Environmental Point Of View Research Articles

The One Health concept: a holistic approach to protect human and environmental health - how does it work in Total Worker Health strategy.

Human well-being is affected by demographic, geographical, environmental and economic changes in the modern world. Advanced and rapid technological advances have left countries without an adequate structural framework. The One Health concept, rooted in the interconnectedness of human health, animal health and the environment, addresses today's global health challenges. These include non-communicable and zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, ecosystem degradation and food security. All of these require a holistic approach, bringing together multiple disciplines. Therefore, an exploration of the One Health concept was undertaken, which focuses on the collaboration of professionals from different disciplines, as well as looking at human health in a multi-faceted way. The aim of the study was to explore how the One Health concept could contribute to effective pandemic prevention and a broader holistic understanding of human health. It was also relevant to identify its application in occupational medicine. The narrative review was adopted as the research method of choice. The authors emphasise the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, education and international partnerships in preparing for future health emergencies. Human health should not only be assessed from a medical perspective, but also from an environmental point of view. International cooperation is therefore essential to prepare a unified response to threats and challenges. The system of teaching medical personnel needs to be improved, returning to anthropological assumptions. With zoonotic diseases systematically emerging, health professionals should be as prepared as possible for emergencies. Qualified teams are needed to assess risks and hazards in the workplace in a multidisciplinary manner. An in-depth knowledge of zoonotic pathogen transmission is crucial. The impact of environmental degradation on the immune system must be taken into account. A holistic view of workers' health is needed, taking into account ecological, environmental, social and economic factors. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(5).

Safety and Immunogenicity of an FhSAMS Vaccine Against Fasciola hepatica in Dairy Cattle.

Fasciolosis is a parasitosis of great importance for livestock, as well as for public health, as it is considered by the WHO as a neglected disease. Disease control is complex and reinfections make the use of therapeutic products an unsustainable method from an economic, environmental and health point of view. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new vaccine formulation for dairy cattle, containing soluble Fasciola hepatica antigens associated with Montanide 763 AVG and saponin adjuvants (FhSAMS). The vaccine was tested with two protocols, a single dose and a booster dose 6 months after the first dose. The FhSAMS vaccine proved to be safe, with no side effects. Furthermore, it was able to generate a more robust humoral immune response when a six-month booster dose was used, in addition to stimulating greater production of IFN-ʏ, indicating a Th1 profile immune stimulus.

Stimulation of Batch Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion by Cellulose- and Polysaccharide-Derived Polymers in Landfill Leachates

The fate of biobased and biodegradable cellulose-derived plastics in landfills represents an important topic from economic and environmental points of view. Anaerobic digestion is a cost-effective waste-to-energy technology. The behaviour of six polymer types—that is, cellulose (C), cellulose acetate (CA), viscose (V), nanocellulose (NC), acetate textile (AT), and heteropolysaccharide pectin (P)—was studied under anaerobic batch mesophilic conditions in a landfill leachate for 147 days. The cumulative biogas production was as follows: C>V=CA>>AT>>NC=P. Metagenomic analysis revealed notable variations in the proportion of bacterial and archaeal domains with the highest archaeal abundance in the presence of CA (80.2%) and C (78.5%). At the end of digestion, cellulolytic, hydrolytic, and dehydrogenase activities were measured in the intact samples, as well as the liquid and solid fractions, under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Cellulolytic activity in P was detected only in the pellet, while in NC, activity was mostly in the supernatant under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy showed a defragmentation and degradation of polymeric substrates as well as microbial colonisation. Based on the results, landfill leachate is appropriate for the anaerobic biodegradation of cellulose-derived polymers; however, the process is polymer specific.

