Incorporation of solar-heated aeration and greenhouse in grass composting.

Composting is an environment-friendly method for recycling organic waste, and incorporation of heat and aeration can enhance favorable conditions for microbial growth in the process. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of the introduction of solar heat and aeration to the waste grass exposed to the composting process. The compost piles studied were subjected to different processes: application of solar-heated aeration, only-aeration, solar heating with a greenhouse, and control.

Characterization of sewage sludge incineration ashes from multi-cyclones and baghouse dust filters as possible cement substitutes.

Incineration is not a final disposal method for sludge management since a significant amount of ash is generated. Although some published literature reported on the use of sewage sludge ashes (SSAs) as a cement replacement, none of them referred to the air pollution control unit of the incinerator where the SSA is collected. The properties of SSAs from different air pollution control units were investigated with the purpose of usage as a cement replacement in the present study.

Ultrasound and heterogeneous photocatalysis for the treatment of vinasse from pisco production.

Production of the distilled alcohol pisco results in vinasse, dark brown wastewater with high polyphenols contents and chemical oxygen demand (COD). No prior research exists on the efficiency of advanced oxidations processes (AOPs) in treating pisco vinasse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency of ultraviolet (UV), ultrasound (US), US + UV, heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP), and HP + US treatments.

Food loss and waste management in Turkey.

Food waste can be an environmental and economic problem if not managed properly but it can meet various demands of a country if it is considered as a resource. The purpose of this report is to review the existing state of the field in Turkey and identify the potential of food waste as a resource. Food loss and waste (FLW) was examined throughout the food supply chain (FSC) and quantified using the FAO model.

A review on paint sludge from automotive industries: Generation, characteristics and management.

The automotive manufacturing process results in the consumption of several natural sources and the generation of various types of wastes. The primary source of hazardous wastes at an automotive manufacturing plant is the painting process, and the major waste fraction is paint sludge, which is classified with EU waste code of 080113* implying hazardous characteristics. The amount of the paint sludge generated increases every year with the worldwide increase in the car production.

Immobilization of antimony waste slag by applying geopolymerization and stabilization/solidification technologies.

During the processing of antimony ore by pyrometallurgical methods, a considerable amount of slag is formed. This antimony waste slag is listed by the European Union as absolutely hazardous waste with a European Waste Catalogue code of 10 08 08. Since the levels of antimony and arsenic in the leachate of the antimony waste slag are generally higher than the landfilling limits, it is necessary to treat the slag before landfilling.

Air-soil exchange of PCBs: levels and temporal variations at two sites in Turkey.

Seasonal distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the air-soil intersection was determined for two regions: one with urban characteristics where traffic is dense (BUTAL) and the other representing the coastal zone (Mudanya). Fifty-one air and soil samples were simultaneously collected. Total PCB (Σ82 PCB) levels in the soil samples collected during a 1-year period ranged between 105 and 7,060 pg/g dry matter (dm) (BUTAL) and 110 and 2,320 pg/g dm (Mudanya).

Seasonal variations of polychlorinated biphenyls in surface soils and air-soil exchange in Bursa, Turkey.

This study investigates the seasonality of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in soils of Bursa city located in northwestern Turkey. Forty-three soil samples were collected each season during a 1-year period. Air and soil samples were collected concurrently 3 or 3 times in a month during a 1-year monitoring period from 2 of the 43 locations.

Air-soil exchange of PCBs: seasonal variations in levels and fluxes with influence of equilibrium conditions.

The variations in the occurrences of PCB congeners both in soil and air were investigated in conjunction with each other, and the changes in the fugacity fractions and flux levels were examined on a seasonal basis. Air and soil samples were collected concurrently two or three times in a month during a one-year monitoring at two different locations in Bursa, located in the northwestern Turkey. Fugacity fractions and net flux levels of PCB congeners were calculated.

Spatial and temporal distribution of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in soils of an industrialized city in Turkey.

Surface soil (0-5 cm) samples from 43 sampling sites covering the entire urban territory of Bursa, an industrialized city in Turkey, were collected in each season and analyzed for 83 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The mean concentration of total PCBs (Σ83 PCBs) among all sites over the four seasons was 2121.51 pg/g dry weight (dw), with a range of 207.

Industrial hazardous waste management in Turkey: current state of the field and primary challenges.

A holistic evaluation of a country's hazardous waste management (HWM) practices is useful in identifying the necessary actions to focus on. Based on an analysis of industrial hazardous waste (HW) generation in Turkey, this paper attempts to critically evaluate and report current Turkish HWM practices and discuss the primary challenges to be addressed. The generation of industrial HW for Turkey reported in 2004 was 1.

Comparison of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons levels in sludges from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants.

This study was carried out to investigate the concentrations and potential sources of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sludge of 14 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Sludge samples were collected from 2 municipal WWTPs, 11 industrial WWTPs, and 1 sanitary landfill leachate treatment plant within the city of Bursa, Turkey during the summer of 2008. Ultrasonication was applied for extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the PAH contents of the samples.

Prediction of the PCB pollution in the soils of Bursa, an industrial city in Turkey.

The purpose of this study was to predict the equilibrium soil concentrations and distributions of Sigma(41)Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) congeners from the air data measured at 4 sites (urban, suburban, residential, and industrial) in Bursa between 2004 and 2005. The soil-air partition coefficient (K(SA)) was used for the predictions. Predicted soil concentrations ranged from 25 pg/g to 690 pg/g, while the atmospheric concentrations fluctuated between 35 pg/m(3) and 1112 pg/m(3).

Steel foundry electric arc furnace dust management: stabilization by using lime and Portland cement.

The purpose of this study was to determine an appropriate treatment for steel foundry electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) prior to permanent disposal. Lime and Portland cement (PC)-based stabilization was applied to treat the EAFD that contains lead and zinc above the landfilling limits, and is listed by USEPA as hazardous waste designation K061 and by EU as 10 02 07. Three types of paste samples were prepared with EAFD content varying between 0 and 90%.

Properties of steel foundry electric arc furnace dust solidified/stabilized with Portland cement.

Electric arc furnace dust from steel production is generated in considerable amounts worldwide and needs to be treated as hazardous waste. The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of electric arc furnace dust solidified/stabilized by using Portland cement. Mortar and paste samples were prepared with varying waste-to-binder ratios between 0% and 90%.

Stabilization and solidification of waste phosphate sludge using portland cement and fly ash as cement substitute.

Stabilization and solidification of the waste phosphate sludge (WPS) using Portland cement (PC) and fly ash (FA) were studied in the present work. The WPS content in the cement mortars varied from 5% to 15%. Setting times were measured, and unconfined compressive strengths (UCS) were determined for the mortars cured in water for 3, 7, 28, 56, and 90 days.

Ecological risk assessment and problem formulation for Lake Uluabat, a Ramsar State in Turkey.

Unlike the United States and the European Union, developing countries do not have sufficiently structured legal and institutional systems to apply certain environmental management tools such as ecological risk assessment. However, it is important for countries with valuable environmental and ecological resources to have appropriate tools and to strengthen their environmental management capabilities and capacities for the sake of those resources. The case study described in this paper attempts to be a case study towards developing environmental management plans, especially in developing countries.