Waste Loading Research Articles

Evaluation of Water and Air Fluxes in Mixtures of Soil and Organic Compound for Oxidative Covering Layers

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the air and water permeability of soil mixtures with organic compost in different proportions in order to determine the gas and liquid fluxes for use in landfill cover layers. Method: The methodology adopted for this study includes laboratory tests to characterize the materials and the use of the flexible wall permeameter model Tri-flex 2 from Soil Test – ELE to determine the air and water permeability of the materials. Mixtures in proportions of 2:1 (soil:compost) and 1:1 (soil:compost) were used as materials for the oxidative covering layer. Results and Discussion: Based on the results obtained, it is possible to conclude that the mixtures present permeabilities to air and water in accordance with the standards indicated by USEPA (2003) for covering layers in sanitary landfills, thus ensuring that there is no excess percolation of water from rain, as well as the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere. Research Implications: The studied material is potentially suitable for use in oxidative cover layers for sanitary landfills, proving to be a viable alternative for implementation in smaller municipalities with less purchasing power, reducing the need to use clay materials, without detriment to the operational efficiency of the landfill. Originality/Value: One of the difficulties faced by municipalities in using sanitary landfills is the search for suitable materials, especially in municipalities with lower purchasing power or located in arid regions, where the use of conventional layers presents problems, with drying out and opening of fissures. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the feasibility of combining clay soils with organic compost to create oxidative cover layers, reducing the pollutant load of organic waste.

Assessment of physical properties developed and leaching capability by binary and ternary cementitious mixtures containing spent ion-exchange resins

Ion-exchange resins (IERs) are used for the decontamination of effluents from chemical impurities and radioisotopes in the primary and secondary cooling circuits of pressured water reactors. Cementation in OPC matrices (CA, cement and fly ash) has been the preferred alternative for the conditioning of spent IERs (SIERs). Due to the progressive supply shortage of ash in the international market, the technical feasibility of other alternative cementitious formulations (CAS, cement, ash and slag, and CS, cement and slag) to confine this waste has been assessed. In this study, aspects such as the maximum waste loading, physic-chemical characteristics of the wasteforms, or their radionuclide retention capacity were evaluated. The maximum SIERs surrogates admitted for each formulation was 7.5 % wt./wt. resin/binder (12 % volume). For all wasteforms, boron released from SIERs surrogates seemed to interact with calcium compounds of the raw materials, retarding the reaction kinetics and setting, especially in the CS sample, and delaying the formation of the gel and the portlandite. No formation of boron compound but substitution of silicon tetrahedral by boron tetrahedral in the gel structure. CAS wasteforms sample with immobilised resin, independently of the SIERs surrogates content, exhibited an improved performance compared to the CA formulation currently in use.

Efficient methane fermentation from the waste of a novel straw alkali-heat pretreatment-butyric acid fermentation process

ABSTRACT The butyric acid biorefinery technology for straw is highly significant for environmental protection and the restructuring of the energy system. However, this process produces waste from alkali-heat pretreatment (PW) and butyric acid fermentation (FW). In this study, the feasibility of methane fermentation from the wastes was confirmed, with the methane production from PW and FW of 351.1 ± 11.8 and 741.5 ± 14.2 mLCH4/gVS, respectively. The initial pH and V FW/V PW of methane fermentation using the mixed waste of PW and FW were optimized at 7.5 and 1.8, respectively. The methane fermentation using the mixed waste was also verified by operating two anaerobic digesters in sequencing batch mode. At the V FW/V PW of 0.25 (actual ratio), methane production was 301.20 mLCH4/gVS with the waste load of 0.64 kgVS/m³/d. When the V FW/V PW was 1.8 (optimal ratio), methane production reached 396.45 mLCH4/gVS at the waste load of 1.20 kgVS/m3/d. This study facilitates the comprehensive utilization of all components within rice straw.

