HVAC air filtration systems can be designed as either disposable or reusable units, with each approach involving different material, operational, and end-of-life requirements. However, the environmental performance of reusable HVAC filtration systems remains insufficiently characterized. This study conducted a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing reusable and disposable HVAC air filters under equivalent service conditions using the TRACI 2.1 impact assessment method in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The analysis compared one reusable Delta M filter with eight equivalent disposable filters over the same filtration service period. Initial single-cycle comparisons showed that the reusable filter exhibited higher impacts due to increased structural material requirements associated with durable design. However, repeated refurbishment and reuse substantially reduced overall life cycle environmental burdens. At the defined functional unit, the reusable filtration system reduced global warming potential by approximately 69% (6.20 vs. 20.27 kg CO2 eq) while also reducing ozone depletion, smog formation, acidification, eutrophication, respiratory effects, ecotoxicity, fossil fuel depletion, and non-carcinogenic impacts relative to the disposable filtration system. Environmental break-even analysis indicated that the reusable system began outperforming the disposable alternative after approximately two operational filtration cycles, while end-of-life material recovery further improved environmental performance beyond the baseline landfill scenario. Contribution analysis identified PVC frame production, polyester filtration media manufacturing, and galvanized steel mesh production as the dominant environmental hotspots. The results demonstrate that combining durable product design, repeated reuse, and end-of-life material recovery can substantially improve the long-term environmental performance of commercial HVAC filtration systems while supporting circular economy and sustainable building objectives.

Effective management of wastewater treatment plants often requires real-time measurements of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). Conventional methods for determining Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) are often time-consuming, labor-intensive and prone to inaccuracies. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) have emerged as a viable alternative technology for BOD measurement, offering real-time monitoring capability. However, challenges remain in its validity for testing different types of wastewater. This study developed a cost-effective dual-chamber MFC with graphite felt electrodes and a CMI-7000 membrane, inoculated with a microbial consortia grown from anaerobic sludge at optimal conditions (35 °C, pH 7, 1000 Ω external resistance). After one month of biofilm formation, the MFC produced 600 mV. Voltage outputs were measured at six BOD5 concentrations (36 to 583 mg/L) in synthetic wastewater, showing a strong linear correlation between BOD5 concentrations and voltage outputs. The MFC was also tested with five domestic wastewater samples with BOD5 values ranging between 81 and 405 mg/L. The output voltages were inserted into the derived voltage-BOD correlation to obtain BOD5 values within 2.5% to 11% of conventional laboratory results. These findings confirm the potential of MFC-based biosensors as an efficient and accurate tool for real-time wastewater monitoring.

Electro-catalytic ozonation (ECO) couples electrochemical Fe & sup2;(+) generation with ozone oxidation to enhance radical-driven degradation of refractory organics. Here, ECO was evaluated for phenol and vanillin as model phenolic contaminants representing olive mill wastewater (OMW). Under optimized conditions (pH 5-9, 175-200 mA, ozone 3.6-5.3 g/hr), ECO achieved > 90% COD removal and complete pollutant elimination via GC-MS verification within 30 min. Mechanistic analysis indicates a dual Fe & sup2;(+)-O-3 radical pathway that sustains center dot OH formation despite ozone mass-transfer limits. GC-MS confirmed complete parent compound loss with minimal stable aromatic intermediates, highlighting partially mineralized products. These findings clarify how electrochemical iron activation enhances ozone-based AOPs and define design parameters for hybrid treatment of phenolic wastewater.

