A multi-objective approach to solid waste management

The issue addressed in this paper consists in the localization and dimensioning of transfer stations, which constitute a necessary intermediate level in the logistic chain of the solid waste stream, from municipalities to the incinerator. Contextually, the determination of the number and type of vehicles involved is carried out in an integrated optimization approach. The model considers both initial investment and operative costs related to transportation and transfer stations. Two conflicting objectives are evaluated, the minimization of total cost and the minimization of environmental impact, measured by pollution. The design of the integrated waste management system is hence approached in a multi-objective optimization framework. To determine the best means of compromise, goal programming, weighted sum and fuzzy multi-objective techniques have been employed. The proposed analysis highlights how different attitudes of the decision maker towards the logic and structure of the problem result in the employment of different methodologies and the obtaining of different results. The novel aspect of the paper lies in the proposal of an effective decision support system for operative waste management, rather than a further contribution to the transportation problem. The model was applied to the waste management of optimal territorial ambit (OTA) of Palermo (Italy).     

Urban Mining: Quality and quantity of recyclable and recoverable material mechanically and physically extractable from residual waste

The mechanically sorted dry fraction (MSDF) and Fines (<20 mm) arising from the mechanical biological treatment of residual municipal solid waste (RMSW) contains respectively about 11% w/w each of recyclable and recoverable materials. Processing a large sample of MSDF in an existing full-scale mechanical sorting facility equipped with near infrared and 2-3 dimensional selectors led to the extraction of about 6% w/w of recyclables with respect to the RMSW weight. Maximum selection efficiency was achieved for metals, about 98% w/w, whereas it was lower for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), about 2% w/w. After a simulated lab scale soil washing treatment it was possible to extract about 2% w/w of inert exploitable substances recoverable as construction materials, with respect to the amount of RMSW. The passing curve showed that inert materials were mainly sand with a particle size ranging from 0.063 to 2 mm. Leaching tests showed quite low heavy metal concentrations with the exception of the particles retained by the 0.5 mm sieve. A minimum pollutant concentration was in the leachate from the 10 and 20 mm particle size fractions.     

New frontiers for sustainability: emergy evaluation of an eco-village

The emergy analysis was used to evaluate the sustainability of a village which aims to be ecologically friendly. The choice of focusing on the use of local resources including agriculture and farm goods, photovoltaic panels, renewable heating and cooling systems, recycled water from constructed wetlands etc., aims to obtain a sustainable village. Indices and ratios based on emergy flows have been calculated and used to evaluate the behaviour of the whole system. Their dependence upon the fraction of renewable and non renewable inputs as well as locally available versus purchased inputs from outside is stressed. A new index of sustainability (SI) is also applied to the case study. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Water Security in Uzbekistan: Implication of Return Waters on the Amu Darya Water Quality

- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/espr2006.01.007 Goal, Scope and Background Amu Darya river, one of the main water resources of Uzbekistan, shows a relevant longitudinal enrichment of soluble contents which strongly limits the human uses of its waters. Because of the low natural run-off processes, salts and pollutants are mainly driven to the river by the return waters used for washing and irrigating the surrounding lands. The influence of return waters on stream quality is dramatically relevant in the lower reaches of the river where almost all the flowing waters have been previously used for the agriculture practises. To provide analytical evidence on the potential effects of return waters on the quality of the Amu Darya river, the paper reports and comments data on salinity and metals contents of the waters flowing in the artificial channel network of Bukhara and in the Amu Darya river, from Bukhara up to the dam forming the Tuyamuyn Hydro Complex (THC). Methods A total of 15 sampling sites were selected for the analytical survey: Two sites were located on the Amu Darya river downstream from the inflow of the return waters from Bukhara, two in the river entering in the THC, and three downstream from the dam forming the reservoir complex. The waters entering and leaving the Bukhara agricultural area were sampled in two main collectors, while the waters flowing in the channel system were sampled in six distinct collectors. The following parameters were considered in the survey: pH, Oxygen, Hardness, Salinity, Conductivity, P-PO4 3–, P tot, N tot, N-NO3 2–, N-NO2 –, COD, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb. Results and Discussion Salt concentrations below 1000 mg/l were measured in the Amu Darya waters upstream to Bukhara. In the drainage system, salinity exceeds the palatability limit and reaches the maximum peak of 3200 mg/l in the outflow collector. Due to dilution effects, salinity returns to lower values (400–700 mg/l) along the Amu Darya river downstream from Bukhara; calcium and magnesium resulted the major constituents of the overall salinity. No serious metal contaminations were detected in the waters entering and leaving the examined channel system. Differently, the Amu Darya waters upstream to the THC showed a relevant metal contamination, with Cr, Ni, Fe concentrations exceeding the limits for human consumption. In the downstream sites, located in the Tuyamuyn Hydro Complex and in the Amu Darya river flowing out from this reservoir, excluding Fe, all the examined metals showed lover concentrations and values below the normative limits. Conclusion The direct human consumption of the lower Amu Darya waters is strongly limited by salinity and by metal contamination. Although the salinity of the return waters from the Bukhara drainage system results in above normal limits, no corresponding increases were measured in the Amu Darya river downstream from the return water inflow at the time of the survey. As for the metal contamination of the Amu Darya river, the survey revealed the presence of relevant sources of metal contamination downstream from Bukhara external to the agricultural drainage system. This contamination resulted in reduced sedimentation processes taking place in the limnetic zones of the Amu Darya river upstream to the dam forming the Tuyamuyn Hydro Complex. Recommendation and Outlook To fully understand the longitudinal increase of Amu Darya salinity, an evaluation of the cumulative effects of the loads from the main agricultural areas is required, also by using mass-balance models. As for the metals, an investigation should be addressed to identify the anthropogenic sources of contaminations present in the lower Amu Darya region and the metal loads should be diverted.     