Geotechnical Study of Oxidative Covering Layers for Sanitary Landfills

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the analysis of the geotechnical behavior of pure soil and mixtures of soil with composted product for use in landfill cover layers. Method: The methodology adopted for this research includes laboratory tests for the physical characterization and determination of the properties of the materials used for the oxidative cover layer. To prepare the oxidative layer, it was necessary to mix organic compost with clay soil. The soil was collected from a deposit located near the Muribeca Landfill in Pernambuco. Results and Discussion: The analyses performed allowed a positive assessment of the geotechnical capacity that the mixtures can provide under the condition of landfill cover layers. The mixtures had a small increase in the proportion of coarser granulometry, reducing the plasticity of the material with the addition of the compost, possibly increasing the permeability of the layer. Also, the addition of compost did not cause a great loss in the geotechnical load-bearing capacity of the material. Research Implications: The material studied has shown potential suitability for use in oxidative covering layers for landfills, proving to be a viable alternative for implementation in smaller municipalities with less purchasing power, effectively reducing the need for the use of clayey materials, without compromising the safety of operation and subsequent use of the landfill site. Originality/Value: One of the difficulties encountered by municipalities in the use of landfills is the search for materials suitable for the solution, especially in municipalities with less purchasing power or located in arid regions, where the use of conventional layers presents problems, with drying out and opening of fissures. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the viability of the association of clayey soils with organic compost for the preparation of oxidative covering layers, reducing the pollutant load of organic waste.

Photocatalytic Bleaching Process of Cotton Fabric with H2O2 and H2O2 /n-TiO2

This study delves into the exploration of an alternative bleaching method as a substitute for hydrogen peroxide, addressing concerns related to its excessive chemical usage, high waste load, and elevated energy and water consumption. Photocatalytic bleaching was implemented on 100% cotton fabrics. Initially, hydrogen peroxide served as a catalyst, and the photocatalytic effect was meticulously examined. Subsequently, nano-sized TiO2 was introduced into the photocatalytic recipe, and operational conditions were fine-tuned to determine the optimal bleaching process for cotton fabrics. All photocatalytic experiments were systematically compared with conventional hydrojen peroxide bleaching method. A comprehensive analysis, encompassing color spectrum values, SEM, SEM-EDX, XRD, and FTIR-ATR tests, was conducted. The results revealed a notable 13.36% enhancement in whiteness performance during bleaching when subjected to photocatalytic treatment with nano TiO2 and H2O2 in tandem. This study posits itself as an environmentally conscious alternative to the long-standing conventional bleaching processes prevalent in the textile industry.

Stakeholder contestations of water quality use and management in the Vaal Barrage catchment

The water resources within the lower section of the Upper Vaal catchment, where the Vaal Barrage is situated, are highly utilised and developed, and water quality regulation has become a contested space between resource users and the regulators. The credibility and scientific defensibility of discharge standards in water-use licences (WULs), the relationship between upstream and downstream waste loads, the relationship between flows and water quality standards in WUL, and the water quality components of the resource quality objectives (RQOs) are being contested. This study explores the perceptions and motivations underlying these contestations as a contribution to scientific understanding of water quality management in a highly developed system. Perceived unrealistic RQOs, perceived lack of scientific credibility of the methods for deriving water quality standards in WUL, data inadequacy, as well as poor institutional capacity were identified as the top motivations for contesting applicable regulatory instruments in the catchment. Punitive measures, incentives, and education and awareness-raising were identified as key to accelerating compliance. Overall, this paper contributes to our general understanding of the intricacies of water quality management within a contested space.

Incorporation of organic liquid waste in alkali activated mixed fly ash/blast furnace slag/metakaolin-based geopolymers

The solidification of liquid oils (Shell Spirax and Nevastane EP 100) used as simulants of radioactive liquid organic waste (RLOW) in a specifically developed mix fly ash, blast furnace slag and metakaolin based geopolymer was studied in the present work. The process consists of obtaining the geopolymer paste slurry, produced by dispersing the solid precursors in the aqueous alkaline solution, and then adding RLOW via direct incorporation into the slurry under mixing to create an emulsion, before the geopolymer hardens. Geopolymer/oil composites have been prepared with various oil content (10, 20, 30 and 40 %v.), and subsequently characterized to verify their compliance with basic waste acceptance criteria. The positive role of the addition of a superplasticizer, to improve the fluidity of the paste, the density, and the homogeneity of the structure of geopolymer hardened materials was also demonstrated. The mechanical and engineering properties of the pastes and of solidified materials have been verified via rheological measurements and compressive strength tests. The optimized reference formulation loaded with 30 %v. oil waste has been tested in terms of raw materials variability and mixing proportion as part of a robustness study. Finally, the possibility to incorporate in the developed formulation other surrogated RLOW (tributyl phosphate/dodecane (30/70) and Liquid Scintillation Cocktail) has been studied with promising results.