Expanding healthcare services has increased medical waste production, which poses health and environmental risks. To avoid these risks, healthcare workers (HCWs) should have a high-risk perception, deep knowledge, and adherence to safety guidelines regarding medical waste management (MWM). The study aims to assess HCWs’ risk perception, knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) in MWM. It also aims to examine the relationships between these variables and investigate the predictors of HCWs’ risk perception in Jordanian hospitals. The study implemented a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design with a proportional stratified sampling technique. The total number of participants was 492 HCWs in Jordanian public, military, private, and educational hospitals. The study data were analyzed using descriptive, correlation, comparative, and regression analyses. The analyses revealed positive risk perception (M = 76.2, SD = 6.79), knowledge (M = 30.7, SD = 4.27), attitude (M = 32.2, SD = 2.84), and practice (M = 29.3, SD = 4.17) among participants. There were also positive relationships between risk perception and MWM KAP. Additionally, knowledge, practice, job position, and hospital type were the statistically significant predictors of risk perception (Adj R2 = 0.184, F = 13.23, p <0.01). Hospital type, job position, knowledge, and practice were key predictors of risk perception in this study. Efforts should focus on strengthening the policy framework and improving MWM training among HCWs, which will help protect public health and the environment.

The environmental impacts of a compostable greenhouse film composed of 85 % poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and 15 % talc are examined within a cradle-to-grave framework using an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This assessment is essential for understanding the sustainability of this solution in relation to the conventional, non-biodegradable plastics commonly used for greenhouse cover materials in Ontario, thereby supporting the resiliency and sustainability of the greenhouse agriculture sector. The Ecoinvent database within SimaPro software was coupled with the key standards of ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 to conduct an environmental LCA per functional unit of 1 kg of PBAT-talc film. Data consisted of primary and secondary inventory sourced from the University of Guelph Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre and literature, respectively. Using the TRACI 2.1 method, environmental burdens were calculated and mitigated. Key hotspots emerged from the preparation, blown film, and composting stages. By incorporating sustainable energy mixes and biobased components of PBAT instead of petroleum-based compounds, the leading normalized categories of carcinogenic and ecotoxicity impacts were significantly reduced. With these suggested sensitivity modifications, PBAT-talc film proves to be the more sustainable option compared to all other conventional films. The Ontario agricultural greenhouse industry must seek greenhouse cover materials with the least environmental impacts, as this film demonstrates relative to other options. Aligning with global and national initiatives, this study addresses Ontario's greenhouse cover sustainability in the agriculture sector, with additional recommendations to further improve these outcomes.

This study analyzed the effect of employing plasticized or co-plasticized post-industrial starch in developing PBAT-based thermoplastic starch (TPS) blends. In this work, the post-industrial wheat starch was co-plasticized with glycerol-urea, glycerol-citric acid, and glycerol-succinic anhydride, and then melt-extruded with PBAT to develop the TPS blends. The effect of co-plasticization was investigated by analyzing the TPS blends' mechanical, thermal, and rheological characteristics. The results showed that co-plasticized starch was more effective than solely glycerol-plasticized starch in enhancing the TPS blends' mechanical, thermal, and rheological characteristics. The TPS containing citric acid as a co-plasticizer showed increases of 246, 35, and 46% in impact strength, elongation at break, and crystallinity, respectively, compared to glycerol-plasticized starch-based TPS. Morphological analysis further revealed that the citric acid co-plasticized starch improved the dispersion and compatibility of the plasticized starch within the PBAT matrix. Overall, the study showed that adding citric acid during the co-plasticization of starch resulted in high-impact TPS blends with enhanced material properties compared to glycerol-plasticized starch and urea or succinic anhydride co-plasticized starch.

