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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 29604

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dong Wu

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Guest Editor

School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Interests: environmental microbiology; antibiotic resistance; metagenomics and bioinformatics; solid waste treatment; biological nutrient removal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Bing Xie

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Shanghai Organic Solid Wastes Biotransformation Engineering Technical Research Center, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Interests: water, organic solid waste and soil pollution control; environmental engineering microorganisms; ecological restoration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world’s population is growing fast. One in every two people today lives in a city (United Nations, 2008). Urbanization and population densification are major contributors to municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment issues and ecological and environmental pollutions and associated human health problems, such as contaminations related to biosolids reclamation, energy intensification during MSW treatment, toxicant bioaerosol, and uncontrolled spreads of antimicrobial resistance. Despite important improvements in recent decades, access to safe and eco-friendly solid waste treatment and recycling have yet to be universal. As such, this Special Issue was launched to call for studies regarding novel treatment technologies that include but are not confined to efficient anaerobic digestion, composting, clean production, and associated carbon footprint during the treatment process. More than that, new mechanisms of underlying chemical and or microbial treatment processes are expected. In addition, the United Nations estimates that almost 25 million people around the world live 2 kilometers or less from solid waste dump sites. The major exposure to solid waste may induce mental and physical hazards to neighboring communities, including antimicrobial resistance, metals, and persistent organic toxicants leaching from MSW, and associated treatment facilities could worsen health risks via exposure through air (inhalation), ingestion (drinking water and agricultural products), and direct (skin) contact, none of which have been studied regularly, especially in the realm of solid waste treatment.

Therefore, this Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on the current state of knowledge on the links between solid waste contamination, treatment technologies, and human health. New research papers, reviews, case reports, and conference papers are welcome to this issue. Papers dealing with new approaches to derive drinking water standards or risk assessment and management are also welcome. Other manuscript types accepted include methodological papers, position papers, brief reports, and commentaries. We will accept manuscripts from different disciplines.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Sustainability.

Dr. Dong Wu
Prof. Dr. Bing Xie
Guest Editors

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Keywords

anaerobic digestion
antimicrobial resistance
bioaerosol and air pollution
biosolids treatment and recycling
chemical and microbial mechanisms
clean production and carbon emission
landfill and contamination
land reclamation
environmental risks
novel treatment technologies

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Adding De-Oiled Kitchen Water on the Bioconversion of Kitchen Waste Treatment Residue by Black Soldier Fly Larvae

by Zhuojun He, Cheng Yang, Yan Peng, Taoze Liu, Zhanghong Wang and Chengcai Xiong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2577; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032577 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1199

Abstract

With the continuous development of society, the output of kitchen waste (KW) is fast increasing. De-oiled kitchen water (DKW) and kitchen waste treatment residue (KWTR), two main by-products of the KW treatment industry, are produced accordingly on a large scale. The need to develop an effective technique for the utilization of DKW and KWTR is attracting wide attention. In the present study, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) were employed as a biological treatment method to treat KWTR with the addition of DKW. The influence of DKW (0–140 mL) on the efficiency of BSFL treatment evaluated by the growth and development of BSFL, the body composition of BSFL, the nutrient content of bioconversion residue (BR), and the bioconversion efficiency of KWTR, was investigated. The results showed that the growth and development of BSFL, the body composition of BSFL, and the conversion rate of KWTR were initially promoted and then inhibited with the addition of DKW. Notably, the amount of DKW added in the T110 group was the most suitable for the growth of BSFL and the accumulation of body composition. Compared with the blank comparison group, the content of crude protein (CP), crude ash (CA), salinity, total phosphorus (TP), and dry matter (DM) of BSFL in the T110 group increased by 3.54%, 6.85%, 0.98%, 0.07% and 2.98%, respectively. However, the addition of DKW could steadily increase the nutrient content of BR, with the highest amount at 140 mL DKW. Following DKW addition, the contents of CP, ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), TP, and total potassium (TK) were increased by 4.56%, 3.63%, 10.53%, 5.14%, 0.73%, 0.75%, and 0.52%, respectively, compared with those of the blank comparison group. The study showed that DKW could be used as a nutrient additive in the bioconversion process of KWTR by BSFL, which provided a new method for the resource utilization of DKW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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18 pages, 3737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting the Stability of Organic Matter Originating from Different Waste Treatment Procedures