DETERMINATION OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF ANIMAL WASTE AND CLIMATE CHANGE; KARAMAN EXAMPLE

Climate change is a major concern around the world. In this context, the carbon footprint of animal waste is of critical importance for sustainability and climate change management. The aim of this study is to estimate the carbon footprint resulting from animal breeding and animal waste in the Karaman region. In the study, 2022 data was used and there are 1019277 sheep and 81368 cattle for Karaman. In the study, Tier 1 and Tier 2 approaches were used to estimate methane gas emissions related to both enteric fermentation resulting from animal digestive processes and manure management. According to the results of the study, the results obtained using Tier 1 and Tier 2 approaches are as follows: 0.4924-0.5014 kg CO2e per 1 liter of milk for Cattle. For sheep, it is 4.5167-6.5627 kg CO2e per 1 kg of meat. For goat, it is 5.0813-6.0231 kg CO2e per 1 kg of meat. These results can be taken into account when creating strategies to reduce methane gas emissions. It is recommended to add better quality and high energy content foods to the feed ration, especially to reduce enteric fermentation. In addition, this study is a resource for relevant researchers working in the field in calculating the carbon loads of animal waste and is thought to be a guide for decision makers and practitioners.

Perturbations to common gardens of anaerobic co-digesters reveal relationships between functional resilience and microbial community composition.

We report the relationship between enrichment of adapted populations and enhancement of community functional resilience in methanogenic bioreactors. Although previous studies have shown the positive effects of acclimation, this work directly investigated the relationships between microbiome dynamics and performance of anaerobic co-digesting reactors in response to different levels of an environmental perturbation (loading of grease interceptor waste [GIW]). Using the methanogenic microbiome from a full-scale digester, we developed eight sets of microbial communities in triplicate using different feed sources. These substrate-specific microbiomes were then exposed to three independent disturbance events of low-, mid- and high-GIW loading rates. This approach allowed us to directly attribute differences in community responses to differences in community composition. Despite identical inocula, environment (digester operation, substrate loading rate, and feeding patterns) and general whole-community function (methane production and effluent quality) during the cultivation period, different substrates led to different microbial community assemblies. Lipid pre-acclimation led to enrichment of a pool of specialized populations, along with thriving of sub-dominant communities. The enrichment of these populations improved functional resilience and process performance when exposed to a low level of lipid-rich perturbation compared with less-acclimated communities. At higher levels of perturbation, the communities were not able to recover methanogenesis, indicating a loading limit to the resilience response. This study extends our current understanding of environmental perturbations, feed-specific adaptation, and functional resilience in methanogenic bioreactors.IMPORTANCEThis study demonstrates, for the first time for GIW co-digestion, how applying similar perturbations to different microbial communities was used to directly identify the causal relationships between microbial community, function, and environment in triplicate anaerobic microbiomes. We evaluated the impact of feed-specific adaptation on methanogenic microbiomes and demonstrated how microbiomes can be influenced to improve their functional (methanogenic) resilience to GIW inhibition. These findings demonstrate how an ecological framework can help improve a biological engineering application, and more specifically, increase the potential of anaerobic co-digestion for converting wastes to energy.

Synergistic effect of Cerium and Niobium enhances the low-temperature NH3-SCR activity of Fe-containing solid waste

To develop environment-friendly low temperature NH3-SCR catalyst and realize the resource utilization of industrial solid waste, this research prepared a series NH3-SCR catalysts by using Fe-containing solid waste loading CeO2 and Nb2O5. It was found that the Ce2Nb1/Fe-Si catalyst exhibited the highest NH3-SCR activity, reaching about 93 % NOx conversion and 99 % N2 selectivity at 300 °C due to the synergistic effect between Ce and Nb species. The characterization results showed that the interaction between Ce and Nb was stronger than that between Nb and Fe species, promoting the NH3 adsorption and redox cycle of Ce4+ + Nb4+ ↔ Ce3+ + Nb5+, Ce3+ + Fe3+ ↔ Fe2+ + Ce4+, which increased the contents of Fe2+ and surface adsorbed oxygen. Moreover, the co-existence of Ce and Nb species would increase the NOx adsorption ability and promote the oxidation of NO to NO2, which was beneficial for “Fast SCR” reaction. Finally, the introduction of CeO2 and Nb2O5 did not changed the reaction mechanism, followed by a Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism.

