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PubMed2006

Bench- and pilot-scale sludge electrodewatering in a diaphragm filter press.

Electrodewatering is a technique in which pressure dewatering is combined with electrokinetic effects to realize an improved solid/liquid separation and hence increased filter cake dry matter contents. In order to be energy efficient, it is shown that sludge should be dewatered by pressure dewatering to a high extent prior to electric field application, and a sufficient contact time for the electric field must be guaranteed. In order to realize these goals, a bench- and pilot-scale diaphragm filter press suited for electrodewatering were constructed for treatment of sewage and other types of sludges. It was shown that electrodewatering of sludge is a feasible technique, especially for biological sludge types. Other types of sludge are less suited for electrodewatering because of the restricted improvements that can be realized in cake dry matter content and the high electric energy consumption. Furthermore, it was shown in pilot-scale tests that the use of a diaphragm filter press with electrodewatering facilities was very well suited to deliver dry filter cakes of sewage sludge at a moderate energy consumption. Depending on local market prices for investment, operating and sludge disposal costs, this technology may therefore lead to important savings in the sludge management process.

Electrochemistry↗
PubMed1997

Environmental auditing programme in India.

The concept of environmental auditing in industrial units in India was formally introduced in March 1992 with the overall objective minimising consumption of resources and promoting use of clean technologies in industrial production to minimise generation of wastes. A series of discussions were held among the concerned regulatory agencies before and after making environmental auditing and submission of Annual Environmental Statements, a mandatory requirement for the industries. This followed organisation of a number of workshops, seminars and training programmers all over the country by different agencies dealing with environment protection, conducting of audit studies in 125 selected polluting industries in the country by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi, and a number of other activities. The present paper gives the details of the activities before and after the introduction of this requirement in the country. The aspects covered include (i) the evolution of the concept, (ii) the history of the introduction of the scheme in the country and the organisational structure, (iii) the mandatory requirement and its applicability, (iv) the implementing agencies and their responsibilities, (v) summary of the training programmes/workshops organised in the country, (vi) case studies conducted by CPCB in selected polluting industries and the major findings, (vii) development of guidelines for conducting environmental audit in different categories of polluting industries, and (viii) the current status of the scheme and plans for its effective implementation.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1991

A model standardized risk assessment protocol for use with hazardous waste sites.

This paper presents a model standardized risk assessment protocol (SRAP) for use with hazardous waste sites. The proposed SRAP focuses on the degree and patterns of evidence that exist for a significant risk to human populations from exposure to a hazardous waste site. The SRAP was designed with at least four specific goals in mind: to organize the available scientific data on a specific site and to highlight important gaps in this knowledge; to facilitate rational, cost-effective decision making about the best distribution of available manpower and resources; to systematically classify sites roughly according to the level of risk they pose to surrounding human populations; and to promote an improved level of communication among professionals working in the area of waste site management and between decision makers and the local population.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2005

Should nonprofits seek profits?

Twenty years ago, it would have been shocking for a children's choir to sell singing telegrams or for an organization serving the homeless to dabble in property management. Today, it seems routine. Nonprofits increasingly feel compelled to launch earned-income ventures--not only to appear more disciplined and businesslike to stakeholders but also to reduce their reliance on fundraising. There's plenty of hype about the value of earned-income ventures in the nonprofit world, but such projects account for only a small share offunding in most nonprofit domains, and few of the ventures make money. Moreover, when the authors examined how nonprofits evaluate potential enterprises, they discovered a pattern of unwarranted optimism. The potential financial returns are often exaggerated, and the challenges of running a successful business are routinely discounted. But the biggest downside of such ventures is that they can distract nonprofits' managers from their core social missions and, in some cases, even subvert those missions. There are several reasons for the gap between the hype and the reality. One is that an organization's nonfinancial concerns-such as a desire to hire the disadvantaged-can hamper it in the commercial marketplace. Another is that nonprofits' executives tend to overlook the distinction between revenue and profit. For example, a youth services organization that had received funding to launch a food products enterprise hired young people and began making salad dressing. The nonprofit believed it spent $3.15 to produce each bottle of dressing that was sold for $3.50. But when expenses such as unused ingredients and managers' salaries were factored in, the cost per bottle reached a staggering $90. Earned-income ventures do have a role in the nonprofit sector, the authors say, but unrealistic expectations are distorting managers' decisions, wasting precious resources, and leaving important social needs unmet.

Charities↗
PubMed2001

Missing and neglected links in water management.

In the current revolution in water management; issues that must be addressed include both urbanisation and ruralisation, water quality, and globalisation and energy policy. Water management must struggle against inappropriate research, myths and inadequate data.

Global Health↗
PubMed1989

Medical waste: socioeconomic impact.

The proper disposal and management of medical waste is a never-ending problem and one which is of grave concern to the general public. The amounts that are produced each day by hospitals and other small-generators are staggering, e.g., in the U.S. ca. 6000 tons per day. Approximately fifteen (15%) percent of this waste is considered infectious. This latter type of waste is usually incinerated or autoclaved (steam sterilization). In addition to the daily accumulation of solid waste, chemical wastes (liquids) and low-level radioactive wastes are generated. The proper disposal of all types of wastes is discussed as well as the overall cost and its impact on society.

