Reuse Practices Research Articles

An integrated human health risk assessment framework for alkylphenols due to drinking water and crops' food consumption

The increasing overexploitation and pollution of freshater resources are potential threats for public health, causing cross-contamination among the interconnected environmental compartments (freshwater, soil, crops). In particular, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) originating from anthropic activities are not completely removed by wastewater treatments plants. This leads to their presence in drinking water (DW) sources, soil and crops intended for human consumption due to discharges of treated wastewater in surface waters and direct wastewater reuse practices. Currently, health risk assessments are limited to single exposure sources without considering the multiple exposure routes to which humans are subjected. For instance, among CECs, bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol (NP), respectively, adversely affect immune and renal systems and have been frequently detected in DW and food, their major exposure sources for humans. Here, an integrated procedure is proposed to quantitatively assess health risk from CECs due to multiple exposure from the consumption of both DW and food, considering the relevant inter-connected environmental compartments. This procedure was applied to BPA and NP to calculate their probabilistic Benchmark Quotient (BQ), showing its potential in quantitatively apportioning the risk between contaminants and exposure sources, and its use as a decision support tool for prioritizing mitigation measures. Our results indicate that, even though the human health risk due to NP is not negligible, the estimated risk due to BPA is significantly higher, and the consumption of food from edible crops determines a higher risk compared to tap water. Hence, BPA is undoubtedly a contaminant to be prioritized, especially through mitigation actions aimed at its prevention and removal from food.

Sustainable Management of the Built Environment from the Life Cycle Perspective

Decisions made at every stage of the built environment life cycle impact how materials in that environment are eventually managed at the end of their life, whether in a linear or cyclical manner. Linear fates often terminate in landfills, whereas more sustainable cyclical fates are continuously extended through reduction, reuse, repair, recycling, and recovery (5Rs) practices. Despite a notable increase in the literature on sustainable construction and demolition waste (CDW) management, there is still a lack of studies comprehensively addressing the full life cycle of the built environment. A gap also exists in the understanding of the root causes underlying unsustainable CDW management practices. To address these gaps and shortcomings, this study synthesizes the literature on CDW management to identify the causal factors contributing to the current unsustainable management practices, their root causes across the life cycle of the built environment, and sustainable strategies with proven efficacy in mitigating the detected root causes. Considering the implications of these strategies on the management of CDW, as well as their applicability across different stages of the built environment life cycle, this study characterizes them using the 5Rs waste hierarchy and using a five-stage built environment life cycle framework: interim, planning, construction, use, and end of life. All such information is integrated into a single ranking framework that proposes prioritized sustainable strategic pathways to address the most relevant root causes of unsustainable CDW management across the entire built environment life cycle. The actual implementation of the proposed framework for the sustainable management of the built environment is demonstrated through an analysis of Louisiana, in which peacetime construction/demolition and disaster debris generation and reconstruction/demolition have resulted in large amounts of CDW that often ended in landfills. Future decision makers can avoid similar fates by mitigating their own root causes of unsustainable waste management by better utilizing relevant mitigation strategies.

Data sharing and reuse practices: disciplinary differences and improvements needed

PurposeThis study investigates differences and commonalities in data production, sharing and reuse across the widest range of disciplines yet and identifies types of improvements needed to promote data sharing and reuse.Design/methodology/approachThe first authors of randomly selected publications from 2018 to 2019 in 20 Scopus disciplines were surveyed for their beliefs and experiences about data sharing and reuse.FindingsFrom the 3,257 survey responses, data sharing and reuse are still increasing but not ubiquitous in any subject area and are more common among experienced researchers. Researchers with previous data reuse experience were more likely to share data than others. Types of data produced and systematic online data sharing varied substantially between subject areas. Although the use of institutional and journal-supported repositories for sharing data is increasing, personal websites are still frequently used. Combining multiple existing datasets to answer new research questions was the most common use. Proper documentation, openness and information on the usability of data continue to be important when searching for existing datasets. However, researchers in most disciplines struggled to find datasets to reuse. Researchers' feedback suggested 23 recommendations to promote data sharing and reuse, including improved data access and usability, formal data citations, new search features and cultural and policy-related disciplinary changes to increase awareness and acceptance.Originality/valueThis study is the first to explore data sharing and reuse practices across the full range of academic discipline types. It expands and updates previous data sharing surveys and suggests new areas of improvement in terms of policy, guidance and training programs.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-08-2021-0423.