Contribution of Some Agro-Food Processing By-products to Chicken Sausages

In this study, some agro-food processing by-products were evaluated as novel food ingredients, that meet the consumer's demand for natural ingredients, and their contributions to chicken-type sausage production were examined. Sausages were formulated with 3% quince waste (QS3), 3% grapefruit waste (GS3), 2% tomato waste (TS2), and 3% tomato waste (TS3). Other ingredients were fresh breast chicken meat, beef tallow, spice mix, ice, NaCl, and NaNO2. Proximate composition and sensory analyses were conducted before the storage. Water activity, pH, TBARS, purge accumulation, and microbiological analyses were performed during the storage. QS3, TS2, and TS3 treatments got appreciated (7.0-7.4 out of 10) sensory scores, while GS3 scored low acceptability (4.0 out of 10) points. Adding food waste significantly reduced purge accumulation; the average purge accumulation of the control sample was 3.70% which is approximately two times higher than food waste added samples. The average TBARS value of the control sample was determined as 0.31 mg MA/kg, and the food waste-added samples were found between 0.57-0.65 mg MA/kg during storage. Total mesophilic aerobic bacteria and yeast-mold load were higher in TS2 and TS3 products; microbial load and TBARS values of food waste affected the product quality. Also, water activity, microbial growth, and purge accumulation amount affected each other during storage.

Computer aided flow investigation of liquid agricultural wastes

Liquid agricultural wastes serve as important fertilizers in modern agriculture but pose environmental and health risks due to high nitrogen compound content. To prevent soil and groundwater contamination, ammonia separation is required before waste application on fields. Conventional separation by stripping is difficult because of column clogging by solid waste loads. This work investigates, both experimentally and numerically, the flow behaviour of liquid agricultural waste to support the development of innovative separators based on inclined plates. The measurements were carried out in a newly developed experimental setup consisting of a liquid distributor over a plate with variable inclination angles. The influence of volumetric flow rate and inclination angles on the flow topology and liquid detachment from the edge of the plate was studied. While the impact of the flow rate was significant, no influence of the plate inclination angle could be observed. A CFD model was developed to support experimental work. Its validation with experimental data was successful, yet with some systematic deviation due to the model simplifications. The developed experimental setup and CFD model offer optimization potential for separation column internals designed for liquid agricultural wastes, with experiments providing higher accuracy and simulations offering flexibility.

Cost Benefit Analysis for Feasibility of Waste Management Scenario (Case Study of Ganet Landfill, Tanjungpinang City)

The increase in the number and activities of the population will be in line with the increase in waste generation, resulting in an increase in the burden on the Ganet landfill. The current controlled landfill method can no longer manage the increasing waste load. A more efficient waste management design system is needed to minimize and prevent potential environmental damage. Waste management scenarios are designed based on the potential for waste processing at the Ganet landfill. In selecting waste management scenarios, an economic analysis is required, which is key in designing an effective waste management system. Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is used as an economic assessment of the 4 scenarios designed, namely scenario 0 (controlled landfill), scenario 1 (utilization by scavengers, composting and controlled landfill), scenario 2 (utilization by scavengers, composting, pyrolysis and controlled landfill) and scenario 3 (utilization by scavengers, composting, pyrolysis, paving block making and controlled landfill). The cost and benefit components were identified for each waste treatment process. The waste processing that costs the most is controlled landfill in scenario 0 amounting to IDR 8,326,123,157.87, while the waste processing process that produces the greatest benefit value is the manufacture of paving blocks amounting to IDR 158,392,662.33. The results of the Cost Benefit Analysis calculation show a Benefit Cost Rasio (BCR) value of 1.91, Net Present Value (NPV) of 8,448,737,857.40 and the fastest Payback Period (PP) of 5 months is scenario 3. This shows that the scenario is economically feasible to do. The results of this study are expected to be a consideration in the policy formulation related to waste management at the Ganet landfill.

