Hazardous waste management system design under population and environmental impact considerations

This paper presents a multi objective mixed integer location/routing model that aims to minimize transportation cost and risks for large-scale hazardous waste management systems (HWMSs). Risks induced by hazardous wastes (HWs) on both public and the environment are addressed. For this purpose, a new environmental impact definition is proposed that considers the environmentally vulnerable elements including water bodies, agricultural areas, coastal regions and forestlands located within a certain bandwidth around transportation routes. The solution procedure yields to Pareto optimal curve for two conflicting objectives. The conceptual model developed prior to mathematical formulation addresses waste-to-technology compatibility and HW processing residues to assure applicability of the model to real-life HWMSs. The suggested model was used in a case study targeting HWMS in Turkey. Based on the proposed solution, it was possible to identify not only the transportation routes but also a set of information on HW handling facilities including the types, locations, capacities, and investment/operational cost. The HWMS of this study can be utilized both by public authorities and private sector investors for planning purposes. © 2016 Elsevier Lt

Orange Peel Waste Valorization: An Integrated Assessment of Environmental and Economic Sustainability in Animal Feed Production

Data Availability: The authors declare that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information file. Should any raw data files be needed in another format they are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Supplementary Information is available online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12649-025-03044-2#Sec19 .This study examines the environmental and economic sustainability of producing a feed ingredient from waste orange peels (OP), for use in animal feed, focusing on two waste valorization strategies: one involving hydrolyzed and the other non-hydrolyzed OP. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) methodologies were employed to assess the environmental impacts and economic feasibility. LCA data were derived from lab-scale experiments and existing literature, using the ReCiPe 2016 (H) method to quantify environmental impacts per tonne of animal feed. Key findings show that hydrolyzing OP results in higher impacts compared to non-hydrolyzed variant, primarily due to the saccharification-hydrolysis process, though this difference becomes negligible at the animal feed production stage. Sensitivity analysis reveals that variations in input materials, except for transport distance—particularly for the non-hydrolyzed variant—have limited effects on LCA outcomes. Comparisons with business-as-usual scenarios (landfilling, composting and incineration) show that while waste valorization reduces environmental impacts, it does not surpass incineration due to energy recovery potential. LCC analysis indicates that producing non-hydrolyzed feed ingredient is significantly more cost-effective than the hydrolyzed variant. Overall, the LCA and LCC results suggest that while OP waste valorization offers notable environmental benefits, non-hydrolyzed feed ingredient production is the more economically viable option, contributing to sustainable feed production. This study highlights the importance of integrating both environmental and economic considerations in waste valorization strategies and provides guidance for waste management companies and animal feed manufacturers to support circular economy practices.This paper is supported by the PRIMA program under grant agreement No. 2013, project NEWFEED. The PRIMA program is supported by the European Union

MCT1-mediated transport of a toxic molecule is an effective strategy for targeting glycolytic tumors

There is increasing evidence that oncogenic transformation modifies the metabolic program of cells. A common alteration is the upregulation of glycolysis, and efforts to target glycolytic enzymes for anticancer therapy are under way. Here, we performed a genome-wide haploid genetic screen to identify resistance mechanisms to 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA), a drug candidate that inhibits glycolysis in a poorly understood fashion. We identified the SLC16A1 gene product, MCT1, as the main determinant of 3-BrPA sensitivity. MCT1 is necessary and sufficient for 3-BrPA uptake by cancer cells. Additionally, SLC16A1 mRNA levels are the best predictor of 3-BrPA sensitivity and are most elevated in glycolytic cancer cells. Furthermore, forced MCT1 expression in 3-BrPA–resistant cancer cells sensitizes tumor xenografts to 3-BrPA treatment in vivo. Our results identify a potential biomarker for 3-BrPA sensitivity and provide proof of concept that the selectivity of cancer-expressed transporters can be exploited for delivering toxic molecules to tumors.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH CA103866)Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research (Fellowship)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Fellowship)Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Investigator