Medical Waste↗
PubMed2003

[Seroprevalence of brucelosis in the workers of a plant of treatment of sanitary wastes].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The management of biosanitary (hospital) waste, while being a key issue in the prevention of public health risks, involves professional risks as well. The objective of this study was to analyze the risks of infection and their relation with the various works within a cluster of brucellosis detected in an infectious waste plant. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Cross-descriptive study of the total of 24 employees at the waste plant. A survey was carried out taking into account personal as well as professional items and serological tests. Both bivariant (contingency charts and mean comparison) and multivariant (logistic regression) analyses were carried out. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of brucella infection was 45.93% (CI95%, 26.17-66.76). The estimated risk (OR) for processing workers was 33.72 (CI95%, 2.73-415.96). The permanence within the posts was not different among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Infection seroprevalence was higher than that found in endemic populations. The post of processing was found to hold a relation with the contact with Brucella sp.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Strategic environmental management: time for a new approach.

Attempting to manage the environment as a whole, even from just a scientific standpoint, is not easy. The sheer size and scale can be daunting. It is difficult even to encompass the many facets involved. This short paper therefore attempts to tackle the problem by describing a framework approach which encompasses how one might assess the actual state of the environment at any one time; characterise the ever-changing pressures placed upon it; the manner by which the resultant problems need to be addressed; and thus what sort of responses are required. No system or framework is ever likely to be fully adequate, but some form of framework is essential in order to deliver a more sustainable approach to environmental management than has so far been achieved.

Environment↗
PubMed2001

The potential for short rotation energy forestry on restored landfill caps.

This review examines the potential for producing biomass on restored landfills using willow and poplar species in short rotation energy forestry. In southern England, the potential production may be about 20 t ha(-1) of dry stem wood annually. However, actual yields are likely to be constrained by detrimental soil conditions, including shallow depth, compaction, low water holding capacity and poor nutritional status. These factors will affect plant growth by causing drought, waterlogging, poor soil aeration and nutritional deficiencies. Practical solutions to these problems include the correct placement and handling of the agricultural cap material, soil amelioration using tillage and the addition of organic matter (such as sewage sludge), irrigation (possibly using landfill leachate), the installation of drainage and the application of inorganic fertilizers. The correct choice of species and clone, along with good site management are also essential if economically viable yields are to be obtained. Further investigations are required to determine the actual yields that can be obtained on landfill sites using a range of management inputs.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1999

Total quality management in orthodontic practice.

Quality is the buzz word for the new Millennium. Patients demand it, and we must serve it. Yet one must identify it. Quality is not imaging or public relations; it is a business process. This short article presents quality as a balance of three critical notions: core clinical competence, perceived values that our patients seek and want, and the cost of quality. Customer satisfaction is a variable that must be identified for each practice. In my practice, patients perceive quality as communication and time, be it treatment or waiting time. Time is a value and cost that must be managed effectively. Total quality management is a business function; it involves diagnosis, design, implementation, and measurement of the process, the people, and the service. Kazien is a function that reduces value services, eliminates waste, and manages time and cost in the process. Total quality management is a total commitment for continuous improvement.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2005

Clonal variation in heavy metal accumulation and biomass production in a poplar coppice culture. II. Vertical distribution and phytoextraction potential.

Short rotation coppice cultures (SRC) are intensively managed, high-density plantations of multi-shoot trees. In April 1996, an SRC field trial with 17 different poplar clones was established in Boom (Belgium) on a former waste disposal site. In December 1996 and January 2001, all shoots were cut back to a height of 5 cm to create a coppice culture. For six clones, wood and bark were sampled at the bottom, middle and top of a shoot in August and November 2002. No significant height effect of metal concentration was found, but for wood, metal concentrations generally increased toward the top of the shoot in August, and decreased toward the top of the shoot in November. Phytoextraction potential of a clone was primarily determined by metal concentration and by biomass production. Shoot size and number of shoots per stool were less important, as a high biomass production could be achieved by producing a few large shoots or many smaller shoots. Clone Fritzi Pauley accumulated 1.4 kg ha(-1) of Al over two years; Wolterson and Balsam Spire showed a relatively high accumulation of Cd and Zn, i.e. averaging, respectively 47 and 57 g ha(-1) for Cd and 2.4 and 2.0 kg ha(-1) for Zn over two years.

Biomass↗
PubMed2005

The analysis of human health risk with a detailed procedure operating in a GIS environment.

