Assessment and characterization of solid and hazardous waste from inorganic chemical industry: Potential for energy recovery and environmental sustainability.

Rapid global urbanization and economic growth have significantly increased solid waste volumes, with hazardous waste posing substantial health and environmental risks. Co-processing strategies for industrial solid and hazardous waste as alternative fuels highlight the importance of integrated waste management for energy and material recovery. This study identifies and characterizes solid and hazardous industrial wastes with high calorific values from various industrial processes at Nirma Industries Limited. Nine types of combustible industrial wastes were analyzed: discarded containers (W1), plastic waste (W2), spent ion exchange resins from RO plants (W3), sludge from effluent treatment in soap plants (W4), glycerine foot from soap plants (W5), rock wool puff material (W6), fiber-reinforced plastic waste (W7), spent activated carbon (W8), and spent cartridges from reverse osmosis plants (W9). Physical characterization, proximate and ultimate analysis, heavy metal concentration evaluation, and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted to assess their properties, revealing high calorific values exceeding 2500 kcal/kg. Notably, W1 and W2 exhibited the highest calorific values (∼10,870 kcal/kg), followed by W6 and W8 (∼6000 kcal/kg) and W9 (∼8727 kcal/kg). Safe heavy metal levels are safe, and high calorific values support the prospects of energy recovery and economic and environmental benefits, reducing landfill reliance and enhancing sustainable waste management.

Waste management in the operating theatre.

INTRODUCTION: Poor clinical waste management and its effect on the environment is an increasingly recognised concern for global healthcare systems. Approximately two thirds of waste produced in healthcare is from the operating theatre. In the Republic of Ireland, an estimated 580,977 tonnes of hazardous waste was produced in 2019. The cost of incineration of this hazardous waste is approximately €2,125 per tonne and €935 per tonne for sterilisation. Pollution from incineration is substantial and harmful. METHODS: A literature review was performed on the topic of hospital waste management, specifically looking at the Republic of Ireland. A comparison could then be drawn between Ireland, Europe and the United States of America. Observation of our current operating theatre environment and practices were carried out. DISCUSSION: An increased focus towards sustainability and reusable equipment means that there is potentially a decreased amount of waste for disposal, but an increase in the process of sterilisation. Approximately 66% of healthcare related waste is inappropriately contaminated, meaning that significant savings are possible if correct segregation and recycling were to occur. An increase in the amount of bins, identification labels above bins and education of staff results in an increased likelihood of successful segregation of waste. Clear and concise hospital guidelines of what is considered hazardous versus non-hazardous waste will decrease the amount of inappropriately disposed items.

Cement-based solidification of nuclear waste: Mechanisms, formulations and regulatory considerations.

This review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of cement-based solidification and immobilisation of nuclear waste. It covers various aspects including mechanisms, formulations, testing and regulatory considerations. The paper begins by emphasizing the importance of nuclear waste management and the associated challenges. It explores the mechanisms and principles in cement-based solidification, with a particular focus on the interaction between cement and nuclear waste components. Different formulation considerations are discussed, encompassing factors such as cement types, the role of additives and modifiers. The review paper also examines testing and characterisation methods used to assess the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of solidified waste forms. Then the paper addresses the regulatory considerations and compliance requirements for cement-based solidification. The paper concludes by critically elaborating on the current challenges, emerging trends and future research needs in the field. Overall, this review paper offers a comprehensive overview of cement-based solidification, providing valuable insights for researchers, practitioners and regulatory bodies involved in nuclear waste management.

Optimizing refuse-derived fuel production from scheduled wastes through Aspen plus simulation.

This study aims to improve the quality of fuel with high calorific value namely Sfuel - a commercial high-quality refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from hazardous waste via modifying the process design and operating parameters of thermal conversion process. The study analyses key parameters of RDF quality, such as calorific value and heavy metal content, before and after process modifications based on the combination of experimental and simulation using Aspen Plus. In this study, the temperature and pressure of the simulation system are varied from 100 to 700 °C and from 1 to 5 bar, respectively. Findings indicate that there are a total of eleven heavy metals and 179 volatile compounds in the "Sfuels". The quality of the targeted product is greatly improved by the metal evaporation at high temperatures and pressures. However, the calorific value of RDF significantly decreases at 700 °C due to a large amount of the carbon content being evaporated. Although the carbon content at high temperatures is significantly lost, the heat from the vapour stream reactor outlet, which is reused to preheat the nitrogen gas stream supplied to the system, reduces energy consumption while improving the thermal conversion efficiency of the system. Besides, low pressure along with high temperature are not the optimal conditions for quality Sfuels improvement by thermal conversion. Results also indicate that electric heating is more economically efficient than natural gas heating.

