The Reuse of Waste Glass as Aggregate Replacement for Producing Concrete Bricks as an Alternative for Waste Glass Management on Sichang Island

The objective of this research is to manage waste glass in Koh Sichang, Chonburi province, used as a partial fine aggregate replacement in concrete brick production according to the Thai Industrial Standard (TIS) 57-2533. An experimental approach aimed to determine the level of waste glass replacement for the optimal compressive strength. Five samples of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 100% waste glass aggregates by weight were tested at 7, 14, and 28 days. The microstructure and mineralogical phases of the concrete bricks were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry, respectively. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength was improved by increments in replacing waste glass up to 20%; in contrast, the compressive strength was decreased with an increase of waste glass of over 20% in concrete bricks. The optimum compressive strength of concrete brick was 20% by weight, which had the highest values (46.51, 47.41, and 48.49 MPa at 7, 14, and 28 days, respectively) and lowest water absorption. Therefore, waste glass can be used as a partial fine aggregate for producing concrete bricks, and it can be employed as an alternative material for waste glass management

Fractionation and Mobility of Lead in Klity Creek Riverbank Sediments, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

The sequential extraction method was employed to investigate the distribution and chemical fractions of lead (Pb) in Klity Creek sediments, Kanchanaburi, Thailand with the main objective to define the lead mobility in sediment and potential bioavailability in relation to sediment contamination levels. Samples were collected from a total of twelve sampling sites distributed from upstream of the polluted zone until the final downstream point at Srinakarin Reservoir. The results showed that the background value of total lead concentration in the sediments from this area was higher than those reported from other locations in Thailand. Sequential extraction results revealed that lead was mainly associated with the reducible fraction especially in the polluted zone in the vicinity of the ore dressing plant. This is different from the distribution of lead fractions upstream and downstream of the polluted area, i.e. reducible fraction was the major component upstream whereas strongly dissociated fractions (oxidizable and residual) were the major components for the downstream samples (at Srinakarin Reservoir). A significant amount of the lead fraction in the study area was rather mobile, suggesting it as readily available to living organisms. Most samples exhibited a medium risk level with Risk Assessment Code (RAC) values of more than 10%

Pro-environmental behavior regarding single-use plastics reduction in urban–rural communities of Thailand: Implication for public policy

The study investigates residents’ behavior towards reducing the use of single-use plastic (SUP), specifically in the context of food packaging. The widespread view holds that pro-environmental behavior (PB) results from a person’s moral and rational deliberations. In reducing single-use plastic (SUP) consumption and waste, the relative roles of rationality and morality models in validating PB among rural and urban residents are not yet clear. In this empirical study, we compared the relative efficacy of two models for explaining people’s SUP reduction behavior: the theory of planned behavior (TPB; rationality) and the value belief norm (VBN; morality). We investigated Thailand’s rural (Sichang Island) and metropolitan (Nonthaburi city) areas. As a result, we surveyed people living on Sichang Island (n = 255) and in Nonthaburi city (n = 310). We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis in this study. Findings showed that while morality better justified all the study participants’ SUP reduction behavior, rationality underpinned behaviors of rural residents, while morality better explained the actions of city residents. We discussed future theoretical development and a policy roadmap based on these findings.</p

Spatial Distribution and Mobility Factor of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil in the Vicinity of Abandoned Lead Ore Dressing Plant, Klity Village, Thailand

The concentration and mobility spatial distribution of heavy metals (lead, zinc, cadmium and chromium) including potential ecological risk have been evaluated for the polluted surface soil from mining activities in Upper Klity village, Thailand. Soil samples were collected from the residential and agricultural areas and the area of ore dressing plant. Heavy metals content presented higher in the ore dressing plant area than those found in residential and agricultural areas. Lead was the predominant polluted metal with two hot spots surrounding the ore dressing plant and open pit mine. Mobility distribution of these metals was followed closely with their concentration. Vertical soil profiles proved that mobility factors were only high at the top soil layer and became lower at deeper soil layers for all metals, and the quantities of lead, zinc, cadmium and chromium in both soil profiles can be ordered from large to small as: Reducible, Residual, Oxidizable, Acid extraction and Exchangeable fractions. These results indicated that the contamination was caused by anthropogenic mining activities. Potential Ecological Risk (PER) exhibited a low potential ecological risk with the averages of 3.79 and 81.3 in agricultural and ore dressing plant areas, respectively. However, most individual potential ecological risk values were small and classified as low for all heavy metals. This study recommends that heavy metals were unlikely to cause additional adverse health risk effects in residential and agricultural area. On the other hand, the risk of heavy metals pollution in the ore dressing plant area should be of primary concern

Pro-environmental behavior regarding single-use plastics reduction in urban-rural communities of Thailand: Implication for public policy.

The study investigates residents behavior towards reducing the use of single-use plastic (SUP), specifically in the context of food packaging. The widespread view holds that pro-environmental behavior (PB) results from a persons moral and rational deliberations. In reducing single-use plastic (SUP) consumption and waste, the relative roles of rationality and morality models in validating PB among rural and urban residents are not yet clear. In this empirical study, we compared the relative efficacy of two models for explaining peoples SUP reduction behavior: the theory of planned behavior (TPB; rationality) and the value belief norm (VBN; morality). We investigated Thailands rural (Sichang Island) and metropolitan (Nonthaburi city) areas. As a result, we surveyed people living on Sichang Island (n = 255) and in Nonthaburi city (n = 310). We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis in this study. Findings showed that while morality better justified all the study participants SUP reduction behavior, rationality underpinned behaviors of rural residents, while morality better explained the actions of city residents. We discussed future theoretical development and a policy roadmap based on these findings