Search

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

The disposal of used vehicle tires at the end of their life time, is a significant environmental concern. There is need for specific legislative framework, regulating their disposal, after these are replaced, however, there are several options for further processing. In the framework of circular economy, recovery methods and new applications for the material are available. This paper examines the life cycle environmental impacts of the pyrolysis of End of Life (EoL) tires and the use of the produced Tire Pyrolysis Oil (TPO) for generation, presenting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for a 17.8 MW designed generation unit in Cyprus. The boundaries of the system under study start from the receipt of shredded used tyres, and include the pyrolysis process, the electricity generation and the management of by-products, pollutants and waste for a case study about a unit designed to operate in Cyprus. Two Functional Units (FU) are used, 1 Kg of TPO and 1 MWh of produced electricity. A detailed Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is presented and moreover, by applying the CML 2001 impact characterization method, the magnitude of a number of characterization factors are calculated for both of them. These results are compared to the respective of Light Fuel Oil (LFO) and of Cyprus grid electricity as alternatives. While, the TPO found to have lower environmental impact than LFO for all the impact categories, the production of electricity at the unit cause higher potential of depletion of abiotic resources – elements and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential than the grid electricity. Specifically, the first, for 1 MWh produced in the unit under study, is 0.00026 kg antimony eq. and the second 171666.4 kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene eq., while for 1 MWh of Cyprus grid electricity they are 0.00013 kg antimony eq. and 136095.2 kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene eq., respectively. A contribution analysis, for these two impact categories is presented, showing that the use of urea and the production of solid waste

Senate bills introduced February 1, 2024.

The problem of indiscriminate waste disposal dates back to the earliest urban settlements in human society. The trend has been on the increase across many societies including Nigeria. This paper examined the nature and effect of waste generated in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted the Reasoned Action Theory to explain the nature of waste generated in the study area. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of400 respondents was drawn through simple random, systematic sampling, clustered and purposive sampling techniques in the selection of Local Government Areas, electoral wards, towns/villages, main streets, houses, households and individuals. Primary data were generated through the use of questionnaire and in-depth interview. The questionnaire copies were analysed quantitatively using simple percentage while test frequency tables, mean and in-depth interview were unbundled using content analysis. The findings revealed that decomposed food items, empty sachet water packs and water bottles, empty engine oil gallons, used and unused drinking straw, sachets of all kinds, biscuit, condemned zincs and building materials were the solid wastes indiscriminately disposed in the study area. The study recommends that the Nasarawa State Waste Management Board should intensify the collection of solid wastes from the doorsteps of residents for appropriate recycling to mitigate the associated health and environmental hazards associated with the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in the study area.&nbsp

The problem of indiscriminate waste disposal dates back to the earliest urban settlements in human society. The trend has been on the increase across many societies including Nigeria. This paper examined the nature and effect of waste generated in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted the Reasoned Action Theory to explain the nature of waste generated in the study area. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of400 respondents was drawn through simple random, systematic sampling, clustered and purposive sampling techniques in the selection of Local Government Areas, electoral wards, towns/villages, main streets, houses, households and individuals. Primary data were generated through the use of questionnaire and in-depth interview. The questionnaire copies were analysed quantitatively using simple percentage while test frequency tables, mean and in-depth interview were unbundled using content analysis. The findings revealed that decomposed food items, empty sachet water packs and water bottles, empty engine oil gallons, used and unused drinking straw, sachets of all kinds, biscuit, condemned zincs and building materials were the solid wastes indiscriminately disposed in the study area. The study recommends that the Nasarawa State Waste Management Board should intensify the collection of solid wastes from the doorsteps of residents for appropriate recycling to mitigate the associated health and environmental hazards associated with the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in the study area.&nbsp

Una de las grandes problemáticas que tiene cualquier ciudad en el mundo es la disposición y el tratamiento de los residuos generados por los hogares, comercios e industrias, y más aún cuando hay diferentes iniciativas a nivel mundial y Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible encaminadas a la protección del medio ambiente. El reto en torno a este tema es lograr que los diferentes usuarios del sistema separen adecuadamente los residuos inservibles, reciclables y orgánicos. Sin embargo, una vez logrado esto se tiene que buscar la disposición y el tratamiento independiente de estos tres. Alrededor del mundo se han desarrollado diferentes estrategias entorno al tratamiento del material reciclable y el uso de rellenos sanitarios para la disposición final de los residuos inservibles, pero aún son pocas las entidades territoriales que tienen un progreso significativo en el tratamiento de los residuos orgánicos. En la mayoría de los casos, estos últimos terminan en los rellenos sanitarios junto con todo el material inservible, generando una serie de líquidos lixiviados los cuales son sumamente nocivos para el medio ambiente, en especial para las fuentes hídricas. En este proyecto se utilizan técnicas de aprendizaje de máquinas para modelar y predecir la generación municipal de residuos orgánicos, que será la materia prima de una planta de residuos orgánicos. Al ser este un servicio público y operar con recursos públicos tiene la obligación de ser lo más eficiente posible, de tal manera que los recursos que se utilicen en la planta para tratar los residuos orgánicos, como mano de obra u otros insumos químicos u orgánicos, no sean excesivos y se malgaste el presupuesto; o por el contrario sean pocos y no se tenga la capacidad de tratar el 100% de los residuos orgánicos, y que estos terminen en el relleno sanitario generando un sinnúmero de complicaciones. El modelado y predicción de la generación de residuos orgánicos brinda información que permita la operación eficiente de una pla

I Sverige finns det idag cirka 86 000 inventerade områden som är eller misstänks vara förorenade. Ett förorenat område kan ha en skadlig effekt på människor, djur och miljö vid exponering av föroreningarna. Områden som är förorenade kan därför behöva behandlas för att lokalt förbättra markkvalitén och för att minska risker. Ett problem som börjat uppmärksammas i branschen är att saneringar av mark också kan leda till betydande negativa konsekvenser som till exempel utsläpp av växthusgaser och nyttjande av fossila resurser. Bland annat riskeras det svenska miljömålet ”Begränsad klimatpåverkan” att inte uppnås om ingenting förändras. Den vanligaste metoden för att efterbehandla ett förorenat område i Sverige är genom schaktsanering. Studiens syfte var att undersöka klimatpåverkan och resurshanteringen från schaktsanering genom att göra en livscykelanalys på metoden. Metodens klimatpåverkan jämfördes också med andra saneringsmetoder. Resultaten visade att för schaktsanering bidrog transport och deponiarbetet till den största klimatpåverkan och resursanvändningen. Genom minskade transportavstånd, användning av fordon med lägre energiåtgång per transportarbete eller utbyte mot mer förnyelsebara drivmedel sågs miljöpåverkan minska. Deponering av massor sågs dessutom vara energikrävande, varpå incitament för att återvinna och återanvända massor i högre utsträckning än vad det görs idag efterfrågas. I jämförelse med andra saneringsmetoder sågs biokol vara den metod som gav upphov till en relativt liten klimatpåverkan. Dessutom medförde biokol en mer resurseffektiv avfallshantering i och med minskad deponering av jord, organiskt avfall och uttag av jungfruliga råvaror för återfyllnad., In Sweden, there are currently approximately 86,000 inventoried sites that are identified as being contaminated. A contaminated site can have a harmful effect on humans, animals and the environment when exposed to the contaminants. Contaminated areas may therefore need to be remediated to locally improve soil quality and to reduce risks. A problem that has been noticed in the industry is that remediation of land can also lead to significant negative environmental consequences, such as the release of greenhouse gases and the use of fossil resources. For example, the Swedish environmental quality objective "Reduced climate impact" might not be achieved unless there are improvements. The most common method to remediate a contaminated site in Sweden is through “dig and dump”. The purpose of this study was to investigate the climate impact and resource usage from “dig and dump” by performing a life cycle assessment of this most common remediation method. The climate impact of the method was also compared with other remediation methods. The results showed that for “dig and dump”, transports and landfill of the soil contributed to the greatest climate impact and resource use. Through reduced transport distances, use of vehicles with lower energy consumption or exchange for more renewable fuels, the environmental impact was reduced. Landfilling of excavated soil was also energy demanding, and incentives to recycle and reuse soil to a greater extent than is done today are preferred. In comparison with other remediation methods, biochar was a method that caused a relatively small climate impact. In addition, biochar led to a more resource-efficient waste management through reduced disposal of soil, organic waste, and extraction of virgin raw materials for refilling.

