Garbage Dump Research Articles

Bill deformities in Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus percnopterus): a noteworthy record from Rajasthan, India

AbstractBeak deformities may be permanent or temporary and are caused by various factors. Despite its vast geographical area in India, there has been little research on beak deformities in wild birds, and few cases have been reported. In the present study, we described, as far as we know, the first known report of a beak deformity in the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus percnopterus) worldwide. On 6 January 2014, the first author (HP) recorded the Egyptian vulture with a heavily deformed bill on the garbage dump in Jorbeed, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. The causes of the bill abnormality in this individual are unknown, but our record increases the knowledge of the presence of development deformities in Egyptian vultures. We highlight the importance of photographs as a valuable tool for documenting bird beak deformities. In conclusion, we encourage other researchers to report the records of beak deformities, which is necessary for a better understanding of this phenomenon and its insights into the ecological and physiological implications of this condition considerably affecting bird survival.

Investigation of subsurface contaminants leachate within Ansaru-Islam Secondary School, Ilorin, Nigeria

This study adopts the use of Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and 2-D resistivity imaging (employing Schlumberger and Wenner array configurations) to investigate and map the extent of leachate’s migration and its possible impacts on groundwater within Abata Asunkere dumpsite, Ilorin, Kwara State. This study was inspired by the unrestrained manner of garbage dumping in the area over time, which poses great threat to the availability of clean water for the increasing populace. To delineate the subsurface, 2-D resistivity imaging data were acquired along two traverses, while the VES data were randomly acquired along the established traverses. The 2-D resistivity imaging and VES data were processed using Res2D and IPI2Win software respectively. The results of the 2-D and VES revealed five (5) geoelectric sections, which correspond to the topsoil, clayey sand, weathered basement, fractured basement and fresh basement rocks with H, QH and KH sounding signature curve types. The topsoil has layer thickness of 0.5 - 1.7 m and resistivity values ranging from 11.9 - 165 Ωm. The clayey sand has layer thicknesses between 0.7 - 2.8 m and resistivity values ranging from 20.1 - 56 Ωm. The weathered basement has thickness of 0.9 - 16.3 m and resistivity values ranging from 2.09 - 5.25 Ωm. The fractured to fresh basement has resistivity values ranging from 26.8 - 3000 Ωm with thickness ranging from 5.3 m to infinity. The third layer with low resistivity values of 2.09 - 3.52 Ωm at depth range 0.9 - 10 m is suggestive of leachate contamination. The outcome of this study indicates that some regions around the dumpsite are susceptible to leachate’s contamination, which has tendencies to permeate the unconfined aquifers in the study area if not properly monitored and controlled.

Interface Behavior Analysis of Different Geomembrane Liner Systems Based on PIV Techniques

The interfacial friction performance of the liner system has an important influence on the overall stability of modern landfills, but the interface of the liner system using conventional geomembranes may have problems such as shear failure and slip along the liner system. Accordingly, the concept of a ribbed geomembrane was proposed. Based on the laboratory model tests, the variation laws of p–s curves and the additional stress of sand were studied under different values of shape, rib spacing, and rib height. A series of particle image velocimetry (PIV) analyses of sand particles were performed to provide insight into the reinforcement mechanism of the ribbed geomembrane liner system. The results indicated that the ribbed geomembrane could obviously improve the stability of the liner system compared with the smooth geomembrane. The ribbed geomembrane formed an indirect influence area with sand in a specific range. The ribbed geomembrane with optimal values of rib spacing and rib height was beneficial to reduce the settlement of the upper sand and the stress redistribution of the sand particles.

First data about movements and threats of Rüppell's Vultures (Gyps rueppellii) tagged in Morocco: an international and multi-institutional study.

The Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ at the global and regional levels in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. A multi-institutional collaboration to fit 13 vultures with GPS transmitters in northern Morocco was launched to get information on their movements and threats along the flyway, both to the north and the south of the Sahara. Preliminary results from individuals released in November 2021 indicate a low survival rate during the wintering period in Morocco and on the return journey to the Sahel, which is usually attempted by Rüppell's Vultures with large groups of migratory birds, especially Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus). Of the group of tagged individuals, only four birds travelled definitely in a southwards direction, apparently migrating. Two of those have died, with one presumed to have starved in the Algerian desert, and another one presumed to have been killed by human persecution in The Gambia. A third individual was captured by local people in Mauritania and it is unknown what happened thereafter. One bird remains alive in Senegal at the time of writing. For the birds that did not disperse far after being fitted with transmitters, a relatively high number of fatalities seems to confirm that threats to the species are prevalent in Morocco: one bird died after being struck by a wind turbine; one was electrocuted by a power line; and two suffered from starvation and weakness. Birds remaining close to the release area fed mainly at a vulture feeding station or at rubbish dumps, which may indicate that there is a lack of food available in the wider surroundings. Five vultures originally fitted with transmitters are still alive in North Africa at the time of writing.