Dairy farm wash water is generated during the cleaning of milking pipelines, which involves a four-step cycle: prerinse, detergent rinse, acid rinse, and sanitizer rinse. This water contains various organic and inorganic contaminants that must be managed in compliance with regulations. Although septic systems are a common treatment method, inconsistencies in the Ontario legislation have raised concerns about their use for on-site treatment. This study examines the feasibility of utilizing on-site systems to treat milking center wash water and highlights inconsistencies within the existing regulations. Based on the findings, implementing an air rinse before the wash cycle is recommended. This step significantly reduces organic contaminants, lowering chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids by approximately 73% and 81%, respectively, before the water enters the septic system.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that can be used to assess the environmental impacts of a product or process from cradle-to-grave. Many studies utilize the LCA methodology within the site remediation field to compare various decontamination methods, including bioremediation, thermal remediation and excavation for off-site treatment and disposal. However, limited information is available in the literature on a sustainability tool that can be used to help assess and select the optimal remediation technology at any given site. Accordingly, this project was undertaken to develop a tool to assist with the selection of the most sustainable technology with the focus of contaminated gasoline sites. Preliminary LCA results show decreased environmental impacts for the remediation of a contaminated gasoline site for each technology when compared to a no remediation alternative. Sensitivity analyses are now being completed on site parameters to determine how environmental impacts fluctuate at other contaminated locations based on parameters such as transportation distances or soil type. Additionally, the social and economic impacts associated with the technology are being reviewed to complete a full sustainability assessment. Utilizing the environmental, economic and social results, a sustainability tool will be developed to help to assist in the selection of the best remediation option.

The recovery of valuable components from dairy processing waste products is an approach that creates an economic opportunity for producers while reducing the environmental burden of treating and disposing of this waste. For this purpose, bentonite clay has been investigated as an adsorbent material to recover protein from cheese whey. In this process, powdered bentonite clay is mixed with whey to adsorb and physically separate whey proteins from the bulk liquid. This approach presents several potential advantages compared to traditional membrane filtration, as it can be achieved using minimal equipment and operator experience, allowing for easier application at the source of production. The removal of major whey proteins has been monitored using HPLC following contact with bentonite clay while operating under varying bentonite dosages and temperature conditions. Complete removal of major whey proteins was observed using a bentonite dosage of 35 g/L after 6 h of contact at a pH of 4.7. When considering the removal of individual whey proteins, it was found that alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) displayed a higher adsorptive affinity towards bentonite than beta-lactoglobulin (β-LG) under these conditions. Modification of temperature using a fixed adsorbent concentration of 20 g/L revealed that the overall removal of major whey proteins was diminished at 4 °C but remained relatively constant between 20 and 40 °C. In particular, the removal α-LA was significantly affected by changes in temperature, with removal increasing from 54.27 to 91.49

Decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) are significant contributors to the eutrophication of surface water bodies due to a lack of treatment mechanisms that target dissolved phosphorus removal. Existing advanced treatment systems are expensive to operate, large in nature, and require frequent maintenance, making them unattractive to DWTS owners. This study aims to investigate the development of a continuous flow treatment system that uses electrocoagulation (EC) to remove dissolved phosphorus from small wastewater streams such as septic tank effluent (STE). Operational parameters, including system hydraulic retention time (HRT), applied current density, and wastewater composition, were optimized to maximize total phosphorus (TP) removal most cost-effectively. Using an HRT of 10 min, an applied current density of 2.0 mA/cm2, and an influent concentration of 20 mg/L, the orthophosphate (OP) and TP removal percentages achieved were 99.9 and 88.1%, respectively. Under these conditions, the average effluent Al3+ concentration in the treated effluent was measured to be 1.0 mg/L while the total suspended solids concentration was measured to be 51 mg/L. The operation cost was estimated to be 0.056 CAD/m3. The results demonstrate that the EC reactor is effective in removing dissolved phosphorus from wastewater and is therefore a viable option in mitigating the risk of downstream eutrophication caused by inadequately treated STE.

This paper seeks to evaluate the effect of reaction parameters on iron electrolysis-catalyzed ozonation (ECO) performance as a promising approach for micropollutant removal. ECO is proposed to be an environmentally and economically suitable technology for the removal of biologically recalcitrant organics in wastewater. In this process, iron ions generated via electrolysis of low-carbon steel react with dissolved ozone to produce hydroxyl radicals. The removal of tert-Butyl alcohol (TBA) was selected as a performance indicator based on its significant resistance to direct ozonation compared to hydroxyl radicals, such that TBA removal denotes catalytic breakdown of ozone. TBA removal was measured with an HS-SPME-GC-MS method for precise quantification. ECO performance ranged from 7 to 77% TBA removal (from 0.73 mM initial concentration), varying depending on the tested levels of initial pH of 5, 7, and 9, applied current between 0.065 and 0.470 A, and ozone supply rate between 3.9 and 6.4 g/h. Performance was generally increased by pH, applied current, and ozone generation, converging at high applied current rates. The most efficient use of ozone was observed at pH 9 and 0.323 A, removing 32.2% of TBA per gram of ozone supplied.