Transesterification of biodiesel from kapok seed oil (ceiba pentandra) using a natural heterogeneous katalyst (rice husk activation)

Biodiesel as a renewable energy source can be produced by a chemical reaction between vegetable oil or animal fat and short-chain alcohol such as methanol, ethanol or buthanol and is supported by a catalyst. This process is called transesterification. From an environmental point of view, the use of biodiesel has several advantages such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions, being non-toxic and biodegradable. Kapok seed oil has potential for exploitation, particularly as a raw material for the manufacture of biofuel. Kapok seeds (Ceiba pentandra) have the potential to be used as a feedstock for biodiesel because their oil content is quite high, around 18-25% oil. The controlled combustion of rice husks produces ash containing high purity amorphous silica. Amorphous silica can be obtained from RHA (rice husk ash) when rice husk is burned at a temperature of 700°C, and it is transformed into crystalline silica when burned at a temperature above 850 °C. This silica has many applications as a filler, adsorbent, catalyst support, star gel component and source for the production of premium silicon and its compounds. The aim of the research is to determine the transisterification process of biodiesel from kapok (Ceiba pentandra) seed oil. using a natural heterogeneous catalyst in It is an activated rice husk. The method used was the preparation of kapok seed samples and the extraction of sokhlet. Determination of free fatty acids (FFA) in kapok seed oil, activation of rice husk, manufacturing of biodiesel from kapok seed with addition of rice husk H2SO4 as catalyst. The characteristics of the biodiesel produced are Density: 859.88572 kg/m3 (SNI: 7182:2015) = 850-890 kg/m3), Viscosity: 2.45824 cSt (SNI: 7182:2015) = 2.3 – 6, 0 cSt, Calorific value: 7,374.5322 cal/g (SNI: 7182; 2015) = 7,100 -11,000 cal/ g, Devil's number: 48 (ASTM: D6751) = 47. Meanwhile, GC-MS with the highest values at all reaction times, namely Hexadec anoic acid, methyl ester (C17H34O2), methyl tetradecanoate (C15H30O2) and 9 - Octadecenoic acid (Z), methyl ester (C19H36O2) . The functional group found in kapok seeds is –OH.

Strengthening of Masonry Structures by Sisal-Reinforced Geopolymers

The development of alternative environmentally friendly and sustainable materials in the construction industry has become a fundamental area of research. The current cementitious materials used in existing retrofitting techniques for masonry structures are unsustainable from an environmental point of view. The geopolymer, as a suitable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), has attracted interest in the last 20 years due to its environmental sustainability and improved properties compared to conventional concrete. To improve the ductile behavior of geopolymers, the adoption of fibers has been widely proposed in the scientific literature for a broad range of applications. The adoption of natural fibers can make geopolymers more advantageous based on their intrinsic environmental sustainability. The aim of this paper is to validate the performance of sisal fiber-reinforced geopolymer plaster as a strengthening material for masonry structures, which will be achieved by modeling the mechanical behavior of geopolymer samples in two different phases. The first phase accounts for the experimental results suitably obtained in the laboratory, while the second phase models the behavior of a masonry panel reinforced with geopolymer plaster using a suitable FEM model in Abaqus.

Horticultural and Ecological Assessment of Public Gardens and Parks at Benghazi City during Last Five Decades

Gardens and parks play significant and major role from ecological and environmental point of view. The presence of trees, plants and greenery in public gardens and resorts helps to cool the surrounding environment, reduce air pollution and improve air quality. They can also support pollinators and wild life like bees, butter flies and birds by providing a diverse range of flowering plants and habitats for urban wildlife. Despite of the ornamental plants were very limited, and the workers and specialists in this field were very rare, the municipality of Benghazi tried to provide the horticultural structures like plant nurseries, training programs and investing in employees and providing opportunities for their development. During years from 1990 to 2023, the number of gardens and parks was jumped to more than 127. Recently, more horticultural care was noticed not only in the governmental sector but also in the private one while the number of ornamental nurseries increased, private agricultural companies established, and more plants were imported and introduced to the city. Because of lack of information, we tried to analyzed and assayed the gardens and parks situation from horticultural and ecological point of view at Benghazi city from 1973 to the present using available information with focusing on the development of this sector to provide more data base for the authorities, interests and researchers.

Comparison of environmental and health acceptability of squatting and sitting toilets: A review

AbstractIn general, two types of sitting and squatting toilets are used by people in the world, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages from an environmental and health point of view. So far, no study has been done to compare these two types of toilets, precisely. Therefore, the precise comparison of these two types of toilets based on a simple literature review was the main purpose of this study. For this purpose, the amount of water consumption, toilet paper consumption, related diseases, ease of cleaning, odor problem, and the flexibility to equip with treatment and reuse systems in both types of toilets was compared. Squatting toilets is a better option in terms of water consumption, toilet paper consumption, ease of cleaning, and diseases related to body posture. In the case of infectious diseases, the sitting toilet has better conditions and in terms of flexibility to install the treatment and reuse systems, the conditions of both were almost similar. The odor problem in the sitting toilet is less than the squatting toilet. Since the advantages and disadvantages of both types of toilets are also complementary, the best option is to install both toilets together.

