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PubMed2006

Recovery and recycling practices in municipal solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria.

The population of Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, increased seven times from 1950 to 1980 with a current population of over 10 million inhabitants. The majority of the city's residents are poor. The residents make a heavy demand on resources and, at the same time, generate large quantities of solid waste. Approximately 4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated annually in the city, including approximately 0.5 million of untreated industrial waste. This is approximately 1.1 kg/cap/day. Efforts by the various waste management agencies set up by the state government to keep its streets and neighborhoods clean have achieved only minimal success. This is because more than half of these wastes are left uncollected from the streets and the various locations due to the inadequacy and inefficiency of the waste management system. Whilst the benefits of proper solid waste management (SWM), such as increased revenues for municipal bodies, higher productivity rate, improved sanitation standards and better health conditions, cannot be overemphasized, it is important that there is a reduction in the quantity of recoverable materials in residential and commercial waste streams to minimize the problem of MSW disposal. This paper examines the status of recovery and recycling in current waste management practice in Lagos, Nigeria. Existing recovery and recycling patterns, recovery and recycling technologies, approaches to materials recycling, and the types of materials recovered from MSW are reviewed. Based on these, strategies for improving recovery and recycling practices in the management of MSW in Lagos, Nigeria are suggested.

Cities↗
PubMed1996

Needleless and sharp-free anaesthesia.

Accidental occupational infection of anaesthetists from patient body fluids is a very real and potentially fatal risk that will be significantly reduced with the routine use of universal precautions and the adoption of specific safe work practices. Employers are required by law to provide a safe working environment and safe systems for work which anaesthetists should implement according to recommendations in this paper. A protocol should be available to be acted upon in the event of occupational parenteral, mucous membrane and non-intact skin exposure to infected patient body fluids. Recommendations are made in six major areas of clinical practice which anaesthetists should adopt to minimize risks to themselves and other healthcare workers: loading syringes, cannulating blood vessels, administering intramuscular (IM) or local anaesthetic injections, administering intravenous (IV) drugs, use of sutures and surgical instruments by anaesthetists and the safe disposal of needles, glass ampoules and other sharp materials. Despite the known risks and the development of these safe practices there is poor compliance by anaesthetists with measures to safeguard themselves and others.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1995

Public service deficiencies and Aedes aegypti breeding sites in Venezuela.

The 1992 study reported here assessed relationships between potable water supply and trash collection practices and the prevalence of dengue vector mosquito (Aedes aegypti) breeding sites in 30 towns located along the north coast of Venezuela. Within each study town, 100 homes were chosen. At each of these homes the number of water-bearing containers and containers harboring A. aegypti were determined and interviews were conducted to obtain information about the local water supply, trash collection services, and excreta disposal. In general, A. aegypti breeding indexes were high: 55% of the residences were found to harbor A. aegypti immature forms; there was an average of 118 breeding sites per 100 residences; and 24% of the water-bearing receptacles were observed to contain the mosquito. The statistical method of principal component analysis was employed to rank the 30 towns in terms of variables describing public service deficiencies, and correlations existing between the variables studied were determined. Direct correlations were found between two water supply variables (frequency and duration of water supply interruptions), between the excreta disposal and trash collection variables, between the duration of water supply interruptions and the Aedes breeding indexes, and between the duration of water supply interruptions and the mean number of A. aegypti breeding sites found in water storage containers. Overall, the towns with the poorest services were found to have the highest breeding indexes and the greatest numbers of water storage containers harboring the mosquito. It is concluded that public service (water supply and waste disposal) deficiencies were largely responsible for A. aegypti propagation in the study towns. Accordingly, it is recommended that local programs be implemented for recycling containers, constructing water storage tanks that cannot harbor Aedes larvae, and conducting health education and community participation campaigns directed against the mosquito.

Aedes↗
PubMed2002

An optimisation model for regional integrated solid waste management II. Model application and sensitivity analyses.

