[No abstract available]

[No abstract available]

While composting is one of the sustainable solutions for the recycling of organic solid waste (OSW) however, it has some drawbacks that need to be addressed properly. For instance, nitrogen loss, mobility of heavy metals (HMs), greenhouse gases emissions, low productivity, and antibiotic-resistant gens enrichment are some of the technical issues of traditional composting processes. The application of zeolite and other additives to the OSW composting process is a very interesting interdisciplinary research topic that are studied by many researchers worldwide. This review intends to discuss the latest advancements on the applications of zeolites to the OSW composting processes and the its effect on the compost quality, soil remediation, nutrient management and plants growth. According to the published reports, modification of OSW compost with zeolite not only improves physicochemical properties of the compost product but also enhances microbial activities by promoting OSW decomposition and reduce the duration of the composting process. Furthermore, zeolitic additives can reduces greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions of the composting process. Zeolite-modified compost has reduced total and available HMs and reduced antibiotic resistance genes. Zeolite can upgrade the compost quality by enhancing maturity, and decreasing salinity. Last but not least, zeolite contributes to the optimization of anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas. Compost modified with zeolite exhibited improved crop yield and water retention and prevent soil nutrient losses. Overall, addition of natural zeolites to composting products are beneficial to agricultural soils and for soil remediation purposes. It is noteworthy that the addition of zeolitic aluminosilicate to soil might change the soil texture in the long term. Therefore, more in-depth researches are necessary to evaluate the cumulative effect of the addition of zeolitic minerals to agricultural lands. � 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Environment and Development: Basic Principles, Human Activities, and Environmental Implications focuses on the adverse impact that human activities, developments, and economic growth have on both natural and inhabited environments. The book presents the associated problems, along with solutions that can be used to achieve a harmonic, sustainable development that provides for the co-existence of man and natural life. Chapters provide detailed information on a range of environments including: atmospheric, aquatic, soil, natural, urban, energy, and extraterrestrial, as well as the relationship between the environment and development. In addition, this comprehensive book presents the latest research findings and trends in global environmental policy for each issue. Offers a discussion of the extraterrestrial environment and waste in earth orbit as one of the distinctive topics of the book Addresses global environmental policy issues and policies Presents tabulated data to support the analysis and explain the issues presented Includes case studies covering many topics of current interest Analyzes environmental issues and proposes solutions grounded in recent research findings Discusses the various interpretations of the development concept as well as alternative pathways to sustainable developmen � 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) generation in EU is approximately 2-2.5 million t/y, constituting 10% of total hazardous waste in the EU. Currently, about 75% of ELVs total weight is recycled while the remaining 25% (ASR). Not surprisingly, Europe is the world's largest vehicle producer as about 30% of the 50 million cars produced globally are manufactured in the EU. Worldwide, ASR is considered an increasingly problematic waste, consisting of a large number of different materials that basically remains unprocessed and directed to landfills. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the ASR problem and the options for processing this waste in order to minimize the waste directed to landfills. � 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Recycling scrapped cars plays an important role in reducing pollution by decreasing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Directive 2000/53/EC regulates the management of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs). ELVs are collected and dismantled to remove the battery, tyres, fluids and any parts that can be re-used and the wreck is shredded. The metallic parts are separated by physical processes and recovered as ferrous scrap and nonferrous metals, all of which is recycled. The 25% remainder is the automotive shredder residue (ASR), which is composed mainly of plastics, contaminated with any metallic and other parts that could not be separated. This is often disposed of in landfills as solid urban waste and is not recycled. ASR generation in the EU is approximately 2-2.5 million tonnes/year, constituting 10% of the total hazardous waste in the EU. The study suggests that recovery rates for ELVs set in the EU Directive on end of life vehicles will not be met until the volume of the ASR is further reduced. Treatment of the ASR focuses on recovering any useable materials, reducing the volume of the ASR to cut down on the quantity that will end up in landfill, and recovering the energy from the petrochemical content of the plastics. Up-to-date there are eight post-shredder technologies (PST) used or potentially used for the treatment of ASR. The aim of this study is to give an overview of what problem the ASR presents to modern society and what the options are for processing this waste into recovered products or materials, or energy, with a minimum of useless by-products for which landfilling is the only route. � 2009 WIT Press.

