The use of olive waste for development sustainable rigid pavement concrete material

Recycle and reuse of agriculture and industrial wastes becomes a big chalenge in different parts of the world. The success in the waste recycle could lead to conserve the environment, reduce the use of cement, and improve health environment. This paper presents the potential use of fly ash from olive oil waste in Jordan to improve concrete material which could be used as a sustainable material for rigid pavement and building construction material. Olive oil ash was collected from olive oil mill and replace cement in producing concrete material. The range of cement replacement was 0% to 12.5% with increment 2.5%. The results indicate that olive oil reduces the workability of concrete material. The reduction of the slump of concrete increases with increasing olive ash content. Strength and durability of concrete improved and increased with increasing olive ash content in concrete up to 7.5 percent then the strength reduced. The results in this study show that the use of 7.5% was the optimum replacement of cement. This percent could produce concrete with higher strength and higher durability in comparison with the control concrete mix. Olive waste ash enhances both strength and durability because it reduces the effective water-cement ratio in concrete mix and filling the pore and void structure in concrete material. The benefits of this study could reduce the cost of concrete and recycle waste material and enhance concrete properties.

Synthesized NaA nanozeolite as a catalyst for the preparation of 3-amino imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines under solvent-free conditions

The present study explores a new method for the fabrication of NaA nanozeolite as a simple and efficient catalyst for the production of 3-aminoimidazo [1,2-a] pyridines through the 3-component reaction of aldehydes, 2-aminoperidines and isocyanides under solvent-free conditions. The production of organic template free (OTF) NaA nanozeolite was performed at room temperature. The prepared nanozeolite was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM), N2 sorption isotherm and particle size analysis (PSA). The particle sizes of synthesized spherical NaA nanozeolite were under 100 nm via the FESEM method. The BET surface area, total pore volume and mean pore diameter of the created sample were attained to be 362 m2g-1, 0.44 cm3 g-1 and 5.9 nm, respectively. The developed method has some advantages such as OTF production of NaA nanozeolite, simple synthesis method with short reaction time and easy separation using filtration and the ability to recycle and reuse of catalyst several times without reducing its efficiency.

Effects of Various Decolorizing Agents on Waste Cotton Fabric Dyed with Reactive Dyes

Shorter fashion cycles have led to the rapid accumulation of unwanted and waste textiles. Compared to light-coloured textiles, the dark-coloured ones are more difficult to recycle and reuse, and their incineration and landfilling have negative environmental consequences. A technology that sufficiently decolorizes these textiles without causing major damage to their structure and properties is therefore useful. In this study, a waste cotton fabric containing vinyl sulfone reactive dyes was subjected to chemical treatments with different oxidants and/or reducing agent. The effects of various treatments on the fabric’s coloration and mechanical properties were compared. The two-step treatment using first Na2S2O4 and then H2O2 showed the best performance, achieving a CIE whiteness index of 65.1, 19.3% tensile strength loss, 1.8% weight loss, 93.5% decolouration rate, and a degree of polymerization of 747.7. A mechanism was proposed to explain the synergistic decolorization process.

The 3rd International Conference On Agricultural Technology, Engineering, and Environmental Sciences

