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PubMed2005

An IR study to investigate the structural relationship of lignin-like matter and lignosulphonates obtained from animal-vegetable wastes.

Lignin-like matter (I) from rice hull residues and humin-like matter and (II) from rice hull-fecal matter compost yield, upon sulphonation by SO(3), the lignosulphonates III and IV, respectively. The solid state IR spectra of I and II are analysed and interpreted based on the functional groups content values obtained for III and IV by solution NMR spectroscopy. IR absorbance values at five selected wavelengths for I and II correlate well with functional groups content values for III and IV according to Beer's law. It is concluded that the sulphonated derivatives, aside from the -SO(3)H content, reflect well the chemical structure of the parent materials. No side reaction of I or II with SO(3), other than C sulphonation, is apparent. The above correlation may be useful for waste management purposes.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Thermal valorization of footwear leather wastes in bubbling fluidized bed combustion.

Transformation of hide (animal skins) into leather is a complicated process during which significant amounts of wastes are generated. Footwear is the sector that consumes the major part of leather (60%). Logically, this industry is producing the largest quantity of leather wastes. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of fluidized bed technology to recover the energy from burning footwear leather wastes. Considering the characteristics of leather waste, especially the heating value (12.5-21 MJ/kg), it can be considered a fairly good fuel. Moreover, leather waste has suitable characteristics for combustion, e.g., high volatile matter (76.5%) and low ash content (5.2%). Two factors deserve special attention: N3O and NOx emissions as a consequence of its unusual high nitrogen content (14.1%) and the chromium speciation because chromium is the main element of ash (3.2%) due to its use in leather tanning. A series of experiments has been carried out in a 0.1 MWt bubbling fluidized bed pilot plant. The combustion efficiency, flue gas composition and chromium speciation were investigated. Despite having high nitrogen content, a low conversion rate of fuel-N to NOx and N2O was attained. Chromium was concentrated in the solid streams and it was consistently found as Cr(III+); no presence of Cr(VI+) was detected.

Ammonia↗
PubMed2005

Alternative strategies for energy recovery from municipal solid waste Part B: Emission and cost estimates.

This two-part paper assesses four strategies for energy recovery from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) by dedicated Waste-To-Energy (WTE) plants. In strategy 1, the residue of Material Recovery (MR) is fed directly to a grate combustor, while in strategy 2 the grate combustor comes downstream of light mechanical treatment. In strategies 3 and 4, the MR residue is converted into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), in a fluidized cumbuster bed. The results of Part A, devoted to mass and energy balances, clearly show that pre-treating the MR residue in order to increase the heating value of the feedstock fed to the WTE plant has marginal effects on the energy efficiency of the WTE plant. When considering the efficiency of the whole strategy of waste management, the energy balances show that the more thorough the pre-treatment, the smaller the amount of energy recovered per unit of MR residue. Starting from the heat/mass balances illustrated in Part A, Part B examines the environmental impacts and economics of the various strategies by means of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Results show that treating the MR residues ahead of the WTE plant does not provide environmental or economic benefits. RDF production worsens almost all impact indicators because it reduces net electricity production and thus the displacement of power plant emissions; it also increases costs, because the benefits of improving the quality of the material fed to the WTE plant do not compensate the cost of such improvement.

Bioelectric Energy Sources↗
PubMed2005

Alternative strategies for energy recovery from municipal solid waste Part A: Mass and energy balances.

This two-part paper assesses four strategies for energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW) by dedicated waste-to-energy (WTE) plants generating electricity through a steam cycle. The feedstock is the residue after materials recovery (MR), assumed to be 35% by weight of the collected MSW. In strategy 1, the MR residue is fed directly to a grate combustor. In strategy 2, the MR residue is first subjected to light mechanical treatment. In strategies 3 and 4, the MR residue is converted into RDF, which is combusted in a fluidized bed combustor. To examine the relevance of scale, we considered a small waste management system (WMS) serving 200,000 people and a large WMS serving 1,200,000 people. A variation of strategy 1 shows the potential of cogeneration with district heating. The assessment is carried out by a Life Cycle Analysis where the electricity generated by the WTE plant displaces electricity generated by fossil fuel-fired steam plants. Part A focuses on mass and energy balances, while Part B focuses on emissions and costs. Results show that treating the MR residue ahead of the WTE plant reduces energy recovery. The largest energy savings are achieved by combusting the MR residue "as is" in large scale plants; with cogeneration, primary energy savings can reach 2.5% of total societal energy use.

Bioelectric Energy Sources↗
PubMed2005

Tools for evaluation of impact associated with MSW incineration: LCA and integrated environmental monitoring system.

