Reuse Of Organic Wastes Research Articles

DIAGNOSIS OF THE SITUATION OF SOLID WASTE IN RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN THE PALMAS REGION (TO)

The Brazilian rural environment has been urbanizing influenced by the industrialization that reached the agricultural sector, which requires waste management focused on this new reality. In this context, this work aimed to diagnose the situation of rural settlements in the region of Palmas (TO) in the context of solid waste management. In view of this, exploratory field research was carried out with the objective of obtaining qualitative and quantitative data that demonstrated the current situation of these settlements. 83 interviews were conducted with the community, made up of 331 families. Among the results obtained, it was found that the solid waste generated by the surveyed settlements has predominant characteristics of urban solid waste. The treatment, for the most part, is done under the ground or from burning. In contrast, the reuse of organic waste is directed to animal feed. It is concluded that there is a need for adequate waste management for the specificities of rural settlements, mainly aimed at reuse, recycling and training at source.

Production of flour for human consumption from the reuse of organic waste

The present work aims to take advantage of residues from plantain and banana for the elaboration of flours that comply with the norms NTC-2799:1991 and NTE-INEN-616:2006. The experimental work involved preparing plantain and banana peels and then taking them to grinding and sifting. The results show good quality flour that meets the rigors of the Colombian Technical Standards. However, E. coli bacteria were observed in the developed flours, which should be considered to improve hygiene in the production process.

Microbially modified effect of exogenous organic matter on soil chemical and biological indices and plant responses

PurposeExogenous Organic Matter (EOM) enriches and regenerates the soil, while solving the problem of landfilling waste such as sewage sludge and bottom sediments. The main purpose of the presented study was to estimate the influence of type and dosage of applied EOM on soil biological characteristics and supporting plant growth, with consideration of inoculation with PGPR (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria).Materials and methodsThe soil samples were characterized by measuring key enzyme activities, determining the community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) using Biolog EcoPlates, abundance of microorganisms and evaluation physical and chemical properties.Results and discussionApplication of EOM mostly increased enzyme activity as well as overall metabolic activity compared to control sample. Increasing the dose of poultry manure and sewage sludge from 20 to 40 t ha−1 increased dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activity. Moreover, the addition of EOM affected the metabolic activity and the number of selected groups of bacteria and fungi.ConclusionsIn the research it was proven that application of EOM leads to relatively rapid and positive changes in soil biological activity. The research also confirmed that the supporting factor for plant growth was the inoculation with PGPR bacteria. This approach, together with the reuse of organic wastes may become an attractive approach in sustainable cropping systems in a circular economy system.Graphical

Investigation of Dunaliella salina microalgae as an effective dual-function material for hydrogen production and supercapacitor applications

Today, population growth, industrialization and economic growth increase the consumption of fossil fuels to meet the energy demand. The scarcity of fossil fuels and the harmful gases they generate increase the interest in renewable energy sources. One of these sources is hydrogen energy, which is plentiful in nature and has no negative environmental effects. Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is a good source of hydrogen, but a catalyst must used for methanolysis. Besides producing energy, it is also important to store it. Supercapacitors are a good alternative to energy storage elements due to their outstanding advantages. In this work, Dunaliella salina (DS) microalgae were used as substrate to synthesize activated carbon for the first time to develop materials that can operate both as a catalyst and an electrode material for supercapacitors. The activated carbon was obtained by carbonization and activation and the taguchi experimental approach was used to minimize the number of experiments. The best hydrogen production rate (HPR) result for DS-9 catalyst with 0.10 g catalyst and 0.25 g NaBH4 at ambient temperature of 60 °C was determined to be 13,085 mL min−1gcat−1. The material with the best HPR value was then used as the electrode material for supercapacitor design. The specific capacitance value for 1 A/g was determined using galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) curves to be 216 F/g. In addition, the produced supercapacitor has an energy density of 13.80 W h/kg at a power density of 480 W/kg. The results indicate that the ecologically friendly and cost effective bifunctional materials produced can be used both in reuse of organic wastes and in catalyst and supercapacitor applications.

