Search results for "WASTE"
showing 10 items of 2580 documents
DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROCHEMICAL MICROFLUIC DEVICES FOR THE TREATMENT OF WASTEWATERS AND THE SYNTHESIS OF CHEMICAL
ELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT OF WASTE WATERS CONTAMINATED BY ORGANIC POLLUTANTS: A LOOK ON SOME NEW APPROACHES
2012
Recent researches have demonstrated that electrochemical methods offer an attractive alternative to traditional routes for treating wastewaters containing toxic or/and refractory organic pollutants. These methods use a clean reagent, as the electron, very mild operative conditions (ambient temperature and pressure) and can be run with limited operative costs. Despite of the above mentioned advantages, electrochemical processes present some important disadvantages such as: • the cost of some electrodic materials such as silver (for reduction processes) and boron doped diamond (for oxidation ones). On the other hand, the cost of silver based electrodic materials can be considerably lowered by…
Use of physicochemical processing in treating urban waste waters
1994
The principal objective of the present study was to compare two clearly defined purification processes in two stages: the periods 1985–1987 (conventional) and 1988–1990 (physico‐chemical). In general, the mean concentrations obtained were lower in the second period. A z‐test for comparing means was applied, but no significant correlation was observed (p ≤ 0.05). The mean concentrations obtained (with some exceptions) are lower in the second period. With the passing of time, the total volume of sewage flow has increased, and hence the load of contaminants has become diluted. The use of physico‐chemical treatment prior to biological processing may be the cause of the increase in cost.
Climate variability and agricultural production efficiency: evidence from Ethiopian farmers
2020
It is known that climate and weather variability have negative impacts on agricultural production efficiency. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of climatic variables on farms’ efficiency in Ethiopia making use of nationally representative datasets from Living Standards Measurement Study–Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) 2011/2012. By using the Stochastic Frontier Approach, we estimate simultaneously the farmers’ optimal production function and technical inefficiency equations, taking into account unobserved heterogeneity of farmers. Our main findings show that climate change variables have a positive effect on households’ efficiency but the impact depends on the diff…
Consumers' perceptions of sustainably produced food: a focus group study
2009
The purpose of this study is to provide information on consumers' perceptions of sustainably produced food products and the main product attributes that influence consumers' buying behaviour in the case of organic, Fair Trade and locally produced food. The paper draws on data from four focus groups. The results provide empirical insight into the motivating as well as the restricting factors that influence consumers' purchasing behaviour in the case of sustainably produced food and introduce the emerging key themes associated with the attributes of sustainably produced food products.
Local Green Power Supply Plants Based on Alcohol Regenerative Gas Turbines: Economic and Environmental Aspects
2020
Growing economies need green and renewable energy. Their financial development can reduce energy consumption (through energy-efficient technologies) and replace fossil fuels with renewable ones. Gas turbine engines are widely used in transport and industry. To improve their economic attractiveness and to reduce harmful emissions, including greenhouse gases, alternative fuels and waste heat recovery technologies can be used. A promising direction is the use of alcohol and thermo-chemical recuperation. The purpose of this study is to estimate the economic efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions of an alcohol-fueled regenerative gas turbine engine with thermo-chemical recuperation. The carbon …
How does seasonality affect water reuse possibilities? An efficiency and cost analysis
2012
Abstract Because of the harsh conditions of water stress and seasonal water demand in many zones, water reuse has emerged as a key alternative for achieving sustainable water management. An efficient performance by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in technical and economic terms favors water reuse. However, seasonality in the flow of wastewater and in the pollutant load may be a determining factor in the efficiency of WWTPs. To evaluate if seasonality affects WWTP efficiency, analytical benchmarking methodology Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to obtain an average efficiency score for seasonal and non-seasonal plants. Given the importance of extended aeration (EA) and activated sl…
Metropolitan wastewater analysis for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance
2020
The COVID-19 disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a rapidly emerging pandemic which has enforced extreme containment measures worldwide. In the absence of a vaccine or efficient treatment, cost-effective epidemiological surveillance strategies are urgently needed. Here, we have used RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a series of longitudinal metropolitan wastewaters samples collected from February to April 2020, during the earliest stages of the epidemic in the Region of Valencia, Spain. We were able to consistently detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples taken in late February, when communicated cases in that region were only incipient. We also find…
From industrial consensus to environmental regulation: the coming of the Finnish industrial waste-water policy
1998
Abstract The development of the Finnish industrial waste-water policy is examined in the context of the national industrial development and the rise of the environmental movement. It is stated that up until the beginning of the eighties, a broad consensus about the principles of the waste-water policy prevailed among decision makers and authorities. It was a consensus uniform with the interests of the forest industry, the most powerful part of the national economy. Unfortunately, the forest industry was a bad source of pollution of the inland waters since the fifties. However, the long lasted hegemonic consensus started to break down in the late seventies and early eighties by an awakening …
Building capabilities among e-scrappers in informal electronic waste management: the case of the Nigerian e-scrappers
2016
This study examines the capabilities of e-scrappers developed through the constant interaction with electronic waste (e-waste). Video-based interviews were conducted with 29 male e-scrappers in Edo and Lagos States, Nigeria. Data analysis reveals that over time, e-scrappers in Nigeria are driven by aspirations not only of financial security but also of societal acceptance and recognition. Progressively, they have developed capabilities such as effective extraction methods based on individual abilities, market demand and the presence of an active social network, which have had a significant impact on the choices of the developed capabilities.