Open Burning Research Articles

A district-level emission inventory of anthropogenic PM2.5 from the primary sources over the Indian Indo Gangetic Plain: Identification of the emission hotspots

A district-wise emission inventory was made for the states and union territories (UTs) of the Indian Indo-Gangetic Plain for the base year of 2018 to estimate the emissions of PM2.5 from various sectors. In addition to conventional sectors, emissions from road dust, fossil-fuelled irrigation pumps, and construction dust were also taken into account. Total primary anthropogenic PM2.5 emission was estimated to be 3157.3 Gg (or kilo-tones) for the year 2018 of which 32 % originated from the industrial sector, 27 % from domestic fuel consumption, 23 % from open burning, 14 % from road dust, 2 % from vehicular and 2 % from various unorganized sectors. The highest emissions were observed during the premonsoon (1013 Gg/year) followed by postmonsoon (802Gg/year), winter (788 Gg/year), and lowest during the monsoon (554Gg/year). Among the states and UTs, Uttar Pradesh contributes the most in total emissions (39 %), followed by Punjab (19 %), Bihar (17 %), West Bengal (13 %), Haryana (11 %), Delhi (0.9 %) and Chandigarh (0.1 %). Emission for per capita and for billion-rupee of state gross domestic product (GDP) were the highest for Punjab and Haryana. Results have identified the districts of Punjab (Firozpur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar), scattered pockets of Uttar Pradesh (Sonbhadra, Agra, Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj) and lower Gangetic delta (Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Burdwan, both 24-parganas and Murshidabad) as potent hotspots of cumulative PM2.5 emissions. On the other hand, the districts of Punjab (Faridkot, Mansa, Muktsar, Fatehgarh) were found to be the hotspots for per capita emissions. High emissions were observed from the domestic sector, brick kilns, and micro and small-scale industries, and regulating norms should be more stringent for these sectors. Such a study will be a value add for the policymakers and health experts to assess emission hot spots, pollution simulation, and associated mortality analysis of the region.

Rare Earth and Platinum Group Elements In Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Health: The Dark Side of the Burgeoning of Technology.

Despite steady progress in the development and promotion of the circular economy as a model, an overwhelming proportion of technological devices discarded by the Global North still finds its way to the Global South, where technology-related environmental health problems start from the predation of resources and continue all the way to recycling and disposal. We reviewed literature on TCEs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), focussing on: the sources and levels of environmental pollution; the extent of human exposure to these substances; their role in the aetiology of human diseases; their effects on the environment. Our review shows that even minor and often neglected technology-critical elements (TCEs), like rare earth elements (REEs) and platinum group elements (PGEs), reveal the environmental damage and detrimental health effects caused by the massive mining of raw materials, exacerbated by improper disposal of e-waste (from dumping to improper recycling and open burning). We draw attention of local research on knowledge gaps such as workable safer methods for TCE recovery from end-of-life products, secondary materials and e-waste, environmental bioremediation and human detoxification. The technical and political shortcomings in the management of TCEs in SSA is all the more alarming against the background of unfavourable determinants of health and a resulting higher susceptibility to diseases, especially among children who work in mines and e-waste recycling sites or who reside in dumping sites.This paper demonstrates, for the first time, that the role of unjust North-South dynamics is evident even in the environmental levels of minor trace elements and that the premise underlying attempts to solve the problem of e-waste dumped in Africa through recycling and disposal technology is in fact misleading. The influx of foreign electrical and electronic equipments should be controlled and limited by clearly defining what is a 'useful' second-hand device and what is e-waste; risks arising from device components or processing by-products should be managed differently, and scientific uncertainty and One Health thinking should be incorporated in risk assessment.

Emerging investigator series: OPEN DUMPING AND BURNING: AN OVERLOOKED SOURCE OF TERRESTRIAL MICROPLASTICS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

Open dumping and burning of solid waste are widely practiced in underserved communities lacking access to solid waste management facilities; however, the generation of microplastics from these sites has been...

Assessment of Solid Waste Management Practices in High-Density Residential Townships: A Case Study of Mtendere Township in Lusaka, Zambia.

