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This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of three Spirulina extracts (methanol, acetone, and hexane) and the biological selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) fabricated by Bacillus subtilis AL43. The results showed that Spirulina extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens. Besides, Spirulina extracts significantly scavenged ABTS and DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner. The methanolic extract had higher total phenolic content, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant activity than other extracts. The selenium nanoparticles were synthesized by Bacillus subtilis AL43 under aerobic conditions and were characterized as spherical, crystalline with a size of 65.23 nm and a net negative charge of −22.7. We evidenced that SeNPs possess considerable antimicrobial activity against three gram-positive, three gram-negative bacteria, and three strains from both Candida sp. and Aspergillus sp. Moreover, SeNPs were able to scavenge ABTS and DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner. An association was found between the total phenolic content of Spirulina and SeNPs and their biological activities. Our results indicate that Spirulina and SeNPs with significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities seem to be successful candidates for safe and reliable medical applications.

Besides water, raw methanol produced from steel mill gases within the Carbon2Chem® project contains dissolved carbon dioxide. Refractometry and densimetry were investigated as analysis methods to analyze raw methanol samples quickly and reliably. To verify existing calibration curves, a set of standard solutions from pure chemicals was produced. Experimental results differed significantly from published refractive index data, especially in the range of high methanol weight fractions, which are of particular interest for the Carbon2Chem® project.

The present paper pointed to investigate the effects of L-carnitine on broiler performance, carcass traits and some blood biochemical measurements. A total of 120 Ross chicks provided from hatchery, distributed randomly into four groups (30 chicks each) 3 replicates / each (10 chicks each). The 1st was control group and received basal diet, 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups fed basal diet containing 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 g of L-carnitine per kg diet. Results showed that body weight (BW) at 42 days old and daily body weight gain (DBWG) through 21-42 and 1-42 days old showed promoting impact of checks received 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 g L-carnitine /Kg diet than control group. Feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) reducing significantly (P

Introduction Mental well-being is an essential aspect of general health. Assessing mental well-being is crucial to leading a healthy life. The global population is, presumptively, affected at a ratio of one out of four individuals with a mental or neurological disorder. This further emphasized the importance of the financial, social, and health implications that ensue. Methods and materials Data collection was performed using the symptoms checklist-90 (SCL-90) survey between March and April of 2021. The data collected included demographic data as well as nine domains that include some of the most common psychiatric symptoms. The collected questionnaires were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Non-parametric tests were utilized, as the SCL-90 dimensions and global index scores follow a non-normal distribution. Results The questionnaire yielded 387 responses. Females comprised the majority of the participants. The most prevalent symptom described as extremely common by females was waking up early in the morning. The most commonly described symptom described as not at all by females was hearing words that others do not hear. There was no statistical difference in mental well-being between males and females. Older participants (>40 years old) had better mental well-being in comparison to their younger counterparts. Conclusion During the fallout of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, much attention and resources were allocated toward the physical aspect of the pandemic, yet the psychological implications must not be understated. Multiple variables, such as age, marital status, and unemployment, may impact the mental well-being of the population and must be further assessed.

This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of three

The utilization of hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels is a promising option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of heavy-duty vehicles. Here, the production of sustainable hydrogen plays a key role. Very promising is the production of hydrogen by means of water electrolysis that links fluctuating electricity production from renewable sources with sectors based on chemical energy carriers. Water electrolysis will be one of the key technologies to reduce the energy system transformation costs and to stabilize the electricity grid. Hydrogen can be used directly as a fuel in heavy-duty vehicles or converted with CO2 to fuels like methanol or Fischer-Tropsch products. Methanol can be used both as a fuel and as feedstock for further upgrading to fuels like dimethyl ether (DME), oxymethylene ether (OME), methanol-to-gasoline (MtG) and methanol-to-jet fuel. Recently, also the conversion of hydrogen with nitrogen to ammonia as fuel gains increasing interest in combustion engines. Beyond CO2 reduction exhaust gas emissions have also to be reduced significantly. CatVap® is an innovative fuel processing technology that enables efficient exhaust gas treatment in order to achieve near-zero emission mobility. In addition, hydrogen can be used to operate fuel cell power trains, which is more and more discussed for heay-duty applications. Now it’s the time for a broader market introduction of hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels in the mobility sector and thus, for cost reduction due the corresponding scale-effects.