Businesses, worldwide about sustainability indicated the major benefits of Sustainable development for their businesses are: Improved company or brand image Cost saving Competitive advantage Employee satisfaction Product, service or market innovation new sources of revenue or cash flow Effective risk management. Multiple forces in the 21st century have propelled businesses into confronting conditions that challenge their own and the world's sustainability. In spite of the considerable research on sustainability, reports suggest that we are barely any closer to a more sustainable society. As such, there is an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of human efforts towards sustainability. A clearer and more unified understanding of sustainability among different people and sectors could help to facilitate this. In last decade the issue of Sustainability has become a critical issue for the world and for business. Global issues relation to water, food, energy, health, corruption, human rights, property, climate and population threaten societal well-being and thus the pillars of a healthy market place. This chapter present the concept of Business behind the concept of Sustainable Development. � 2014 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Businesses, worldwide about sustainability indicated the major benefits of Sustainable development for their businesses are: Improved company or brand image Cost saving Competitive advantage Employee satisfaction Product, service or market innovation new sources of revenue or cash flow Effective risk management. Multiple forces in the 21st century have propelled businesses into confronting conditions that challenge their own and the world's sustainability. In spite of the considerable research on sustainability, reports suggest that we are barely any closer to a more sustainable society. As such, there is an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of human efforts towards sustainability. A clearer and more unified understanding of sustainability among different people and sectors could help to facilitate this. In last decade the issue of Sustainability has become a critical issue for the world and for business. Global issues relation to water, food, energy, health, corruption, human rights, property, climate and population threaten societal well-being and thus the pillars of a healthy market place. This chapter present the concept of Business behind the concept of Sustainable Development. � 2014 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Space Race in the second half of the 20th century was primarily concerned with getting there and back. Gradually, technology and international collaboration opened new horizons, but human activity was mostly restricted around Earth�s orbit, while robotic missions were sent to solar system planets and moons. Now, nations and companies claim extraterrestrial resources and plans are in place to send humans and build bases on the Moon and Mars. Exploration and discovery are likely to be followed by exploitation and settlement. History suggests that the next step is the development of space industry. The new industrial revolution will take place in space. Chemical engineers have been educated for more than a century on designing processes adapted to the Earth�s conditions, involving a range of raw materials, atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, solar radiation, and 1-g. In space, the raw materials differ, and the unique pressure, temperature and solar radiation conditions require new approaches and methods. In the era of space exploration, a new educational concept for chemical engineers is necessary to prepare them for playing key roles in space. To this end, we introduce Astrochemical Engineering as an advanced postgraduate course and we propose a 2-year 120 ECTS MEng curriculum with a brief description of the modules and learning outcomes. The first year includes topics such as low-gravity process engineering, cryogenics, and recycling systems. The second year includes the utilization of planetary resources and materials for space resources. The course culminates in an individual design project and comprises two specializations: Process Engineering and Space Science. The course will equip engineers and scientists with the necessary knowledge for the development of advanced processes and industrial ecologies based on closed self-sustained systems. These can be applied on Earth to help reinvent sustainability and mitigate the numerous challenges humanity faces. � 2023 by the authors.

Abstract: Natural minerals are used as sorbents in ion-exchange processes due to their high exchange capacity and their relatively low cost. In the present study the use of natural zeolite as filling medium in fixed- and fluidized-bed reactors for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions is investigated. The major objective is to compare the removal efficiency of heavy metals by the two processes�fluidized and fixed bed. Fixed and fluidized bed experiments were conducted in order to examine the Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cr3+ uptake by natural clinoptilolite, using the same critical experimental conditions: particle size (90�180 �m), volumetric flow rate of 12.48 BV/h, total normality of 0.01 N, initial pH value equal to 4, and ambient temperature (25�C). The fluidized bed process was conducted in an experimental 50 cm long plexiglass column of 4.4 cm internal diameter and fixed bed experiments in 70 cm long plexiglass columns of 2 cm internal diameter. The fluidized bed breakthrough curves for Mn2+ and Zn2+ are very similar with Cr to give the best results in terms of removal efficiency. In fixed bed the breakthrough curves are similar for all three metals, with Cr exhibiting slightly lower removal efficiency. Furthermore, the breakthrough points are shifted to the left (0�5 BV) in comparison to the fixed bed experiments (10 BV) for all metals. Comparing the two processes, it is concluded that fixed bed operation exhibits better results than the fluidized bed most probably due to better hydrodynamic conditions in the former. � 2014, Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