by Yan Wang, Lekun Tan, Patricia Garnier, Sabine Houot, Julie Jimenez, Dominique Patureau and Yang Zeng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2151; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032151 - 25 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1643

Abstract

Recycling organic wastes into farmland faces a double challenge: increasing the carbon storage of soil while mitigating CO₂ emission from soil. Predicting the stability of organic matter (OM) in wastes and treatment products can be helpful in dealing with this contradiction. This work proposed a modeling approach integrating an OM characterization protocol into partial least squares (PLS) regression. A total of 31 organic wastes, and their products issued from anaerobic digestion, composting, and digestion-composting treatment were characterized using sequential extraction and three-dimension (3D) fluorescence spectroscopy. The apportionment of carbon in different fractions and fluorescence spectra revealed that the OM became less accessible and biodegradable after treatments, especially the composting. This was proven by the decrease in CO₂ emission from soil incubation. The PLS model successfully predicted the stability of solid digestate, compost, and compost of solid digestate in the soil by using only the characterized variables of non-treated wastes. The results suggested that it would be possible to predict the stability of OM from organic wastes after different treatment procedures. It is helpful to choose the most suitable and economic treatment procedure to stabilize labile organic carbon in wastes and hence minimize CO₂ emission after the application of treatment products to the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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17 pages, 2924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Biogas Yield from Macroalgae with Inoculants at Different Organic Loading Rates in a Three-Stage Bioreactor

by Alvydas Zagorskis, Regimantas Dauknys, Mantas Pranskevičius and Olha Khliestova

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 969; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020969 - 5 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1463

Abstract

Macroalgae can be a viable alternative to replace fossil fuels that have a negative impact on the environment. By mixing macroalgae with other substrates, higher quality biogas can be obtained. Such biogas is considered one of the most promising solutions for reducing climate change. In the work, new studies were conducted, during which biogas yield was investigated in a three-stage bioreactor (TSB) during the anaerobic digestion of Cladophora glomerata macroalgae with inoculants from cattle manure and sewage sludge at different organic loading rates (OLR). By choosing the optimal OLR in this way, the goal was to increase the energy potential of biomass. The research was performed at OLRs of 2.87, 4.06, and 8.13 Kg VS/m³ d. After conducting research, the highest biogas yield was determined when OLR was 2.87 Kg VS/m³ d. With this OLR, the average biogas yield was 439.0 ± 4.0 L/Kg VS_added, and the methane yield was 306.5 ± 9.2 L CH₄/Kg VS_added. After increasing the OLR to 4.06 and 8.13 Kg VS/m³ d, the yield of biogas and methane decreased by 1.55 times. The higher yield was due to better decomposition of elements C, N, H, and S during the fermentation process when OLR was 2.87 Kg VS/m³ d. At different OLRs, the methane concentration remained high and varied from 68% to 80%. The highest biomass energy potential with a value of 3.05 kWh/Kg VS_added was determined when the OLR was 2.87 Kg VS/m³ d. This biomass energy potential was determined by the high yield of biogas and methane in TSB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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13 pages, 2029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Pollution Characteristics in Agricultural Soils of the Pearl River Delta Region, China

by Haolong Cai, Siyu Yao, Jiahui Huang, Xiongkai Zheng, Jianteng Sun, Xueqin Tao and Guining Lu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16233; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316233 - 4 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1770