DIGITIZATION DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN HUNTING MANAGEMENT IN HUNGARY

In the course of my scientific research so far, I have investigated many areas of professional administration from the point of view of how information communication devices (especially smartphones and drones) can improve and make the administration of the area more efficient. Of these, hunting management stands out for me and is particularly important, which is the main focus of this study. There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, I hunt myself, and as a senior official of the county's hunting civil organizations, I have a broader knowledge and network of contacts about the background of the area's administration and operating rules than the general citizen's perspective. On the other hand, in this area, I came to the formulation of a research result, which I hope will be able to be put into practice in the future, to convince the legislator of its raison d'etre. There are many opinions regarding what hunting can be considered: a leisure activity, a form of sport, or a way of life. I myself am a supporter of the latter definition, since we are talking about a complex activity that cannot be grasped solely from the aspect of one characteristic. Accordingly, the regulation of hunting is also a complex area of law covering several branches of law, which includes elements of civil law, criminal law and, of course, administrative law, but can also be approached from an environmental law point of view.[1] I believe that this fact also clearly shows that it is useful and by now even expected that the authorities can carry out better administrative processes in relation to the administration of the area with the help of the best possible technical support. In the following, I would like to support the applicability of drones and smartphones, especially by presenting the concept of the e-register of hunting

Passenger Mobility Impact on Customer Satisfaction and Environmental Degradation Through Air Transportation Crowdshipping

Authors: This study investigates the impact and implications of passenger mobility through crowdshipping on customer satisfaction and environmental degradation. A questionnaire was used to collect data from customers who have been aeroplane passengers at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Indonesia. SmartPLS software was used to evaluate the quality of the questionnaire data and test the research hypotheses. The SmartPLS path model analysis results show that passenger mobility affects Crowdshipping, customer satisfaction, and environmental degradation; Crowdshipping affects passenger mobility and environmental degradation, and customer satisfaction affects environmental degradation. The findings of this study help understand and quantify potential strategies for logistics delivery by utilizing aeroplane passenger crowd shipping. Consequently, it can help policymakers and air transport companies develop air transport-based crowd shipping models to estimate the possible impacts from an economic and environmental point of view as well as environmental utilization.

Performance analysis of triple basin solar still with energy-exergy analysis approach

An experimental investigation was conducted on novel design of triple basin solar still with different modification in the climatic conditions of India. The triple basin solar still was modified with attachments of evacuated tubes (ETCs), heat pipes (HP), corrugated surfaces and energy storage materials called modified triple basin solar still (MTBSS). To get the more water in distillate output and higher water temperature solar still was designed with three basin area. From experimental results it was found that the total distillate output obtained by MTBSS during day and night was 16.46 l/m2 and 7.40 l/m2, respectively. The performance of MTBSS was also check by 4E (Energy, Exergy, Exergo-Economic, Exergo-Environmental) analysis for economical and environmental point of view. The generation of exergy for evaporation (Exe,bw-ig) and convection (Exc,bw-ig) for MTBSS (Modified triple basin solar still) were 24.03 & 1.30 (joule) respectively. The values of energy efficiency (ƞenergy) and exergy efficiency (ƞexergy) obtained for MTBSS were 31.89% & 3.04% respectively. An economic point of view, the CPL of water remains higher in MTBSS. The NPBT for MTBSS was 2.5 months. For environmental assessment, the CO2 mitigation for MTBSS was 0.48 t/year, based on the exergy approach. The additions of ETCs, H.P, corrugated surface, and ESMs with MTBSS are effective from an exergo-economic and carbon credit point of view.