Solid waste management is critical to a country’s economic and social growth, affecting public health, environmental stability, and economic advancement. The rising amount and complexity of trash generated by the contemporary economy endangers ecosystems and human health. This study was set out to assess the current state of Solid Waste Management practices in the densely populated residential areas of Mtendere Township in Lusaka district of Zambia. A mixed method study design comprising of qualitative and quantitative methods was utilized in this study. Quantitative data were collected through structured surveys which enabled statistical analysis to discern trends. Qualitative insights were derived from open-ended interviews with key stakeholders and site observations. 385 study participants were selected to participate in the study via purposeful sampling technique. The study disclosed that the majority of respondents were females (57.6%) and belonged to the age group of 25-34 (37.0%). A significant proportion of study participants were self-employed (34.8%) and most of them had attained secondary level of education (42.4%). The study also revealed that, the predominant method used for waste collection was door-to-door (44.2%), followed by open dumping (24.3%) and burning waste (19.9%). The study also uncovered that, the majority of respondents, (71.0%), reported waste collection every 3 days, indicating a relatively infrequent collection schedule. Also, a smaller portion of the sample, (13.8%), stated that waste collection occurred less than once a week. The study further revealed that, the majority of respondents (93.8%) were not aware about waste segregation and recycling programs in Mtendere Township, indicating a need for the development and implementation of waste management strategies that promote waste segregation and recycling. The study also disclosed that, only a small minority of respondents (1.1%) perceived that, there were sufficient waste disposal facilities in Mtendere Township in Zambia. In contrast, the majority of participants, (87%) believed that there was a lack of adequate waste disposal facilities in Mtendere Township. The study further disclosed that, most of the respondents (59.4%) described Mtendere township as dirty indicating a prevailing perception of poor hygiene while a small proportion of respondents (19.2%) regarded the township as very dirty. The study further disclosed that, insufficient waste collection frequency (35.9%), lack of waste segregation and recycling programs (28.3%), and inadequate waste disposal facilities (40.6%) as major challenges faced by Mtendere Township in the management of solid waste in Lusaka, Zambia. Also 28.6% of the respondents pointed out that poor enforcement of waste management regulations and lack of community awareness and participation on the proper waste management (60.5%) as other significant challenges faced by Mtendere Township in the management of solid waste. The study also exposed that every single respondent (100%) has personally experienced environmental or health effects of inadequate solid waste management in Mtendere Township. This study further revealed air pollution (36.2%), Water contamination (32.2%) which increased the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera and spread of diseases (64.9%) as environmental or health effects caused by in-adequate Solid Waste Management in Mtendere Township in Zambia. It also disclosed that, foul odors (86.6%), and aesthetically unpleasant surroundings (81.2%) as other environmental or health effects caused by in-adequate Solid Waste Management. It is therefore, recommended that, there is need to conduct a study to assess the impact of increased waste collection frequency on waste accumulation and hygiene conditions in the township. Also exploring the economic aspects of waste management, analyzing social and behavioural factors influencing waste management practices, and understanding the role of technology and innovation in enhancing efficiency will contribute to a holistic understanding of sustainable waste management practices and inform future strategies in this domain.

Assessment of Solid Waste Management Practices in Higher Educational Institutions in Makurdi Metropolis Benue State, Nigeria