(The 3rd ICATES 2021) “Innovative Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering for Sustainable Food, Water, Energy, and Environment” Banda Aceh, 21 September 2021 Extended Preface The ICATES is annual conference organized primary by the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala. This year, in the 3rd consecutive year 2021, ICATES conducted the 3rd conference with co-hosted by University Malaysia, Pahang (UMP), Agricultural Mechanization Research Center (PUSMEPTAN) Syiah Kuala University, South Aceh Poly-technique (Poltas Aceh Selatan) and LPPM Winaya Mukti. Surely, we plan to conduct this conference physically just like previous ICATES in August 2019. However, due to the unforseen circumstances of global pandemic COVID-19, the 3rd ICATES 2021 conference was carried out virtually as same as ICATES 2020 by zoom meeting platform. We took this option because this conference was already designated and funded. Keynote and invited speakers were also scheduled for this event. Many delegations and authors requested for this conference to be performed, even virtually, since they need it to cover their publication and sharing knowledge requirements. The conference itself was run as planned on 21st September 2021 with the support from virtual event organizer started from 8.00 am to 19.00 pm. The ICATES committee members were managed this event in a particular room as a studio along with two appointed MCs. The conference was officially opened by the Rector of Syiah Kuala University, Prof. Samsul Rizal and it is broadcast lively via YouTube platform with recorded participants reach 447 were joined. The main event was started by video presentation from the Keynote speaker Prof. Okke Batelaan from Flinders University, Australia, followed by invited speaker from UMP Malaysia Assoc. Prof. Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya. The discussion session was performed directly once the second speaker was completed his presentation. Then, the second session of keynote speaker was started after 20 minutes break with the speaker from University Technology Mara (UiTM) Dr.rer.nat Shahril Anuar Bahari, followed by the last invited speaker Dr. Joko Pitoyo from Indonesian Center for Agricultural Engineering Research and Development (ICAERD). Moreover, parallel sessions were started after all keynote speaker session and participants were divided into 8 breakout rooms in zoom platform based on their related sub-topics. The operator acted as virtual Host and Co-host to manage and ensure all presenters and participants were put in the right place. Each participant and presenter was identified by renaming their name to room number and author full name. Presenter was given about 10 minutes for power point presentation via Screen Sharing and 5 minutes for discussion and shifted to next presenter. During the conference, video capabilities were turned on to ensure dynamic conference. As the conference chair, I firmly believe that the success of a virtual conference like this event can be achieved by arranging a stimulating program. We sincerely hope that next forthcoming ICATES conference will be conducted lively in touch as previously ICATES event in 2019. Thus, everyone finds the conference is stimulating and enjoying. Cordially yours Conference Chair Dr. Safrizal, ST., M. Si List of International Scientific Committees, Steering Committees, Organizing Committees, Keynote Speaker Abstract, Waste Plastic: Recycle And Reuse For Sustainable Road Construction, Bamboo, A Great Plant for Green Plan, Review of Rice Transplanter and Direct Seeder to be Applied in Indonesia Paddy Field are available in this pdf.

Numerical simulation and experimental study on hematite production by oxidation of mill scale

Mill scale is a waste product from steel hot rolling processes and containing a high amount of FeO and Fe3O4. It is crucial to recycle and reuse this waste for the recovery into a metallic iron or its single oxide derivative. One of the end products of mill scale oxidation is hematite which has multitude of uses in various application. In this present study, mill scale is converted to hematite by roasting a mixture of mill scale at a specific set of conditions at 900°C for a varied time under ambient air environment by addition of pelletized limestone as a heat storage media. In this work, the Dimensionless Degree of Oxidation Prediction Model (DDOPM) has been constructed to gain hematite purity approach in the resulting powder by using Matlab. The Buckingham Pi Theorem is used to find dimensionless parameters considering the effect of different parameters including the geometric factor of tubular horizontal furnace used, characteristic of mill scale, ambient air factor, and thermal characteristics of limestone. The degree of oxidation from experimental result was obtained from XRF analysis and compared to the result of DDOPM to show the correlation between the experimental and numerical.

Removal of heavy metals derived from COD analysis wastewater by electrolysis using graphite electrode

In this study, electrolysis using graphite electrodes was applied to treat wastewater generated from a COD analysis procedure (referred to as COD wastewater). COD wastewater containing high concentrations of H2SO4, Hg2+, and Cr2O72- salts were collected and then treated by electrolysis with graphite electrodes in a lab-scale experiment. The results showed that the electrolysis process was not affected by the electrode’s distance or area. The most efficient treatment for all three metals was achieved at a current value of 31.58 mA, which corresponds to a current density of 1.974 mA/cm2 under a voltage of 3 V, 8-h electrolysis time, wastewater pH<1, electrode distance of 4 cm, and electrode area of 16 cm2. Under these conditions, the concentrations of heavy metals after treatment were 1170.17 mg/l for Hg, 871.20 mg/l for Ag, and 56.3 mg/l for Cr. The treatment efficiencies were 48.15, 66.94, and 50.76%, for Hg, Ag, and Cr, respectively. While this technology is simple, low cost, and achieves a relatively high efficiency, after treatment the COD wastewater still carried a high concentration of heavy metals that exceeded the permissible standards. Therefore, it is necessary to have a further treatment method in place to completely eliminate the heavy metals remaining in wastewater, as well as to recycle and reuse acidic components from wastewater and to treat them up to environmental standards before discharge. In conclusion, electrolysis with graphite electrodes can be applied in practice to treat other sources of wastewater contaminated by heavy metals with low emissions.

