INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (IJEST)
Year:2013 | Volume:10 | Issue:3|Papers Count:20

In most developing countries policies and frameworks that govern solid waste management strategies have often been directed at the waste management service providers and less attention is often given to the demand side of the problem. This paper reports a study regarding householders’ willingness to pay for improved residential solid waste management. The data for the study originated from a contingent valuation survey that was conducted in 236 households in Ilorin city in Kwara State, Nigeria. A binary logit model was used to account for some factors influencing the respondents’ willingness to pay. The results show that more than 80% of the respondents were in support of the residential waste management. The respondents were willing to pay an average of 3,660 Nigerian Naira (US $24) each year. Income, education, dwelling type and whether the respondent is satisfied with private sector participation in provision of waste management service positively influenced the respondents’ willingness to pay. The price, gender, household size and activities of sanitary inspectors had negative influence. The findings from this study could contribute to the knowledge regarding the design of a more sustainable residential waste management strategy in Nigeria and other countries that have similar conditions.

Supplier evaluation problems deal with selecting appropriate suppliers considering multiple criteria, which may be related with qualitative and quantitative aspects. Traditional supplier selection criteria contain criteria such as cost, capacity, delivery reliability, flexibility, and responsiveness, etc. However, due to the increasing level of environmental problems, it is a necessity to take environmental criteria into account together with the traditional decision criteria in the supplier evaluation processes of companies. Considering this necessity, this paper proposes a decision making methodology for environmental criteria integrated supplier evaluation processes. A methodology based on intuitionistic fuzzy Choquet integral operator is utilized to take into account vagueness of the decision environment and the interactions among the criteria. This methodology also provides the consideration of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction degrees of alternatives for each criterion with the help of intuitionistic fuzzy values. In addition, the effects of the criteria weights to the final ranking of suppliers are analyzed via sensitivity analyses.

This research evaluates the effect of both organic and ammonia loading rates and the presence of plants on the removal of chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands, 2 years after the start-up. Two sets of experiments were carried out in two mesocosms at different organic and ammonia loading rates (the loads were doubled); one without plants (control bed), the other colonized with Phragmites australis. Regardless of the organic loading rate, the organic mass removal rate was improved in the presence of plants (93.4% higher for the lower loading rate, and 56% higher for the higher loading rate). Similar results were observed for the ammonia mass removal rate (117% higher for the lower loading rate, and 61.3% higher for the higher loading rate). A significant linear relationship was observed between the organic loading rate and the respective removal rates in both beds for loads between 10 and 13 g m-2 day-1. The presence of plants markedly increase removal of organic matter and ammonia, as a result of the role of roots and rhizomes in providing oxygen for aerobic removal pathways, a higher surface area for the adhesion and development of biofilm and nitrogen uptake by roots.

This study was conducted to determine some important factors of site selection for Esfahan 4th new town-Iran, with quantification of importance index for each factor and the effect of selected criteria in determination of the prioritized location for urban development. The study followed an explanatory analytical method based on field studies, analytical hierarchy process and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution model. This means that after defining the criteria and the significant parameters using Delphi technique and filling out the questionnaires by experts in environmental sciences and urban constructions, the rate of effectiveness of each factor and also the significant criteria in site priority and environmental decision making for new towns were determined by analytical hierarchy process model and “Expert choice” software. The results revealed that among the main defined criteria (i.e. physical, biological, economical-social, political and pollution dispersion) and sub-criteria selected by the experts for location of Esfahan 4th new town, the physical criteria with a weight of 0.453 designated nearly 45% of the importance index to itself, standing at the first priority. Accordingly, the economical-social and pollution dispersion criteria were ranked at the second and the third place with weights of 0.307 and 0.116, respectively. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution model, which is one of the methods for multi-criteria decision making, was then used to determine the best location scenario. Comparing the three proposed locations, alternative 1 was found to be more suitable as it was well-fitted to the defined criteria.

Application and development of municipal solid waste treatment technology depends on various socio-economic and environmental factors. All those factors are work as development drivers for waste management systems. The study aims to identify key drivers from case studies of waste management development trend in Sweden. Social, economic and environmental drivers are identified and presented in this study. The study identifies personal behavior, local waste management practice, consumption and generation of waste as the key social drivers. Resource value of waste, economic benefit from waste treatment facilities and landfill tax have been acknowledged as economic drivers for developing waste treatment technology. Moreover, global climate change, environmental movement and awareness have been working as environmental drivers for developing various waste treatment methods in Sweden. In addition, the study aims to analyse emerging waste treatment technologies based on a number of literature review and questionnaire survey. Dry composting, pyrolysis-gasification, plasma arc, and anaerobic digestion have been identified as potential emerging technologies for waste management systems in Sweden.

