Increasing temperature and pH can facilitate reductions of cephapirin and antibiotic resistance genes in dairy manure slurries

Quantifying antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in manure exposed to various temperature and pH treatments could guide the development of cost-effective manure handling methods to minimize the spread of antibiotic resistance following land application of manure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of various temperatures and initial pH shocks on the persistence of a cephalosporin antibiotic and ARGs in dairy manure slurries. Feces and urine were collected from five healthy dairy cows administered with cephapirin (cephalosporin antibiotic) at dry-off via intramammary infusion, and mixed with sterile water to generate manure slurries. In a 28-day incubation study, dairy manure slurries were either continuously exposed to one of three temperatures (10, 35, and 55ºC) or received various initial pH (5, 7, 9, and 12) shocks. Cephapirin was detected in the initial samples and on day 1 following all treatments, but it was undetectable thereafter. This indicates that cephapirin can be rapidly degraded irrespective of temperature and pH treatments. However, degradation was greater on day 1 with the mesophilic (35ºC) and thermophilic (55ºC) environments compared to the psychrophilic environment at 10ºC (P < 0.001). Increasing pH beyond neutral also accelerated degradation as cephapirin concentrations were lower on day 1 after initial alkaline adjustments (pH 9 and 12) than neutral and acidic adjustments (pH 7 and 5; P < 0.001). No significant effect of temperature or initial pH was observed on abundances of a beta-lactam ARG, cfxA, and a tetracycline ARG, tet(W), implying that bacteria that encoded cfxA or tet(W) genes were not sensitive to temperature or pH in dairy manure slurries. However, abundances of a macrolide ARG, mefA, were decreased in the psychrophilic and thermophilic environments, and also following exposure to a strong alkaline shock (pH 12). Our results suggest that increasing temperature or pH during storage of dairy manure slurries could be used together with other on-farm practices that are tailored to reduce the transfer of ARGs from manure to the environment following land application

Analysis and proposals for the development of sustainable municipal solid waste management methods in developing Asian countries

制度:新 ; 報告番号:甲3802号 ; 学位の種類:博士(工学) ; 授与年月日:2013/3/15 ; 早大学位記番号:新6180Waseda Universit

The Emerging Electric Vehicle and Battery Industry in Indonesia: Actions around the Nickel Ore Export Ban and a SWOT Analysis

As the automotive industry shifts from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), many countries are setting new strategies in their transportation sector. The Li-ion battery is currently the most common battery used in EVs due to its high energy density, durability, safety, and cost competitiveness. Nickel is predicted to be an essential component for the lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NMC) as a cathode material of choice for EV applications. Indonesia, one of the world&rsquo;s largest nickel ore suppliers, put an export ban on nickel ore effective from 2020. The bold movement was intended to initiate the domestic EV industry and encourage investors abroad to drive their manufacturing activities into the country. On the other hand, the global Li-ion battery manufacturers who imported nickel from Indonesia had to restrategize their businesses. This review discussed the chronological events leading to the ban and after the ban from the media, government regulations, and literature reviews. The authors of this study also conducted interviews and attended seminars with the national experts and key players in the battery and EV industry to gain their most pertinent insights. The SWOT analysis of the reviewed materials indicated that while the Indonesian battery industry is still new, it needs to diversify its research and development activities and collaborate internationally to optimize the utilization of its resources and meet the purchasing power of the domestic EV market. Finally, this study summarized six key factors to support Indonesia&rsquo;s ambition to be a new regional hub for EVs. These factors are: (1) pricing, (2) technology, (3) policy, (4) investment, (5) infrastructure, and (6) compliance with sustainability standards

LCCO

In response to Japan’s increase on coal dependence, co-firing of woody biomass in a coal power plant has been considered as the most feasible sustainable alternative. We propose torrefaction as an effective method to improve the quality of biomass fuel. To measure how much CO2 can be avoided by utilizing torrefied fuel, Life Cycle CO2 (LCCO2) of woody biomass co-firing in the Japanese coal power plant was conducted in this study. As a comparative analysis in the LCCO2, scenarios constructed included the use of woody biomass in the form of chip, pellet, and torrefied fuel. Due to the unavailability of large quantity domestic feedstocks in Japan, Indonesia was chosen as the origin of the imported woody biomass in the simulated scenarios. The results showed that significant CO2 reduction could be achieved especially in the co-firing that includes torrefied fuel. In the case where 30cal% of torrefied fuel or 5cal% of pellets were used for co-firing in a 50 MW capacity coal power plant, 95,000 t of CO2 could be avoided annually compared to using 100% coal

