Production of Alkaline Protease by Free and Immobilised Cells of VIBRIO sp. Under Different Fermentation Systems and Its Application on Deproteinisation of Prawn Shell Waste for Chitin Recovery

This thesis presents a detailed account of a cost - effective approach towards enhanced production of alkaline protease at profitable levels using different fermentation designs employing cheap agro-industrial residues. It involves the optimisation of process parameters for the production of a thermostable alkaline protease by Vibrio sp. V26 under solid state, submerged and biphasic fermentations, production of the enzyme using cell immobilisation technology and the application of the crude enzyme on the deproteinisation of crustacean waste.The present investigation suggests an economic move towards Improved production of alkaline protease at gainful altitudes employing different fermentation designs utilising inexpensive agro-industrial residues. Moreover, the use of agro-industrial and other solid waste substrates for fermentation helps to provide a substitute in conserving the already dwindling global energy resources. Another alternative for accomplishing economically feasible production is by the use of immobilisation technique. This method avoids the wasteful expense of continually growing microorganisms. The high protease producing potential of the organism under study ascertains their exploitation in the utilisation and management of wastes. However, strain improvement studies for the production of high yielding variants using mutagens or by gene transfer are required before recommending them to Industries.Industries, all over the world, have made several attempts to exploit the microbial diversity of this planet. For sustainable development, it is essential to discover, develop and defend this natural prosperity. The Industrial development of any country is critically dependent on the intellectual and financial investment in this area. The need of the hour is to harness the beneficial uses of microbes for maximum utilisation of natural resources and technological yields. Owing to the multitude of applications in a variety of industrial sectors, there has always been an increasing demand for novel producers and resources of alkaline proteases as well as for innovative methods of production at a commercial altitude. This investigation forms a humble endeavour towards this perspective and bequeaths hope and inspiration for inventions to follow.

Utilization of prawn waste for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana by solid state fermentation

Prawn waste, a chitinous solid waste of the shell®sh processing industry, was used as a substrate for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana BTMF S10, in a solid state fermentation (SSF) culture. The process parameters in¯uencing SSF were optimized. A maximum chitinase yield of 248.0 units/g initial dry substrate (U/gIDS) was obtained in a medium containing a 5:1 ratio (w/v) of prawn waste/sea water, 1% (w/w) NaCl, 2.5% (w/w) KH2PO4, 425±600 lm substrate particle size at 27 °C, initial pH 9.5, and after 5 days of incubation. The presence of yeast extract reduced chitinase yield. The results indicate scope for the utilization of shell®sh processing (prawn) waste for the industrial production of chitinase by using solid state fermentation.

Greenhouse gas emissions from waste management—assessment of quantification methods

Of the many sources of urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, solid waste is the only one for which management decisions are undertaken primarily by municipal governments themselves and is hence often the largest component of cities’ corporate inventories. It is essential that decision-makers select an appropriate quantification methodology and have an appreciation of methodological strengths and shortcomings. This work compares four different waste emissions quantification methods, including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1996 guidelines, IPCC 2006 guidelines, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Waste Reduction Model (WARM), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities- Partners for Climate Protection (FCM-PCP) quantification tool. Waste disposal data for the greater Toronto area (GTA) in 2005 are used for all methodologies; treatment options (including landfill, incineration, compost, and anaerobic digestion) are examined where available in methodologies. Landfill was shown to be the greatest source of GHG emissions, contributing more than three-quarters of total emissions associated with waste management. Results from the different landfill gas (LFG) quantification approaches ranged from an emissions source of 557 kt carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) (FCM-PCP) to a carbon sink of −53 kt CO2e (EPA WARM). Similar values were obtained between IPCC approaches. The IPCC 2006 method was found to be more appropriate for inventorying applications because it uses a waste-in-place (WIP) approach, rather than a methane commitment (MC) approach, despite perceived onerous data requirements for WIP. MC approaches were found to be useful from a planning standpoint; however, uncertainty associated with their projections of future parameter values limits their applicability for GHG inventorying. MC and WIP methods provided similar results in this case study; however, this is case specific because of similarity in assumptions of present and future landfill parameters and quantities of annual waste deposited in recent years being relatively consistent.

Critical analysis of the regulations regarding the disposal of medication waste

Expired or unused medication at people's homes is normally disposed of in normal garbage, sewage system or, in certain cases, returned to the public health system. There is still no specific legislation regarding this leftover medication to regulate and orient the handling and correct disposal of medication waste. However, there is defined regulation regarding health services' solid waste. This article has the objective of discussing management models for the disposal of medication waste and the recommendations made by pertinent national and international legislation. By means of literature reviews, the management structure for medication waste of international legislation and the regulations regarding the environment, as well as the national legislation for the solid waste from health services was analyzed. Through the analysis it was possible to present better clarifications as to the possible impacts to the environment, to the public's health and alternatives in order to obtain the efficient disposal of medication, reducing and/or avoiding sanitary risk, guaranteeing the quality and safety of public health.

