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Phytoextraction is an effective approach for remediation of heavy metal (HM) contaminated soil. After the enhancement of phytoextraction efficiency has been systematically investigated and illustrated, the harmless disposal and value-added use of harmful phytoextraction biomass (HPB) become the major issue to be addressed. Therefore, in recent years, a large number of studies have focused on the disposal technologies for HPB, such as composting, enzyme hydrolysis, hydrothermal conversion, phyto-mining, and pyrolysis. The present review introduces their operation process, reaction parameters, economic/ecological advantages, and especially the migration and transformation behavior of HMs/biomass. Since plenty of plants possess comparable extraction abilities for HMs but with discrepancy constitution of biomass, the phytoextraction process should be combined with the disposal of HPB after harvested in the future, and thus a grading handling strategy for HPB is also presented. Hence, this review is significative for disposing of HPB and popularizing phytoextraction technologies. [Display omitted] • Phytoextraction is an effective approach for controlling heavy metal pollution. • Disposal of harmful phytoextraction biomass is important for further development of phytoextraction. • Five kinds of emerging disposal technologies are thoroughly elaborated. • A grading handling process is proposed for disposing harmful phytoextraction biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high demand for plastic has led to plastic waste accumulation, improper disposal and environmental pollution. Even though some of this waste is recycled, most ends up in landfills or flows down rivers into the oceans. Therefore, researchers are now exploring better ways to solve the plastic waste management problem. From a socio-economic perspective, there is also a concerted effort to enable energy recovery from plastic waste and convert it into useful products to generate income for targeted segments of the population. In fact, this concept of waste-to-wealth has been adopted by the United Nations as part of its Sustainable Development Goals strategies. The current article begins by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of plastic recycling before focusing specifically on microwave pyrolysis as an alternative to conventional technologies in plastic waste management, due to its benefit in providing fast and energy-efficient heating. The key parameters that are reviewed in this paper include different types of plastic, types of absorbent, temperatures, microwave power, residence time, and catalysts. The yield of the final product (oil, gaseous and char) varies depending on the main process parameters. Key challenges and limitations of microwave pyrolysis are also discussed in this paper. • Improper disposal of plastic waste brings negative consequences to the environment and economy. • Microwave pyrolysis is an alternative to conventional pyrolysis technique due to its rapid and energy-efficient heating. • Synergistic effect between temperatures, time, absorbents and catalysts affects microwave pyrolysis efficiency. • Limited information on economic feasibility of microwave pyrolysis is found in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater derived from petroleum refining currently accounts for 33.6 million barrels per day globally. Few wastewater treatment strategies exist to produce value-added products from petroleum refining wastewater. In this study, mixed culture microalgal biofilm-based treatment of petroleum refining wastewater using rotating algae biofilm reactors (RABRs) was compared with suspended-growth open pond lagoon reactors for removal of nutrients and suspended solids. Triplicate reactors were operated for 12 weeks and were continuously fed with petroleum refining wastewater. Effluent wastewater was monitored for nitrogen, phosphorus, total suspended solids (TSS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). RABR treatment demonstrated a statistically significant increase in removal of nutrients and suspended solids, and increase in biomass productivity, compared to the open pond lagoon treatment. These trends translate to a greater potential for the production of biomass-based fuels, feed, and fertilizer as value-added products. This study is the first demonstration of the cultivation of mixed culture biofilm microalgae on petroleum refining wastewater for the dual purposes of treatment and biomass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) management is of utmost importance as its improper management poses serious threat to health care workers, waste handlers, patients, care givers, community and finally the environment. Simultaneously, the health care providers should know the quantity of waste generated in their facility and try to reduce the waste generation in day-to-day work because lesser amount of BMW means a lesser burden on waste disposal work and cost saving. Aim: To have an overview of management of BMW in a tertiary care teaching hospital so that effective interventions and implementations can be carried out for better outcome. Materials and Methods: The observational study was carried out over a period of five months from January 2016 to May 2016 in Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut by the Infection Control Team (ICT). Assessment of knowledge was carried out by asking set of questions individually and practice regarding awareness of BMW Management among the Health Care Personnel (HCP) was carried out by direct observation in the workplace. Further, the total BMW generated from the present setup in kilogram per bed per day was calculated by dividing the mean waste generated per day by number of occupied beds. Results: Segregation of BMW was being done at the site of generation in almost all the areas of the hospital in colour coded polythene bags as per the hospital protocol. The different type of waste being collected were infectious solid waste in red bag, soiled infectious waste in yellow bag and sharp waste in puncture proof container and blue bag. Though awareness (knowledge) about segregation of BMW was seen in 90% of the HCP, 30%-35% did not practice. Out of the total waste generated (57912 Kg.), 8686.8 Kg. (15%) was infectious waste. Average infectious waste generated was 0.341 Kg per bed per day. The transport, treatment and disposal of each collected waste were outsourced and carried out by 'Synergy' waste management Pvt. Ltd. Conclusion: The practice of BMW Management was lacking in 30-35% HCP which may lead to mixing of the 15% infectious waste with the remaining non-infectious. Therefore, training courses and awareness programs about BMW management will be carried out every month targeting smaller groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of waste management in inland navigation has been getting increasingly important with the growing of this branch of transport and with the integration of the Republic of Croatia in the European Union. Waste management issues are governed by EU regulations, national regulations and international treaties. The aim of this paper is to determine the extent the harmonization of national and European regulations has reached. The paper presents an analysis of regulations in Croatia and other Danube valley countries, research outcomes concerning waste practices along the Danube, and points out the existing shortcomings and possibilities for improvements in this field. Improvements are possible to achieve through international cooperation and harmonization. Croatian inland ports -- Osijek and Vukovar -- are situated along the E-inland waterway and they enjoy the international status which makes them additionally obliged to provide appropriate waste infrastructure in order to be able to accept all waste types as required. Today, the existing waste collection equipment is insufficient and not all waste types produced by vessels can be accepted. The infrastructure requires upgrading. Based on data collected on board vessels, research has been carried out in respect of on-board waste disposal data collection and certain measures have been proposed toward waste management improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Single phase gyrolite – cation exchanger, has been successfully synthesized in the CaO–SiO2–Na2O–H2O system. It is the first successive attempt, when the single phase gyrolite was synthesized using quartz as siliceous material. It has been found that the content of NaOH is crucial for gyrolite crystallization. The results indicate that optimum amount of NaOH is in narrow range between 0.75% and 1.00%. Decreasing or increasing its amount does not allow to obtain gyrolite in pure form and in final products unreacted quartz was observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and aims: One of the most important environmental problems is excessive production and management of municipal solid waste materials. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is considered as an important strategy to minimize negative impacts. The aim of this study was the use of the EIA process to minimize environmental impacts of Shahrekord landfill and to provide appropriate options for managers and planners. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed to assess environmental impacts of Shahrekord solid waste landfill using two methods, Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) and Iranian Matrix based on field observation and data collection. Comparing was included four existing options including: continue the current landfill practices, upgrade landfill, construct a new sanitary landfill and compost and recycle plant. Results: The score of continuing current practices at RIAM and the Iranian Matrix was -1443 and -3.9, respectively. Composting and recycling plant has -816 score in the RIAM and 1 in Iranian matrix. Moreover, the results of two methods were displayed different in priority for upgrade landfill and construction a new landfill. Conclusion: Based on both methods to continue landfill with current practices is accompanied by severe damage in terms of environmental and health position. Composting and recycling plant is the first priority for Shahrekord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of solid waste is a challenging task in developing countries as this type of waste can seriously degrade the environment and pose threat to human health. To mitigate the environmental impact, appropriate techniques must be used in accordance with standards for the disposal of solid wastes. Leachate that originates from the decomposition of solid waste within waste disposal dumping sites and landfills may infiltrate into soil, groundwater and surface water resulting in contamination. A combination of clay materials and geomembrane has been widely utilized as a suitable permeability barrier to prevent contamination. In the case of uncontrolled landfills, leachate may be responsible for serious and irreversible pollution. According to the standards utilized in Turkey, the thickness of the clay layer used as an impermeable material is 60 cm, which is constructed as two 30 cm thick compacted clay layers. This paper evaluates the optimum clay thickness to prevent leachate contamination of soil or water. Experimental models were prepared involving 20, 40, 60 and 80 cm thick clay layers with 20 cm height leachate to determine the optimum clay thickness permeability barrier for a waste disposal dumping site. The initial results indicate that a 40 cm thick clay layer is sufficient as an impermeable barrier in these sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Wasteliquid is used as a substitute for clean water to prepare coal slurry. [•] The combustion characteristics of CWLS are studied in a pilot scale furnace. [•] Wasteliquid enhances the slurryability of the coal and saves the additive agent. [•] Wasteliquid improves the ignition and combustion performances of coal slurry. [•] The metal ions in the wasteliquid reduce the SO2 and NOx emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The disposal of nuclear wastes in geological formations demands the construction of engineering barriers. Bentonite clay rock is frequently used both as natural and engineering barrier. The natural bentonite rock in its original form is considered as compacted bentonite if the density is higher than 1.2 g/cm 3. In this paper, the risk of the extrapolation of the laboratory experiments to field conditions and the high differences of the natural samples are emphasized: as much as 52 % standard deviation was obtained in the migration coefficients characterizing bentonite samples collected from the same site with a very small extent of sampling. Moreover, the bulk densities (1.18–1.87 g/cm 3) and montmorillonite content are also rather different (45–71 m/m %).The contradictions of the effects of the swelling clay mineral (montmorillonite) content and the bulk density of bentonite are illustrated: it is shown that the migration rate of chloride anion is determined by the ratio of the different water types (interlayer water of montmorillonite to free pore water of bentonite, including the electric double layer water). The apparent migration coefficients of bentonite clay and concrete (natural and artificial engineering barrier) are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of produced waters, pumped to the surface as part of coalbed methane (CBM) development, is a significant environmental issue in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin, USA. High sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of the waters could degrade agricultural land, especially if directly applied to the soil surface. One method of disposing of CBM water, while deriving beneficial use, is subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), where acidified CBM waters are applied to alfalfa fields year-round via tubing buried 0.92 m deep. Effects of the method were studied on an alluvial terrace with a relatively shallow depth to water table (∼3 m). Excess irrigation water caused the water table to rise, even temporarily reaching the depth of drip tubing. The rise corresponded to increased salinity in some monitoring wells. Three factors appeared to drive increased groundwater salinity: (1) CBM solutes, concentrated by evapotranspiration; (2) gypsum dissolution, apparently enhanced by cation exchange; and (3) dissolution of native Na–Mg–SO 4 salts more soluble than gypsum. Irrigation with high SAR (∼24) water has increased soil saturated paste SAR up to 15 near the drip tubing. Importantly though, little change in SAR has occurred at the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental priority requires structural interventions that will be effective in the long period only if they are accompanied by modifications of behaviors, orientations and beliefs, specially investing in the new generations. This paper presents a 3D Virtual World serious game named Pappi World, designed according to pedagogical theories and to the Italian Environmental Ministry guidelines. This game aims at helping children to learn how to dispose waste and to understand that waste can become a relevant resource when correctly managed. The game proposes individual and collaborative activities and exploits the city evolution mechanism proper of city-building games to involve the students. Pappi World is also evaluated 1) considering the learning efficacy and the student perceptions and 2) collecting the teachers opinions related to the game usability, fun, engagement, mechanism and metaphor adequateness as well as expected learning outcomes. Also the student perceptions on the game were collected. With regards to learning effectiveness, the empirical evaluation revealed a significant difference between pre-game and post-game knowledge. Students reported they were engaged and had fun playing Pappi World. Teachers expressed a positive opinion on the game adoption and its effectiveness, also providing useful suggestions to improve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Centralized collection and disposal is an integral component of waste management strategies for many solid and liquid wastes, and carbon capture and storage is currently being considered for gaseous waste. In this paper we show how collective waste disposal systems introduce essential changes in the design of optimal environmental policy. Absent collective disposal, an optimal environmental policy imposes relatively stringent regulations on polluters in regions