Influence of chlorine on co-processing of hazardous wastes in brick kilns.

Brick kiln co-treatment is a novel industrial hazardous wastes (IHWs) utilization process. However, the effects of chlorine (Cl) in wastes on heavy metals (HMs) during this process are overlooked. This study investigated the stabilization/solidification (S/S) and volatilization, as well as long and short-term leaching, of HMs in Cl-containing bricks. The results indicated enhanced formations of stable mineral phases (NiFe2O4, Ni2SiO4, Cd3Al2Si3O12, CdSiO3, FeCr2O4, Cr2O3, CuFe2O4, and CuAl2O4) in bricks at a low sintering temperature (800 °C) due to the affinity between Cl and HMs. By comparing HM concentrations before and after sintering in bricks, the study observed that Cl's presence significantly elevated the volatilization rates for Cd and Cu by 30.8% and 14.2%, respectively. In contrast, the effect on volatilization for Ni and Cr was not significant. Additionally, utilizing the NEN 7375 method, the cumulative leaching rates of Ni, Cd, Cr, and Cu over a 64-day experiment under extremely acidic conditions were 0.22%, 7.18%, 0.01%, and 1.46%, respectively. Similarly, higher short-term leaching rates of Cd (4.03%) and Cu (5.73%) than those of Ni (0.94%) and Cr (0.08%) were observed. This finding might be attributed to the lower stability of the Cd and Cu solid phases under acidic environments compared to those of Ni and Cr. Surface wash-off, dissolution, and diffusion were the processes governing HM leaching from bricks. The 10-year projections revealed a minimal release of HMs during future extended leaching, implying the successful S/S of HMs. This study provides a reference for assessing the environmental impacts of brick kiln co-processing of Cl-containing IHWs.

Factors influencing illegal dumping of hazardous waste in China.

In recent years, illegal dumping of hazardous waste (IDHW) in China has become a recurring problem. Effective identification and exploration of the factors influencing illegal dumping are crucial for incident prevention and hazardous waste management, but its analysis has rarely been reported. Thus, this study focused on 568 cases of IDHW officially reported by the government. Through regular expressions, the categories of dumped wastes and the provinces where the incidents occurred were extracted. Furthermore, a comprehensive set of influencing factors was constructed by text mining for the case content and by the integration from the existing literature. On this basis, the unstructured and structured data were integrated using a Boolean dataset to respectively explore the association rules of influencing factors for the overall IDHW and for major waste categories, in conjunction with the extracted province information. Subsequently, a Bayesian network was constructed by utilizing the results of association rules mining and the key factors were identified through corresponding analysis. The findings of this study reveal a close connection between various influencing factors, with distinct key factors identified for different categories of hazardous waste. Among them, law-enforcement emerges as a crucial factor in most IDHW cases, while the factor of public monitoring for metallic hazardous waste and the factor of government supervision for distillation residue waste and other waste play a key role in their respective cases of illegal dumping. These findings offer a fresh research perspective for investigating the factors influencing IDHW and present helpful insights for developing effective strategies to prevent and control such incidents.

Utilization of wollastonite, jarosite, and their blends for the sustainable development of concrete paver block mixes containing reclaimed asphalt pavement aggregates.

While several research studies considered the utilization of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates for asphalt and concrete pavements, very few attempted its possible utilization for precast concrete applications like concrete paver blocks (CPBs). Moreover, few attempts made in the recent past to improve the strength properties of RAP inclusive concrete mixes by incorporating certain supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) have reported an insignificant or marginal effect. The present study attempts to comprehensively investigate the utilization potential of some locally and abundantly available materials having suitable physicochemical properties to improve the performance of a zero-slump CPB mix containing 50% RAP aggregates. The studied filler materials, namely, wollastonite (naturally occurring calcium metasilicate mineral) and jarosite (hazardous zinc industry waste), were used to replace 5-15% and 10-20% by volume of Portland cement in the 50% RAP CPB mix. Apart from their individual effects, the efficacy of wollastonite-jarosite blends was also investigated. Considering the lack of indoor storage facilities and economic aspects of CPBs, the influence of water spray curing regime on the performance of the RAP CPB mixes was studied and compared to that of continuous water curing regime. Inclusion of the considered fillers was found to statistically and significantly enhance the flexural strength, tensile splitting strength, and abrasion resistance of the 50% RAP CPB mix; however, the compressive strength (in most cases), permeable voids, water absorption, and water permeability properties showed an insignificant improvement. Results of thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the occurrence of pozzolanic reactivity, and microstructure analysis revealed improvements in packing of concrete matrix and ITZ with filler inclusion qualitatively substantiating the improvements in strength and durability characteristics. The toxicity characteristics of heavy metals that may leach from the hazardous jarosite-based RAP CPB mixes were found to be within permissible limits. Based on the performance requirements specified by IS, IRC, and ASTM standards, all the RAP CPB mixes with filler inclusions fulfilled the acceptance criteria for heavy traffic applications, and water spray curing can enact as an alternate method for curing these mixes. However, to avail maximum performance benefits, it is recommended to use 5% wollastonite, 15% jarosite, and a combination of 10% wollastonite and 10% jarosite as a Portland cement substitute to produce sustainable eco-friendly RAP CPB mixes.