This study examined solid waste management practices in higher educational institutions within the Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria. The study was conducted in three higher institutions, namely: Joseph Saawuan Tarkaa University, Makurdi; Benue State University, Makurdi; and Alfred Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, Makurdi. The study sampled 395 respondents covering all the solid waste generators (students, staff and school mini-market operators) using simple random and purposive sampling procedures. Descriptive statistical method such as frequency count, percentage, mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis were employed in data analysis. The result revealed that the majority of respondents were male (69.9%), falling predominantly within the 18-40 age bracket (82.0%), and unmarried (70.7%). A substantial portion of respondents had educational backgrounds of NCE/ND or secondary school certificates (39.4% and 31.5% respectively), with 70.7% still actively pursuing their education and 71.0% earning less than or equal to N30,000.00 per month on average. Solid waste generating entities were identified, with school mini-markets (labour markets) being the primary contributors (37.7%), followed by offices/lecture halls (34.7%), students’ hostels (28.6%), and general school premises (26.8%). The dominant types of solid waste generated included organic waste such as food remnants (81.2%), papers (67.1%), and plastic waste (64.6%). The municipal waste management authority, BENSESA, was found to be directly responsible for managing 58.5% of the solid waste in the study area, while 20.07% and 17.1% indicated that solid waste was managed by contractors hired by the selected institutions and institutions’ waste management departments/units respectively. Regarding waste storage and collection facilities, 46.0% of respondents reported that their institutions lacked such facilities, and 61.0% mentioned waste being dumped at open temporary dumpsites. Waste collection and disposal services were also found to be lacking, with 35.1% indicating that their institutions did not have these services. The most prevalent methods of solid waste disposal were open dumping (75.3%) and burning (61.3%), indicating suboptimal waste management practices. Inadequate service coverage from BENSESA was identified as a major challenge with a mean score of 4.30. In conclusion, this study highlights the inadequate solid waste management practices in higher educational institutions in Makurdi Metropolis, resulting in uncollected and improperly disposed waste. This poses significant health and environmental risks to residents of these campuses. The study recommends several measures to address these issues, including the establishment and enforcement of waste segregation programmes, improving waste collection and disposal services, conducting awareness campaigns, enforcing waste management policies, and investing in waste disposal infrastructure.

A Case Study of Plastic Pollution and the Open Burning of Plastic Wastes

A Case Study of Plastic Pollution and the Open Burning of Plastic Wastes

EXAMINING DATA COLLECTION AND COMPILATION FOR DEVELOPING BIOGAS PLANTS FOR RECYCLED WASTE MANAGEMENT

In this study, open disposal area, unfortunately, stills the means of open burning of solids waste in developing environment. Provide for leachate and gas control system. The untreated dumping encourages the breeding of insects and rodents and causes several health diseases, movement of leachate into the subsurface. Due to the improper lining, raw solids waste from the existing dumping site comes in contact with directly, causing severe deterioration the quality of the water. The solid waste characterization, the effect of leachate in the dumping site, groundwater quality analysis and also for 51 wards question sheet survey has been conducted that results were analyzed using SPSS 17. Various physic and chemical parameters were estimated this includes pH, turbidity, chloride, total hardness, calcium & magnesium hardness, sulphate and TDS, major cations such as calcium, magnesium ion. Everyday Thanjavur dumping ground receives 115 tones of Municipal Solid Waste from the Thanjavur city. In the part of result analysis, groundwater samples showed that dumping ground leachate constitutes a serious warning to the local aquifers. The waste generated in Thanjavur contains a maximum portion of biodegradable material, moisture content high, calorific value low and it is acceptable for biogas production. In this project, a fixed dome type biogas plant is designed because of low cost and a plan/model is recommended to improve the existing MSWM. The recommended model deals with maximize recycling and minimize landfilling of the Municipal Solid Waste. This study also has to be improved to provide efficient and effective MSWM.

Possibility of Ceylon Tea Waste Conversion to Biochar – a short review

A few countries fulfil global tea demand, and Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is one of the top tea exporters. Tea is Sri Lanka's largest agricultural export, with an annual production of approximately 340 million kg. Consequently, the tea industry generates significant quantities of tea waste. Unfortunately, the Sri Lankan tea industry often ignores proper tea waste management, relying on open dumping and burning, which can harm the environment despite the biodegradable nature of the waste. Among a number of modern waste management methods, pyrolysis is gaining increasing attention as a sustainable waste treatment method as it transforms waste into carbonaceous materials, biofuel and syngas, leaving no waste behind at comparatively lower temperatures (400-600℃). Considering the nature of the Ceylon tea industry, which mainly uses conventional tea production processes, this short review article mainly focused on the effect of tea pyrolysis temperature, derived biochar activation methods, and their uses. Biochar derived from tea waste has demonstrated remarkable utility in various fields. By converting waste into stable carbonaceous materials, it not only mitigates local emissions but also serves as a reliable long-term carbon storage. Moreover, biochar and activated carbon derived from tea waste has proven efficient and cost-effective for removing water, soil, and air contaminants. Industry can obtain financial benefits by introducing derived activated carbon as an adsorbent. These facts highlight the suitability of adopting low-temperature pyrolysis of tea waste and biochar production to the Ceylon tea industry using simple techniques such as double-barrel systems that can be operated with the excess heat produced in boilers.

