Design steps and performance of aerated lagoon, oxidation ditch and wetland methods for Erbil municipal wastewater treatment and reusing

The objectives of the current study were to investigate the characterization, treatment techniques and reuse of fresh municipal wastewater (MWW) from the east-south area of Erbil city, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The collected wastewater samples were analyzed for 21 quality parameters. Some of the quality parameters such as color (146 Pt. Co and 337 Pt. Co), total solids (800 mg/L), suspended solids (400 mg/L and 1100 mg/L), nitrate (17.7 mg/L), nitrite (11 mg/L and 29 mg/L), and ammonia (2.09 mg/L and 2.64 mg/L) exceeded the standards for wastewater disposal. Accordingly, treatment was required before the wastewater could be discharged to the natural environment. Treatment techniques such as aerated lagoons, oxidation ditches, and wetlands were designed and investigated. Design procedures, calculations, and performance for each treatment method were explained. The total area designed for aerated lagoons, oxidation ditches, and wetlands was 72000 m2, 17180 m2, and 25200 m2, respectively. In general, the wetland method was the most effective method with efficiencies of 91.6 % for biochemical oxygen demand, 90.4 % for chemical oxygen demand, 85.7 % for ammonia, and 91.8 % for suspended solids. Treated wastewater can be reused for irrigation purposes and is completely safe for irrigation. The use of treated wastewater from the east-south part of the city of Erbil for irrigation instead of drinking water is economical and leads to the conservation of drinking water sources

Overview of biologically digested leachate treatment using adsorption

Biological process is effective in treating most biodegradable organic matter present in leachate; however, a significant amount of ammonia, metals and refractory organic compounds may still remain in this biologically digested leachate. This effluent cannot be released to receiving bodies until the discharge limit is met. Several physical/chemical processes have been practiced as post-treatment to remove the remaining pollutants including coagulation–flocculation, oxidation and adsorption. Adsorption is often applied in leachate treatment as it enhances removal of refractory organic compounds. This chapter will focus on works related to adsorption as one of the commonly used methods to treat biologically digested leachate further down to acceptable discharge limit

Overview of biologically digested leachate treatment using adsorption

Biological process is effective in treating most biodegradable organic matter present in leachate; however, a significant amount of ammonia, metals and refractory organic compounds may still remain in this biologically digested leachate. This effluent cannot be released to receiving bodies until the discharge limit is met. Several physical/chemical processes have been practiced as post-treatment to remove the remaining pollutants including coagulation–flocculation, oxidation and adsorption. Adsorption is often applied in leachate treatment as it enhances removal of refractory organic compounds. This chapter will focus on works related to adsorption as one of the commonly used methods to treat biologically digested leachate further down to acceptable discharge limit

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome

Landfill leachate Treatment By Low Cost Activated Carbon Prepared From Agriculture Waste

Adsorption via activated carbon (AC) is one of the superior treatments for stabilized landfill leachate, but expensive and limited resource of AC precursor (bituminous and lignite) limit application of this technique in landfill leachate treatment. Based on previous studies, agriculture waste performed as an excellence potential for AC precursor. Thus, present study evaluates the sugarcane bagasse derived activated carbon (SBAC) for adsorptive removal of ammonical nitrogen, COD, and color from old anaerobic landfill leachate located in Perak, Malaysia. The chemical and physical properties of adsorbent were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effects of AC dosage (g) on adsorption performance were investigated in a batch mode study. Equilibrium data were favorably described by Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity for NH3-N, COD and color at 14.62 mg/g, 126.58 mg/g and 555.56 Pt/Co, respectively. The results illustrated the potential usability of SBAC for treatment of anaerobic landfill leachate

Appraisal of groundwater contamination from surface spills of fluids associated with hydraulic fracturing operations

Contaminated groundwater is a priority issue on the environmental agendas of developed countries. Therefore, there is an obvious need to develop instruments and decision-making mechanisms that allow the estimation of the risk to human health due to the presence of contaminants in soils and groundwater, in a fast and reliable manner. Thus, this study aims to assess whether the spilling of hydraulic fracturing fluids prior to injection has a potential risk to groundwater quality in the Kern County Sub-basin, California, by identifying the hydrological factors and solute transport characteristics that control these risks while taking into consideration the temperature rises due to climate change. The approach uses the concept of the groundwater pollution risk based on comparing the concentration of pollutants within the water table by using a predetermined permissible level. The current average annual temperature and that by the end of the 21st century was used to estimate the diffusion of benzene through three types of soil by using HYDRUS-1D software. The software was used to predict the contaminant concentration profile of benzene in the water table with special reference to the impact of surface temperatures. The results showed that an expected rise of the surface temperature by 4.3 °C led to an increase in the concentration of benzene by 2.3 μg/l in sandy loam soil, 6.8 μg/l in silt loam soil, and finally, 2.6 μg/l in loam soil. The results show that climate change can substantially affect soil properties and their chemical constituents, which then play a major role in absorbing pollutants

Assessment of groundwater contamination and the role of hydraulic fracturing operation in Weld County, USA

In shale gas-producing countries, soil, and groundwater contamination due to surface spills associated with hydraulic fracturing operations is one of the most worrying problems that arise, since its elimination is not easy or cheap to carry out, and its effects persist for many years. Thus, this study identifies the environmental and health risks associated with the extraction of unconventional gas. The study was carried out based on the available data obtained from Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) regarding groundwater pollution from spills that have occurred in Weld County where fracking has become a common practice. Data sources related to spills were analyzed. A range of parameters that characterize the quality of the water were investigated to determine the groundwater quality and compared with the international standards to evaluate its suitability for different utilizations. The result showed that the groundwater is not suitable for human consumption nor irrigation purposes. The study shows that there are 33 surface water bodies, 17 wetlands, 23 livestock, and 31 occupied building are threatened with pollution. The study also indicated that about 80 % of cases of spills are due to equipment failures. It can be concluded that the most important cause of surface spills and therefore potential contamination of soil and groundwater is equipment failure. Oil surface spills are the main causes of groundwater contamination, yet the contribution of agricultural activities to the spread of this contamination should not be neglected

Groundwater Contamination at Landfill Site

© 2014 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Improper design of landfill sites may cause serious problems to groundwater. Leachate, a very concentrated pollutant generated from the decomposition of waste and by precipitation, may penetrate through the waste layers and go straight to the aquifer. This chapter discusses some background on groundwater resource, its properties, and monitoring at landfill sites. Pulau Burung landfill in Penang, Malaysia was taken as the case study site where boreholes and monitoring wells were sampled and the results discussed