where local environmental damage functions are “high”; however, under collective waste disposal, the optimal environmental policy level increases monotonically over distance from the disposal site, and this is true irrespective of the degree of spatial heterogeneity in local environmental damage functions. We characterize the optimal spatial pattern of environmental policy levels under collective waste disposal and identify optimal membership size for waste disposal networks comprised of homogeneous producers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper aims to determine, for the period of institutional control (300 yr), the probability of occurrence of the net release scenario of radioactive waste from a near-surface repository. The radioactive waste focused on in this work is that of low and medium activity generated by a pressurized water reactor plant. The repository is divided into eight modules, each of which consists of six barriers (top cover, upper layer, packages, base, walls, and geosphere). The repository is a system where the modules work in series and the module barriers work in active parallel. The module failure probability for radioactive elements is obtained from a Markov model because of shared loads assumed for the different barriers. Lack of field failure data led to the necessity of performing sensitivity analyses to assess the failure rate impact on module and barrier failure probabilities. Module failure probabilities have been found to be lower for those radioactive elements with higher retardation coefficients. The geosphere mean time to failure is the most important parameter for calculating module failure probabilities for each radioactive element. The repository module has presented higher failure probabilities for iodine, technetium, and strontium. For iodine, the estimated probability is 16% for 300 yr and 96% for 1000 yr. The basis or performance evaluation of the deposition system is the understanding of its gradual evolution. There are many uncertainty sources in this modeling, and efforts in this direction are strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are forecasts for the exponential increase in the generation of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite wastes containing valuable carbon and glass fibres. The recent adoption of these composites in wind turbines and aeroplanes has increased the amount of end-of-life waste from these applications. By adequately closing the life cycle loop, these enormous volumes of waste can partly satisfy the global demand for their virgin counterparts. Therefore, there is a need to properly dispose these composite wastes, with material recovery being the final target, thanks to the strict EU regulations for promoting recycling and reusing as the highest priorities in waste disposal options. In addition, the hefty taxation has almost brought about an end to landfills. These government regulations towards properly recycling these composite wastes have changed the industries' attitudes toward sustainable disposal approaches, and life cycle assessment (LCA) plays a vital role in this transition phase. This LCA study uses climate change results and fossil fuel consumptions to study the environmental impacts of a thermal recycling route to recycle and remanufacture CFRP and GFRP wastes into recycled rCFRP and rGFRP composites. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis was performed comparing with the traditional waste management options such as landfill, incineration with energy recovery and feedstock for cement kiln. Overall, the LCA results were favourable for CFRP wastes to be recycled using the thermal recycling route with lower environmental impacts. However, this contradicts GFRP wastes in which using them as feedstock in cement kiln production displayed more reduced environmental impacts than those thermally recycled to substitute virgin composite production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the research results of the oxidation of watered toxic waste from the pulp and paper industry (sludge-lignin, the empirical formula of organic matter CH 1.51 N 0.05 S 0.03 Cl 0.01 O 0.54) in supercritical water-oxygen (SCW/O 2) fluid. The experiments were carried out using a flow tube reactor at a pressure of 25 MPa, temperature gradient along its vertical axis (from top to bottom: 390–600 °C), sludge-lignin flow rate of 9.5–14.5 g/min, oxygen ratio OR = 0.73–2.52, using NaOH (1.6 wt%) as a catalyst. Employing gas chromatography – mass spectrometry, polychlorophenols were identified in the composition of sludge-lignin, in which 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was the main component. The total yield of extracted phenols and chlorophenols per sludge-lignin organic matter was 20.82 and 2.88 μg/g, respectively. It is revealed that the conversion rate of sludge-lignin in SCW/O 2 fluid is limited by heterogeneous oxidation of the carbonized residue, and is determined by the O 2 content in the reaction mixture. At OR ≥ 1.16, only CO 2 , CO, N 2 , and N 2 O were detected in the volatile oxidation products. An increase in OR from 0.73 to 2.52 leads to a decrease in the total content of phenols (from 45540.1 to 129.3 μg/dm3) and chlorophenols (from 51.4 to 2.2 μg/dm3) in the water collected at the reactor outlet. It is shown that 2,6-dichlorophenol and 2-chlorophenol are the most resistant to oxidation. From the analysis of the initial sludge-lignin and mineral residues, it follows that the bulk of the chlorine contained in its organic matter is converted into NaCl in the course of oxidation. [Display omitted] • Supercritical water oxidation of chlorinated sludge-lignin with the addition of NaOH was studied. • The conversion of sludge-lignin is limited by the oxidation of the carbonized residue. • 2,6-dichlorophenol and 2-chlorophenol are the most resistant to oxidation. • During oxidation, the bulk of the chlorine from sludge-lignin organic matter is converted into NaCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an efficient process of recovering valuable metals from a copper anode slime sample using green chemicals such as choline chloride (ChCl) based deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The leaching agents include ChCl-urea, ChCl-ethylene glycol, ChCl-urea-ethylene glycol and ChCl/urea-deionized water in a 1:2, 1:2, 1:0.5:1.5, and 1:1 ratio, respectively. Prior to leaching experiments, chemical and mineralogical characterization of copper anode slime was performed. Considerable amount of precious metals was detected in the copper anode slime by chemical analysis. The main phases of copper anode slime detected by XRD and SEM/EDX analysis were namely Cu 2 O, SnO 2, and, PbSO 4. After leaching experiments, 97% of copper was recovered from the copper anode slime using ChCl-urea under an optimum condition at 95 °C of reaction temperature, 4 h reaction duration and, 1/25 g/mL solid/liquid ratio. The results showed that 91% of silver was extracted from the anode slime under the optimum condition with ChCl-urea DES composition, 95 °C reaction temperature, 48 h reaction duration, and 1/10 solid/liquid ratio. Gold was not leachable in the experiment using ChCl based DES with hydrogen bonding reagents such as urea and ethylene glycol. Moreover, the results revealed that PbSO 4 was very soluble in DES prepared by ChCl and urea. • A new green solvent (Deep Eutetic Solvents) were used to recover precious metals from anode slime. • Leaching conditions for maximizing gold recovery were optimized by Taguchi experimental design method. • Composition of deep eutectic solvent is the most effective process parameter for copper and silver recovery. • The leaching efficiency of the predicted and the confirmation experiment under optimum condition were compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the issue of mining and industrial waste stored in tailings and heaps in mining areas, and it explores the existing, as well as new, ways of reducing its harmful impact on the environment. On the basis of the Russian experience in mining industry in Ural, it presents a process which makes it possible to eliminate the amassed hazardous waste, retrieve the valuable material (metals) stored in it, and use the remaining waste as backfill in order to both: store it underground (and not on the surface) and prevent the disasters caused by the collapse of the abandoned shafts, thus prolonging the functioning of the mining areas. The process includes preliminary activation treatment of materials found in industrial waste in a disintegrator to protect the environment from toxic pollution. The promising results of the experiment have been discussed, taking into account the complexities of economic evaluation of the idea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports that recycled electroplating sludge is able to efficiently remove greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The removal process involves various reactions of SF6 with the recycled sludge. Remarkably, the sludge completely removed SF6 at a capacity of 1.10 mmol/g (SF6/sludge) at 600 °C. More importantly, the evolved gases were SO2, SiF4, and a limited amount of HF, with no toxic SOF4, SO2F2, or SF4 being detected. These generated gases can be readily captured and removed by NaOH solution. The reacted solids were further found to be various metal fluorides, thus revealing that SF6 removal takes place by reacting with various metal oxides and silicate in the sludge. Moreover, the kinetic investigation revealed that the SF6 reaction with the sludge is a first-order chemically controlled process. This research thus demonstrates that the waste electroplating sludge can be potentially used as an effective removal agent for one of the notorious greenhouse gases, SF6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of future, transient ice sheet movement and permafrost development on transport of radionuclides from a proposed repository site is investigated using numerical groundwater flow and radionuclide transport modelling. Two different transport approaches are compared, both utilizing groundwater flow simulations of future climate conditions. The first transport approach uses steady-state particle trajectories representing temperate climate conditions, but modifies the transport velocity along the trajectories according to the changing climate. The second approach is pseudo-transient by performing particle tracking in each individual flow field representing a given time epoch. Two different climate sequences are analyzed. First, a simplified sequence is assessed in order to understand if the two different transport approaches yield significantly different breakthrough characteristics. Second, a sequence representing conditions relevant for real safety assessment applications is considered. Results indicate that the transport approach using fixed trajectories tends to significantly over predict breakthrough during permafrost conditions relative to the pseudo-transient approach. The major difference between the two approaches is related to discharge locations. The fixed trajectory approach yields discharge locations constant in time whereas the pseudo-transient approach is characterized by discharge centres moving in time according to the different climate conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Risks associated with healthcare waste management have gained attention across the world at local and international events. Poor management of healthcare waste may expose health workers and public to hazardous wastes from healthcare establishments. It is therefore important to review the adopted practices. In this study, 39 hospitals in Tehran were surveyed by collecting data through an expert-standardized questionnaire. The healthcare waste management index (HWMI) is introduced as a mathematical instrument to convert and aggregate scores of different waste management stages into a single number representing the quality of waste management. Currently, the status of the healthcare waste management is excellent for 3, good for 13, medium for 18, and poor for 5 of the surveyed hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Gasification of biomass ultimately generates at least one solid byproduct in which the inorganic constituents of the biomass are concentrated. Given the potential for utilization, or issues with disposal, facile methods are needed for determining the compositions of the fly ashes from recently-available gasifier-based bioenergy systems. Proton induced x-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) were used to characterize the fly ash recovered from a pilot-scale (25 kW) modular bioenergy system operated with wood chips as the feedstock. The composition of the fly ash from the downdraft gasifier showed some similarities to compositions reported for boiler wood ashes, apart from one half of the material being unburned carbon. Although ICP-AES showed greater sensitivity for the analysis of the fly ash, especially for small amounts of heavy metal contaminants, PIXE proved to be a powerful analytical tool for screening of elements from sodium to uranium. Such broad spectrum screenings could prevent the inadvertent land application of unsuspected pollutant elements. Fly ashes from biomass gasification appear to be suitable for use as ash-based fertilizers for forest lands; however, combustion to remove unburned carbon may be advisable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND: The existing protocol for the cultivation of oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus florida) in polyethylene bags leads to environmental pollution amounting to 18 g of polyethylene per 450 g of mushroom, which is the average biological efficiency achieved from a bag. Thus the projected annual global pollution amounts to 2 million tones, corresponding to the production of 48 million tones. Experiments were conducted at Kerala Agricultural University, India, to formulate an oyster mushroom cultivation strategy that reduces this pollution level. RESULTS: Pooled results of experiments at the institute's and farmers' units have shown that reusable plastic buckets having perforations of 1.5 cm × 1.0 cm throughout the side walls could be used to substitute polyethylene bags, while following the standard cultivation protocols. Cultivation in perforated buckets has recorded a biological efficiency of 435.69 ± 56.75 g in 47.07 ± 5.22 days against 459.11 ± 53.52 g in 38.05 ± 4.54 days in polyethylene bags. The rate of contamination in buckets was significantly lower than that in bags: 9.28 ± 2.12 and 12.60 ± 3.73% respectively. CONCLUSION: Reusable plastic buckets with perforations on the side walls could be used to substitute the conventional polyethylene bags in oyster mushroom cultivation, with no significant difference in yield. Losses due to slight increase in crop duration in buckets will be compensated with a lower rate of contamination. For a unit having a daily output of 100 kg, it was estimated that during 10 years of permanent cultivation following this technique, the cost of cultivation could be reduced to one-tenth and the environmental pollution reduced by at least 730 000 non-degradable polyethylene bags. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are operated as outdoor or indoor systems. Due to the intensive mode of fish production in many of these systems, waste treatment within the recirculating loop as well as in the effluents of these systems is of primary concern. In outdoor RAS, such treatment is often achieved within the recirculating loop. In these systems, extractive organisms, such as phototrophic organisms and detritivores, are cultured in relatively large treatment compartments whereby a considerable part of the waste produced by the primary organisms is converted in biomass. In indoor systems, capture of solid waste and conversion of ammonia to nitrate by nitrification are usually the main treatment steps within the recirculating loop. Waste reduction (as opposed to capture and conversion) is accomplished in some freshwater and marine indoor RAS by incorporation of denitrification and sludge digestion. In many RAS, whether operated as indoor or outdoor systems, effluent is treated before final discharge. Such effluent treatment may comprise devices for sludge thickening, sludge digestion as well as those for inorganic phosphate and nitrogen removal. Whereas waste disposed from freshwater RAS may be treated in regional waste treatment facilities or may be used for agricultural purposes in the form of fertilizer or compost, treatment options