Innovative methodology for comprehensive utilization of arsenic-bearing neutralization sludge.

Arsenic-bearing neutralization (ABN) sludge is a classical hazardous waste commonly found in nonferrous metallurgy. However, the current storage of these hazardous wastes not only has to pay costly hazardous waste taxes but also poses significant risks to both the environment and human health. To address these issues and achieve the comprehensive utilization and minimization of ABN sludge, this study proposes a new combined process. The process involves selective reduction roasting, leaching, and carbonation, through which, the arsenate and gypsum in the ABN sludge were recovered in the form of As(s), high-purity CaCO3, and H2S. The selective reduction behaviors of arsenate and gypsum were investigated through thermodynamic analysis and roasting experiments. The results indicated that the 95.35 % arsenate and 96.55 % gypsum in the sludge were selectively reduced to As4(g) and CaS at 950 °C by carbothermic reduction. The As4(g) was condensed to As(s) and enriched in the dust (As, 96.78 wt %). In the leaching process, H2S gas was adopted to promote the leaching of CaS, and resulted in 97.41 % of CaS in the roasted product was selectively leached in the form of Ca(HS)2, leading to a 74.11 % reduction in the weight of the ABN sludge. Then, the Ca(HS)2 was subjected to capture CO2 for the separation of Ca2+ and S2-. The result depicted that 99.69 % of Ca2+ and 99.12 % of S2- were separated as high-purity (99.12 wt %) CaCO3 and H2S (24.89 vol %) by controlling the terminal carbonation pH to below 6.55. The generated H2S can be economically converted to sulfur by the Clause process. The whole process realized the comprehensive resource recovery and the minimization of the sludge, which provides an alternative solution for the clean treatment of hazardous ABN waste.

Healthcare waste generation and quantification in public health centres in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare waste produced in healthcare activities entails higher risk of infection and injuries than municipal waste. In developing countries healthcare waste has not received much attention and has been disposed of together with municipal wastes. Modern method of disposal of healthcare waste have been introduced to most healthcare institutions mismanagement and increased in production in public health centres in Ethiopia is important issues. The aim of the study was to assess the type of healthcare waste generation and quantification in selected public health centres in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution based cross-sectional study were conducted from January to February 2018. Fifteen health centres in Addis Ababa City Administration were selected for this study. Data were collected by using by different color plastic bags (Black plastic bags for non-hazardous wastes, Yellow plastic bags for hazardous wastes and Yellow safety box for needles and Red bags for pharmaceutical wastes and toxic wastes). The collected wastes were measured by weighing scale and were written to data entry sheet. To assure the data quality calibration of weighing scale was made by the standard weight every morning. EPI INFO TM7 and IBM SPSS were used for data entry, cleaning and analysis. RESULTS: The mean healthcare waste generation was 10.64+5.79Kg/day of which 37.26% (3.96+2.20Kg/day) was general waste and 62.74% (6.68+4.29) was hazardous waste from the studies health centres. Total hazardous waste; sharps, infectious, pathological and pharmaceutical wastes constitutes mean (±SD) 0.97 ±1.03, 3.23 ± 2.60, 2.17±1.92 and 0.25 ±0.34 kg/day respectively. Healthcare waste 29.93% and 0.32% were generated from delivery and post-natal case team and nutrition and growth monitoring case team respectively. The annual mean+ SD of healthcare waste generation rate per health centres were 3807.53+ 2109.84 Kg/year. CONCLUSION: The finding in this study showed there was an increased in hazardous healthcare waste in amount as compared to the WHO standard 85% non-hazardous waste and 10% hazardous waste and 5% toxic wastes. The healthcare waste management practices about segregation, collection, transportation and disposal at the source is crucial to decrease in quantity. Generally unselective handling and disposal of healthcare wastes is a concern.

