralization of drug preparation.

PubMed

Hyeda, Adriano; Costa, Elide Sbardellotto Mariano da

2015-08-01

chemotherapy is essential to treat most types of cancer. Often, there is chemotherapy waste in the preparation of drugs prescribed to the patient. Leftover doses result in toxic waste production. the aim of the study was to analyze chemotherapy waste reduction at a centralized drug preparation unit. the study was cross-sectional, observational and descriptive, conducted between 2010 and 2012. The data were obtained from chemotherapy prescriptions made by oncologists linked to a health insurance plan in Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná, in southern Brazil. Dose and the cost of chemotherapy waste were calculated in each application, considering the dose prescribed by the doctor and the drug dosages available for sale. The variables were then calculated considering a hypothetical centralized drug preparation unit. there were 176 patients with a cancer diagnosis, 106 of which underwent treatment with intravenous chemotherapy. There were 1,284 applications for intravenous anticancer medications. There was a total of 63,824mg in chemotherapy waste, the cost of which was BRL 448,397.00. The average cost of chemotherapy waste per patient was BRL 4,607.00. In the centralized model, there was 971.80mg of chemotherapy waste, costing BRL 13,991.64. The average cost of chemotherapy waste per patient was BRL 132.00. the use of centralized drug preparation units may be a strategy to reduce chemotherapy waste.

Model selection and averaging in the assessment of the drivers of household food waste to reduce the probability of false positives

PubMed Central

Aramyan, Lusine; Piras, Simone; Quested, Thomas Edward; Righi, Simone; Setti, Marco; Vittuari, Matteo; Stewart, Gavin Bruce

2018-01-01

Food waste from households contributes the greatest proportion to total food waste in developed countries. Therefore, food waste reduction requires an understanding of the socio-economic (contextual and behavioural) factors that lead to its generation within the household. Addressing such a complex subject calls for sound methodological approaches that until now have been conditioned by the large number of factors involved in waste generation, by the lack of a recognised definition, and by limited available data. This work contributes to food waste generation literature by using one of the largest available datasets that includes data on the objective amount of avoidable household food waste, along with information on a series of socio-economic factors. In order to address one aspect of the complexity of the problem, machine learning algorithms (random forests and boruta) for variable selection integrated with linear modelling, model selection and averaging are implemented. Model selection addresses model structural uncertainty, which is not routinely considered in assessments of food waste in literature. The main drivers of food waste in the home selected in the most parsimonious models include household size, the presence of fussy eaters, employment status, home ownership status, and the local authority. Results, regardless of which variable set the models are run on, point toward large households as being a key target element for food waste reduction interventions. PMID:29389949

Reducing waste and errors: piloting lean principles at Intermountain Healthcare.

PubMed

Jimmerson, Cindy; Weber, Dorothy; Sobek, Durward K

2005-05-01

The Toyota Production System (TPS), based on industrial engineering principles and operational innovations, is used to achieve waste reduction and efficiency while increasing product quality. Several key tools and principles, adapted to health care, have proved effective in improving hospital operations. Value Stream Maps (VSMs), which represent the key people, material, and information flows required to deliver a product or service, distinguish between value-adding and non-value-adding steps. The one-page Problem-Solving A3 Report guides staff through a rigorous and systematic problem-solving process. PILOT PROJECT at INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE: In a pilot project, participants made many improvements, ranging from simple changes implemented immediately (for example, heart monitor paper not available when a patient presented with a dysrythmia) to larger projects involving patient or information flow issues across multiple departments. Most of the improvements required little or no investment and reduced significant amounts of wasted time for front-line workers. In one unit, turnaround time for pathologist reports from an anatomical pathology lab was reduced from five to two days. TPS principles and tools are applicable to an endless variety of processes and work settings in health care and can be used to address critical challenges such as medical errors, escalating costs, and staffing shortages.

Reducing Operating Temperature in Photovoltaic Modules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silverman, Timothy J.; Deceglie, Michael G.; Subedi, Indra

Reducing the operating temperature of photovoltaic modules increases their efficiency and lifetime. This can be achieved by reducing the production of waste heat or by improving the rejection of waste heat. We tested, using a combination of simulation and experiment, several thermal modifications in each category. To predict operating temperature and energy yield changes in response to changes to the module, we implemented a physics-based transient simulation framework based almost entirely on measured properties. The most effective thermal modifications reduced the production of waste heat by reflecting unusable light from the cell or the module. Consistent with previous results andmore » verified in this work through year-long simulations, the ideal reflector resulted in an annual irradiance-weighted temperature reduction of 3.8 K for crystalline silicon (c-Si). Our results illustrate that more realistic reflector concepts must balance detrimental optical effects with the intended thermal effects to realize the optimal energy production advantage. Methods improving thermal conductivity or back-side emissivity showed only modest improvements of less than 1 K. We also studied a GaAs module, which uses high-efficiency and high-subbandgap reflectivity to operate at an annual irradiance-weighted temperature 12 K cooler than that of a c-Si module under the same conditions.« less

Reducing Operating Temperature in Photovoltaic Modules

DOE PAGES

Silverman, Timothy J.; Deceglie, Michael G.; Subedi, Indra; ...

2018-01-09

Reducing the operating temperature of photovoltaic modules increases their efficiency and lifetime. This can be achieved by reducing the production of waste heat or by improving the rejection of waste heat. We tested, using a combination of simulation and experiment, several thermal modifications in each category. To predict operating temperature and energy yield changes in response to changes to the module, we implemented a physics-based transient simulation framework based almost entirely on measured properties. The most effective thermal modifications reduced the production of waste heat by reflecting unusable light from the cell or the module. Consistent with previous results andmore » verified in this work through year-long simulations, the ideal reflector resulted in an annual irradiance-weighted temperature reduction of 3.8 K for crystalline silicon (c-Si). Our results illustrate that more realistic reflector concepts must balance detrimental optical effects with the intended thermal effects to realize the optimal energy production advantage. Methods improving thermal conductivity or back-side emissivity showed only modest improvements of less than 1 K. We also studied a GaAs module, which uses high-efficiency and high-subbandgap reflectivity to operate at an annual irradiance-weighted temperature 12 K cooler than that of a c-Si module under the same conditions.« less

Recycling of hazardous solid waste material using high-temperature solar process heat. 2. Reactor design and experimentation.