Implementation of microcontroller board on a sustainable and degradable PLA/flax composite substrate: a case study

In this paper, we present a novel polylactic-acid/flax-composite substrate and the implementation of a demonstrator: a microcontroller board based on commercial design. The substrate is developed for printed circuit board (PCB) applications. The pre-preg is biodegradable, reinforced, and flame-retarded. The novel material was developed to counter the increasing amount of e-waste and to improve the sustainability of the microelectronics sector. The motivation was to present a working circuit in commercial complexity that can be implemented on a rigid substrate made of natural, bio-based materials with a structure very similar to the widely used Flame Retardant Class 4 (FR4) substrate at an early technological readiness level (2–3). The circuit design is based on the Arduino Nano open-source microcontroller board design so that the demonstration could be programmable and easy to fit into education, IoT applications, and embedded designs. During the work, the design was optimized at the level of layout. The copper-clad pre-preg was then prepared and processed with subtractive printed wiring technology and through hole plating. The traditional surface mounting methodology was applied for assembly. The resulting yield of PCB production was around 50%. Signal analysis was successful with analogue data acquisition (voltage) and low-frequency (4 kHz) tests, indistinguishable from sample FR4 boards. Eventually, the samples were subjected to highly accelerated stress test (HAST). HAST tests revealed limitations compared to traditional FR4 printed circuit materials. After six cycles, the weight loss was around 30% in the case of PLA/Flax, and as three-point bending tests showed, the possible ultimate strength (25 MPa at a flexural state) was reduced by 80%. Finally, the sustainability aspect was assessed, where we found that ∼95 vol% and ∼90 wt% of the traditional substrate can be substituted, significantly easing the load of waste on the environment.

Nano Photo Bleaching Method of Cotton Fabrics for a Sustainable Finishing

In modern textile-bleaching methods, H2O2 is commonly preferred due to its less harmful effects on the environment. The use of hydrogen peroxide in bleaching processes, although biodegradable on its own, increases the waste load due to the high amount of auxiliary chemicals used. The long processing times and high-temperature requirements of hydrogen peroxide bleaching led to increased energy consumption. Moreover, the high-water consumption required for post-treatment is also a disadvantageous factor. In other words, while the use of a high amount of auxiliary chemicals in hydrogen peroxide bleaching increases the waste load, long time and high-temperature requirements also increase energy consumption, and the high-water consumption required for post-treatment has a disadvantageous effect. In this study, raw cotton fabric is subjected to chemical finishing treatments that either oxidize or reduce it as part of the bleaching process. The results of photo bleaching were compared with conventional hydrogen peroxide finishing applications. Our findings showed that nano-TiO2-treated cotton had a better whiteness value than treated with H2O2 cotton according to the color spectrum whiteness indexes. It is strongly considered that this method could be a new alternative way for bleaching textile materials in the finishing departments.

Application of multi-criteria group decision-making for water quality management.

As waste discharge into numerous river systems escalates, the pollution of water bodies typically rises. Given the limited capacity of rivers to withstand pollution and their constrained self-cleaning capabilities, treated pollutants from waste discharge must be released into the river. Despite numerous models and algorithms proposed for managing river water quality to meet standards, literature, to our awareness, lacks the utilization of a comprehensive multi-criteria group decision-making approach for water quality management, particularly in river systems. Therefore, this research introduces a new, comprehensive multi-criteria group decision-making for the management of water quality in the Haraz River basin, located in Iran. To do so, the water quality of the basin, a one-dimensional water quality model, QUAL2Kw, was employed to simulate and calibrate the water quality along the river. The simulation results revealed that the downstream water quality violates the water quality standards. To mitigate this issue, various scenarios for waste load allocation (WLA) were evaluated, including no wastewater treatment, primary wastewater treatment, advanced secondary wastewater treatment utilizing the activated sludge (AS) method, and advanced wastewater treatment via the membrane bioreactor (MBR) method. Utilizing the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Fuzzy TOPSIS group decision-making model, it was determined that the optimal solution was the implementation of secondary wastewater treatment utilizing the activated sludge method for the 11 PS of pollution, while still adhering to Iranian water quality standard. In addition, the findings of the present study indicate that the implementation of primary wastewater treatment, advanced secondary wastewater treatment utilizing AS, and advanced wastewater treatment through MBR within the study area led to a significant enhancement in water quality. This enhancement ranged from 35 to 105% across various scenarios when compared to conditions where no actions were taken to the treatment of water.