A multicriteria DM framework in the eco-management of operations: a case of organic waste reuse

This article presents a case study for decision-making regarding the reuse of organic waste. It introduces a framework for eco-management operations using a multi-criteria approach based on the perspective of organizational stakeholders. Applying the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) it was possible to prioritize options in an environmentally sustainable and economically viable way. The framework integrates several criteria, such as environmental impact, economic viability, social acceptability and regulatory compliance, to provide a comprehensive and robust assessment of alternatives. A decision model is developed to identify the main concern attributes for determining the most suitable process for organic waste treatment. Empirical data has been collected from a central supplier located in the metropolitan region, in Chile. This supplier site contributes as an externality approximately 50% of the waste of the neighborhood where it is located and approximately 10% of the operational costs for the organization. The procedure is followed according to the methodological approach of the study including the experience and perspectives of the actors of the organization. The case study results indicate the efficacy and practicality of the multi-criteria framework in supporting eco-management decision-making processes.

Influence of tire rubber waste on the fire behavior of gypsum coatings of construction and structural elements

The addition of inorganic expanded aggregates, such as perlite or vermiculite is well known in gypsum plasters. However, the reuse of organic wastes in coatings like plasters and renders has been poorly studied. This paper shows the effect of tire rubber wastes on the mechanical properties and fire performance of gypsum plasters. The rubber waste was added to the mixture in mass percentages of 14.50% (C1) and 46.60% (C2). Flexural and compressive strength of plasters made with rubber wastes was visibly reduced as well as their surface hardness (Shore C). In addition, fire tests produced major damages through the entire 2 cm thickness of samples containing rubber wastes, as it was corroborated by X ray diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The heat transfer due to fire exposure modified considerably the chemical composition of plasters, since, on the non-exposed face to fire, the amount of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) equivalent to mass loss obtained by TG due to water released by these plasters made with rubber wastes, was 5.4-7.2 lower than that of conventional plasters. The results suggest that certain wastes may reduce the efficiency of gypsum plasters in protecting underneath construction and structural elements against fire.

Strengthening Collaborative Food Waste Prevention in Peru: Towards Responsible Consumption and Production

Inefficient management and handling of organic waste generated by the food service sector is a big global challenge. In addition to the negative environmental impacts of food waste, the effect of the amount of food that is wasted when it is not handled properly is even more alarming. This is particularly when we witness the millions of people who suffer from lack of food and malnutrition. The objective of this research is to examine the situation of organic waste management in food services in the cities of Lima and Tacna in Peru. Using a quantitative methodological approach to waste management, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 67 restaurants in both cities. The survey results suggest that the restaurants do not carry out the separation or reuse of organic waste. Furthermore, the main methods of disposal include providing surpluses to the staff and sending organic waste to the sanitary landfill and slaughterhouses. There is also a lack of awareness and training about the importance of organic waste management. From the restaurants interviewed, although around 60% claimed to segregate them, only 28% measured organic waste using a manual control and 18% indicated that they weighed the waste for management purposes. As a corrective measure for this deficiency, the production of an awareness video was created to improve decision-making and support change.

Reuse of organic waste from Eucalyptus globulus extract with high reducing potential in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles

The research provides a new and sustainable methodology for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, using Eucalyptus globulus extract, this due to the fact that it presents metabolites capable of acting as a reducing potential of our silver nitrate precursor, and thus obtaining nanostructured material. This is also associated with the reuse of this type of organic material, which currently abounds as waste in the Peruvian highlands. In the specific case of this research, the effect on the stability over time of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was evaluated by varying the pH, with values of 4.82, 8.05 and 10.15. It was observed that as the pH increases the production of nanoparticles is higher, having a saturation threshold close to pH 8. It was also found that for alkaline pH close to 10 a more complete reaction of the reducing agent occurs, but with a high dispersion.

Effect of composition of agricultural wastes and biochar as a growing media on the growth of potted Stock (Matthiola incana) and Geranium (Pelargonium spp)

The reuse of organic wastes in agriculture is an appropriate method for environment management and providing nutrients to the plants. The objective of this study is to utilize possibility of agricultural waste as component of growing media and comparative evaluation of best potting media for flower production. The research was conducted at Floriculture Research Area, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. There were total four treatments (garden soil, biochar + peat moss + leaf compost, leaf compost + soil, peanut shell compost + soil, rice straw + soil). Each treatment was replicated three times, having 10 plants each. Different agricultural waste materials such as leaf compost, peanut shell compost, rice straw and biochar were used as source for quality growth of Stock and Geranium. Physio-chemical analysis (N, P, K, pH, EC) were best in the growing media comprising biochar + peat moss + leaf compost. The experiment was arranged according to Completely Randomized Design (CRD) under factorial arrangement. The results regarding maximum plant height (57.4 cm), number of leaves per plant (62.5), root length (43.1 cm), number of flowers (31.6), flower diameter (4.8 cm), evapotranspiration rate (7.38 mol/m2/s), transpiration rate (46.4 mmol/m2/s) and leaf total chlorophyll contents (81.0 SPAD) were recorded in biochar + peat moss + leaf compost media while maximum leaf area (46.58 cm2), photosynthetic rate (2.11 μmol m2/s), stomatal conductance (1.73 mol/m2/s), respiration rate (416.67), internal CO2 (375.67) and minimum days to first flower emergence (43.8) were observed in peanut shell + soil media. Statistically all the parameters were positively correlated with each other.