PubMed

Schaffner, Beatrice; Meier, Anton; Wuillemin, Daniel; Hoffelner, Wolfgang; Steinfeld, Aldo

2003-01-01

A novel high-temperature solar chemical reactor is proposed for the thermal recycling of hazardous solid waste material using concentrated solar power. It features two cavities in series, with the inner one functioning as the solar absorber and the outer one functioning as the reaction chamber. The solar reactor can handle thermochemical processes at temperatures above 1,300 K involving multiphases and controlled atmospheres. It further allows for batch or continuous mode of operation and for easy adjustment of the residence time of the reactants to match the kinetics of the reaction. A 10-kW solar reactor prototype was designed and tested for the carbothermic reduction of electric arc furnace dusts (EAFD). The reactor was subjected to mean solar flux intensities of 2,000 kW m(-2) and operated in both batch and continuous mode within the temperature range of 1,120-1,400 K. Extraction of over 90% of the toxic compounds originally contained in the EAFD was achieved while the condensable products of the off-gas contained mainly Zn, Pb, and Cl. The use of concentrated solar energy as the source of process heat offers the possibility of converting hazardous solid waste material into valuable commodities for processes in closed and sustainable material cycles.

Start-up of thermophilic-dry anaerobic digestion of OFMSW using adapted modified SEBAC inoculum.

PubMed

Fdéz-Güelfo, L A; Alvarez-Gallego, C; Sales Márquez, D; Romero García, L I

2010-12-01

The work presented here concerns the start-up and stabilization stages of a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) semicontinuously fed for the treatment of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) through anaerobic digestion at thermophilic temperature range (55 degrees C) and dry conditions (30% Total Solids). The procedure reported involves two novel aspects with respect to other start-up and stabilization protocols reported in the literature. The novel aspects concern the adaptation of the inoculum to both the operating conditions (thermophilic and dry) and to the type of waste by employing a modified SEBAC (Sequential Batch Anaerobic Composting) system and, secondly, the direct start-up of the process in a thermophilic temperature regime and feeding of the system from the first day of operation. In this way a significant reduction in the start-up time and stabilization is achieved i.e. 110 days in comparison to 250 days for the processes reported by other authors for the same type of waste and digester. The system presents suitable operational conditions to stabilize the reactor at SRT of 35 days, with a maximum biogas production of 1.944 LR/L.d with a CH(4) and CO(2) percentage of 25.27% and 68.15%, respectively. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A urine-fuelled soil-based bioregenerative life support system for long-term and long-distance manned space missions.

PubMed

Maggi, Federico; Tang, Fiona H M; Pallud, Céline; Gu, Chuanhui

2018-05-01

A soil-based cropping unit fuelled with human urine for long-term manned space missions was investigated with the aim to analyze whether a closed-loop nutrient cycle from human liquid wastes was achievable. Its ecohydrology and biogeochemistry were analysed in microgravity with the use of an advanced computational tool. Urine from the crew was used to supply primary (N, P, and K) and secondary (S, Ca and Mg) nutrients to wheat and soybean plants in the controlled cropping unit. Breakdown of urine compounds into primary and secondary nutrients as well as byproduct gases, adsorbed, and uptake fractions were tracked over a period of 20 years. Results suggested that human urine could satisfy the demand of at least 3 to 4 out of 6 nutrients with an offset in pH and salinity tolerable by plants. It was therefore inferred that a urine-fuelled life support system can introduce a number of advantages including: (1) recycling of liquids wastes and production of food; (2) forgiveness of neglect as compared to engineered electro-mechanical systems that may fail under unexpected or unplanned conditions; and (3) reduction of supply and waste loads during space missions. Copyright © 2018 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effective pine bark composting with the Dome Aeration Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trois, Cristina; Polster, Andreas

2007-07-01

In South Africa garden refuse is primarily disposed of in domestic landfills. Due to the large quantities generated, any form of treatment would be beneficial for volume reduction, waste stabilization and resource recovery. Dome Aeration Technology (DAT) is an advanced process for aerobic biological degradation of garden refuse and general waste [Paar, S., Brummack, J., Gemende, B., 1999a. Advantages of dome aeration in mechanical-biological waste treatment. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, Cagliari, 4-8 October 1999; Paar, S., Brummack, J., Gemende, B., 1999b. Mechanical-biological waste stabilization by the dome aeration method. Environment Protection Engineering 25more » (3/99). Mollekopf, N., Brummack, J., Paar, S., Vorster, K., 2002. Use of the Dome Aeration Technology for biochemical stabilization of waste prior to landfilling. In: Proceedings of the Wastecon 2002, Waste Congress and Exhibition, Durban, South Africa.]. It is a non-reactor open windrow composting process, with the main advantage being that the input material needs no periodic turning. A rotting time of only 3-4 months indicates the high efficiency. Additionally, the low capital/operational costs, low energy inputs and limited plant requirements provide potential for use in aerobic refuse stabilization. The innovation in the DAT process is the passive aeration achieved by thermally driven advection through open windrows caused by temperature differences between the degrading material and the outside environment. This paper investigates the application of Dome Aeration Technology to pine bark composting as part of an integrated waste management strategy. A full-scale field experiment was performed at the Bisasar Road Landfill Site in Durban to assess the influence of climate, waste composition and operational conditions on the process. A test windrow was constructed and measurements of temperature and airflow through the material were taken. The process monitoring revealed that prevailing climatic conditions in a subtropical location do not affect the high efficiency of this technology. However, the composition of the input material can be detrimental for production of high quality compost because of a lack of nitrate.« less

40 CFR 266.104 - Standards to control organic emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... DRE trial burn. (5) Low risk waste. Owners and operators of boilers or industrial furnaces that burn... HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Hazardous Waste Burned in Boilers and Industrial Furnaces § 266.104...) of this section, a boiler or industrial furnace burning hazardous waste must achieve a destruction...

