Biomass ash as a potential raw material for the production of mineral fertilisers

Received: September 10th, 2021 ; Accepted: November 5th, 2021 ; Published: November 19th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] obtained from biomass combustion could be a valuable product for fertilisation of soil or/and plant. It is connected with high reaction and potassium, calcium, magnesium content as well as low content of heavy metals. The analysed phyto-ash was obtained from Szczecin Power Plant Poland (12.2018–12.2019). The samples of phyto-ash, in the number of 24, were collected on subsequent dates at two-week intervals to determine the total content of the analysed elements (P, K, Mg, Ca, As, Cd, Ni, Cr, Pb, Hg). The differentiated percentage share of macroelements both in total form as well as available form in ash from wood biomass and Agro-biomass is described as: calcium > potassium > magnesium > phosphorus. Phosphorus is characterised by a very low (10%) and highly variable availability. Ash from biomass is characterised by alkali pH (13.0). Biomass ash can be treated as a mineral fertiliser used for soil deacidification and as a substitute for calcium fertilisers. Biomass ash has a high content of potassium and magnesium, which could qualify this by-product as a source for fertiliser. Mean contents of heavy metals: lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in ash do not exceed the limit values for the mineral fertilisers. The variable percentage share of Agro-biomass did not result in significant changes in the amount of available form of macro-elements in ash. The obtained results indicate the pronounced variability, depending on the season in a year, of the content of available macroelements in biomass ash

Risk sharing arrangements for pharmaceuticals: potential considerations and recommendations for European payers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There has been an increase in 'risk sharing' schemes for pharmaceuticals between healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical companies in Europe in recent years as an additional approach to provide continued comprehensive and equitable healthcare. There is though confusion surrounding the terminology as well as concerns with existing schemes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Aliterature review was undertaken to identify existing schemes supplemented with additional internal documents or web-based references known to the authors. This was combined with the extensive knowledge of health authority personnel from 14 different countries and locations involved with these schemes.</p> <p>Results and discussion</p> <p>A large number of 'risk sharing' schemes with pharmaceuticals are in existence incorporating both financial-based models and performance-based/outcomes-based models. In view of this, a new logical definition is proposed. This is "<it>risk sharing' schemes should be considered as agreements concluded by payers and pharmaceutical companies to diminish the impact on payers' budgets for new and existing schemes brought about by uncertainty and/or the need to work within finite budgets</it>". There are a number of concerns with existing schemes. These include potentially high administration costs, lack of transparency, conflicts of interest, and whether health authorities will end up funding an appreciable proportion of a new drug's development costs. In addition, there is a paucity of published evaluations of existing schemes with pharmaceuticals.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We believe there are only a limited number of situations where 'risk sharing' schemes should be considered as well as factors that should be considered by payers in advance of implementation. This includes their objective, appropriateness, the availability of competent staff to fully evaluate proposed schemes as well as access to IT support. This also includes whether systematic evaluations have been built into proposed schemes.</p

Rechargeable Battery-Ecological Alterative of Energy Source for Power in the Transportation System

Due to many limitations connected with the depletion and accessibility of natural recourses, such as liquid fuels, attempts are made to create a new mobility system, based on hybrid and electric vehicles in public transportation systems. Such vehicles could be the contributing factors in the effort of solving the issues of environment al pollution, which is especially high in urban systems. Heavy traffic in urban infrastructure is an ecological threat for humans and the environment. The process of burning liquid fuels releases large amounts of harmful chemical compounds into the atmosphere. Despite the extensive use of neutralizing agents such as platinum and palladium in vehicle exhaust systems (nearly 40 tons annually), the issue of environmental pollution stays unresolved due to the steadyt increase of vehicles in use. The introduction of electric vehicles into public transportation systems is not meant to eliminate immediately the use of traditional combustion engines, but rather to find a reasonable compromise in the ways they are being utilized. One major consequence of this innovation will be a new way of thinking about transportation, especially in urban agglomerations. It will reduce the usage of liquid fuels in favor of the more eco-friendly hybryd and electric vehicles.W zawiązku z licznymi ograniczeniami związanymi z dostępem, m.in. ze względów politycznych, do surowców naturalnych jakimi są paliwa płynne oraz wyczerpywaniem się ich zasobów próbuje się stworzyć nowy system mobilności poprzez wprowadzenie pojazdów hybrydowych i elektrycznych w systemie transportu. Tego typu pojazdy zasilane częściowo lub całkowicie energią elektryczną mają przede wszystkim przyczynić się do rozwiązania problemu zanieczyszczenia środowiska, którego poziom jest szczególnie wysoki w aglomeracjach miejskich. Duże natężenie ruchu, ogromna ilość przemieszczających się pojazdów na ograniczonym terenie infrastruktury miejskiej staje się poważnym zagrożeniem ekologicznym dla człowieka i jego środowiska. W trakcie spalania paliw płynnych wydzielają się do atmosfery znaczne ilość szkodliwych związków, a mimo stosowania czynników neutralizujących w układach wydechowych pojazdów, na które zużywa się około 40 ton platyny i palladu rocznie, problem zanieczyszczeń pozostaje bez zmian. Wprowadzenie pojazdów elektrycznych w systemie transportu nie ma polegać na natychmiastowym, całkowitym wyeliminowaniu pojazdów spalinowych, lecz na powolnym zastępowaniu silników spalinowych silnikami elektrycznymi