Assessing the effectiveness of chemical treatment with nanomaterials in improving the quality of different industrial effluents

Industrial activities are the major sources of pollution in all environments. Depending on the type of industry, various levels of organic and inorganic pollutants are being continuously discharged into the environment. Although, several kinds of physical, chemical, biological or the combination of methods have been proposed and applied to minimize the impact of industrial effluents, few have proved to be totally effective in terms of removal rates of several contaminants, toxicity reduction or amelioration of physical and chemical properties. Hence, it is imperative to develop new and innovative methodologies for industrial wastewater treatment. In this context nanotechnology arises announcing the offer of new possibilities for the treatment of wastewaters mainly based on the enhanced physical and chemical proprieties of nanomaterials (NMs), which can remarkably increase their adsorption and oxidation potential. Although applications of NMs may bring benefits, their widespread use will also contribute for their introduction into the environment and concerns have been raised about the intentional use of these materials. Further, the same properties that make NMs so appealing can also be responsible for producing ecotoxicological effects. In a first stage, with the objective of selecting NMs for the treatment of organic and inorganic effluents we first assessed the potential toxicity of nanoparticles of nickel oxide (NiO) with two different sizes (100 and 10-20 nm), titanium dioxide (TiO2, < 25 nm) and iron oxide (Fe2O3, ≈ 85x425 nm). The ecotoxicological assessment was performed with a battery of assays using aquatic organisms from different trophic levels. Since TiO2 and Fe2O3 were the NMs that presented lower risks to the aquatic systems, they were selected for the second stage of this work. Thus, the two NMs pre-selected were tested for the treatment of olive mill wastewater (OMW). They were used as catalyst in photodegradation systems (TiO2/UV, Fe2O3/UV, TiO2/H2O2/UV and Fe2O3/H2O2/UV). The treatments with TiO2 or Fe2O3 combined with H2O2 were the most efficient in ameliorating some chemical properties of the effluent. Regarding the toxicity to V. fischeri the highest reduction was recorded for the H2O2/UV system, without NMs. Afterwards a sequential treatment using photocatalytic oxidation with NMs and degradation with white-rot fungi was applied to OMW. This new approach increased the reduction of chemical oxygen demand, phenolic content and ecotoxicity to V. fischeri. However, no reduction in color and aromatic compounds was achieved after 21 days of biological treatment. The photodegradation systems were also applied to treat the kraft pulp mill and mining effluents. For the organic effluent the combination NMs and H2O2 had the best performances in reduction the chemical parameters as well in terms of toxicity reduction. However, for the mine effluent the best (TiO2/UV and Fe2O3/UV) were only able to significantly remove three metals (Zn, Al and Cd). Nonetheless the treatments were able of reducing the toxicity of the effluent. As a final stage, the toxicity of solid wastes formed during wastewater treatment with NMs was assessed with Chironomus riparius larvae, a representative species of the sediment compartment. Certain solid wastes showed the potential to negatively affect C. riparius survival and growth, depending on the type of effluent treated. This work also brings new insights to the use of NMs for the treatment of industrial wastewaters. Although some potential applications have been announced, many evaluations have to be performed before the upscaling of the chemical treatments with NMs.

Changing patterns of first injection across key periods of the French Harm Reduction Policy: PrimInject, a cross sectional analysis

Background: Monitoring of emerging modes of drug consumption in France has identified new patterns of injection among youths with diverse social backgrounds, which may explain the persistence of high rates of hepatitis C virus infection. The circumstances surrounding the first injection have been poorly documented in the group of heavy drug users and in the context of the French opioid substitution treatment (OST) policy that provides expanded access to high-dosage buprenorphine (BHD). Methods: An Internet survey (Priminject) was conducted from October 2010 to March 2011 with French drug users. Four time periods were compared based on critical dates throughout the implementation of the Harm Reduction Policy in France. Results: Compared with drug users who injected for the first time prior to 1995, the aspects of drug use for users who recently injected for the first time were as follows: (1) experimentation with miscellaneous drugs before the first injection; (2) an older age at the time of first injection; (3) heroin as the drug of choice for an individual’s first injection, notwithstanding the increased usage of stimulant drugs; (4) BHD did not appear to be a pathway to injection; and (5) an increased number of users who injected their first time alone, without the help or presence of another individual. Conclusion: The PrimInject study showed that there is a group of injection drug users that is larger than the group of injection drug users observed in previous studies; therefore, it is necessary to diversify programs to reach the entire spectrum of high-risk users.