An Analysis of the Current Status of Woody Biomass Gasification Power Generation in Japan

Forests cover two-thirds of Japan&rsquo;s land area, and woody biomass is attracting attention as one of the most promising renewable energy sources in the country. The Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Act came into effect in 2012, and since then, woody biomass power generation has spread rapidly. Gasification power generation, which can generate electricity on a relatively small scale, has attracted a lot of attention. However, the technical issues of this technology remain poorly defined. This paper aims to clarify the problems of woody biomass gasification power generation in Japan, specifically on the challenges of improving energy utilization rate, the problem of controlling the moisture content, and the different performance of power generation facilities that uses different tree species. We also describe the technological development of a 2 MW updraft reactor for gasification and bio-oil coproduction to improve the energy utilization rate. The lower heating value of bio-oil, which was obtained in the experiment, was found to be about 70% of A-fuel oil. Among the results, the importance of controlling the moisture content of wood chips is identified from the measurement evaluation of a 0.36 MW-scale downdraft gasifier&rsquo;s actual operation. We discuss the effects of tree species variation and ash on gasification power generation based on the results of pyrolysis analysis, industry analysis for each tree species. These results indicate the necessity of building a system specifically suited to Japan&rsquo;s climate and forestry industry to allow woody biomass gasification power generation to become widespread in Japan

Reusing solar panels to improve access to information and communication in an off-grid village: A financial feasibility assessment

Pursuing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 7, to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” many off-grid villages received solar panels from external supports. However, these communities rarely have the capacity for reinvestment when the battery deteriorates. This study proposes reusing the abandoned solar panels as a power supply for cellphone charging stations and signal boosters. Taking an off-grid agricultural village in Indonesia as a case study, a cost–benefit analysis (CBA), net present value (NPV), and payback time estimation were conducted to determine the financial feasibility of the proposed strategy. The results identified that paired with an existing business, a four months payback time can be achieved under a standard scenario. Moreover, solar panels’ end-of-life poses an environmental burden. A sustainable use that can take full advantage of the technology’s lifespan should be considered when donating technologies to the bottom billions

LCCO2 of coal co-firing with imported torrefied woody biomass in Japan

In response to Japan’s increase on coal dependence, co-firing of woody biomass in a coal power plant has been considered as the most feasible sustainable alternative. We propose torrefaction as an effective method to improve the quality of biomass fuel. To measure how much CO2 can be avoided by utilizing torrefied fuel, Life Cycle CO2 (LCCO2) of woody biomass co-firing in the Japanese coal power plant was conducted in this study. As a comparative analysis in the LCCO2, scenarios constructed included the use of woody biomass in the form of chip, pellet, and torrefied fuel. Due to the unavailability of large quantity domestic feedstocks in Japan, Indonesia was chosen as the origin of the imported woody biomass in the simulated scenarios. The results showed that significant CO2 reduction could be achieved especially in the co-firing that includes torrefied fuel. In the case where 30cal% of torrefied fuel or 5cal% of pellets were used for co-firing in a 50 MW capacity coal power plant, 95,000 t of CO2 could be avoided annually compared to using 100% coal

Development and Verification of a Regional Residential Electricity Consumption Estimation Method

In pursuing Japan’s target of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, decarbonization strategies at the regional level have been taking place nationally. Some successes have been achieved in the residential sector in achieving decarbonization at the regional level due to improvements in the advancement of energy-saving technologies. An important prerequisite to achieving further decarbonization in the residential sector is understanding household electricity consumption of power demand objects. This study constructed a method for predicting residential electricity consumption in a case study region. First, we set up six models of household composition for scenario exercises. Then, we used the residential energy estimation based on daily activities (REEDA) method to calculate the hourly electricity consumption of each household composition in the four seasons based on the duration of daily life activity. Finally, we separately explore the impact of housing performance (insulation, airtightness), air-conditioning patterns (intermittent operation method in a habitable room/continuous operation method in a habitable room/continuous operation method in all rooms), and geographical location on residential air conditional electricity consumption. The output is a regional residential energy estimate method that can consider multiple key variables. We verified the developed model by (1) comparing the estimated output with the Japan Energy Database and (2) testing the method for various residential areas in Japan. The results showed an accuracy level greater than 75% and nationwide applicability