40 CFR 266.104 - Standards to control organic emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... DRE trial burn. (5) Low risk waste. Owners and operators of boilers or industrial furnaces that burn... HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Hazardous Waste Burned in Boilers and Industrial Furnaces § 266.104...) of this section, a boiler or industrial furnace burning hazardous waste must achieve a destruction...

Nuclear waste solidification

DOEpatents

Bjorklund, William J.

1977-01-01

High level liquid waste solidification is achieved on a continuous basis by atomizing the liquid waste and introducing the atomized liquid waste into a reaction chamber including a fluidized, heated inert bed to effect calcination of the atomized waste and removal of the calcined waste by overflow removal and by attrition and elutriation from the reaction chamber, and feeding additional inert bed particles to the fluidized bed to maintain the inert bed composition.

Reclamation of river dredged sediments polluted by PAHs by co-composting with green waste.

PubMed

Mattei, P; Cincinelli, A; Martellini, T; Natalini, R; Pascale, E; Renella, G

2016-10-01

Polluted dredged sediments are classified as waste and cannot be re-used in civil and environmental engineering nor in agriculture, posing serious logistical, economic and environmental problems for their management. We tested co-composting of sediments (S) slightly polluted by PAHs with urban green waste (GW), as a sustainable technique to both degrade the organic pollutants and lend to sediments suitable properties to be reused as technosol. Four treatments were tested: sediments only (S), GW only (GW), 1:1 w:w S:GW (SGW1:1), and 3:1 w:w S:GW (SGW3:1) for a co-composting period of one year. The co-composting materials underwent to an initial short and moderate thermophilic phase. However, at the end of the co-composting process, SGW3:1 and SGW1:1 achieved suitable physical and chemical properties as plant substrate in terms of organic C, N and humic substances contents, electrical conductivity and bulk density. In the first six months of treatment, the PAHs concentration in SGW3:1 and SGW1:1 was reduced by 26% and 57%, respectively, reaching values below under 1mgg(-1), whereas such a reduction in S alone was observed only after nine months. We concluded that co-composting with green waste can be a suitable approach for reclamation of dredged sediments opening opportunities for their use as technosol or as plant growing substrate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of compostable bags and aerated bins with conventional storage systems to collect the organic fraction of municipal solid waste from homes. a Catalonia case study.

PubMed

Puyuelo, Belén; Colón, Joan; Martín, Patrícia; Sánchez, Antoni

2013-06-01

The separation of biowaste at home is key to improving, facilitating and reducing the operational costs of the treatment of organic municipal waste. The conventional method of collecting such waste and separating it at home is usually done by using a sealed bin with a plastic bag. The use of modern compostable bags is starting to be implemented in some European countries. These compostable bags are made of biodegradable polymers, often from renewable sources. In addition to compostable bags, a new model of bin is also promoted that has a perforated surface that, together with the compostable bag, makes the so-called "aerated system". In this study, different combinations of home collection systems have been systematically studied in the laboratory and at home. The results obtained quantitatively demonstrate that the aerated bin and compostable bag system combination is effective at improving the collection of biowaste without significant gaseous emissions and preparing the organic waste for further composting as concluded from the respiration indices. In terms of weight loss, temperature, gas emissions, respiration index and organic matter reduction, the best results were achieved with the aerated system. At the same time, a qualitative study of bin and bag combinations was carried in 100 homes in which more than 80% of the families participating preferred the aerated system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of moisture content and initial pH in composting process on heavy metal removal characteristics of grass clipping compost used for stormwater filtration.

PubMed

Khan, Eakalak; Khaodhir, Sutha; Ruangrote, Darin

2009-10-01

Heavy metals are common contaminants in stormwater runoff. One of the devices that can be used to effectively and economically remove heavy metals from runoff is a yard waste compost stormwater filter. The primary goal of composting is to reduce waste volume rather than to produce stormwater filter media. Moisture content (MC) and initial pH, the two important parameters in composting, were studied for their effects on yard waste volume reduction and heavy metal adsorption performances of the compost. The main objective of this investigation was to examine whether the conditions that provided high yard waste volume reduction would also result in compost with good heavy metal removal performances. Manila grass was composted at different initial pHs (5-9) and MCs (30-70%) and the composts were used to adsorb cadmium, copper, lead and zinc from water. Results indicated that MC is more critical than initial pH for both volume reduction and production of compost with high metal adsorption performances. The most optimal conditions for the two attributes were not exactly the same but lower MCs of 30-40% and pH 7 or higher tended to satisfy both high volume reduction and effective metal adsorption.

A mechanism of basal spacing reduction in sodium smectitic clay materials in contact with DNAPL wastes.