Comparing freight transport strategies and measures in London and Paris

The paper compares the approach being taken to freight transport strategy and the specific policy measures being implemented in London and Paris. It highlights the serious consideration that has been given to freight transport by the Mayors of London and Paris in the last five years. These freight policy considerations are taking place against a background of growing levels of road freight activity, energy use and pollutant emissions in both cities. The key freight transport objectives being followed in London and Paris are similar and focus on improving the efficiency and reliability of freight transport while reducing the negative environmental impacts that it causes. The specific freight transport policy measures being followed show some differences in each city. However, attempts to address problems related to loading and unloading are taking place in both, albeit through different specific initiatives. These policy initiatives have important implications for companies concerned with urban logistics operations.

London freight data report

Report produced for the Transport for London Freight Unit as part of the London Freight Data Centre. Contains data and information about a wide range of freight transport issues in London.

Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of different supply chains: a comparison of French, UK and Belgian cases

Freight transportation system is critical to economic activity but it carries significant environmental costs, notably GHG emissions and climate change : energy use and corresponding CO2 emissions is increasing faster in freight transport than in other sectors and this increase is primarily the result of increased trade. This paper compares the transport activities, associated energy consumption and CO2 emissions of different supply chains for a range of products in three countries: Belgium, France and United Kingdom. Among the products considered are furniture and ‘fruits & vegetables’. For each of these products, different supply chains, involving more or less transport activity and associated energy consumption are analysed in each country. The comparison highlights some of the main factors that influence GHG emissions for different supply chains and illustrates how they vary according to product and country of final distribution. In more detail, the paper addresses the main differences between the supply chains of these products namely, the origin of their sourcing, the logistical organisation between production and retail and different types of retail outlet. The origin of the sourcing impact is mainly related to distance. The impact of the logistical organisation between raw material and retail on GHG emissions is linked to the mode and vehicle choice and to the load factor. As for retail, the consumer trip emissions, between his home and the retail outlet, are also an important part of the whole supply chain emissions. It is worthwhile to notice that our goal in this project is to consider the whole supply chain, from production to consumption. Therefore a particular focus is put on the mobility behaviours of consumers purchasing the studied products during their shopping and dropping back home activities related to these products. Especially a web based survey has been conducted and the gathered results offer an opportunity for drawing a more detailed picture of the associated CO2 emissions. This paper uses the results of an ongoing research on supply chain energy efficiency, funded by ADEME (the French Energy Agency) through the French program on transport research (PREDIT). This research is based on a comprehensive review of the various approaches to quantifying the environmental impacts of supply chains together with data collection from a range of organisations including manufacturers, retailers and transport companies. We will first present the developed methodologies, then the results corresponding to each studied product will be described. A discussion of the potential application of the research approach to the wider debate about the environmental impact of freight transport and the scope for GHG emissions reduction targets to be achieved will be included.

Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of different supply chains: a comparison of French, UK and Belgian cases

Freight transportation system is critical to economic activity but it carries significant environmental costs, notably GHG emissions and climate change : energy use and corresponding CO2 emissions is increasing faster in freight transport than in other sectors and this increase is primarily the result of increased trade. This paper compares the transport activities, associated energy consumption and CO2 emissions of different supply chains for a range of products in three countries: Belgium, France and United Kingdom. Among the products considered are furniture and fruits & vegetables. For each of these products, different supply chains, involving more or less transport activity and associated energy consumption are analysed in each country. The comparison highlights some of the main factors that influence GHG emissions for different supply chains and illustrates how they vary according to product and country of final distribution. In more detail, the paper addresses the main differences between the supply chains of these products namely, the origin of their sourcing, the logistical organisation between production and retail and different types of retail outlet. The origin of the sourcing impact is mainly related to distance. The impact of the logistical organisation between raw material and retail on GHG emissions is linked to the mode and vehicle choice and to the load factor. As for retail, the consumer trip emissions, between his home and the retail outlet, are also an important part of the whole supply chain emissions. It is worthwhile to notice that our goal in this project is to consider the whole supply chain, from production to consumption. Therefore a particular focus is put on the mobility behaviours of consumers purchasing the studied products during their shopping and dropping back home activities related to these products. Especially a web based survey has been conducted and the gathered results offer an opportunity for drawing a more detailed picture of the associated CO2 emissions. This paper uses the results of an ongoing research on supply chain energy efficiency, funded by ADEME (the French Energy Agency) through the French program on transport research (PREDIT). This research is based on a comprehensive review of the various approaches to quantifying the environmental impacts of supply chains together with data collection from a range of organisations including manufacturers, retailers and transport companies. We will first present the developed methodologies, then the results corresponding to each studied product will be described. A discussion of the potential application of the research approach to the wider debate about the environmental impact of freight transport and the scope for GHG emissions reduction targets to be achieved will be included.