Circular Evaluation for Ranking Adaptive Reuse Strategies for Abandoned Industrial Heritage in Vulnerable Contexts

In recent years, the adaptive reuse of abandoned and underutilized cultural heritage has proven to be a sustainable winning strategy for the implementation of a new model of urban development centered on the principles of the circular economy. Cultural heritage, therefore, represents the entry point for the implementation of this new urban development model, and adaptive reuse practices, if integrated into strategic visions, can represent a driver to trigger a transition towards completely circular sustainability processes. However, resource allocation decisions for the adaptive reuse of assets require significant investments in the face of scarce available resources and investment projects characterized by high uncertainties. In this context, multiple-criteria approaches provide an adequate theoretical and methodological framework to address the complexity characterizing the adaptive reuse strategies of cultural heritage, with specific attention to adaptive reuse strategies of unused public assets of abandoned industrial heritage. This paper fits into this line of research by proposing a multi-criteria decision-making approach capable of supporting the decision-maker in optimizing investment choices for a more efficient allocation of public resources. In detail, applying A’WOT analysis to support decisions allows for classifying adaptive reuse strategies and establishing intervention priorities, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts. The results provide useful information for the complex decision-making phase relating to the preliminary feasibility of interventions and the subsequent verification of their financial sustainability. In detail, the application of A’WOT analysis to supporting decisions allows for classifying adaptive reuse strategies and establishing intervention priorities, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts. The results provide useful information for the complex decision-making phase relating to the preliminary feasibility of project intervention and subsequent verification of its financial sustainability.

Adaptive Reuse for Sustainable Development and Land Use: A Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis Estimating Key Determinants of Public Perceptions

Adaptive reuse is a rapidly expanding frontier study area across the world. Adaptive reuse can have a significant influence in relation to contemporary trends in (peri-)urban sustainability, especially considering the past decades of the human-caused depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution. Adaptive reuse developments, which manage to incorporate a (scientifically) predefined set of conceptual theories, policy principles, and practical tools, as all the available data suggest, can achieve a good balance between invested capital, ecological conservation, the preservation of the cultural heritage, and sustainable urban regenerative renewal. This study focused on the recent FIX Brewery adaptive reuse project in Athens, Greece, as a means to establish the key public perception determinants of the adaptive reuse practice impacts on (peri-)urban sustainable development. Evidence for the relationships among five factors was provided through multiple linear regression analysis. The new empirical findings are likely to encourage concerned parties and stakeholders, and particularly regulatory entities, to pursue essential actions to set adaptive reuse at the core of urban and spatial masterplans, paving the way toward sustainable and circular cities.

Full-Scale O3/Micro-Nano Bubbles System Based Advanced Oxidation as Alternative Tertiary Treatment in WWTP Effluents

Wastewater treatment plant effluents can be an important source of contamination in agricultural reuse practices, as pharmaceuticals are poorly degraded by conventional treatments and can enter crops, thereby becoming a toxicological risk. Therefore, advanced tertiary treatments are required. Ozone (O3) is a promising alternative due to its capacity to degrade pharmaceutical compounds, together with its disinfecting power. However, mass transfer from the gas to the liquid phase can be a limiting step. A novel alternative for increased ozone efficiency is the combination of micro-nano bubbles (MNBs). However, this is still a fairly unknown method, and there are also many uncertainties regarding their implementation in large-scale systems. In this work, a combined O3/MNBs full-scale system was installed in a WWTP to evaluate the removal efficiency of 12 pharmaceuticals, including COVID-19-related compounds. The results clearly showed that the use of MNBs had a significantly positive contribution to the effects of ozone, reducing energy costs with respect to conventional O3 processes. Workflow and ozone production were key factors for optimizing the system, with the highest efficiencies achieved at 2000 L/h and 15.9 gO3/h, resulting in high agronomic water quality effluents. A first estimation of the transformation products generated was described, jointly with the energy costs required.

CLCD-I: Cross-Language Clone Detection by Using Deep Learning with InferCode

Source code clones are common in software development as part of reuse practice. However, they are also often a source of errors compromising software maintainability. The existing work on code clone detection mainly focuses on clones in a single programming language. However, nowadays software is increasingly developed on a multilanguage platform on which code is reused across different programming languages. Detecting code clones in such a platform is challenging and has not been studied much. In this paper, we present CLCD-I, a deep neural network-based approach for detecting cross-language code clones by using InferCode which is an embedding technique for source code. The design of our model is twofold: (a) taking as input InferCode embeddings of source code in two different programming languages and (b) forwarding them to a Siamese architecture for comparative processing. We compare the performance of CLCD-I with LSTM autoencoders and the existing approaches on cross-language code clone detection. The evaluation shows the CLCD-I outperforms LSTM autoencoders by 30% on average and the existing approaches by 15% on average.