Kinetic modelling of methanol synthesis remains one key challenge for the implementation of power-to-methanol technologies based on CO2-rich gas streams and sustainably produced H2. Within this work, a novel approach for kinetic model validation and parameter estimation using an experimental miniplant setup with polytropic bed conditions is presented. The miniplant setup features a highly resolved fibre optic temperature measurement combined with FTIR product composition analysis. Comparison of the experimental temperature and concentration data to a simulation model applying literature kinetic models, confirmed the necessity of axial experimental data to deliver an appropriate kinetic description of the methanol synthesis reaction network. A refitting of the literature kinetic models was performed in order to enhance their capability to account for the catalytic behaviour of a modern commercial catalyst. Besides the traditional measurement of the outlet concentration, it was shown that the temperature profile as a direct consequence of exothermic reactions in polytropic miniplant setups can be used to derive an improved kinetic description if appropriate models for heat transfer and diffusion are provided. Finally, the behaviour of the proposed new kinetic model is discussed on the industrial scale by means of a sensitivity analysis emphasizing the applicability of the presented novel approach for the scale-up from miniplant to industrial scale.

Dimethyl ether (DME) is a power-to-liquids product with interesting key characteristics and a broad spectrum of applications as a green fuel, as a compound for the chemical industry and as a chemical building block. At present, DME is produced from fossil resources like natural gas and coal. The shift to renewable production from CO2 and hydrogen will allow emerging pathways for the production of DME to find its way to the market. State-of-the-art and emerging DME production pathways are presented in detail. Particular focus is hereby put on the influence of a renewable production based on CO2 and hydrogen. Last but not least, economic insights into a power-to-DME process are given in the last chapter.

Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ethers (OMEs) are promising diesel fuel alternatives and interesting solvents for various industrial applications. In this report, a well-to-wheel life cycle assessment of short OME oligomers as produced via a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) pathway has been conducted. Variations in electricity and carbon dioxide supply as well as the hardware demand for the PtL plant components (e.g. PEM water electrolysis, carbon capturing, and 36 kta OME plant capacity) have been considered. Conventional diesel fuel is used as the comparative benchmark. In scenarios with a high share of renewable electricity well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emission for OME3–5 fuel is advantageous compared to fossil diesel. For the best case, well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 86%, corresponding to 29 g(CO2eq) km−1 (OME3–5-fuel) compared to 209 g(CO2eq) km−1 (diesel fuel). However, these results are highly sensitive to the applied method with regard to system multifunctionality. A sensitivity analysis indicates that input electricity at ∼50 g(CO2eq) kWhel−1 enables well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions of

In 2015, increases in the domestic water tariff in Saudi Arabia were met with significant opposition. Although the increases were needed to address the technical and financial sustainability of the service in the context of extreme scarcity and high costs, insufficient effort was made to explain the changes and prepare the public. This paper examines the trade-offs surrounding the design of a domestic water tariff, based on economic theory and global experience, and sets out the competing factors Saudi Arabia should consider when designing a new tariff structure to provide long term public acceptability while ensuring the service remains sustainable.

Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OMEn; CH3(‐OCH2‐)nO‐CH3, n=3-5) are a novel class of sustainable synthetic fuels, which are of increasing interest due to their soot‐free combustion. Herein a novel anhydrous OMEn synthesis route is presented. Catalyzed by trimethyloxonium salts, dimethoxymethane takes up monomeric gaseous formaldehyde instantaneously and forms high purity OMEn at temperatures of 25-30 °C. This new anhydrous approach using molecular formaldehyde and catalytic amounts of highly active trimethyloxonium salts represents a promising new step towards a sustainable formation of OMEn emanating from CO2 and H2.

The balance between maternal immune responses and tolerance is considered as especially critical issue in the dilemma of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Interleukin 6 (IL6) plays a fundamental role in fetal implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. This study aimed to explore the association between IL6–634 G/C gene polymorphisms and their serum levels in females with RPL. An observational case-control study involved 102 controls and 102 cases with RPL. Genotyping of IL6 polymorphism −634 G/C was done with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and their serum levels were measured. There was no statistically significant difference between controls and RPL cases as regard serum IL6 level. The percentage of distribution for allele G was 88.7%, and 78% in controls and cases respectively (p = 0.005). The risk of RPL was decreased by 60% in carriers of allele G (OR = 0.4, 95%CI: 0.2–0.8, p = 0.003). Besides, the homozygote genotype GG (OR = 0.5, 95%CI: 0.28–0.95, p = 0.031), was linked with decreased risk for RPL. The homozygous GG genotype and G allele were associated with decreased risk of RPL in Egyptian females.