Logistics implications of the UK packaging waste regulations

This paper examines the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations introduced by the UK Government in 1997. The impact that these Regulations will have on the levels of freight transport activity associated with the collection and redistribution of packaging waste to recovery/recycling facilities is calculated. Findings indicate that the Regulations will lead to a 14% increase in freight vehicle kilometres attributable to packaging waste. The extent to which greater use of reusable containers could help to reduce packaging waste-related transport activity is also modelled. Details arc given of how businesses are responding to the Regulations and how some companies are adapting their logistics systems to incorporate the recovery and recycling of packaging waste as well as replacing disposal packaging with reusable containers. Interviews and case-study material carried out as part of the research are used to support this discussion.

London freight data report 2009

Report produced for the Transport for London Freight Unit as part of the London Freight Data Centre. Contains data and information about a wide range of freight transport issues in London.

Road freight transport and sustainability in Britain: 1984-2007

This report builds on a conceptual framework developed by McKinnon (2007) for analysing the performance and impacts of freight transport. This framework is used to analyse the performance of road freight transport by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in Britain over the period from 1984 to 2007 using data from the Continuing Survey of Road Goods Transport. The efficiency and intensity of HGV operations are assessed. The determinants that have led to the changes in HGV key variables (including length of haul, vehicle carrying capacity, lading factor, empty running) are considered. A forecast of the future level of HGV activity (in terms of vehicle kilometres travelled, fuel consumed and CO2 emissions) in 2020 is presented.

Road freight transport and sustainability in London 2005-2007

This report contains detailed analysis of road freight transport by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in London and its intensity and efficiency. Using a conceptual framework for analysing the performance and impacts of freight transport it presents results for road freight transport in London between 2005 and 2007.

Investigating relationships between road freight transport, facility location, logistics management and urban form

This paper examines road freight transport activity and its relationship with facility location, logistics management and urban form through an analysis of 14 selected urban areas in the UK. Improved understanding of this relationship will assist planners when making transport and land use decisions. The findings suggest that several geographical, spatial and land use factors have important influences on freight activity in urban areas. Commercial and industrial land use patterns affect the types and quantities of goods produced, consumed, and hence the total quantity of freight transport handled. This also influences the distances over which goods are moved and by what specific mode. There has been relatively low growth in warehousing in many of the selected areas over the last decade compared to the national average as well suburbanisation of warehousing in some locations. This affects the origin and destination of journeys visiting these facilities and typically increases the distance of such journeys. A greater proportion of road freight has been shown to be lifted on internal journeys in large urban areas than in smaller ones. Journeys within urban areas have been shown to be less efficient than journeys to and from the urban area in the 14 locations studied due to the much smaller average vehicle carrying capacities and lower lading factors for journeys within urban areas. The length of haul on journeys to and from urban areas studied was found to be greatest for those areas with a major seaport and/or which were geographically remote. This affects the road freight transport intensity of goods transport journeys.

London 2012: changing delivery patterns in response to the impact of the Games on traffic flows

The paper addresses road freight transport operations during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. It presents work carried out prior to the Games to understand pre-Games patterns of freight deliveries in London (for both light and heavy goods vehicles) and the results of modelling work carried out to assess the likely impacts of the Games road restrictions on freight operations. The modelling results indicated that increases in total hours travelled carrying out collection and delivery work would range from 1.4% to 11.4% in the six sectors considered. The results suggested increases in hours travelled in excess of 3.5% in four of the six sectors modelled. The possible actions that could be taken by organizations to reduce these negative impacts were also modelled and the results indicated that such actions would help to mitigate the impact of the road restrictions imposed on operators during the Games. The actual impacts of the 2012 Games on transport both in general terms and specifically in terms of freight transport are also discussed, together with the success of the actions taken by Transport for London (TfL) to help the road freight industry. The potential freight transport legacy of the London 2012 Games in terms of achieving more sustainable urban freight transport is considered and the steps being taken by TfL to help ensure that such a legacy can be realized are discussed. Such steps include policy-makers continuing to collaborate closely with the freight industry through the ‘London Freight Forum’, and TfL's efforts to encourage and support companies revising their delivery and collection times to the off-peak; improving freight planning in the design and management of TfL-funded road schemes; electronic provision of traffic information by TfL to the freight industry, and the further development of freight journey planning tools.

