Electrospun Nanofibers for Scheming Water Pollution

Water pollution is one of the key global problems which require immediate attention. Worldwide, it is predicted that more than 50% of countries will encounter water scarcities by 2025 which will increase to 75% by 2075. Each year more than 5 million people die due to water-borne diseases. The threat due to pollution by industries, exponential population growth, urbanization, by pathogenic microorganisms from human and animal waste, etc. The rise in water pollution and its subsequent effects on human health and environment is a matter of great concern. The water pollutants ought to be removed to improve water quality for human use. Nanoparticles or zero dimensional materials have been extensively studied since long, whereas one dimensional material (nanorods, nanotubes, nanowires, or nanofibers) have recently grabbed a lot of interest from global researchers. Nanofibers having large aspect ratio are grabbing incredible attention owing to dependency of physical property on directionality having high porosity and surface area as compared to normal fibers.

Reburning of Animal Waste Based Biomass with Coal for NOx Reduction, Part I: Feedlot Biomass (FB) and Coal:FB Blends

Cattle biomass (CB or manure from cattle) is proposed as reburn fuel under slightly fuel-rich conditions. The CB includes wastes from cattle feedlots (cattle grown in feedlots to slaughter weights of 450–640 kg) termed as Feedlot Biomass (FB) and cattle wastes from dairy farms termed as Dairy Biomass (DB). NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants can be reduced by using pure CB and Coal:CB mixtures as reburn fuels (10~30% by heat) injected after the primary combustion region. Experiments with Coal:CB mixtures as reburn fuels were performed using the 30 kW burner facility. Part I deals with results from experiments using pure FB and Coal:FB blends as reburn fuels while Part II presents results on extent of NOx reduction using pure DB and Coal:DB blends as reburn fuels (RF). In the current work, results on NOx emission are presented with FB and Coal:FB blends as RF. The parametric studies include: equivalence ratio in reburn zone (ERRBZ), vitiated air, angle of reburn nozzles, presence and absence of heat exchangers (HEXs), and baseline NOx concentration. The optimum operating conditions for FB reburning were found to be conditions with vitiation at ERRBZ = 1.1 with 45° upward counter-current injection in the presence of HEXs. NOx emissions were reduced by as much as 96%.

Influence of Gypsum-Containing Waste on Ammonia Binding in Animal Waste Composting

The possibility of using gypsum-containing waste–citrogypsum, which is a by-product of the chemical biosynthesis of citric acid, was considered as an additive for composting poultry manure from poultry farms that practice litter-free poultry keeping. The research was carried out on an experimental batch of 1500 tons. The production of the batch was carried out by mixing citrogypsum with a moisture content of 30% and litterless chicken manure with a moisture content of no more than 80% in a ratio of 1:2. The resulting mixture was placed on an open landfill in piles 3 m wide, 1 m high and 400 m long and was mixed twice with a compost turner. Further processing consisted of mixing the mass once every seven days. The controlled parameters were changes in humidity, temperature, pH and nitrogen content during composting. In the course of the experiment, it was found that the introduction of citrogypsum into the composition of the compost helps to optimize the moisture, temperature and pH of the mixture, and a decrease in ammonia emission to 87% was recorded, with an increase in nitrogen content of 2.4 times compared to the initial value. It was concluded that citrogypsum can be used in composting poultry waste to reduce volatilization of ammonia and preserve nutrients.

The effect of organic fertilizer chicken on the growth of papaya plants in palm oil plantation: a case study of Naga Sari Village, Mestong, Muaro Jambi District

The use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture has caused soil degradation and is harmful to human health. Organic fertilizers made from animal waste have received worldwide attention because they are not detrimental to health or the environment. This paper describes the effect of using organic fertilizers from chicken manure on the growth of papaya plants. A completely randomized design was used in this study using two factors and three repetitions; the variations of the fertilizers given were 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 g. This study informed that organic chicken manure had a significant effect on the growth of oil palm and papaya plants. The best growth is oil palm and papaya plants given 200 g of organic fertilizer from chicken manure.