The identification of significant pollutants emitted from the contamination source is the first step in evaluating the impact associated with anthropic activity. Municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators are still generally perceived as great pollutant sources, in particular due to their gaseous emissions from the stack, which constitute the major effluent from the plant. In this work a life cycle assessment and an integrated environmental monitoring system were applied together, in order to obtain complete information about the incineration process and its environmental impact. The former is a proven methodology, but its application to waste management systems constitutes a relatively new field of application with a great developmental potential. The contribution of the incineration process to the different environmental impact categories was investigated, finding many avoided impacts due to energy recovery. The latter is an innovative approach that allows a remarkable understanding of impact due to a contamination source; interesting correlations were found between heavy metals both in gas emissions and in natural matrices in the surroundings.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2005

A review of corn masa processing residues: generation, properties, and potential utilization.

The production of corn masa-based products in the US has been increasing over the last several years, and as a result, so has the quantity of waste materials being generated from this industry. Although currently landfilled, these byproduct streams may have potential for value-added processing and utilization, which are options that simultaneously hold the promise of increased economic benefit for masa processors as well as decreased potential pollution for the environment. Fundamental to any byproduct development effort is knowledge of the characteristics of the residue stream, because physical and chemical properties are vital for the proper design of subsequent processing operations and applications. Data for masa byproduct materials are currently not readily available, however. Thus, the objective of this study was to fully investigate, review, and summarize the existing literature in order to develop a comprehensive knowledge base for these residue streams. The most substantial findings from this study were that masa residues currently are not being utilized as coproducts, but instead are being landfilled; they have a high fiber content, and thus much untapped potential exists for its extraction and value-added utilization vis-à-vis human and industrial applications, including phytosterol and ethanol production. It was also determined that masa byproducts, due to the high fiber content, may also be suitable for use as livestock feed additives, especially for ruminant animals that can digest these materials. Furthermore, due to substantial calcium content, masa byproducts could also potentially be used as a calcium resource. Under current processing practices, though, these residues have very high moisture contents. Before they can be effectively and economically utilized, they must be dehydrated in order to reduce transportation costs, decrease microbial activity, and increase shelf life.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2005

Water-soluble characteristics of chlorine in char derived from municipal solid wastes.

Chlorine in char derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) was characterized and quantified based on its water solubility: easily water-soluble, hardly water-soluble, and non-water-soluble chlorine. For that, a four-cycle process of water-washing, heating or carbonation were carried out. In order to confirm the characteristics of non-water-soluble chlorine, additional thermal treatment and an alkali-acid washing process were applied to washed char. It was found that a large particle size of char (0.5-1.0 mm) significantly contributed to the amount of non-water-soluble chlorine. Pulverization and HNO3-HF digestion were performed to identify a factor to interfere chlorine release from char with a large particle size. Pulverization was proven ineffective for release of non-water-soluble chlorine, whereas approximately 32% of non-water-soluble chlorine was extracted by HNO3-HF digestion. Therefore, the presence of non-water-soluble chlorine is likely to originate from its chemical property rather than simply from its physical one.

Carbon↗
PubMed2005

Phytoremediation of landfill leachate.

Leachate emissions from landfill sites are of concern, primarily due to their toxic impact when released unchecked into the environment, and the potential for landfill sites to generate leachate for many hundreds of years following closure. Consequently, economically and environmentally sustainable disposal options are a priority in waste management. One potential option is the use of soil-plant based remediation schemes. In many cases, using either trees (including short rotation coppice) or grassland, phytoremediation of leachate has been successful. However, there are a significant number of examples where phytoremediation has failed. Typically, this failure can be ascribed to excessive leachate application and poor management due to a fundamental lack of understanding of the plant-soil system. On balance, with careful management, phytoremediation can be viewed as a sustainable, cost effective and environmentally sound option which is capable of treating 250m(3)ha(-1)yr(-1). However, these schemes have a requirement for large land areas and must be capable of responding to changes in leachate quality and quantity, problems of scheme establishment and maintenance, continual environmental monitoring and seasonal patterns of plant growth. Although the fundamental underpinning science is well understood, further work is required to create long-term predictive remediation models, full environmental impact assessments, a complete life-cycle analysis and economic analyses for a wide range of landfill scenarios.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2006

Hydrogen sulfide flux measurements from construction and demolition debris (C&D) landfills.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been identified as a principal odorous component of gaseous emissions from construction and demolition debris (C&D) landfills. Although several studies have reported the ambient concentrations of H2S near C&D landfills, few studies have quantified emission rates of H2S. One of the most widely used techniques for measuring surface gas emission rates from landfills is the flux chamber method. Flux measurements using the flux chamber were performed at five different C&D landfills from April to August, 2003. The flux rates of H2S measured in this research were between 0.192 and 1.76 mg/(m2-d).

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2006

The use of (micro)-X-ray absorption spectroscopy in cement research.