РАЗРАБОТКА ДЫМОГЕНЕРИРУЮЩЕГО УСТРОЙСТВА, ИМИТИРУЮЩЕГО ТЕСТОВЫЕ ОЧАГИ ПОЖАРА ПРИ ПРОВЕДЕНИИ КОМПЛЕКСНЫХ ИСПЫТАНИЙ СИСТЕМ ПОЖАРНОЙ СИГНАЛИЗАЦИИ

The work analyzes scientific and technical literature and open commercial information on methods and instruments for assessing the performance of smoke fire detectors. 
 It has been revealed that the use of special aerosol smoke simulators for the purpose of comprehensive testing of smoke fire detectors is associated with the danger of exceeding the optical density of smoke, which significantly complicates evacuation. As a new solution, the use of portable smoke generators «Kiparis» (St and 0,6St) is proposed, capable of generating a flow 
 of smoke, the optical properties of which are similar to the smoke from the combustion of test fires TP-1, TP-2, TP-3 and TP-4. Mathematical modeling of the combustion of a test fire TP-1 (open burning of wood) in accordance with GOST 34698–2020 «Fire detectors. General technical requirements. Test methods» has been conducted. During the model experiment, it was shown that the portable smoke generator «Kiparis» is capable of generating smoke with an optical density comparable to that of smoke from the combustion of test fires, which is a practical justification for using the smoke generator «Kiparis» instead of test fires.

Valorization of Plastic Wastes for the Development of Adsorbent Designed for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater

Plastic waste accrual in the environment has been identified as the topmost significant global issue related to modern civilization. Traditional waste disposal methods, such as open burning, landfilling, and incineration, have increased greenhouse gas emissions in economic and material losses. Unless immediate action is made to curtail demand, prolong product lifespans, enhance waste management, and encourage recyclability, plastic pollution will increase due to an almost threefold increase in plastic use spurred by growing populations and affluence. Plastic production primarily is from crude oil or gas despite more than a fourfold growth from ~6.8 million tonnes in 2000 to ~30 million tonnes in 2019; only ~6% of the world’s total plastics production is made from recycled plastics. The competitiveness and profitability of secondary markets may increase with the establishment of recycled content objectives and advancements in recycling technology. In this review, emerging approaches and the creation of value-added materials from waste plastics such as carbon nanotubes and other carbonaceous nanomaterials production, the environmental impacts of plastic waste, African status concerning plastic waste, the importance of modern techniques in plastic waste management, and the circular economy impact on plastic waste utilization are the high points of this study.

Solid waste management in rural touristic areas in the Himalaya – A case of Ghandruk, Nepal

Solid waste management studies, in most cases, emphasize urban and suburban areas. It is imperative to include rural areas, given the shift in the volume and types of waste produced and the management methods employed. It is also crucial to apprehend the waste characteristics influenced by socioeconomic variables and environmental considerations to provide a comprehensive picture of waste management. Hence, this study was conducted in Ghandruk, Nepal, because it is a rural area with a distinct cultural identity and is the most popular tourist attraction in the Annapurna Conservation Area. The purpose of the study was to characterize solid waste stream and analyze existing waste management practices in Ghandruk. We surveyed 64 households and 15 commercial sectors (hotels and restaurants). A semi-structured questionnaire survey, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were adopted to acquire qualitative information. Findings revealed that solid waste generated in Ghandruk was dominated by organic fractions, which accounted for about 60% of the total waste. The daily waste generated was 261.3 g per capita, equivalent to the waste generation rate in some cities of Nepal. The study also discovered a rising proportion of recyclables, emphasizing the need for a holistic management strategy that extends beyond organic waste management as commonly practiced in rural Nepal. Open burning of non-recyclables was also a serious concern. Based on the findings, the study recommends rural areas with high tourism activities for inclusion in primary waste management research.

Associations Between Self-Reported Burn Pit Exposure andFunctional Status, 1990-2021.

