Effect of storage and preparation methods of Moringa oleifera seeds during the coagulation process

Many developing countries around the world are now facing a water deficit crisis that worsens with climate change variations. In the particular case of Colombia, water deficit is a major concern in the whole territory, but it gets worse in rural areas. Since 70s, water purification in Colombia is based on conventional physicochemical processes, in which the most common coagulant used is aluminum sulfate (Alum). This study focuses on the behavior of color and turbidity removal of different extraction methodologies of a natural coagulant, Moringa oleifera. Results showed that turbidity removal efficiency was not affected by oil extraction. However, oil extraction increases the complexity of the process. Salt addition during coagulant solution preparation increases turbidity and color efficiency removal. No significant difference (p < 0.05) on turbidity and color removal was found between coagulant solution storage at 24°C (room temperature) and 4°C. Coagulant solution of M. oleifera was found to be very efficient on polluted waters with high concentration of color. © 2015 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved

Adoption of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) as an opportunity for improving public health in Latin America

Over the past 50 years, public health in Latin America has walked through significant changes on social and economic aspects. Since the 90's, governments from the region have performed different health reforms to improve equity, effectiveness and geographical coverage. Although, positive results have been achieved historically, strong and sustainable public health strategies are still needed to guarantee quality service. In that sense, integration of novel devices for monitoring and alerting patients about their physical health stands as a promising option for improving Latin American healthcare systems by upgrading facilities to be able to attend patients remotely, avoid care units overcrowding, guarantee real-time supervision, operational cost reduction, rapid patient attention, and lower investment on expansion of existing areas. Healthcare wearable technology acceptance and adoption barriers were investigated. It was found that most wearables are developed and promoted in developed countries with no headquarters in Latin America. This situation decreasing interest for its adoption by Latin American governments due to poor technical support, high prices, and few distribution channels. Four main barriers for wearable technology adoption were identified as: i) critical data management, security and privacy issues, ii) unreliable results accuracy, iii) unaffordable technology for low-income groups, and iv) lack of clear regulations. Based on the adoption barriers, healthcare wearable technology challenges were identified and presented. The main challenges found were: access to health service, training and distribution of human resources in health, inequalities in health, and financial schemes for health systems. It can be concluded that smart wearables in the healthcare sector could be considered as part of the solution to guarantee proper quality service and coverage in remote areas where no service is currently offered. © 2018 AISTI

A software-based predictive model for greenhouse gas mitigation: Towards environmental sustainability

In the last years research-based programs relevant to sustainability have been developed. Some technological research programs are focused on the design of systems and processes that can be useful for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions as CO2. To diminish the negative impact caused by CO2 for global warming, its chemical transformation in Dimethyl Carbonate is a promising technology. Dimethyl Carbonate is a solvent with low toxicity and due to oxidative capacity can be used as fuel additive. In this work, the membrane reactor technology to improve the Dymethyl Carbonate production is explored from the perspective of modelling and simulation. As a result, a software-based model is implemented, in order to develop and couple different models for describing the membrane reactor. Simulation results showed that the membrane reactor, compared with conventional reactor, increase the reaction conversion and Dymethyl Carbonate production up to 67% and 78%, respectively. Finally, it can be seen that the solution obtained from software-based model allows to conclude that membrane reactor is a promising technology to mitigate CO2 emissions, allowing to achieve environmental sustainability. © 2018 AISTI

Propuesta de planificación territorial bioenergética en LATAM; Parte 1/2: Modelo de Economía Circular, componente urbano usando biomasa domiciliaria

The research is divided into two articles, presenting a bioenergy territorial planning proposal for LATAM. The first part focuses on an urban circular economy (CE) model using household organic municipal waste based on source separation. The second part is related to a proposal for designing internal combustion engines for renewable and alternative gaseous fuels. This paper quantifies the bioenergy potential that could be generated for LATAM by using national population censuses-based on scientific formulation and AI-powered databases to estimate the amount of biofertilizers, biogas, and green hydrogen that can be obtained according to the proposed CE model. The sustainability of the CE model is analyzed through a thermo-economic assessment, social impact, and environmental impact, with carbon footprint measurement using a standardized calculator. Additional considerations, risk analysis, and challenges for the model's implementation are also presented to promote its widespread adoption

An Overview of the Socio-Economic, Technological, and Environmental Opportunities and Challenges for Renewable Energy Generation from Residual Biomass: A Case Study of Biogas Production in Colombia

The escalating global energy demand, driven by heavy reliance on fossil fuels, worsens environmental degradation and triggers socio-economic shifts in extraction and refinery hubs. In Colombia, the energy matrix is predominantly fossil-based (76%), with hydroelectric power accounting for 70% of electricity generation. However, renewable energy sources only contribute 2% to the national energy mix. To reduce emissions by 20% by 2030, Colombia has presented an energy transition roadmap. The need for bioenergy production in Colombia arises from the residual biomass availability, the potential to provide sustainable energy access, and the potential to mitigate climate change impacts, while addressing energy poverty and enhancing energy security. This study presents an overview of biogas production in Colombia, emphasizing the need for financial resources to overcome barriers. Policy incentives, awareness campaigns, and research and development play a vital role in fostering social acceptance, technology adoption, and optimizing biogas production processes. Collaborative efforts among the government, private sector, and local communities are recommended to ensure wide-scale adoption of biogas, promoting economic, social, and environmental sustainability. By enabling informed decision-making, this research supports the transition to renewable energy sources and the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on bioenergy. The aim of this study is to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with biogas production in Colombia, including technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects, and provide recommendations for promoting its sustainable implementation and widespread adoption in the country

IlluminApp: Educational support tool for sustainable indoor illumination system reconversion for household applications

The illumination household represents an important percentage of electricity consumption in developing countries. The electricity consumption derived from residential illumination is strongly reduced by assuming cleaner and more efficient technologies. One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) considers responsible consumption and production of goods and services, in which the authors have focused this study on lighting loads on households. For this matter, IlluminApp has been developed. It is an educational tool, which allows to identify the benefits of the illumination technology conversion to residential users, as well as, an estimation on energy savings and the retrofit cost reduction by using different light bulbs technologies. The application uses a simple cost and energetic model to estimate: payback time, CO2emissions reduction, money, and energetic savings. This software is available in English and Spanish. The objective of this paper is to discuss in detail the interfaces of this application and its main functionalities. © 2019 AISTI

Virtual tool for the promotion of anaerobic conversion technologies of residual biomass in Colombian rural areas. [Herramienta virtual para la promoción de tecnologías de conversión anaerobia de biomasa residual en zonas rurales del territorio colombiano]

The effects of climate change are more evident and destructive every year, because of this, investments in nonconventional energy sources are increasing rapidly and countries are reinforcing their policies to promote the use, research and implementation of new low-carbon technologies. With this in mind, this paper explores a software for estimating the biogas generation potential of livestock; and its use as a virtual tool to inform the inhabitants of Colombian rural areas of the energy potential of residual biomass with easy to understand indicators and comparisons. Results of the proposed software are based on reported data from scientific sources and results are identical to those calculated by traditional mathematical models. The authors expect to enhance the adoption of anaerobic digestion technologies by releasing this software through governmental, non-governmental and non-profit organizations. © 2020 AISTI