Municipal solid waste incineration fly ash blended with pine sawdust and shale, using a neotype trefoil rotary kiln to form lightweight aggregates, is an effective and a potential means method of fly ash disposal. The optimum sintering conditions of Trefoil rotary kiln were determined in terms of an orthogonal test by measuring the pellets’ bulk density, granule strength, 1 h water absorption. As far as the kinetics is concerned, an integral method of Coats-Redfern was introduced to analyze the kinetics characteristics of the mixture samples. Also, the kinetic triplets (apparent activation energy, pre-exponential factor and reaction order) were estimated by the reaction of kinetics model functions. It is shown that the optimum sintering conditions are as follows: (a) preheating temperature of 500oC, (b) sintering temperature of 1130oC, (c) holding time of 4 min. The optimum reaction models of the four stages are Avrami-Erofeev, Mample, Avrami-Erofeev and There-dimensional diffusion (Jander), respectively.

Assessment of possible sources that control the groundwater quality was carried out in the Cauvery deltaic region, India, since domestic and agricultural water requirements are largely met by groundwater abstraction. Major ion and bromide contents are high in groundwater in the coastal wells. Spatial and vertical distributions of ions reveal that the shallow wells and wells in coastal parts have high chloride, nitrate, ammonium and phosphate. Groundwater quality assessment was carried out using the prescribed limits of World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standards which indicates that 55% of samples are not fit for drinking. Integrated suitability map for drinking was created based on the concept that if the water sample exceeds any one of the standards by World Health Organization or Bureau of Indian Standards, the well is not fit for drinking. Groundwater quality for agricultural activities was assessed using electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, United States salinity laboratory diagram and Food and Agricultural Organization methods. According to Food and Agricultural Organization, 84% of samples are classified as low sodium water and are suitable for all crops and soils. It was found that the water quality in this area is affected by improper disposal of waste, sewage/drainage canals near the wells, irrigation return flow, application of agrochemicals and saline water intrusion in the coastal region. Further, integrated suitability map produced in this study will be useful for future groundwater development and planning in this area. The suitability map needs to be updated periodically for proper management plan to preserve the groundwater resource in this region.

People living in the urban area and the surrounding suburban area have disparities in exposure and health risks due to different levels of ambient air pollutants. The main objective of this study is to investigate the concentrations, seasonal variations, and related health risks of ambient air pollutants (PM10, NO2, and SO2) in urban and suburban areas of Ningbo, China. The results showed that the average PM10, NO2, and SO2 concentrations in the urban area were 85.2, 49.3, and 37.4 mg/m3, which were 1.13, 1.25, and 1.41 times the values of the suburban area during the period of March 2009 to February 2010. For the potential health risk analysis, the residents have been divided into four age categories namely, infants, children (1 year), children (8-10 years), and adults. The analysis took into account age-specific breathing rates, body weights for different age categories. The results showed that the potential health risks to respiratory disease for all age categories living in urban area were higher than those in suburban area.

Excess sludge disposal is one of the serious challenges in biological wastewater treatment. Reduction of sludge production would be an ideal way to solve sludge-associated problems rather than the post-treatment of the sludge produced. In this study, a new wastewater treatment process combining anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system with thermochemical sludge pretreatment was tested in a laboratory scale experiment. In this study, the effects of the sludge pretreatment on the excess sludge production in anaerobic/anoxic/oxic were investigated. The system was operated in two Runs (1 and 2). In Run 1, the system was operated as a reference and in Run 2, a part of the mixed liquid was pretreated thermochemically and was returned to the bioreactor. The average solubilization efficiency of pretreated sludge was found to be about 35% during the study period of 220 days. Sludge production rate in Run 2 was less than that in Run 1 by about 52%. Total phosphorous was removed by enhanced biological phosphorous removal with the removal efficiency of 83-87% and 81-83% for Run 1 and Run 2, respectively. Total nitrogen removal in Run 2 (79-82%) was slightly higher than that in Run 1 (68-75%). The mixed liquor suspended solids/mixed liquor volatile suspended solids ratio was identical after both runs in the range 78-83%. The effluent water qualities were not significantly affected when operated with thermochemical pretreatment at pH 11 and 60oC for 3 h during 7 months. From the present study it is concluded that thermochemical sludge pretreatment of anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process plays an important role in reduction of sludge production.

