Coverage of Non-Metals in the ASME B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping Code

1992 ◽  
Vol 206 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72
Author(s):  
W E Short II
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Petroleum Refinery ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chemical Plant ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Plastic Materials ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative ◽  
Dramatic Growth

The chemical and petrochemical industries have decades of experience in specifying metallic piping lined with non-metals as a cost effective alternative to high-priced alloy materials of construction for piping in corrosive service. Early on, application of plastic piping was essentially limited to atmospheric chemical sewage service and to above-ground vents and drains. However, applications and usage of plastic piping continue to increase as engineers become more confident in specifying plastic materials and mechanical contractors gain experience with their installation. Non-metallic materials are being developed that are not only corrosion resistant but also have increasingly higher pressure and temperature capabilities. Plastic double-containment piping has experienced tremendous growth for handling hazards and toxic fluids. In the United States, recent dramatic growth of plastic double-containment piping applications has been, to a large extent, for compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations of the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Related EPA regulatory efforts were accelerated in 1988 by more stringent amendments to this legislation. Industry in the United States must comply with these EPA regulations by December 1998. Plastic piping and metallic piping lined with non-metals have been covered to some extent by the ASME B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping Code for several years. The distinctive requirements of non-metallic piping and piping lined with non-metals were incorporated into the 1980 edition as a separate Chapter VII, which is dedicated to this growing area of interest in piping. This paper provides an overview of the present coverage of non-metallic piping lined with non-metals in the ASME B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping Code (1). Some topics that warrant further investigation are presented as well.

A Compaction-Granulation Process Turns Municipal Sludge into a Valuable Fertilizer Component

1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 239-247
Author(s):  
Philip Wolstenholme
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Municipal Sludge ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
Digested Sludge ◽  
Granulation Process ◽  
Planning And Design

To prepare dried municipal sludge material for use by the fertilizer industry, Ocean County Utilities Authority, New Jersey needed a process to increase the size of their sludge particles to between 1 and 3 millimetres. Several processes were evaluated during the planning and design phases of the project. The most cost-effective and reliable process was pressure agglomeration by compaction with a roll press, followed by granulation and screening of the compacted material. This process was tested with a sample of the Authority's digested sludge, which had been dried in a laboratory-scale evaporator. Fullscale compaction and granulation test equipment was used at a laboratory in West Germany to confirm the feasibility of the process and to develop data for the design of the project. As a result of its “innovative” approach to sludge processing, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) qualified this $60 million project for special funding. The project is nearing construction completion and due to be commissioned in spring of 1990.

scholarly journals Telepsychiatry and Medical Insurance: Comparative Perspectives Between India and the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 92S-97S
Author(s):  
P Lakshmi Nirisha ◽  
Srinagesh Mannekote Thippaiah ◽  
Rachel E. Fargason ◽  
Barikar C Malathesh ◽  
Narayana Manjunatha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative

Telepsychiatry is a cost-effective alternative to in-person psychiatric consultations. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a sharp spike in the utilization of telepsychiatry due to ongoing restrictions on gatherings and traveling. In recognition of the importance of telemedicine in general, and telepsychiatry specifically, telemedicine practice guidelines and telepsychiatry operational guidelines have been released. Due to the rising trend in telemedicine, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDIA) incorporated teleconsultation health insurance coverage at a level on par with regular in-person consultations. In contrast, in the United States of America, private insurance coverage for telepsychiatry has been in vogue for some time. In this paper we draw comparisons between India and the United States on telepsychiatry and health insurance. We compare the evolving regulatory policies of these two countries in relation to existing insurances plans that are available, the challenges in implementation of new regulations and the possible ways to overcome the challenges to make telepsychiatry affordable to all.

Investigation into the implementation of chloramination at Sedibeng Water

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 233-238
Author(s):  
N. Basson ◽  
D. Traut ◽  
G. Titus ◽  
C. vd Walt ◽  
J. Haarhoff
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
One Year

The Balkfontein and Virginia plants of Sedibeng Water, situated in the Free State Province of South Africa, treat water for potable purposes. Chlorine is used as disinfectant at both plants. Low levels of free chlorine measured in the water supplied from some reservoirs, logistics and costs, related to the application of chlorination at various points in the distribution system, were the main thrusts for an investigation into the use of chloramination as an alternative means of disinfection. The so-called contact time (CT)-approach from the United States Environmental Protection Agency was applied for the evaluation of disinfection efficiency. The distribution system was modelled by using a hydraulic computer system. Decay rates for both chlorine and monochloramine - a vital parameter for eventual determination of the amount of chlorine and ammonia to be dosed - were determined. The levels of disinfectant in the water at a specific location could be predicted by using the decay values. The main findings of this investigation are that chloramination is an attractive and cost-effective alternative for conventional chlorination for providing quality assurance to all. It is estimated that the capital layout will be recovered within one year of operation of the ammoniation system.

scholarly journals Surgical instrumentation: the true cost of instrument trays and a potential strategy for optimization

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M. Mhlaba ◽  
Emily W. Stockert ◽  
Martin Coronel ◽  
Alexander J. Langerman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Significant Cost ◽  
Instrument Type ◽  
Hospital Revenue ◽  
Potential Strategy ◽  
The Cost

Objective: Operating rooms (OR) generate a large portion of hospital revenue and waste. Consequently, improving efficiency and reducing waste is a high priority. Our objective was to quantify waste associated with opened but unused instruments from trays and to compare this with the cost of individually wrapping instruments.Methods: Data was collected from June to November of 2013 in a 550-bed hospital in the United States. We recorded the instrument usage of two commonly-used trays for ten cases each. The time to decontaminate and reassemble instrument trays and peel packs was measured, and the cost to reprocess one instrument was calculated.Results: Average utilization was 14% for the Plastic Soft Tissue Tray and 29% for the Major Laparotomy Tray. Of 98 instruments in the Plastics tray (n = 10), 0% was used in all cases observed and 59% were used in no observed cases. Of 110 instruments in the Major Tray (n = 10), 0% was used in all cases observed and 25% were used in no observed cases. Average cost to reprocess one instrument was $0.34-$0.47 in a tray and $0.81-$0.84 in a peel pack, or individually-wrapped instrument.Conclusions: We estimate that the cost of peel packing an instrument is roughly two times the cost of tray packing. Therefore, it becomes more cost effective from a processing standpoint to package an instrument in a peel pack when there is less than a 42%-56% probability of use depending on instrument type. This study demonstrates an opportunity for reorganization of instrument delivery that could result in a significant cost-savings and waste reduction.