Increased environmental concerns and the emphasis on material and energy recovery are gradually changing the orientation of MSW management and planning. In this context, the application of optimisation techniques have been introduced to design the least cost solid waste management systems, considering the variety of management processes (recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration, and landfilling), and the existence of uncertainties associated with the number of system components and their interrelations. This study presents a model that was developed and applied to serve as a solid waste decision support system for MSW management taking into account both socio-economic and environmental considerations. The model accounts for solid waste generation rates, composition, collection, treatment, disposal as well as potential environmental impacts of various MSW management techniques. The model follows a linear programming formulation with the framework of dynamic optimisation. The model can serve as a tool to evaluate various MSW management alternatives and obtain the optimal combination of technologies for the handling, treatment and disposal of MSW in an economic and environmentally sustainable way. The sensitivity of various waste management policies is also addressed. The work is presented in a series of two papers: (I) model formulation, and (II) model application and sensitivity analysis.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2004

A systems analysis tool for construction and demolition wastes management.

Managing construction and demolition (C&D) wastes has challenged many municipalities with diminishing waste disposal capacity. Facing such challenges, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection proposed a policy restricting the landfill disposal of certain C&D waste materials, if unprocessed. This research is to study the potential economic impact of such restriction on construction contractors and C&D waste processors. A spreadsheet-based systems analysis model has been developed to assist the cost-benefit evaluation for various C&D waste management scenarios. The model, developed based on the mass balance principle, is designed to track a C&D waste stream through the various stages of a waste management system, i.e. generation, source separation, processing, recycling, and final disposal. This model, by incorporating the material flow data with the cost/revenue data associated with each management activity, can then provide an economic analysis for a proposed C&D waste management scenario. A case study illustrating the application of this model for Massachusetts is also presented.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2005

Estimating the demand for municipal waste compost via farmers' willingness-to-pay in Ghana.

This paper has its primary focus on the analysis of perceptions and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for composted municipal solid and faecal waste among urban and peri-urban farmers and other potential compost users in Ghana. Participatory rural appraisal and contingent valuation methods (CVM) were used for the demand analysis. Most respondents were clear and firm in their responses to the principal question about WTP for compost, as well as in giving their views and perceptions about issues involved in demand for compost. The probit analysis proved valuable in highlighting variables, which explain variations in the WTP. The WTP analysis allowed the quantification of the compost demand under different scenarios of subsidized and non-subsidized compost production, with due allowance for a local reference price to cover compost station operating costs. The analysis revealed that the effective demand for compost for agricultural purposes is marginal and limited by farmers' transport costs. Only through the additional consideration of the demand of the construction sector can about 25% of the organic waste produced in Ghana's capital, Accra, be transformed and utilized. Public subsidies appear necessary and could be generated through savings in transport and disposal. Without subsidies, the challenge for an increased agricultural use is how to produce a low-cost but nutrient-rich compost, which can compete with abundant and cheap poultry manure and still achieve the price to maintain a compost station. The experience in Ghana shows that this is hardly possible except through private-public partnerships.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2002

Development of a purpose built landfill system for the control of methane emissions from municipal solid waste.

In the present paper, a new system of purpose built landfill (PBLF) has been proposed for the control of methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW), by considering all favourable conditions for improved methane generation in tropical climates. Based on certain theoretical considerations multivariate functional models (MFMs) are developed to estimate methane mitigation and energy generating potential of the proposed system. Comparison was made between the existing waste management system and proposed PBLF system. It has been found that the proposed methodology not only controlled methane emissions to the atmosphere but also could yield considerable energy in terms of landfill gas (LFG). Economic feasibility of the proposed system has been tested by comparing unit cost of waste disposal in conventional as well as PBLF systems. In a case study of MSW management in Mumbai (INDIA), it was found that the unit cost of waste disposal with PBLF system is seven times lesser than that of the conventional waste management system. The proposed system showed promising energy generation potential with production of methane worth of Rs. 244 millions/y ($5.2 million/y). Thus, the new waste management methodology could give an adaptable solution for the conflict between development, environmental degradation and natural resources depletion.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of sludge management alternatives in Istanbul metropolitan area.

The main concern of this paper was to predict the sludge quantities generated from 18 wastewater treatment plants, which were stated to be established in the "Istanbul Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage, Sewage Treatment and Disposal Master Plan", 10 of which are in operation at present. Besides this, obtaining the required data to compare various treatment schemes was another goal of the study. Especially, the estimation of the sludge quantity in the case of enhanced primary sedimentation was of importance. Wastewater sludge management strategies were discussed in order to develop suggestions for Istanbul Metropolitan city. Within this context, the wastewater treatment facilities, mentioned in the Master Plan that had been completed by 2000, were evaluated in terms of sludge production rates, locations and technical and management aspects. Disposal alternatives of the wastewater treatment sludge were also evaluated in this study. Using of the dewatered sludge as a landfill cover material seems the best alternative usage. Up to the year of 2040, the requirement of cover material for landfills in Istanbul will be met by the dewatered sludge originated from wastewater treatment plants in the region.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1989

[Significance of the occurrence of Aeromonas of various biotypes in the Third World].