Abstract

In order to investigate the pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the agricultural soil, 240 agricultural soil topsoil samples were collected from nine Pearl River Delta cities from June to September 2019. In addition, 72 samples were collected for vertical soil profiles, which soil profiles were excavated to a depth of 80 cm. After sample preparation, GC-MS was used for the separation of compounds on a HP-5MS quartz capillary column. ArcGIS software was used to map the spatial distribution. Health risk assessment was conducted using USEPA standard. The results showed that the total concentration of 16 PAHs ranged from 43.4 to 5630 ng/g, with an average of 219 ng/g. The spatial distribution showed that most of the seriously polluted areas were in the coastal area, near the port, and there was point source pollution in the Gaoming of Foshan. Vertically distributed display Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen and Dongguan increased and then decreased from bottom to bottom, showing a low-high-low pattern, the concentration of PAHs in Zhongshan and Foshan decreased with the soil depth, while the concentration of PAHs in Guangzhou and Huizhou was enriched with human activities. The PAHs components in soil samples were mainly medium and high rings (4–6 rings). The analysis of the origin of PAH in soil samples showed that the mixture of incomplete combustion sources of fossil fuels such as coal and biomass and traffic emission sources were the main sources of soil PAHs. A small amount can be attributed to oil sources such as oil spills. The human health risk assessment showed no cancer risk for children, while for adults, may cause a potential risk of cancer, which needs to be noticed. Spearman correlation analysis showed that PAH content was significantly correlated with SOC (p < 0.01) and pH (p < 0.05). Port transport, road emissions and industrial production make the area a pollution hot topic, and supervision should be strengthened to protect the environment and food safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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16 pages, 3311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying the Carbon Reduction Potential of Recycling Construction Waste Based on Life Cycle Assessment: A Case of Jiangsu Province

by Hongmei Liu, Rong Guo, Junjie Tian, Honghao Sun, Yi Wang, Haiyan Li and Lu Yao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12628; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912628 - 3 Oct 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2343

Abstract

The recycling of construction waste is key to reducing waste generation and CO₂ emissions. This study aimed to develop a quantitative model for analyzing the carbon reduction potential of recycling construction, demolition, and renovation waste (CDRW) in Jiangsu province. The waste generation rate calculation method and nonlinear autoregressive artificial neural network model were used to estimate and predict CDRW generation. The life cycle assessment was performed to calculate the carbon reduction potential of recycling CDRW. In quantifying the carbon reduction potential, not only construction and demolition waste, but also renovation waste was considered for the first time. The results showed that the total carbon reduction potential of recycling CDRW increased from 3.94 Mt CO₂e in 2000 to 58.65 Mt CO₂e in 2020. Steel and concrete were the main contributors. By scenario analysis, the carbon reduction potential of fully recycling CDRW in 2020 increased by 37.79 Mt CO₂e, a growth rate of 64%. The study further predicts future CDRW generation and the corresponding carbon reduction potential. Our conclusions indicate that 245.45 Mt of CDRW will be generated in 2030, and carbon reduction potential may reach 82.36 Mt CO₂e. These results will help the government manage construction waste better and reach early achievement of the carbon peak target. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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17 pages, 1770 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect Mechanism Research of Carbon Price Drivers in China—A Case Study of Shenzhen

by Jiongwen Chen and Jinsuo Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10876; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710876 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1545

Abstract

Revealing the effect mechanism of carbon price drivers is the basis to establish the pricing mechanism of carbon emission exchange, which also promotes the development of the carbon emission exchange market and can reduce the investment risk. Based on the previous research, the cointegration test, Granger causality test, and ridge regression estimate are used to analyze the effect mechanism between the domestic carbon price and its drivers. Johansen’s cointegration analysis reveals that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between the domestic carbon price and energy price, industrial development level, climate change, and financial prosperity. Ridge regression estimates reveal that the international spot price of thermal coal in the ARA port and the spot price of Brent crude oil in Britain are negatively correlated with the domestic carbon price, while CER futures price is positively correlated with the domestic carbon price. There is a linkage between the international carbon price and the domestic carbon price. Since 2017, the domestic carbon price has been lower than the equilibrium value, and the value of carbon emission rights has been underestimated. With the continuous improvement of the domestic carbon market, the carbon price will rise and fluctuate around the equilibrium price in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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16 pages, 3479 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Dual Roles of Nano Zero-Valent Iron and Zinc Oxide in Antibiotics Resistance Genes (ARGs) Spread in Sediment