Pension Enhancements and the Retention of Public Employees

ILR Review ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 519-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cory Koedel ◽  
P. Brett Xiang
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Employee Retention ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Public School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Public Pension Plans

The authors use data from workers in the largest public-sector occupation in the United States—teaching—to examine the effect of pension enhancements on employee retention. Specifically, they study a 1999 enhancement to the benefit formula for public school teachers in St. Louis, Missouri, that resulted in an immediate and dramatic increase in their incentives to remain in covered employment. To identify the effect of the enhancement on teacher retention, the analysis leverages the fact that the strength of the incentive increase varied across the workforce depending on how far teachers were from retirement eligibility when it was enacted. The results indicate that the St. Louis enhancement—which was structurally similar to enhancements that were enacted in other public pension plans across the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s—was not a cost-effective way to increase employee retention.

scholarly journals High Costs of Dialysis Transportation in the United States: Exploring Approaches to a More Cost-effective Delivery System

10.36469/9861 ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mark Stephens ◽  
Samuel Brotherton ◽  
Stephan C. Dunning ◽  
Larry C. Emerson ◽  
David T. Gilbertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Levels Of Care ◽  
Dialysis Facility ◽  
Effective Delivery ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage

Background: The costs of transporting end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients to dialysis centers are high and growing rapidly. Research has suggested that substantial cost savings could be achieved if medically appropriate transport was made available and covered by Medicare. Objectives: To estimate US dialysis transportation costs from a purchaser’s perspective, and to estimate cost savings that could be achieved if less expensive means of transport were utilized. Methods: Costs were estimated using an actuarial model. Travel distance estimates were calculated using GIS software from patient ZIP codes and dialysis facility addresses. Cost and utilization estimates were derived from fee schedules, government reports, transportation websites and peer-reviewed literature. Results: The estimated annual cost of dialysis transportation in the United States is $3.0 billion, half of which is for ambulances. Most other costs are due to transport via ambulettes, wheelchair vans and taxis. Approximately 5% of costs incurred are for private vehicle or public transportation use. If ambulance use dropped to 1% of trips from the current 5%, costs could be reduced by one-third. Conclusions: Decision-makers should consider policies to reduce ambulance use, while providing appropriate levels of care.

scholarly journals Pollution Prevention/Environmental Sustainability for Industry

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Bruce Dvorak
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Production Operation ◽  
Prevention Act

It has been 30 years since, in the United States, the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 focused attention on reducing pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use [...]

Treatment of patients waitlisted for liver transplant with all-oral direct-acting antivirals is a cost-effective treatment strategy in the United States

Hepatology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aijaz Ahmed ◽  
Stevan A. Gonzalez ◽  
George Cholankeril ◽  
Ryan B. Perumpail ◽  
Justin McGinnis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Liver Transplant ◽  
Effective Treatment ◽  
Treatment Strategy ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Direct Acting Antivirals ◽  
Cost Effective Treatment ◽  
Direct Acting

Abstract 16822: Dust Storms in the United States are Associated With Increased Cardiovascular Mortality

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
James L Crooks ◽  
Wayne Cascio ◽  
Madelyn Percy ◽  
Jeanette Reyes ◽  
Lucas Neas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Cardiovascular Mortality ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Ambient Particulate Matter ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
The U.S

Introduction: Extreme weather events such as dust storms are predicted to become more frequent as the global climate warms through the 21st century. Studies of Asian, Saharan, Arabian, and Australian dust storms have found associations with cardiovascular and total non-accidental mortality and hospitalizations for stroke. However, the only population-level epidemiological work on dust storms in the United States was focused on a single small metropolitan area (Spokane, WA), and it is uncertain whether its null results are representative of the country as a whole. Hypothesis: Dust storms in the United States are associated with daily cardiovascular mortality. Methods: Dust storm incidence data (N=141), including date and approximate location, as well as meteorological station observations, were taken from the U.S. National Weather Service. County-level mortality data for the years 1993-2005 were acquired from the National Center for Health Statistics. Ambient particulate matter monitor concentrations were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Inference was performed used conditional logistic regression models under a case-crossover design while accounting for the nonlinear effect of temperature. Results: We found a 9.5% increase in cardiovascular mortality at a two-day lag (95% CI: [0.31%,19.5%], p = 0.042). The results were robust to adjusting for heat waves and ambient particulate matter concentrations. Analysis of storms occurring only on days with <0.1 inches of precipitation strengthened these results and in addition yielded a mean daily increase of 4.0% across lags 0-5 (95% CI: [0.07%,20.8%], p = 0.046). In Arizona, the U.S. state with the largest number of storms, we observed a 13.0% increase at a three-day lag (CI: [0.40%,27.1%], p = 0.043). Conclusions: Dust storms in the U.S. are associated with increases in lagged cardiovascular mortality. This has implications for the development of public health advisories and suggests that further public health interventions may be needed. Disclaimer: This work does not represent official U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document