Analytical methods for waste minimisation in the convenience food industry

Waste creation in some sectors of the food industry is substantial, and while much of the used material is non-hazardous and biodegradable, it is often poorly dealt with and simply sent to landfill mixed with other types of waste. In this context, overproduction wastes were found in a number of cases to account for 20–40% of the material wastes generated by convenience food manufacturers (such as ready-meals and sandwiches), often simply just to meet the challenging demands placed on the manufacturer due to the short order reaction time provided by the supermarkets. Identifying specific classes of waste helps to minimise their creation, through consideration of what the materials constitute and why they were generated. This paper aims to provide means by which food industry wastes can be identified, and demonstrate these mechanisms through a practical example. The research reported in this paper investigated the various categories of waste and generated three analytical methods for the support of waste minimisation activities by food manufacturers. The waste classifications and analyses are intended to complement existing waste minimisation approaches and are described through consideration of a case study convenience food manufacturer that realised significant financial savings through waste measurement, analysis and reduction.     

Does globalization and energy usage influence carbon emissions in South Asia? An empirical revisit of the debate

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 agenda hinges on attaining a sustainable environment with the need to “take urgent...     

High-valent iron-based oxidants to treat perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid in water

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are occurring in consumer and industrial products. They have been found globally in the aquatic environment including drinking water sources and treated wastewater effluents, which has raised concern of potential human health effects because these substances may be bioaccumulative and extremely persistent. The saturated carbon–fluorine bonds of the substances make them resistant to degradation by physical, chemical, and biological processes. There is therefore a need for advanced remediation methods. Iron-based methods involving high-valent compounds are appealing to degrade these substances due to their high oxidation potentials and capability to generate environmentally friendly by-products. This article presents for the first time the oxidation ability of tetraoxy anions of iron(V) (Fe^VO₄ ^3?, Fe(V)), and iron(IV) (Fe^IVO₄ ^4?, Fe(IV)), commonly called ferrates, in neutral and alkaline solutions. Solid compounds of Fe(V) (K₃FeO₄) and Fe(IV) (Na₄FeO₄) were added directly into buffered solution containing perfluorooctansulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid at pH 7.0 and 9.0, and mixed solutions were subjected to analysis for remaining fluoro compounds after 5 days. The analysis was performed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry technique. Fe(IV) showed the highest ability to oxidize the studied contaminants; the maximum removals were 34 % for perfluorooctansulfonate and 23 % for perfluorooctanoic acid. Both Fe(V) and Fe(IV) had slightly higher tendency to oxidize contaminants at alkaline pH than at neutral pH. Results were described by invoking reactions involved in oxidation of perfluorooctansulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid by ferrates in aqueous solution. The results demonstrated potentials of Fe(V) and Fe(IV) to degrade perfluoroalkyl substances in contaminated water.     

Linking external debt and renewable energy to environmental sustainability in heavily indebted poor countries: new insights from advanced panel estimators

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There are numerous studies on the linkage between renewable energy and environmental sustainability. These studies have tried to show how renewable...     

Relationships between copper concentrations in larvae of Plectrocnemia conspersa (Curtis) (Trichoptera) and in mine drainage streams

Elevated copper concentrations were determined for single larvae of Plectrocnemia conspersa in a copper-rich stream. Although larval copper concentration was reduced by at least 50% after clearing gut contents, its exponential decrease with increasing body weight remained unchanged. Analysis of instar V larvae from different sampling stations showed a steep increase in the concentration of copper in the larvae with that in the water at lower stream water concentrations, followed by a progressively less steep increase at higher stream concentrations. When captive larvae from a clean stream were introduced into a mine drainage stream, the amount of copper in fed and unfed larvae steadily increased, suggesting metal uptake from water and food. Survival and growth were comparable for introduced and captive resident larvae suggesting copper tolerance to be a general characteristic of P. conspersa.     

Race, Ethnicity and Disasters in the United States: A Review of the Literature

In this paper we synthesise past disaster research that addresses issues of race and ethnicity in the United States. Using an eight-stage typology to organise the findings, this literature review presents the results from a wide range of studies. The synthesis shows how various racial and ethnic groups perceive natural hazard risks and respond to warnings, how groups may be differentially affected, both physically and psychologically, and how disaster effects vary by race and ethnicity during the periods of emergency response, recovery and reconstruction. We show that studies have important findings, many illustrating that racial and ethnic communities in the US are more vulnerable to natural disasters, due to factors such as language, housing patterns, building construction, community isolation and cultural insensitivities. By presenting these studies together, we are able to witness patterns of racial and ethnic inequalities that may be more difficult to see or interpret in individual studies that take place in one specific time and place. We conclude the review with policy and research recommendations.     

Anaerobic abiotic transformations of cis-1,2-dichloroethene in fractured sandstone

A fractured sandstone aquifer at an industrial site is contaminated with trichloroethene to depths greater than 244 m. Field data indicate that trichloroethene is undergoing reduction to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE); vinyl chloride and ethene are present at much lower concentrations. Transformation of cDCE by pathways other than reductive dechlorination (abiotic and/or biotic) is of interest. Pyrite, which has been linked to abiotic transformation of chlorinated ethenes, is present at varying levels in the sandstone. To evaluate the possible role of pyrite in transforming cDCE, microcosms were prepared with groundwater, ～40 mg L^?1 cDCE + [¹⁴C]cDCE, and crushed solids (pure pyrite, pyrite-rich sandstone, or typical sandstone). During 120 d of incubation, the highest level of cDCE transformation occurred with typical sandstone (11–14% ¹⁴CO₂, 1–3% ¹⁴C-soluble products), followed by pyrite-rich sandstone (2–4% ¹⁴CO₂, 1% ¹⁴C-soluble products) and even lesser amounts with pure pyrite. These results indicate pyrite is not likely the mineral involved in transforming cDCE. A separate experiment using only typical sandstone compared the rate of cDCE transformation in non-sterilized, autoclaved, and propylene-oxide sterilized treatments, with pseudo-first order rate constants of 8.7, 5.4, and 1.0 yr^?1, respectively; however, transformation stopped after several months of incubation. Autoclaving increased the volume of pores, adsorption pore diameter, and surface area in comparison to non-sterilized typical sandstone. Nevertheless, autoclaving was less disruptive than chemical sterilization. The results provide definitive experimental evidence that cDCE undergoes anaerobic abiotic and biotic transformation in typical sandstone, with formation of CO₂ and soluble products.