An approach for quantifying the human health risk caused by industrial sources, which, daily or accidentally, emit dangerous pollutants able to impact on different environmental media, is introduced. The approach is performed by the HHRA-GIS tool which employs an integrated, multimedia, multi-exposure pathways and multi-receptors risk assessment model able to manage all the steps of the analysis in a georeferenced structure. Upper-bound excess lifetime cancer risk and noncarcinogenic hazards are the risk measures, the spatial distribution of which is calculated and mapped on the involved territory, once all the pathways and receptors of the study area are identified. A sensitivity analysis completes the calculations allowing to understand how risk estimates are dependent on variability in the factors contributing to risk. The last part of the paper makes use of a case study concerning a working industrial site to put in evidence in which way the designed tool can help local authorities and policy makers in managing risks and planning remedial and reduction actions. The considered geographical area is a hypothetical territory characterized by residential, agricultural and industrial zones. The presence of two sources of contamination, a municipal waste incinerator (MWI) and a contaminated site, are evaluated by the tool application. Various typologies of receptors have been taken into account, each of them characterized by different anatomical and dietary properties. The achieved results are analyzed, compared with acceptable and background values and alternatives of minor environmental impact calculated.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Elemental mercury spills.

Sources of elemental mercury (Hg0) include old natural gas regulators, manometers, sphygmomanometers, thermometers, and thermostats. Causes of Hg0 spills include improper storage, container breakage, children playing with Hg0, the breakage of devices containing Hg0, and ritualistic use of Hg0. Inhalation is the primary exposure route for Hg0. Mercury released into the environment can enter lakes and streams, where bacteria convert it into methylmercury, which bioaccumulates in fish. Chronic exposure to Hg0 vapors can damage the kidneys and neurologic system. Short-term exposure to high levels of Hg0 vapors may cause lung damage, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increases in blood pressure or heart rate, skin rashes, and eye irritation, among other effects. Minimizing Hg0 dispersal is important after an Hg0 spill. Tracking by shoes or apparel or vacuuming can spread Hg0, increasing airborne concentrations and cleanup costs. The Illinois Department of Public Health's response to an Hg0 spill depends on the size of the spill. Airborne concentrations after large spills are mapped with a mercury vapor analyzer (MVA). The cleanup begins with the spill site and any hot spots that were identified with the MVA. Hard surfaces can usually be cleaned, but contaminated porous items must be discarded. Leaving marginally contaminated items outdoors for a month or more during warm weather may dissipate the Hg0. After a cleanup, clearance sampling is conducted to determine if further cleanup is needed. The best way to prevent Hg0 spills is reduce its use. Key words: cleanup, elemental mercury, health effects, mercury, prevention, remediation, spill, spill management.

Accidents↗
PubMed2005

Management of environmental uncertainty in maintenance dredging of polluted harbours in Norway.

High levels of toxic chemicals such as tributyltin (TBT) have been found in the bottom sediments of many Norwegian harbours. Norwegian environmental authorities consider maintenance dredging of such harbours to be potentially harmful to the environment due to the suspension and spread of polluted sediments during the dredging operation. Accordingly, permission to dredge may be denied, or special environmental measures may be required on a case-to-case basis. In this paper, we describe the prevailing uncertainty in the assessment of the environmental effects. Employing Jerome Ravetz' distinction between practical and technical problems in the analysis of a case study from Northern Norway, we show the disadvantages with an exclusive focus on technical solutions. Finally, we discuss informal and simple means to strengthen the presence of the practical problem in the decision process and thereby improve the management of uncertainty.

Environment↗
PubMed2003

A short review of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, and guidelines for managing risks associated with chronic wasting disease in captive cervids in zoos.

The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) represent an emerging group of diseases that have been labeled as "prion diseases" because of the recent characterization of the infectious agent. TSEs are caused by prions, which induce neurodegenerative fatal diseases in humans and animals. Some TSEs (scrapie and kuru), have existed in both animals and humans for a very long time, whereas others such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease have either recently emerged or are more thoroughly described and recognized. It is obvious that the medical community will be forced to consider these diseases in humans and animals for the future. This article offers a short review of the TSEs of immediate concern to zoo and wildlife veterinarians and wildlife biologists and suggests risk management strategies for the prevention of these diseases, with special focus on chronic wasting disease of cervids in North America.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A rating system for determination of hazardous wastes.

Although hazardous waste lists and their classification methodologies are nearly the same in most of the countries, there are some gaps and subjectiveness in determining the waste as hazardous waste. A rating system for the determination of waste as a hazardous waste is presented in this study which aims to overcome the problems resulted from the existing methodologies. Overall rating value (ORV) calculates and quantifies the waste as regular, non-regular or hazardous waste in an "hourglass" scale. "ORV" as a cumulative-linear formulation in proposed model consists of components such as ecological effects of the waste (Ee) in terms of four main hazard criteria: ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity and toxicity; combined potential risk (CPR) including carcinogenic effect, toxic, infectious and persistence characteristics; existing lists and their methodology (L) and decision factor (D) to separate regular and non-regular waste. Physical form (f) and quantity (Q) of the waste are considered as factors of these components. Seventeen waste samples from different sources are evaluated to demonstrate the simulation of the proposed model by using "hourglass" scale. The major benefit of the presented rating system is to ease the works of decision makers in managing the wastes.

Hazardous Waste↗