Daizō Sakurai's Trans-Asian Tent Theater, Picun, and the Reenchantment of Urban Space

Abstract This article discusses the 2010 Picun performance of Crow2Topia, the first play by the Beijing division of Daizō Sakurai's tent theater. Sakurai had previously participated in grassroots theater activities in Japan and Asia: in 2007 members of the mainland independent theater scene introduced him to the labor NGO and community cultural center Migrant Workers Home in the urban village Picun in Beijing. Sakurai's collaborators suggested that the suburban village-in-the-city, populated by rural migrant workers, would be a performance venue that fit the Japanese director's vision of theater as being located on the margins of society. The article delineates the trajectory of Sakurai's tent theater, analyzing the play Crow2Topia and pointing to intertextual references to premodern theater traditions and modern texts. Drawing on similarities between the play, which portrays a contemporary Chinese city from the perspective of the inhabitants of a garbage dump, and the precarious position of the actual tenants of Picun, it argues that the tent theater and the Migrant Workers Home can both be described as unstable “shared spaces” with permeable borders. In these spaces, social roles and personal identities are in constant flux. The closing part of the article expands the notion of “shared space,” first introduced by Dai Jinhua in her discussion of the emerging popular culture in mainland China in the 1990s, beyond the borders of the local cultural scene and embeds it into transregional networks of grassroots cultural activism.

Comparative study scent quality or smells, cleanliness and beauty to RPTRA user satisfaction in Denpasar City

Open space is created to socialize with other humans. One of the existing open spaces, there is a Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA) as one of the programs to create a child-friendly city. The existence of this RPTRA helps the people in Denpasar City in carrying out activities in open spaces such as sports, children's play, education and as a green space because in the RPTRA there is greenery. This RPTRA is located in the center of Denpasar City so it is easy to reach by the community. This research was conducted to compare whether or not there is a difference between the two RPTRAs based on the comfort of the smell or smell, cleanliness and beauty from the user's point of view of each RPTRA, because one of these RPTRAs, namely the Lumintang Traffic Park RPTRA, has a TPS (Temporary Garbage Disposal Site) which is located approximately 100 meters from the RPTRA. With the research method used, namely the quantitative research method by distributing questionnaires to the people who are active in each RPTRA, it is found that the RPTRA Traffic Park has a lower percentage level of comfort compared to RPTRA Janggan Park. This is due to the fact that the temporary garbage dumps are located not far from the Taman Traffic RPTRA with the condition that waste often accumulates, which is the main factor for the discomfort of the people who are active in this RPTRA.

Chakachua Pharmaceuticals and Fugitive Science.

Chakachua Pharmaceuticals and Fugitive Science.

A Cross-sectional study on the Prevalence, Behavioural and Environmental Risk Factors of Malaria Transmission in Two Senatorial Districts of Cross River State, Nigeria

There is a dearth of information on the behavioural and environmental risk factors enhancing malaria transmission in the Cross River State. This study, therefore, investigated the prevalence of malaria and the behavioural and environmental risk factors enhancing malaria parasite transmission in four Local Government Areas in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 participants aged 5-60 years and was conducted between August and November 2021. Thick and thin blood films prepared were examined using microscopy at ×10 magnification. A standard questionnaire was also used to collect data on socio-demographic and environmental factors. The overall prevalence of malaria infection recorded in the study is 18.2% (73/400). All malaria infections were observed to be caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The prevalence of malaria infection was higher in the age group 11-20 years (22.2%) (P<0.001). According to gender, males (23.3%) were more infected with malaria than females (12.9%) (P=0.007). An overall mean (±S.D) parasite density and parasites count of 250.00±18.80 and 15.60±1.20 parasite/μLof blood, respectively, was recorded in the study. In Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA), there was a negative correlation between the use of bed nets and malaria infection (r= -0.226) (P=0.024). Mud houses, use of bed nets, and the availability of refuse dump around households were significantly (P<0.001) associated with the presence of mosquitoes. A negative correlation was observed in the relationship between the presence of mosquitoes and the use of insecticide in Calabar South LGA (r= -0.390) (P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between the use of bed nets and the presence of mosquitos in Calabar Municipal (r= -0.286) and Obudu (r= -0.286) LGAs (P=0.004). In conclusion, this study suggests that malaria management efforts should take an integrated strategy that includes good environmental sanitation.

