Logistical management and private sector involvement in reducing the cost of municipal solid waste collection service in the Tubas area of the West Bank

This paper addresses the problems of the municipal solid waste (MSW) collection system in the Tubas district of Palestine. More specifically, it addresses the often-voiced concerns pertaining to low efficiency as well as environmental problems. This was carried out through a systematic methodological approach. The paper illustrates how a private company applied a logistical management strategy, by rescheduling the MSW collection system, reallocating street solid waste containers and minimizing vehicle routing. The way in which the MSW collection timetable was rescheduled decreased the operating expenses and thus reduced MSW collection costs. All data needed to reschedule the collection timetable and optimize vehicle routing were based on actual field measurements. The new MSW collection timetable introduced by a private company was monitored for a period of a month. The new system resulted in an improvement in the MSW collection system by reducing the collection cost to a level that is socially acceptable (US dollars 3.75/family/month), as well as economically and environmentally sound.     

Solid olive waste in environmental cleanup: oil recovery and carbon production for water purification

A potentially-economic three-fold strategy, to use solid olive wastes in water purification, is presented. Firstly, oil remaining in solid waste (higher than 5% of waste) was recovered by the Soxhlet extraction technique, which can be useful for the soap industry. Secondly, the remaining solid was processed to yield relatively high-surface area active carbon (AC). Thirdly, the resulting carbon was employed to reversibly adsorb chromate ions from water, aiming to establish a water purification process with reusable AC. The technique used here enabled oil recovery together with the production of a clean solid, suitable for making AC. This process also has the advantage of low production cost.     

Sensitizing Land Uses to Control Motor Vehicular Air Pollution: a Case Study of Lahore in Connection with Paris

Several factors influence air pollution, but effect of land uses is pivotal and has direct consequences on growth and development of a city. In order to assess consequent effects of land uses on air pollution, it is important to transform a set of variables into significant components by using principal component analysis. These components help to develop an effective model between air pollution and land uses by application of regression analysis. Lahore, titled as “Paris of the East,” has some featured commonalities with Paris and was jointly selected for research to adopt common policies and measures to combat air pollution. A two-step cluster analysis has been applied to testify resemblance of Paris to towns of Lahore as a cluster. This paper is trying to develop a calibrated model which helps to estimate about air pollution at a significant level with only one independent variable. Furthermore, it helps to control air pollution through sensitization of land uses in Lahore.     

Constant light exposure and/or pinealectomy increases susceptibility to trichloroethylene-induced hepatotoxicity and liver cancer in male mice

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Exposure to light at night, pineal gland impairment, and the environmental pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE) have serious implications for health and...     

Processing of Egyptian boiler-ash for extraction of vanadium and nickel

Proposed technique in this investigation is given for vanadium and nickel enrichment in the Egyptian boiler ash. Among the various concepts for recovery of vanadium and nickel from boiler ash, the pyro-metallurgical approach is technically feasible, but is not cost-effective from an operational economy standpoint. Another technically viable process which, however, needs further development and presented in this investigation, is the hydrometallurgical processing that involves acid leaching under oxygen pressure of ground ash, followed by electrolytic separation of nickel from sulphate solution and vanadium is then neutralized and precipitated by adjustment the pH value and calcined to produce V2O5.     

Processing of copper anodic-slimes for extraction of valuable metals

This work focuses on processing of anodic slimes obtained from an Egyptian copper electrorefining plant. The anodic slimes are characterized by high concentrations of copper, lead, tin and silver. The proposed hydrometallurgical process consists of two leaching stages for the extraction of copper (H(2)SO(4)-O(2)) and silver (thiourea-Fe3+), and pyrometallurgical treatment of the remaining slimes for production of Pb-Sn soldering alloy. Factors affecting both the leaching and smelting stages were studied.     

Semi-volatile species in PM2.5: comparison of integrated and continuous samplers for PM2.5 research or monitoring

Fine particles in urban atmospheres contain substantial quantities of semi-volatile material [e.g., NH4NO3 and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)] that are lost from particles during collection on a filter. Several diffusion denuder samplers have been developed for the determination of both NO3- and organic semi-volatile fine particulate components. The combination of technology used in the BOSS diffusion denuder sampler and the Harvard particle concentrator has resulted in the Particle Concentrator-Brigham Young University Organic Sampling System (PC-BOSS) for the 24-hr (or less) integrated collection of PM2.5, including NH4NO3 and semi-volatile organic material. Modification of the BOSS sampler allows for the weekly determination of these same species. Combination of BOSS denuder and tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) monitor technology has resulted in the real-time ambient mass sampler (RAMS) for the continuous measurement of PM2.5, including the semi-volatile components. Comparison of the results obtained with the BOSS and with each of the newly developed modifications of the BOSS indicates that the modified versions can be used for the continuous, daily, or weekly monitoring of PM2.5, including semi-volatile species, as appropriate to the design of each sampler.     

TURBULENCE IN MIRAMICHI BAY: THE BURNT CHURCH CONFLICT OVER NATIVE FISHING RIGHTS1

Abstract: A systematic technique is proposed for assisting in the design and implementation of policy and addressing the need to minimize or resolve disputes that may arise in the enforcement of regulations. The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution is a methodology that facilitates the modeling and analysis of interactive multiple participant-multiple objective decision problems. In the problems considered here, decision makers and policy planners engaged in capacity building typically have different viewpoints over appropriate ways of developing options and enforcing policy choices. Incompatible understandings of resource potentials and limits, and disparities in utilization of these resources, exasperate stakeholders and make the capacity building process counterproductive and even conducive to conflict. A systematic conflict resolution technique is invaluable to policy makers and practitioners in defusing confrontations and reaching out for consensus among participants. In support of current approaches to policy planning and regulation, the Graph Model provides accurate predictions and strategic insights into shortand long-term opportunities in multiple participant-multiple objective decision situations. A conflict among the government of Canada, the Mi'kmaq First Nation, and commercial fishermen over the sharing of a natural resource in New Brunswick, Canada, is used to illustrate the advantages of this technique in practical problems.