by Ling Luo, Dahang Deng, Xin Zhao, Hairong Hu, Xinyi Li, Jidong Gu, Yan He, Gang Yang, Ouping Deng and Yinlong Xiao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9405; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159405 - 31 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1632

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used and ubiquitous in the environment, but the consequences of their release into the environment on antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs), microbial abundance, and community, are largely unknown. Therefore, this study examined the effect of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) and zinc oxide (nZnO) on tetracycline resistance genes (tet-ARGs) and class 1 integron (intI1) in sediment under laboratory incubation. The coexistence of NPs and tetracycline (TC) on tet-ARGs/intI1 was also investigated. It was found that nZVI and nZnO promoted tet-ARGs/intI1 abundance in sediment without TC but reduced the inducing effect of TC on tet-ARGs/intI1 in sediment overlaid with TC solution. Without TC, nZVI, intI1, and the bacterial community could directly promote tet-ARGs spread in nZVI sediment, while intI1 and bacterial abundance were the most directly important reasons for tet-ARGs spread in nZnO sediment. With TC, nZVI and bacterial community could reduce tet-ARGs abundance in nZVI sediment, while nZnO and bacterial community could directly promote tet-ARGs in nZnO sediment. Finally, these findings provided valuable information for understanding the role of NPs in promoting and reducing ARGs in the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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16 pages, 2016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimating the Carbon Emission of Construction Waste Recycling Using Grey Model and Life Cycle Assessment: A Case Study of Shanghai

by Ting Wang, Kaiyi Li, Defu Liu, Yang Yang and Dong Wu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8507; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148507 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4625

Abstract

Great efforts have been exerted in reducing carbon emissions in design, construction and operation stages. However, little attention is paid to the quantification of carbon emissions in construction waste recycling at the end-of-life stage. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the carbon emission of construction waste in Shanghai City, PR China. A grey model is used to forecast the generation amount of construction waste, and a life cycle assessment is performed to estimate the carbon emission of construction waste. In this study, both the carbon emission of recycling activities (environmental costs), and the equivalent amount of carbon generated from alternative materials (environmental benefit) are considered. Here, recycling 1 ton (t) of construction waste in Shanghai can save 100.4 kg CO₂−e. The total carbon-emission-saving potential can be increased from 0.31 million t CO₂−e (2022) to 0.35 million t CO₂−e (2031). The carbon emission of recycling concrete, brick, steel, wood and mortar, identified as the key components of construction waste, is investigated. This research can help to reduce carbon emissions and further achieve carbon neutrality for Shanghai City. The proposed methods can also be applied to other regions, especially when the data for construction waste are insufficient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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31 pages, 8359 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Physicochemical, Microbiological and Toxicological Hazards at an Illegal Landfill in Central Poland

by Justyna Szulc, Małgorzata Okrasa, Adriana Nowak, Joanna Nizioł, Tomasz Ruman and Sławomir Kuberski

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4826; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084826 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2512