This study exercises a new mathematical model to search for unappreciated therapeutic targets in Alzheimer’s disease. The model describes detailed mechanisms underlying the glymphatic pump mechanism, which removes toxic proteins of Alzheimer’s disease from the interstitial fluid of the brain. It shows that the glymphatic pump is driven by the amplitude of intracranial pressure pulsations in the subarachnoid space, which are correlated with the arterial pulse and modulated by many other factors. Implementing ways to increase intracranial pressure pulses quickly comes to mind as a potential treatment strategy. Specific interventions include drugs that increase arterial pulse volume and small devices similar to balloon pumps to create increased subarachnoid pressure pulsations. Computer simulations of such balloon-like pumps, expanding and contracting in synchrony with the heartbeat, show effective enhancement of subarachnoid space pressure pulsations and resulting interstitial fluid flow in the brain. Design concepts for both totally implanted and externally wearable pumps are presented.

Subsurface treatment systems, such as constructed wetlands, riverbank filtration systems, and managed aquifer recharge systems, offer a low-cost means of removing trace organic contaminants from treated municipal wastewater. To assess the processes through which trace organic contaminants are removed in subsurface treatment systems, pharmaceuticals and several major metabolites were measured in porewater, sediment, and plants within a horizontal levee (i.e., a subsurface flow wetland that receives treated municipal wastewater). Concentrations of trace organic contaminants in each wetland compartment rapidly declined along the flow path. Mass balance calculations, analysis of transformation products, microcosm experiments, and one-dimensional transport modeling demonstrated that more than 60% of the contaminant removal could be attributed to transformation. Monitoring of the system with and without nitrate in the wetland inflow indicated that relatively biodegradable trace organic contaminants, such as acyclovir and metoprolol, were rapidly transformed under both operating conditions. Trace organic contaminants that are normally persistent in biological treatment systems (e.g., sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine) were removed only when Fe(III)- and sulfate-reducing conditions were observed. Minor structural modifications to trace organic contaminants (e.g., hydroxylation) altered the pathways and extents of trace organic contaminant transformation under different redox conditions. These findings indicate that subsurface treatment systems can be designed to remove both labile and persistent trace organic contaminants via transformation if they are designed and operated in a manner that results in sulfate-and Fe(III)-reducing conditions.

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of the business-type activities and each major fund of the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority (the Authority), as of and for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the authority's basic financial statements as listed in the table of contents.

A new bridge was built in Kalix, northern Sweden, to replace an existing prestressed concrete box-girder bridge that had been in service for over 60 years. The old bridge had a total length of 283.6 m divided into five spans: 43.9 m, 47.0 m, 94.0 m, 47.0 m, and 43.9 m. It was constructed using the balanced cantilever method with segments having lengths of around 3.0 m. The need for replacement arose from recommendations extracted from an assessment of the old bridge's state and capacity. In addition to the construction of the new bridge, its replacement necessitated the creation and evaluation of demolition procedure for the existing bridge. This procedure had to be carefully designed to avoid damaging the new bridge and stability-related issues but also to prevent debris from falling into the Kalix River, which is part of a Natura 2000 protected area. This paper discusses various issues considered while developing the demolition strategy, including the use of bed-rock anchored tendons, intermediate support fixing at specific locations, and proper evaluation of position of the demolition equipment supported by the bridge, among others. The problem of disposing of the demolished material is also discussed., Funder: NCC Infrastructure, Civil Engineering Division, Sweden;Full text license: CC BY

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

El proyecto Diseño Red De Valor Verde Para Las Operaciones en Plataforma del Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado Luis Carlos Sarmiento, plantea una mejora sostenible para el manejo de residuos sólidos generados dentro de la operación. El estudio se desarrolla a través de la aplicación de métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos de investigación. En la primera etapa, se realizó una contextualización, caracterización y definición del problema central mediante fuentes secundarias de información. Se identificó la falta de gestión de residuos por parte de los tenedores de espacio. Posteriormente se realizó un análisis, caracterización y documentación del funcionamiento de las redes de valor según su aplicación. Adicionalmente se identificó la incidencia de los integradores en la gestión de procesos de los residuos sólidos y los impactos ambientales en la operación.