Nitrate contamination level in groundwater of the randublatung basin and its surroundings

The community of Randublatung basin and its surroundings (Grobogan, Blora, and Bojonegoro Regencies) using groundwater for agricultural, farming, and daily needs. However, these activities can contaminate the groundwater through nitrate and chloride in fertilizers, pesticides, animal waste, and household waste. Therefore, it is crucial to know the amount of nitrate and chloride content in the groundwater of The Randublatung basin and its surroundings. This research aims to analyze nitrate and chloride content and the ratio between ions in the groundwater of The Randublatung basin and its surroundings to find contaminant resources. The method to analyze the nitrate and chloride content is using Ion Chromatography. The analysis result from 35 samples of groundwater shows that the average nitrate content in dug wells samples is 10.06 mg/L, while the average from pump wells is 6.31 mg/L. The average chloride in dug wells samples is 43.65 mg/L, and the average from pump wells is 54.57 mg/L. These nitrate and chloride level are still in safe category based on Health Ministry Indonesia and WHO. The nitrate: chloride ratio in dug wells is 1:5, 1:9 from pump wells. The ratios indicate that the nitrate’s resource is associated with the on-site sanitation and will increase if there is no mitigation action to the contaminant resource.

Investigation of the roof-breaking device parameters for unloading composting installations of the bunker type

The article discusses the increasing efficiency of composting animal waste by substantiating the unloading processes, taking into account the formation of vaults in composting bunker-type installations. The technology of accelerated composting and the characteristic features of unloading the processed material is presented. The design and layout of the working bodies of the arch-breaking unloading device are theoretically and experimentally substantiated. Based on the research results, the unloading device’s optimal design and operating parameters and the values of the consumed power have been determined.

Isolation of A Nocardiopsis Chromatogenes Strain That Degrades PLA (Polylactic Acid) From Pig Waste–Based Compost

A new Nocardiopsis species that degrades polylactic acid (PLA) was isolated from pig dung–based compost from a municipal composting facility in Japan. To obtain strains capable of efficient PLA degradation, we minimized the effect of non-enzymatic degradation of PLA by maintaining the temperature at 37°C or below. After screening a total of 15 animal waste–based compost samples, consisting of pig dung, cow dung, horse dung, or chicken droppings, we found that compost derived from pig dung was most efficient for degradation of PLA film, and used it for isolation of PLA-degrading microorganisms. Screening for PLA-degrading microorganisms in compost was performed using an agar plate–based method; an emulsifier was omitted to avoid selection of strains that assimilated the emulsifier instead of PLA in the medium. After repeated enrichment, six strains were obtained. One strain that exhibited stable PLA degradation on agar plates was subjected to genomic analysis and identified as Nocardiopsis chromatogenes, an actinomycete.

The Criminogenic Nature of Food Production Harm Responses: A Case Study of Anaerobic Digestion Technology Subsidies in Northern Ireland

Meat production in its current shape is burdened with multiple environmental challenges. Technological solutions have been touted as a means of reconciliation of economic growth and environmental sustainability. In Northern Ireland, anaerobic digestion (AD) technology was presented as a solution for more sustainable animal waste management and greenhouse gas emission reduction in the context of the Going for Growth (GfG) agrifood strategy. AD sites were also eligible for the Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) subsidy support scheme. While criminological engagement with the issues around food crime is yet inchoate, even less attention has been paid to the issue of the criminogenic nature of responses to food production harm. The paper fills this lacuna by discussing how an ostensibly positive initiative of incentivising AD through subsidy provision may have criminogenic potential: it may exacerbate environmental harm due to its ineffectiveness for dealing with ammonia emissions from animal waste, and create opportunities for deviance, such as breaches in planning regulation and subsidy fraud.