Assessment of the status of municipal solid waste management in metro cities, state capitals, class I cities, and class II towns in India: an insight

Solid waste management is one of the most challenging issues in urban cities, which are facing a serious pollution problem due to the generation of huge quantities of solid waste. This paper presents an assessment of the existing situation of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in major cities in India. The quantity and composition of MSW vary from place to place, and bear a rather consistent correlation with the average standard of living. Extensive field investigations were carried out for quantification, analysis of physical composition, and characterization of MSW in each of the identified cities. The MSW management status (per the MSW Rules, 2000) has also been assessed, and an action plan for better management has been formulated; both are presented in this paper. Studies carried out in 59 selected cities in India have revealed that there are many shortcomings in the existing practices used in managing the MSW. These shortcomings pertain mainly to inadequate manpower, financial resources, implements, and machinery required for effectively carrying out various activities for MSWM. To overcome the deficiencies in the existing MSWM systems, an indicative action plan has been presented incorporating strategies and guidelines. Based on this plan, municipal agencies can prepare specific action plans for their respective cities.     

Utilization of molasses spentwash for production of bioplastics by waste activated sludge

Present study describes the treatment of molasses spentwash and its use as a potential low cost substrate for production of biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by waste activated sludge. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of PHB granules in sludge biomass which was further confirmed by fourier transform-infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The processing of molasses spentwash was carried out for attaining different ratios of carbon and nitrogen (C:N). Highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and PHB accumulation of 60% and 31% respectively was achieved with raw molasses spentwash containing inorganic nitrogen (C:N ratio = 28) followed by COD removal of 52% and PHB accumulation of 28% for filtered molasses containing inorganic nitrogen (C:N ratio = 29). PHB production yield (Y_p/s) was highest (0.184 g g^?1 COD consumed) for deproteinized spentwash supplemented with nitrogen. In contrast, the substrate consumption and product formation were higher in case of raw spentwash. Though COD removal was lowest from deproteinized spentwash, evaluation of kinetic parameters suggested higher rates of conversion of available carbon to biomass and PHB. Thus the process provided dual benefit of conversion of two wastes viz. waste activated sludge and molasses spentwash into value-added product-PHB.     

Criteria and indicators for a bioenergy production industry identified via stakeholder participation

As bioenergy production expands and new bioenergy-based technologies emerge, there is a growing concern regarding the sustainability of their ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Comprehensive sustainability assessments are needed to address this concern and to assure that the development of the bioenergy industry meets sustainability goals. Most sustainability assessments for bioenergy are expert-driven, broad, and largely motivated by an interest in optimizing international trade in bioenergy. As a result, social and cultural sustainability targets are vague or underdeveloped. In this study, we developed a sustainability assessment for a regional bioenergy production industry in Upper Michigan, using stakeholder participation. Semi-structured interviews and focus group meetings were used to elicit participants’ concerns and opinion. These concerns were translated into sustainability Criteria and Indicators (C&Is), many of which could be supported with available science. Some of the C&Is identified by participants were unique to the region. Sustainability C&Is were broadly categorized into economic (C = 5; I = 22), environmental (C = 6; I = 12), social (C = 3; I = 9), policy and regulations (C = 3; I = 13), and institutional capacity (C = 4; I = 13). While participants could identify indicators for most of the criteria (many of which are also supported by existing literature), further research and validation will be necessary to identify measurable, practical, and bias-free indicators for all criteria.     

Methylmercury tolerance of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) embryos from a polluted vs non-polluted environment

We have previously found great differences in susceptibility to methylmercury (meHg) among batches of eggs produced by different females. This study compares the range and distribution of susceptibility in two populations of killifish, one from a creek in Montauk, New York, USA a rather pristine area, the other from Pile's Creek in Linden, New Jersey, an area heavily impacted by metal and oil pollution. After treatment with 0.05 ppm meHg, the distribution of craniofacial defects in embryos of the Montauk population ranged from very tolerant to very susceptible. The distribution of cardiovascular defects also ranged from very tolerant to very susceptible. Skeletal defects were prevalent in most batches of eggs. However, in the Pile's Creek population, very few females produced susceptible eggs, and most batches were tolerant with respect to the three types of malformations, especially the craniofacial defects. The ability to adapt to pollution is one reason that this species has remained abundant in such a highly polluted area. The ability of some species to adapt to chronic pollution by developing tolerance is a phenomenon that should be considered in choosing organisms for routine bioassay procedures, since the results will depend on the degree to which the population has become tolerant to the toxicant.     