Survey of Bacterial Carriage by Musca domestica in Calabar Metropolis and Implication on Public Health

This study was designed to isolate the bacteria carried by houseflies (Musa domestica), determine the most occurring bacteria associated with houseflies and assess the sanitary conditions of the different sampling locations in Calabar Metropolis. Samples were collected during September and October 2015. Perforated transparent plastic buckets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles were used to collect houseflies from houses, food spots (restaurants) and drinking spots located in Bogobiri, Goldie and Hawkings in Calabar. The samples were subjected to standard bacteriological analysis to include cultures and biochemical identification. The results of the trap were 137 (51.1%) for the bucket trap and 131 (48.9%) for the Eva bottle trap. Bogobiri location had the highest number of houseflies 95 (35.4%) followed by Hawking 90 (33.6%) and lastly Goldie with 83 (30.9%). and yielded the following results: 13 (61.9%) of the sample had significant bacteria growth while 15 (71.4%) had insignificant bacteria growth. Among bacteria isolated, Coliforms bacteria 5 (23.8%), Salmonella spp. 5 (23.8%), S. aureus 4 (19%) and Bacillusspp. 2 (9.5%). Hawking had the highest number of bacteria isolated. The result of this survey has shown that the association of houseflies with street foods and drinks is a serious public health concern. Avoidance of houseflies in our foods and drinks and good refuse dump disposal should be promoted.

EFEKTIVITAS MAGGOT BLACK SOLDIER FLY SEBAGAI PENGURAI SAMPAH SAYUR-SAYURAN, SAMPAH BUAH-BUAHAN, DAN SISA MAKANAN TAHUN 2023

Organic waste is a type of waste that can rot and decompose again. Most organic waste is thrown into landfills, resulting in piles of rubbish. One way that can be done to reduce damage to the environment and the risk of causing disease is to reuse organic waste by using decomposer animals, namely the Black Soldier Fly or in Latin Hermetia illucens. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Maggot Black Soldier Fly in decomposing vegetable waste, fruit waste and food waste. This research was an experiment carried out for 12 days with 3000 grams of organic waste each. The waste variation uses 3 repetitions using 150 grams of maggot and regular checks are carried out on temperature, pH and humidity. Based on the results of maggot research, maggots' decomposition of vegetable waste increased by 267%. From the results of the ANOVA test, it was found that there was no significant difference in the weight of maggots as decomposers of vegetable waste, fruit waste and food waste. The reduction in waste weight after being broken down by food waste maggots was more effective with a percentage of 72%. In the ANOVA test results it was found that there was a significant difference between vegetable waste and food waste with a Mean Difference (I-J) value of 383,333. It is better for maggots to use food waste when decomposing waste because it has a soft texture, stable pH and humidity, and produces good growth for maggots.

Fuel oil production from thermal decomposition of the model and waste polystyrene: Comparative kinetics and product distribution

The thermal degradation of model polystyrene (MPS) and waste polystyrene (WPS) was performed in a thermobalance system at four heating rates (β) i.e., 5, 10, 15 and 20 °C/min in an inert atmosphere. The apparent activation energy (Ea) and frequency factor (A) for the MPS and the WPS were calculated using Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Augis-Bennetis (AB) methods. It has been determined that Ea and A vary according to fraction conversion, heating rates, and applied models. The activation energy determined for MPS was found to be in the range of 91-106, 90-105, and 114-133 kJ/mol, while, for WPS, Ea was determined in the range of 82-160, 79-159 and 102-202 kJ/mol by applying OFW, KAS, and AB models, respectively. From the results obtained, it was concluded that the Ea determined by all of these methods increases with fraction conversion, indicating that the decomposition of polystyrene follows a complex mechanism of the solid-state reaction. Hence, the kinetic parameters, i.e., Ea and A, seem to play a key role in investigating the mechanism of solid-state reactions and will provide an opportunity to develop the mechanism of the industrial decomposition reactions. The results show that the MPS has a lower activation energy compared to WPS. This high Ea of WPS may be due to the additives used in the manufacturing of different polystyrene products. Pyrolysis GC/MS of WPS indicates that the main components of pyrolysis oil are 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, styrene, α-methyl styrene, toluene, and 1,2-dimethyl benzene. The presence of some oxygenated compounds in the fuel oil of WPS may be due to contamination or additives used during polystyrene processing, as the WPS samples were collected from a garbage dump near a local market. WPS can be utilized as fuel if the fuel oil collected from the pyrolysis of WPS is properly upgraded to make it equivalent to commercial fuel oil.