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

I Sverige finns det idag cirka 86 000 inventerade områden som är eller misstänks vara förorenade. Ett förorenat område kan ha en skadlig effekt på människor, djur och miljö vid exponering av föroreningarna. Områden som är förorenade kan därför behöva behandlas för att lokalt förbättra markkvalitén och för att minska risker. Ett problem som börjat uppmärksammas i branschen är att saneringar av mark också kan leda till betydande negativa konsekvenser som till exempel utsläpp av växthusgaser och nyttjande av fossila resurser. Bland annat riskeras det svenska miljömålet ”Begränsad klimatpåverkan” att inte uppnås om ingenting förändras. Den vanligaste metoden för att efterbehandla ett förorenat område i Sverige är genom schaktsanering. Studiens syfte var att undersöka klimatpåverkan och resurshanteringen från schaktsanering genom att göra en livscykelanalys på metoden. Metodens klimatpåverkan jämfördes också med andra saneringsmetoder. Resultaten visade att för schaktsanering bidrog transport och deponiarbetet till den största klimatpåverkan och resursanvändningen. Genom minskade transportavstånd, användning av fordon med lägre energiåtgång per transportarbete eller utbyte mot mer förnyelsebara drivmedel sågs miljöpåverkan minska. Deponering av massor sågs dessutom vara energikrävande, varpå incitament för att återvinna och återanvända massor i högre utsträckning än vad det görs idag efterfrågas. I jämförelse med andra saneringsmetoder sågs biokol vara den metod som gav upphov till en relativt liten klimatpåverkan. Dessutom medförde biokol en mer resurseffektiv avfallshantering i och med minskad deponering av jord, organiskt avfall och uttag av jungfruliga råvaror för återfyllnad., In Sweden, there are currently approximately 86,000 inventoried sites that are identified as being contaminated. A contaminated site can have a harmful effect on humans, animals and the environment when exposed to the contaminants. Contaminated areas may therefore need to be remediated to locally improve soil quality and to reduce risks. A problem that has been noticed in the industry is that remediation of land can also lead to significant negative environmental consequences, such as the release of greenhouse gases and the use of fossil resources. For example, the Swedish environmental quality objective "Reduced climate impact" might not be achieved unless there are improvements. The most common method to remediate a contaminated site in Sweden is through “dig and dump”. The purpose of this study was to investigate the climate impact and resource usage from “dig and dump” by performing a life cycle assessment of this most common remediation method. The climate impact of the method was also compared with other remediation methods. The results showed that for “dig and dump”, transports and landfill of the soil contributed to the greatest climate impact and resource use. Through reduced transport distances, use of vehicles with lower energy consumption or exchange for more renewable fuels, the environmental impact was reduced. Landfilling of excavated soil was also energy demanding, and incentives to recycle and reuse soil to a greater extent than is done today are preferred. In comparison with other remediation methods, biochar was a method that caused a relatively small climate impact. In addition, biochar led to a more resource-efficient waste management through reduced disposal of soil, organic waste, and extraction of virgin raw materials for refilling.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are found in wastewater, and thus, the environment. In this study, current knowledge about the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in aquatic systems-including wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and natural waters around the world-is critically reviewed to inform the state of the science and highlight existing knowledge gaps. Excretion by humans is the primary route of PPCPs entry into municipal wastewater systems, but significant contributions also occur through emissions from hospitals, PPCPs manufacturers, and agriculture. Abundance of PPCPs in raw wastewater is influenced by several factors, including the population density and demography served by WWTPs, presence of hospitals and drugs manufacturers in the sewershed, disease burden of the population served, local regulations, and climatic conditions. Based on the data obtained from WWTPs, analgesics, antibiotics, and stimulants (e.g., caffeine) are the most abundant PPCPs in raw wastewater. In conventional WWTPs, most removal of PPCPs occurs during secondary treatment, and overall removal exceeds 90% for treatable PPCPs. Regardless, the total PPCP mass discharged with effluent by an average WWTP into receiving waters (7.35-20,160 g/day) is still considerable, because potential adverse effects of some PPCPs (such as ibuprofen) on aquatic organisms occur within measured concentrations found in surface waters.

Energy recovery from waste presents a promising alternative for several countries, including Ghana, which has struggled with unsustainable waste treatment methods and an inadequate power supply for several decades. The current study adopts a comprehensive multi-criteria decision-making approach for the selection of an optimal waste-to-energy (WtE) technology for implementation in Ghana. Four WtE technologies are evaluated against twelve selection criteria. An integrated AHP-fuzzy TOPSIS method is applied to estimate the criteria’s weights and rank the WtE alternatives. From the AHP results, technical criteria obtained the highest priority weight, while social criteria emerged as the least important in the selection process. The overall ranking order of WtE technologies obtained by fuzzy TOPSIS is as follows: anaerobic digestion > gasification > pyrolysis > plasma gasification. The sensitivity analysis indicates highly consistent and sturdy results regarding the optimal selection. This study recommends adopting a hybrid system of anaerobic digestion and gasification technologies, as this offers a well-balanced system under all of the evaluation criteria compared to the standalone systems. The results of the current study may help the government of Ghana and other prospective investors select a suitable WtE technology, and could serve as an index system for future WtE research in Ghana. © 2022 by the authors.

Under de senaste åren har intresset för och arbetet med hållbar utveckling blivit en självklarhet i många organisationer. Trots den ansedda självklarheten finns det underliggande anledningar till varför organisationer väljer att arbeta på särskilda sätt. Anledningarna kan komma från bland annat interna åsikter, krav från politiker, viljan att vara bäst eller att tjäna pengar. Att välartade strategier för avfallshantering, som en del av hållbar utveckling, ska finnas på festivaler runt om i Sverige är en självklarhet för många besökare. Valen kring hur festivaler väljer att hantera avfall kan komma att påverkas av olika drivkrafter som alla spelar en roll i vilket beslut som tas. Studiens huvudfokus är att få en djupare förståelse för varför festivalarrangörer tillämpar särskilda strategier i relation till avfallshantering, och därmed förstå vad deras drivkrafter är. För att skapa förståelsen tillämpar studien ramverket Drivers to Sustainability som hänvisar till att det finns strategiska, interna och externa drivkrafter som ligger bakom organisationers val. Studien har tillämpat en kvalitativ metod för den empiriska datainsamlingen i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer, med ett fokus på festivalarrangörer som en del av urvalet. De nämnda drivkrafterna appliceras på vad studiens urval av organisationer diskuterar, om deras arbete med avfallshantering, under intervjuerna. Resultatet visar att interna drivkrafter är ledande i arbetet för avfallshantering, som en del av ekologisk hållbar utveckling, resultatet visar även på att nyckelbegreppet socialt ansvarstagande är den drivkraft som är ledande som svar på varför organisationerna väljer att avfallshantera eller arbeta med hållbar utveckling överlag. Det kom även fram i resultatet att ett flertal drivkrafter, som kan anses vara viktiga, inte framkom alls som anledningar till festivalarrangörernas val., In recent years, the interest in and work with sustainable development has become a matter of course in many organizations. Despite the perceived obviousness, there are underlying reasons as to why organizations choose to work in specific ways. The reasons can come from, among other things, internal opinions, demands from politicians, the desire to be the best or to make money. That well-known strategies for waste management, as part of sustainable development, should exist at festivals around Sweden is a matter of course for many visitors. The choices regarding how festivals choose to handle their waste may be influenced by different driving forces, all of which play a role in which decision is made. The main focus of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of why festival producers apply certain strategies in relation to waste management, and thus understand what their driving forces are. To create this understanding, the study applies the framework Drivers to Sustainability, which refers to the fact that there are strategic, internal and external driving forces behind organizations' choices. The study has applied a qualitative method for the empirical data collection in the form of semi-structured interviews, with a focus on festival producers as part of the selection. The mentioned driving forces are applied to what the study's selection of organizations discuss about their work with waste management, during the interviews. The results show that internal driving forces are leaders in the work for waste management, as part of ecologically sustainable development. The results also show that the key concept social responsibility is the driving force that is leading in response to why organizations choose to manage waste or work with sustainable development in general. It also emerged from the results that a number of, what can be considered important, driving forces were not seen at all as reasons behind the festival producers' choices. The study will be prese

Der Beitrag setzt sich mit der Frage auseinander, ob die Forschung von Elinor Ostrom zur Commons Governance neue Deutungsmöglichkeiten in Bezug auf derzeitige Institutionalisierungs­prozesse im Verfahren der Standortsuche und generell für den Um­gang mit hochradioaktiven Abfällen eröffnen kann. Basierend auf teil­nehmenden Beobachtungen werden Hypothesen entwickelt, inwieweit dabei Logiken des Commoning verfolgt werden und erste Ergebnisse präsentiert., This article addresses the question of whether Elinor Ostrom's research on commons governance can open up new interpretive possibilities with regard to current institutionalization processes in the site selection process and for dealing with high-level radioactive waste in general. Based on passive observations, hypotheses are developed as to what extent logics of commoning are pursued, and preliminary results are presented.

