Construction: use waste for building

As construction work in India soars and the pressure on stone and other natural resources mounts, the Bureau of Indian Standards has called for good-quality building materials to be made from waste products. A proof of concept for this waste valorization has been developed by the Indo-UK Centre for Environment Research and Innovation (IU-CERI; see www.gre.ac.uk/iu-ceri). IU-CERI has identified agricultural and industrial wastes from India that can be converted into value-added products such as construction materials by using carbon dioxide and commercial low-carbon technology (P. J. Gunning et al. Proc. Inst. Civil Eng. Construct. Mater. 164, 231–239; 2011). These products meet European specifications for lightweight aggregates. Implementing this technology will help to utilize India's abundant wastes from agriculture (more than 800 million tonnes), mining and industry (more than 400 million tonnes). These sectors will benefit from economic gains and smaller carbon footprints. Other likely benefits include diversion of waste from burning or landfill, sustainable production of construction materials, and more-consistent supply chains in regions with sparse natural resources

Mineralisation of CO2 in wood biomass ash for cement substitution in construction products

This study extends our exploration of the potential of biomass ashes for their CO2-reactivity and self-cementing properties. The ability of three hardwood-based biomass ashes to mineralise CO2 gas and partially replace CEM I in mortars was investigated. The three hardwoods were English oak (Quercus rober), English lime (Tilia x europaea), and beech (Fagus sylvatica). The woody biomass wastes were incinerated at 800°C to extract their key mineral phases, which are known to be reactive to CO2 gas to form carbonates. The selected biomass ashes were analysed for their CO2-reactivity, which was in the range of 32–43% (w/w). The ashes were used to replace CEM I at 7 and 15% w/w and this “binder” was mixed with sand and water to produce cylindrical monolithic samples. These monoliths were then carbonated and sealed cured over 28 days. The compressive strength, density and microstructure of the carbonate-hardened monoliths were examined. The ash-containing monoliths displayed mature strengths comparable to the cement-only reference samples. The CO2 uptake of oak containing monoliths was 7.37 and 8.29% w/w, for 7 and 15% ash substitutions, respectively. For beech and English lime they were 4.96 and 6.22% w/w and 6.43 and 7.15% w/w, respectively. The 28 day unconfined compressive strengths for the oak and beech ashes were within the range of ~80–94% of the control, whereas lime ash was 107% of the latter. A microstructural examination showed carbonate cemented sand grains together highlighting that biomass ash-derived minerals can be very CO2 reactive and have potential to be used as a binder to produce carbonated construction materials. The use of biomass to energy ash-derived minerals as a cement replacement may have significant potential benefits, including direct and indirect CO2 emission savings in addition to the avoidance of landfilling of these combustion residues

Enhancement of accelerated carbonation of alkaline waste residues by ultrasound

The continuous growth of anthropogenic CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and the disposal of hazardous wastes into landfills present serious economic and environmental issues. Reaction of CO2 with alkaline residues or cementitius materials, known as accelerated carbonation, occurs rapidly under ambient temperature and pressure and is a proven and effective process of sequestering the gas. Moreover, further improvement of the reaction efficiency would increase the amount of CO2 that could be permanently sequestered into solid products. This paper examines the potential of enhancing the accelerated carbonation of air pollution control residues, cement bypass dust and ladle slag by applying ultrasound at various water-to-solid (w/s) ratios. Experimental results showed that application of ultrasound increased the CO2 uptake by up to four times at high w/s ratios, whereas the reactivity at low water content showed little change compared with controls. Upon sonication, the particle size of the waste residues decreased and the amount of calcite precipitates increased. Finally, the sonicated particles exhibited a rounded morphology when observed by scanning electron microscopy

Offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions from biomass waste and mineralised carbon dioxide