Business Improvement Districts in Urban Freight Sustainability Initiatives: A Case Study Approach

The paper extends research into the importance of freight transport partnerships by considering the role of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in supporting sustainable urban freight initiatives. A review of the freight transport-related work that has been carried out in BIDs in central London is included. A detailed case study of a freight project in the Baker Street Quarter (BSQ) Partnership provides insight into work carried out in the multi-tenanted office and hotel sectors. The findings of this research in terms of freight transport and logistics activity patterns at the businesses studied together with the potential freight transport solutions identified are discussed.

Microstructure, mechanical properties and chemical degradation of brazed AISI 316 stainless steel/alumina systems

The main aims of the present study are simultaneously to relate the brazing parameters with: (i) the correspondent interfacial microstructure, (ii) the resultant mechanical properties and (iii) the electrochemical degradation behaviour of AISI 316 stainless steel/alumina brazed joints. Filler metals on such as Ag–26.5Cu–3Ti and Ag–34.5Cu–1.5Ti were used to produce the joints. Three different brazing temperatures (850, 900 and 950 °C), keeping a constant holding time of 20 min, were tested. The objective was to understand the influence of the brazing temperature on the final microstructure and properties of the joints. The mechanical properties of the metal/ceramic (M/C) joints were assessed from bond strength tests carried out using a shear solicitation loading scheme. The fracture surfaces were studied both morphologically and structurally using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The degradation behaviour of the M/C joints was assessed by means of electrochemical techniques. It was found that using a Ag–26.5Cu–3Ti brazing alloy and a brazing temperature of 850 °C, produces the best results in terms of bond strength, 234 ± 18 MPa. The mechanical properties obtained could be explained on the basis of the different compounds identified on the fracture surfaces by XRD. On the other hand, the use of the Ag–34.5Cu–1.5Ti brazing alloy and a brazing temperature of 850 °C produces the best results in terms of corrosion rates (lower corrosion current density), 0.76 ± 0.21 μA cm−2. Nevertheless, the joints produced at 850 °C using a Ag–26.5Cu–3Ti brazing alloy present the best compromise between mechanical properties and degradation behaviour, 234 ± 18 MPa and 1.26 ± 0.58 μA cm−2, respectively. The role of Ti diffusion is fundamental in terms of the final value achieved for the M/C bond strength. On the contrary, the Ag and Cu distribution along the brazed interface seem to play the most relevant role in the metal/ceramic joints electrochemical performance.

Healthcare- Associated infections: An analysis of costs in a Portuguese Hospital

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) delay healing, prolong Hospital stay, and increase both Hospital costs and risk of death. This study aims to estimate the extra length of stay and mortality rate attributable to each of the following HAIs: wound infection (WI); bloodstream infection (BSI); urinary infections (UI); and Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). The study population consisted of patients discharged in CHLC in 2014. Data was collected to identify demographic information, surgical operations, development of HAIs and its outputs. The study used regressions and a matched strategy to compare cases (infected) and controls (uninfected). The matching criteria were: age, sex, week and type of admission, number of admissions, major diagnostic category and type of discharge. When compared to matched controls, cases with HAI had a higher mortality rate and greater length of stay. WI related to hip or knee surgery, increased mortality rate by 27.27% and the length of stay by 74.97 days. WI due to colorectal surgery caused an extra mortality rate of 10.69% and an excess length of stay of 20.23 days. BSI increased Hospital stay by 28.80 days and mortality rate by 32.27%. UI caused an average additional length of stay of 19.66 days and risk of death of 12.85%. HAP resulted in an extra Hospital stay of 25.06 days and mortality rate of 24.71%. This study confirms the results of the previous literature that patients experiencing HAIs incur in an excess of mortality rates and Hospital stay, and, overall, it presents worse results comparing with other countries.