Technologies to recover nutrients from waste streams: a critical review

Technologies to recover nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from waste streams have undergone accelerated development in the past decade, predominantly due to a surge in fertilizer prices and stringent discharge limits on these nutrients. This review provides a critical state of art review of appropriate technologies which identifies research gaps, evaluates current and future potential for application of the respective technologies, and outlines paths and barriers for adoption of the nutrient recovery technologies. The different technologies can be broadly divided into the sequential categories of nutrient accumulation, followed by nutrient release, followed by nutrient extraction. Nutrient accumulation can be achieved via plants, microorganisms (algae and prokaryotic), and physicochemical mechanisms including chemical precipitation, membrane separation, sorption, and binding with magnetic particles. Nutrient release can occur by biochemical (anaerobic digestion and bioleaching) and thermochemical treatment. Nutrient extraction can occur via crystallization, gas-permeable membranes, liquid-gas stripping, and electrodialysis. These technologies were analyzed with respect to waste stream type, the product being recovered, and relative maturity. Recovery of nutrients in a concentrated form (e.g., the inorganic precipitate struvite) is seen as desirable because it would allow a wider range of options for eventual reuse with reduced pathogen risk and improved ease of transportation. Overall, there is a need to further develop technologies for nitrogen and potassium recovery and to integrate accumulation-release-extraction technologies to improve nutrient recovery efficiency. There is a need to apply, demonstrate, and prove the more recent and innovative technologies to move these beyond their current infancy. Lastly, there is a need to investigate and develop agriculture application of the recovered nutrient products. These advancements will reduce waterway and air pollution by redirecting nutrients from waste into recovered nutrient products that provides a long-term sustainable supply of nutrients and helps buffer nutrient price rises in the future

Pendampingan Pengembangan Umkm Melalui Pemanfaatan Sumber Daya Alam Dan Pemberdayaan Sumber Daya Manusia Di Desa Ponggang Kabupaten Subang

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are vital business units in developing and growing the Indonesian economy. The people of Ponggang Village have the potential for their naturalresources, which can be processed to make a product that can make a steady income from MSMEs. This community service activity aims to open up insights and share the importance of entrepreneurship from an early age. The results obtained from this community service include the packaging of Ponggang Village MSME products with a unique design that has an element of identity from Ponggang Village MSME products, namely the "Pongs" product. From this packaging development, the product is hoped to have more value in the local market

Occupational Exposure and Environmental Release : The Case Study of Pouring TiO2 and Filler Materials for Paint Production

Pulmonary exposure to micro- and nanoscaled particles has been widely linked to adverse health effects and high concentrations of respirable particles are expected to occur within and around many industrial settings. In this study, a field-measurement campaign was performed at an industrial manufacturer, during the production of paints. Spatial and personal measurements were conducted and results were used to estimate the mass flows in the facility and the airborne particle release to the outdoor environment. Airborne particle number concentration (1 x 10(3)-1.0 x 10(4) cm(-3)), respirable mass (0.06-0.6 mg m(-3)), and PM10 (0.3-6.5 mg m(-3)) were measured during pouring activities. In overall; emissions from pouring activities were found to be dominated by coarser particles >300 nm. Even though the raw materials were not identified as nanomaterials by the manufacturers, handling of TiO2 and clays resulted in release of nanometric particles to both workplace air and outdoor environment, which was confirmed by TEM analysis of indoor and stack emission samples. During the measurement period, none of the existing exposure limits in force were exceeded. Particle release to the outdoor environment varied from 6 to 20 g ton(-1) at concentrations between 0.6 and 9.7 mg m(-3) of total suspended dust depending on the powder. The estimated release of TiO2 to outdoors was 0.9 kg per year. Particle release to the environment is not expected to cause any major impact due to atmospheric dilutionPeer reviewe

Tropical and subtropical Asia's valued tree species under threat

Tree diversity in Asia's tropical and subtropical forests is central to nature-based solutions. Species vulnerability to multiple threats, which affects the provision of ecosystem services, is poorly understood. We conducted a region-wide, spatially explicit vulnerability assessment (including overexploitation, fire, overgrazing, habitat conversion, and climate change) of 63 socio-economically important tree species selected from national priority lists and validated by an expert network representing 20 countries. Overall, 74% of the most important areas for conservation of these trees fall outside of protected areas, with species severely threatened across 47% of their native ranges. The most imminent threats are overexploitation and habitat conversion, with populations being severely threatened in an average of 24% and 16% of their distribution areas. Optimistically, our results predict relatively limited overall climate change impacts, however, some of the study species are likely to lose more than 15% of their habitat by 2050 because of climate change. We pinpoint specific natural forest areas in Malaysia and Indonesia (Borneo) as hotspots for on-site conservation of forest genetic resources, more than 82% of which do not currently fall within designated protected areas. We also identify degraded lands in Indonesia (Sumatra) as priorities for restoration where planting or assisted natural regeneration will help maintain these species into the future, while croplands in Southern India are highlighted as potentially important agroforestry options. Our study highlights the need for regionally coordinated action for effective conservation and restoration

