The strategy for conservation non-renewable natural resources through producing and application solid recovery fuel in the cement industry: a case study for Lithuania

This pilot study aimed to develop a production line for SRF production from RDF by extracting prohibited materials, grinding, and drying, and the energy potential for using SRF in the cement industry as an alternative fuel was evaluated. This paper defined the main characteristics of RDF, which were obtained after the separation of the biological fraction from MSW at an MBT plant. According to its characteristics, RDF can only be used for incineration in the CPP to obtain heat and energy. The produced SRF meets the requirements for fuel from waste and can be used as an alternative fuel for clinker firing. A technological process line for SRF production from RDF has been developed by adding technical units to the existing MBT line. The SRF production line yield was calculated as 4.47 t/h. At the end of the SRF production process, the moisture content of the finished product decreased by 85%, and the volume decreased by 18%. The obtained SRF had a high calorific value, low moisture content, and a permissible value of chlorine and mercury. It was proposed that the produced SRF and sewage sludge (already used during the clinker firing process) be utilized as alternative fuels since they correspond to the oxide composition of the finished clinker in elemental and oxide composition. A calculation to assess the economic and environmental efficiency of the use of SRF in the cement kiln was conducted. The result showed that using 10% SRF as a substitute fuel for coal used in clinker roasting at 1.92 t/h would save 601.7 USD/h coal costs. This use of SRF will emit 3.7 t/h CO₂ and achieve net savings of 754.7 USD/h.

     

A mathematical model for the anaerobic treatment of Baker's yeast effluents

Baker's yeast fermentation produces high strength wastewaters containing high concentrations of organic materials that cannot easily be degraded by biological processes. A two-stage (anaerobic-aerobic) treatment system has been used in order to treat this effluent efficiently. Most of the COD reduction takes place during the anaerobic degradation. The objective of this study was to generate a simple mathematical model for the anaerobic stage. The model, which is based on the elimination of COD, assumes that only three consecutive reactions namely hydrolysis, acidogenesis and methanogenesis are significant. In the laboratory-scale experiments, feed strength was increased from 3600 to 14,000 mg O2 l-1 in a batch reactor. Three reaction rate constants were found as 0.08, 0.004, 0.06 h-1 by analyzing data from the laboratory experiments. The model was tested and found to be congruent with the daily operation data, which were collected from the Pakmaya Baker's Yeast Kocaeli Factory Plant. This plant contains three Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactors, which are run in series. The rate constants of the hydrolysis and methanogenesis were similar to the batch experiment case.     

Mapping of environmental and technological performance of food and beverage sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The objective of this paper is to discuss the mapping methodology implemented in the selection of BAT candidates and to present the results of the mapping of B&H food and beverage sector, prepared as a baseline for the development of national reference documents on Best Available Techniques. The subsectors subject to analysis were: dairy, fish farming, fish processing, fruit and vegetable processing, meat processing, breweries, and slaughterhouses.The sector was mapped from several aspects, including socio-economic, legal, and environmental point of view. The socio-economic aspect focused on understanding the sector’s structure and financial capabilities, pricing for water, energy, and solid waste consumption, as well as employee profiles, in order to better assess the sustainability of decisions taken. Legal mapping focused on relevant regulations, including policies from the following sectors: environment, water use and protection, food safety, agriculture, and veterinary, in order to determine legal requirements from an environmental protection aspect set in the various sector policies. Environmental performance indicators were calculated in order to assess present resource efficiencies and relevant environmental impacts. In addition, the mapping process also addressed the existing level of BAT implementation in the subsectors under consideration.The paper presents a rationale for methodology selection, offers a review of the mapping methodology used, discusses mapping results and provides conclusions in regards to that methodology used and discusses issues that need to be considered in the selection of BAT candidates.     

Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in humans and environmental compartments: a comprehensive review of the last five years of research

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), present in the environment, animals, and humans. Their...     

Application of Static Critical Load Models for Acidity to High Mountain Lakes in Europe

Critical load models for acidityprovide a measure of the sensitivity of surfacewaters to acid deposition, and can be used todetermine critical load exceedance and potentiallong-term harmful effects. Three static models,the Steady-State Water Chemistry model, diatommodel and First-order Acidity Balance model, arehere applied to 11 high mountain lakes in Norway,Scotland, the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Tatras.Between five and seven of the lakes show criticalload exceedance, depending on the model used.Nitrogen as well as sulphur deposition isimportant in causing exceedance. Since soil andvegetation cover are generally sparse, geologyand lake retention time appear to be key factorsin the determination of critical load. Retentionof nitrogen is observed, but it is unclearwhether this occurs within the lake or theterrestrial part of the catchment.     

Spontaneous expression of magnetic compass orientation in an epigeic rodent: the bank vole,Clethrionomys glareolus

Magnetoreception has been convincingly demonstrated in only a few mammalian species. Among rodents, magnetic compass orientation has been documented in four species of subterranean mole rats and two epigeic (i.e. active above ground) species—the Siberian hamster and the C57BL/6J mouse. The mole rats use the magnetic field azimuth to determine compass heading; their directional preference is spontaneous and unimodal, and their magnetic compass is magnetite-mediated. By contrast, the primary component of orientation response is learned in the hamster and the mouse, but both species also exhibit a weak spontaneous bimodal preference in the natural magnetic field. To determine whether the magnetic compass of wild epigeic rodents features the same functional properties as that of laboratory rodents, we investigated magnetic compass orientation in the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (Cricetidae, Rodentia). The voles exhibited a robust spontaneous bimodal directional preference, i.e. built nests and slept preferentially along the north-south axis, and deflected their directional preference according to a shift in the direction of magnetic north, clearly indicating that they were deriving directional information from the magnetic field. Thus, bimodal, axially symmetrical directional choice seems to be a common feature shared by epigeic rodents. However, spontaneous directional preference in the bank vole appeared to be more pronounced than that reported in the hamster and the mouse. These findings suggest that bank voles are well suited for future studies investigating the adaptive significance and mechanisms of magnetic orientation in epigeic rodents.     

Implications of oxidative stress in occupational exposure to lead on a cellular level

The aim of this study was to determine oxidative alterations leading to cellular dysfunctions in Pb-exposed subjects by evaluating damage to all major classes of biomolecules in the cell, lipid peroxidation, protein and DNA damage and determine relationships between parameters of Pb toxicity and specific biomarkers of oxidative damage.

Analysis was conducted of smelter workers with high blood Pb and urine aminolevulinic acid levels and slightly elevated values of coproporphyrin and erythrocyte protoporphyrin IX. Significant decreases of thiol groups and increases in carbonyl groups as protein degradation end products, and of nitrite were detected. Elevated rates of lipid peroxidation and rises in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes Cu–Zn superoxide dismutase and catalase were also observed. Both enzymes showed positive correlations with the blood lead levels and urine coproporphyrin, while thiol groups correlated negatively with the same indices. The genotoxic potential of lead was manifested through an increased number of DNA-damaged cells. Increased activities of serum lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes indicated cellular damage in the lungs, kidneys, and liver. These lead-induced impairments should be taken into consideration in the assessment of Pb-related health hazards.     

Pollution status and health risk caused by heavy elements in the flooded soil and vegetables from typical agricultural region in Vojvodina Province,Serbia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The investigation conducted in the Vojvodina Province, as a typical European and one of the biggest agricultural regions in the Balkans, offers the...     

Site selection for waste vegetable oil and waste battery collection boxes: a GIS-based hybrid hesitant fuzzy decision-making approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been increasing rapidly in the urban centres of developing countries during the last few decades;...