Organic substrates and their effects on the emergence and initial growth of Tamarindus indica seedlings

The reuse of organic waste and destination as alternative substrates becomes an important strategy for the production of economically viable and ecologically sustainable forest seedlings. Thus, the objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of different substrates and compositions (proportions) on the emergence and initial growth of Tamarindus indica seedlings. For this, nine different substrates were formulated: bovine manure (EB), buriti paú (PB) and carnauba residue (RC) in the proportions of 75%, 50% and 25% complemented with washed sand and an additional treatment only with washed sand, considered as control. T. indica seeds were sown and conducted for 50 days. The following were evaluated: emergency speed index; mean emergence time, height of the shoot, diameter of the stem, number of leaves, length of the root system, dry mass of the shoot, dry mass of the root system, total dry mass and Dickson's quality index. For the variables of emergence of tamarind seeds, treatments with bovine manure and 25% buriti paú more efficient. In the growth of the seedlings, the best results of diameter, number of leaves, production of dry mass of the root system, aerial part or total part of the seedlings, in addition to Dickson's quality index were found in the proportion of 50% of bovine manure, followed by buriti paú. These results indicate that the substrates bovine manure and paú de buriti in the proportion 50% are the most suitable for the preparation of substrate for the production of T. indica seedlings.

The challenge of using date branch waste as a peat substitute in container nursery production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

PurposePeat-based substrates constitute the preferred media in conventional and organic nursery production. Nevertheless, in recent years, there has been a growing interest in environmental impacts associated with peat extraction that has increased with the demand of these non-renewable substrates. The re-use of organic wastes as substrate seems to be good solution to substitute commercial peat. This study evaluates date-palm peat (wastes of date-palm branches base locally known as “Kornef”) as an alternative nursery substrate.MethodsThe research was conducted in a completely block randomized design with a linear substitution (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of peat with date-palm waste peat for transplant production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Different physicochemical parameters (porosity, bulk density, pH, and CEC) of cultivation substrates were measured. The growth parameters (leaves number, leaves area, length, chlorophyll values, fresh and dry weight of seedlings) were evaluated at the end of growth period (when the seedling reached the commercial transplanting size).ResultsThe results showed that date-palm waste peat is an appropriate media for nursery production, showing similar properties with commercial peat and best plant response with 25 and 50% substitution.ConclusionsIn view of low cost, availability and large area of date-palm cultivation in Tunisia and over the world, it seems that peat can be replaced with substrate of date-palm wastes in the horticulture sector.

New growing media and value added organic waste processing

Public pressure to use peat alternatives in horticultural rooting media offers room for the re-use of local organic waste materials. The re-use of organic wastes requires value added processing such as composting, co-composting, digestion, fractioning/sieving, pressing, binding, stabilising by torrefaction and charification, washing and nutrient exchange. Three cases are presented. In case 1, the new growing media project showed a successful reduction of peat in potting soil mixes at nurseries of 15 plant species. Peat use decreased from 78 to 27%-v/v. The 51%-v/v extra peat alternatives used were, averaged over all mixes used, 24%-v/v coir products, 13%-v/v wood fibre, 6%-v/v bark products and 2%-v/v for each of compost, rice husks, perlite or rockwool granulate. When compared to the standard control mixes yield decreased for two species, increased for two species and was equal for the remaining species. Important, sometimes limiting, properties were stability, nitrogen fixation, EC level, sodium level, rewetting rate and water holding capacity. In case 2 torrefaction at 250°C was used to turn a fast degrading nitrate fixing reed (Phragmites australis) into a non-toxic potting soil constituent which could be added to potting soil mixes up to 80%-v/v. In case 3 the cation exchange complex of coir was measured and saturated with calcium ions. The amount and concentration of a solution necessary to exchange sodium and potassium was 600 meq kg -1 and was dosed as 10 L of 30 mmol L -1 calcium nitrate. In all 3 cases product quality measurements and adapted processing or cultivation practises were discussed. A set of the most important measurements is presented, including: pH, EC, EC level, sodium level, potassium level, stability, nitrogen fixation, easily available water and rewetting rate. In conclusion additional or adapted processing of organic waste guided by proper measurements can increase the value of such organic waste for use in horticulture.

