Carbon Black/Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanocomposite Membranes for Direct Solar Distillation

Water reclamation is becoming a growing need, in particular in developing countries where harvesting the required energy can be a challenging problem. In this context, exploiting solar energy in a specifically tailored membrane distillation (MD) process can be a viable solution. Traditional MD guarantees a complete retention of non-volatile compounds and does not require high feed water temperatures. In this work, a suitable amount of carbon black (CB) was incorporated into the whole matrix of a polymeric porous membrane in order to absorb light and directly heat the feed. The mixed matrix membranes were prepared forming a uniform CB dispersion in the PVDF dope solution and then using a non-solvent induced phase separation process, which is a well-established technique for membrane manufacturing. CB addition was found to be beneficial on both the membrane structure, as it increased the pore size and porosity, and on the photothermal properties of the matrix. In fact, temperatures as high as 60\u25e6C were reached on the irradiated membrane surface. These improvements led to satisfactory distillate flux (up to 2.3 L/m2h) during the direct solar membrane distillation tests performed with artificial light sources and make this membrane type a promising candidate for practical applications in the field of water purification

Proposing Employee Level CSR as an Enabler for Economic Performance: The Role of Work Engagement and Quality of Work-Life

The aim of the current research is to foster the economic performance of a hotel enterprise through employee-level corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities with the mediating effect of work engagement (W.E) and quality of work-life (QWL). A hypothesized model was developed for this purpose. The data were collected from the hotel employees of a developing economy (n = 396). The hypothesized relations were tested by employing the structural equation modeling technique. The current work’s statistical outcomes validated CSR’s seminal role to influence W.E and QWL perceptions of hotel employees, which eventually contribute to the economic performance of a hotel enterprise. The findings of the current analysis have different theoretical and practical implications. To the extent of theory, the current work advances the fields of enterprise management and employee wellbeing from an individual-level perspective of CSR. Practically, the current study helps the hotel management to realize that a carefully planned CSR strategy not only improves the economic performance of a hotel enterprise through employees but also helps to fulfill its social responsibility, hence leading a hotel enterprise towards a win-win situation

Porosimetric characterization of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes by image analysis and liquid–liquid displacement technique

Producción CientíficaStructural and surface properties of two commercial polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes have been evaluated by different techniques. Pore size distributions have been determined by Liquid–Liquid Displacement Porosimetry (LLDP) as well as by image analysis performed onto Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images of the membrane surfaces. Fourier TransformInfrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) has been used to investigate membrane composition, and in particular, to obtain proper information on the presence of an additive within the membrane structure. Porosimetric results obtained by the two independent techniques compared reasonably well and the Molecular Weight Cut Off (MWCO) of the two membranes estimated from LLDP pore size distribution was found to be in good agreement with the nominal values given by manufacturers.Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA302U13

The Role of CSR in Promoting Energy-Specific Pro-Environmental Behavior among Hotel Employees

Mitigating environmental crises requires efforts to reduce carbon emission at every level and segment of an economy. In this respect, the energy sector is blamed for increasing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) throughout the globe. Specifically, it was specified that electrical energy contributes to 35% of the world’s GHG emissions. Without a doubt, the topics related to clean and green energies remained a part of academic discussion; however, a critical knowledge gap exists in most studies. That is, most of the prior literature focused only on the production side (supply side) of electrical energy, neglecting the consumption side (consumption at the level of individuals). Given that a significant amount of electricity has been consumed by the individuals in buildings (homes, offices, or others) for heating and cooling purposes, it is important to promote a target-specific (energy-specific) pro-environmental behavior (TSPEB) of individuals. However, such a debate did not receive any significant attention previously. Further, psychological factors such as employees’ environmental commitment (EEC) and green self-efficacy (GSE) were identified as critical mediators to drive different employees’ outcomes, but the mediating effect of EEC and GSE was not tested earlier to foster TSPEB in a CSR framework. The data for the current work were collected from employees of different hotels in a developing country by employing a survey strategy (n = 383). The structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data, which confirmed that hospitality employees’ CSR perceptions could improve TSPEB. The statistical results also confirmed the significant mediating effects of EEC and GSE. The finding of this study will help the hospitality sector to improve its efforts for de-carbonization by improving the energy consumption behavior of employees as an outcome of CSR

Environmentally Specific Servant Leadership and Employees' Energy-Specific Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from Healthcare Sector of a Developing Economy

Environmental issues are significantly rising worldwide. Addressing the environmental issues and preserving the biosphere is a critical matter of concern in this era. The sheer amount of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world is related to the energy sector, especially electrical energy. A bulk of electrical energy is consumed by individuals in buildings for cooling and heating purposes. Prior researchers have emphasized employing clean and green energy sources to deal with environmental issues. The role of green energy from a decarbonization aspect is unchallengeable. However, a critical gap in most energy-related studies exists in the available literature. That is, most of the literature focuses on the supply side (the production) of energy, neglecting the critical issue lies with the demand side (consumption side). Energy data show that a sheer amount of electrical energy is wasted by individuals due to their inadequate energy consumption behavior. In this respect, a country’s healthcare system uses a significant amount of electrical energy. In particular, hospital staff uses a bulk of electricity during patient treatment, care, and other service delivery operations. The critical aim of this study is to improve the energy-specific pro-environmental behavior (EPEB) of hospital employees in an environmentally specific servant leadership (ESL) framework. Specifically, the study was conducted in Pakistan, which is a developing country. This study also tests the mediating effect of green self-efficacy (GSE) and green perceived organizational support (GPOS) in the above-proposed relationship. The data for the current work were collected from hospital employees by employing a survey strategy (n = 316) from a developing country. Structural equation modeling was considered to analyze the data, which confirmed that a servant leader with environmental preferences could significantly drive the EPEB of employees (β = 0.699), while GSE (β = 0.138) and GPOS (β = 0.102) mediated this relationship. The findings of this study can help the healthcare sector to improve its efforts toward de-carbonization by improving the energy consumption behavior of employees through ESL, GSE, and GPOS

