Adsorption kinetics of methyl violet onto perlite

This study examines adsorption kinetics and activation parameters of methyl violet on perlite. The effect of process parameters like contact time, concentration of dye, temperature and pH on the extent of methyl violet adsorption from solution has been investigated. Results of the kinetic studies show that the adsorption reaction is first order with respect to dye solution concentration with activation energy of 13.2 kJ mol(-1). This low activation energy value indicates that the adsorption reaction is diffusion controlled. The activation parameters using Arrhenius and Eyring equations have been calculated. Adsorption increases with increase of variables such as contact time, initial dye concentration, temperature and pH.     

A GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making method for the selection of potential municipal solid waste disposal sites in Mersin,Turkey

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Due to rapid urbanization and the resulting rapid population increases, an important problem for cities today is the elimination of solid waste or...     

Uncertainty analysis in integrated assessment: the users’ perspective

Integrated Assessment (IA) models aim at providing information- and decision-support to complex problems. This paper argues that uncertainty analysis in IA models should be user-driven in order to strengthen science–policy interaction. We suggest an approach to uncertainty analysis that starts with investigating model users’ demands for uncertainty information. These demands are called “uncertainty information needs”. Identifying model users’ uncertainty information needs allows focusing the analysis on those uncertainties which users consider relevant and meaningful. As an illustrative example, we discuss the case of examining users’ uncertainty information needs in the SEAMLESS Integrated Framework (SEAMLESS-IF), an IA model chain for assessing and comparing alternative agricultural and environmental policy options. The most important user group of SEAMLESS-IF are policy experts at the European and national level. Uncertainty information needs of this user group were examined in an interactive process during the development of SEAMLESS-IF and by using a questionnaire. Results indicate that users’ information requirements differed from the uncertainty categories considered most relevant by model developers. In particular, policy experts called for addressing a broader set of uncertainty sources (e.g. model structure and technical model setup). The findings highlight that investigating users’ uncertainty information needs is an essential step towards creating confidence in an IA model and its outcomes. This alone, however, may not be sufficient for effectively implementing a user-oriented uncertainty analysis in such models. As the case study illustrates, it requires to include uncertainty analysis into user participation from the outset of the IA modelling process.     

Methodology to translate policy assessment problems into scenarios: the example of the SEAMLESS integrated framework

Scenario-based approaches in environmental and policy assessment studies are increasingly applied within integrated assessment and modelling frameworks. The SEAMLESS project develops such an integrated framework (SEAMLESS-IF) aiming to assess, ex-ante, impacts of alternative agro-environmental policies on the sustainability of agricultural systems. A particular challenge in this context is the consistent translation of a wide range of policy questions into scenarios that a modelling framework can assess. The present work defines a methodology for scenario-development in integrated policy assessment with specific emphasis on SEAMLESS-IF. After a general overview on scenario concepts for integrated policy assessment the adopted scenario concept and its development procedure is presented. They allow building integrated scenarios capturing the range of drivers of the assessed agricultural system in a consistent way across temporal and spatial scales. Then focus is on the particular procedures to translate the policy assessment questions into scenario parameters and to implement these parameters into SEAMLESS-IF. Two examples targeted at European and regional level combining integrated assessments of policy changes and technological innovations are considered to illustrate the SEAMLESS scenario concept. We conclude that the proposed methodology to translate policy assessment problems into scenarios effectively supports integrated assessment in SEAMLESS-IF or even in other modelling frameworks.     

Composting of wastewater treatment sludge with different bulking agents

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the compostability of wastewater treatment sludge (WTS) containing different bulking agents (BAs) and to determine the most efficient BA. Four different compost trials consisting of mixtures of wheat straw (WS), plane leaf (PL), corncob (CC) and sunflower stalk (SS) with WTS were performed in laboratory reactors. In all experiments, a mixture of 60% WTS and 40% BA (wet basis) was used. The temperature, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and C/N ratio were monitored during the composting process. Evaluation of the operational parameters showed that the highest organic matter degradation (i.e. 37.6%), loss of dry matter (i.e. 29.6%) and temperature (i.e. 64 °C) were achieved for the WTS-CC mixtures. Results also showed that the WTS-SS mixture was also successful in terms of these operational parameters. Use of bulking agents for the treatment of wastewater treatment sludge in composting process is an important issue with regards to process efficiency, economy and disposal of agricultural waste. Corncob and sunflower stalk that were previously not used for the composting of WTS from food industry were shown to be highly successful BA materials in this study.

Implications: The compostability of wastewater treatment sludge from the food industry with different bulking agents was studied. Wheat straw, plane leaf, corncob, and sunflower stalk were used as bulking agents. The required microbial stabilization and degree of mineralization were achieved with corncobs and sunflower stalks.     

Usage of non-timber forest products by women in forest villages of Trabzon, Turkey

Women are responsible for procuring the food for their family in many places in the world. The usage of the non-timber forest products (NTFPs) reaches to the beginning of the humanity NTFPs are used for food and medicine especially in the developing countries as a whole. In this research, totally 611 questionnaires were conducted with women participants by polling face to face in 68 forest villages in the research area. The main reason for studying with women is that; the gathering activities are usually done by women in that area and they also knew the used parts and how to use the NTFPs. Results showed that about 14.4% of the women in the research area are gathering the plants for food (17 species and 2-8 kg annually) and 9.2% of the women are gathering the plants for medicinal purposes (16 species and 1-4 kg annually). These plants are usually used for additional medicinal treatments. 4 species are used for livestock treatment and 2 species in the hand weaving.     

Thermal Stabilization of Recycled PET Through Chain Extension and Blending with PBT

This study investigates the effect of using a multifunctional epoxide chain extender (Joncryl^® ADR 4468) on the thermal stabilization and rheological properties of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) and its blends with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The R-PET samples were prepared without and with chain extender (CE) contents of 0.4 wt% and 0.8 wt%. R-PET/PBT blends with weight ratios of 75w/25w, 50w/50w and 25w/75w were also prepared without and with a given CE content of 0.2 wt%. The thermal stability of the melt blended samples was analyzed through small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) rheological experiments. The structure of the samples was evaluated using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. While the dynamic rheological properties of R-PET were improved with the addition of Joncryl and by blending with PBT, during the SAOS rheological experiments, the complex viscosity of R-PET further increased due to the concurrent polycondensation of R-PET and the resumption of Joncryl reaction with R-PET molecules. These reactions during the rheological experiments were further expedited with increasing the testing temperature. On the other hand, in R-PET/PBT blends, the reactivity of Joncryl was more noticeable in blends with higher R-PET contents due to the higher available internal reactive sites of much shorter R-PET molecules. It was observed that the addition of only 0.2 wt% Joncryl to the blends of R-PET/PBT (75w/25w) dramatically improves the thermal stability and dynamic rheological properties of R-PET and most likely its processability.

     

Can education lower the environmental degradation? Bootstrap panel Granger causality analysis for emerging countries

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Environmental degradation, which became evident after the Industrial Revolution, is one of the most important problems to be solved in the twenty-first...