Long-term predictions on the mobility and the fate of radionuclides and contaminants in cementitious waste repositories require a molecular-level understanding of the geochemical immobilization processes involved. In this study, the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) for chemical speciation of trace elements in cementitious materials will be outlined presenting two examples relevant for nuclear waste management. The first example addresses the use of XAS on powdered cementitious materials to determine the local coordination environment of Sn(IV) bound to calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H). Sn K-edge XAS data of Sn(IV) doped C-S-H can be rationalized by corner sharing binding of Sn octahedra to Si tetrahedra of the C-S-H structure. XAS was further applied to determine the binding mechanism of Sn(IV) in the complex cement matrix. The second example illustrates the potential of emerging synchrotron-based X-ray micro-probe techniques for elucidating the spatial distribution and the speciation of contaminants in highly heterogeneous cementitious materials at the micro-scale. Micro X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and micro-XAS investigations were carried out on Co(II) doped hardened cement paste. These preliminary investigations reveal a highly heterogeneous spatial Co distribution. The presence of a Co(II)-hydroxide-like phase Co(OH)2 and/or Co-Al layered double hydroxide (Co-Al LDH) or Co-phyllosilicate was observed. Surprisingly, some of the initial Co(II) was partially oxidized and incorporated into a Co(III)O(OH)-like phase or a Co-phyllomanganate.

Construction Materials↗
PubMed2006

Characterisation of sugar cane straw waste as pozzolanic material for construction: calcining temperature and kinetic parameters.

This paper reports on the influence of calcining temperature (800 and 1000 degrees C) on the pozzolanic activation of sugar cane straw (SCS). The reaction kinetics of SCS ash-lime mixtures were inferred from physicochemical characteristics (X-ray diffraction patterns and thermogravimetry analysis. The fitting of a kinetic-diffusive model to the experimental data (fixed lime versus time) allowed the computing of the kinetic parameters (reaction rate constant) of the pozzolanic reaction. Results obtained confirm that the sugar cane straw ash (SCSA) calcined at 800 and 1000 degrees C have properties indicative of very high pozzolanic activity. No influence of calcining temperature on the pozzolanic activity was observed. Also, no crystalline compounds during the pozzolanic reaction were identified up to 90 days of reaction. Environmental durability and strength of the consequential mortars remain to be assessed.

Construction Materials↗
PubMed2006

Monitoring of odor compounds produced by solid waste treatment plants with diffusive samplers.

Nuisance caused by odors is one of the most important problems for waste management plants. To control an odor nuisance, it must first be quantified. The analytical difficulties in odor measurements are related to the high number of volatile components (belonging to several chemical classes), above all when the concentration is lower than the detection limit of the technique used for the measurement. In this work, 2-butanone, alpha-pinene, tetrachloroethylene, dimethyldisulfide, beta-pinene, limonene, phenol and benzoic acid are determined, because they are representative of some important classes of compounds with higher odor impact. The compounds are sampled with thermal desorbable radial diffusive samplers Radiello containing Tenax cartridges. The analytical repeatability and the complete thermal desorption of the cartridges were verified for each odor compound; the relative standard deviations for repeated samples and the recovery percentage were, respectively, less than 7% and about 97% for all compounds. The measurements of the linearity of sampling showed no systematic difference according to the collection period. The comparison between the odor threshold and the limit of detection demonstrated that this method is reliable for the recognition and quantification of odor compounds, allowing Public Administration to impose legal limits and the control agencies to verify them.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2006

Kinetics and dynamic modelling of batch anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste in a stirred reactor.

A series of batch, slurry anaerobic digestion experiments were performed where the soluble and insoluble fractions, and unwashed MSW were separately digested in a 200l stirred stainless steel vessel at a pH of 7.2 and a temperature of 38 degrees C. It was found that 7% of the total MSW COD was readily soluble, of which 80% was converted to biogas; 50% of the insoluble fraction was solubilised, of this only 80% was converted to biogas. The rate of digesting the insoluble fraction was about four times slower than the rate of digesting the soluble fraction; 48% of the total COD was converted to biogas and 40% of the total nitrogen was converted to ammonia. Soluble and insoluble fractions were broken down simultaneously. The minimum time to convert 95% of the degradable fraction to biogas was 20 days. The lag phase for the degradation of insoluble fraction of MSW can be overcome by acclimatising the culture with the soluble fraction. The rate of digestion and the methane yield was not affected by particle size (within the range of 2-50mm). A dynamic model was developed to describe batch digestion of MSW. The parameters of the model were estimated using data from the separate digestion of soluble and insoluble fractions and validated against data from the digestion of unwashed MSW. Trends in the specific aceticlastic and formate-utilising methanogenic activity were used to estimate initial methanogenic biomass concentration and bacterial death rate coefficient. The kinetics of hydrolysis of insoluble fraction could be adequately described by a Contois equation and the kinetics of acidogenesis, and aceticlastic and hydrogen utilising methanogenesis by Monod equations.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2007

Evaluation of methods for sorting CCA-treated wood.