The Role of CSR in Promoting Energy-Specific Pro-Environmental Behavior among Hotel Employees

Mitigating environmental crises requires efforts to reduce carbon emission at every level and segment of an economy. In this respect, the energy sector is blamed for increasing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) throughout the globe. Specifically, it was specified that electrical energy contributes to 35% of the world’s GHG emissions. Without a doubt, the topics related to clean and green energies remained a part of academic discussion; however, a critical knowledge gap exists in most studies. That is, most of the prior literature focused only on the production side (supply side) of electrical energy, neglecting the consumption side (consumption at the level of individuals). Given that a significant amount of electricity has been consumed by the individuals in buildings (homes, offices, or others) for heating and cooling purposes, it is important to promote a target-specific (energy-specific) pro-environmental behavior (TSPEB) of individuals. However, such a debate did not receive any significant attention previously. Further, psychological factors such as employees’ environmental commitment (EEC) and green self-efficacy (GSE) were identified as critical mediators to drive different employees’ outcomes, but the mediating effect of EEC and GSE was not tested earlier to foster TSPEB in a CSR framework. The data for the current work were collected from employees of different hotels in a developing country by employing a survey strategy (n = 383). The structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data, which confirmed that hospitality employees’ CSR perceptions could improve TSPEB. The statistical results also confirmed the significant mediating effects of EEC and GSE. The finding of this study will help the hospitality sector to improve its efforts for de-carbonization by improving the energy consumption behavior of employees as an outcome of CSR

Environmental impact assessment on the Monza cathedral (Italy): a multi-analytical approach

This research deals with the characterization of black crusts collected from the Dome of Monza (Milan, Italy). Air pollution is responsible for the degradation of historical buildings surfaces. In urban and industrial areas, the degradation process is accelerated, due to carbonaceous particles and heavy metals emitted by combustion processes which contribute to the formation of black crust (BCs). In this study the characterization of BC was performed using different analytical techniques such as: HRSEM-EDX, IC, LA-ICP/MS and digital image analysis. In particular, the research focused on the study of "heavy metals" which contribute to the identify the main sources of pollution responsible for the surface’s deterioration over time. BCs variability in composition also depends on the exposure of the analyzed surfaces.J. Santiago Pozo-Antonio thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for his “Juan de la Cierva-incorporación” (IJCI-2017-3277) contract. C. Cardell thanks the financial support provided by Spanish Research Projects AERIMPACT (CGL2012-30729) and EXPOAIR (P12-FQM-1889), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the Andalusian Research Group RNM-179. SEM-EDX analyses were performed in the Scientific Instrumentation Centre (CIC) of the University of Granada (Spain)

A pilot system for the characterization of hydrophobic membrane contactor modules to be used in air handling processes

Thermal comfort control in electrical vehicles calls for air conditioning systems with a low energetic demand. The paper describes a pilot system developed in the frame of the 'Xeric' EU project in order to study the effect of different operating variables (e.g. desiccant temperature, air velocity) on the performance of hydrophobic membrane based on desiccant air humidification/dehumidification. The overall vapour mass transfer coefficient was estimated in different conditions. By evaluating the membrane mass transfer resistance of the membrane through a modified desiccant inverted cup method, the experimental estimation of the mass transfer resistances in the fluid phases was done. The data obtained through the pilot system are of great interest for the development of air condition systems based on membrane contactors to be used in vehicles cabins

Effect of different pretreatments on sludge solubilization and estimation of bioenergy potential

none3Most of the conventional treatments of waste-activated sludge (WAS) are devoted to their minimization and destruction. On the other hand, the biomass contained in WAS can be utilized as a valuable source of renewable carbon. In this study, the influence of different pretreatments (ultra-sonication, chemical, thermal, and combined pretreatments) was explored for sludge solubilization. Effects of the pretreatments were investigated as a function of the solubilization of total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Concentrations of soluble carbohydrates and total nitrogen were also measured. The most effective pretreatment to hydrolyze sludge was found to be the combined alkali–thermal (pH 12, 75◦C) pretreatment method, leading to TS and vs. solubilization of 9.6% and 17.2%, respectively. Soluble COD, carbohydrates, total nitrogen, and proteins estimated in the liquid phase were 5235 mg/L, 732 mg/L, 430 mg/L, and 2688 mg/L, respec-tively. Thus, the alkali–thermal method could be used for efficient valorization of WAS. Moreover, the solid fraction from all pretreated samples was further subjected to thermogravimetric analysis to estimate its potential for bioenergy from its higher heating value (HHV), which was found to be in the range of 10–11.82 MJ/kg. This study can provide better insight into the efficient valorization of liquid and solid phases of sludge after pretreatment.openReshma Babu, Gustavo Capannelli, Antonio ComiteReshma, Babu; Capannelli, Gustavo; Comite, Antoni