PubMed

Ayral-Cinar, Derya; Otero-Diaz, Margarita; Demond, Avery H

2016-09-01

There has been concern regarding the possible attack of clays in aquitards, slurry walls and landfill liners by dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) wastes, resulting in cracking. Despite the fact that a reduction in basal spacing in sodium smectitic clay materials has been linked to cracking, no plausible mechanism by which this reduction occurs in contact with waste DNAPLs has been formulated. To elucidate a mechanism, screening studies were conducted that showed that the combination of an anionic surfactant (AOT), a nonionic surfactant (TritonX-100) and a chlorinated solvent, tetrachloroethylene (PCE), could replicate the basal spacing reduction and cracking behavior of water-saturated bentonite caused by two waste DNAPLs obtained from the field. FTIR measurements of this system showed a displacement of the HOH bending band of water symptomatic of desiccation. Sorption measurements showed that the uptake of AOT by bentonite increased eight fold in the presence of TritonX-100 and PCE. The evidence presented here supports a mechanism of syneresis, involving the extraction of water from the interlayer space of the clay through the synergistic sorption of a nonionic and anionic surfactant mixture. It is speculated that the solvation of water in reverse micellar aggregates is the process driving the syneresis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Greenhouse gas emissions of different waste treatment options for sector-specific commercial and industrial waste in Germany.

PubMed

Helftewes, Markus; Flamme, Sabine; Nelles, Michael

2012-04-01

This article investigates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from commercial and industrial (C&I) waste treatment considering five sector-specific waste compositions and four different treatment scenarios in Germany. Results show that the highest share of CO₂-equivalent emissions can be avoided in each of the analysed industrial sectors if solid recovered fuel (SRF) is produced for co-incineration in cement kilns. Across all industries, emissions of approximately 680 kg CO₂-eq. Mg⁻¹ C&I waste can be avoided on average under this scenario. The combustion of C&I waste in waste incineration plants without any previous mechanical treatment generates the lowest potential to avoid GHG emissions with a value of approximately 50 kg CO₂-eq. Mg⁻¹ C&I waste on average in all industries. If recyclables are sorted, this can save emissions of approximately 280 kg CO₂-eq. Mg⁻¹ C&I waste while the treatment in SRF power plants amounts to savings of approximately 210 kg CO₂-eq. Mg⁻¹ C&I waste. A comparison of the treatment scenarios of the waste from these five sectors shows that waste treatment of the craft sector leads to the lowest CO₂-equivalent reduction rates of all scenarios. In contrast, the treatment of waste from catering sector leads to the highest CO₂-equivalent reduction rates except for direct incineration in waste incineration plants. The sensitivity analysis of the different scenarios for this paper shows that the efficiency and the substitution factor of energy have a relevant influence on the result. Changes in the substitution factor of 10% can result in changes in emissions of approximately 55 to 75 kg CO₂-eq. Mg⁻¹ in waste incineration plants and approximately 90 kg CO₂-eq. Mg⁻¹ in the case of cement kilns.

2016 Los Alamos National Laboratory Hazardous Waste Minimization Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salzman, Sonja L.; English, Charles Joe

Waste minimization and pollution prevention are goals within the operating procedures of Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). The US Department of Energy (DOE), inclusive of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Office of Environmental Management, and LANS are required to submit an annual hazardous waste minimization report to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) in accordance with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Laboratory) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit. The report was prepared pursuant to the requirements of Section 2.9 of the LANL Hazardous Waste Facility Permit. This report describes the hazardous waste minimization program, whichmore » is a component of the overall Pollution Prevention (P2) Program, administered by the Environmental Stewardship Group (EPC-ES). This report also supports the waste minimization and P2 goals of the Associate Directorate of Environmental Management (ADEM) organizations that are responsible for implementing remediation activities and describes its programs to incorporate waste reduction practices into remediation activities and procedures. This report includes data for all waste shipped offsite from LANL during fiscal year (FY) 2016 (October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2016). LANS was active during FY2016 in waste minimization and P2 efforts. Multiple projects were funded that specifically related to reduction of hazardous waste. In FY2016, there was no hazardous, mixed-transuranic (MTRU), or mixed low-level (MLLW) remediation waste shipped offsite from the Laboratory. More non-remediation hazardous waste and MLLW was shipped offsite from the Laboratory in FY2016 compared to FY2015. Non-remediation MTRU waste was not shipped offsite during FY2016. These accomplishments and analysis of the waste streams are discussed in much more detail within this report.« less

Determining the Release of Radionuclides from Tank 18F Waste Residual Solids: FY2016 Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, William D.; Hobbs, David T.

Pore water leaching studies were conducted on actual Savannah River Site (SRS) Tank 18F residual waste solids to support Liquid Waste tank closure efforts. A test methodology was developed during previous simulant testing to produce slurries of tank residual solids and grout-representative solids in grout pore water solutions (based on SRS groundwater compositions) with pH and E h values expected during the aging of the closed waste tank. The target conditions are provided below where the initial pore water has a reducing potential and a relatively high pH (Reducing Region II). The pore water is expected to become increasingly oxidizingmore » with time (Oxidizing Region II) and during the latter stages of aging (Oxidizing Region III) the pH is expected to decrease. For the reducing case, tests were conducted with both unwashed and washed Tank 18F residual solids. For the oxidizing cases (Oxidizing Regions II and III), all samples were washed with simulated grout pore water solutions prior to testing, since it is expected that these conditions will occur after considerable pore water solution has passed through the system. For the reducing case, separate tests were conducted with representative ground grout solids and with calcium carbonate reagent, which is the grout phase believed to be controlling the pH. Ferrous sulfide (FeS) solids were also added to the reducing samples to lower the slurry E h value. Calcium carbonate solids were used as the grout-representative solid phase for each of the oxidizing cases. Air purge-gas with and without CO 2 removed was transferred through the oxidizing test samples and nitrogen purge-gas was transferred through the reducing test samples during leach testing. The target pH values were achieved to within 0.5 pH units for all samples. Leaching studies were conducted over an E h range of approximately 0.7 V. However, the highest and lowest E h values achieved of ~+0.5 V and ~-0.2 V were significantly less positive and less negative, respectively, than the target values. Achievement of more positive and more negative E h values is believed to require the addition of non-representative oxidants and reductants, respectively.« less

Applications of polymeric smart materials to environmental problems.