Ce-MOF infused membranes with enhanced molecular sieving in the application of dye rejection

An affordable typical nuclide, cerium, found as one of the radioactive wastes, has been employed to prepare MOFs as a practice of recycling and reuse. Further, Ce-based MOF-infused membranes were developed for high-efficiency molecular separation.

Reuse of effluents from cattle slaughterhouses: multicriteria evaluation

Cattle slaughterhouses generate a large amount of effluent with a high concentration of organic and inorganic compounds. However, the choice of appropriate technologies can produce effluents with sufficient quality for the practice of reuse as a strategy for saving water. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of effluent treatment systems from cattle slaughterhouses to promote the reuse of effluents, specifically for fertigation. The multicriteria analysis was employed, adopting the ELECTRE I method. The effluent treatment alternatives, the definition of the degree of importance, and the weights of each established criterion were considered. The estimated volume of effluents generated in slaughterhouses in Brazil was 85.374 million m³/year, with a high concentration of biochemical/chemical oxygen demand, nutrients, oils, and greases, solids, and E. coli. The treatment technologies that showed the best performance were UASB reactor + ultrafiltration and activated sludge + ultrafiltration, producing effluents with compatible quality for agricultural reuse under Brazilian legislation.

Transforming Agriculture: Innovations in Sustainable Wastewater Reuse – A review

This scientific review delves into the crucial role of wastewater reuse in agriculture for sustainable water resource management, especially in the context of water scarcity. The paper examines innovative wastewater treatment methods like biofiltration, membrane bioreactors, and electrocoagulation, exploring their effectiveness and limitations. It emphasizes the significance of proper wastewater treatment in mitigating risks and maximizing benefits. Key considerations such as economic viability and social acceptance are highlighted, urging comprehensive cost-benefit analyses and active engagement with stakeholders. Drawing from case studies in Tshwane, Egypt, Valencia, and Sde Warburg, successful wastewater reuse practices underscore the importance of stringent water quality standards, public education, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder involvement in achieving sustainable wastewater management. Despite global advancements, challenges persist in the adoption of these technologies in many African countries, necessitating collaborative efforts and targeted capacity-building for widespread implementation. Historical insights reveal the evolution of wastewater irrigation from European and American cities to its current global prevalence, impacting around 10% of the world’s irrigated land with untreated or partially treated wastewater. Technological advancements, such as biofiltration relying on microbial activities, membrane bioreactors integrating biological treatment with filtration, and electrocoagulation as an electrochemical process, offer sustainable solutions. Case studies highlight the economic, environmental, and social benefits of successful wastewater reuse programs. However, the review acknowledges the risks associated with wastewater reuse, including environmental contamination and public health hazards. To strike a balance between risks and benefits, the paper advocates for proper wastewater treatment, robust regulatory frameworks, and responsible farming practices. It concludes by stressing the need for collaborative efforts, international partnerships, and targeted capacity-building initiatives to overcome barriers to the adoption of advanced wastewater treatment technologies in African countries, fostering water management, ensuring food security, and contributing to social and economic development amid global challenges.

The effect of adaptive reuse practices in the walled city of Nicosia, along buffer zone, Cyprus

The effect of adaptive reuse practices in the walled city of Nicosia, along buffer zone, Cyprus

The effect of adaptive reuse practices in the walled city of Nicosia, along buffer zone, Cyprus

The effect of adaptive reuse practices in the walled city of Nicosia, along buffer zone, Cyprus

Analytical upgrade of a methodology based on UHPLC-MS/MS for the analysis of endocrine disrupting compounds in greywater