Starch has overtaken the bioplastic market in developing thermoplastic starch-based blends and composite systems owing to its biodegradability and sustainability. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) development is mostly a two-stage process involving plasticizing starch and blending plasticized starch with a polymer. Most of the research focuses on improving the properties of the blend system through different methodologies, including various plasticizers and co-plasticizers. However, limited studies have analyzed the environmental effects of plasticizers or co-plasticizers and their processing. Thus, in this research, the environmental impact of starch plasticization processes performed by co-plasticization (glycerol–urea, glycerol–citric acid, and glycerol–succinic anhydride) and by conventional glycerol-based plasticization is compared through life cycle assessment (LCA). The results showed that glycerol–citric acid- and glycerol–succinic anhydride-based co-plasticization had a comparable environmental impact to traditional glycerol-based plasticization. In contrast, the glycerol–urea-based co-plasticization process exhibited the highest effect on the environment. Furthermore, to reduce the environmental impact, a sensitivity analysis of the plasticization processes was conducted by changing the energy aspect of the processes through quantitative and qualitative approaches. The qualitative approach significantly reduced major impact categories such as global warming, carcinogens, ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion.

This study evaluates the environmental burden of organic and conventional coffee systems with a functional unit (FU) of 1 kg for market-ready, dried coffee. The ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 framework and guidelines are applied to organic and conventional coffee systems, using a cradle-to-grave approach and the methodology of ReCiPe Endpoint 2008, cumulative energy demand (CED), and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). Superior sustainability was achieved for organic coffee compared to the performance of conventional coffee, with values of 218.50 mPt (conventional) and 146.10 mPt (organic), and a global warming potential (GWP) of 2.12 kg CO2 eq FU−1 (organic) and 1.44 kg CO2 eq FU−1 (conventional). CED fossil-based consumption totalled 25 MJ and 35 MJ for organic and conventional coffee systems, respectively. Conventional and organic coffee system hotspots stemmed from the planting (chemical fertilizer), drying, and packaging processes. This study emphasizes the environmental benefits of organic practices and their relatively lower impact than conventional methods. Within a growing sector, best management practices in the form of actionable insights from a life cycle assessment must be sought to ensure environmental sustainability in parallel with the UN’s goals.

A life cycle assessment (LCA) study was completed to understand the environmental impacts associated with the land application of wastes produced from rural food-processing operations for final disposal. The system boundaries for the two comprised scenarios included the storage of the produced non-agriculture source material (NASM), transportation to an applicable location, land application of the NASM, and the impacts of the final emissions to the soil and groundwater for a full year. The Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemicals and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) v2.1 was selected as the impact assessment method. Furthermore, SimaPro 8.0.4.26 was the LCA model version that was used with all the databases included. Overall, the LCA study showed that the most significant environmental impacts associated with the disposal process resulted from carcinogenic and eutrophication emissions. The component that contributed the most to carcinogenic impacts was found to be from the material required to create the concrete storage tank. Additionally, eutrophication was identified to be a potential significant impact, if proper setback requirements are not followed for the NASM material. Results of the study look to inform stakeholders about the benefits and risks encountered from NASM disposal. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Life cycle assessment was completed on a representative NASM disposal system using land application. Concrete tank used for storage of NASM had the most significant impact in carcinogenic emissions. Eutrophication impacts were the second most significant impact behind carcinogenic emissions.