Construction and demolition (C&D) wood frequently contains treated wood including wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). Many recycling options for such wood require that the product be essentially free of preservative chemicals. The objectives of this study were to document the characteristics of the wood waste stream and to evaluate the effectiveness of sorting methods for identifying treated wood. Sorting methods evaluated included visual sorting and visual sorting augmented with the use of PAN indicator stain and/or hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) units. Experiments were conducted on two types of construction and demolition (C&D) wood: source separated loads containing only C&D wood and wood hand-picked from commingled loads of general C&D waste. Results showed that 77% of the treated wood was CCA-treated. For uncontaminated piles (<1% treated wood) of source separated C&D wood, visual sorting was found to effectively remove the small amounts of treated wood present. For piles of source separated wood that were contaminated (approximately 50% treated wood), visual sorts were not accurate and benefited from augmented sorting using PAN indicator stain. The handheld XRF devices were found to be effective for sorting commingled C&D wood, as PAN indicator stain was not as effective due to the excessive amount of surface dirt associated with commingled wood waste. Visual sorting of source separated wood was estimated to cost between US$21 to US$96 per metric ton. These costs depended upon the amount of treated wood and whether or not augmentation with PAN indicator was necessary. Visual sorting augmented with hand-held XRF units was estimated at US$113 per metric ton. The bulk of these costs were associated with labor. Future efforts should focus on reducing labor costs by mounting automated XRF units on conveyor systems.

Arsenates↗
PubMed2006

Estimation of waste generation from floods.

A framework of correlation for estimating the amount of waste generation from floods is developed. Flood waste data were collected from four recent typhoons in Taiwan. Parameters affecting the flood waste are analyzed. Population density, flooded area and amount of total rainfall are chosen as the correlating parameters for the model development, and regression diagnostics are performed to check the validity of the collected data. The simple linear model is shown to be incapable of correlating the flood waste data. An exponential model is proposed and shown to give acceptable correlation with the flood waste data spanning five orders of magnitude. The model can be useful in the planning of waste cleanup after floods.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed2006

Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of source-sorted organic fraction of household municipal solid waste: start-up procedure for continuously stirred tank reactor.

Two feeding strategies for start-up of continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) treating source-sorted organic fraction of household municipal solid waste (SS-OFMSW) at 55 degrees C were evaluated. Two reactors were started up separately with a limited amount of initial inoculum (i.e. 10% of the final volume of 3.5l) and operated in a fed batch mode until the reactors were filled (30 days). A reference reactor was filled up with 3.5l of inoculum and fed at a constant rate (11.4 g volatile solids (VS)/d). Loading at progressively increasing rate (from 1.7 to 15 gVS/d), as calculated based on an activated biomass concept, showed superior process performance compared to a fixed feed rate (5.7 gVS/d). Methane yield of 0.32 m(3)/kg VS was produced during the start-up in reactor filled at progressively increasing rate and was comparable to the reference reactor. On the contrary, significant inhibition due to volatile fatty acid (VFA) build-up, mainly due to butyrate, was noticed in the reactor filled at constant rate. Thus, low initial and progressive increasing inoculum loading rate could be used as a strategy for a successful start-up of CSTR treating SS-OFMSW as it allowed a gradual acclimation of the biomass. Lab-scale results were further reaffirmed from the start-up of a full-scale plant (7000 m(3) total capacity) which was supplied with inoculum corresponding to approx. 16% of final volume and operated in a fed batch mode until the reactors were filled (58 days). Stable biogas production with low VFA (<3 g/L; based on titration method) were noticed during the start-up period when fed at progressively increasing rate. Thus, a controlled and reliable start-up procedure was found essential, which could allow rapid process stabilization and time to focus on other technical aspects of plant operation. In addition, the influence of substrate to inoculum amount (1.5-30% TS) and temperature (5-65 degrees C) on anaerobic degradation and methane production of SS-OFMSW was investigated in batch assays as a protocol for start-up procedure.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗
PubMed1997

Research competencies in the dietetics curricula.

Investment in dietetics research has the potential to improve general health; increase work performance and learning capacity; extend disease-free life; reduce birth defects, infections, and chronic diseases; and decrease health care costs. Opportunities exist for research in the areas of solid waste management, global environment, health care reform, and foodservice systems management. Research efforts can focus on cost-effectiveness and medical efficacy of dietary services to improve third-party reimbursement. Educators have a stake in creating the future by conducting research, teaching research to dietetic students, and investigating the effectiveness of education.

Clinical Competence↗