The potential of small-scale owners’ associations for sustainable forest management: the case of the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT Small-scale owners constitute an essential share of private forest ownership, and their decision-making significantly affects nature conservation and landscape formation. From economic and environmental viewpoints, forest owners’ associations are one of the most effective ways to manage small-scale forest property. Using the example of the Czech Republic, this paper focuses on small-scale forest associations’ potential in sustainable forest management. For the qualitative study, the authors interviewed small-scale owners to elicit how they perceived joint management through associations and what they considered their most significant benefits and values. The findings indicate that although small-scale owners realize the importance of associations for joint forest management, they are reluctant to join or form them. Their restraints mainly result from insufficient awareness. Improving the communication strategy amongst forest policy players with small-scale owners as stakeholders on the one side and state authorities on the other is vital. The positive approach could also be reached by inevitable changes in legislation and subsidy schemes because, as they are set now, they provide little opportunity for small-scale owners to associate. The findings, however, indicate a shift from small-scale owners perceiving the forest purely economically to understanding its socio-ecological values.

A REVIEW ON RENEWABLE BIOFUELS AND ITS PROPERTIES: A PROMISING CHOICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL

Natural energy resources like coal and petroleum are under extreme pressure due to the world's population expansion, which is driving up energy consumption. The twenty-first century will see more violent drought occurrences, which will have an impact on agricultural production, according to climate prediction models. Developing bioenergy feedstock as a possible alternative for the manufacture of biodiesel might be a workable solution to manage the increasing demand for energy and worldwide climate crisis without diminishing fossil fuel supplies. Therefore, this research paper concentrates on the background sources of biodiesel along with their chemical and technological features. A thorough discussion of their respective benefits and drawbacks is provided, with an emphasis on their industrial use. An overview of the alternative fuels, possible feedstocks, biodiesel production processes, characteristics and their benefits from environmental point of view are also presented.

Can soluble organic fertilizers and/or manure reach the agronomic and environmental performance of synthetic fertilizers in drip‐fertigated crops?

AbstractThe substitution of synthetics by organic fertilizers, which is the current pillar of circular economy, has been broadly evaluated. However, varying results were obtained on nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) emissions as well as crop yields. Besides, in irrigated semi‐arid croplands, drip fertigation has been suggested to be an effective practice for mitigating N2O and NO emissions while maintaining or enhancing agronomic performance. However, the promising combination of drip fertigation and organic fertilization remains poorly studied. By setting up melon (Cucumis melo L.) during 2022, and maize (Zea mays L.) during 2023, we aimed to evaluate the effect of different combinations of nitrogen (N) fertilizers: control without N fertilization, 100% of the N rate as solid manure (100OrM), 50% of the N rate as solid manure and 50% as urea (50OrM–50Syn), 50% of the N rate as solid manure and 50% as soluble organic (50OrM–50OrS), 100% of the N rate as urea (100Syn) and 100% of the N rate as soluble organic (100OrS). Urea and soluble organic fertilizers were supplied via drip fertigation. N‐oxides (N2O and NO), methane (CH4) and ecosystem respiration (CO2) fluxes, mineral N (ammonium [NH4+] and nitrate [NO3−]), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and crop parameters were analysed. As regards N2O, no differences were observed between treatments in melon crop, whereas in maize crop, the cumulative emissions were the highest in 100OrM, followed by 50OrM–50Syn. Regarding NO cumulative emissions, in the melon crop were significantly lower in 50OrM–50Syn and 50OrM–50OrS between 34%–54%, compared with 100OrM and 100Syn. In the maize crop, the highest cumulative NO emission was also detected in solid manure treatment. The agronomic response of melon to N fertilization was only detected for total soluble solids (with maximum values in the 100Syn treatment). The combination of solid manure and top‐dressing urea or soluble organic fertilizer prevented the penalties in N use efficiency, which were observed in 100Syn and 100OrS. Therefore, the combination of conventional solid manure at seeding and soluble organic fertilizer at dressing (applied by drip fertigation) was the most sustainable strategy from agronomic and environmental viewpoints in Mediterranean irrigated agroecosystems.

Toward sustainable energy switch in built environment: learning from ongoing experiences

Abstract The contribution addresses the topic of the ecological transition of energy production and supply systems of built environment, mean as an evolution towards sustainable forms of reorganization of human communities. To this end, focuses its attention on the most recent application experiences, to compare what has been outlined at the political and financial level, with the output generated by the concrete interventions, by the energy, environmental and social point of view. A broad and varied picture emerges, in which the actions ranges from the energy solarization of individual or complex of buildings, to the solar use of large portions of territory. The analysis and classification of each initiative it made possible to understand which are the most widespread solutions and which requires greater support to be accepted at the local community level. It also consented to understand the need to integrate each initiative within a design process oriented towards preserving the quality of urban and rural landscape. This innovative approach, based on a bottom-up operational models founded on a public-private partnerships, a multidisciplinary of actors and an active participation of citizens, constitutes the next objective assumed by research work, oriented to define an operative design based procedure, able to support public and private actors in the choices formulation.