The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) allows service members to self-report exposure to burn pits during military deployments and functional status (a composite metric of physical fitness status). This study investigated whether general exposure to burn pits, specific performance of burn pit duties, or the cumulative number of days deployed in Southwest Asia was associated with a change in functional status. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 234,061 participants in the AHOBPR who completed questionnaires before August 2021 was conducted. Exposure was presumed if an individual reported any burn pits exposure during deployment or if an individual reported having to work at a burn pit as part of their duties and was quantified by the cumulative-reported exposure days. The outcome was the reported composite functional score. Statistical analysis used linear regression, which was adjusted for significant variables. A possible dose-response effect from cumulative deployment and burn pits exposure days was evaluated. Statistical significance was determined at P < 0.05. The burn pit exposure groups were notably different in size (exposed: 230,079, non-exposed: 3982) and were significantly different for all compared variables. There was a negative association between cumulative exposure days and functional score with a significant test for trend. There was a marginal positive significant association between cumulative deployment days and functional score with a significant test for trend. Reporting exposure to burn pit duties was also significantly associated with a lower functional score. This study suggests a dose-response relationship between cumulative burn pit exposure and decreased functional status. It also suggests a modest positive relationship between cumulative deployment days and reported function, which may represent a "healthy deployer" effect.

Anaerobic Biodegradability and Biomethanation Potential of Fruit-Vegetable Wastes at Sindh, Pakistan

The urban environment of every city of Pakistan has been degraded because of open dumping and burning of organic wastes along with other wastes. The focus of this study was to evaluate the fruit and vegetable wastes for methane generation through biomethanation process. After collection, various parameters such as alkalinity, volatile fatty acids, pH, lignin content, moisture content, total solids, volatile solids, fixed carbon, and elements (C, H, N, O, S) of waste samples were determined by using standard methodology. Anaerobic biodegradability of fruit and vegetable wastes was observed from 54 to 77% and from 59 to 87% along with their methane generation potential in the range of 258-367 NmL /gmVS and 274-407 NmL/gmVS, respectively. Further, the effect of feedstock to inoculum ratio was studied. The result of that showed that lower methane potential at a higher ratio and vice versa was observed. It was concluded that at a lower feedstock to inoculum ratio, fruit as well as vegetable wastes become more feasible for the biomethanation process. The study recommends that the conversion of fruit and vegetable wastes into methane gas by anaerobic digestion plays a significant role to save urban environment of the country.

Response Surface Methodology Approaches in Producing Amorphous Silica from Rice Straw Ash

A large amount of rice straw is produced as crop residue from rice production as an underutilization waste material. The open burning of rice straw can lead to environmental pollution by forming an abundant amount of rice straw ash (RSA) and exposing harmful gases to the atmosphere. Thus, RSA can be used as a cement replacement material due to its high amount of silica. Silica is a helpful additive to cement mix by accelerating the hydration process of cement because of its high reactivity and improving mortar performance. This study focuses amount of high silica of RSA in modified concrete through thermochemical pretreatment via response surface methodology (RSM). The factors involved in the pretreatment of RSA are 0.01M – 0.1M HCl hydrochloric acid, 1 – 3 hours soaking duration, and 60 - 80℃ soaking temperature, and a response is the percentage of reactive compound content (SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3). Therefore, central composite design (CCD) in the RSM and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) have been used to evaluate the interaction between the factors and response, then simulated and further assess the accuracy of the model to achieve the accurate prediction. As a result, RSM observed that the optimum silica amount in the treated RSA (98.34%) was produced using parameters of 0.06 M HCl, 2 hours of soaking duration, and 70℃ soaking temperature in the pretreatment process. After that, it is followed by a burning process at a controlled temperature and a grinding process to produce treated RSA. The prediction given by the RSM was not the sole result but was proved through X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The result of XRF analysis obtained for each model with the same value of each factor (HCl concentration = 0.06 M, soaking duration = 2 hours, and soaking temperature = 70℃) is more than 97.00% and falls between the prediction index range. Thus, the model is validated since the actual experimental result is within the expected range for any involved factor. Hence, the treated RSA was considered a high-quality pozzolanic material incorporated in the mortar production.