The present article discusses an overview on the contamination of non-segregated open municipal solid waste (MSW) in and around a dumping site at Garchuk in Guwahati city, Assam, India. Analysis showed depth-wise variations in the concentrations of selected heavy metals in MSW and their subsequent accumulations with increasing depths. Zinc was the most abundant heavy metal in MSW. Six-step selective sequential extractions revealed that most of the heavy metals in MSW were in the residual phase except zinc. Analysis of the leachate from MSW showed high concentrations of fluoride, chloride, ammonium-nitrogen and the ratio of biological oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand. Concentrations of all the heavy metals in the leachates were higher than the Indian national effluent standards. High amounts of biological oxygen demand, heavy metals, total and fecal coliforms in water samples from the adjoining water body (Deepor Beel, a Ramsar site) of the MSW dumping site indicated its unsuitability for domestic use. Principle component analysis showed that influence of MSW leachate was the major source of water contamination in Deepor Beel. Though accumulation of heavy metals in different vegetables growing in MSW dumping site did not exceed the recommended maximum intake, it was a significant additional source of heavy metals in cooked human diet.

Sources of the sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the United States Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutants list were determined in sediments of Kolo Creek using diagnostic ratios of parent PAHs[phenanthrene/phenanthrene+anthracene; fluoranthene/fluoranthene + pyrene; benz(a) anthracene/benz(a) anthracene + chrysene and indeno(1,2,3-d)pyrene/indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene + benzo(ghi)pyrelene]. The study was conducted over four seasons (dry, late dry, rainy and late rainy seasons). Applying cross plots of the diagnostic ratios revealed that PAHs in Kolo Creek sediment have pyrogenic origins except in the rainy season that had petrogenic origins. Comparison of diagnostic ratio values obtained from this study with literature values enabled the further classification into types of pyrogenic and/or petrogenic sources. While the pyrogenic sources of PAHs were mainly as a result of Grass/Wood combustion, the petrogenic PAHs were as result of drained diesel and lubricating oil. The predicted sources corresponded with the prevailing human activities in the vicinity, especially samples collected near a petrol station and an abattoir. This study further affirms the simplicity and accuracy of the use of diagnostic ratios for PAHs source prediction.

The main scope of this work is applying an aerobic composting model for remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. For this purpose, the reaction kinetics was integrated with the mass and energy balances over the composting system. Literature pilot scale data for bioremediation of diesel oil-contaminated soil was used for model validation. Comparisons of simulation results with experimental data for diesel concentration and oxygen concentration showed good agreement during the remediation process. With validated model for bioremediation of diesel oil-contaminated soil, the influence of amendment type, bulking agent, amendment/soil ratio, bulking agent/soil ratio, moisture content and airflow rate were investigated on diesel biodegradation. The simulation results showed that maximum degradation of diesel occurred in the presence of yard waste as amendment. Furthermore, addition of bulking agent (wood chips) increased the diesel degradation about 6%. In presence of yard waste as amendment and wood chips as bulking agent, the optimal values for maximum remediation were amendment/soil ratio (2.5 kg kg-1), bulking agent/soil ratio (2.25 kg kg-1), initial moisture content (62.5%) and airflow (0.520 m3 day-1 kgBVS-1).

The use of desalination technologies which produce concentrated brines is acutely limited by inadequate waste brine disposal mechanisms such that the brine does not contaminate fresh water resources. The treatment of highly saline brine using freeze desalination technique trade marked as HybridICETM technology was investigated at pilot scale. The capacity of the HybridICETM process to generate fresh water by freeze desalination of brine was investigated in this study. Brine samples to feed into the HybridICE process unit were prepared in tanks with volume capacities between 1.0 and 10.0 m3 by dissolving common salt into tape water. The effects of refrigerant temperature, initial brine concentration, energy consumption were evaluated in relation to product ice quality. Feed brine samples were processed in batches in a closed system where it was continuously re-circulated to generate product ice and more concentrated residual small volume of brine stream. The quality of ice produced could be turned into potable water it terms of its low total dissolved salts and conductivity. The salt removal, based on the average chloride concentration in the ice samples, was 96%. The energy utilization efficiency amounted to an average of ZAR 10.0/m3 water assuming energy cost of ZAR 0.39/kWh. The HybridICETM technology was shown to be a better option than other desalination technologies currently in use, in terms of energy utilization and cleaner by-products.

