Waste Management Bulletin最新文献

This study investigates public attitudes towards the use of human excretion-based fertiliser (HEBF) in agriculture. Focusing on England and Japan, countries with contrasting histories of nightsoil use, we conducted representative surveys to understand public acceptance and sex-based differences in attitudes. Our findings reveal significant cultural and sex-based disparities in the willingness to utilize HEBF. The Japanese are more accepting of using HEBF for food production, with fewer health concerns, compared to the English. However, English respondents are more open to using HEBF in public parks. The study emphasises the need for further research on societal perceptions and highlights the importance of cultural context in adopting sustainable practices like HEBF in agriculture.

Understanding the treatment of leachate mediated by the development of anaerobic sludge makes it possible to create an effective design process of biodegradation technology. This study used an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor equipped with a gas–liquid-solid separator to capture CH₄ for treating landfill leachate to improve understanding of methanogenesis kinetics of organic matter. The performance of UASB was able to remove 154.75 g/L of chemical oxygen demand (COD) content of the leachate originally anticipated to emit 2.99 L of CH₄ production into the atmosphere. The trend in the variation of internal mass transfer (IMT) factor was close to the global mass transfer factor; however, it was far higher than that of external mass transfer (EMT) factor. After 30 days of the experiment, methanogenesis kinetics of organic matter of the leachate were supported mainly by the breakdown of complex molecules. The rate-limiting step of CH₄ desorption was controlled by IMT at the beginning and then by EMT after 30 days of the experiment. The strongly decreased EMT factor was counterbalanced by an increased value of the IMT factor at before 5 days of the experiment. It would be of interest to predict the methanogenesis kinetics of CH₄ desorption using the Generalized Fulazzaky equations, which cannot be evaluated using other models. Analysis of the methanogenesis kinetics of organic matter of the leachate provides a new insight into the performance of UASB reactor, which may contribute to advanced treatment of landfill leachate in the future.

Composting is the most common method for managing livestock waste. However, it often fails to effectively eliminate antimicrobial resistance, resulting in potential antimicrobial resistance in livestock waste. Hence, a more effective livestock waste management strategy is warranted. The hyperthermophilic composting method uses recycled compost containing hyperthermophilic microbes to raise the compost temperature up to approximately 100 °C (compost temperature in normal composting: 50–70 °C). This study clarifies the effectiveness of hyperthermophilic composting method in attenuating antimicrobial resistance during livestock waste composting in both a composting simulator and on a field dairy farm. We analyzed bacterial abundance and community composition, performed PCR analysis, and evaluated the concentration of residual antimicrobials in the compost. Hyperthermophilic composting significantly reduced the abundance of culturable bacteria and Escherichia coli including that of antimicrobial-resistant culturable bacteria and E. coli in both the simulated and field dairy farms. The copy numbers of the tested antimicrobial resistance genes (tetA, tetB, bla_TEM, and bla_CTX-M) decreased substantially. Residual antimicrobials (tetracyclines and β-lactams) were not detected in the field dairy farms, and network analysis showed that potential hosts of antimicrobial-resistance genes were eliminated. These results indicate that hyperthermophilic composting significantly reduces the abundance of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, antimicrobial-resistance genes, and residual antimicrobials at low cost and easy operation while generating valuable agricultural resource as the final output.

This study aims to bridge the gap between governmental policymaking and citizens’ environmental attitudes by providing scientific advice to governments on how to encourage community engagement in sustainable waste management (SWM) programs. It seeks to integrate citizens’ class preferences, based on their environmental awareness, into SWM programs. The study employs comprehensive data analysis, including factor identification based on class attitudes, preference determination through environmental awareness, importance-performance analysis, and probit and logit models. Through this analysis, the study identifies the nexus between societal attitudes and environmental concerns as crucial for the success of SWM in metropolitan cities. The research consists of several stages of data analysis, such as identifying factors and classes based on citizen attitudes, analyzing preferences through an importance-performance analysis of SWM programs, and creating models using probit and logit methods. The analysis reveals two critical factors for the success of SWM in metropolitan cities: societal attitudes and environmental concerns. From the analysis, two distinct societal classes emerge: proactive ’Sustainable Supporters’ and more passive ’Indifferent Citizens’. The policy implications derived from the study suggest that while ’Sustainable Supporters’ can be further mobilized through an advanced SWM platform that emphasizes awareness, collection optimization, and waste processing, the ’Indifferent Citizens’ require strategies focused on bolstering digital SWM programs that simplify waste disposal and recycling. To encourage broader participation and ensure the effectiveness of SWM, governments and relevant organizations are advised to raise public awareness of SWM, improve infrastructural and technological capabilities in waste management, and formulate policies that unequivocally support SWM.

Due to significant consumption and improper disposal, the increase in emerging broad-spectrum antibacterial pharmaceutical contaminants in water bodies leds to degradation of quality of water resources and aquatic life, causes water availability issues. Doxycycline hydrochloride belongs to the tetracycline antibiotic class of drug, exhibits a significant persistence of toxicity in the aquatic environment. In the present study, eco-friendly CuO nanoparticles were biosynthesized using ocimum sanctum leaf waste extract and an investigation was carried out for the efficient adsorptive removal of doxycycline hydrochloride from pharmaceutical waste with harmful impacts on the environment. UV–visible spectra, XRD, FTIR, EDX, BET, HRTEM and FESEM analysis were used to characterize surface modification of the biosynthesized nanoparticles. Drug concentration, contact time, pH, temperature and adsorbent dosage were among the main adsorption parameters that were examined in order to optimize the most effective removal results. Maximum adsorption capacity of 8.56 mg/g was achieved at optimum process parameter; 100 mg/L, 170 min., pH 6 at 298 K. Moreover, various isotherm models were examined in order to accurately describe the adsorption equilibrium experimental results. Although, the thermodynamic data and kinetic study showed that the sorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, followed second order kinetic model. The outcomes showed that green synthesized CuO nanoadsorbent can be effectively employed for the removal of antibiotic medications from actual wastewater.