Emission characteristics of carbonyl compounds from open burning of typical subtropical biomass in South China

Open biomass burning (OBB) is one of the largest primary emission sources for atmospheric carbonyl compounds, key precursors for ozone and secondary organic aerosol pollution. To clarify the carbonyl emissions, the comprehensive characteristics of C1–C10 carbonyl compounds from open burning of seven typical subtropical biomass in China were investigated in this study, which included subtropical plants and agricultural residues. Total 27 carbonyl compounds were detected. The total EFs were 2824 mg kg−1 with 95% confidence interval (CI) [2418, 3322] for burning subtropical plants and 4080 mg kg−1 with 95% CI [3446, 4724] for burning agriculture residues, respectively. The EFs were 2–3 orders of magnitude larger than previous values in China. Aliphatic aldehydes were the largest group of carbonyl groups, with acetaldehyde, as the most abundant carbonyl species (about 30% contribution). Formaldehyde, acetone, acrolein, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, butanone, isovaleraldehyde, and m-tolualdehyde were also found to be abundant and varying with the types of biomass burnt. Formaldehyde emission ratios to acetonitrile and CO were lower than those in previous studies both for burning plants and agricultural residues. There were significant variabilities in the emission ratios and factors among different types of OBBs. Strong positive correlations were found between carbonyl emissions and CO emissions and water content in biomass; furthermore, total carbonyl concentrations measured in the flaming stage were higher than those in the smoldering one. This study provides important fundamental measurement data on carbonyl emissions from burning typical subtropical plants and agricultural residues, which will help improve the quality of emission inventories and better understand the potential impacts of OBB on regional air quality in southern China.

Chemically speciated air pollutant emissions from open burning of household solid waste from South Africa

Abstract. Open burning of household solid waste is a large source of air pollutants worldwide, especially in the Global South. However, waste burning emissions are either missing or have large uncertainties in local, regional, or global emission inventories due to limited emission factor (EF) and activity data. Detailed particulate matter (PM) chemical speciation data are even less available. This paper reports source profiles and EFs for PM2.5 species as well as acidic and alkali gases measured from laboratory combustion of 10 waste categories that represent open burning in South Africa. Carbonaceous materials contributed more than 70 % of PM2.5 mass. Elemental carbon (EC) was most abundant from flaming materials (e.g., plastic bags, textiles, and combined materials), and its climate forcing exceeded the corresponding CO2 emissions by a factor of 2–5. Chlorine had the highest EFs among elements measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for all materials. Vegetation emissions showed high abundances of potassium, consistent with its use as a marker for biomass burning. Fresh PM2.5 emitted from waste burning appeared to be acidic. Moist vegetation and food discards had the highest hydrogen fluoride (HF) and PM fluoride EFs due to fluorine accumulation in plants, while burning rubber had the highest hydrogen chloride (HCl) and PM chloride EFs due to high chlorine content in the rubber. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, rubber, and food discards had the highest EFs for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-PAHs as well as their associated toxicities. Distinct differences between odd and even carbon preferences were found for alkanes from biological and petroleum-based materials: dry vegetation, paper, textiles, and food discards show preference for the odd-numbered alkanes, while the opposite is true for plastic bottles, plastic bags, and rubber. As phthalates are used as plasticizers, their highest EFs were found for plastic bottles and bags, rubber, and combined materials. Data from this study will be useful for health and climate impact assessments, speciated emission inventories, source-oriented dispersion models, and receptor-based source apportionment.

Pyrolysis of polypropylene plastic waste: An analysis of oil quantity, density, viscosity, and calorific value

Owing to the inability of the material to biodegrade, the handling of plastic waste presents a considerable challenge. Pyrolysis is a plastic waste management method that solves the problem of plastic waste volume through chemical recycling. This study aims to assess the quantity and quality of the density, viscosity, and calorific value of oil produced from the pyrolysis of polypropylene (PP) plastic and compare it to commercial oils. This research used 15 kg of PP plastic waste. The pyrolysis process was conducted at temperatures ranging from to 250-350°C. The amount of extracted PP pyrolysis oil was 12.730 L. The oil derived from the pyrolysis of PP plastic had a density of 811 kg/m3 at 250°C and 782 kg/m3 at 350°C. The PP plastic had the highest viscosity at 250°C, and 2.02cP, and the lowest viscosity at 350°C, and 0.86cP. The oil from PP plastic pyrolysis had a maximum calorific value of 10, 870 kcal/g at 350°C and the lowest calorific value of 10, 386 kcal/g at 250°C. Compared with open burning, the pyrolysis treatment of plastic waste can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 99 percent. However, the energy required for the pyrolysis process is 400 times greater than that provided by the pyrolysis oil product.