The present work investigates biomass wastes and their ashes for re-use in combination with mineralised CO2 in cement-bound construction products. A range of biomass residues (e.g., wood derived, nut shells, fibres, and fruit peels) sourced in India, Africa and the UK were ashed and exposed to CO2 gas. These CO2-reactive ashes could mineralise CO2 gas and be used to cement ‘raw’ biomass in solid carbonated monolithic composites. The CO2 sequestered in ashes (125–414 g CO2/kg) and that emitted after incineration (400–500 g CO2/kg) was within the same range (w/w). The CO2-reactive ashes embodied significant amounts of CO2 (147–424 g equivalent CO2/kg ash). Selected ashes were combined with raw biomass and Portland Cement, CEM 1 and exposed to CO2. The use of CEM 1 in the carbonated products was offset by the CO2 mineralised (i.e. samples were ‘carbon negative’, even when 10% w/w CEM 1 was used); furthermore, biomass ashes were a suitable substitute for CEM 1 up to 50% w/w. The approach is conceptually simple, scalable, and can be applicable to a wide range of biomass ashes in a closed ‘emission-capture’ process ‘loop’. An extrapolation of potential for CO2 offset in Europe provides an estimate of CO2 sequestration potential to 2030

Effect of mineral-based amendments on rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and cadmium content in plant and Polluted soil

Agricultural soils can be contaminated by industrial activities such as mining and smelting. Contamination with cadmium (Cd) can significantly exceed average background values, which can lead to uptake by rice plant and even harm to humans through food chain. In Hunan province, southern China, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the main cereal, and human exposure to metallic contaminants through rice pathway is of particular interest. Shortage of land for rice growing means that contaminated agricultural soil is still cultivated for rice in Hunan. In the present work, a field experiment was undertaken to remediate Cd-contaminated paddy soil with three mineral amendments, namely sepiolite, bone char, and a silicon-based product (normally used as fertilizer). Average Cd concentration in the paddy soil was 2.85 mg/kg, significantly exceeding Chinese soil quality standards of China. Cd content was 0.59 mg/kg in sepiolite, 0.28 mg/kg in bone char, and 0.44 mg/kg in silicon fertilizer, respectively. Distribution fractions of Cd in soil followed the order of exchangeable (FI) > organic matter-bound (FIII) > residual (FIV) > oxide-bound (FII) without treatment, while exchangeable (FI) > residual (FIV) > organic matter-bound (FIII) > oxide-bound (FII) after treatment. With addition of three amendments, soil pH values and rice growth such as plant height and ripening rate increased. Concentrations of Cd in the rice plant (straw, husk, and unpolished rice) decreased after treatment. However, among three amendments, only the bone char addition reduced Cd accumulation in the rice plant below the Chinese standard value (0.2 mg/kg) and in the husk to below the Chinese feed hygiene standard for food (0.5 mg/kg)

Soil carbon development in rejuvenated Indian coal mine spoil

The impact of mine spoil on the landscape is significant, as excavated rock-debris is commonly disposedin heaps that blanket the original land surface. Spoil heaps destroy the original soil habitat releasing soil-bound carbon, which is difficult to re-estate when mining operations cease and restoration begins. Thepresent work follows the development of vegetative cover on a coalmine spoil tip in India over a period of19 years following restoration. The potential of re-vegetated the mine spoil to imbibe carbon is examinedthrough the development of above- and below-ground biomass development. It was observed that the soilorganic carbon and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) significantly increased with re-vegetation age, withabove ground biomass increasing by 23 times, and belowground biomass increased by 26 times during theperiod of study. Soil organic carbon and MBC increased by 4× and 6.6× times, respectively. The averagecalculated annual carbon budget was 8.40 T/ha/year, of which 2.14 T/ha was allocated to above groundbiomass, 0.31 T/ha to belowground biomass, 2.88 T/ha to litter mass and 1.35 T/ha was sequestered intothe soil. This work has shown that the development of biomass following the restoration of mine spoilwas significant and that considerable quantities of carbon were stored in above and below ground plantmatter, and in the soil itself. It is concluded that appropriate restoration strategies can be used to rapidlyestablish a viable, healthy and sustainable ecosystem that imbibes carbon into former mine-impacted land

Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Funder: laura and john arnold foundationBACKGROUND: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GEHFX ). METHODS: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence. RESULTS: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I2 = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570