Search results for "Waste"
showing 10 items of 2580 documents
Coping with uncertainty in the assessment of atmospheric pollution with lichen transplants
2019
In the assessment of atmospheric deposition using lichen transplants, coping with uncertainty is mandatory in cases of environmental forensics, when understanding whether an area is polluted or not, or tracing a given pollution source is of paramount importance. In this article, we have suggested a method based on the calculation of exposed-to-control ratios of element concentrations and on the quantification of the overall uncertainty associated with such calculation, which proved to be very robust and can be applied in most cases using a minimum of three replicates. The method allowed the selection of significantly accumulated elements i.e. those polluting the site under study, as well as…
Saving Process within a Zero Waste Strategy In Sicily: A System Dynamics Approach
2018
Disposable society represents a way of living that is not sustainable anymore, mainly in a context like our planet where resources are really scarce. As theorized by Paul Connett, the guru of zero waste strategy, there is no waste until that material still contains a drop of usefulness. The core point of the paper is the implementation of a zero waste strategy in a small municipality in Sicily. By building up a SD model we can figure out how saving process connected to the decrease of amount of waste piled up in the landfoll, has been boosting this virtuous cycle, which is bound to cope with the citizens claims about environmental care and lower tax burden level.
Over-ordering and food waste: The use of food delivery apps during a pandemic
2021
There is a paucity of research on the role of food delivery apps (FDAs) in food waste generation. This gap needs to be addressed since FDAs represent a fast-growing segment of the hospitality sector, which is already considered to be a key food waste generator globally. Even more critically, FDAs have become a prominent source of ordering food during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the growing usage of FDAs warrants an improved understanding of the complexities of consumer behavior toward them, particularly during a health crisis. The present study addresses this need by examining the antecedents of FDA users’ food ordering behavior during the pandemic that can lead to food waste. The s…
Aproximación a la Geografía del despilfarro en España: balance de las últimas dos décadas
2018
Este trabajo pretende ser una primera aproximación a la dimensión del despilfarro de recursos públicos en infraestructuras en España desde 1995 hasta la actualidad en los distintos niveles de gobierno. A partir de algunas precisiones sobre los conceptos de despilfarro y corrupción, se analiza, de una parte, la inversión y los sobrecostes en infraestructuras innecesarias impulsadas y ejecutadas por la Administración General del Estado en el ámbito de sus competencias, y de otra, infraestructuras, proyectos, eventos e inversiones fallidas, vacías o infrautilizadas acometidas por las Comunidades Autónomas y los gobiernos locales. Se abordan los déficit de marco institucional y de gobernanza te…
Cathodic reduction of hexavalent chromium coupled with electricity generation achieved by reverse-electrodialysis processes using salinity gradients
2014
Abstract A new approach for the simultaneous generation of electric energy and the treatment of waters contaminated by recalcitrant pollutants using salinity gradients was proposed. Reverse electrodialysis allows for the generation of electric energy from salinity gradients. Indeed, the utilization of different salt concentrations gives a potential difference between the electrodes which allows the generation of electric energy by using suitable electrolytes and an external circuit. The simultaneous generation of electric energy and the treatment of waters contaminated by Cr(VI) was successfully achieved for the first time by reverse electrodialysis processes using salinity gradients and pr…
Surfactant-based enrichment of rare earth elements from NdFeB magnet e-waste: Optimisation of cloud formation and rare earths extraction
2023
Appropriate waste and resource management are essential for a sustainable circular economy with reduced environmental impact. With critical resources, e-waste may serve as indirect raw material. For example, with NdFeB permanent magnets, Neodymium (Nd) and the co-present Dysprosium (Dy) are critical rare earth elements (REEs). However, there exists no economically viable technology for recycling them from electronic waste (e-waste). Here, a method is presented based on cloud point extraction (CPE). The work involves basic complexation chemistry in a cloud medium with pure REE salts, as well as, with real NdFeB-magnets (nearly 28% REE content by weight) from an old hard disk drive (5.2 g mag…
Mining minerals and critical raw materials from bittern: Understanding metal ions fate in saltwork ponds
2022
Seawater represents a potential resource for raw materials extraction. Although NaCl is the most representative mineral extracted other valuable compounds such as Mg, Li, Sr, Rb and B and elements at trace level (Cs, Co, In, Sc, Ga and Ge) are also contained in this “liquid mine”. Most of them are considered as Critical Raw Materials by the European Union. Solar saltworks, providing concentration factors of up-to 20 to 40, offer a perfect platform for the development of minerals and metal recovery schemes taking benefit of the concentration and purification achieved along the evaporation saltwork ponds. However, the geochemistry of these elements in this environment has not been yet thoroug…
Bioconversion of Gibberellin Fermentation Residue into Feed Supplement and Organic Fertilizer Employing Housefly (Musca domestica L.) Assisted by Cor…
2014
The accumulation of a considerable quantity of gibberellin fermentation residue (GFR) during gibberellic acid A3 (GA3) production not only results in the waste of many resources, but also poses a potential hazard to the environment, indicating that the safe treatment of GFR has become an urgent issue for GA3 industry. The key to recycle GFR is converting it into an available resource and removing the GA3 residue. To this end, we established a co-bioconversion process in this study using house fly larvae (HFL) and microbes (Corynebacterium variabile) to convert GFR into insect biomass and organic fertilizer. About 85.5% GA3 in the GFR was removed under the following optimized solid-state fer…
Removal of Escherichia coli from Saturated Sand Columns Supplemented with Hydrochar Produced from Maize
2014
Despite numerous studies on hydrochar use, its application in water treatment for pathogen removal remains unexplored. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of hydrochar produced from crop residue of maize for water treatment by determining Escherchia coli breakthrough from sand columns supplemented with hydrochar. To enhance the adsorptive capacity, raw hydrochar was activated by 1 mol L⁻¹ KOH at room temperature. The experiments conducted in a 10-cm sand bed with 1.5% (w/w) activated and raw hydrochar supplements, not activated by KOH, showed 93 and 72% of E. coli removal efficiencies, respectively. Activation of KOH not only enhanced the E. coli removal but also increased the streng…
Performance of a Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland and Medium-Term Effects of Treated Wastewater Irrigation of Arundo donax L. on Soil and Plant Parame…
2021
On marginal lands in the Mediterranean basin, giant reed (Arundo donax L.) represents one of the most interesting perennial crops due to high levels of biomass production. Considering periodic water shortage during the summer months in this area, the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) would seem to be a good opportunity for the growth of the species. The aim of this study was to assess the medium-term effects of irrigation using freshwater (FW) and TWW on soil characteristics and growth in giant reed plants. TWW was obtained from a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland system (HSSF CWs) with a total surface area of 100 m2. A split-plot design for a two-factor experiment …