In investigations carried out in the refugee camps of the Polisario (South Algeria), in the neighbourhood of the inhabitants of the waste disposal sites of Cairo and in the Ayoun el Atrous and Nema (Mauritania) regions also in the Bida and Minna hospitals. Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas spec. were repeatedly found in the investigated material. Therefore, it was of particular interest for us to investigate this type of organism.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed2003

Evaluation of ground water denitrification at a biosolids disposal site.

A study was conducted at a sanitary sewage sludge (biosolids) disposal site in Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A. to determine if biological denitrification played a significant factor in attenuation of ground water nitrate values. The site selected for this study is a 23 ha (57 acre) dedicated biosolids disposal facility located adjacent to a 75.7 million liter per day (20 million gallons per day) municipal treatment plant that uses anaerobic solids stabilization for treatment of generated biosolids material. Biosolids have been disposed of by fixed-point spray applicators at the site since 1976, which has caused ground water nitrate levels to increase significantly above background levels. A method was developed using a conservative chemical tracer to simulate the biosolids application process and monitor the ground water directly beneath the simulated disposal site. Results demonstrated a net decline of nitrates that could not be attributed to dilution alone. While the monitoring methodology developed for this study did not directly estimate the denitrification rate, a rate for overall nitrate reduction was calculated that could be considered to take into account all transport and reduction mechanisms such as denitrification, advection, dispersion and dilution.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1992

Garbage imperialism: health implications of dumping hazardous wastes in Third World countries.

This paper calls for studies of the potential health implications of today's hazardous waste disposal practices, and suggests that such studies are urgently needed in Third World countries where industrial nations are increasingly dumping their unwanted waste materials. The United States produces enormous quantities of hazardous waste each year, and approximately 1,200 "priority hazardous waste sites" presently threaten the nation's health. Because of environmental regulations, landfill closings, and citizen opposition to local waste facilities, industrialized countries are increasingly disposing of their problematic materials by shipping them to the Third World, where they pose substantial threats to human health and the environment. From a political economy perspective, this paper suggests that global health would be better served by reducing hazardous waste production, encouraging reusing and recycling, and restricting or banning international shipment of toxic wastes.

Africa↗
PubMed2004

Disposal of children's faeces and implications for the control of childhood diarrhoea.

Unhygienic disposal of children's faeces is one of the key factors responsible for the high incidence of childhood diarrhoea in developing countries. The aim of this project was to study household behaviours relating to the disposal of faeces of children under the age of five. The study was conducted in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria, where 320 households, containing 540 mothers with children under the age of five were randomly selected. Data was collected by observation using a schedule specifically designed for the study. Our findings show that while over 80% of children under the age of seven months defecated on a napkin, the majority of older children (over seven months of age) defecated on either the floor of the household and their surroundings or outside in the household's vicinity. Mothers usually cleaned up the children's faeces which were then thrown into a pit latrine. In some cases dogs were used to clean up the faecal matter on the floor. In either case faecal residue remained on the floor. The authors recommend educational interventions to change the unhygienic practices relating to clean up and disposal of children's faeces. The interventions include encouraging children to defecate in plastic chamber pots, promoting the practice of hand washing with soap and water after cleaning up the children's faeces and the construction of affordable and ventilated latrines by members of the communities.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Transboundary movements of hazardous wastes: the case of toxic waste dumping in Africa.

Developed and developing countries are in the throes of environmental crisis. The planet earth is increasingly being literally choked by the waste by-products of development. Of major concern, especially to industrialized countries, is the problem of what to do with the millions of tons of waste materials produced each year. Owing to mounting pressure from environmental groups, the "not-in-mu-backyard" movement, the close monitoring of the activities of waste management agents, an increasing paucity of repositories for waste, and the high cost of waste treatment, the search for dumping sites for waste disposal has, in recent years, extended beyond regional and national boundaries. The 1980s have seen several attempts to export hazardous wastes to third world countries. Africa, for example, is gradually becoming the prime hunting ground for waste disposal companies. This article seeks to examine, in the context of the African continent, the sources and destinations of this form of relocation-diffusion of pollution, factors that have contributed to international trade in hazardous wastes between developed and developing countries, the potential problems such exports would bring to African countries, and measures being taken to abolish this form of international trade.