Characterization and stabilization of incineration fly ash from a new multi-source hazardous waste co-disposal system: field-scale study on solidification and stabilization.

The multi-source hazardous waste co-disposal system, a recent innovation in the industry, offers an efficient approach for hazardous waste disposal. The incineration fly ash (HFA) produced by this system exhibits characteristics distinct from those of typical incineration fly ash, necessitating the use of adjusted disposal methods. This study examined the physicochemical properties, heavy metal content, heavy metal leaching concentration, and dioxin content of HFA generated by the new co-disposal system and compared them with those of conventional municipal waste incineration fly ash. This study investigated the solidification and stabilization of HFA disposal using the organic agent sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate combined with cement on a field scale. The findings revealed significant differences in the structure, composition, and dioxin content of HFA and FA; HFA contained substantially lower levels of dioxins than FA did. Concerning the heavy metal content and leaching; HFA exhibited an unusually high concentration of zinc, surpassing the permitted emission limits, making zinc content a critical consideration in HFA disposal. After stabilization and disposal, the heavy metal leaching and dioxin content of HFA can meet landfill disposal emission standards when a 1% concentration of 10% sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) and 150% silicate cement were employed. These results offer valuable insights into the disposal of fly ash resulting from incineration of mixed hazardous waste.

Fungal bioremediation approaches for the removal of toxic pollutants: Mechanistic understanding for biorefinery applications.

Pollution is a global menace that poses harmful effects on all the living ecosystems and to the Earth. As years pass by, the available and the looming rate of pollutants increases at a faster rate. Although many treatments and processing strategies are waged for treating such pollutants, the by-products and the wastes or drain off generated by these treatments further engages in the emission of hazardous waste. Innovative and long-lasting solutions are required to address the urgent global issue of hazardous pollutant remediation from contaminated environments. Myco-remediation is a top-down green and eco-friendly tool for pollution management. It is a cost-effective and safer practice of converting pernicious substances into non-toxic forms by the use of fungi. But these pollutants can be transformed into useable products along with multiple benefits for the environment such as sequestration of carbon emissions and also to generate high valuable bioactive materials that fits as a sustainable economic model. The current study has examined the possible applications of fungi in biorefineries and their critical role in the transformation and detoxification of pollutants. The paper offers important insights into using fungal bioremediation for both economically and environmentally sound solutions in the domain of biorefinery applications by combining recent research findings.

Development of an industrial solid waste ecological analysis model in Shanghai, China.

Amid China's rapid economic expansion, the country's industrial solid waste (ISW) problem is escalating. As each sector generates distinct types of ISW, a multi-indicator assessment of each sector is essential to address China's New Solid Waste Policy. To investigate the ISW situation of each sector and perform a comprehensive assessment, we formulate an industrial solid waste ecological analysis framework based on ISW generation and ISW flow in the sector. Various indicators (i.e., solid waste utilization coefficient, solid waste threat coefficient, and solid waste threat intensity) are employed to assess the utilization of solid waste generated for each sector, as well as the threat of solid waste originating in each sector to society. Ecological network analysis probes the interrelationships between diverse sectors. Taking Shanghai in 2017 as an example, the study indicates that some sectors (e.g., production and supply of electric power and heat power (EH) and metal smelting and rolling processing sector (MS)) exhibit higher direct ISW generation and the direct industrial solid waste value-added coefficient (SVAC) for common industrial solid waste (CISW). Specifically, the direct CISW generation of EH and MS is 539.21Mt and 277.00Mt respectively. The direct SVAC of EH and MS is 157.06kg/103RMB and 126.27kg/103RMB respectively. These sectors should prioritize reducing emissions at the source. Additionally, the threats to society from various sectors are relatively insignificant for the CISW, while for the hazardous waste (HW), all sectors pose a considerable threat to Shanghai's society. Moreover, some sectors (e.g., mining industry) exhibit the highest mutualism relationships in the CISW and the HW. Enhancing mining sector technologies is a vital strategy for mitigating ISW sources. Specifically, MI has 9 pairs of mutualism relationships in the CISW and 8 pairs in the HW. These insights will provide empirical evidence for tackling the ISW problem in Shanghai.

Improving long-term operation performance of hazardous waste rotary kiln incineration facilities: An evaluation with DEA model.