Carbon Storage of Mangrove Forests in Sarawak, Malaysia

The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) gases into the atmosphere is caused by human activities such as manufacturing, vehicle smoke, open burning, and clearing areas of agriculture or development activities. This is a major contributor to global climate change. Mangrove forest is one of the potential areas for carbon storage. For many years, the number of Mangrove forests in Malaysia has been decreasing due to some anthropogenic activity and the exploitation of them for economic gain. This study aims to compare and measure the carbon storage of two different types of mangroves in Malaysia, namely the WSSM and AALL mangroves. The soil samples were randomly collected using peat augers at depths between 0 and 30 cm, and 40 samples were analyzed with a CHNS analyzer. The total carbon content of the soil samples was found to be 12.11% for WSSM and 2.64% for AALL. The significant results and the total soil carbon of humic acid observed at both study sites as well as the seasonal variation led to the conclusion that the soil of mangrove has carbon sequestration potential. As a wildlife sanctuary, Sibuti Mangrove Forest has higher carbon sequestration due to less anthropogenic activity than AALL Mangrove Forest. The conclusion is that the soil of WSSM Mangrove Forest is better in terms of location effect than the soil of AALL. During seasonal sampling comparison, higher soil total carbon content was observed.

Observational insights into the environmental effect for secondary inorganic aerosol formation in the Northeast China: Influence of biomass burning

Secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), as one of the main ubiquitous components of PM2.5, still have unclear impacts on their formation in the ambient environment, especially under extremely cold weather conditions. To explore the effects of open biomass burning (OBB) source emissions and meteorological factors on SIA formation, biomass burning tracer, i.e., levoglucosan (LG), was observed along with SIA were analyzed during the heating season at the Longfengshan (LFS) background of Northeast China. Based on the LG/OC ratio and fire hotspots, the entire sampling campaign was divided into OBB and non-open biomass burning (NBB) periods.It was found that OBB emissions had little effect on sulfate formation but a significant impact on nitrate formation. High relative humidity (RH) conditions played a crucial role in SIA formation, with both SO42−/EC and NO3−/EC increasing as RH elevated at temperatures below −10 °C. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of SO42−/EC and NO3−/EC indicated that temperature could enhance the activity of either aqueous-phase production or gas-phase reactions, subsequently promoting the formation of SO42− and NO3− in the ambient environment. Additionally, positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis was used to scientifically separate the sources of ambient aerosols during OBB and NBB periods.

Production, properties and life cycle assessment of artificial lightweight aggregates produced with corn straw ash (CSA) and concrete slurry waste (CSW)

Open burning of corn straw has been a long-standing environmental problem in developing agricultural countries. The development of the concrete material industry supplies a feasible consumption outlet for the bulk solid wastes from agriculture and construction fields. In this study, therefore, corn straw and concrete waste were turned into available cementitious materials: corn straw ash (CSA) and concrete slurry waste (CSW) powder. Then CSA and CSW were reused to be artificial lightweight aggregates (ALAs) by cold-bonding pelletization and carbonation curing. A multi-criteria decision-making model for ALAs was finally proposed to comprehensively evaluate the technical, environmental, and economic factors and select the most valuable candidate. The findings indicate that it is technically feasible to produce ALAs by using CSA and CSW. The optimal mechanical parameters of the disc granulator are 35 rpm and 45° inclination in the cold-bonding pelletization process of ALA production. From a technical point of view, with the increase of CSA content in ALAs, the strength of ALAs increased first and then decreased, reaching the optimum value of 14.2 MPa with the addition of 5% CSA. According to the sustainability score, the descending order of ALAs is C1, C4, C3, C2 and C0. Sustainability results show that the ALAs of the mixture of 5 wt% CSA and 95 wt% CSW is the optimal solution. The ALAs with dual-function in terms of reducing CO2 emissions and capturing CO2 is a promising candidate for low-carbon concrete production. The decision model could be suitable for the sustainable selection of artificial aggregates or recycling construction materials.