PubMed Central

Gray, H N; Bergbreiter, D E

1997-01-01

New methods for the reduction and remediation of hazardous wastes like carcinogenic organic solvents, toxic materials, and nuclear contamination are vital to environmental health. Procedures for effective waste reduction, detection, and removal are important components of any such methods. Toward this end, polymeric smart materials are finding useful applications. Polymer-bound smart catalysts are useful in waste minimization, catalyst recovery, and catalyst reuse. Polymeric smart coatings have been developed that are capable of both detecting and removing hazardous nuclear contaminants. Such applications of smart materials involving catalysis chemistry, sensor chemistry, and chemistry relevant to decontamination methodology are especially applicable to environmental problems. PMID:9114277

Limits to the use of highly compacted bentonite as a deterrent for microbiologically influenced corrosion in a nuclear fuel waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroes-Gascoyne, Simcha; Hamon, Connie J.; Maak, Peter

Recent studies have suggested that microbial activity in highly compacted bentonite (⩾1600 kg/m 3) is severely suppressed. Therefore, it appears that the dry density of emplaced bentonite barriers in a geological repository for nuclear waste may be tailored such that a microbiologically unfavorable environment can be created adjacent to used fuel containers. This would ensure that microbiologically influenced corrosion is a negligible contributor to the overall corrosion process. However, this premise is valid only as long as the emplaced bentonite maintains a uniform high dry density (⩾1600 kg/m 3) because it has been shown that high dry density only suppresses microbial activity but not necessarily eliminates the viable microbial population in bentonite. In a repository, a reduction in the dry density of highly compacted bentonite may occur at a number of interface locations, such as placement gaps, contact regions with materials of different densities and contact points with water-carrying fractures in the rock. Experiments were carried out in our laboratory to examine the effects of a reduction in dry density (from 1600 kg/m 3 to about 1000 kg/m 3) on the recovery of microbial culturability in compacted bentonite. Results showed that upon expansion of compacted bentonite into a void, the resulting reduction in dry density stimulated or restored culturability of indigenous microbes. In a repository this would increase the possibility of in situ activity, which might be detrimental for the longevity of waste containers. Reductions in dry density, therefore, should be minimized or eliminated by adequate design and placement methods of compacted bentonite. Materials compliance models can be used to determine the required as-placed dry densities of bentonite buffer and gap fillings to achieve specific targets for long-term equilibrium dry densities for various container placement room designs. Locations where flowing fractures could be in contact with highly compacted bentonite should either be avoided or grouted adequately to limit contact between bentonite and flowing water. Even if localized enhanced microbial activity at interfaces remains of concern, despite adequate engineering and placement methods, the potential consequences can be assessed and quantified adequately by a combination of in situ activity measurements and modeling calculations.

Phosphate reduction in a hydroxyapatite fluoride removal system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egner, A.

2012-12-01

Fluorosis is a widespread disease that occurs as a result of excess fluoride consumption and can cause severe tooth and bone deformations. To combat fluorosis, several previous studies have examined the potential to replace traditional bone char filters with synthetic hydroxyapatite. Calcite particles with a synthetic hydroxyapatite coating have been shown to effectively removed fluoride, yet the low-cost method for forming these particles leaves high amounts of phosphate both in synthesis waste-water and in filter effluent. High phosphate in filter effluent is problematic because consumption of extremely high phosphate can leach calcium from bones, further exacerbating the fluoride effect. This study examines ways of reducing and reusing waste. In particular, a method of fluoride removal is explored in which fluorapatite coatings may be formed directly. In preliminary studies, batches of 4.1g of Florida limestone (<710 μm) were equilibrated with 100 mL of 10ppm fluoride. In a control batch containing lime but no added phosphate, 14% treatment was achieved, but with added phosphate, 100% treatment was achieved in all batches. Batches with lower levels of phosphate took longer to reach 100% treatment, ranging from less than 24 hours in the highest phosphate batches to approximately 42 hours in the lowest batches. The lower levels tested were well within reasonable levels for drinking water and reached 0ppm fluoride in 42 hours or less.

Nuclear waste solutions

DOEpatents

Walker, Darrel D.; Ebra, Martha A.

1987-01-01

High efficiency removal of technetium values from a nuclear waste stream is achieved by addition to the waste stream of a precipitant contributing tetraphenylphosphonium cation, such that a substantial portion of the technetium values are precipitated as an insoluble pertechnetate salt.

Genotoxicity reduction in bagasse waste of sugar industry by earthworm technology.

PubMed

Bhat, Sartaj Ahmad; Singh, Jaswinder; Vig, Adarsh Pal

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the genotoxicity reduction in post vermicompost feed mixtures of bagasse (B) waste using earthworm Eisenia fetida. The genotoxicity of bagasse waste was determined by using Allium cepa root chromosomal aberration assay. Bagasse was amended with cattle dung in different proportions [0:100 (B0) 25:75 (B25), 50:50 (B50), 75:25 (B75) and 100:0 (B100)] on dry weight basis. Genotoxic effects of initial and post vermicompost bagasse extracts were analysed on the root tips cells of Allium cepa. Root length and mitotic index (MI) was found to be increased in post vermicompost extracts when compared to initial bagasse waste. The maximum percent increase of root length was observed in the B50 bagasse extract (96.60 %) and the maximum MI was observed in B100 mixture (14.20 ± 0.60) 6 h treatment which was similar to the control. Genotoxicity analysis of post vermicompost extracts of bagasse revealed a 21-44 % decline in the aberration frequencies and the maximum reduction was found in B75 extract (44.50 %). The increase in root length and mitotic index, as well as decrease in chromosomal aberrations indicates that E. fetida has the ability to reduce the genotoxicity of the bagasse waste.