Batch Studies on Remedy for Cr(VI) and Ni(II) onto Sludge-based Carbons (PMSC & APMSC)

Advantages such as environmental friendly material, low cost and high regeneration percentage of sludge-based adsorbents like Paper Mill Sludge carbon (PMSC) and Activated Paper Mill Sludge Carbon (APMSC) make them as suitable adsorbents for the removal of toxic metals such as Cr(VI) and Ni(II) ions from water and wastewater. These mesoporous carbons namely PMSC and APMSC were most effective in adsorption of cationic pollutants than anionic pollutants. Isotherms data indicated that these activated carbons have high adsorption capacity. The dimensionless factor, RL of the adsorption isotherms revealed that the adsorption process for both ions on both adsorbents was very favorable. The results suggest the feasibility of a good substitute than other commercially available activated carbons produced from natural resources. So, the reuse of organic wastes from any industrial process is a high priority today. Adsorption of Ni (II) ions and Cr (VI) ions using PMSC and APMSC was more effective at pH 5 and pH 2, respectively. Various isotherm, kinetic models and Activation parameters were fitted with experimental data to describe the behavior of diffusion mechanism, solute interaction and nature of adsorption with the adsorbents through batch studies. The best isotherm in these studies was selected by error analysis and the stability of adsorbents was also confirmed through desorption studies.

Sustentabilidade e educação ambiental na escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental Waldemar Sampaio Barros

Com a crescente preocupação com os recursos naturais, a Educação Ambiental vem ganhando relevância no aprendizado escolar. Simples práticas como o reaproveitamento de resíduos orgânicos na produção de adubo e a correta separação dos resíduos domésticos são atitudes responsáveis que se esperam de uma população preocupada com a preservação do Meio Ambiente. Pensando em contribuir com a sensibilização humana em favor do Meio Ambiente, acadêmicos do curso de Engenharia Ambiental da UFSM – Campus de Frederico Westphalen passaram a trabalhar em um projeto de extensão universitária focado em práticas sobre Educação ambiental na Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental Waldemar Sampaio Barros, localizada em Oswaldo Cruz, Distrito de FW/RS. Envolveram-se os alunos em palestras, atividades lúdicas e no cultivo de uma horta com produção orgânica. O aprendizado foi visivelmente significativo, visto que o conhecimento acerca de práticas sustentáveis entre os alunos difundiu-se crescentemente, assim como as mudanças de atitudes diárias envolvendo a separação de resíduos, cuidados com a manutenção e importância da horta da escola e o envolvimento da comunidade escolar que se comprometeu com os ensinamentos do projeto. Dessa maneira, observou-se a eficácia e abrangência do trabalho realizado, uma evidente modificação na conscientização ambiental dos envolvidos.

The reuse of peanut organic wastes as a growth medium for ornamental plants

The reuse of organic wastes in agriculture is an appropriate method of environment management. Most plants with ornamental leaves are cultivated in soilless media, in which peat is the basic medium; but the use of peat is questionable due to ecological damage to the environment and economic disadvantages to ornamental plant producers. Peanut shells as remained wastes of cultivating peanut has a considerable volume, compost of which can be used as available sources of ornamental plants medium. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the possibility of using peanut shell compost in the appropriate bed in the cultivation of ornamental plants. Dracaena marginata was selected as the test plant. The control treatment consisted of a 2:1 ratio of peat to perlite, and peat was replaced by 15, 30, 45, 60 and 100 % v/v of peanut shell compost. The study was done based on a complete randomized design in three repetitions in the ornamental plants and flowers research station, Lahijan, Iran. The results showed that the bulk density of the planting beds decreased with the addition of peanut shell compost in comparison to the control. Peanut shell compost increased total nitrogen and available phosphorus and potassium of the media. Peanut shell compost increased plant growth indices, but the growth was reduced in 100 % in the compost treatment. The compost led to increase in nutrient uptake by plants. In conclusion, it became known that peanut shell compost is an appropriate alternative to peat as the growth medium of ornamental plants. Because of the favorable properties and high porosity, peanut shell compost can be mixed with low-porosity substrates and applied as a substitute to peat in the cultivation media. It is not suggested to increase peanut compost level by 60 and 100 %.