Concerning oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (e.g. a class of potential oxygenated diesel substitutes; denoted as OME), this work utilises a hybrid process model based on methanol (MeOH) and its partially selective conversion to anhydrous formaldehyde (FA, target MeOH conversion ≥67% and target FA selectivity ≥93%), which in turn is used as the feed for OME synthesis. The model couples the merits of algorithms available in the commercial software CHEMCAD® together with self-developed reactor models as implemented through Matlab® and the coupling node implemented in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) software. This is followed by process heat integration using PinCH 2.0 software. This modelling is complemented by experimental investigations and results concerning the synthesis of the anhydrous FA/MeOH feed through a designed and developed annular counter current reactor, with the use of Na2CO3 as an inexpensive and sustainable dehydrogenation catalyst. The process material and energy balance of the proposed process have also been used to evaluate the key performance indicators (KPIs). An overall process yield of 80.3% at 71.7% process energy efficiency and production cost of 951 US$ per ton of OME3–5 at small production capacity (35 kt per annum) demonstrates the technical and the economic potential of the described process.

The synthesis of short chain poly oxymethylene dimethyl ethers, also known as oxymethylene ethers (OME; molecular formula: H3CO–(CH2O)n–CH3 where n = 1–8) is described through the application of non-stoichiometric Gibbs minimisation (NSGM) to a synthesis based on methanol and anhydrous formaldehyde. The presented approach shows several synthesis efficiency and economic advantages as demonstrated through a simulation platform based on MATLAB® (where the two main reactors models are implemented) and the NSGM, which utilises stochastic global optimisation (SGO) to perform an unconstrained minimisation and convergence of the complex OME reaction system (comprising >31 reactants and also recycling of non-reacted components). A complimentary experimental validation is provided for the OME reaction equilibrium model based on the use of different feeds, namely 1) CH3OH/CH2O and 2) H3C–O–(CH2O)1–CH3/(CH2O)3. The presented results demonstrate the robustness of the applied NSGM for this multi-reaction system. With regard to the overall evaluation of the presented process, key performance indicators (KPIs) are discussed based on the material balance results of the simulation platform. A cost model for the OME synthesis process based on different feeds is also presented based on an annual production of one million metric tonnes of OME3–5. The cost of 571 € per tonne demonstrates the economic potential of the presented OME production process.

This study aims to examine the economic and environmental benefits of recovered paper and potential contribution of the recovered paper to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Vision 2030. The Vision 2030 is an inclusive development policy, recently launched, with the objectives to build the best future for the country. The Vision 2030 is based on three ambitious goals: making the country a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. It is estimated that by 2030, 5.05 million ton of waste paper would be recovered in the country. About 11.3 billion SAR (US $3.01 billion) would be added to the country’s GDP and would create about 16,536 new jobs if the recovered paper industry is built in the country. Moreover, a net environmental benefit of 9.6 million crude barrel oil savings and 4.5 million ton of CO2 savings from GHG emissions could be achieved by 2030 only from the paper waste recovery in the country. The potential benefits of paper waste recycling in KSA highlight the needs of effective measures to optimize the economic and environmental opportunities inherited in the waste paper industry. These measures should focus on capitalizing the local waste paper processing industry, restrict the export of raw waste paper materials, and enhance the waste paper collection process and quantity.

The concept of energy from waste is getting popular nowadays across the globe, as being capable of producing multi fuels and value-added products from different fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW). The energy recovery technologies under this concept are anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, transesterification, refuse derived fuel (RDF) and incineration. This concept is very relevant to implementation in countries like Saudi Arabia, who wants to cut their dependence on oil. Moreover, the waste to energy becomes the imperative need of the time because of new governmental policy ‘Vision 2030’ that firmly said to produce renewable energy from indigenous sources of waste, wind and solar and due to given situations of Hajj and Umrah with massive amounts of waste generation in a short period. This study focused on two waste to energy technologies, AD and pyrolysis for food (40% of MSW) and plastic (20% of MSW) waste streams respectively. The energy potential of 1409.63 and 5619.80 TJ can be produced if all of the food and plastic waste of the Madinah city are processed through AD and pyrolysis respectively. This is equivalent to 15.64 and 58.81 MW from biogas and pyrolytic oil respectively or total 74.45 MW of continuous electricity supply in Madinah city throughout the whole year. It has been estimated that the development of AD and pyrolysis technologies will also benefit the economy with net savings of around US $63.51 and US $53.45 million respectively, totaling to an annual benefit of US $116.96 million. Therefore, in Saudi Arabia and particularly in Holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah the benefits of waste to energy are several, including the development of renewable-energy, solving MSW problems, new businesses, and job creation and improving environmental and public health.