Studies and Research on Soil Analysis in a Derelict Area, where there Was a Landfill

In this paper, a study was made regarding the quality of the soil, from a disused area, where there was a garbage dump, which operated illegally. Soil samples were taken from different depths, namely 10, 20, and 30 cm deep, from 3 areas, covering the entire area where was the landfill. In the soil samples taken, the proportion of heavy metals and the pH were determined, thus being able to highlight how the quality of the soil was affected.

Smart Surveillance System for Illegal Garbage Dumping

Effective garbage management is a key challenge faced by urban areas across the world Garbage dumping in unauthorized places is a common problem in most cities, and it poses a serious threat to public health and the environment. To address this issue, we propose a real-world surveillance platform that detects and reports instances of garbage dumping in unauthorized areas using vision-based action recognition techniques. Our approach involves training a deep neural network on a dataset of garbage dumping actions to recognize and classify instances of this behaviour in real-time video footage. The system operates in three stages detection, tracking, and classification. In the detection phase, we use object detection techniques to locate potential dumping events in video frames. In the tracking phase, we track the detected object across subsequent frames to obtain a trajectory that helps in understanding the context of the action. In the classification phase, we classify the action as garbage dumping or non-dumping using a convolutional neural network. Our system achieves an accuracy of 96.2% on a test dataset, demonstrating its effectiveness in detecting garbage dumping events in real-world surveillance scenarios. The proposed system can be integrated into existing surveillance infrastructure to improve the efficiency of garbage management systems and enhance public health and environmental protection.

Relationship between species richness, taxonomic distinctness, functional diversity, and local contribution to β diversity and effects of habitat disturbance in the riparian spider community of the Ganga River, India

BackgroundIn the riverine riparian ecosystem, particularly in India, the knowledge of the effects of habitat disturbance on taxonomic distinctness, functional diversity, and local contribution to β diversity (LCBD) of spider community is elusive. The present study examined the relationships between the index of taxonomic distinctness (Δ+), index of variation in taxonomic distinctness (λ+), functional evenness (FEve), functional divergence (FDiv), functional dispersion (FDis), and LCBD of spider community of the Ganga River and the effects of habitat disturbance on these indices. A total of 27 sampling sites were selected along the bank of the Ganga River. Based on the rating of the disturbance scores, the sites were classified into lowly, moderately, and highly disturbed sites. To understand the relationships between species richness, Δ+, λ+, FDis, FDiv, FEve, LCBD, and habitat disturbance score, Pearson’s correlation was calculated, followed by the linear regression model. The one-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to find differences in taxonomic distinctness and functional diversity in the different disturbed sites.ResultsSignificant relationships were found between λ+ and Δ+, FDis and Δ+, FDis and λ+, FDiv and species richness, FEve and species richness, FEve and λ+, FEve and habitat disturbance, LCBD and FEve, and LCBD and habitat disturbance. A significant difference was present in the indices of functional diversity between the lowly, moderately, and highly disturbed sites. Agriculture, garbage dump, human settlement, and created embankment influenced the spider community's λ+, FEve, and LCBD.ConclusionUnrestrained anthropogenic activities exacerbate habitat disturbance by affecting ecological processes. Thus, understanding linkages between ecosystem disturbance, taxonomic, functional, and β diversity can be fundamental to managing and conserving natural resources. This work highlights the importance of including taxonomic and functional diversity to comprehend the impact of habitat disturbance on riverine riparian spiders beyond just the number of species. An integrated taxonomic and functional diversity approach coupled with β diversity can be used to support environmental assessment, restoration, and conservation planning of the biological resources of the Ganges River.

Domestic Waste and Wastewaters as Potential Sources of Pharmaceuticals in Nestling White Storks (Ciconia ciconia).

Information on the exposure of wild birds to pharmaceuticals from wastewater and urban refuse is scarce despite the enormous amount of drugs consumed and discarded by human populations. We tested for the presence of a battery of antibiotics, NSAIDs, and analgesics in the blood of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings in the vicinity of urban waste dumps and contaminated rivers in Madrid, central Spain. We also carried out a literature review on the occurrence and concentration of the tested compounds in other wild bird species to further evaluate possible shared exposure routes with white storks. The presence of two pharmaceutical drugs (the analgesic acetaminophen and the antibiotic marbofloxacin) out of fourteen analysed in the blood of nestlings was confirmed in 15% of individuals (n = 20) and in 30% of the nests (n = 10). The apparently low occurrence and concentration (acetaminophen: 9.45 ng mL-1; marbofloxacin: 7.21 ng mL-1) in nestlings from different nests suggests the uptake through food acquired in rubbish dumps rather than through contaminated flowing water provided by parents to offspring. As with other synthetic materials, different administration forms (tablets, capsules, and gels) of acetaminophen discarded in household waste could be accidentally ingested when parent storks forage on rubbish to provide meat scraps to their nestlings. The presence of the fluoroquinolone marbofloxacin, exclusively used in veterinary medicine, suggests exposure via consumption of meat residues of treated animals for human consumption found in rubbish dumps, as documented previously at higher concentrations in vultures consuming entire carcasses of large livestock. Control measures and ecopharmacovigilance frameworks are needed to minimize the release of pharmaceutical compounds from the human population into the environment.