Reprocessing and reuse of waste tire rubber to solve air-quality related problems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lehmann, C.M.B.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Rood, M.J.; Sun, Jielun

1998-01-01

There is a potential for using waste tire rubber to make activated-carbon adsorbents for air-quality control applications. Such an approach provides a recycling path for waste tires and the production of new adsorbents from a low-cost waste material. Tire-derived activated carbons (TDACs) were prepared from waste tires. The resulting products are generally mesoporous, with N2-BET specific surface areas ranging from 239 to 1031 m2/g. TDACs were tested for their ability to store natural gas and remove organic compounds and mercury species from gas streams. TDACs are able to achieve 36% of the recommended adsorbed natural gas (methane) storage capacity for natural-gas-fueled vehicles. Equilibrium adsorption capacities for CH4 achieved by TDACs are comparable to Calgon BPL, a commercially available activated-carbon adsorbent. The acetone adsorption capacity for a TDAC is 67% of the adsorption capacity achieved by BPL at 1 vol % acetone. Adsorption capacities of mercury in simulated flue-gas streams are, in general, larger than adsorption capacities achieved by coal-derived activated carbons (CDACs) and BPL. Although TDACs may not perform as well as commercial adsorbents in some air pollution control applications, the potential lower cost of TDACS should be considered when evaluating economics.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eun, H.C.; Cho, Y.Z.; Choi, J.H.

A regeneration process of LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt generated from the pyrochemical process of spent nuclear fuel has been studied. This regeneration process is composed of a chemical conversion process and a vacuum distillation process. Through the regeneration process, a high efficiency of renewable salt recovery can be obtained from the waste salt and rare earth nuclides in the waste salt can be separated as oxide or phosphate forms. Thus, the regeneration process can contribute greatly to a reduction of the waste volume and a creation of durable final waste forms. (authors)

40 CFR 60.2630 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What should I include in my waste management plan? 60.2630 Section 60.2630 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... consideration of the reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass...

40 CFR 60.2065 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What should I include in my waste management plan? 60.2065 Section 60.2065 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, batteries, or...

40 CFR 60.2901 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What should I include in my waste management plan? 60.2901 Section 60.2901 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... consideration of the reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass...

40 CFR 60.2065 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What should I include in my waste management plan? 60.2065 Section 60.2065 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, batteries, or...

40 CFR 60.2901 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What should I include in my waste management plan? 60.2901 Section 60.2901 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... consideration of the reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass...

40 CFR 436.42 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... operation using HF flotation, discharges of process waste water pollutants from facilities that recycle waste water, for use in the processing shall not exceed the following limitations: Effluent... paragraphs (a) (1) and (3) of this section, there shall be no discharge of process generated waste water...

40 CFR 436.42 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... operation using HF flotation, discharges of process waste water pollutants from facilities that recycle waste water, for use in the processing shall not exceed the following limitations: Effluent... paragraphs (a) (1) and (3) of this section, there shall be no discharge of process generated waste water...

Less is Better. Laboratory Chemical Management for Waste Reduction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.

An objective of the American Chemical Society is to promote alternatives to landfilling for the disposal of laboratory chemical wastes. One method is to reduce the amount of chemicals that become wastes. This is the basis for the "less is better" philosophy. This bulletin discusses various techniques involved in purchasing control,…

Plasma filtering techniques for nuclear waste remediation

DOE PAGES

Gueroult, Renaud; Hobbs, David T.; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2015-04-24

Nuclear waste cleanup is challenged by the handling of feed stocks that are both unknown and complex. Plasma filtering, operating on dissociated elements, offers advantages over chemical methods in processing such wastes. The costs incurred by plasma mass filtering for nuclear waste pretreatment, before ultimate disposal, are similar to those for chemical pretreatment. However, significant savings might be achieved in minimizing the waste mass. As a result, this advantage may be realized over a large range of chemical waste compositions, thereby addressing the heterogeneity of legacy nuclear waste.

Waste diminution in Construction projects: Environmental Predicaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharehbaghi, Koorosh; Scott-Young, Christina

2018-03-01

Waste diminution in construction projects is not only a behavioural issue, but also an energy consumption and reduction concern. With construction waste equating to the significant amount of exhausted energy together with increased pollution, this contributes to a series of environmental predicaments. The overall goal of construction solid Waste Management is to collect, treat and dispose of solid wastes generated by project activities in an environmentally and socially satisfactory manner, using the most economical means available. As cities expand, their construction activities and consumption patterns further drive up the solid waste quantities. Governments are usually authorized to have responsibility for providing solid Waste Management services, and various administrative laws give them exclusive ownership over the waste produced. In addition, construction waste processing can be further controlled and minimized according to specialized authorities such as Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) and their relevant acts and regulations. Moreover, a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) can further control the treatment of waste and therefore, reduce the amount produced. Key elements of a CEMP not only include complying with relevant legislation, standards and guidance from the EPA; however, also to ensuring that there are systems in place to resolve any potential problems associated with site activities. Accordingly, as a part of energy consumption and lessening strategies, this paper will discuss various effective waste reduction methods for construction projects. Finally, this paper will also examine tactics to further improve energy efficiency through innovative construction Waste Management strategies (including desirability rating of most favourable options) to promote the lessening of overall CO2production.

Nanotechnology for the Solid Waste Reduction of Military Food Packaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

WP-200816) Nanotechnology for the Solid Waste Reduction of Military Food Packaging June 2016 This document has been cleared for public release...NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (Include area code) 01/06/2016 Cost and Performance Report 04/01/2008 - 01/01/2015 Nanotechnology for... nanotechnology packaging. The PIs have been dedicated to these efforts, and it is anticipated that this technology will be used someday by the Warfighter

Leachate pre-treatment strategies before recirculation in landfill bioreactors.