Hazardous waste rotary kiln incineration, as the most effective and comprehensive technology to reduce and detoxify waste, generally faces problems such as low load rate and short continuous operating periods. However, there are few studies on the actual operation of such facilities and evaluation of their technical efficiency. Based on the 77-week time-series data of the case company, this study introduces in-depth key operating parameters and evaluates long-term technical efficiency through the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. The results show that the continuous operating period of the rotary kiln incineration facility can reach more than half a year, with an average load rate of 91.7%. In the analysis of 9 input indicators, the amount of injected activated carbon could not be effectively evaluated due to the lack of relevant standards and online real-time monitoring of dioxins, which might become a weak link in the control of flue gas pollution. The average comprehensive technical efficiency of rotary kiln incineration facilities was 0.939, of which the average pure technical efficiency was 0.949 while the average scale efficiency was 0.989. With 33 of the 77 decision-making units being invalid, there is scope for improvement. The amount of incineration could be increased by 5.34%, and among the input variables, dosage of urea, calcium hydroxide and lye with a relatively high improvement ratio. Based on the results, targeted suggestions were proposed to advance the scientific and precise compatibility of hazardous waste, strengthen the control of dioxin emissions, and promote the intelligent control of the entire process.

Hazardous waste management (Buxus papillosa) investment for the prosperity of environment and circular economy: Response surface methodology-based simulation.

Dealing with the current defaults of environmental toxicity, heating, waste management, and economic crises, exploration of novel non-edible, toxic, and waste feedstock for renewable biodiesel synthesis is the need of the hour. The present study is concerned with Buxus papillosa with seeds oil concentration (45% w/w), a promising biodiesel feedstock encountering environmental defaults and waste management; in addition, this research performed simulation based-response surface methodology (RSM) for Buxus papillosa bio-diesel. Synthesis and application of novel Phyto-nanocatalyst bimetallic oxide with Buxus papillosa fruit capsule aqueous extract was advantageous during transesterification. Characterization of sodium/potassium oxide Phyto-nanocatalyst confirmed 23.5 nm nano-size and enhanced catalytic activity. Other characterizing tools are FTIR, DRS, XRD, Zeta potential, SEM, and EDX. Methyl ester formation was authenticated by FTIR, GC-MS, and NMR. A maximum 97% yield was obtained at optimized conditions i.e., methanol ratio to oil (8:1), catalyst amount (0.37 wt%), reaction duration (180 min), and temperature of 80 °C. The reusability of novel sodium/potassium oxide was checked for six reactions. Buxus papillosa fuel properties were within the international restrictions of fuel. The sulphur content of 0.00090% signified the environmental remedial nature of Buxus papillosa methyl esters and it is a highly recommendable species for biodiesel production at large scale due to a t huge number of seeds production and vast distribution.

Waste management practices among dental surgery staff of major hospitals in Accra: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Introduction: the practice of dentistry in contemporary times produces considerable waste that could be harmful to individuals and the environment at large. In Ghana and many other jurisdictions, there are guidelines that outline how these wastes should be managed. This study was conducted to explore practices concerning dental waste management among dental surgery staff in some public facilities in Accra, Ghana. Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study involving dental surgery staff of four major facilities in Accra was done. Overall, 124 staff from the selected facilities participated in the study, and 51 different dental surgeries were assessed. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observation checklist. The questionnaire included questions on socio-demographics, as well as knowledge and practices regarding dental waste management. Results: there was unsatisfactory knowledge of waste disposal, while practices did not generally meet international recommendations and the Ministry of Health´s (MOH) guidelines. Though all respondents stored their sharp waste in puncture-proof containers, 98.4% did not label their clinical waste, while 62.9% would dispose of used X-ray fixers by pouring them down the drain. None of the 51 surgeries observed had more than one colour code available. Conclusion: there is a palpable need for education, monitoring, and empowerment concerning waste management in Ghana´s oral healthcare system.