Efficient Model for Waste Load and RouteOptimization

Urbanization frequently gives rise to substantial environmental issues, namely in waste management and water quality maintenance. Gross Pollutant Traps (GPTs) are essential in urban stormwater management as they effectively capture substantial pollutants before they enterthe centralwater bodies. Nevertheless, the irregular buildup of trash caused by fluctuating rainfall intensity hinders the effective transfer of garbage from GPTs to their ultimate disposal locations. This research presents a holistic approach toenhancing the efficiency of waste transportation by improving route and load planning. The model utilizes machine learning techniques to forecast the quantity of waste collected by GPTs. We have created an optimization algorithm that usesthe forecast outcome from a prior research dataset. This algorithm is designed to efficiently plan the routes and loads for trucks responsible for transporting waste to its final disposal location. The optimization process consideredthe estimated amounts of garbage, the capacities of the vehicles, and the locations of the disposal sitesto reduce transportation expenses and save time. The system adaptively optimized routes using real-time data on the vehicle'sorigin and destination, ensuring effective allocation of resources and prompt garbage removal. Installingthis approach resulted in a substantial decrease in transportation expenses and enhanced compliance with waste pickup timetables. The integration of predictive modelingand route optimization is enhancing urban trash management. Accurate garbage quantity forecasts and optimized transportation logistics can enable municipalities to deploy resources more effectively, decrease operational costs, and improve environmental protection. We chose a subset of 7 days, equivalent to one week, from the projected dataset for our experiment.Subsequently, we conductednumerous trials involving various waste disposalfrequencies. The findings suggest that waste disposalevery four(4) days is the most advantageous approach. Still, itperforms similarlyto waste disposalevery three (3)days and has negligible environmental consequences. Hence, we select to execute the optimal solution for three(3) days, as it provides exceptional performancewhen consideringthe influence of natural pollution.

A study of indoor air pollution caused by disinfection equipment as a consequence of infectious waste management

ABSTRACT Infectious waste disinfection is an essential process in medical waste management that may cause release of some pollutants. In this study, the PAHs concentration at the disinfection was investigated. The change in the release rate of PAHs in two including infectious waste reduction and increasing the segregation ratio was estimated. The results showed that the PAHs concentration was 1172 – 2066 ng/m3. The specific concentration of PAHs was 852 ng/ton of infectious waste in average. The annual emission of the PAHs resulting from infectious waste disinfection is estimated to be 612.6 kg. Reduction of infectious waste caused by redefining infectious waste and increasing the segregation ratio leads to reduction of PAHs concentration by 50%. Increasing the ratio of segregation and redefinition of infectious waste that led to reduced waste loading volume are essential measures that reduce the emissions of pollutants as by-products of disinfection.

MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN TIER-2 CITIES IN NORTHERN INDIA

Public health and environmental concerns, along with the sheer amount of waste being generated, have made managing municipal solid waste (MSWM) a significant task today. Due to institutional and financial constraints, research shows that many urban local bodies (ULBs) in India find it difficult to handle the country's high solid waste loads. ULBs frequently lack the infrastructure, finances, resources, and efficient plans required for improved solid waste management. India faces a number of difficulties in managing its municipal solid waste, including issues with garbage segregation, door-to-door collection, waste treatment technology, land resources, and appropriate disposal techniques. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) have put in place a number of policies and initiatives to address these issues and enhance the nation's municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system as it is now. The Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules were first released by the Environment Ministry in 2000. They have since been updated and are now known as the Solid Waste Management Rules 2015. To help cities and towns plan and execute efficient MSWM systems in compliance with the 2015 SWM Rules amendment, the MoUD has also created a draft MSWM manual. Due to insufficient enforcement by regulators and a lack of awareness among stakeholders, many policies and programmes frequently fall short of their objectives. This essay provides a comprehensive review of solid waste management and highlights important facets of the policies and initiatives the Indian government has put in place to address the issues in this field.

A novel integration of regret-based methodology and bankruptcy theory for waste load allocation.

Developing a suitable index for Waste Load Allocation (WLA) is essential for both industrial polluters and environmental organizations. Identifying the index that best describes the quality conditions of the river is the main concern of this study. To achieve this purpose, a novel framework incorporating a regret-based index and a bankruptcy-based approach to address the impacts of low water quality and pollutant locations within the WLA are introduced. The framework includes a simulation-optimization model to minimize river quality regret for environmental organizations and total treatment cost for industrial polluters, employing Nash bargaining theory for conflict resolution. Additionally, a new bankruptcy approach, the Namin's rule, is proposed for redistributing the River Quality Regret Index among industrial polluters. Applying this methodology to data from the KhoramAbad River, a sensitivity analysis reveals that while there is no significant difference between the methodology and fuzzy risk when polluters are close, the methodology provides more accurate results as the distance between polluters increases. When the distance between two pollutants was 20km, the sum of WLA was evaluated to be 300kg per day higher than that in the compared method, potentially enhancing environmental justice.