for waste disposed from marine RAS are more limited. In the present review, estimations of waste production as well as methods for waste reduction in the recirculating loop and effluents of freshwater and marine RAS are presented. Emphasis is placed on those processes leading to waste reduction rather than those used for waste capture and conversion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Plastic pollution has biological, chemical, and physical effects on marine environments and economic effects on coastal communities. These effects are acute on southeastern Hawai‘i Island, where volunteers remove 16 metric tons of debris annually from a 15 km coastline. Although the majority is foreign-origin, a portion is locally-generated. We used floating debris-retention booms in two urban waterways to measure the input of debris from Hilo, the island’s largest community, and released wooden drifters in nearby coastal waters to track the fate of that debris. In 205 days, 30 kilograms of debris (73.6% plastic) were retained from two watersheds comprising 10.2% of Hilo’s developed land area. Of 851 wooden drifters released offshore of Hilo in four events, 23.3% were recovered locally, 1.4% at distant locations, and 6.5% on other islands. Comparisons with modeled surface currents and wind were mixed, indicating the importance of nearshore and tidal dynamics not included in the model. This study demonstrated that local pollutants can be retained nearby, contribute to the island’s debris-accumulation area, and quickly contaminate other islands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impact of glaciation cycles on groundwater flow was studied within the framework of nuclear waste storage in underground geological formations. The eastern section of the Paris Basin (a layered aquifer with impervious/pervious alternations) in France was considered for the last 120 ka. Cold periods corresponded with arid climates. The issue of talik development below water bodies was addressed. These unfrozen zones can maintain open pathways for aquifer recharge. Transient thermal evolution was simulated on a small-scale generic unit of the landscape including a 'river' and 'plain'. Coupled thermo-hydraulic modeling and simplified conductive heat transfer were considered for a broad range of scenarios. The results showed that when considering the current limited river dimensions and purely conductive heat transfer, taliks are expected to close within a few centuries. However, including coupled advection for flows from the river to the plain (probably pertinent for the eastern Paris Basin aquifer recharge zones) strongly delays talik closure (millennium scale). The impact on regional underground flows is expected to vary from a complete stop of recharge to a reduced recharge, corresponding to the talik zones. Consequences for future modeling approaches of the Paris Basin are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of eggshell wastes has become one of the most serious problems for poultry industries. Efficient utilization of eggshell wastes for other application may solve this problem. This study uses eggshell as an additive to precipitate divalent lead cations [Pb(II)] from aqueous solutions in the pH range of 2-5. Owing to high CaCO3 content, eggshell precipitates Pb(II) to form lead carbonates, which will then settle on the surface of eggshell. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis of the eggshell exposed to Pb(II) solutions indicated the deposition of lead carbonates on the surface of the eggshell. On reducing the particle size of an eggshell from 750 to 100 μm, the Pb(II) removal efficiency of it increased from 30.7 to 99.6% at an initial Pb(II) concentration of 1045 mg/L. It was found through isotherm experiments that eggshell powder (100 μm) was capable of sorbing 577 mg Pb/g compared with 154 mg Pb/g by eggshell particles (750 μm). The biosorption isotherms were well represented by either Langmuir or Toth models. For eggshell powder, the rate of kinetics was fast with 35 min sufficient to achieve Pb(II) biosorption equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the effect of desliming on the short- and long-term strength, stability and rheological properties of cemented paste backfill (CPB) produced from two different mill tailings. A 28-day unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of ≥1.0 MPa and the maintenance of stability over 224 days of curing were selected as the design criteria for the evaluation of paste backfill performance. Desliming induced some changes in the physical, chemical, mineralogical and rheological properties of the tailings. CPB mixture of the deslimed tailings achieved the required consistency at a lower water to cement ratio. The short-term UCSs of CPB samples of the deslimed tailings were found to be 30–100% higher than those samples of the reference tailings at all the binder dosages and curing times. CPB samples of the deslimed tailings achieved the long-term stability at relatively low binder dosages (e.g. 5 wt% c.f. ≥6.1% for the reference tailings). It was also estimated that desliming could allow a 13.4–23.1% reduction in the binder consumption depending apparently on the inherent characteristics of the tailings. Over the curing period, generation of sulphate and acid by the oxidation of pyrite present in the tailings was also monitored to correlate with the strength losses observed in the long term. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) analyses provided an insight into the microstructure of CPB and the formation of secondary mineral phases (i.e. gypsum) confirming the beneficial effect of desliming. These findings suggest that desliming can be suitably exploited for CPB of sulphide-rich mill tailings to improve the strength and stability particularly in the long term and to reduce binder consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The issue of waste management in inland navigation has been getting increasingly important with the growing of this branch of transport and with the integration of the Republic of Croatia in the European Union. Waste management issues are governed by EU regulations, national regulations and international treaties. The aim of this paper is to determine the extent the harmonization of national and European regulations has reached. The paper presents an analysis of regulations in Croatia and other Danube valley countries, research outcomes concerning waste practices along the Danube, and points out the existing shortcomings and possibilities for improvements in this field. Improvements are possible to achieve through international cooperation and harmonization. Croatian inland ports - Osijek and Vukovar - are situated along the E-inland waterway and they enjoy the international status which makes them additionally obliged to provide appropriate waste infrastructure in order to be able to accept all waste types as required. Today, the existing waste collection equipment is insufficient and not all waste types produced by vessels can be accepted. The infrastructure requires upgrading. Based on data collected on board vessels, research has been carried out in respect of on-board waste disposal data collection and certain measures have been proposed toward waste management improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consideration of the biosphere is important in the post-closure safety assessment of a geological disposal facility (GDF) as the biosphere acts as the receptor for any contaminants that may be released from the geosphere. Considerable uncertainty exists in the characteristics of the biosphere at times in the far future when any contaminant releases from a GDF would reach the accessible environment. These uncertainties include human behaviour, affecting environmental change as well as exposure modes. A number of critical scientific issues have been identified through the practical application of the International Atomic Energy Agency reference biosphere approach within both site generic and site specific repository assessment projects. These issues are being addressed through an international collaboration programme, BIOPROTA. The purpose of this paper is to describe the BIOPROTA programme, its objectives and typical working method. The approach is illustrated with examples from the recent work programme including model intercomparison studies for the radionuclides 36Cl and 79Se. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company has recently submitted an application for a license to construct a final repository for spent nuclear fuel, at approximately 500 m depth in crystalline bedrock. Migration pathways through the geosphere barrier are geometrically complex, with segments in fractured rock, deformation zones, backfilled tunnels, and near-surface soils. Several simplifications of these complex migration pathways were used in the assessments of repository performance that supported the license application. Specifically, in the geosphere transport calculations, radionuclide transport in soils and tunnels was neglected, and deformation zones were assumed to have transport characteristics of fractured rock. The effects of these simplifications on the projected performance of the geosphere barrier system are addressed. Geosphere performance is shown to be sensitive to how transport characteristics of deformation zones are conceptualized and incorporated into the model. Incorporation of advective groundwater travel time within backfilled tunnels reduces radiological dose from non-sorbing radionuclides such as I-129, while sorption in near-surface soils reduces radiological doses from sorbing radionuclides such as Ra-226. These results help quantify the degree to which geosphere performance was pessimistically assessed, and provide some guidance on how future studies to reduce uncertainty in geosphere performance may be focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Open dumping is the most common practice for the disposal of urban solid wastes in the least developed regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Sanitary landfill design and operation has traditionally focused on large cities, but cities with fewer than 50,000 in population can comprise from 6% to 45% of a given country’s total population. These thousands of small cities cannot afford to operate a sanitary landfill in the way it is proposed for large cities, where heavy equipment is used to spread and compact the waste in daily cells, and then to excavate, transport and apply daily cover, and leachate is managed with collection and treatment systems. This paper presents an alternative approach for small cities, known as the semi-mechanized trench method, which was developed in Villanueva, Honduras. In the semi-mechanized trench method a hydraulic excavator is used for 1–3days to dig a trench that will last at least a month before it is filled with waste. Trucks can easily unload their wastes into the trench, and the wastes compact naturally due to semi-aerobic biodegradation, after which the trenches are refilled and covered. The exposed surface area is minimal since only the top surface of the wastes is exposed, the remainder being covered by the sides and bottom of the trench. The surplus material from trench excavation can be valorized for use as engineering fill onsite or off. The landfill in Villanueva has operated for 15years, using a total land area of approximately 11ha for a population that grew from 23,000 to 48,000, with a land requirement of 0.2m2/personyear, a cover to waste ratio of 0.2, and an estimated soil surplus of 298,000m3 that is valorized and used onsite. The landfill has been operated solely by the municipality with an operational cost in 2010 estimated at US$4.60 per ton. A modified water balance analysis at Villanueva shows negligible leachate generation from covered trenches and 700m3/yr (60m3/hayr) from the two open trenches required for daily operation. If the site were an open dump, however, leachate generation is estimated to be 3900m3/hayr and contaminated runoff 5000m3/hayr. A simple model used to estimate dilution of generated leachate based on groundwater flow data and aquifer stratigraphy suggests that the leachate will be diluted by a factor of 0.01 in the aquifer. Leachate contaminants will not accumulate because the aquifer discharges to the Ulua River 2km south of the landfill. While not suitable for all sites, the Villanueva method nevertheless serves as an excellent example of how a small city landfill with natural compaction of waste and attenuation of leachate can be sustainably operated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study evaluated two chemical approaches for treatment of commingled cadmium-cyanide (Cd-CN) and zinc-nickel (Zn-Ni) wastewaters. The first approach, which involved application of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), focused on elimination of chelating substances. The second approach evaluated the use of sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate (DMDTC) to specifically target and precipitate regulated heavy metals. Results demonstrated that by maintaining a pH of 10.0 and an oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) value of +600 mV, NaOCl treatment was effective in eliminating all chelating substances. Cadmium, chromium, nickel, and zinc solution concentrations were reduced from 0.27, 4.44, 0.06, and 0.10 ppm to 0.16, 0.17, 0.03, and 0.06 ppm, respectively. Similarly, a 1 % DMDTC solution reduced these same metal concentrations in commingled wastewater to 0.009, 1.142, 0.036, and 0.320 ppm. Increasing the DMDTC concentration to 2% improved the removal of all regulated heavy metals except zinc, the removal of which at high pH values is limited by its amphotericity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and implementation of a hybrid discrete fracture network/equivalent porous medium (DFN/EPM) approach to groundwater flow at the Gyeong-Ju low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) disposal site in the Republic of Korea is reported. The geometrical and hydrogeological properties of fractured zones, background fractures and rock matrix were derived from site characterization data and implemented as a DFN. Several DFN realizations, including the deterministic fractured zones and the stochastic background fractures, whose statistical properties were verified by comparison with in-situ fracture and hydraulic test data, were suggested, and they were then upscaled to continuums using a fracture tensor approach for site-scale flow simulations. The upscaled models were evaluated by comparison to in-situ pressure monitoring data, and then used to simulate post-closure hydrogeology for the LILW facility. Simulation results demonstrate the importance of careful characterization and implementation of fractured zones. The study highlighted the importance of reducing uncertainty regarding the properties and variability of natural background fractures, particularly in the immediate vicinity of repository emplacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper starts by reviewing the increasing production of waste and the growing importance of its thermal treatment, which aims at volume reduction of the waste, at the destruction, capture, and concentration of hazardous substances, and at the recovery of energy (WtE). Incineration is a generally applied thermal treatment technique, whereas pyrolysis and gasification are still under development. Within the incineration techniques, bubbling, rotating and circulating fluidized beds have found specific and growing applications. As technical information on fluidized bed waste incinerators is spread throughout literature, the present review paper collates the relevant literature and critically examines the parameters that govern the design and operation of these incinerators. Secondly, the design strategy of a fluidised bed incinerator is outlined, which involves considerations of hydrodynamic (velocities, mixing), thermal (heat balances) and kinetic (reaction rate and burnout) nature. Application of the design equations and recommendations will facilitate the sizing of an appropriate fluidized bed incinerator. Since during waste incineration pollutants are formed, the origin and fate of the pollutants and their abatement are reviewed. Finally, special attention is given to the specific de-fluidization problems often encountered during fluidized bed combustor operation, mainly because of agglomeration and sintering. The mechanisms of agglomeration and sintering are discussed, and possible remedies