Impacto de una intervención educativa en el conocimiento y manejo de residuos peligrosos biológico-infecciosos / Impact of an educational intervention on the knowledge and management of infectious biological hazardous waste

Introducción: el personal de enfermería tiene una participación fundamental en el manejo de los residuos peligrosos biológico-infecciosos (RPBI) durante la atención en salud, situación que hace indispensable el conocimiento respecto a la peligrosidad y riesgo en el manejo de estos residuos. Objetivo: evaluar el impacto de una intervención educativa acerca del conocimiento y manejo de RPBI, en el personal de enfermería de un hospital general regional. Metodología: estudio cuasi experimental, pretest/postest, prospectivo y longitudinal. Se realizó una intervención educativa, y antes y después de esta se aplicó un cuestionario para evaluar conocimientos relacionados con RPBI y una lista de cotejo del Modelo Institucional para la Prevención de Infecciones Nosocomiales (MIPRIN) para evaluar el manejo de RPBI. Resultados: la intervención educativa demostró un efecto positivo en los conocimientos del personal de enfermería en relación con el manejo de RPBI. En la evaluación pretest se obtuvo un porcentaje de conocimientos de 65.2% y en la postest fue de 78.3% (p < 0.001). Respecto al cumplimiento en el manejo de RPBI, hubo un incremento; sin embargo, no se puede atribuir a la intervención, puesto que se evaluó por servicio y no de manera directa con los participantes. Conclusión: la intervención educativa mostró cambios significativos en los conocimientos y el manejo de RPBI del personal de enfermería.

Introduction: Nursing staff represent an important percentage in the management of biological hazardous waste (BHW) during health care, a situation that makes this knowledge essential regarding the danger and risk in handling these wastes. Objective: To evaluate the impact of an educational intervention about the knowledge and management of BHW in the nursing staff of a regional general hospital. Methods: quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test, prospective and longitudinal study. An educational intervention was carried out; before and after this intervention, a questionnaire was administered to evaluate knowledge related to BHW and a checklist of the Institutional Model for the Prevention of Nosocomial Infections (MIPRIN, according to its initials in Spanish) to evaluate the management of BHW. Results: The educational intervention showed a positive effect in the nursing staff's knowledge in relation to BHW. In the pre-test evaluation a knowledge percentage of 65.2% was obtained and in the post-test evaluation it was 78.3% (p < 0.001). Regarding compliance in the management of BHW there was an increase; however, it cannot be attributed to the intervention, since it was evaluated by service and not directly with the participants.

Reflexiones sobre la evolución histórica y antropocéntrica del concepto de la salud ambiental / Reflections on the historical and anthropocentric evolution of the concept of environmental health

La salud ambiental es un concepto multifactorial, desarrollado por el logro interdisciplinario nacido a la luz de las comprensiones multidinámicas de sus factores determinantes. Estos aspectos que le conforman, hacen del concepto de salud ambiental una combinación plurifactorial de saberes desarrollados en el tiempo y que son la base de esta construcción conceptual, enriquecida a la luz de la comprensión del hombre, de sus interrelaciones con el medio ambiente y su papel determinante en la preservación del mismo, para beneficio de las presentes y futuras generación. Esta evaluación crítica de nuestro papel como especie en el control y cuidado del medio ambiente, ha favorecido la toma de consciencia de que nuestras acciones son determinantes en resarcir el daño realizado, donde por factores como la contaminación del aire, el agua, la deposición de residuos peligrosos, entre otros, está causando un daño y afectando sensiblemente la salud de la población, con repercusiones a nivel mundial. Por otra parte, esta toma de consciencia está generando acciones muy positivas en pro del ambiente, dando el debido reconocimiento constitucional que la Madre Tierra se merece, siendo reconocida en la Constitución de la República del Ecuador como un Sujeto de Derecho y no como un Objeto, como una contribución de los países Latinoamericanos a las profundas transformaciones que en materia de salud ambiental, requiere el mundo actual, en beneficio directo de la salud pública del planeta y todos los seres vivos que en el habitan(AU)

Environmental health is a multifactorial concept, developed by interdisciplinary achievement born in light of multidynamic understandings of its determining factors. These aspects that make it up, make the concept of environmental health a multifactorial combination of knowledge developed over time and that are the basis of this conceptual construction, enriched in the light of the understanding of man, his interrelationships with the environment and his determining role in its preservation, for the benefit of present and future generations. This critical evaluation of our role as a species in the control and care of the environment has favored the awareness that our actions are decisive in compensating for the damage done, where factors such as air pollution, water, the deposition of hazardous waste, among others, is causing damage and significantly affecting the health of the population, with repercussions worldwide. On the other hand, this awareness is generating very positive actions in favor of the environment, giving due constitutional recognition that Mother Earth deserves, being recognized in the constitution of the Republic of Ecuador as a Subject of Law and not as an Object. , as a contribution of the Latin American countries to the profound transformations that the current world requires in terms of environmental health, for the direct benefit of the public health of the planet and all the living beings that inhabit it(AU)