We examine the realization of the umbrella promise to assume national responsibility for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Three case studies are used to illustrate how Finland delivers on the promise to take care of its own nuclear waste - a promise that has greatly contributed to the legitimacy of nuclear power in Finland. The article shows how this promise is being challenged by new competitors, business visionaries, and the public. The case studies illustrate the tensions between those who made the promise and the actors who interpret and mobilize the promise for varying purposes and under changing circumstances. We investigate techno-scientific promises by looking at debates about (1) the idea of a national solution, (2) the limitations that the promise of a national solution places on international business opportunities in the waste sector, and (3) the challenges related to credibility and spatial requirements in managing waste from small modular reactors., Wir untersuchen die Umsetzung des Versprechens zur nationalen Verantwortung für die Endlagerung von abgebrannten Kernbrennstoffen. Anhand von drei Fallbeispielen wird gezeigt, wie Finnland das Versprechen umsetzt, sich um seinen eigenen Atommüll zu kümmern - ein Versprechen, das wesentlich zur Legitimität der Kernenergie in Finnland beigetragen hat. Der Artikel zeigt, wie dieses Versprechen durch neue Wettbewerber, unternehmerische Visionäre und die Öffentlichkeit infrage gestellt wird. Die untersuchten Fälle veranschaulichen die Spannungen zwischen denen, die das Versprechen abgegeben haben, und den Akteuren, die das Versprechen für unterschiedliche Zwecke und unter sich ändernden Umständen interpretieren und mobilisieren. Wir untersuchen technisch-wissenschaftliche Versprechen anhand von Debatten über (1) die Idee einer nationalen Lösung, (2) die Einschränkungen, die das Versprechen einer nationalen Lösung für internationale Geschäftsmöglichkeiten im Abfallbereich mit sich bringt, und (3) die Herausforderungen in Bezug auf Glaubwürdigkeit und räumliche Anforderungen bei der Entsorgung von Abfällen aus kleinen modularen Reaktoren.

The future is unpredictable. Under these circumstances, how can we plan and construct a nuclear waste repository that is supposed to safely store the waste for up to a million years - an endeavor that may in itself take more than a hundred years? In this introduction to the special topic on the future of nuclear waste disposal, we take a first look at this question by searching the literature for answers and by giving a short overview of the current status of site selection in different countries, including possible challenges., Die Zukunft ist unvorhersehbar. Wie können wir unter diesen Umständen ein Endlager für nukleare Abfälle planen und errichten, das die Abfälle für bis zu eine Million Jahre sicher aufbewahren soll - ein Unterfangen, das an sich schon mehr als hundert Jahre dauern kann? In dieser Einleitung zum Schwerpunktheft über die Zukunft der Atommüllentsorgung werfen wir einen ersten Blick auf diese Frage, indem wir in der Literatur nach Antworten suchen und einen kurzen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der Standortwahl in verschiedenen Ländern geben, einschließlich möglicher Herausforderungen.

Of the three main time horizons specified in the German Repository Site Selection Act (the year 2031, 500 years after closure and one million years), the current public discourse largely neglects the “medium term”. However, many important choices will have to be made during this period. The article discusses different conceptions of time that could help to improve public understanding of the time horizons for high-level radioactive waste disposal and the decisions that still lie ahead., Von den drei wesentlichen im Standortauswahlgesetz genannten zeitlichen Horizonten (das Jahr 2031, 500 Jahre nach Verschluss und eine Million Jahre) wird die mittlere Perspektive im gegenwärtigen öffentlichen Diskurs meist vernachlässigt. Allerdings werden in diesem Zeitraum viele wichtige Entscheidungen zu treffen sein. Der Artikel diskutiert unterschiedliche Zeitkonzepte, die dabei helfen könnten, das öffentliche Verständnis für die Zeithorizonte der Entsorgung hochradioaktiver Reststoffe sowie die noch anstehenden Entscheidungen zu verbessern.

The central importance of public participation in the search for a repository site for high-level radioactive waste is already recognized both in Germany and in other countries. In this paper, we argue that public participation will have to play a role after site selection as well, especially in the political and sociotechnical decisions in the next stages of the final disposal process. The form of citizen participation should correspond to the specific tasks and follow the principles of safety and justice. In order to show in which cases these principles apply and which form of participation would then be appropriate, we analyze three aspects of participation (co-determination, co-design, and involvement) and look at two cases: the decision on the sealing of the repository and the design of compensations., Die zentrale Bedeutung der Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung bei der Standortsuche für ein Endlager für hochradioaktive Abfälle ist sowohl in Deutschland als auch in anderen Ländern bereits anerkannt. Wir vertreten in diesem Beitrag die These, dass Bürgerbeteiligung auch nach der Standortentscheidung eine Rolle spielen sollte, insbesondere bei den politischen und soziotechnischen Entscheidungen in den nächsten Etappen des Endlagerungsprozesses. Die Form der Bürgerbeteiligung sollte den konkreten Aufgaben entsprechen und auf den Prinzipien Sicherheit und Gerechtigkeit beruhen. Um zu zeigen, in welchen Fällen diese Prinzipien Anwendung finden und welche Beteiligungsform dann angemessen ist, analysieren wir drei Aspekte von Beteiligung (Mitbestimmung, Mitgestaltung und Mitwirkung) und betrachten dazu zwei Fälle: die Entscheidung über den Verschluss des Endlagerbergwerks und die Kompensationsmaßnahmen.

Intergenerational justice is an inherent component of nuclear waste management. By looking at challenges of intergenerational justice at various stages of the repository siting process, the following thesis is discussed: Current generations can anticipate notions of intergenerational justice by applying high procedural standards to enable equitable distribution between generations and thus adequately recognize the needs of future generations. Applying high standards in this context means a constantly critical, reflexive, and open process, without bias or selfishness. This requires representative bodies such as the German Council of the Young Generation ('Rat der jungen Generation') that act as a bridge to future generations., Intergenerationale Gerechtigkeit ist ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der nuklearen Abfallentsorgung. Anhand von Herausforderungen der intergenerationalen Gerechtigkeit während verschiedener Phasen des Standortauswahlverfahrens und der Endlagerung wird die folgende These diskutiert: Heutige Generationen können Vorstellungen von intergenerationaler Gerechtigkeit durch die Anwendung hoher Verfahrensstandards antizipieren, um eine gerechte Verteilung zwischen den Generationen zu ermöglichen und damit Bedürfnisse künftiger Generationen angemessen zu berücksichtigen. Die Anwendung hoher Standards bedeutet dabei einen konstant kritischen, reflexiven und offenen Prozess, ohne Voreingenommenheit und Eigennutz. Dies erfordert, dass repräsentative Gremien wie der 'Rat der jungen Generation' als Brücke zu künftigen Generationen fungieren.