Polycaprolactone-based electrospun films incorporating sage extract: From active food packaging application to accelerated biodegradation by Pseudomonas

Polycaprolactone films incorporating sage extract (SE), developed by electrospinning and annealing, were tested as active, fast-degradable food contact materials. First, a release test with food simulants showed the films’ ability to release phenolics. This beneficial property was highlighted in the films’ application as pads for preventing raspberry quality deterioration. The highest SE containing film (20 %) demonstrated the highest preserving potential, suppressing raspberry spoilage, breakdown of soluble solids, maintaining color, and increasing phenolics content. Secondly, the degradation under natural environment conditions and conditions accelerating the degradation of the films was evaluated. Complete films’ bio-disintegration in compost occurred within three months, being catalyzed to four weeks by adding Pseudomonas aeruginosa, regardless of the SE incorporation. Visual appearance, light, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy indicated an inhomogeneous surface degradation mechanism depended on the morphology of the films. Analysis of the structural properties and crystallinity showed that both amorphous and crystalline film regions were affected by biodegradation. The developed films as packaging materials can be beneficial from an economic and environmental point of view, as they can extend the shelf-life of fresh fruit, prevent the generation of food waste, reduce the accumulation of discarded packaging materials, protect the environment, and contribute to sustainable development.

Optimizing inorganic blended fertilizer application for the maximum grain yield and profitability of bread wheat and food barley in Dawuro Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract In a specific area, fertilizer application for a crop depends on the soil type and profitability. Optimizing chemical fertilizer utilization in crop production is crucial from an environmental and economic point of view. However, there is limited information available on the optimum NPSB fertilizer rate for the production of wheat and barley in the study area. Thus, the study aimed to establish area-specific NPSB (18.9% N, 16.44% P, 6.95% S, and 0.1% B) blended fertilizer rate recommendations for the optimal grain yield and profitability of wheat and barley. The field experiment was conducted in two locations in the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The nine treatments included 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 kg ha−1 NPSB fertilizer rates. Growth, yield, and yield component data in wheat and barley were collected from randomly selected individual plants and the net plot area. An economic analysis was conducted for grain yield using the procedure established by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. The analysis of variance results showed that blended fertilizer significantly (p < 0.01) affected plant height, number of productive tillers, spike length, number of kernels, thousand seed weight, biomass yield, grain yield, and harvest index traits. The application of a 150 kg ha−1 NPSB rate produced the highest grain yield (5419.0 kg ha−1) in wheat, whereas the application of a 125 kg ha−1 NPSB rate gave the maximum grain yield (4708.0 kg ha−1) in food barley. The economic analysis revealed that the application of a 150 kg ha−1 NPSB fertilizer rate for wheat gave the highest net benefits (309711.50 ETB ha−1) and marginal rate of return (MRR) (4096.96%), while the application of a 125 kg ha−1 NPSB fertilizer rate for barley obtained the highest net benefits (184424.00 ETB ha−1) and MRR (2195.39%). Therefore, to optimize the productivity and profitability of wheat and barley in the study area and similar agroecologies, farmers are recommended to use 150 kg ha⁻¹ NPSB for wheat and 125 kg ha⁻¹ NPSB for barley.

Asymmetric BODIPY Dyes Enabling Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion.

The construction of triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) systems with upconversion (UC) emission efficiency at low power densities is still under continuing exploration. From an environmental point of view, the utilization of purely organic pairs is more beneficial than the involvement of transition-metal complexes. In this context, 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) dyes, which can be found in a wide range of applications, have been previously used as suitable sensitizers in TTA-UC systems. The versatility of these scaffolds makes them magnificent objectives for designing and synthesizing potential entities with different target abilities. Herein, we prepared several asymmetric BODIPY dyes with excellent optical properties to be applied to a bimolecular TTA-UC system. In the presence of 2,5,8,11-tetra-tert-butylperylene (TBPe) as a suitable annihilator, a green-to-blue light conversion was clearly observed by means of detailed spectroscopic investigations. The results revealed a high UC emission efficiency (ηUC) of ∼8%, together with a low threshold intensity (I th) of ∼40-50 mW/cm2. All data indicated that these asymmetric BODIPY dyes were ideal sensitizers for TTA-UC, providing a particular design for further investigations.