[No abstract available]

In this paper, sludge samples that were collected from the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Psittalia (Athens, Greece) were subjected to acid treatment using sulphuric acid. Furthermore, a sequential extraction scheme was applied in order to determine the chemical forms of Ni, Cu, total Cr, Pb and Zn in sewage sludge. The optimum combination was achieved through a variety of tests by applying a ratio of 1:5 of sludge quantity (g) per volume of acid (mL). The concentration of the acid used was in the range of 10-20% at two different temperatures (25-80�C) and the contact times ranged from 1 to 60 min. The optimum combination was achieved when the sludge samples were in contact with H2SO4 (20%) for 30 min at 80�C, as these experimental conditions resulted in the highest heavy metal removal efficiency. In addition, the metal distribution in the residue was investigated and the heavy metal partitioning was found to be different after acid treatment. � 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In the work, the effect of 2-chlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol on the performance of a sequencing batch reactor operated with suspended municipal recycle activated sludge (RAS) in terms of total carbon and total nitrogen removal is presented. The total carbon removal achieved ranged in 80%�100% and total nitrogen removal in 10%�84%. The results showed that chlorophenols did not inhibit either the activated sludge growth or the total carbon removal significantly. However, inhibition is observed in total nitrogen removal. 2-chlorophenol inhibited the ammonium oxidation (nitrification) while such an effect was not observed in the case of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol indicating that the later inhibits the ammonification step. Moreover, the results indicated that total removal of both chlorophenols was achieved during the first day of the processing. � 2018 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

According to the definition given by the European Environmental Agency (EEA), an environmental indicator is an observed value representative of a phenomenon under study. Indicators are necessary information we use to understand the world and then to decide and plan the future. Communication is the main function of indicators but they also provide an early warning to prevent economic, social and environmental damage and they are used to assess, monitor and manage systems. Consequently they are of paramount importance for policy decision making as well as for communication and dissemination of important environmental information to the public. This Chapter deals with the broad issue of Environmental Indicators and provides the scientific and policy context in a concise and comprehensive way. � 2014 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bentonite is a clay mineral often used in ion exchange processes due to its high ion exchange capacity. In the present study, a commercially available in Greece market bentonite was obtained and characterized by XRD, XRF, FTIR, BET, and TG/DTA analysis. Monmorillonite was the main component of bentonite sample (>80%). Ion exchange equilibria of Zn2+, Cr3+, and Mn2+ on bentonite was examined by use of batch equilibrium isotherms, distribution coefficients, and maximum exchange levels (MELs) under the same normality for all metals (0.01�N) at 25���2�C. The equilibrium isotherms for the metals studied exhibit a favorable-type isotherm. Selectivity series deduced from equilibrium isotherms are Cr3+�>�Zn2+�>�Mn2+, and the same occurs for MELs. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied and fitted the equilibrium data for the metal ion uptake. A detailed literature review on heavy metals-bentonite equilibrium is provided. � 2016 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

The present paper presents the current legislative aspects on the sewage sludge management in European Union. Following the trends in environmental legislation the last 30 years sewage sludge management is regulated, directly and indirectly by different legislative tools and acts. Although the positive steps, there is the need for continuous improvement and more intense enforcement. The major gaps identified are the need for limits setting for organic substances and regulations on recycling and final disposal. � by PSP.