Chlorinated herbicide (triallate) dehalogenation by iron powder

The reductive degradation of a chlorinated herbicide by iron powder was investigated at lab scale. The studied substrate was triallate (S-2,3,3-trichloroallyl di-isopropyl thiocarbamate) which contains a trichloroethylene moiety potentially reducible by zero-valent iron. Degradation reactions were carried out in batch, at 25 degrees C, in the absence of oxygen, by contacting electrolytic iron powder (size range: 20-50 microm) with a triallate aqueous solution (2.5 mgl(-1)). Herbicide decay, corresponding evolutions of TOC, TOX and chloride ion release were regularly monitored throughout the reactions. Furthermore, the main degradation by-products were identified by HPLC/MS. The results showed that, after 5 days, herbicide degradation extent was about 97% and that the reaction proceeded through the formation of a dechlorinated alkyne by-product (S-2-propinyl di-isopropyl thiocarbamate) resulting from the complete dechlorination of triallate. The subsequent reduction of such an alkyne intermediate gave S-allyl di-isopropyl thiocarbamate as main end by-product. The identified by-products suggested that dechlorination took place mainly via reductive beta-elimination. However, as traces of dichloroallyl di-isopropyl thiocarbamate were also detected, a role, although minor, was assigned even to hydrogenolysis in the overall dechlorination process.     

Renewable Resources and Waste Recycling

In this paper we consider an endogenous growth model involving, among other inputs, a renewable resource and secondary materials. Using this analytical framework we explain the effects of waste recycling on the growth rate of the economy, that we take into account. The effects of secondary materials production on the utility and dynamics of renewable resources are also studied. Furthermore, we consider how taxes and subsidies, levied on natural resources and granted for secondary materials, influence the dynamics of the economy during the transitional phase and the stationary growth path. Finally, the validity of Hotellings rule and the effects of waste recycling on labor productivity are the conclusive topics of our research.     

The effects of anthropogenic particulate emissions on roadway dust and Nerium oleander leaves in Messina (Sicily, Italy)

Complementary studies on the inorganic chemical composition of Nerium oleander leaves collected in the town of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and seven grain-size fractions of local roadway dust have been carried out. Data and maps are presented to show that the particulate matter present in the air of Messina contains trace elements significantly in excess with respect to the average continental earth crust. The anomalies follow the outline of the urban area, the highest concentrations of trace elements being observed where traffic density is highest. Chemical and isotopic analyses of both road dust and Nerium oleander leaves indicate that Pb contamination still characterizes roads with heavy traffic. In addition to Pb, other metals such as Pt, Pd, Sb, Au, Br, Zn, Cu, Mo, and Cd are significantly enriched in roadway dust, indicating their common anthropogenic origin, especially from traffic. SEM/EDS study of some roadway dust particles has shown the presence of gypsum probably of secondary origin, mixed particles formed by coagulation or gas-to-particle conversion, and porous spherical particles apparently emanating from combustion processes.     

Testing the extended biotic index in Slovakia: consistency, advantages, and limitations versus the saprobic assessment method of water quality.

The European Union Water Framework Directive requires the achievement of environmental objectives for the ecological quality of water bodies. A comparable implementation of the Directive throughout member countries of the European Union is necessary to verify equal protection of surface waters. The Directive specifies that member states determine ecological quality by means of biological indices. To improve comparability of water quality assessment, this research carried out an intercalibration trial between the Slovak Saprobic Index and the Italian protocol of the Extended Biotic Index, as part of a cooperative program between Italy and the Slovak Republic. When assessing streams with no or low pollution, statistics showed similar results for both methods. In contrast, the comparison of indices was not accurate in the case of severely affected waters. Reliable conversion formulas are feasible to transform the Italian Extended Biotic Index into the Slovak Saprobic Index, and not vice versa.