A simple model to predict the biodiesel blend density as simultaneous function of blend percent and temperature

A simple method to estimate the density of biodiesel blend as simultaneous function of temperature and volume percent of biodiesel is proposed. Employing the Kay’s mixing rule, we developed a model and investigated theoretically the density of different vegetable oil biodiesel blends as a simultaneous function of temperature and volume percent of biodiesel. Key advantage of the proposed model is that it requires only a single set of density values of components of biodiesel blends at any two different temperatures. We notice that the density of blend linearly decreases with increase in temperature and increases with increase in volume percent of the biodiesel. The lower values of standard estimate of error (SEE?=?0.0003–0.0022) and absolute average deviation (AAD?=?0.03–0.15 %) obtained using the proposed model indicate the predictive capability. The predicted values found good agreement with the recent available experimental data.     

Bioreactors for treatment of VOCs and odours – A review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odorous compounds discharged into the environment create ecological and health hazards. In the recent past, biological waste air treatment processes using bioreactors have gained popularity in control of VOCs and odour, since they offer a cost effective and environment friendly alternative to conventional air pollution control technologies. This review provides an overview of the various bioreactors that are used in VOC and odour abatement, along with details on their configuration and design, mechanism of operation, insights into the microbial biodegradation process and future R&D needs in this area.     

Global gains at local costs: Imposing protected areas: evidence from central India

With the ever-increasing understanding about the Earth as a living network of interdependent ecosystems, there seems to be a growing consensus that the whole planet is a global common. This feeling, however, is not bereft of severe complications arising from conflicting interests of different nations placed at varying levels of development. While developed countries are more concerned about environmental quality which is a global public good, less developed countries can hardly afford to make land use decisions that keep such wider futuristic concerns in mind while they are presently struggling with very basic problems of poverty and starvation. The actors at the global level prescribe, monitor, and enforce the global level collective choice through persuasive, and at times coercive, methods. At the national level, various legal provisions in the form of legislation reflect the collective choice at that level through creation of protected areas devoid of humans. A simple fact is overlooked, that it is impossible to achieve conservation goals without making local people equal participants in decisionmaking and benefit sharing.     

Pretreatment of banana agricultural waste for bio-ethanol production: Individual and interactive effects of acid and alkali pretreatments with autoclaving,microwave heating and ultrasonication

Banana agricultural waste is one of the potential lignocellulosic substrates which are mostly un-utilized but sufficiently available in many parts of the world. In the present study, suitability of banana waste for biofuel production with respect to pretreatment and reducing sugar yield was assessed. The effectiveness of both acid and alkali pretreatments along with autoclaving, microwave heating and ultrasonication on different morphological parts of banana (BMPs) was studied. The data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and numerical point prediction tool of MINITAB RELEASE 14. Accordingly, the optimum cumulative conditions for maximum recovery of reducing sugar through acid pretreatment are: leaf (LF) as the substrate with 25 min of reaction time and 180 °C of reaction temperature using microwave. Whereas, the optimum conditions for alkaline pretreatments are: pith (PH) as the substrate with 51 min of reaction time and 50 °C of reaction temperature using ultrasonication (US).     

Removal technology for pesticide contaminants in potable water

Abstract

Granular activated carbon adsorption is one of the reliable and effective means of removing organochlorine pesticides from water. Continuous stirred tank and fix bed reactor systems were used for the screening of indigenous granular activated carbons in the removal of organochlorine pesticides from water at low microgram levels in simulated samples. The carbon dose reguired to treat raw water at initial concentrations of 5–10 ug/1 of Y‐HCH, p,p'‐DDT and p,p'‐DDE to <2 ug/1 potable level was computed. Data leads to the development of a tap attachable water treatment unit for pesticides removal for applications on domestic scale.     

Validation of an in situ solidification/stabilization technique for hazardous barium and cyanide waste for safe disposal into a secured landfill

The aim of the present study was to devise and validate an appropriate treatment process for disposal of hazardous barium and cyanide waste into a landfill at a Common Hazardous Waste Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (CHWTSDF). The waste was generated during the process of hardening of steel components and contains cyanide (reactive) and barium (toxic) as major contaminants. In the present study chemical fixation of the contaminants was carried out. The cyanide was treated by alkali chlorination with calcium hypochlorite and barium by precipitation with sodium sulfate as barium sulfate. The pretreated mixture was then solidified and stabilized by binding with a combination of slag cement, ordinary Portland cement and fly ash, molded into blocks (5 × 5 × 5 cm) and cured for a period of 3, 7 and 28 days. The final experiments were conducted with 18 recipe mixtures of waste + additive:binder (W:B) ratios. The W:B ratios were taken as 80:20, 70:30 and 50:50. The optimum proportions of additives and binders were finalized on the basis of the criteria of unconfined compressive strength and leachability. The leachability studies were conducted using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure. The blocks were analyzed for various physical and leachable chemical parameters at the end of each curing period. Based on the results of the analysis, two recipe mixtures, with compositions – 50% of [waste + (120 g Ca(OCl)₂ + 290 g Na₂SO₄) kg^?1 of waste] + 50% of binders, were validated for in situ stabilization into a secured landfill of CHWTSDF.