Effectiveness of anaerobic biomass in adsorbing heavy metals

This study focuses on the effectiveness of waste anaerobic dead biomass (ADB) in adsorbing heavy metals, namely Pb(II), Cr(VI), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II). The metal uptake capacity of ADB was investigated and compared with the values for various biomass types from the literature. The biomass, which was grown under laboratory conditions using a synthetic wastewater, was used throughout the study after sterilization. The maximum metal adsorptive capacities were evaluated by running isotherm tests at 25°C and initial pH of 4. It was observed that Pb(II) was adsorbed with the highest capacity. The maximum adsorptive capacity of ADB for Pb(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Cr(VI) was determined as 1250, 625, 357, 227 and 384 mg/g dry biomass, respectively. These values were significantly higher than the corresponding capacities reported in the literature for other types of biomass. In describing the adsorption equilibrium, both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were examined. The experimental data for Pb(II), Zn(II), Cr(VI), and Ni(II) fitted both the Langmuir and Freundlich models with correlation coefficients of 0.80-0.99 while Cu(II) only fitted the Langmuir model with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. Therefore, different and distinct aspects of the interactions between the cell surfaces and the metal ions might have occurred for Cu(II) and the rest of the metals. The equilibrium pH values attained were all higher than the initial pH value of 4.0, and this indicated that both the type and the initial concentration of the metal influenced the equilibrium pH. Furthermore, there was a decrease in equilibrium pH with increasing initial metal concentration at varying levels.</jats:p

Use of GIS as a supporting tool for environmental risk assessment and emergency response plans

Although occurrence of disasters cannot be prevented completely, it is possible to minimize their hazards by taking precautions and applying effective emergency response plans. In addition to measures taken to reduce economical and human losses, an environmental dimension is required in these plans to control environmental pollution and lessen possible adverse effects on both ecosystems and human health, which in the long term may cost much more than direct disaster losses. Technological accidents triggered by natural disasters are one of the most important factors increasing the environmental damage. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to prepare regional plans considering both natural and technological disasters and aiming the coordination and resource sharing between the related authorities, institutions and factories. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are powerful tools having comprehensive data query, analysis, and visualization capabilities, and they may facilitate preparation of such emergency plans. In this paper, the role of GIS in emergency response plans is explained. A case study from Turkey utilizing GIS extensively for regional environmental emergency planning is given and problems that can be faced in developing countries are discussed

SPECIFIC CAKE RESISTANCE - MYTH OR REALITY

The specific cake resistance is considered to be the key factor in the characterization of sludge dewaterability. The use of this parameter without knowing how it is derived and the conditions under which it can be used has been creating a great deal of confusion in the literature. Moreover, the lack of a universally agreed test method to determine its value causes additional problems. Hence, attempts to go from the laboratory data to the full scale industrial equipment using this concept may end up in failure

The Izmir Bay Wastewater Management Project – Economical Considerations

Izmir Bay is one of the great natural areas of the Mediterranean and compares well with similar coastal areas in the world. Izmir which is the main urban area around the Bay is an important industrial, commercial and cultural focal point. It has the second biggest harbour and is the third largest city in the country. The Izmir metropolitan area has experienced rapid population increase which placed an intense pressure on the environment of the bay, housing, infrastructure and social services. The main sources of pollution in the bay are domestic and industrial effluents which account for 50% of the observed organic pollution. Rivers discharging to the Izmir Bay carry mostly industrial discharges. The main forms of pollution in the Izmir Bay are organic pollution, nutrients, pathogenic organisms and toxic material carried by rivers. Scientific evidence suggests if no pollution control measures are taken immediately pollution in the Bay will soon reach a critical level leading to the collapse in the ecosystem. With this understanding Izmir Sewerage and Stream Control Project which foresees the reestablishment of the Bay's water quality was started in 1983. The preliminary assessment of the costs and benefits of the project suggests that the benefits of the proposed pollution control system could significantly outweigh the costs of the control measures by a factor of about eight.</jats:p