Oily sludge from gas processing facilities contains components that are major environmental pollutants. Biodegradation is an alternative treatment, but can be affected by other components of the sludge, such as sulphur compounds, so it is important to evaluate the effect of these on oil biodegradation in order to prevent negative impacts. This work studied the transformation of sulphur compounds in oily sludge biodegradation systems at the microcosm level. The predominant sulphur compounds in the original sludge were elemental sulphur and pyrite (9,776 and 28,705.4 mg kg-1, respectively). In the biodegradability assays, hydrocarbon concentrations decreased from 312,705.6 to 186, 760.3 mg kg-1 after 15 days of treatment. After this time, hydrocarbon degrading activity stopped, corresponding with a decrease in hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. These changes were related to a reduction in pH that inhibits biodegradation. During the assay, sulphur compounds were gradually oxidized and transformed. The concentration of sulphate increased from 5,096 to 64,868.3 mg kg-1 after 30 days in the assay, although controls were unchanged. Therefore, it is important to determine changes to the main compounds of the waste in order to assess their impact.

Ruppia maritima and Echinodorus amazonicus were prepared in a dehydrated powder form. The characteristics and mechanisms of adsorption of heavy metals were studied under various pH values, reaction times, and heavy metal ion concentrations. The results showed that under different pH and reaction time conditions, heavy metal adsorption was lead>cadmium>zinc>copper. The adsorption of lead increased linearly with the lead concentration. For cadmium, zinc and copper, the adsorption was saturated when metal ion concentration exceeded 200 mg/L. When a Freundlich model was applied, R2 values for the heavy metal adsorption by the aquatic plants mostly exceeded 0.9. The adsorption of heavy metal ions by these two aquatic plant powders was better explained by the Lagergren second-order equation than the first-order equation. From the Fourier Transform Infrared spectra, there was an adsorption peak at 2,115 cm-1 for R. maritima. The peak shape did not change with metal affiliation except there was a shift of peak wavelength before adsorption. The results indicate that the mechanism of heavy metal adsorption by the two species is not simply on the mono-molecular layer level, and that intra-particulate dispersal is the dominant process. Heavy metal pollution does not affect the basic chemical components, and major substances involved in heavy metal adsorption including carbohydrates, cell wall pectin, and protein functional groups.

A new organic-inorganic composite cation exchanger polyaniline Sn (IV) silicate has been synthesized. The physicochemical properties of this ion exchanger were determined using different analytical techniques including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermogravimetry analyses, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental analysis studies. Ion exchange capacity and effect of heating temperature on ion exchange capacity were also carried out on this ion exchange material. Adsorption properties for different metal ions have been investigated and the results revealed that polyaniline Sn (IV) silicate had the highest adsorption capacity for Cd2+ ion. It’s selectivity was tested by achieving some important binary separations. Dependence of adsorption on contact time, temperature, pH of the solution and exchanger dose had been studied to achieve the optimum conditions. Adsorption kinetic study showed that the adsorption process followed the first order kinetics. Adsorption data were fitted to linearly transformed Langmuir isotherm with R2 (correlation coefficient) >0.99. The maximum removal of Cd2+ was found at pH 9. The adsorption was fast and the equilibrium established within 40 min. Thermodynamic parameters viz- entropy change, enthalpy change and Gibb’s free energy change were also calculated.

Asexual spores of the filamentous fungus Rhizopus arrhizus were used as the resting biomass as they tolerate chitosan gelling for mycelia growing in chitosan beads. Biosorption of lead using the dead detergent pre-treated chitosan-immobilised and grown fungal beads was performed with initial lead (II) nitrate concentrations ranging from 9.02 to 281.65 mg/L. The adsorption data were best correlated with equilibrium adsorption isotherms in the order Redlich-Peterson, Langmuir, Freundlich and Fritz-Schlunder by non-linear regression. The biosorption kinetic model of pseudo second-order (R2>0.99) fitted better than pseudo first-order and modified pseudo first-order models. Among the four pseudo second-order kinetic models, the Blanchard model was the best fit for the experimental biosorption data. The rate-limiting step of biosorption of lead was shown to be intraparticle diffusion controlled according to Weber and Morris model fitting. The beads could be regenerated using 1 M nitric acid solution. This illustrated the good performance of the beads for regenerated sorption/desorption at least five cycles.

