Plastic particles in urban compost and their grain size distribution.

Gathering information on plastic particles in composts and the processes they undergo is important in terms of potentially limiting their further entry into the environment, for example, in improving the fertilising properties of soils. Microplastics (MPs) were determined in composts produced from urban greenery. They are present in decreasing order: polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

Environmental impact assessment of the coal yard and ambient pollution.

This study investigates the vertical distribution of pollutants emitted from coal yards using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Vertical concentration measurements of black carbon (BC) and particulate matter (PM) in a range of 1 m to 100 m above ground level (AGL) in the central coal yard showed clear spatial patterns and gradients of these pollutants. In addition, measurements were taken at specific heights (1 m, 30 m AGL, and 60 m AGL) at seven locations approximately 3 km from the yard.

A review on properties, challenges and commercial aspects of eco-friendly biolubricants productions.

Lubricants operate as antifriction media, preserving machine reliability, facilitating smooth operation, and reducing the likelihood of frequent breakdowns. The petroleum-based reserves are decreasing globally, leading to price increases and raising concerns about environmental degradation. The researchers are concentrating their efforts on developing and commercializing an environmentally friendly lubricant produced from renewable resources.

Principles and potential of thermal hydrolysis of sewage sludge to enhance anaerobic digestion.

Sewage sludge is rich source of carbon, nutrients, and trace elements and can be subjected to proper treatment before disposal to fulfill government legislation and protect receiving environments. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a well-adopted technology for stabilizing sewage sludge and recovering energy-rich biogas and nutrient-rich digestate. However, a slow hydrolysis rate limits the biodegradability of sludge.

Recent progress in microalgae-derived biochar for the treatment of textile industry wastewater.

Textile industry utilize a massive amount of dyes for coloring. The dye-containing effluent is released into wastewater along with heavy metals that are part of dye structure. The treatment of textile industry wastewater using conventional techniques (coagulation, membrane technique, electrolysis ion exchange, etc.

Emerging potential of spent coffee ground valorization for fuel pellet production in a biorefinery.

Abstract: The global market for fuel pellets (FPs) has been steadily growing because of a shift to coal substitutes. However, sustainability and the availability of biomass are the main issues. Various kinds of bio-wastes can be valorized through cutting-edge technologies.

The use of polymer compounds in the deposits from the combustion of briquettes in domestic heating as an identifier of fuel quality.

The utilisation of waste wood from furniture production brings new problems connected with an incomplete thermochemical decomposition of additives (chemicals for improving properties of plastics) in small heating with the addition of sources. Unique organic compounds produced by the combustion of waste wood allow the identification of the type of fuel. The organic compounds contained in the char deposits were analysed by pyrolysis gas chromatography with mass spectrometry.

Effect of biochar addition on the improvement of the quality parameters of compost used for land reclamation.

The 5% addition of biochar in composting in rows contributes significantly to reducing volatile organic compound(VOC) emissions. When composting with the addition of biochar, the average temperature increased by 13 ± 6.7 °C during the whole period, and the thermophilic phase was extended by 11 days.

The quality of composts prepared in automatic composters from fruit waste generated by the production of beverages.

Ensuring the processing of food waste from the production of food and beverages intheautomatic composters can be difficult because of the physicochemical properties of input raw materials. Very often, the final product does not meet the requirements forcomposts according to the European Compost Network. Optimisation of input food waste from theproduction ofbeverages was performed by the addition of the bulk materials such assawdust and clay minerals (bentonite).

A state-of-the-art review on spent coffee ground (SCG) pyrolysis for future biorefinery.

Coffee is a globally consumed beverage that produces a substantial amount of valuable organic waste known as spent coffee grounds (SCG). Although SCG is a non-edible biomass, research initiatives focused on valorizing/utilizing its organic content, protecting the environment, and reducing the high oxygen demand required for its natural degradation. The integration with biorefinery in general and with pyrolysis process in specific is considerered the most successful solid waste management strategy of SCG that produce energy and high-value products.

A performance evaluation study of nano-biochar as a potential slow-release nano-fertilizer from wheat straw residue for sustainable agriculture.

Agro-Wastes are identified as to manufacture potential valuable organic biochar fertilizer product economically while also managing the waste. Biochar (BC) produced from agriculture waste is helps to improve the soil because of its neutral pH, addition of organic carbon to the soil and lower salt index values. This study focused on the development of nano-biochar into a more enhanced biochar product where it was checked whether the biochar derived from wheat straw can absorb nutrients and then act as support matter for releasing micro-nutrients and macro-nutrients for the plants on slow liberation basis.

Environmental risks related to organic compounds from the combustion of paper briquettes in domestic boilers.

Environmental risks connected with the combustion of paper/cardboard briquettes are still not sufficiently known. This paper aims to bring attention to the risks related to the utilisation of paper briquettes in local boilers and to characterise these risks by means of the identification of organic compounds in deposits from exhaust flues. The identification of the chemical compounds was performed by pyrolysis gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.

Spent coffee ground as renewable energy source: Evaluation of the drying processes.

