Search results for "WASTE"
showing 10 items of 2580 documents
Metal–organic framework technologies for water remediation: towards a sustainable ecosystem
2018
Having access to clean water is a mandatory requirement for the proper development of living beings. So, addressing the removal of contaminants from aquatic systems should be a priority research topic in order to restore ecosystem balance and secure a more sustainable future. The fascinating structures and striking physical properties of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have revealed them as excellent platforms for the removal of harmful species from water. In this review, we have focused our attention on critically highlighting the latest developments achieved in the adsorptive removal of inorganic – metal cations, inorganic acids, oxyanions/cations, nuclear wastes and other inorganic anion…
Coupling sustainable energy with membrane distillation processes for seawater desalination
2010
Desalination technologies nowadays is a very interesting and emerging alternative to conventional water sources; their high energy consumption, however, generates some problems in adopting them, especially in remote areas where electric grid is not available and fuel transportation is not always sustainable. In this paper a short overview of possible couplings between the membrane distillation technology for desalination and the use of sustainable thermal energy sources is presented. Two case studies of ongoing research projects at Universita di Palermo are also presented.
The Wastewater – A Problem of Integrated Urban Water Management
2013
Abstract In order to live the man uses various generating resources through waste products his work. Use of water resources causes many types of wastewater, depending on the type of household consumption, industrial or city. Integrated management of water resources represents practical ways in which sustainable development is achieved in the field of water, including wastewater management, and is also the responsibility of all interested parties: the state, local communities, users, operators and NGOs waters. The present study shows the role and the importance of integrated management of urban water. The steps to be followed in establishing wastewater management are trying highlighting new …
Sustainable and cost-efficient energy supply and utilisation through innovative concepts and technologies at regional, urban and single-user scales
2019
Abstract The environmental impact of the energy sector and the security and economics of energy supply and utilisation have been raising increasing concerns, stimulating the search for innovative solutions for a sustainable use of resources. This article provides an overview of published research in this area, with a focus on papers contributed in special issues of leading journals dedicated to the series of Conferences on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES), including the articles in the current special issue. Based on this review, research trends are identified and achievements supporting the energy transition are highlighted. The studies that focused…
Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk.
2021
Soil quality is fundamental for ecosystem long term functionality, productivity and resilience to current climatic changes. Despite its importance, soil is lost and degraded at dramatic rates worldwide. In Europe, the Mediterranean areas are a hotspot for soil erosion and land degradation due to a combination of climatic conditions, soils, geomorphology and anthropic pressure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered a key indicator of soil quality as it relates to other fundamental soil functions supporting crucial ecosystem services. In the present study, the functional relationships among SOC and other important soil properties were investigated in the topsoil of 38 sites under different …
The Art of Being Ethical and Responsible : Print Media Debate on Final Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Finland and Sweden
2022
AbstractAfter decades of preparation, the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel has reached the construction stage in Finland, and the neighboring Sweden is likely to soon follow in the footsteps. These Nordic countries rely on a similar technical concept based on passive safety, advocated as a means of minimizing the burden to future generations. The scholarly literature on the ethics of nuclear waste management has thus far paid little attention to the views of the broader publics on the associated ethical challenges. This article helps to fill the gap through a longitudinal and comparative analysis of ethical discussion of the final disposal of SNF in news articles and letters to the edit…
A Clientelistic Perspective of Managing Municipal Solid Waste System: An Analysis of the Social Impact of clientelism on the Municipality of Palermo
2014
This thesis aims to analyse the impact that clientelistic political pressures produces on the performance of Amia S.p.A., namely the public utility responsible of managing the solid waste management system of the municipality of Palermo, by making particular reference to the phenomenon of overstaffing. Synthetically, clientelism consists in a series of reciprocal convenience-based relationships between politicians and citizens, commanding unequal resources and involving mutually beneficial transactions in terms of economic, social and political consequences. The motivation of this research arise from the conviction that a deep analysis of this phenomenon, on one hand, could offer a greater …
Thermally Regenerative Ammonia Batteries for Waste-Heat Exploitation
2018
It is widely accepted that one of the most important issue to be faced by the scientific community is how to sustain the modern way of living and the related energy demand. While a long term target is the transition to a full-renewable energy system, a closer exigency is the optimization of the processes already existing. It has been calculated that about 370.41 TWh of potential energy is annually lost in Europe in the form of waste-heat from the industrial sector [1]. Waste heat comprises all the thermal energy with a temperature below 130 °C [2] (or 300 °C [1]), that hardly can find a useful application with the state of the art industrial technologies. Indeed, electrochemical technologie…
Combined use of liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in sy…
2012
As a suitable way for routine screening of pesticides and control of other organic contaminants in water, the combination of liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) has been applied to the analysis of 63 surface and waste water samples after conventional solid-phase extraction (SPE). The extracts were screened for 43 pesticides or degradation products by LC-QqQ-MS/MS achieving limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.04 to 2 ng L(-1). Of the 43 selected pesticides, 33 were detected in water samples. The ESI-QTOF MS instrument was run using two simultaneous acquisi…
Biochar amended soils and water systems: Investigation of physical and structural properties
2021
There are significant regional differences in the perception of the problems posed by global warming, water/food availability and waste treatment recycling procedures. The study illustrates the effect of application of a biochar (BC) from forest biomass waste, at a selected application rate, on water retention, plant available water (PAW), and structural properties of differently standard textured soils, classified as loamy sand, loam and clay. The results showed that soil water retention, PAW, and aggregate stability were significantly improved by BC application in the loamy sand, confirming that application of BC to this soil was certainly beneficial and increased the amount of macropores…