Gestão de pequenos volumes de materiais de cimento-amianto no Brasil: do uso aos resíduos / Management of small volumes of asbestos-cement materials in Brazil: from use to waste

A gestão dos resíduos da construção civil (RCC) é desafio aos administradores públicos, o estudo do sistema de gestão do município de São Paulo realizado nessa Tese, após cinco anos da efetivação do sistema de rastreamento Coletas Online no município, apontou melhorias, como o aprimoramento da fiscalização dos RCC no transporte e destino, e a ampliação do número de Ecopontos, porém apesar do aumento do fluxo para os pequenos volumes, os RCC perigosos continuam à margem desta infraestrutura, dependendo de logística reversa que nem sempre atende a diversidade de RCC gerados, como para os pequenos volumes de materiais de cimento-amianto (MCA). Para o cálculo estimativo da quantidade de MCA foram pesquisadas a evolução de mercado e banimento do amianto, levantados dados de consumo interno de crisotila, de 1998 (período de permissão de uso) até 2017 (ano do banimento), a geração de resíduos de cimento-amianto (RCA) (2012 a 2017), assim como o percentual de fibras por compósito e fator durabilidade. Constatou-se significativa diferença entre a média anual de produção de MCA (1,38 milhões t) e a geração de RCA (17 mil t), evidenciando grande quantidade em uso e que a capacidade instalada dos aterros classe I no país está aquém da demanda projetada de RCA. O Sistema de gestão internacional do Reino Unido (RU) escolhido fornece instruções técnicas aos autoconstrutores, para a remoção segura de pequenos volumes de cimento-amianto e proporciona o fluxo desses resíduos pelo transporte e destinação adequados, por meio de contratação de empresa regulamentada, intermediada pelo Poder Público. O fluxograma elaborado nesta tese possibilita de forma simples aos gestores, verificar o risco do uso das telhas de cimento-amianto (TCA) em moradias de baixa renda, pela identificação das TCA, verificação de seu estado de conservação, caracterização construtiva das moradias, e após a associação dos dados, a tomada de decisão sobre a necessidade de coleta de amostras atmosféricas. Os resultados das quantidades de fibras /cm³ definem as medidas, monitoramento para (≤ 0,1 f /cm³) ou para (> 0,1 f/cm³), gestão de risco à Saúde Pública e Ambiental na localidade. Instruções técnicas de segurança foram adaptadas do R U para a realidade nacional, com a finalidade de capacitar gestores públicos para ações de desamiantização de pequenas áreas de TCA (20m²) de regiões onde há risco de inalação de fibras de amianto pela população local. Foram elaboradas orientações que abrangem a remoção, manejo, uso de EPIs, EPRs, sinalizações, limpeza, embalagem, coleta, transporte e destinação com segurança ocupacional e ambiental para a grande demanda projetada de pequenos volumes de resíduos de cimento-amianto, geradas de forma difusa, nas moradias de baixa renda do país. Portanto, é premente inserir a gestão sustentável dos MCA em uso e dos RCA de forma segura, na agenda de políticas públicas ambientais e de saúde no país. A desamiantização das moradias será cada vez mais urgente devido a aceleração da degradação das TCA ao longo do tempo pelas alterações climáticas. Os diagnósticos das condições ambientais das moradias ajudam a prevenir problemas de saúde causados pela inalação das fibras de amianto. A capacitação de gestores por meio das instruções técnicas proporciona parceria para a desamiantização das moradias de baixa renda e reduzem o descarte irregular dos RCA, enquanto novas rotas tecnológicas devem ser estabelecidas para seu retorno ao mercado consumidor, mitigando a destinação em aterros classe I. Medidas alinhadas aos objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável, ODS 12 para consumo e produção responsáveis.