Spent coffee ground (SCG) is an environmental nuisance material, but, if appropriately processed it can be converted into pellets, and thus, used as an energy source. The moisture content of the final product should be below 10%, to ensure safe storage, and elimination of microorganism growth (particularly moulds). The present study aims to identify the optimal drying process for removing moisture from SCG and to investigate changes to the composition of SCG due to drying, at temperatures around 75 °C, so that the dried SCG to qualify as renewable energy source.

The potential environmental risks of the utilization of composts from household food waste.

Modern technologies (especially with the help of autonomous measurement and control systems) introduced automatic composters for the disposal of household food waste production. Environmental risks connected with the utilization of these composts can be characterized by the high electrical conductivity caused by a presence of sodium chloride in food. Electrical conductivity influences the ecotoxicity of the composts.

Concentration Variability of Water-Soluble Ions during the Acceptable and Exceeded Pollution in an Industrial Region.

This study investigates the chemical composition of water-soluble inorganic ions at eight localities situated in the Moravian-Silesian Region (the Czech Republic) at the border with Poland. Water-soluble inorganic ions were monitored in the winter period of 2018 (January, 11 days and February, 5 days). The set was divided into two periods: the acceptable period (the 24-h concentration of PM < 50 µg/m) and the period with exceeded pollution (PM ˃ 50 µg/m).

Comparison of organic compounds in char and soot from the combustion of biomass in boilers of various emission classes.

The combustion of biomass in boilers of emission classes 2 and 3 produces deposits in the form of char and soot inside the combustion chamber. Char and soot differ in content of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) as well as in the content of organic compounds. Deposits from boilers of emission class 2 contain higher amounts of OC and EC than those from boilers of emission class 3.

Properties of composts from household food waste produced in automatic composters.

The minimization of landfill deposition of waste containing biological components represents a big problem, especially in built-up residential areas. The main problem of biologically degradable municipal waste is the quantity and composition of household waste which can have an important influence on decomposition processes already in collecting vessels. An amount of household waste produced in residential areas in the Czech Republic varies from 31 to 337 g/person/day, with an average value of 250 g.

Possibilities of the utilization of char from the pyrolysis of tetrapak.

Since the cellulose used in the production of tetrapak is of very high quality, the char generated during pyrolysis should be influenced mainly by the pyrolysis temperature. This article aims to determine the chemical composition of biochar prepared at the temperatures of 400, 500, 600 and 700 °C and its environmental properties determined by the presence of organic compounds with toxicity and relatively high mobility in the environment. The analytical pyrolysis of char was used to identify the following groups of organic compounds: alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, cycloalkenes, alkynes, alkadiens, ethers, alcohols, nitrogen compounds, nitrils, ketones and aldehydes, compounds containing phenols, furans, benzofurans, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), carboxylic acids, compounds containing benzenes and markers indicative of the presence of synthetic polymers (polyethylene layers, a part of dyes, antioxidants, stabilizers), and fragments of cellulose.

Temporal and seasonal variations of black carbon in a highly polluted European city: Apportionment of potential sources and the effect of meteorological conditions.

Black carbon - a primary component of particulate matter emitted from an incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels - has been found to have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment. Since black carbon emissions data are not readily available, no measures are implemented to reduce black carbon emissions. The temporal and seasonal variations of black carbon concentrations were evaluated during 2012-2014.

Enrichment and distribution of 24 elements within the sub-sieve particle size distribution ranges of fly ash from wastes incinerator plants.

The management of an increasing amount of municipal waste via incineration has been gaining traction. Fly ash as a by-product of incineration of municipal solid waste is considered a hazardous waste due to the elevated content of various elements. The enrichment and distribution of 24 elements in fly ash from three wastes incinerators were evaluated.

The effect of moisture on the release and enrichment of heavy metals during pyrolysis of municipal solid waste.

The investigation of the effect of moisture on the release and enrichment of heavy metals during pyrolysis of municipal solid waste is essential. This is important owing to: (i) the increasing amount of metals in the solid product of pyrolysis beyond the normalised level; (ii) the effect of moisture on the overall cost of pyrolysis process; and (iii) the utilisation of pyrolysis products. Seven metals were selected for evaluation: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead, and vanadium.

Syngas production from pyrolysis of nine composts obtained from nonhybrid and hybrid perennial grasses.

A pyrolysis of compost for the production of syngas with an explicit H2/CO = 2 or H2/CO = 3 was investigated in this study. The composts were obtained from nonhybrid (perennial) grasses (NHG) and hybrid (perennial) grasses (HG). Discrepancies in H2 evolution profiles were found between NHG and HG composts.

Effect of unburned carbon content in fly ash on the retention of 12 elements out of coal-combustion flue gas.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether unburned carbon particles present in fly ash can help in the retention of S, Cl, Br, As, Se, Cu, Ni, Zn, Ga, Ge, Rb, and Pb out of flue gas during the coal combustion at fluidised-bed power station where the coal was combusted along with limestone. The competitive influence of 10%-25% CaO in fly ashes on the distribution of studied elements was studied as well to be clear which factor governs behaviour of studied elements. Except of S (with significant association with CaO) and Rb and Pb (with major affinity to Al2O3) the statistically significant and positive correlation coefficients were calculated for the relations between unburned carbon content and Br (0.