Following the work of Barbara Adam (1998) and Ulrike Felt (2016), we draw particular attention to 'timeprints' in the assessment and selection of radioactive waste management (RWM) options. Using the example of Belgium, we identify four different timeprints mobilized (un)consciously by stakeholders when assessing RWM options, namely trajectorism, promise economy, radioactive waste identity, and multi-situated timeprints. We show that each of these timeprints has a significant impact on the RWM option to be considered and actively determines future radioactive waste management pathways in the form of 'tacit governance'., In Anlehnung an die Arbeiten von Barbara Adam (1998) und Ulrike Felt (2016) legen wir besonderes Augenmerk auf die zeitlichen Abläufe bei der Bewertung und Auswahl von Optionen für die Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle (radioactive waste management - RWM). Anhand des Beispiels Belgien identifizieren wir vier verschiedene 'timeprints', die von den Interessenvertretern bei der Bewertung von RWM-Optionen (un)bewusst eingesetzt werden, nämlich 'trajectorism', wirtschaftliche Versprechen, Identität radioaktiver Abfälle und 'multi-situated timeprints'. Wir zeigen auf, dass jede dieser 'timeprints' einen wesentlichen Einfluss auf die in Betracht zu ziehenden RWM-Optionen hat und die zukünftigen Entsorgungswege für solche Abfälle in Form einer 'tacit governance' aktiv mitbestimmt.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are found in wastewater, and thus, the environment. In this study, current knowledge about the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in aquatic systems-including wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and natural waters around the world-is critically reviewed to inform the state of the science and highlight existing knowledge gaps. Excretion by humans is the primary route of PPCPs entry into municipal wastewater systems, but significant contributions also occur through emissions from hospitals, PPCPs manufacturers, and agriculture. Abundance of PPCPs in raw wastewater is influenced by several factors, including the population density and demography served by WWTPs, presence of hospitals and drugs manufacturers in the sewershed, disease burden of the population served, local regulations, and climatic conditions. Based on the data obtained from WWTPs, analgesics, antibiotics, and stimulants (e.g., caffeine) are the most abundant PPCPs in raw wastewater. In conventional WWTPs, most removal of PPCPs occurs during secondary treatment, and overall removal exceeds 90% for treatable PPCPs. Regardless, the total PPCP mass discharged with effluent by an average WWTP into receiving waters (7.35-20,160 g/day) is still considerable, because potential adverse effects of some PPCPs (such as ibuprofen) on aquatic organisms occur within measured concentrations found in surface waters.

Here, cell wall of a zygomycete fungus, Rhizopus delemar, grown on bread waste was wet spun into monofilaments. Using the whole cell wall material omits the common chitosan isolation and purification steps and leads to higher material utilization. The fungal cell wall contained 36.9% and 19.7% chitosan and chitin, respectively. Solid state NMR of the fungal cell wall material confirmed the presence of chitosan, chitin, and other carbohydrates. Hydrogels were prepared by ultrafine grinding of the cell wall, followed by addition of lactic acid to protonate the amino groups of chitosan, and subsequently wet spun into monofilaments. The monofilament inhibited the growth of Bacillus megaterium (Gram+ bacterium) and Escherichia coli (Gram- bacterium) significantly (92.2% and 99.7% respectively). Cytotoxicity was evaluated using an in vitro assay with human dermal fibroblasts, indicating no toxic inducement from exposure of the monofilaments. The antimicrobial and biocompatible fungal monofilaments, open new avenues for sustainable biomedical textiles from abundant food waste., QC 20230111

The SKB GroundWater Flow and Transport of Solutes Task Force is an international forum in the area of conceptual and numerical modeling of groundwater flow and solute transport in fractured rocks relevant for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. Two in situ matrix diffusion experiments in crystalline rock (gneiss) were performed at POSIVA’s ONKALO underground facility in Finland. Synthetic groundwater containing several conservative and sorbing radiotracers was injected at one end of a borehole interval and flowed along a thin annulus toward the opposite end. Several teams performed predictive modeling of the tracer breakthrough curves using “conventional” modeling approaches (constant diffusion and sorption in the rock, no or minimum rock heterogeneity). Supporting information, derived from small-scale laboratory experiments, was provided. The teams were free to implement different concepts, use different codes, and apply the transport and retention parameters that they considered to be most suited (i.e., not a benchmark exercise). The main goal was the comparison of the different sets of results and the analysis of the possible differences for this relatively simple experimental setup with a well-defined geometry. Even though the experiment was designed to study matrix diffusion, the calculated peaks of the breakthrough curves were very sensitive to the assumed magnitude of dispersion in the borehole annulus. However, given the very different timescales for advection and matrix diffusion, the tails of the curves provided information concerning diffusion and retention in the rock matrix regardless of the magnitude of dispersion. In addition, although the task was designed to be a blind modeling exercise, the model results have also been compared to the measured experimental breakthroughs. Experimental results tend to show relatively small activities, wide breakthroughs, and early first arrivals, which are somewhat similar to model results using large, QC 20220608

The generation and disposal of solid waste is an intrinsic part of any developing society when not properly manage will result to environmental land degradation and eventual threat to the physical environment. Generation of waste in large volume does not constitute a problem but inability to dispose them off on time and properly by individuals and governments. The aim of this paper is to examine solid waste generation, how wastes are dispose off and the management strategies employed in the study area. Information was obtained using a total of 250 copies of questionnaire administered to residents using random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to present and analyse the data while chi-square was used to test the hypothesis. The study revealed that there are different types of waste generated and various methods used in disposing solid waste such as open dumpsite, in drains and streets, into streams and river channels, nearby bush, burning and excavation by waste management. This paper recommends that Storage bins should be provided for each household at a reasonable cost. This will make collection easy for the waste collectors, government should increase and improve on the funds allocated to waste management operators to carry out their management responsibilities and the waste management authority should educate the citizens on proper storage of waste and thus to ensure good living environment.

Knowledge about a wide variety of aspects is fundamental for the safe management and disposal of radioactive waste. This importance of Knowledge Management (KM) is also recognised by EURAD, the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (RWM), which brings together over 100 organisations from different countries and backgrounds (Waste Management Organisations, Technical Support Organisations, and Research Entities). This vast resource of expertise and experience feeds into several dedicated EURAD KM programme activities. One of these activities, led by Work Package 11 State-of-Knowledge (WP11 SoK), is capturing experts' views on the current State-of-Knowledge on topics relevant to RWM and making this knowledge accessible through dedicated documents. For this, EURAD has developed the Goals Breakdown Structure (GBS), which provides a framework in which topics are structured thematically, as well as a hierarchy of documents that allows accessing knowledge on different levels of detail (see EURAD Roadmap). To make this knowledge available, EURAD is currently developing a Wiki (i.e., a web-based resource that allows access to knowledge and collaborative interactions) and is drafting a sustainable Knowledge Management System and other supportive KM-IT tools while already feeding the tools with content. This article gives an insight into the general EURAD KM concept, the approaches used, and the results obtained until EURAD' s mid-term, after 2.5 years.