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the physicochemical, microbiological and toxicological hazards at an illegal landfill in central Poland. The research included the analysis of airborne dust (laser photometer), the number of microorganisms in the air, soil and leachate (culture method) and the microbial diversity in the landfill environment (high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina Miseq); the cytotoxicity (PrestoBlue) and genotoxicity (alkaline comet assay) of soil and leachate were tested. Moreover, an analysis of UHPLC-Q-ToF-UHRMS (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry) was performed to determine the toxic compounds and microbial metabolites. The PM₁ dust fraction constituted 99.89% and 99.99% of total dust and exceeded the threshold of 0.025 mg m⁻³ at the tested locations. In the air, the total number of bacteria was 9.33 × 10¹–1.11 × 10³ CFU m⁻³, while fungi ranged from 1.17 × 10² to 4.73 × 10² CFU m⁻³. Psychrophilic bacteria were detected in the largest number in leachates (3.3 × 10⁴ to 2.69 × 10⁶ CFU mL⁻¹) and in soil samples (8.53 × 10⁵ to 1.28 × 10⁶ CFU g⁻¹). Bacteria belonging to Proteobacteria (42–64.7%), Bacteroidetes (4.2–23.7%), Actinobacteria (3.4–19.8%) and Firmicutes (0.7–6.3%) dominated. In the case of fungi, Basidiomycota (23.3–27.7%), Ascomycota (5.6–46.3%) and Mortierellomycota (3.1%) have the highest abundance. Bacteria (Bacillus, Clostridium, Cellulosimicrobium, Escherichia, Pseudomonas) and fungi (Microascus, Chrysosporium, Candida, Malassezia, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Fusarium, Stachybotrys, Cladosporium, Didymella) that are potentially hazardous to human health were detected in samples collected from the landfill. Tested leachates and soils were characterised by varied cyto/genotoxins. Common pesticides (carbamazepine, prometryn, terbutryn, permethrin, carbanilide, pyrethrin, carbaryl and prallethrin), quaternary ammonium compounds (benzalkonium chlorides), chemicals and/or polymer degradation products (melamine, triphenylphosphate, diphenylphtalate, insect repellent diethyltoluamide, and drugs (ketoprofen)) were found in soil and leachate samples. It has been proven that the tested landfill is the source of the emission of particulate matter; microorganisms (including potential pathogens) and cyto/genotoxic compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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14 pages, 1878 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Three Sludge Products from Co-Treatment of Wastewater on the Soil Properties and Plant Growth of Silty Loam

by Degang Ma, Yuxin Wang, Yu Ye, Xiaomei Ge and Xuebin Lu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4385; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074385 - 6 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1899

Abstract

Currently, little is known about systematic comparisons of sludge products obtained from different sludge treatment processes in terms of land use. Moreover, it is worth evaluating whether the sludge produced from the co-treatment of industrial wastewater and domestic sewage can be applied to land use. In this study, three sludge products derived from the same municipal sludge—sludge biochar (SSB), dried sludge (DSS), and sludge compost (SSC)—were added to silty loam (SL) at a 20% mass ratio to assess their effects on soil structure, properties, and fertility. Chinese cabbage was planted as a model crop and its growth and physiological state were monitored. The experimental results showed that the water retention of the soil was significantly related to its porosity, and the moisture in the three sludge products-modified soil mainly existed in the form of free water. The addition of three sludge products increased the total porosity of SL. SSC enhanced the water retention of SL by increasing the capillary porosity, and SSB improved the gas permeability of SL by increasing the non-capillary porosity. The three sludge products all increased the content of large particles in the soil and improved the stability of the aggregates of SL. Among them, SSB and DSS had significant effects on improving the stability of the aggregates. Although the addition of the three sludge products improved the fertility of SL, compared with that of DSS and SSC, the addition of SSB made the growth indices of Chinese cabbage the best, indicating that SSB can effectively maintain soil nutrients. The heavy metal test results of Ni showed that SSB had a good stabilizing effect on heavy metals. Therefore, compared with drying and composting, pyrolysis of municipal sludge is more suitable for SL improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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Review

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15 pages, 2019 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bioleaching of Typical Electronic Waste—Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs): A Short Review

by Xiaosheng Ji, Mindong Yang, Anping Wan, Shaoqi Yu and Zhitong Yao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7508; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127508 - 19 Jun 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2857