Jordan is a non-oil producing country. Its basic energy requirements are obtained from imported oil and natural gas from different sources. Domestic natural gas covers only 4% of the Kingdom’s energy needs. Energy import costs create a financial burden on the national economy. Jordan spends more than 25% of its GDP on the purchase of energy. Considerable efforts have been made and great progress has been achieved in the application of solar, wind, biogas and hydro energy utilization. This paper explores the potential of biogas as renewable energy in developing countries including Jordan, where access to basic clean energy services is essential for sustainable development. A techno–economic feasibility study for electric power generation from municipal solid waste was carried out in cooperation with the UNDP and the UN Global Environmental Facility has approved the award to finance a pilot biogas plant at Amman municipal waste disposal site. The project rated capacity is 1MW and due to the successful operation, the project was expanded to 3.5MW.

Researchwas conducted on non-agriculture source material (NASM) data and legislation to identify knowledge gaps and limitations associated with the regulatory framework within Ontario. The framework for NASM land application on farm fields is set out in Ontario Regulation 267/03 under the (Nutrient Management Act, 2002, S. O. 2002, Chap. 4. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/02n04). Currently, Category 2 NASM (including waste and wash-water from processed fruits and vegetables) and Category 3 NASM (including dairies, abattoirs, and sewage biosolid facilities) have stringent requirements that agri-food processors must follow when looking into land application disposal. Agri-food processors have suggested that the regulations are overly burdensome for smaller facilities due to the cost for ongoing sampling, documentation, and reporting requirements, which hinders their economic expansion. Following the requirements set out in Ontario Regulation 267/03, agri-food processors have identified that their food processing wash-water samples rarely exceed the regulatory limits for heavy metals under OntarioRegulation 267/03. Thus, processors are questioning why they need to continue analyzing for these constituents as this is a repetitive cost to their business, and if any improvements can be made to the regulatory framework to make it more economically feasible without harming the environment. Overall, this project looked at identifying possible improvements to the Ontario Regulation 267/03 framework to assist agri-food processors with cost-effective land application, with a focus on heavy metal sampling requirements. In the first phase of the project, data was collected and summarized from wash-water facilities to characterize the NASM they produced. The NASM data from various agri-food facilities showed that most of the samples were routinely below the lowest threshold for concentration (CM1 level) and always below CM2 levels, a higher concentration but still within the allowable regulatory limits. Next, a thorough jurisdiction scan of North American standards gave insight into possible improvements to Ontario's land application framework. Findings show that Ontario has established one of the best systems for land application to protect the public and the environment. However, it is evident that this regulatory framework is overly burdensome for non-variable food processing sources and hinders the feasibility of diverting this beneficial organic matter in the form of NASM from landfills. Recommended improvements include decreased sampling frequencies for heavy metals if there is an evidence of low metal occurrence and increased application timeframes if the weather permits.

Arsenic (As), a poisonous and carcinogenic heavy metal, affects human health and the environment. Numerous technologies can remove As from drinking water. Adsorption is the most appealing option for decentralized water treatment systems (DWTS) for small communities and household applications because it is reliable, affordable, and environmentally acceptable. Sustainable low-cost adsorbents make adsorption more appealing for DWTS to address some of the small communities' water-related issues. This review contains in-depth information on the classification and toxicity of As species and different treatment options, including ion exchange, membrane technologies, coagulation-flocculation, oxidation, and adsorption, and their effectiveness under various process parameters. Specifically, different kinetic and isotherm models were compared for As adsorption. The characterization techniques that determine various adsorbents' chemical and physical characteristics were investigated. This review discusses the parameters that impact adsorption, such as solution pH, temperature, initial As concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. Finally, low-cost adsorbents application for the removal of As was discussed. Adsorption was found to be a suitable, cost-effective, and reliable technology for DWTS for small and isolated communities. New locally developed and low-cost adsorbents are promising and could support sustainable adsorption applications.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a commonly used tool to quantify life cycle environmental footprints of products. Uncertainty in LCA modeling, particularly from uncertainty in production practices (represented through input parameter arguments), can lead to incorrect conclusions and hamper decision‐making. Characterization of uncertainty through stochastic means and sensitivity analysis is utilized in a small fraction of LCA case studies, and the majority of studies default to scenario analysis due to its lower barrier to implementation and its results are easier to interpret. In this article, we introduce a sensitivity metric, relative sensitivity value (RSV), which allows LCA practitioners to gauge the relative influence of production practices on life cycle impacts in multiple phases and impact categories. Relative sensitivity value bridges the gap between scenario analysis and global sensitivity analysis, and it allows an LCA practitioner to provide an easy‐to‐interpret metric for quantifying the degree to which incremental changes in production practices influences the life cycle environmental footprint. We present the methodology used to calculate RSV and provide programming code, which can be readily used by an LCA practitioner to calculate RSV for their LCA model. We demonstrate the usage of RSV through a livestock husbandry LCA case study, in which we show how RSV results may be presented and interpreted, and how conclusions regarding production practices may be drawn. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:547–555. © 2022 SETAC