The generation and disposal of solid waste is an intrinsic part of any developing society when not properly manage will result to environmental land degradation and eventual threat to the physical environment. Generation of waste in large volume does not constitute a problem but inability to dispose them off on time and properly by individuals and governments. The aim of this paper is to examine solid waste generation, how wastes are dispose off and the management strategies employed in the study area. Information was obtained using a total of 250 copies of questionnaire administered to residents using random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to present and analyse the data while chi-square was used to test the hypothesis. The study revealed that there are different types of waste generated and various methods used in disposing solid waste such as open dumpsite, in drains and streets, into streams and river channels, nearby bush, burning and excavation by waste management. This paper recommends that Storage bins should be provided for each household at a reasonable cost. This will make collection easy for the waste collectors, government should increase and improve on the funds allocated to waste management operators to carry out their management responsibilities and the waste management authority should educate the citizens on proper storage of waste and thus to ensure good living environment.

Adequate disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of Serbia’s most complex environmental challenges. The problem is more serious in urban areas, since large amounts of waste are disposed of in locations that do not comply with environmental, technical, and socio-economic standards. Such is the case for the city of Kraljevo, where about 116,000 inhabitants do not have a sanitary landfill facility. This research includes a multi-criteria analysis, conducted with the help of geographic information systems, to find a suitable landfill site location. After data collection, the first step was to process 15 environmental and socio-economic factors utilizing the fuzzy analytic-hierarchy process method. The second step comprised the visual analysis and selection of the ten most suitable locations from the synthetic convenience map. The third step involved the final ranking of sites by means of the fuzzy multi-objective analysis by ratio, plus the full multiplicative form method, based on four additional beneficial and non-beneficial criteria. The results show that sanitary landfill candidate site A4 is the most suitable location for constructing a sanitary landfill site due to its large area (569 ha) and relatively short distance from the urban zone (8 km). This study is the first to integrate geographic information systems and the fuzzy analytic-hierarchy process, multi-objective analysis by ratio, and the full multiplicative form algorithm for sanitary landfill selection. The results of the research can be used as a reference for safe waste disposal in the city of Kraljevo.

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

Under de senaste åren har intresset för och arbetet med hållbar utveckling blivit en självklarhet i många organisationer. Trots den ansedda självklarheten finns det underliggande anledningar till varför organisationer väljer att arbeta på särskilda sätt. Anledningarna kan komma från bland annat interna åsikter, krav från politiker, viljan att vara bäst eller att tjäna pengar. Att välartade strategier för avfallshantering, som en del av hållbar utveckling, ska finnas på festivaler runt om i Sverige är en självklarhet för många besökare. Valen kring hur festivaler väljer att hantera avfall kan komma att påverkas av olika drivkrafter som alla spelar en roll i vilket beslut som tas. Studiens huvudfokus är att få en djupare förståelse för varför festivalarrangörer tillämpar särskilda strategier i relation till avfallshantering, och därmed förstå vad deras drivkrafter är. För att skapa förståelsen tillämpar studien ramverket Drivers to Sustainability som hänvisar till att det finns strategiska, interna och externa drivkrafter som ligger bakom organisationers val. Studien har tillämpat en kvalitativ metod för den empiriska datainsamlingen i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer, med ett fokus på festivalarrangörer som en del av urvalet. De nämnda drivkrafterna appliceras på vad studiens urval av organisationer diskuterar, om deras arbete med avfallshantering, under intervjuerna. Resultatet visar att interna drivkrafter är ledande i arbetet för avfallshantering, som en del av ekologisk hållbar utveckling, resultatet visar även på att nyckelbegreppet socialt ansvarstagande är den drivkraft som är ledande som svar på varför organisationerna väljer att avfallshantera eller arbeta med hållbar utveckling överlag. Det kom även fram i resultatet att ett flertal drivkrafter, som kan anses vara viktiga, inte framkom alls som anledningar till festivalarrangörernas val., In recent years, the interest in and work with sustainable development has become a matter of course in many organizations. Despite the perceived obviousness, there are underlying reasons as to why organizations choose to work in specific ways. The reasons can come from, among other things, internal opinions, demands from politicians, the desire to be the best or to make money. That well-known strategies for waste management, as part of sustainable development, should exist at festivals around Sweden is a matter of course for many visitors. The choices regarding how festivals choose to handle their waste may be influenced by different driving forces, all of which play a role in which decision is made. The main focus of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of why festival producers apply certain strategies in relation to waste management, and thus understand what their driving forces are. To create this understanding, the study applies the framework Drivers to Sustainability, which refers to the fact that there are strategic, internal and external driving forces behind organizations' choices. The study has applied a qualitative method for the empirical data collection in the form of semi-structured interviews, with a focus on festival producers as part of the selection. The mentioned driving forces are applied to what the study's selection of organizations discuss about their work with waste management, during the interviews. The results show that internal driving forces are leaders in the work for waste management, as part of ecologically sustainable development. The results also show that the key concept social responsibility is the driving force that is leading in response to why organizations choose to manage waste or work with sustainable development in general. It also emerged from the results that a number of, what can be considered important, driving forces were not seen at all as reasons behind the festival producers' choices. The study will be prese

WasteWatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions – Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

Food waste remains a large problem globally, not only in the light of global greenhouse gas emissions, but also in the light of decreasing resource availability. Research in this area has so far mainly focused on behavioral factors influencing production of food waste, while the formal and informal institutions that relate to the management of waste play an equally important role in shaping individual and company behavior. This research focuses on how food waste can be better managed among students, one of the biggest food waste contributors in the national food waste account, and other actors, such as companies and supermarkets, which continuously produce a lot of food waste. Accordingly, this thesis asks as a main research question: How do Institutional Barriers and Drivers influence the Food Waste Management of Students and Food Waste Initiatives in Cologne? The case study is the city of Cologne, Germany. The city of Cologne has been chosen as a single-case study due to the fact that it is one of the largest student cities in Germany and also home to many companies and initiatives that are engaging in reducing food waste. Data is collected through literature search, interviews and student surveys. The interviews have been conducted with nine different actors from food waste initiatives, supermarkets or associations. The data from the interviews has ben anonymized for the purposes of this thesis. The research follows an inductive and qualitative approach, which is why the survey that is collecting data from students is not used for statistical analysis. The aim is to find the drivers and barriers for food waste and develop a theory in the best case from it. This research captures the informal institutions (i.e. norms, rules and strategies) that shape student behavior, in conjunction with the strategies of different waste companies and initiatives. These informal institutions are analyzed within the framing of formal rules and regulations relating to food, Master Thesis, Industrial Ecology

The generation and disposal of solid waste is an intrinsic part of any developing society when not properly manage will result to environmental land degradation and eventual threat to the physical environment. Generation of waste in large volume does not constitute a problem but inability to dispose them off on time and properly by individuals and governments. The aim of this paper is to examine solid waste generation, how wastes are dispose off and the management strategies employed in the study area. Information was obtained using a total of 250 copies of questionnaire administered to residents using random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to present and analyse the data while chi-square was used to test the hypothesis. The study revealed that there are different types of waste generated and various methods used in disposing solid waste such as open dumpsite, in drains and streets, into streams and river channels, nearby bush, burning and excavation by waste management. This paper recommends that Storage bins should be provided for each household at a reasonable cost. This will make collection easy for the waste collectors, government should increase and improve on the funds allocated to waste management operators to carry out their management responsibilities and the waste management authority should educate the citizens on proper storage of waste and thus to ensure good living environment.