The management of waste construction (CDW) is a challenge to public administrators, the study of the management system of the municipality of São Paulo conducted in this Thesis, after five years of effectiveness of the online collection tracking system in the city, pointed out improvements, such as the improvement of the supervision of the CDW in transport and at destination, and the increase in the number of Ecopontos, however, despite the increase in the flow for small volumes, hazardous CDW remain on the margin of this infrastructure, depending on reverse logistics that does not always meet the diversity of CDW generated, such as small volumes of asbestos-cement materials (ACM). For the estimation of the amount of ACM, the evolution of the market and the banning of asbestos were researched, collecting data on the internal consumption of chrysotile, from 1998 (period of use permission) to 2017 (year of ban), the generation of cement waste -asbestos (CWA) (2012 to 2017), as well as the percentage of fibers per composite and durability factor. There was a significant difference between the average annual production of ACM (1.38 million t) and the generation of CWA (17 thousand t), evidencing a large amount in use and that the installed capacity of class I landfills in the country is below the projected CWA demand. The UK international management system chosen provides clear technical instructions to the self-builders, for the safe removal of small volumes of asbestos cement and provides the flow of these wastes by the appropriate transport and disposal, through the hiring of a regulated company, intermediated by the Government. The elaborate flowchart makes it possible for managers verify in a simplified way the risk of using asbestos-cement tiles (ACT) in low-income homes, by identifying ACT, checking their state of conservation, constructive characterization of the homes, and after associating the data, decision making on the need to collect atmospheric samples. The results of the amounts of fibers /cm³ define the measures, monitoring for (≤ 0.1 f/cm³) or for (> 0.1 f/cm³), risk management to Public and Environmental Health in the location. Technical safety instructions were adapted from the R U to the national reality, with the purpose of training public managers for asbestos removal actions in small areas of ACT (20m²) in regions where there is a risk of inhalation of asbestos fibers by the local population. Guidelines were developed covering the removal, handling, use of PPE, EPRs, signaling, cleaning, packaging, collection, transportation and disposal with occupational and environmental safety for the large projected demand of small volumes of asbestos-cement waste, generated in a diffuse, in the country's low-income housing. Therefore, it is urgent to insert the sustainable management of the ACMs in use and the ACWs in a safe manner, on the agenda of environmental and health public policies in the country. The asbestos removal of housing will be increasingly urgent due to the acceleration degradation of ACTs over time by climate change. Diagnosing the environmental conditions of the housing will help prevent health problems caused by the inhalation asbestos fibers. The training of managers through technical instructions provides a partnership for the asbestos removal of low-income housing and reduces the irregular disposal of ACW, while new technological routes must be established for their return to the consumer market, mitigating the disposal in class I landfills. Measures aligned with sustainable development goals, SDG 12 for responsible consumption and production.

Contaminación del Río Santiago: Un problema epidemiológico ambiental persistente de Salud Pública en Jalisco, México / River pollution in Santiago: A persistent epidemiologic environmental problem of Public Health in Jalisco, Mexico

El Río Santiago es hoy en día uno de los contextos ambientales más contaminados como resultado de la actividad antropogénica e industrial, representa a simple vista la exposición a múltiples sustancias químicas y a agentes biológicos que ahí concurren y que impactan en la salud de los pobladores del Salto y Juanacatlán Jalisco. Objetivo. Establecer el estado del arte en cuanto a la contaminación ambiental y los riesgos asociados por exposición a residuos peligrosos y agentes biológicos con los que convive la población humana en este contexto socio-ambiental. Material y métodos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la información presente en la red y se realizó un análisis crítico de la realidad objetiva presente actualmente en este contexto. Resultados. De un total de 15 referencias detectadas, 2 corresponden a videos de Instituto Mexicano de Desarrollo Comunitario [IMDEC], parte 1 y parte 2, además se detectaron fotografías que denotan un contexto socio-ambiental contaminado y una referencia con la manifestación de GREENSPACE. Conclusión. Los títulos de los artículos en su incidente expresión “Veneno” y los casos de cáncer visibles en los videos de IMDEC, los riesgos asociados en la salud humana, subrayan la intervención necesaria ya de las autoridades en búsqueda del control en cuanto a calidad ambiental y una revisión emergente en cuanto a legislación ambiental.(AU)

The Santiago River is today one of the most contaminated environmental contexts as a result of anthropogenic activity and industrial, represents a simple view of the exposure to multiple chemicals and biological agents that there exist and that impact on the health of the inhabitants of the leap and Juanacatlán Jalisco. Objective. Set the state of the art in terms of the environmental pollution and the risks associated with exposure to hazardous waste and biological agents with the living human population in this social and environmental context. Material and methods. We conducted a systematic review of the information present in the network and made a critical analysis of the objective reality currently present in this context. Results. Of a total of 15 references detected, 2 correspond to video of the Mexican Institute for Community Development (IMDEC], part 1 and Part 2, Furthermore it detected photographs that denote a socio-environmental contaminated and a reference to the expression of GREENSPACE. Conclusion. The titles of the items in your incident expression "poison" and cases of cancer visible in videos of IMDEC, the associated risks to human health, underline the intervention necessary because of the authorities in search of control in terms of environmental quality and a pop-up review in regard to environmental legislation.(AU)