Biotreatment of methylparathion (O,O-dimethyl-O-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate) was studied in aqueous mineral salts medium containing fungal culture to demonstrate the potential of the pure culture (monoculture) of Fusarium sp in degrading high concentration of methylparathion. A statistical Box-Behnken design of experiments was performed to evaluate the effects of individual operating variables and their interactions on the methylparathion removal with initial concentration of 1,000 mg/L as fixed input parameter. A full factorial Box-Behnken design of experiments was used to construct response surfaces with the removal, the extent of methylparathion biodegradation, removal of chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon, and the specific growth rate as responses. The temperature (X1), pH (X2), reaction time (X3) and agitation (X4) were used as design variables. The result was shown that experimental data fitted with the polynomial model. Analysis of variance showed a high coefficient of determination value of 0.99. The maximum biodegradation of methylparathion in terms of the methylparathion removal (Y1), chemical oxygen demand removal (Y2) and total organic carbon removal (Y3) were found to be 92, 79.2 and 57.2% respectively. The maximum growth in terms of dry biomass (Y4) was 150 mg/L. The maximum biodegradation corresponds to the combination of following factors of middle level of temperature (X1=30oC), pH (X2= 6.5), agitation (X4=120 rpm) and the highest level of reaction time (X3=144 h). The removal efficiency of methylparathion biodegradation was achieved 92%. It was observed that optimum biotreatment of methylparathion can be successfully predicted by response surface methodology.

Diazinon is a widely applied agricultural pesticide whose effect importantly on the environment and the possible contamination of surface waters has led to increased interest in toxicological studies. Crayfish, as an ecologically important benthic macroinvertebrate, seems to be an appropriate model organism for such assessments. Acute toxicity tests were carried out on three crayfish age groups: young-of-the-year (total length=25.0±4.9 mm), juvenile (total length=56.5±3.8 mm) and adult (total length=83.5±5.7 mm). Young-of-the-year crayfish were found to be the most sensitive to diazinon (96 h LC50 = 0.15 mg L-1), followed by juvenile crayfish (96 h LC50=0.27 mg L-1), and adults (96 h LC50=0.51 mg L-1). Crayfish were highly sensitive to diazinon. A delayed effect of Diazinon 60EC on adults was detected (144 h LC50=0.44 mg L-1) suggests functional damage from the use of sublethal concentrations.

In this research, spent coffee grains were modified with citric acid solutions (0.1 and 0.6 M) to increase the quantity of carboxylic groups improving its metal adsorption capacity. Added functional groups on modified and non-modified spent coffee grains were identified and quantified by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared analyses and potentiometric titrations, respectively. These adsorbents were used for the removal of lead (II) and copper (II) from aqueous solutions at 30oC and different pH in batch systems. In addition, adsorption-desorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the possibility of re-using the modified adsorbent. Potentiometric titrations data reveal that the quantity of carboxylic groups was increased from 0.47 to 2.2 mmol/g when spent coffee grains were modified with 0.1 and 0.6 M citric acid. Spent coffee grains treated with 0.6 M citric acid, achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 0.77 and 1.53 mmol/g for lead (II) and copper (II), respectively, whereas non-modified spent coffee grains only reached 0.24 and 0.19 mmol/g for lead (II) and copper (II), respectively. Desorption of lead (II) and copper (II) achieved around 70% using 0.1 N HCl for non-modified and modified spent coffee grains with 0.6 M citric acid. It is suggested that lead (II) and copper (II) species were adsorbed mainly on the carboxylic groups of modified spent coffee grains and these metals may be exchanged for hydrogen and calcium (II) ions during adsorption on non-modified spent coffee grains. Finally, the adsorption equilibrium was reached after 400 min for modified spent coffee grains with 0.6 M citric acid. Modified spent coffee grains are a promising option for removing metal cations from aqueous solutions due to its low cost and high adsorption capacity (about 10 times higher than the activated carbons).