The article identifies the key factors affecting environmental pollution in the regions of the Russian Federation, in particular in the Sverdlovsk region, and also reveals the degree of influence of these factors on the total environmental index in the subjects of the Russian Federation., В статье выявлены ключевые факторы, влияющие на загрязнение окружающей среды в регионах Российской Федерации, в частности в Свердловской области, а также выявлена степень влияния этих факторов на совокупный экологический индекс в субъектах РФ.

Возможность переработки отходов производства актуальна не только с позиции охраны окружающей среды, но с точки зрения экономической выгоды, так как отходы являются дешевым сырьем. В настоящее времени существует сквозной автоматизации процесса проектирования и подготовки производства с учетом рационального использования отходов, образующихся при раскрое. Целесообразным является разработка программного обеспечения для автоматизации процессов учета отходов, образующихся при раскрое, и проектирования изделий из них., The possibility of recycling production waste is not relevant. only from the point of view of environmental protection, but from the point of view of economic benefits, as waste is a cheap raw material. Currently, there is no end-to-end automation of the design and preparation of production, taking into account the rational use of waste generated during cutting.

Metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) can be found in wastewater streams, which are significant pathways for the release of NPs to the environment. Determination of the NPs concentration in wastewater streams is important for performing appropriate ecotoxicological evaluations. The aim of this work was to determine the incidence of NPs from 13 different elements throughout the wastewater treatment process by using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS). The incidence was determined in samples of the influent, post-primary treatment and effluent of the activated sludge process, as well as in the reclaimed water of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In addition, concentration of NPs was determined in the waste activated sludge and in the anaerobic digester. The concentration of metal-based NPs in the influent wastewater were between 1,600 and 10,700 ng/L for elements such as Ti, Fe, Ce, Mg, Zn and Cu, while that for Ni, Al, Ag, Au, Co and Cd was below 100 ng/L. Concentrations in reclaimed water ranged between 0.6 and 721 ng/L, ranked as Mg > Ti > Fe > Cu > Ni > Ce > Zn > Mn > Al  > Co > Ag > Cd  > Au. Results indicated that the activated sludge process and reclaimed water system removed 84-99% of natural and engineered metal-based NPs from influent to reclaimed water, except for Mg, Ni and Cd where the removal ranged from 70 to 78%. The highest concentrations of NPs were found in the waste activated sludge and anaerobic sludge, ranging from 0.5 to 39,900 ng/L. The size distribution of NPs differed in different wastewater streams within the WWTP, resulting in smaller particles in the effluent (20-180 nm) than in the influent (23-233 nm) for most elements. Conversely, NPs were notably larger in the waste activated sludge samples than in the anaerobic sludge or wastewater, since conditions in the secondary treatment lead to precipitation of several metal-ba

[EN] The article presents the analysis and results of the study of technogenic slag waste of lead-zinc production. Slags of lead-zinc production contain a large number of toxic compounds: lead, zinc, osmium, cadmium, which are dangerous sources of environmental pollution. Due to the open storage of slags, it was found that the maximum permissible concentrations of lead were exceeded. Utilization of man-made slag waste is of great importance for reducing the negative impact on the safety of life and improving the environmental situation in the region. At the same time, slags are valuable raw materials containing compounds of non-ferrous and rare-earth metals. The article shows the results of laboratory studies of slags to determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of valuable components in the waste of lead production and the possibility of their further processing and disposal. Studies of the material of the heavy slag fraction were carried out on an electron probe microanalyzer of the JEOL IXA-8230 Electron Probe microanalyzer brand. X-ray diffractometric analysis of the average slag sample was performed on a DRON-4 diffractometer with Cu radiation, graphite monochromator. Samples were selected heavy fraction and manufactured artificial polished sections (briquettes). The sections were studied under the microscope of the brand LEICA DM 2500P and immersion in liquids. According to the results of research, it was found that lead slags contain a sufficiently high amount of nonferrous metal compounds: lead oxide up to 0.7 % and zinc oxide up to 8.5 % of the weight amount of slag, which makes the process of recycling toxic waste from lead production technically and economically feasible

[EN] The article presents the analysis and results of the study of technogenic slag waste of lead-zinc production. Slags of lead-zinc production contain a large number of toxic compounds: lead, zinc, osmium, cadmium, which are dangerous sources of environmental pollution. Due to the open storage of slags, it was found that the maximum permissible concentrations of lead were exceeded. Utilization of man-made slag waste is of great importance for reducing the negative impact on the safety of life and improving the environmental situation in the region. At the same time, slags are valuable raw materials containing compounds of non-ferrous and rare-earth metals. The article shows the results of laboratory studies of slags to determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of valuable components in the waste of lead production and the possibility of their further processing and disposal. Studies of the material of the heavy slag fraction were carried out on an electron probe microanalyzer of the JEOL IXA-8230 Electron Probe microanalyzer brand. X-ray diffractometric analysis of the average slag sample was performed on a DRON-4 diffractometer with Cu radiation, graphite monochromator. Samples were selected heavy fraction and manufactured artificial polished sections (briquettes). The sections were studied under the microscope of the brand LEICA DM 2500P and immersion in liquids. According to the results of research, it was found that lead slags contain a sufficiently high amount of nonferrous metal compounds: lead oxide up to 0.7 % and zinc oxide up to 8.5 % of the weight amount of slag, which makes the process of recycling toxic waste from lead production technically and economically feasible

As of today, undeniably plastic pollution is a global problem and all the more alarming in fast-emerging regions where the consumption exceeds by far the system’s capacity to handle the generated waste. As a result, by 2040, if we continue the business as usual, there will be twice as much macroplastic generated and three times more plastic leakage into the ocean every year. It is also important to picture that today, only five countries are responsible for half of the plastic in the ocean, all located in Asia: China, Indonesia, The Philippines, Viet Nam and Thailand (25% of the world population). As such, finding local solutions to plastic pollution is essential. However, local organizations and project leaders willing to do so are usually lacking technical or technological knowledge, struggling in understanding what would be the relevant business model to implement in their particular situation, lacking access to sufficient funding, have few or no contacts related to the waste management sector. In this thesis, a two-year R&D process of screening, surveying, and analyzing 350+ local-scale recycling centers has been designed to lead to the creation of an innovative solution, applying this research into a marketable business. NP Analytics is a software-based decision-making tool for local plastic waste management projects design. With NP Analytics, local recycling initiatives will be best advised on (1) suitable technologies and business models to implement, (2) viable funding opportunities and (3) connection with the relevant regional and international network. This solution aims to foster social entrepreneurship, and to create profitable and sustainable plastic recycling centers in developing and emerging countries. Like any model, an iterative process will help refine it along the way with the development of concrete projects, especially the understanding of various social contexts to find the best way to integrate the identified solutions.