This paper aims to examine the potential of waste biorefineries in developing countries as a solution to current waste disposal problems and as facilities to produce fuels, power, heat, and value-added products. The waste in developing countries represents a significant source of biomass, recycled materials, chemicals, energy, and revenue if wisely managed and used as a potential feedstock in various biorefinery technologies such as fermentation, anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, incineration, and gasification. However, the selection or integration of biorefinery technologies in any developing country should be based on its waste characterization. Waste biorefineries if developed in developing countries could provide energy generation, land savings, new businesses and consequent job creation, savings of landfills costs, GHG emissions reduction, and savings of natural resources of land, soil, and groundwater. The challenges in route to successful implementation of biorefinery concept in the developing countries are also presented using life cycle assessment (LCA) studies.

Waste-to-energy (WTE) is a viable option for municipal solid waste (MSW) management and a renewable energy source. MSW is a chronic problem in Saudi Arabia and more specifically in Saudi Urban areas. The MSW practices in KSA are simply done by collecting the waste and dumping it in open landfill sites. KSA is considering WTE as a potential renewable energy source that can contribute to electricity demand in the Kingdom. This research aims to assess potential contribution of WTE facility to meet electricity demand in the three main cities in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia and to provide an alternative solution to landfills. Three scenarios for WTE utilization were developed: Mass Burn, Mass Burn with recycling, and refused derived fuel (RDF) with biomethanation. The Mass Burn scenario implies full waste stream incineration; the Mass Burn with recycling scenario considers segregation of reusable materials and the waste leftover for incineration; while RDF with biomethanation considers segregation of general waste stream into inorganic and organic waste and utilizes organic waste for biomethanation and inorganic for RDF. The analyses were completed for Jeddah, Makkah, and Madina cities; with current total population of about 6.3 million. The results show that Jeddah has the potential to produce about 180 MW of electricity based on incineration scenario; about 11.25 MW based on incineration with recycling scenario; and about 87.3 MW based RDF with biomethanation scenario by the year 2032. These values and other two cities values are based on theoretical ideals and they help in identifying the optimal WTE techniques for each city.

Sorghum Bagasse in recent years has emerged as a promising feedstock for production of biofuels and value-added products following various biological conversion pathways. However, adequate conservation is critical for utilising Sorghum Bagasse as a feedstock for fuel production around the year in bioenergy plants. Therefore, this study aims to examine the pressure drop as a function of airflow velocity and construct Shedd's curves for energy Sorghum Bagasse. The ambition was to facilitate large-scale drying systems for biomass conservation. The Bagasse was prepared by extracting the juice from the harvested sorghum and passing through a juicing machine. Afterwards, it was manually chopped and stored on a wooden platform having 2.44 m 2 area in a 55-gallon drum at a depth of 0.57 m. The airflow velocities (0.24–1.32 ms −1 ) caused a pressure drop (9.96–346.23 Pa) across the empty drum. The different pressure drop in the drum containing Sorghum Bagasse (19.92–263.25 Pa) was due to various airflow velocities (0.043–0.799 ms −1 ). Pressure drop was further increased with increasing airflow velocity, and it was found in line with the values of pressure drop for ear and shelled corn, as reported in ASABE standards. Shedd's curves for Sorghum Bagasse samples were developed, as these curves can be used for designing large-scale aeration systems for chopped energy sorghum. The whole production chain of biofuel by conserving biomass can be improved by the findings of this work, thus allowing the biomass to be used more economically around the year in bioenergy plants.

FHIT is a genome caretaker gene that is silenced in >50% of cancers. Loss of Fhit protein expression promotes accumulation of DNA damage, affects apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, though molecular mechanisms underlying these alterations have not been fully elucidated. Initiation of genome instability directly follows Fhit loss and the associated reduced Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) protein expression. The effects on TK1 of Fhit knockdown and Fhit induction in the current study confirmed the role of Fhit in regulating TK1 expression. Changes in Fhit expression did not impact TK1 protein turnover or transcription from the TK1 promoter, nor steady-state levels of TK1 mRNA or turnover. Polysome profile analysis showed that up-regulated Fhit expression resulted in decreased TK1 RNA in non-translating messenger ribonucleoproteins and increased ribosome density on TK1 mRNA. Fhit does not bind RNA but its expression increased luciferase expression from a transgene bearing the TK1 5’-UTR. Fhit has been reported to act as a scavenger decapping enzyme, and a similar result with a mutant (H96) that binds but does not cleave nucleoside 5’,5’-triphosphates suggests the impact on TK1 translation is due to its ability to modulate the intracellular level of cap-like molecules. Consistent with this, cells expressing Fhit mutants with reduced activity toward cap-like dinucleotides exhibit DNA damage resulting from TK1 deficiency, whereas cells expressing wild-type Fhit or the H96N mutant do not. The results have implications for the mechanism by which Fhit regulates TK1 mRNA, and more broadly, for its modulation of multiple functions as tumor suppressor/genome caretaker.

Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ethers (OME) are promising diesel fuel alternatives and interesting solvents for various industrial applications. In this report (Reproduced from [Hank et al. 2019] with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry), a well-to-wheel Life Cycle Assessment of short OME oligomers as produced via a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) pathway has been conducted. Variations in electricity and carbon dioxide supply as well as the hardware demand for the PtL plant components (e.g. PEM water electrolysis, carbon capturing, 36 kta OME plant capacity) have been considered. Conventional diesel fuel is used as the comparative benchmark.

The manufactures of internal combustion engines face currently a lot of challenges. Among these are the required drastic emission reductions of carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as harmful substances the most prominent. As a consequence of these harsh market conditions solutions that could cope with this framework are urgently needed. In this context the state of the art of synthetic fuels as an essential part of the energy system is discussed and how they could offer solutions.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has experienced widespread development over the last four decades. This has resulted in tremendous increase in electricity demand. This research reviews the status of the KSA’s electricity consumption and forecasts electricity demand up to the year 2040 in the context of three scenarios. The study shows that KSA government mission to provide safe, reliable and sustainable electricity supply faces several challenges that may require creative and bold strategies to overcome.

The city of Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) hosts millions of Muslim worshippers every year. As a consequence, the municipal solid waste (MSW) quantities become enormous. City landfills receive about 2.4 thousand tons of MSW every day, whilst during the months of fasting (Ramadan) and Pilgrimage (Hajj), these quantities become 3.1 and 4.6 thousand tons per day respectively. Currently, there is no waste-based biorefinery or waste-to-energy (WTE) facility existing in KSA to treat different fractions of MSW as a source of renewable energy production and a solution to landfill waste problems. Therefore, the waste-based biorefinery, if developed in Makkah city, including WTE technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD), transesterification, pyrolysis and refuse derived fuel (RDF) can be able to treat around 87.8% of the total MSW. The remaining 12.2% of MSW fraction can be recycled. The waste-based biorefinery, along with the recycling approach, can generate savings of about 87.6 million Saudi Arabian Riyal (SAR) from carbon credits. Similarly, a total net revenue of 758 million SAR can be generated from landfill diversion (530.4 million SAR) and electricity generation (288.5 million SAR). Moreover, 1.95 million barrels of oil and 11.2 million MCF of natural gas can be saved with a cost savings of 485.5 million SAR. Collectively, the waste-based biorefinery and recycling can reduce the global warming potential (GWP) of 1.15 million Mt.CO2 eq.

This paper reviews the status of microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) as a mean for hydrogen (H2) production and urban wastewater treatment method. A case study of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) under MEC concept was developed. KSA is the world’s third largest per capita water user country with no lakes and rivers. Every year, around 1.17 and 0.38 billion m3 of domestic and industrial wastewater is generated respectively. The KSA government is seeking sustainable solutions for wastewater treatment and waste-to-energy (WTE) production to bridge the ever increasing water and energy demand-supply gap. However, there is no WTE facility exists to convert the wastewater into energy. Moreover, the potential of wastewater is not examined as an energy recovery substrate. This study, for the first time, estimated that a total electricity of 434 MWe can be produced in 2015 from the KSA’s wastewater if MEC technology is employed. Similarly, an estimated total electricity of 612 and 767 MWe can be produced for the years 2025 and 2035 from the domestic and industrial wastewater by using MEC technology. A surplus electricity of 508 and 637 MWe for the years 2025 and 2035 respectively can be added to the national grid after fulfilling the energy requirement of MEC wastewater treatment plants. Collectively, MEC will contribute 20.4% and 25.6% share of the KSA government’s WTE target of 3G W in 2025 and 2035 respectively. A number of challenges in MEC such as ohmic and concentration losses, saturation kinetics and competing reactions that lower the H2 production are discussed with their potential solutions including, the improvements in MEC design and the use of appropriate electrolytes, antibiotics and air or oxygen.

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (denoted hereon as OME) are potential sustainable fuels (e.g. as a diesel substitute). In this paper, the fundamental analysis of a potentially, sustainable synthetic OME system is presented (i.e. based on CH3OH synthesised from H2 and recycled CO2). In this context, a multicomponent thermodynamic vapour–liquid equilibrium model, based on CH3OH as the educt and source of H2CO for OME synthesis, is described. A thermodynamic equilibrium mathematical model for this complex (i.e. a 29 reaction network) CH3OH–H2CO equilibrium system is presented, capable of solving the sequential chemical and phase equilibrium, importantly considering all components in the reaction system including poly(oxymethylene) hemiformals and poly(oxymethylene) glycols. A theoretical efficiency evaluation indicates that the proposed anhydrous route is potentially more attractive than the conventional synthesis (i.e. based on dimethoxymethane and trioxane). To substantiate these theoretical investigations, a complimentary experimental batch OME synthesis is also presented, providing validation for the presented thermodynamic model. An initial kinetic analysis of the OME synthesis over different commercial catalysts is also highlighted. Our presented findings reliably describe the synthesis equilibrium with respect to our experimentally obtained results. The presented work supports further an operating OME synthesis framework based on CH3OH and H2CO and highlights the requirement for innovative process design regarding feed preparation, reactor technology, and product separation/fractions recycling.