Africa↗
PubMed2002

Sludge utilisation in agriculture: possibilities and prospects in Greece.

The paper presents the prospects for agricultural utilisation of the sludge produced from wastewater treatment plants in Greece and more specifically focuses on a critical review of the legislatory framework, determination of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the produced sludges, examination of possible sludge treatment methods and evaluation of the possibilities and prospects of sludge utilisation on the basis of the above considerations. Landfilling is practically the only route to sludge disposal in Greece. However, in view of the anticipated future restrictions for landfilling within the European Union, this method is clearly a short-term solution and alternative options, including agricultural reuse, must be implemented. The results of a recent survey are presented and discussed in relation to this need.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of selected aerobic and anaerobic procedures for MSW treatment.

This paper considers selected efficiency rates and process data of aerobic and anaerobic procedures for the treatment of municipal solid waste and residual waste. Data are exclusively related to mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) procedures for generating waste appropriate for landfilling. The following aspects are regarded: general framework conditions for the application of MBT, efficiency of decomposition and of stabilisation, air and water emissions and energy balances. The presented data can be used for more efficient planning. In comparison to aerobic processes, anaerobic digestion can be ecologically advantageous, particularly with regard to exhaust emissions and energy balances. On the other hand, the wastewater emissions and the wastewater treatment required must be regarded as disadvantageous. Due to the relatively short period of operational history of most anaerobic processes for mechanical-biological waste treatment and thus limited experiences, operational reliability of anaerobic processes is slightly lower. Extensive biological stability of the treated waste for low-emission disposal cannot be reached by anaerobic digestion alone, but only in combination with additional aerobic post-treatment. In connection with the utilisation of renewable energies and the rising relevancy of climate protection, it can be affirmed that anaerobic digestion for the treatment of municipal solid waste has a high potential for further development.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2006

A case study of waste management at the Northern Finnish pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Veitsiluoto Mills.

This work presents the current waste management system at the pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland. This paper covers examples of case studies carried out at the mill and describes how the wastes and by-products are utilized as a neutralizing agent for acidic wastewaters (i.e., green liquor dregs from the causticizing process), as a hardener in filling mine cavities (i.e., ash from the fluidized bed boiler), as a landscaping agent (i.e., ash as well as the fibre clay from chemical wastewater treatment plant), as a hydraulic barrier material for landfills (i.e., fibre clay), and as a soil enrichment agent (i.e., calcium carbonate from the precipitated calcium carbonate plant). In addition, the wood waste from the wood-handling plant, sawmill, packaging pallet plant and from the groundwood mill, as well as the biosludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant, are all incinerated in the fluidized bed boiler for energy production. Due to effective utilization of the solid wastes generated at the mills, the annual amount of waste to be disposed of in the landfill has decreased between 1994 and 2004 from 42,990 to 6083 tonn (expressed as wet weight). The paper also gives an overview of the relevant European Union legislation on the forest industry and on waste management, as well as of the pulping process and of the generation of major solid wastes in the pulp and paper mills.

Finland↗
PubMed2004

Glass recycling in the labour suite is environmentally sound and economical.

BACKGROUND: Glass bottles are used for the storage of local anaesthetics in the US and are recyclable. Recycling would result in hospital solid waste reduction. METHODS: The members of the Department of Anaesthesia were surveyed to determine where these local anaesthetic bottles were disposed of. From November 2002 to April 2003, glass bottles used on the labour and delivery suite were saved for recycling. The number of bottles and the weight recycled were recorded. The number of procedures involving anaesthesia were also recorded during this time period. RESULTS: Residents dispose of the local anaesthetic bottle in the sharps container while consultants dispose of them in the trash (P<0.05). Both means of disposal are not recycled in the US. The average amount of glass recycled per month was 19.37 (3.15) kg. Our hospital pays $0.46/kg (0.26 UK pound/kg) for sharps disposal. By not disposing of the glass in the sharps container, the average savings per month was $8.95 (1.45) (5.15 UK pounds (0.84)). CONCLUSION: The recycling of glass is good for the environment through waste reduction and results in small savings to the hospital.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