In the present study, batch and fixed bed experiments were conducted in order to compare clinoptilolite and vermiculite for the removal of Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cr3+ from aqueous solutions under the same experimental conditions. Ion-exchange equilibrium is examined by use of batch equilibrium isotherms, distribution coefficients, and maximum exchange levels (MEL). Fixed bed experiments were conducted, and breakthrough curves and operational capacity were determined. Furthermore, diffusion coefficients were estimated by use of simplified fixed bed models. Concerning the comparison of the two minerals, in all experiments, for both batch (distribution coefficients and MEL) and fixed bed (breakthrough points and operating capacity (OC)), vermiculite showed better performance than clinoptilolite for all metals. Vermiculite selectivity series derived from batch distribution coefficients as well as in fixed beds is Cr3+�>�Zn2+�>�Mn2+ and is the same for clinoptilolite for liquid-phase equilibrium at relative concentration of X�<�0.2. For more concentrated equilibrium solutions, the clinoptilolite selectivity changes for Cr3+ and remains the same for the other two metals, i.e. Zn2+�>�Mn2+�>�Cr3+. MEL are 14.4�26.9�mg/g and 34.2�43.6�mg/g for clinoptilolite and vermiculite, respectively, and OC is found to be 3.6�7.9�mg/g and 12.8�29.3�mg/g for clinoptilolite and vermiculite, respectively, 25�75% lower than MEL. The application of the simplified fixed bed model is successful for Zn in both minerals and Cr3+-vermiculite system. For Cr3+-clinoptilolite system, the model is not applicable due to the sigmoidal shape of the isotherm while for Mn, the model fails in low concentrations for both minerals, and it seems to approach experimental data only for X�>�0.2�0.3. Solid-phase diffusion coefficients were estimated to be in the order of magnitude of 10?8�cm2/s for clinoptilolite and 10?9�cm2/s for vermiculite. � 2015 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

In the present study, batch and fixed bed experiments were conducted in order to compare clinoptilolite and vermiculite for the removal of Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cr3+ from aqueous solutions under the same experimental conditions. Ion-exchange equilibrium is examined by use of batch equilibrium isotherms, distribution coefficients, and maximum exchange levels (MEL). Fixed bed experiments were conducted, and breakthrough curves and operational capacity were determined. Furthermore, diffusion coefficients were estimated by use of simplified fixed bed models. Concerning the comparison of the two minerals, in all experiments, for both batch (distribution coefficients and MEL) and fixed bed (breakthrough points and operating capacity (OC)), vermiculite showed better performance than clinoptilolite for all metals. Vermiculite selectivity series derived from batch distribution coefficients as well as in fixed beds is Cr3+�>�Zn2+�>�Mn2+ and is the same for clinoptilolite for liquid-phase equilibrium at relative concentration of X�<�0.2. For more concentrated equilibrium solutions, the clinoptilolite selectivity changes for Cr3+ and remains the same for the other two metals, i.e. Zn2+�>�Mn2+�>�Cr3+. MEL are 14.4�26.9�mg/g and 34.2�43.6�mg/g for clinoptilolite and vermiculite, respectively, and OC is found to be 3.6�7.9�mg/g and 12.8�29.3�mg/g for clinoptilolite and vermiculite, respectively, 25�75% lower than MEL. The application of the simplified fixed bed model is successful for Zn in both minerals and Cr3+-vermiculite system. For Cr3+-clinoptilolite system, the model is not applicable due to the sigmoidal shape of the isotherm while for Mn, the model fails in low concentrations for both minerals, and it seems to approach experimental data only for X�>�0.2�0.3. Solid-phase diffusion coefficients were estimated to be in the order of magnitude of 10?8�cm2/s for clinoptilolite and 10?9�cm2/s for vermiculite. � 2015 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

As a physical phenomenon, ion exchange is basically a subject of physical chemistry, while fixed bed is a common reactor studied in chemical engineering. Furthermore, it is a subject bringing together the experimentalists and the modeling scientists, who in the typical case have different views on the same system. This interrelation of several sciences and approaches is by no means a particularity of ion exchange fixed-beds field. The experience of the authors and the study of the related published research in journals for many years indicate a clear gap in many scientific publications, where authors are frequently missing aspects which are well known to other scientists working on the same subject. This chapter comes to fill the gap and in the same time to balance between all these different views of scientists with different approaches and background. It should be mentioned that the principal target of this work is to analyze the fundamentals of the operation (fixed bed) and not the physical chemistry of the phenomenon (ion exchange), which is a subject of other chapters in the present book. From this point of view, the authors have followed the most common approach, in which ion exchange is treated as a sorption process when it comes to the design of fixed-bed processes. Consequently, the authors consider this chapter as an added value for the related literature. � Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012.