Millions of Muslims from all over the world visit the Holy Cities of Saudi Arabia: Makkah and Madinah every year to worship in form of Pilgrimage (Hajj) and Umrah. The rapid growth in local population, urbanization, and living standards in Makkah city along with continually increasing number of visitors result in huge municipal solid waste generation every year. Most of this waste is disposed to landfills or dumpsites without material or energy recovery, thus posing substantial environmental and health risks. The municipal plastic waste is the second largest waste stream (up to 23% of total municipal waste) that is comprised of plastic bottles, water cups, food plates, and shopping bags. The sustainable disposal of plastic waste is challenging task due to its clogging effects, very slow biodegradation rates, and presence of toxic additives and dyes. Pyrolysis is one of the promising waste-to-energy technology for converting municipal plastic waste into energy (liquid fuel) and value-added products...

Energy consumption in KSA (kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is growing rapidly due to economic development with raised levels of population, urbanization and living standards. Fossil fuels are currently solely used to meet the energy requirements. The KSA government have planned to double its energy generating capacity (upto 120 GW (gigawatts)) by 2032. About half of the electricity capacity of this targeted energy will come from renewable resources such as nuclear, wind, solar, WTE (waste-to-energy) etc. Natural zeolites are found abundantly in KSA at Jabal Shamah occurrence near Jeddah city, whose characteristics have never been investigated in energy related applications. This research aims to study the physical and chemical characteristics of natural zeolite in KSA and to review its potential utilization in selected WTE technologies and solar energy. The standard zeolite group of alumina–silicate minerals were found with the presence of other elements such as Na, Mg and K etc. A highly crystalline structure and thermal stability of natural zeolites together with unique ion exchange, adsorption properties, high surface area and porosity make them suitable in energy applications such as WTE and solar energy as an additive or catalyst. A simple solid–gas absorption system for storing solar energy in natural zeolites will be a cheap alternative method for KSA. In AD (anaerobic digestion), the dual characteristics of natural zeolite like Mordenite will increase the CH4 production of OFMSW (organic fraction of municipal solid waste). Further investigations are recommended to study the technical, economical, and environmental feasibility of natural zeolite utilization in WTE technologies in KSA.

This paper reviews the global status of waste to energy (WTE) technologies as a mean for renewable energy production and municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal method. A case study of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) under this concept was developed. The WTE opportunities in the KSA is undertaken in the context of two scenarios: (1) incineration and (2) refuse derived fuel (RDF) along with biomethanation from 2012 to 2035. Biomethanation technology can proved to be the most suitable WTE technology for KSA due to (a) availability of high food waste volume (37% of total MSW) that can be used as a feedstock, (b) higher efficiency (25–30%) and (c) lowest annual capital ($0.1–0.14/ton) and operational cost. However, the need for large space for continuous operation might increase operational cost. The RDF has an advantage over incineration due to (a) less annual capital ($7.5–11.3/ton) and (b) operational cost ($0.3–0.55/ton), but the high labor skills requirements will most probably be a limitation, if appropriate training and related infrastructure are not scheduled to be included as a prerequisite. The incineration technology also proves to be an efficient solution with a relatively higher efficiency (25%) and lower operational cost ($1.5–2.5/ton). However, the need for treatment of air and waterborne pollutants and ash within the incineration facility can be the limiting factors for the development of this technology in KSA. In 2012, the power generation potential for KSA was estimated at 671 MW and 319.4 MW from incineration and RDF with biomethanation scenarios respectively, which was forecasted to reach upto 1447 MW and 699.76 MW for both scenarios respectively by 2035. Therefore, WTE technologies, could make a substantial contribution to the renewable energy production in KSA as well as alleviating the cost of landfilling and its associated environmental impacts. However, the decision to select between the two scenarios requires further in-depth financial, technical and environmental analysis using life cycle assessment (LCA) tool.

This paper aims to determine the waste-to-energy (WTE) and recycling value of municipal solid waste (MSW) for developing an integrated solid waste management (ISWM) system for Lahore, the s...

