Stakeholder participation in greywater management in the Jordanian Badia

The aim of this chapter is to illustrate the process of stakeholder participation in greywater (GW) management in the Badia of Jordan. The work was carried out as a part of a project entitled Integrated Wastewater Management Policies and Technologies in Marginal Communities in Jordan, described more fully in Chapter 4. The objectives of the project were to improve the quality of life and well-being for rural Jordanians, strategically support GW use and improve hygienic conditions. The stakeholders participating in GW management included local people, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), governmental authorities and scientists and experts from universities as well as research institutions. Local people were involved in different capacity-building programs, including technical field visits, a participatory rapid (or rural) appraisal (PRA) training course and awareness campaigns. Local people were also involved in data collection, community selection, GW quality and quantity assessment, treatment technology, construction and operation. Experts and governmental authorities participated in treatment technology selection and design. The study revealed that combining the strengths of different stakeholders made up for the scarce learning resources and human and financial resources that are needed to develop GW treatment technology for the Badia region. It was concluded that incorporation of inputs from different stakeholders enhanced the quality, ownership and sustainability of the project

Greywater Management in the North Eastern Badia of Jordan

This chapter looks at the feasibility of adopting non-conventional GW management policies for small, rural communities in the north-eastern Badia of Jordan. The north-eastern Badia comprises 33 small clusters (communities), all of which lack public sewerage networks. The most common wastewater collection method is the use of pit latrines and unlined cesspools. About two-thirds of the population separate GW from blackwater, but use the GW for irrigation in an uncontrolled manner and without any treatment. A local stakeholder committee (LSC) formed of and including community members and officials was engaged in all project activities, including field visits to wastewater/GW treatment-and-use projects as well as a training workshop on public participation concepts and participatory rapid (or rural) appraisal (PRA) tools and methodologies. Relevant social, economic, and environmental data and information were collected utilizing PRA tools as well as formal surveys. One of the clusters – Rawdat Al-Amir Ali – was appointed as a research site based on specific criteria set by the research team and the LSC. Greywater quality and quantities generated from different fixtures of six households at the research site were investigated during the period March–August 2005. Different cost-effective and technologically-sound alternative treatment options were assessed, taking into consideration potential reuse opportunities. Two different treatment options were considered: 1) septic tank followed by intermittent sand filter; 2) up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB). Two pilot plants were designed, installed and operated in two households at the research site

Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Domestic Sewage Sludge with Food Waste: Incorporating Food Waste as a Co-Substrate Under Semi-Continuous Operation

Anaerobic co-digestion of domestic sewage sludge with food waste as a substrate for biogas production and as a mean for waste management was conducted. The food waste was incorporated into the bioreactor as a cosubstrate semi-continuously via replacement mode and addition mode of operations in ratios up to 50%. The methane gas yield under the replacement mode of operation ranged from 295 to 1358 ml/gVSadded and from 192 to 462 ml/gVSadded for the replacement mode of operation and the addition mode of operation, respectively. The results indicate that the methane gas yield increases along with the percentage share of food waste in the feed. Anaerobic co-digestion under semi-continuous operation enabled handling large organic loadings compared to batch co-digestion processes

Nanotechnology Applications to Improve Solubility of Bioactive Constituents of Foods for Health-Promoting Purposes

Foods-derived multifunctional compounds, such as carotenoids, vitamins, phytosterols, polyunsaturated lipids, curcuminoids, flavonoids and polyphenols, in addition to the basic nutritional value, own extra health benefits and are considered \u201cpharmaceutical-grade nutrients\u201d better known as \u201dnutraceuticals\u201d. Similarly, phytochemicals from plants, characterized by analogous chemical structures, can be considered \u201cpharmaceutical-grade molecules\u201d. They could provide both diseases preventive actions and remarkable therapeutic benefits but, the efforts for identifying their mode of action and for applying them into food industry with health-promoting purposes, are often unsuccessful. Solubility is essential for a good absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and to achieve the systemic concentration necessary for an effective therapeutic activity, but the majority of these compounds are water-insoluble. Consequently, when ingested, they encounter many difficulties in crossing the diverse barriers to reach the bloodstream and to distribute to cells and tissues. Their absorption at gastric or intestinal level is troubled and in addition, they suffer from early degradation or fast metabolism, so rarely they manage to reach the site of action in therapeutically effective concentration and their clinical applications result strongly limited. Toxic excipients and harmful solubilizing agents were and are extensively used for solubilizing and delivering non-soluble bioactive chemicals (BACs) despite the resulting unpleasant side effects complained of by patients. During last decades, several new techniques, often resorting to nanotechnology, aiming at enhancing BACs solubility, at solving their pharmacokinetics drawbacks, at avoiding their early inactivation or fast metabolism, have been developed. On this background, the following chapter provides an overview concerning nanotechnology contribute and its technological advancements in \u201cmanufacturing\u201d nutraceuticals and phytochemicals in more bioavailable nanoparticles. In addition, it is reviewed the involvement of nanoscience in developing and enhancing food-grade solid nanosized materials to be used as BACs \u201ccontainers\u201d and \u201cvehicles\u201d either for their safe and effective oral administration, in the frame of medical treatments, or for achieving smart food ingredients to improve the quality and shelf life of nourishments