PubMed

Vigneron, V; Bouchez, T; Bureau, C; Mailly, N; Mazeas, L; Duquennoi, C; Audic, J M; Hébé, L; Bernet, N

2005-01-01

Nitrified leachate recirculation represents a promising strategy for a more sustainable landfill management. Our objective was to determine the reactions involved in nitrate reduction in municipal solid waste batch biodegradation tests. Anaerobic digestion of waste in the three control reactors showed a good reproducibility. In two test reactors, nitrate was added at various moments of the waste degradation process. We observed that: (1) H2S concentration controlled the nitrate reduction pathway: above a certain threshold of H2S, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) replaced denitrification. (2) N2O/N2 ratio varied with the organic carbon concentration: the lower the easily biodegradable carbon concentration, the higher the N2O/N2 ratio. (3) N2 was consumed after denitrification. The possibility of a nitrogen fixation reaction in the presence of NH4 is discussed. Nitrified leachate recirculation during acidogenesis should be avoided because of higher H2S production which could induce DNRA.

The Exploration Water Recovery System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

ORourke, Mary Jane E.; Carter, Layne; Holder, Donald W.; Tomes, Kristin M.

2006-01-01

The Exploration Water Recovery System is designed towards fulfillment of NASA s Vision for Space Exploration, which will require elevation of existing technologies to higher levels of optimization. This new system, designed for application to the Exploration infrastructure, presents a novel combination of proven air and water purification technologies. The integration of unit operations is modified from that of the current state-of-the-art water recovery system so as to optimize treatment of the various waste water streams, contaminant loads, and flow rates. Optimization is achieved primarily through the removal of volatile organic contaminants from the vapor phase prior to their absorption into the liquid phase. In the current state-of-the-art system, the water vapor in the cabin atmosphere is condensed, and the volatile organic contaminants present in that atmosphere are absorbed into the aqueous phase. Removal of contaminants the5 occurs via catalytic oxidation in the liquid phase. Oxidation kinetics, however, dictate that removal of volatile organic contaminants from the vapor phase can inherently be more efficient than their removal from the aqueous phase. Taking advantage of this efficiency reduces the complexity of the water recovery system. This reduction in system complexity is accompanied by reductions in the weight, volume, power, and resupply requirements of the system. Vapor compression distillation technology is used to treat the urine, condensate, and hygiene waste streams. This contributes to the reduction in resupply, as incorporation of vapor compression distillation technology at this point in the process reduces reliance on the expendable ion exchange and adsorption media used in the current state-of-the-art water recovery system. Other proven technologies that are incorporated into the Exploration Water Recovery System include the Trace Contaminant Control System and the Volatile Removal Assembly.

Self-Tuning n-Type Bi2(Te,Se)3/SiC Thermoelectric Nanocomposites to Realize High Performances up to 300 °C.

PubMed

Pan, Yu; Aydemir, Umut; Sun, Fu-Hua; Wu, Chao-Feng; Chasapis, Thomas C; Snyder, G Jeffrey; Li, Jing-Feng

2017-11-01

Bi 2 Te 3 thermoelectric materials are utilized for refrigeration for decades, while their application of energy harvesting requires stable thermoelectric and mechanical performances at elevated temperatures. This work reveals that a steady zT of ≈0.85 at 200 to 300 °C can be achieved by doping small amounts of copper iodide (CuI) in Bi 2 Te 2.2 Se 0.8 -silicon carbide (SiC) composites, where SiC nanodispersion enhances the flexural strength. It is found that CuI plays two important roles with atomic Cu/I dopants and CuI precipitates. The Cu/I dopants show a self-tuning behavior due to increasing solubility with increasing temperatures. The increased doping concentration increases electrical conductivity at high temperatures and effectively suppresses the intrinsic excitation. In addition, a large reduction of lattice thermal conductivity is achieved due to the "in situ" CuI nanoprecipitates acting as phonon-scattering centers. Over 60% reduction of bipolar thermal conductivity is achieved, raising the maximum useful temperature of Bi 2 Te 3 for substantially higher efficiency. For module applications, the reported materials are suitable for segmentation with a conventional ingot. This leads to high device ZT values of ≈0.9-1.0 and high efficiency up to 9.2% from 300 to 573 K, which can be of great significance for power generation from waste heat.

Solid Waste Treatment Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershaft, Alex

1972-01-01

Advances in research and commercial solid waste handling are offering many more processing choices. This survey discusses techniques of storage and removal, fragmentation and sorting, bulk reduction, conversion, reclamation, mining and mineral processing, and disposal. (BL)

A study of the impact of moist-heat and dry-heat treatment processes on hazardous trace elements migration in food waste.

PubMed

Chen, Ting; Jin, Yiying; Qiu, Xiaopeng; Chen, Xin

2015-03-01

Using laboratory experiments, the authors investigated the impact of dry-heat and moist-heat treatment processes on hazardous trace elements (As, Hg, Cd, Cr, and Pb) in food waste and explored their distribution patterns for three waste components: oil, aqueous, and solid components. The results indicated that an insignificant reduction of hazardous trace elements in heat-treated waste-0.61-14.29% after moist-heat treatment and 4.53-12.25% after dry-heat treatment-and a significant reduction in hazardous trace elements (except for Hg without external addition) after centrifugal dehydration (P < 0.5). Moreover, after heat treatment, over 90% of the hazardous trace elements in the waste were detected in the aqueous and solid components, whereas only a trace amount of hazardous trace elements was detected in the oil component (<0.01%). In addition, results indicated that heat treatment process did not significantly reduce the concentration of hazardous trace elements in food waste, but the separation process for solid and aqueous components, such as centrifugal dehydration, could reduce the risk considerably. Finally, combined with the separation technology for solid and liquid components, dry-heat treatment is superior to moist-heat treatment on the removal of external water-soluble ionic hazardous trace elements. An insignificant reduction of hazardous trace elements in heat-treated waste showed that heat treatment does not reduce trace elements contamination in food waste considerably, whereas the separation process for solid and aqueous components, such as centrifugal dehydration, could reduce the risk significantly. Moreover, combined with the separation technology for solid and liquid components, dry-heat treatment is superior to moist-heat treatment for the removal of external water-soluble ionic hazardous trace elements, by exploring distribution patterns of trace elements in three waste components: oil, aqueous, and solid components.