Systems for efficient, cost-effective tailings dewatering include ultra-fines separation, slurry thickening, and slurry dewatering. Plate filter presses, belt filter presses, and centrifuges are used in the aggregate and mineral industries. While centrifuges have a smaller footprint than many filter presses, they are generally not as efficient as filter presses, have high investment and operating costs, and are subject to frequent wear issues. Belt filter presses have a low initial capital cost but tend to have high operating and maintenance costs. Recessed plate filter presses separate liquid and solid materials in waste slurries using a high-pressure slurry feed pump to force the slurry into the spaces between the plates. Investment costs can be high as the equipment is usually large. Operating costs are low, however, and there is lower wear parts cost and typically no need for chemical dewatering aids. The high dewatering pressures used produce high cake solids concentrations. Compared with centrifuges and belt filter presses, additional benefits of plate filter presses include the highest amounts of recovered water, the driest cakes, lowest operating costs, lowest waste handling costs, and the most stable solid material generated., Systems for efficient, cost-effective tailings dewatering include ultra-fines separation, slurry thickening, and slurry dewatering. Plate filter presses, belt filter presses, and centrifuges are used in the aggregate and mineral industries. While centrifuges have a smaller footprint than many filter presses, they are generally not as efficient as filter presses, have high investment and operating costs, and are subject to frequent wear issues. Belt filter presses have a low initial capital cost but tend to have high operating and maintenance costs. Recessed plate filter presses separate liquid and solid materials in waste slurries using a high-pressure slurry feed pump to force the slurry into the spaces between the plates. Investment costs can be high as the equipment is usually large. Operating costs are low, however, and there is lower wear parts cost and typically no need for chemical dewatering aids. The high dewatering pressures used produce high cake solids concentrations. Compared with centrifuges and belt filter presses, additional benefits of plate filter presses include the highest amounts of recovered water, the driest cakes, lowest operating costs, lowest waste handling costs, and the most stable solid material generated.

The Itaminas iron ore extraction company of Brazil is using filtering systems and subsequent dry stacking to treat tailings to decommission tailings dams associated with the production of iron ore concentrate. Tests showed that a membrane pressurisation system with water was the best way to achieve the geotechnical moisture content required for dry disposal of the cake, and four Andritz overhead filter presses are being used. The presses have double-opening, double-washer, bilateral feeding and a package of mixed membrane/chamber plates that can be easily accessed from the side. The Metris addIQ Prime control system is being used to maximise performance and operation of the individual machines. The filter presses are achieving a moisture content of around 17% with a cake density of 2.5 t/m3 and a final performance that was 34% higher than expected. The operating cost of filter presses is higher than that of maintaining tailings dams, but the stacks of dry tailings produced are much safer. The water recovered can be used in the production process, with the recovery of clean water currently estimated at around 80%., The Itaminas iron ore extraction company of Brazil is using filtering systems and subsequent dry stacking to treat tailings to decommission tailings dams associated with the production of iron ore concentrate. Tests showed that a membrane pressurisation system with water was the best way to achieve the geotechnical moisture content required for dry disposal of the cake, and four Andritz overhead filter presses are being used. The presses have double-opening, double-washer, bilateral feeding and a package of mixed membrane/chamber plates that can be easily accessed from the side. The Metris addIQ Prime control system is being used to maximise performance and operation of the individual machines. The filter presses are achieving a moisture content of around 17% with a cake density of 2.5 t/m3 and a final performance that was 34% higher than expected. The operating cost of filter presses is higher than that of maintaining tailings dams, but the stacks of dry tailings produced are much safer. The water recovered can be used in the production process, with the recovery of clean water currently estimated at around 80%.

The conventional disposal of slurried tailings in a tailings storage facility (TSF) leads to the formation of a beach, on which the tailings sort hydraulically, settle, consolidate, and desiccate upon exposure. Basic geotechnical testing using samples from a TSF at an Eastern Australian coal mine (such as specific gravity, Atterberg limits, and particle size distribution), found that there was no particular trend of changes in the tailings properties down the beach. The settled sediment found in a settling test was slurry-like and unsuitable for conventional oedometer testing. Constant rate of loading (CRL) consolidation testing is more representative of the continuous disposal of tailings slurry than conventional step loading. Consolidation testing in a slurry consolidometer was conducted and captured from a slurry-like to soil-like state. A slow rate of loading increased the test time, while a too quick rate of loading built up very high excess pore water pressure (PWP). The test results showed different stages of consolidation, depending on excess PWP development and dissipation, and applied stress. (Authors.), The conventional disposal of slurried tailings in a tailings storage facility (TSF) leads to the formation of a beach, on which the tailings sort hydraulically, settle, consolidate, and desiccate upon exposure. Basic geotechnical testing using samples from a TSF at an Eastern Australian coal mine (such as specific gravity, Atterberg limits, and particle size distribution), found that there was no particular trend of changes in the tailings properties down the beach. The settled sediment found in a settling test was slurry-like and unsuitable for conventional oedometer testing. Constant rate of loading (CRL) consolidation testing is more representative of the continuous disposal of tailings slurry than conventional step loading. Consolidation testing in a slurry consolidometer was conducted and captured from a slurry-like to soil-like state. A slow rate of loading increased the test time, while a too quick rate of loading built up very high excess pore water pressure (PWP). The test results showed different stages of consolidation, depending on excess PWP development and dissipation, and applied stress. (Authors.)

A catalogue of real-time instrumentation and monitoring systems for tailings dams has been established, focusing on the instrumentation systems used for transmission of data from instrument to computer. The terminology, specifications, advantages, and disadvantages of each are described. Discussion is presented of instrumentation including: sensor nodes, analogue inputs, data transmission, power requirements, ingress protection, power requirements of sensor networks, operating bandwidth, the software component of information systems, data functionality, and the user interface., A catalogue of real-time instrumentation and monitoring systems for tailings dams has been established, focusing on the instrumentation systems used for transmission of data from instrument to computer. The terminology, specifications, advantages, and disadvantages of each are described. Discussion is presented of instrumentation including: sensor nodes, analogue inputs, data transmission, power requirements, ingress protection, power requirements of sensor networks, operating bandwidth, the software component of information systems, data functionality, and the user interface.