Loss of expression of Fhit, a tumor suppressor and genome caretaker, occurs in preneoplastic lesions during development of many human cancers. Furthermore, Fhit‐deficient mouse models are exquisitely susceptible to carcinogen induction of cancers of the lung and forestomach. Due to absence of Fhit genome caretaker function, cultured cells and tissues of the constitutive Fhit knockout strain develop chromosome aneuploidy and allele copy number gains and losses and we hypothesized that Fhit‐deficient cells would also develop point mutations. On analysis of whole exome sequences of Fhit‐deficient tissues and cultured cells, we found 300 to >1000 single‐base substitutions associated with Fhit loss in the 2% of the genome included in exomes, relative to the C57Bl6 reference genome. The mutation signature is characterized by increased C>T and T>C mutations, similar to the “age at diagnosis” signature identified in human cancers. The Fhit‐deficiency mutation signature also resembles a C>T and T>C mutation signature reported for human papillary kidney cancers and a similar signature recently reported for esophageal and bladder cancers, cancers that are frequently Fhit deficient. The increase in T>C mutations in −/− exomes may be due to dNTP imbalance, particularly in thymidine triphosphate, resulting from decreased expression of thymidine kinase 1 in Fhit‐deficient cells. Fhit‐deficient kidney cells that survived in vitro dimethylbenz(a)anthracene treatment additionally showed increased T>A mutations, a signature generated by treatment with this carcinogen, suggesting that these T>A transversions may be evidence of carcinogen‐induced preneoplastic changes.

This paper for the first time aims to valorize the environmental and economic values of electronic waste recycling for member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from the year 2018 up to 2040. GCC countries have a unique situation due to the significant economic growth with the resulting urbanization and population growth accompanied by high standards of living that in turn increase all types of waste. A direct link among the living standards and quantity of electronic waste production is observed in the GCC states. The annual growth of electronic waste in GCC is 3-5% while the current estimated electronic waste generation exceeds 52.2 million metric tonnes (Mt). In 2018, GCC states generated 857 kilotonnes (kt) electronic waste that would be 1.094 Mt by 2040. KSA, among the GCC states, generated the highest amount of electronic waste (533 kt) in 2018 that would be 675 kt by 2040. GCC countries are on the right track of developing policies and regulations for managing electronic waste. However, more efforts are required to ensure the implementation of these regulations. The findings of this study would be a base for the future studies in the electronic waste sector in the GCC region and a novel initiative for GCC to develop a unified free zone for the electronic waste recycling that will meet the local, regional, and international standards and regulations. This unified GCC initiative has substantial economic and environmental benefits for the region.

Methanol synthesis based on renewable electricity generation, sustainable hydrogen (H2) and recycled industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) represents an interesting solution to integrated renewable energy storage and platform chemical production. In this work the technological overview of the methanol synthesis from conventional feedstocks and based on CO2 is provided. The business case for this electricity based product under current market conditions (e.g. vs. conventional fossil methanol production cost) and the appropriate implementation scenarios to increase methanol attractiveness and adoption is highlighted. A complementary ecological evaluation of PtM process is provided and recommendations for this sustainable platform based on these understandings are highlighted.

With the rapid growth of information and communication technology (ICT), an increasing number of electronic gadgets like computers, cell phones, entertainment electronics gadgets, and others are being sold to consumers, and when these gadgets stop functioning or become obsolete or unwanted by a user, they get converted to e-waste, also known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This e-waste is either disposed of in landfills or recycled by burning and dissolution in strong acids. But all of these processes can cause hazards to the environment and human health. So, new approaches to manage e-waste effectively have been proposed and implemented to deal with the environment and human health hazards, which include reusing electronic components (EC) which are still functional within waste electronic gadgets via secondary markets. The parts of waste electronic gadgets that cannot be reused are recycled to recover the materials from them. In this paper, the security concerns arising due to reusing and recycling process through reverse engineering of waste electronic gadgets that can lead to piracy and cloning have been explored and possible existing solutions have been reviewed against the security concerns. On the other hand, since reusable ECs are entering the semiconductor industry supply chain through a secondary market, the supply chain security concerns that can arise due to mixing of a brand-new EC with old reusable ones are considered and possible existing solutions have been stated to address the problem. Also, the possibility of leakage of information from waste storage devices like hard drives has been considered and technique to prevent that has been inspected.