Enhanced degradation of micropollutants using In situ electrogenerated sulfate radical at high flux

The degradation of micropollutants via in situ-generated reactive species from coexisting substances in water is a promising approach for advanced water treatment. However, treatment efficiency and practical applications are hindered by limited operation conditions and prohibitive costs, respectively. Herein, we report an upgraded electrochemical filtration system that is chemical-free and made efficient by achieving in situ SO4•– generation at enhanced flux and in complicated water matrices. The ion transport was enhanced by coupled electric and flow fields, providing an outstanding performance in removing micropollutants. At the optimized conditions, the proposed system degraded 90.5% of bisphenol A (BPA) in 40 min and its degradation kinetics was 14.7 times that of the batch mode, and the treatment efficiency of the proposed system was 2.5 times more efficient than our previous design because of the enhanced flux. Quenching experiments indicate that indirect oxidation by SO4•– and •OH as well as direct electron transfer play critical roles during the BPA degradation. Importantly, the proposed system does not need any added chemicals and uses only the ubiquitous SO42− and electricity. From an environmental point of view, its energy conservation and the lack of additional chemicals ensure its applicability for purifying micropollutants.

Study of the kinetics and mechanisms of rare earth elements leaching from end-of-life NdFeB magnets through Hydro-Nd process

With the growing demand for REEs in numerous high-tech and energy transition-related applications, recycling these elements from secondary sources, mainly from end-of-life permanent magnets, has become crucial for responsible sourcing of raw materials from a circular economy. To date, numerous processes have been developed and optimized to allow this recovery to be sustainable from both an economic and environmental point of view. In this context, hydrometallurgy is one of the most promising avenues. Through an innovative hydrometallurgical process (Hydro-Nd), this research investigated the kinetics and mechanisms involved in leaching REEs from end-of-life permanent magnets. This process involves the use of citric acid in the leaching phase. Through systematic experimentation and analysis, the article elucidates key factors influencing leaching kinetics, providing insight into critical mechanisms of the process. In particular, ANOVA was used to study the influence of important factors (temperature, particle size, and agitation) on the recovery yields of the elements of interest. The shrinking core model studied the leaching mechanisms to identify a possible rate-determining step. Thanks to the results obtained, the Arrhenius parameters were estimated for the different heterogeneous reactions involved in the process, and the trend of the time constants versus the average diameter of the solid particles was identified. Also, the results showed that 100 % of Nd, Fe, Dy, B, and Pr from small PM particles (0–40 µm) in 4 h and more than 90 % of the mentioned metals from large particles (1000–1700 µm) within 5 h of leaching time were dissolved by citric acid solution. This research not only contributes to the development of an even more sustainable rare earth recovery process thanks to the optimization of several factors but also clarifies fundamental aspects of leaching kinetics and mechanisms, paving the way for future advances in the recovery of REEs from different sources.

A comprehensive techno-eco-environmental investigation of an efficient biodiesel generation procedure through hydrodynamic cavitation

The growth of cleaner biodiesel generation associated with hydrodynamic cavitation from canola oil via transesterification is acquiring prominence owing to considerably descending energy needs and time. In this work, the conversion of canola oil into biodiesel and glycerol was achieved through the process of transesterification with methanol, employing sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. The newly offered process was investigated from technical, economic, and environmental points of view, and the precision of the results was verified and accepted compared to previously published works. The technical results revealed that the maximum exergy destruction rates as well as exergy efficiency belonged to the transesterification process. The economic study showed that the capital cost of the process was 638.7 MUSD/year. Also, the return period was computed less than 4 years. Moreover, comparison analysis proved that Canola oil proved to be a more advantageous primary material for the production of biodiesel and was more appropriate from the exergoeconomic point of view in comparison to Jatropha oil and other materials. Finally, by increasing the conversion percentage of the reactor, the value of the exergo-environmental index and the factor of exergy stability increased significantly, which was considered as an advantage from an environmental standpoint.