Conservation and Technical Evaluation of an Early Medieval Papyrus Codex

ABSTRACT In 2005, a team of Polish archaeologists discovered three Coptic codices, two on papyrus and one on parchment, in the rubbish dump of a hermitage at Sheik Abd el-Gurna, Egypt. While the parchment codex and the remains of the bindings of the papyrus ones have been conserved, the text blocks of the papyrus codices were opened and disassembled and after being disinfected remained untouched for nearly 15 years, until the current project started. Currently, all three books are stored in the collection of the Coptic Museum in Cairo. Our team undertook the conservation of and archaeometric research on the papyrus codices. The first of the books contains the Canons of Pseudo-Basil, while the second is an Encomium of St. Pisenthios. Both codices have been palaeographically dated to the seventh-eighth centuries CE. In this paper, we describe our project and present the results of the work carried out on the Canons of Pseudo-Basil. Our work involved photography in transmitted light, measurements of the thickness of the papyrus leaves, and digital microscopy under three-light illumination. These measurements allowed us to determine the types of the inks and characterize the papyrus writing substrate. For conservation, we used a novel method developed in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin that comprises suspending papyrus folios on a translucent, extremely thin Japanese paper inside glass frames without the use of adhesives.

Recycling as Refusing the End of the World

How is the climate crisis viewed by workers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who reclaim recyclables on a garbage dump — a place long entangled with decay and death? The act of reclaiming waste is a reminder that it is impossible to understand the current crisis without considering its origins in the labor of racial capitalism and in the productivism that capitalism demands. Reclaiming requires staying with degradation, remaking a world that is seemingly always ending.

The need to consider the service life of all components of a modern MSW landfill liner system

The long-term performance of a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) above a drainage layer and a geocomposite drain (GCD) are investigated. Full-scale tests are used to: (i) assess the integrity of GCL and GCD in a double composite liner below a defect in the primary geomembrane with ageing, and (ii) establish the head at which there was internal erosion in GCL without a carrier geotextile (GTX) such that the bentonite is in direct contact with the underlying gravel drainage. Six years after contact with simulated landfill leachate at 85 °C through an intentional defect on the geomembrane, the GCL resting on the GCD had failed due to degradation of the GTX between the bentonite and the core of the GCD and subsequent erosion of the bentonite into the core structure of the GCD was observed. In addition to complete degradation of its GTX at some locations, the GCD had also experienced extensive stress cracking and rib rollover. The second test demonstrates that if a suitable gravel drainage layer had been used instead of the GCD, the GTX component of the GCL would not have been required for acceptable long-term performance under normal design conditions and indeed could withstand a head of up to 15 m before problems became evident. The findings serve as a warning landfill designers and regulators that more attention must be paid to the service life of all components of double liner systems used in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills.

The Maldives should not become the world's garbage dump by importing plastic waste

The Maldives should not become the world's garbage dump by importing plastic waste

Litter on the streets - solid waste detection using VHR images

ABSTRACT Failures in urban areas’ solid waste management lead to clandestine garbage dumping and pollution. This affects sanitation and public human hygiene, deteriorates quality of life, and contributes to deprivation. This study aimed to test a combination of machine learning, high-resolution earth observation and GIS data to detect diverse categories of residual waste on the streets, such as sacks and construction debris. We conceptualised five different classes of solid waste from image interpretation: “Sure”, “Half-sure”, “Not-sure”, “Dispersed”, and “Non-garbage”. We tested a combination of k-means-based segmentation and supervised random forest to investigate the capabilities of automatic classification of these waste classes. The model can detect the presence of solid waste on the streets and achieved an accuracy of up from 73.95%–95.76% for the class “Sure”. Moreover, a building extraction using an EfficientNet deep-learning-based semantic segmentation allowed masking the rooftops. This improved the accuracy of the classes “Sure” and “Non-garbage”. The systematic evaluation of all parameters considered in this model provides a robust and reliable method of solid waste detection for decision-makers. These results highlight areas where insufficient waste management affects the citizens of a given city.