are given. Additionally, important issues of equipment erosion and uniform feeding of the waste into the fluidized bed reactor are considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fusion technology development requires materials resistant to heat, erosion and activation. Tungsten (W) could fulfill these requirements for plasma facing components of fusion power plants. A method developed by SNL to enhance the thermal and dimensional stability of W requires depositing a thin coating on the surface of dendritic W armors for IFE plasma facing components. This paper examines the waste disposal rating (WDR) associated with the activation of thin coatings of Re and Mo on the ARIES-ACT W-based divertor. Our results indicate that Re coatings must be limited to fewer than 30μm in order to classify the Re/W-based divertor as low-level waste (LLW). Mo coatings that are larger than a few microns thick exceed the LLW disposal limit. It is recommended that, in addition to limiting the Mo thickness to 25μm, natural Mo should be tailored to remove the Mo-94, Mo-98, and Mo-100 isotopes in order to reduce the WDR of the Mo/W-based divertor below the LLW disposal limit. If the isotopic tailoring process is inefficient or costly, SNL could focus their effort on the further development of the Re dendrite coating while Mo experiments would be regarded as a comparative study only. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The archaeology of twentieth-century suburbs, in contrast to city centres, has received little attention from archaeologists in Australia. This paper presents the results of an archaeological investigation of a suburban block, a bounded space 347m2 in size, created in 1905 and located in the Sydney suburb of Arncliffe. An extensive collection of objects has been recovered while undertaking gardening activities and six test pit excavations has produced an assemblage of 3600 things. A qualitative analysis of the material remains reveals a wide range of past suburban activities, encompassing building construction, domestic consumption/production and home-making practices. The paper explores links between past activities/behaviours and routine processes of material decay, waste disposal and loss in order to consider the archaeological research potential of the suburban block. Two specific areas of research are outlined - consumption with particular reference to the role of the female head of the house and ecology/health. On the basis of the study a case is made for the development of a 'suburban archaeology' in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production and distribution of fine roots (≤2.0 mm diameter) are central to belowground ecological processes. This is especially true where vegetation serves as a pump to prevent saturation of soil and possible drainage of excess water into or from potentially toxic waste material stored underground or in mounds aboveground. In this study undertaken near Sydney in Australia, we determined fine root biomass and evapotranspiration (ET) on a waste disposal site restored with either a 15-year-old grass sward or plantations of mixed woody species that were either 5 years old (plantation-5) with a vigorous groundcover of pasture legumes and grasses, or 3 years old (plantation-3) with sparse groundcover. These sites were compared with nearby remnant woodland; all four were located within 0.5-km radius at the same site. Ranking of fine root biomass was in the order woodland (12.3 Mg ha) > plantation-5 (8.3 Mg ha) > grass (4.9 Mg ha) > plantation-3 (1.2 Mg ha) and was not correlated with nutrient contents in soil or plants, but reflected the form and age of the vegetation covers. Trends in root length density (RLD) and root area index (RAI) followed those in root biomass, but the differences in RAI were larger than those in biomass amongst the vegetation covers. Annual ET in the dry year of 2009 was similar in the three woody vegetation covers (652-683 mm) and was at least 15% larger than for the grass (555 mm), which experienced restrained growth in winter and periodic mowing. This resulted in drainage from the grass cover while there was no drainage from any of the woody vegetation covers. In plantation-5, root biomass, RAI and RLD were reduced in the rain shadow side of the tree rows. Similarly, the amount and depth of rooting in the groundcover were reduced close to the trees compared to midway between rows. Differences in the root variables were larger than those in ET, which suggested that more roots were produced than were needed for water uptake and/or presence of considerable amounts of necromass. We conclude that vegetation covers, such as plantation-5 consisting of widely spaced trees and a heavy groundcover containing winter-active pasture legumes, will promote year-round water-use with a reduced risk of deep rooting that could breach buried wastes. This function could be sustained through progressive thinning of trees to account for not more than 25% of the whole canopy cover; this will minimize competition for limited soil-water and thereby constrain deep rooting as vegetation ages and attains climax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The uncontrolled presence of African swine fever (ASF) in Russian Federation (RF) poses a serious risk to the whole European Union (EU) pig industry. Although trade of pigs and their products is banned since the official notification in June 2007, the potential introduction of ASF virus (ASFV) may occur by other routes, which are very frequent in ASF, and more difficult to control, such as contaminated waste or infected vehicles. This study was intended to estimate the risk of ASFV introduction into the EU through three types of transport routes: returning trucks, waste from international ships and waste from international planes, which will be referred here as transport-associated routes (TAR). Since no detailed and official information was available for these routes, a semi-quantitative model based on the weighted combination of risk factors was developed to estimate the risk of ASFV introduction by TAR. Relative weights for combination of different risk factors as well as validation of the model results were obtained by an expert opinion elicitation. Results: Model results indicate that the relative risk for ASFV introduction through TAR in most of the EU countries (16) is low, although some countries, specifically Poland and Lithuania, concentrate high levels of risk, the returning trucks route being the analyzed TAR that currently poses the highest risk for ASFV introduction into the EU. The spatial distribution of the risk of ASFV introduction varies importantly between the analyzed introduction routes. Results also highlight the need to increase the awareness and precautions for ASF prevention, particularly ensuring truck disinfection, to minimize the potential risk of entrance into the EU. Conclusions: This study presents the first assessment of ASF introduction into the EU through TAR. The innovative model developed here could be used in data scarce situations for estimating the relative risk associated to each EU country. This simple methodology provides a rapid and easy to interpret results on risk that may be used for a target and cost-effective allocation of resources to prevent disease introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present globalized market is forcing many companies to invest in new strategies and tools for supporting knowledge management. This aspect is becoming a key factor in the industrial competitiveness for the presence of extended enterprises that normally deal with huge data exchange and share processes. This scenario is due to the presence of partners geographically distributed over the entire globe, that participate in different steps of the product lifecycle (product development, maintenance and recycling). At present, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) seems to be the appropriate solution to support enterprises in this complex scenario, even though a real standardized approach for the implementation of knowledge sharing and management tools does not exist today. For this reason, the aim of this paper is to develop a knowledge management operative methodology able to support the formalization and the reuse of the enterprise expertise acquired while working on previous products. By focusing on consumer packaged goods enterprises and on the concept development phase (which is one of the most knowledge intensive phases of the whole product lifecycle), this research work has developed a new systematic methodology to support knowledge codification and knowledge management operations. The new methodology integrates the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and the Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch (TRIZ). Also, a case study on the problem of waste disposal has been conducted to validate the proposed methodology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Solid waste management is considered to be one of the most immediate and serious environmental problems confronting urban governments in developing countries. Qualitative and quantitative variety of waste composition, uncontrolled urban development and the lack of appropriate waste management technology cause particular problems that solving them needs a careful study and the coordination of science and experience in the form of a proper management. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out on solid wastes generated in Kashan over a limited timeframe of 12 months during 2009-10. One sample was randomly taken per month according to the standard instruction and subsequently the physical analysis of it was performed. Results: The average daily waste generation rate in Kashan is 185 tons, of which 75.5% are putrescible materials. The average daily waste generation is tantamount to 638 g/capita while the average density of the waste was 194 kg/m3 at transfer station. The most frequent metal measured in the leachate solid waste was iron. Conclusion: According to the results, high percentages of solid wastes in Kashan were allocated to plastic and corruptible materials, and then the paper and cardboard. Considering that the prevention of adverse environmental effects of solid waste is a priority and applying proper management techniques can help to achieve this, public education for the waste separation at the source, waste reduction and subsequently reduction of the leachate volume as well as the proper manner of recycling, collection and disposal of the waste are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Poultry farming generates large quantities of waste. The current practice is to spread this waste onto farmland as fertilizer. However, as the factory farms for poultry grow both in numbers and size, the amount of waste generated has increased significantly in recent years. In consequence, excessive application of poultry wastes on farmland is resulting in more and more nutrients entering the surface water. One of the options being considered is the use of poultry waste as power plant fuel. Since poultry-derived fuel (PDF) is biomass, its co-firing will have the added advantage of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. To evaluate the combustion characteristics of co-firing PDF with coal, combustion tests were conducted in CanmetENERGY''s pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed combustor (CFBC). The goal of this program was to verify that PDF can be co-fired with coal and, more importantly, that emissions from the combustion process are not adversely affected by the presence of PDF in the feed. The test results were very promising and support the idea that co-firing in an existing CFBC boiler firing coal is a good way to utilize PDF, resolving a potential waste disposal problem while reducing the amount of CO2 released from the boiler. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reductive immobilization of chromium in wastewater by nanoscale zero-valent metal (nZVM) prepared from steel pickling waste liquor was investigated. A series of characterization techniques were conducted to characterize the properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. Effects of pH, buffer substances, natural organic matter (NOM) and hardness were evaluated to probe the impact of environmental factors. Removal of Cr(VI) benefited from a decrease in pH value and the presences of buffer substances and Ca2+. NOM was found to be suppressive on the activity of ZVM, and coupled effect of Ca2+ and NOM was additive effect due to their non-interference when operating under acidic condition. The nZVM was proved to be more effective (up to 40.6-fold) than zero-valent iron and nanoscale zero-valent iron for Cr(VI) removal, and its removal capacity in wastewater was 182±2mgg−1. The removal mechanism included mass transfer on solid–liquid interface, reduction of Cr(VI) and simultaneous co-precipitation as Cr–Fe (oxy)hydroxide on the surface of nanoparticles. The results presented herein indicated nZVM was promising for in-situ remediation of Cr(VI). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using a High- Purity Germanium gamma-ray spectrometer, a number of radioisotopes have been identified within Tracerlab MX radiochemistry system cassettes used to synthesise [18F]FDG. Twenty radiochemistry cassettes were measured and the average total activity of each radioisotope was determined. Using these values and decay correction, the minimum time the cassettes should be left in a decay store before the specific activity falls below 0.4Bq/g, the limit for disposal alongside Clinical Waste was found to be 24 months. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High-resolution one-dimensional profiles of naturally occurring environmental tracers (H, δD, δO, C-DIC, C-DOC, Cl, He, and major ions) and hydraulic data were used to study residence times, transport mechanisms, and sources of pore water and solutes in an aquitard system in Saskatchewan, Canada. The aquitard system consisted of 80 m of plastic clay-rich Battleford till discomformably overlying 77 m of Late Cretaceous plastic marine clay. Individual tracers independently revealed molecular diffusion as the dominant transport mechanism in the unoxidized nonfractured till and clay. Transport modeling indicated that late Pleistocene-age pore water at 35-55 m below ground was emplaced 15-30 thousand years Before Present (ka BP) during till deposition and ice retreat. The late Holocene climatic transition was estimated to have occurred 7-12 ka BP. Differences in the timing of events determined with different tracers were attributed to inaccuracies in transport parameters and boundary condition assumptions. This study showed that solute transport in clay-rich aquitards can be accurately predicted for time scales beyond 20 ka, and proved such aquitards are suitable for long-term isolation of most wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on topics related to history and planning including attitudes towards menstruation in Elizabethan England, sexual fantasy in modern America, and feminism.

Abstract: Granular materials subjected to fluid flow may experience fracture formation and fluid flow localization. Current explanations for hydraulic fracture in soils fail to satisfy the inherent characteristics of granular materials: effective stress-dependent cohesionless-frictional strength. We apply complementary experimental and numerical techniques to identify the underlying particle-scale mechanisms. First, we show that the miscibility of the invading fluid with the host fluid leads to distinct localization processes that depend on the balance between particle-level skeletal forces (effective stress-dependent), capillary forces (the invasion of the interfacial membrane when immiscible fluids are involved), and seepage drag forces (associated with fluid flow velocity). Then, we identify the positive feedback mechanisms at surface defects and fracture tips that promote fracture initiation and sustain fracture propagation. These include increased porosity at the tip due to strains preferentially normal to the fracture alignment, either eased membrane invasion (immiscible fluids) or higher hydraulic conductivity (miscible fluids), and the emergence of particle-level forces that promote opening-mode particle displacement. This effective stress compatible sequence of events helps identify the parameters that govern fluid-driven fracture formation in uncemented sediments, and explain experimental observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]