A multi-residue analytical methodology for the determination of 25 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), encompassing various chemical classes (hormones, antimicrobials, preservatives, plasticizers, stimulants, alkylphenolic compounds, anticorrosives, and organophosphorus flame retardants), has been upgraded for the analysis of greywater. The methodology is based on solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The optimized methodology achieved recoveries between 63% and 146% for all compounds, with MDLs ranging from 0.3 to 141 ng/L. Most of the compounds showed a pronounced signal suppression in the laundry greywater tested, and therefore, quantification was performed with a matrix-matched calibration curve to surpass the matrix effects observed (between -100% and 106%). Additionally, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane filters were selected among several filter types as the most suitable for greywater filtration. The upgraded methodology allowed the detection of 14, four and four EDCs in laundry, kitchen and shower/sink greywater, respectively. Caffeine was the only compound detected in all types of greywater, showing the highest concentrations (> 40,000 ng/L in kitchen greywater, and 2,360 ng/L in laundry greywater), followed by methylparaben and 1H-benzotriazole (1,607 and 776 ng/L, respectively, in laundry greywater). This analytical methodology constitutes an important tool for monitoring different families of contaminants in greywater, a poorly studied matrix, which is nowadays being considered as a future source of freshwater, contributing to overcoming problems of water scarcity. Water monitoring thus helps to guarantee water quality in water reuse practices and to understand EDC exposure patterns and their potential environmental impact.

Assessment of Adaptive Reuse Practices of Built Heritage Situated at Mall Road, Lahore, Pakistan

Cultural heritage buildings play an effectual role in transferring cultural values to future generations as they are a significant source of sustainability in maintaining the cultural heritage. With the passage of time, these historical buildings have lost their actual character and aesthetic value. The only way to retain the position of these historical buildings is by following Adaptive Reuse as a particular method to sustain the traditional and cultural heritage of the colonial buildings situated at Mall road. This method proved to be helpful in preserving the heritage buildings when they start losing their originality. The reuse of buildings and adapting buildings for some other functions has become a growing trend now a days. As the revival of these buildings have not only minimized the construction, storage, and energy consumption by using adaptive reuse techniques, but it has also provided a sustainable ecosystem. The current research identified the need to understand the negligence factors implicated by the Adaptive Reuse practices of colonial buildings situated on Mall Road, Lahore, Pakistan. The negligence shown towards the colonial buildings identified the lacking practice which can only be recovered by incorporating reuse methods for the sustainability of built heritage. Therefore, the improvisation of factors like ignorance and lack of bylaws and policies, would lead to the achievement of productive and efficient reuse of built heritage. The current study was conducted in an urban area situated on the Mall Road, Lahore, by using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies a mixed methodology. Through this methodology, the researcher conducted and analyzed interviews which led to some suggestions, which can be considered at micro and macro level to monitor adaptive practice of heritage buildings. There is a dire need to take effective measures through proper investigation to preserve these colonial heritage buildings.

“En Bolivia lo hacen andar”: Régimen de mantenimiento, dimensión emotiva y prácticas de renovación vehicular del transporte colectivo de La Paz

AbstractIn this article I analyze the emotional logic that urban transport drivers in La Paz assign to their vehicles in their life cycle. I pay attention to the emotive dimension of the “technical rationality” of practices of vehicle renewal, reuse, and maintenance—that is to say, the set of emotions, affections, and, especially, feelings that emerge in keeping the vehicle in good condition or in its possible replacement. This emotional dimension does not emerge as an autonomous sphere of technical rationality but rather is inherent to it. My hypothesis also points to its overflowing and kaleidoscopic character, since it transcends the individual experience by allowing us to analyze other phenomena of social life.

Value-retained vs. impacts avoided: the differentiated contributions of remanufacturing, refurbishment, repair, and reuse within a circular economy

Value-retention processes (VRPs), a collective term that includes practices of direct reuse, repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing, can facilitate the cycling of products and components within a circular economy (CE). VRPs are often presented as alternatives to conventional manufacturing and consumption, and as mechanisms for avoiding negative environmental impacts (e.g., landfill) and mitigating issues of material scarcity. However, these practices are typically lumped together under generic ‘reuse’ strategies within sustainable materials management programs and policies. Further, there is a lack of clarity and data regarding how VRPs differ, and the extent to which they contribute to the avoidance of negative environmental and economic impacts. Using novel integrated product-, process, and economy-level models, we quantify select environmental and economic impact metrics for VRPs and conventional manufacturing across six case study products, in two industrialized economies (USA and China). Using this novel methodology, we demonstrate a basis for clear differentiation of VRPs as distinct strategies within a CE, and show that each VRP offers differing forms of value (e.g. cost reduction, labor opportunity, and material retention) and differing degrees of environmental and economic impacts (e.g., primary material requirement, embodied emissions, process emissions). In all cases, the product- and process-level comparative analyses indicate that VRPs present a clear opportunity for significantly reduced environmental impacts, relative to conventional manufacturing. This novel methodology provides an adaptive, comprehensive model that can support the decision of whether or not to engage in VRPs. By quantifying and evaluating VRPs in terms of their relative environmental and economic performance, the distinct avenues, expectations and outcomes for CE can be better integrated across diverse industry and product portfolios (International Resource Panel [29]).