Sustainably Processed Waste Wool Fiber-Reinforced Biocomposites for Agriculture and Packaging Applications

In the EU, sheep bred for dairy and meat purposes are of low quality, their economic value is not even enough to cover shearing costs, and their wool is generally seen as a useless by-product of sheep farming, resulting in large illegal disposal or landfilling. In order to minimize environmental and health-related problems considering elemental compositions of discarded materials such as waste wool, there is a need to recycle and reuse waste materials to develop sustainable innovative technologies and transformation processes to achieve sustainable manufacturing. This study aims to examine the application of waste wool in biocomposite production with the help of a sustainable hydrolysis process without any chemicals and binding material. The impact of superheated water hydrolysis and mixing hydrolyzed wool fibers with kraft pulp on the performance of biocomposite was investigated and characterized using SEM, FTIR, tensile strength, DSC, TGA, and soil burial testing in comparison with 100% kraft pulp biocomposite. The superheated water hydrolysis process increases the hydrophilicity and homogeneity and contributes to increasing the speed of biodegradation. The biocomposite is entirely self-supporting, provides primary nutrients for soil nourishment, and is observed to be completely biodegradable when buried in the soil within 90 days. Among temperatures tested for superheated water hydrolysis of raw wool, 150 °C seems to be the most appropriate for the biocomposite preparation regarding physicochemical properties of wool and suitability for wool mixing with cellulose. The combination of a sustainable hydrolysis process and the use of waste wool in manufacturing an eco-friendly, biodegradable paper/biocomposite will open new potential opportunities for the utilization of waste wool in agricultural and packaging applications and minimize environmental impact.

Plastic Pollution by COVID-19 Pandemic: An Urge for Sustainable Approaches to Protect the Environment

COVID-19 pandemic has created a prolonged impact globally and destructed the life all over the world. The necessary use of personal protective equipments, masks, gloves and other plastic products has to some extent reduced transmission of virus. However, the impact of plastic waste generated worldwide due to the pandemic has affected the environment globally. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has destructed and altered every part of life and environment globally. Potential impacts on the environment are seen due to the transmission of virus as well as a slowdown in economic activities as lockdown prevails. Increased biomedical waste, improper usage and disposal of surgical masks, disinfectants, gloves, and increasing plastics wastes from domestic households continuously endangers environment. Not only it has an impact on environment, but also deteriorates human health in the future. Global environmental sustainability is necessitated to overcome the plastic pollution problem and facilitate strategies to recycle and reuse plastics products. This review highlights the influence of COVID-19 on wastes generated by plastic products along with environmental challenges and repercussions. Also, measures to combat the plastic pollution problem have to be implemented for future protection and safety of the environment.

Single-use plastic and COVID-19 in the NHS: Barriers and opportunities

Background: Single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) has been essential to protect healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, intensified use of PPE could counteract the previous efforts made by the UK NHS Trusts to reduce their plastic footprint. Design and methods: In this study, we conducted an in-depth case study in the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust to investigate plastic-related issues in a typical NHS Trust before, during and after the pandemic. We first collected hospital routine data on both procurement and usage of single-use PPE (including face masks, aprons, and gowns) for the time period between April 2019 and August 2020. We then interviewed 12 hospital staff across a wide remit, from senior managers to consultants, nurses and catering staff, to gather qualitative evidence on the overall impact of COVID-19 on the Trust regarding plastic use.Results: We found that although COVID-19 had increased the procurement and the use of single-use plastic substantially during the pandemic, it did not appear to have changed the focus of the hospital on implementing measures to reduce single-use plastic in the long term. We then discussed the barriers and opportunities to tackle plastic issues within the NHS in the post-COVID world, for example, a circular healthcare model.Conclusion: investment is needed in technologies and processes that can recycle and reuse a wider range of single-use plastics, and innovate sustainable alternatives to replace single-use consumables used in the NHS to construct a fully operational closed material loop healthcare system.