Abstract

The rapid pace of innovations and the frequency of replacement of electrical and electronic equipment has made waste printed circuit boards (WPCB) one of the fastest growing waste streams. The frequency of replacement of equipment can be caused by a limited time of proper functioning and increasing malfunctions. Resource utilization of WPCBs have become some of the most profitable companies in the recycling industry. To facilitate WPCB recycling, several advanced technologies such as pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and biometallurgy have been developed. Bioleaching uses naturally occurring microorganisms and their metabolic products to recover valuable metals, which is a promising technology due to its cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. However, there is sparse comprehensive research on WPCB bioleaching. Therefore, in this work, a short review was conducted from the perspective of potential microorganisms, bioleaching mechanisms and parameter optimization. Perspectives on future research directions are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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29 pages, 4330 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Effects of Physical-Chemical Evolution of High-Sulfur Petroleum Coke on Hg⁰ Removal from Coal-Fired Flue Gas and Exploration of Its Micro-Scale Mechanism

by Jie Jiang and Yongfa Diao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7082; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127082 - 9 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1760

Abstract

As the solid waste by-product from the delayed coking process, high-sulfur petroleum coke (HSPC), which is hardly used for green utilization, becomes a promising raw material for Hg⁰ removal from coal-fired flue gas. The effects of the physical–chemical evolution of HSPC on Hg⁰ removal are discussed. The improved micropores created by pyrolysis and KOH activation could lead to over 50% of Hg⁰ removal efficiency with the loss of inherent sulfur. Additional S-containing and Br-containing additives are usually introduced to enhance active surface functional groups for Hg⁰ oxidation, where the main product are HgS, HgBr, and HgBr₂. The chemical–mechanical activation method can make additives well loaded on the surface for Hg⁰ removal. The DFT method is used to sufficiently explain the micro-scale reaction mechanism of Hg⁰ oxidation on the surface of revised-HSPC. ReaxFF is usually employed for the simulation of the pyrolysis of HSPC. However, the developed mesoporous structure would be a better choice for Hg⁰ removal in that the coupled influence of pore structure and functional groups plays a comprehensive role in both adsorption and oxidation of Hg⁰. Thus, the optimal porous structure should be further explored. On the other hand, both internal and surface sulfur in HSPC should be enhanced to be exposed to saving sulfur additives or obtaining higher Hg⁰ removal capacity. For it, controllable pyrolysis with different pyrolysis parameters and the chemical–mechanical activation method is recommended to both improve pore structure and increase functional groups for Hg⁰ removal. For simulation methods, ReaxFF and DFT theory are expected to explain the micro-scale mechanisms of controllable pyrolysis, the chemical–mechanical activation of HSPC, and further Hg⁰ removal. This review work aims to provide both experimental and simulational guidance to promote the development of industrial application of Hg⁰ adsorbent based on HSPC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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Other

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12 pages, 3219 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Policy Analysis on Recycling of Solid Waste Resources in China—Content Analysis Method of CNKI Literature Based on NVivo

by Junjie Li, Xuehang Sun, Xin Dai, Junying Zhang and Bangfan Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7919; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137919 - 28 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2665

Abstract

The recycling of solid waste resources can effectively alleviate resource shortages and environmental pollution and can promote the sustainable development of an ecological economy and green economy. Therefore, China has set up a series of recycling policies. In order to promote the development of China’s solid waste resource recycling industry, and to be able to set up and implement correct policy documents according to real-time dynamics, this study uses NVivo software to analyze the content of 10 Core Journals’ documents screened from the China HowNet database and sets up three node classifications and four partition dimensions to build a three-dimensional model for qualitative analysis and emotional analysis. The analysis determines the existing weaknesses of China’s solid waste resource recycling policy under four dimensions and puts forward prospects for its future from these four aspects of system, capacity, measures and environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Treatment, Biohazards, and Management)

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