The demand for electricity in KSA has been increasing at a high rate as a result of continued growth in both population and industrial development. This paper investigates the impact of implementing some demand management measures at the residential households using available smart grid technologies. A smart energy monitoring system was designed and used to test load management measures. The results show that implementing load management measures will have a positive impact on reducing electricity consumption.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of heat shock programs during the growth period without or with chromium picolinate (CrPic) on productive and physiological performance, blood biochemical traits as well as, immune response, heat shock proteins of Mandarah laying hens during first 90 days of egg production (EP) reared under Egyptian summer condition. Seventy hundred-one day old of unsexes Mandarah chicks were randomly divided into seven equal groups (100 chicks each). The 1st treatment was served as a control group and fed a control basal diet and reared under natural conditions. While, the chicks in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5 th, 6 th and 7 th treatments were exposed to early heat shock (40±1 °C for 4 hours from 12.00 to 16.00 p.m. for 3-5 consecutive days). The 2nd treatment was exposed to early heat shock at 3 days of age (HSE1). Whereas, the 3rd treatment was exposed to heat shock at 3 days of + 800 μg/ CrPic/kg diet (HSE2). The 4th treatment was exposed to heat shock at 3 days and at 8 weeks of age (HSE3). The 5th treatment was exposed to heat shock at 3 days and at 8 weeks of age + 800 μg/ CrPic /kg diet (HSE4). The 6th treatment was exposed to heat shock at 3 days and at 8 and 16 weeks of age (HSE5). The 7th treatment was exposed to heat shock at 3 days and at 8, 16, weeks of age + 800 μg/ CrPic /kg diet (HSE6).The obtained results revealed that the egg production (EP) %, egg mass (EM) in hens and some semen characteristics in cocks exposed to heat shock were significantly (P≤0.05) improved in HSE6. Rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR), heterophils % and Heterophils/ lymphocyte (H/L) ratio were significantly (P≤0.05) decreased. Birds in the treatment groups exposed to heat shock in HSE5 or HSE6 were significantly (P≤0.01) increased globulin, HSP70 of Liver, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). While, Triiodothyronine (T3) and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) were significantly (P≤0.01) decreased compared to the control group.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia considers treated wastewater a major water source and aims to achieve 100% use of treated wastewater by 2025. This article reviews Saudi Arabia’s treated wastewater utilization status to date. It also highlights the key challenges facing the authorities, such as the substantial growth in demand for wastewater services; low coverage of the existing wastewater collection, treatment, and treated wastewater use systems; and the capital investment needed for infrastructure development. Finally, the article highlights the initiatives taken thus far to tackle these challenges and recommends further initiatives towards successful achievement of Saudi Arabia’s treated wastewater utilization objective.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inclusion of guar korma meal (GKM) as a partial replacement for soybean meal (SBM) in commercial local strain (Anshas) diets on growth performance, digestibility, slaughter traits and economical efficiency. The experimental period lasted for 3 months. Chicks received (GKM) at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% with or without β-mannase enzyme (Hemicell®) supplement. Results indicated that GKM without enzyme can be used as a feed ingredient without adverse effect at level 2.5%. Using GKM in levels more than 2.5% depress weight gain, feed conversion and nutrients digestibility. Addition of enzyme to the diets improve weight gain, feed conversion and nutrients digestibility of diets containing 5% of GKM. Feed intake increased as the level of GKM in diets increased. Enzyme supplement had no effect on feed intake. Enzyme supplement could not overcome the adverse effect of GKM on nutrients digestibility only in diets contain 7.5 and 10% of GKM. Dressing percentage decreased as the level of GKM in diet increased. Addition of enzyme to the diets contain GKM improved dressing percentage. GKM can be used without enzyme addition at level 2.5% without adverse effect on dressing percentage.From the nutritional and economical points of view, results indicated that GKM can be used as a feed ingredient at level 2.5% without enzyme supplement. When enzyme was added to the diets level of GKM can be increased up to 5% without any adverse effect.

The tremendous economic development in the GCC region over the past four decades has brought about unprecedented population and urbanization growth with a significant rise in standards of living. The effects of this growth include substantial increases in E-waste production. Compounded with the a recent spike in targeted cyber-attacks on oil and financial facilities in GCC countries, the motivation to mitigate as many of these attacks is paramount and yet, a little attention is paid to the amount of valuable data saved on stored on discarded electronic components (E-waste). This article reviews the current E-waste management practices in GCC countries including E-waste generated volume, disposal and reuse/recycle practices; forecasts E-waste production up to the year 2040, and discusses the long-term potential economic, security and environmental impact of E-waste in the GCC region. Furthermore, the article discusses the different security vulnerabilities that exist in e-waste and recommends actions relating to privacy and security of sensitive data stored on E-waste drives through closely monitored and controlled recycling procedures. The analysis shows that the total E-waste production will reach between 947 and 1090 thousand tons by 2040. The study findings highlight the need for a comprehensive review of the current E-waste management regulations in the GCC region to cope with the potential security and environmental challenges and highlight the economic potentials inherent in E-waste.