Analysis and modelling of the performance of technologies for flue gas treatment in Waste-to-Energy processes

Waste management represents an important issue in our society and Waste-to-Energy incineration plants have been playing a significant role in the last decades, showing an increased importance in Europe. One of the main issues posed by waste combustion is the generation of air contaminants. Particular concern is present about acid gases, mainly hydrogen chloride and sulfur oxides, due to their potential impact on the environment and on human health. Therefore, in the present study the main available technological options for flue gas treatment were analyzed, focusing on dry treatment systems, which are increasingly applied in Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) incinerators. An operational model was proposed to describe and optimize acid gas removal process. It was applied to an existing MSW incineration plant, where acid gases are neutralized in a two-stage dry treatment system. This process is based on the injection of powdered calcium hydroxide and sodium bicarbonate in reactors followed by fabric filters. HCl and SO2 conversions were expressed as a function of reactants flow rates, calculating model parameters from literature and plant data. The implementation in a software for process simulation allowed the identification of optimal operating conditions, taking into account the reactant feed rates, the amount of solid products and the recycle of the sorbent. Alternative configurations of the reference plant were also assessed. The applicability of the operational model was extended developing also a fundamental approach to the issue. A predictive model was developed, describing mass transfer and kinetic phenomena governing the acid gas neutralization with solid sorbents. The rate controlling steps were identified through the reproduction of literature data, allowing the description of acid gas removal in the case study analyzed. A laboratory device was also designed and started up to assess the required model parameters.

Legal Aspects which Implement Good Practice Measures in the Management of Construction and Demolition Waste

The construction industry, one of the most important ones in the development of a country, generates unavoidable impacts on the environment. The social demand towards greater respect for the environment is a high and general outcry. Therefore, the construction industry needs to reduce the impact it produces. Proper waste management is not enough; we must take a further step in environmental management, where new measures need to be introduced for the prevention at source, such as good practices to promote recycling. Following the amendment of the legal frame applicable to Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D waste), important developments have been incorporated in European and International laws, aiming to promote the culture of reusing and recycling. This change of mindset, that is progressively taking place in society, is allowing for the consideration of C&D waste no longer as an unusable waste, but as a reusable material. The main objective of the work presented in this paper is to enhance C&D waste management systems through the development of preventive measures during the construction process. These measures concern all the agents intervening in the construction process as only the personal implication of all of them can ensure an efficient management of the C&D waste generated. Finally, a model based on preventive measures achieves organizational cohesion between the different stages of the construction process, as well as promoting the conservation of raw materials through the use and waste minimization. All of these in order to achieve a C&D waste management system, whose primary goal is zero waste generation

The potential of organic fertilizers and water management to reduce N2O emissions in Mediterranean climate cropping systems. A review.

Environmental problems related to the use of synthetic fertilizers and to organic waste management have led to increased interest in the use of organic materials as an alternative source of nutrients for crops, but this is also associated with N2O emissions. There has been an increasing amount of research into the effects of using different types of fertilization on N2O emissions under Mediterranean climatic conditions, but the findings have sometimes been rather contradictory. Available information also suggests that water management could exert a high influence on N2O emissions. In this context, we have reviewed the current scientific knowledge, including an analysis of the effect of fertilizer type and water management on direct N2O emissions. A meta-analysis of compliant reviewed experiments revealed significantly lower N2O emissions for organic as opposed to synthetic fertilizers (23% reduction). When organic materials were segregated in solid and liquid, only solid organic fertilizer emissions were significantly lower than those of synthetic fertilizers (28% reduction in cumulative emissions). The EF is similar to the IPCC factor in conventionally irrigated systems (0.98% N2O-N N applied−1), but one order of magnitude lower in rainfed systems (0.08%). Drip irrigation produces intermediate emission levels (0.66%). Differences are driven by Mediterranean agro-climatic characteristics, which include low soil organic matter (SOM) content and a distinctive rainfall and temperature pattern. Interactions between environmental and management factors and the microbial processes involved in N2O emissions are discussed in detail. Indirect emissions have not been fully accounted for, but when organic fertilizers are applied at similar N rates to synthetic fertilizers, they generally make smaller contributions to the leached NO3− pool. The most promising practices for reducing N2O through organic fertilization include: (i) minimizing water applications; (ii) minimizing bare soil; (iii) improving waste management; and (iv) tightening N cycling through N immobilization. The mitigation potential may be limited by: (i) residual effect; (ii) the long-term effects of fertilizers on SOM; (iii) lower yield-scaled performance; and (iv) total N availability from organic sources. Knowledge gaps identified in the review included: (i) insufficient sampling periods; (ii) high background emissions; (iii) the need to provide N2O EF and yield-scaled EF; (iv) the need for more research on specific cropping systems; and (v) the need for full GHG balances. In conclusion, the available information suggests a potential of organic fertilizers and water-saving practices to mitigate N2O emissions under Mediterranean climatic conditions, although further research is needed before it can be regarded as fully proven, understood and developed.

Characterization of hazardous waste transportation and economic impact assessment of hazardous waste transportation regulations /

Work performed for the Office of Solid Waste under contract no. 68-01-4381.

Resource recovery and waste reduction activities : a nationwide survey /

Mode of access: Internet.

Assessment of industrial hazardous waste practices : electronic components manufacturing industry /

"SW-140C."

Assessment of industrial hazardous waste practice special machinery manufacturing industries /

Mode of access: Internet.

Notification to EPA of hazardous waste activities : Region 9 /

"SW 897.9."

Notification to EPA of hazardous waste activities : Region 8 /

"This publication (SW 897.8) was prepared by the Office of Solid Waste ... The listing for each Region is in a separate volume."

Lining of waste impoundment and disposal facilities /

"SW-870"--Cover.

Hazardous waste land treatment /

"Contract no. 68-03-2940."