Microplastics presence in the environment is now a major global issue. Personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs) contain microbeads and are one of the primary sources of microplastics which contribute to health and ecological risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of microbeads in a widely used PCCPs (facial scrubs) in the Indian market and the extent to which these microbeads can serve as vectors for toxic compounds like chromium under different environmental conditions. Four of the ten facial scrubs contained microbeads of size ranging from 220 to 600 µm. Based on FTIR analyses, two of the four tested samples (A and B) were made of polypropylene, while the other two samples (C and D) were made of polyethylene. Furthermore, the study revealed that PP microbeads, which are very common, could efficiently adsorb Cr (VI) (3.09 mg Cr/g). Adsorption of Cr (VI) on microbeads was greater in acidic and saline conditions indicating that microbeads can potentially act as vectors for toxic compounds in marine aquatic ecosystems. It was estimated that 4.7 x 10¹⁰ microbeads, which amount to 3.8 tonnes of microbeads are released into the environment annually. Based on these results, policy measures for preventing the release of microbeads/microplastics into the environment are suggested.

In the pursuit of sustainable and innovative food production, the utilisation of plant by-products have emerged as a promising frontier. Plant by-products have an inherent value that can be utilised to address both environmental concerns and the growing demand for food resources. This review provides a critical review of the environmental impact caused by the disposal of plant by-products and waste that are not being reutilised or repurposed to benefit other products. The multifaceted applications of agricultural residues, traditionally deemed as waste, in the creation of diverse and nutritionally enriched food products, were also presented in this review. The exploration encompasses a broad spectrum, from reducing waste through innovative utilisation to enhancing nutritional profiles and fostering culinary innovation. Through a detailed examination of specific instances, challenges, and prospects linked to this paradigm shift, we provide insights into the transformative potential of agriculture by-products in shaping a more sustainable and resilient food system.

One of the approaches for increasing the contribution of biomass to the renewable energy mix is the valorization of biomass to bioenergy. Evaluating the potential of unconventional biomass sources could significantly accelerate the assessment for suitability as feedstock for bioenergy production as a sustainable solution. The study aimed to characterize the Prosopis africana biomass of wood, barks, leaves, and pods towards providing valuable data for scaling up and incorporating these materials into the bioenergy crop database. Characterizations of wood, leaves, barks, and pod wastes from Prosopis africana biomass were investigated based on the proximate, ultimate, and compositional analysis of pulverized samples of the PA biomass to determine their physical, thermal, and chemical properties towards assessing their potential for valorization to bioenergy. The lignocellulosic materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the pulverized sample wastes have porous structures with varying degrees of crystallinity (wood: 89.20 %, bark: 23.90 %, leaves: 32.48 %, pods: 23.08 %), suggesting different susceptibilities to conversion processes. Notably, the wood sample had the lowest moisture content (3.13 %), and the pod sample had the highest volatile matter content (75.83 %), indicating a high potential for biofuel production. The higher heating values (HHV) and lower heating values (LHV) of the samples ranged from 15.23 to 20.49 MJ/kg and 13.83 to 18.79 MJ/kg, respectively. These calorific values are competitive with established lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstocks, positioning PA biomass as promising candidates for solid biofuel applications.

This study analyzed the water quality of the Yamuna river in Prayagraj across nine locations where the sampling was done upstream, downstream and middle stream from May 2019 to April 2020 using fourteen water quality parameters. Quarterly samples showed good Water Quality Index (WQI) values for summer (95.19), monsoon (77.28), and winter (90.77), but a decline in spring (102.11) due to religious activities was observed. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy suggested high concentration of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K, and P in the river. Principal Component Analysis revealed 9 significant factors (eigen value >0.5) covering 25.13 – 93.89 % variance. Strong correlations included TDS-EC (0.853) and Ca²⁺ – Mg²⁺ (1.00) was observed. The correlation between water quality parameters generated by principal component analysis showed that the main parameters affecting the water quality vary in all the seasons. Based on the water quality indicators, anthropogenic activities are accountable to deteriorate the quality of river water. Therefore, the pollution status of the river need to be made publicly.

Bioremediation, an advanced and environmentally sustainable technology, utilizes biological microorganisms to mitigate pollution. This review combines insights from two perspectives: one focusing on the mechanisms, applications, and types of bioremediation, and the other examining the transformative potential of integrating Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and biosensors in pollution management. The first perspective delves into the effectiveness of bioremediation in decomposing and detoxifying hazardous substances, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness compared to conventional methods. In-situ and ex-situ bioremediation methods are analyzed, along with intrinsic and engineered techniques, and phytoremediation strategies for heavy metal removal. The review underscores the growing importance of bioremediation in addressing industrial effluents, contaminated soils, and groundwater, with future advancements expected to enhance its efficiency and applicability. From the second perspective, recent advancements in IoT, AI, and biosensors are explored for their potential to revolutionize bioremediation and waste management. IoT facilitates real-time monitoring and remote management, AI enhances data analysis and predictive modelling, and biosensors contribute to precise pollutant detection and environmental monitoring. The review highlights the synergistic integration of these technologies, presenting smart bioremediation systems with real-time feedback loops and adaptive capabilities. Together, these technologies offer scalable solutions for environmental pollution mitigation, marking a significant stride towards sustainable environmental management.