Isolation and characterization of onion degrading bacteria from onion waste produced in South Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

Onion production in Argentina generates a significant amount of waste. Finding an effective method to recycle it is a matter of environmental concern. Among organic waste reuse techniques, anaerobic digestion could be a valuable alternative to current practices. Substrate inoculation with appropriate bacterial strains enhances the rate-limiting step (hydrolysis) of anaerobic digestion of biomass wastes. Selection of indigenous bacteria with the ability to degrade onion waste could be a good approach to find a suitable bioaugmentation or pretreatment agent. We isolated bacterial strains from onion waste in different degradation stages and from different localities. In order to characterize and select the best candidates, we analyzed the growth patterns of the isolates in a medium prepared with onion juice as the main source of nutrients and we evaluated carbon source utilization. Nine strains were selected to test their ability to grow using onion tissue and the five most remarkable ones were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Strains belonged to the genera Pseudoxanthomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus and Pseudomonas. Two strains, Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtillis MB2-62 and Pseudomonas poae VE-74 have characteristics that make them promising candidates for bioaugmentation or pretreatment purposes.

Use of vermicomposting biotechnology for recycling organic wastes in agriculture

Recent trend of declining sustainability in agricultural production is appearing as a major threat to most of the Asian countries. To combat the situation, increasing importance is now being paid on incorporation of organic materials for rejuvenating the health condition and, hence, the productivity of these soils. Large scale availability of conventional organic manures being a big problem nowadays, major attention is being paid on recycling of different kinds of organic wastes for this purpose. Apart from abatement of environmental pollution, such reuse of organic wastes in agriculture helps in the improvement of various physical, chemical and biological properties of the soils and, thus, helps in sustaining the soil health. While recycling different organic wastes in agriculture, it is essential to process the materials through an adequate period of composting for improving their usability in the soils. However, due to some short comings of traditional composting systems, the technology of recycling of organic wastes has not been widely accepted so far. Under this situation, vermicomposting has recently emerged as a simple but efficient biotechnology for recycling wide ranges of organic wastes with the help of some specific groups of earthworms. In view of the growing popularity of this biotechnology, various aspects of waste recycling in agriculture through vermicomposting have been dealt in this communication.

Vitrocerâmicas porosas do sistema LZSA utilizando resíduos orgânicos como agentes formadores de poros

Nas últimas décadas, tem crescido o uso de cerâmicas porosas em aplicações tecnológicas, tais como filtros, suportes catalíticos, materiais para implantes ósseos e estruturais. Entre os métodos de obtenção de cerâmicas porosas, o de adição do agente formador de poros ao pó cerâmico é amplamente utilizado, devido à sua simplicidade. Visando a um reaproveitamento de resíduos orgânicos e subprodutos vegetais, este trabalho trata sobre a produção de vitrocerâmicas porosas do sistema Li2OZrO 2-SiO2-Al2O3 (LZSA) por meio da adição de bagaço da cana-de-açúcar e de pó de madeira ao pó vítreo, como agentes formadores de poros. A degradação térmica desses agentes, após calcinação/sinterização a 750 graus Celsius (°C), foi estudada por termogravimetria e espectroscopia de infravermelho. na. Avaliou-se a microestrutura dos materiais porosos por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e foram obtidas porosidades na faixa de 49 a 73%.

Waste Management in the Small Island Developing States of the South Pacific: An Overview

Many countries in the South Pacific face critical problems with regard to waste management. Common problems include: insufficient government priority and political support for action; lack of finance; no long-term planning or business planning; poor landfill siting, design, planning and management; lack of skilled personnel; lack of awareness of the problems caused by poor waste management; physical limitations to the establishment of landfill sites; poor handling of clinical waste; insufficient recycling and reuse, including limited reuse of organic wastes, septic sludge, sewage sludge and effluent. Failure to adequately address these problems is leading to escalating environmental and health problems for Pacific Islanders, and serious consequences for economic development based on tourism, export agriculture and small ‘clean’ industries. This article reviews the causes and consequences of many of these problems and provides recommendations for action to improve the situation. Improvements will result from a combination of technical, economic and social changes. The main change required is waste management being given a higher priority in government planning so that sustainable funding mechanisms can be developed for these activities. Governments also need to develop integrated waste management policies, strategies and plans, and provide support through appropriate legislative and institutional frameworks.