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) study was completed to assess the environmental impacts of an on-site wastewater treatment system in the fresh-cut fruit processing industry consisting of a membrane bioreactor (MBR), followed by reverse osmosis (RO) and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. The system boundaries comprised raw materials extraction and processing, transportation, construction, operation, and waste disposal. SimaPro 8.0.4.26 was used as the software tool, supported by two impact assessment methods (ReCiPe v1.11 and TRACI v2.1). Analysis showed that the treatment capacity of the MBR and tertiary technologies contributed the least damage to the ecosystem when compared with the other three scenarios and can provide water for reuse. Treating wastewater in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) mitigated eutrophication like the MBR system but resulted in more environmental impacts from climate change and human health when compared with the on-site treatment system. Findings will be informative to stakeholders in the fresh-cut agri-food sector seeking input into selecting the appropriate treatment approach, with water reuse a goal. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Life-cycle analysis was completed on a fruit processing facility using MBR + RO + UV. On site treatment with MBR + RO UV provides least amount of environmental impact. Use of MBR + RO + UV treatment on fruit wastewater allows for water reuse. ReCiPe v1.11 and TRACI v2.1 give similar LCA results, with TRACI recommended for North American analysis.

The prohibitive cost of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) necessitates the development of innovative variations to increase their applicability. This investigation evaluated the combination of ozonation and electrolysis using iron electrodes as a catalytic ozonation AOP for the mineralization of organic compounds in water. The operating parameters of initial pH and current density were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to maximize total organic carbon (TOC) removal from a dextrose based synthetic wastewater. The process was most effective for TOC removal in alkaline conditions (initial pH of 9), although performance compared to ozonation alone was more significantly enhanced in acidic conditions (initial pH of 3). TOC removal was found to increase as current density increased from 4 to 12 mA/cm2, regardless of initial pH, primarily due to the increased rate of catalyst addition from the sacrificial anode. It was determined that the initial pH of the system presented a more statistically significant effect on TOC removal than current density, although both parameters were determined to be relevant. Under optimal conditions of 12 mA/cm2 and an initial pH of 9, 63% TOC removal was achieved after 60 min of treatment. Catalyst dosage using electrochemical and chemical approaches was compared, finding that electrochemical catalyst dosage was preferred for TOC removal, illustrated by the pseudo-first order rate constant of observed TOC removal, which was 51-76% higher using the electrochemical approach. Using an indirect measurement method involving tert-Butyl alcohol, hydroxyl radicals were detected during the combined ozonation and electrolysis treatment. Radical production was found to be linked to the conditions which favoured TOC removal. The results of this study have demonstrated the ability of an electrochemical catalytic ozonation process to enhance the removal of organic contaminants in wastewater compared to ozonation alone, established the advantages of harnessing an electrochemically generated catalyst, and characterized the effect of key operating parameters on TOC removal performance and hydroxyl radical production.