Improve protective clothing and reduce radwaste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnstone, G.A.; Fryer, J.; Smith, J.M.

1995-12-31

Nuclear power plants have been reducing radioactive waste production through aggressive volume reduction and control at the point of generation. Waste reduction efforts may, however, have reached a plateau. Certain items, such as protective clothing, are a necessary part of plant operations and cannot be eliminated. There are more than 800,000 sets of protective clothing currently in use at U.S. nuclear plants. Since up to 25% of these garments are removed from service each year, spent protective wear accounts for {approximately}100,000 ft{sup 3} of prevolume reduced waste annually. Furthermore, up to 10% of dry active waste produced at commercial powermore » reactor sites is comprised of exhausted protective clothing and related goods. This report describes the design of protective clothing which lasts longer and is lighter than traditional fabrics.« less

Estimating the potential for industrial waste heat reutilization in urban district energy systems: method development and implementation in two Chinese provinces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Kangkang; Fang, Andrew; Yu, Huajun; Li, Yang; Shi, Lei; Wang, Yangjun; Wang, Shuxiao; Ramaswami, Anu

2017-12-01

Utilizing low-grade waste heat from industries to heat and cool homes and businesses through fourth generation district energy systems (DES) is a novel strategy to reduce energy use. This paper develops a generalizable methodology to estimate the energy saving potential for heating/cooling in 20 cities in two Chinese provinces, representing cold winter and hot summer regions respectively. We also conduct a life-cycle analysis of the new infrastructure required for energy exchange in DES. Results show that heating and cooling energy use reduction from this waste heat exchange strategy varies widely based on the mix of industrial, residential and commercial activities, and climate conditions in cities. Low-grade heat is found to be the dominant component of waste heat released by industries, which can be reused for both district heating and cooling in fourth generation DES, yielding energy use reductions from 12%-91% (average of 58%) for heating and 24%-100% (average of 73%) for cooling energy use in the different cities based on annual exchange potential. Incorporating seasonality and multiple energy exchange pathways resulted in energy savings reductions from 0%-87%. The life-cycle impact of added infrastructure was small (<3% for heating) and 1.9% ~ 6.5% (cooling) of the carbon emissions from fuel use in current heating or cooling systems, indicating net carbon savings. This generalizable approach to delineate waste heat potential can help determine suitable cities for the widespread application of industrial waste heat re-utilization.

Overview of waste reduction techniques leading to pollution prevention

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunt, G.E.

Liquid, solid, and/or gaseous waste materials are always generated during the manufacture of any product. In addition to creating environmental hazards, these wastes represent losses of valuable materials and energy from the production process and require a significant investment in pollution control. Traditionally, pollution control relies on ``end-of-the-pipe`` and ``out-the-back-door`` management approaches that require labor hours, energy, materials, and capital expenditures. Such an approach removes pollutants from one source, such as wastewater, but places them somewhere else, such as in a landfill. More regulations, higher disposal expenses, increased liability costs, and increased public awareness have caused industrial and governmental leadersmore » to begin critical examinations of end-of-the-pipe control technologies. The value of reducing waste during the manufacturing process has become apparent to many industries. These companies are looking at broader environmental management objectives, rather than concentrating solely on pollution control. Waste reduction not only is very often economically beneficial for an industry, it also improves the quality of the environment.« less

Bio-degradation of oily food waste employing thermophilic bacterial strains.

PubMed

Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Chan, Man Ting; Wong, Jonathan W C

2018-01-01

The objective of this work was to isolate a novel thermophilic bacterial strain and develop a bacterial consortium (BC) for efficient degradation oily food waste. Four treatments were designed: 1:1 mixture of pre-consumption food wastes (PrCFWs) and post-consumption food wastes (PCFWs) (T-1), 1:2 mixture of PrCFWs and PCFWs mixture (T-2), PrCFWs (T-3) and PCFWs (T-4). Equal quantity of BC was inoculated into each treatment to compare the oil degradation efficiency. Results showed that after 15days of incubation, a maximum oil reduction of 65.12±0.08% was observed in treatment T-4, followed by T-2 (55.44±0.12%), T-3 (54.79±0.04%) and T-1 (52.52±0.02%), while oil reduction was negligible in control. Results indicate that the development of oil utilizing thermophilic BC was more cost-effective in solving the degradation of oily food wastes and conversion into a stable end product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of new type of synthetic waxes on reduced production and compaction temperature of asphalt mixture with reclaimed asphalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentová, Tereza; Benešová, Lucie; Mastný, Jan; Valentin, Jan

2017-09-01

Lower mixing and paving temperatures of asphalt mixtures, which are an important issue in recent years, with respect to increased energy demand of civil engineering structures during their processing, allow reduction of this demand and result in minimized greenhouse gas production. In present time, there are many possibilities how to achieve reduction of production temperature during the mixing and paving of an asphalt mixture. The existing solutions distinguish in target operating temperature behaviour which has to be achieved in terms of good workability. This paper is focused on technical solutions based on use of new types of selected synthetic and bio-based waxes. In case of bio-based additive sugar cane wax was used, which is free of paraffins and is reclaimed as waste product during processing of sugar cane. The used waxes are added to bituminous binder in form of free-flowing granules or fine-grained powder. Synthetic waxes are represented by new series of Fischer-Tropsch wax in form of fine granules as well as by polyethylene waxes in form of fine-grained powder or granules. Those waxes were used to modify a standard paving grade bitumen dosed into asphalt mixture of ACsurf type containing up to 30 % of reclaimed asphalt (RA).