Mitigating tensions between ethics and aesthetics through community-led adaptive heritage reuse: the case of post-industrial Praga, Warsaw

PurposeHeritage reuse, in which the aesthetics of heritage play a leading role, often leads to extreme commodification of heritage, place branding, gentrification and the exclusion of many narratives and voices. In order to understand how such processes of erosion and estrangement between heritage and local communities can be countered, while still redeveloping heritage buildings for contemporary urban needs, this paper explores with what kind of practices and heritage approaches these tensions can be mitigated, learning from recent experiences in Praga district.Design/methodology/approachBased on qualitative semi-structured interviews in a case study of a living lab of ongoing heritage reuse practice in Praga district in the city of Warsaw, Poland, the authors identify practices and approaches that can help to overcome tensions between the ethics and aesthetics of heritage reuse.FindingsIn rapidly changing district like Praga, local communities and others are struggling to compete process of change that impact their heritage, and the engagement with it. Although the local community is quite active in addressing various urban challenges and preserving the character of Praga including heritage elements, the conditions under which these community-led heritage reuse practices operate are quite impactful, as it appears that cooperation with local institutions is vital in order to embed community-led heritage reuse practices to overcome the tensions between ethics and aesthetics of heritage reuse.Originality/valueThis paper presents an in-depth analysis of a living lab of community-led heritage reuse. As such, the paper highlights various practices of community organizations and citizen initiatives that address heritage reuse, as well as the conditions under which these initiatives operate.

Actions aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling waste in the construction of buildings

Being responsible for the generation of more than 50% of urban solid waste poses incessant challenges to the construction industry. Commonly called rubble, civil construction waste (RCC) causes major environmental impacts when an order of priority of actions in forwarding the management of discarded materials is not observed. It is a situation that requires the application of practices that aim to reduce, reuse and recycle (3R's) the waste generated by civil construction at construction sites. This work aims to present good practice guidelines, through an action plan, for the reduction, reuse and recycling of RCC in construction sites. The methodology included a systematic review of scientific articles considering the indications of the PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses). It also included a field research, with seven case studies, with five works located in the city of Recife and two works located in the city of Caruaru, both in the State of Pernambuco, in which we sought to investigate waste management in the works and the actions reduction, reuse and recycling carried out at construction sites. The results showed the identification of reduction actions applied to the management of services, materials and equipment used in the execution of works and good practices of reuse and recycling for the main construction materials, such as: concrete, wood, plastic, plaster and metal. The main contribution of this work was to identify and describe good practice guidelines for better management of civil construction waste in terms of the 3R's.
 
 KEYWORDS: Reduction. reuse. Recycling.

A Study of Data Sources for Accessibility and Reuse Practices among Agricultural Researchers in Tanzania

This paper reports a study that investigated how agricultural researchers use and reuse other researchers’ data in Tanzania. This research used a survey method to investigate the factors influencing researchers in this use/reuse. Findings indicated that more than 80% of researchers use and reuse data accessed from different sources. Several factors influence the majority of researchers (more than 70%) to use and reuse data. The results of this study may attract the attention of agricultural researchers elsewhere to agricultural data use and reuse practices.

Drainage water reuse strategies: Case of El-Bats drain, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

Several challenges facing the water resources managers in many Egyptian governorates that suffer from rapid growth and unbalanced distribution of population. Typically, these governorates need to supplement their limited water resources by filling the gap between water supply and demand. This research aims to evaluate the opportunities to expand the drainage water reuse (DWR) practice in Fayoum Governorate (FG) region. El-Bats drain which lies in the Eastern part of Fayoum region was evaluated for the possible DWR. Intensive sampling campaigns were carried out during the period from 2009 to 2018 to analyze 14 water quality parameters (WQPs) covering agricultural, domestic and industrial pollution levels. Different univariate and multivariate statistical tools were employed to assess the collected sampling data including descriptive statistics, percentile analysis, hierarchal cluster analyses as well as mass balance computation for pollution loads. The obtained results showed the capability of some reaches of El-Bats drain for DWR in irrigation after mixing with canal fresh water by variable mixing ratios. In addition, the need for employing proper treatment facilities in other reaches.