Ecopreneurship - Operating with a Environmental Framework

Det blir stadig viktigere at bedrifter tar ansvar for miljøet og handler i samsvar med naturens tålegrenser. COVID-19 pandemien har resultert i en turbulent periode i den globale økonomien. Det er derfor blitt enda viktigere å fokusere på bærekraftig utvikling. Denne oppgaven undersøker økoprenørielle bedrifter som er selskaper som har startet på grunnlag av å løse et bærekraftig problem. Å tenke grønt er essensielt innenfor bedriftene, og økoprenørene kan fungere som viktige rollemodeller for andre bedrifter, ved å demonstrere at det å drive bærekraftige selskaper er et alternativ. Det å undersøke bedrifter som har et mål om å verne sine grønne verdier samtidig som de drifter kommersielle selskaper kan være avgjørende i det grønne skiftet. Formålet med oppgaven er derfor å kaste et lys på konseptet økoprenørskap ved å undersøke forskningsspørsmålet: \textit{Hvordan opprettholder økoprenørielle bedrifter sine grønne verdier? } Oppgaven er basert på et litteratursøk på forskningsfeltet på økoprenørskap som ble utført høsten 2020. Litteratursøket er det teoretiske grunnlaget for denne oppgaven. For å svare på forskningsspørsmålet er det gjennomført en casestudie på økoprenørielle bedrifter i Norge. Det er utført semi-strukturerte intervjuer med enten daglig leder eller gründeren av bedriftene for å samle empirisk data til oppgaven. Dataen ble deretter analysert ved å bruke en tematisk tilnærming for å fremheve de viktigste temaene som ble oppdaget under intervjuene. Til slutt ble funnene fra den tematiske analysen diskutert sammen med den økopreneurskaps litteraturen i oppgaven for å svare på forskningsspørsmålet. Funnene fra studien viser at økoprenører kun utvikler bedrifter som har et bærekraftig grunnlag. Gjennom vår studie har vi funnet ut at bærekraftige verdier er viktig for økoprenøren og de jobber derfor strategisk for å bevare dem. I tillegg viser studiet at økoprenøren utvikler sitt eget rammeverk for å forsikre seg at deres virksomheter bevarer de grønne verdiene sine og holder seg innenfor planetens tålegrense. Dette har ført til at økoprenørene har opplevd utfordringer relatert til samarbeid med andre selskaper, partnerskap, investorer og støtteordninger. Et hovedfunn er derfor at økoprenører opparbeider seg strategier som er til for å bevare grønne verdier. En effekt av dette er at bedriftens levedyktighet kan settes på spill på grunnlag av bedriftens grønne verdier

Implementing environmental sustainability in logistics operations:a case study

Purpose The purpose of the study is to develop an in-depth understanding of how supplier–buyer relationships, particularly in operational coordination, are affected when a company introduces an environmental sustainability target (CO2 emissions reduction) into its supply chain operations. The investigation focuses on the joint activities of the logistics function of the company (buyer) and the third-party logistics providers (3PLs) (suppliers). Design/methodology/approach This single-case study takes the perspective of a sustainability-conscious Danish company that outsources logistics services to 3PLs but maintains internal logistics as a boundary function. The value offering point/order penetration point (VOP/OPP) methodology is used. Findings The results showed that the introduction of sustainability led to the emergence of multiple decoupling points in both the demand and the supply chains. The logistics function therefore began to play the role of “integrator” across both the functions in the company and the organizations in the supply chain. The findings indicate the need to develop clear cross-functional and inter-organizational coordination mechanisms. Research limitations/implications This is a single-case study in a Danish context. Practical implications The study provides rich insights into managing the implementation of sustainability in supply chain operations, and it exemplifies how the VOP/OPP tool can be applied by 3PLs to develop sustainable offerings. Originality/value The current research on sustainable supply chain management takes into account the entire supply chain. In contrast, this study focuses on the logistics function. The VOP/OPP concept is used to capture the processes used in actual practice, and both the buyer and the supplier are considered potential co-producers of value. </jats:sec

Performance Measures at the Accident and Emergency Department in Denmark:The Issue of Unified Targets

Part 11: Service EngineeringInternational audienceThe use of performance measures and how they effect in practice for accident and emergency department has been studied in a Danish hospital case. The main findings are that having unified performance targets has consequences for the actual flow of various incoming patients, organization structure, and workflow. Moreover, this study suggests that measuring process lead time and length of stay differentiated by sites and various patient flows will provide a clearer overview of the actual operational performance