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Plant protection products (pesticides) are used throughout the world in the form of various types, such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides etc. High Density Polyethylene is the principal material that those containers are made of. The aim of the study was to determine the factors that statistically affect the generation of the resulting wasted plastic pesticide containers after pesticide application. The objective was to develop a mathematical model to describe the generation rate of wasted plastic pesticide containers as a function of certain parameters. 603 data series were recorded based on information from 106 farmers in Greece and nineteen (19) parameters were initially included as potential predictors. Each farmer filled up questionnaires and provided data for more than one type of crops. Data were obtained from six Greek prefectures. Empirical models were developed for all pesticides through linear regression. The cultivated area (m2), the type of crop (perennial/annual, irrigated/dry) and the type of pesticide application (on soil, on foliage) were the statistically significant parameters to affect generation rates. Eighteen (18) farmers provided 56 (new) observations to validate the models. Two of the four models are reliable due to their low validation errors and should be ideally used for crop areas above 58,000 m2. The total wasted plastic pesticide containers generation rate in Greece was estimated to be 0.028 kg farmer−1 y−1 1000 m−2. Modeling results can aid to predict the generation rate of wasted pesticide plastic containers at a regional and national level so that to properly design their management systems.
Georgios Garbounis; Dimitrios Komilis. A modeling methodology to predict the generation of wasted plastic pesticide containers: An application to Greece. Waste Management 2021, 131, 177 -186.
AMA StyleGeorgios Garbounis, Dimitrios Komilis. A modeling methodology to predict the generation of wasted plastic pesticide containers: An application to Greece. Waste Management. 2021; 131 ():177-186.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGeorgios Garbounis; Dimitrios Komilis. 2021. "A modeling methodology to predict the generation of wasted plastic pesticide containers: An application to Greece." Waste Management 131, no. : 177-186.
Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) is a solution to recover renewable energy, such as methane, from food waste (FW) and garden waste (GW). Methane yield efficiency can be improved through the optimization of the operating conditions, such as mixing ratio of substrates (MRS) and Mixing Ratio of Inocula (MRI). The objective was to optimize the AcoD of FW with GW by combining Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Particle Swarm Algorithm (PSO). The AcoD of FW and GW were initially evaluated experimentally at a laboratory scale through a central design composed of two factors, at three levels each: FW:GW MRS at 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40 (w/w) and MRI with sludge mixture Granular (GSL) and Flocculant sludge (FSL) equal to 10:90, 30:70 and 50:50 (GSL:FSL, v/v). The response variables were the biochemical methane potential (BMP), bicarbonate alkalinity (BA), volatile fatty acids (VFA), hydrolysis (kh) and process stability index (If). The optimization identified the best operational conditions, which were later validated with a second experiment. Results of ANN and PSO showed that the maximized methane yield (270 mL CH4/g VS) can occur at the ratios of MRS 64:36 (w/w) and at MRI 44:56 (v/v) that increase the methane yield by 26% compared to mono-digestion of FW (70 mL CH4/g VS), while BA of 1645 mg L−1, 1955 mg L−1 of VFA, kh of 0.32d−1 and a stability (If) of −59 are achieved. The second experiment showed the robustness and applicability of the optimization tools, which resulted in a production of 265 mL CH4/g VS as a maximum yield.
Miguel Casallas-Ojeda; Jonathan Soto-Paz; Wilfredo Alfonso-Morales; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Dimitrios Komilis. Optimization of Operational Parameters during Anaerobic Co-digestion of Food and Garden Waste. Environmental Processes 2021, 8, 769 -791.
AMA StyleMiguel Casallas-Ojeda, Jonathan Soto-Paz, Wilfredo Alfonso-Morales, Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña, Dimitrios Komilis. Optimization of Operational Parameters during Anaerobic Co-digestion of Food and Garden Waste. Environmental Processes. 2021; 8 (2):769-791.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Casallas-Ojeda; Jonathan Soto-Paz; Wilfredo Alfonso-Morales; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Dimitrios Komilis. 2021. "Optimization of Operational Parameters during Anaerobic Co-digestion of Food and Garden Waste." Environmental Processes 8, no. 2: 769-791.
The composting of green waste (GW) proceeds slowly due to the presence of slowly degradable compounds in that substrate. The introduction of amendments and bulking materials can improve organic matter degradation and end-product quality. However, additional strategies such as two-stage composting, can deal with the slow degradation of green waste. This paper evaluates the effect of two-stage composting on the process and end-product quality of the co-composting of green waste and food waste amended with sawdust and phosphate rock. A pilot-scale study was developed using two treatments (in triplicate each), one being a two-stage composting and the other being a traditional composting. The two treatments used the same mixture (wet weight): 46% green waste, 19% unprocessed food waste, 18% processed food waste, 13% sawdust, and 4% phosphate rock. The traditional composting observed a higher degradation rate of organic matter during the mesophilic and thermophilic phases and observed thermophilic temperatures were maintained for longer periods during these two phases compared to two-stage composting (i.e., six days). Nonetheless, during the cooling and maturation phases, the two treatments had similar behaviors with regard to temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity, and the end-products resulting from both treatments did not statistically differ. Therefore, from this study, it is concluded that other additional complementary strategies must be evaluated to further improve GW composting.
Edgar Oviedo-Ocaña; Angélica Hernández-Gómez; Marcos Ríos; Anauribeth Portela; Viviana Sánchez-Torres; Isabel Domínguez; Dimitrios Komilis. A Comparison of Two-Stage and Traditional Co-Composting of Green Waste and Food Waste Amended with Phosphate Rock and Sawdust. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1109 .
AMA StyleEdgar Oviedo-Ocaña, Angélica Hernández-Gómez, Marcos Ríos, Anauribeth Portela, Viviana Sánchez-Torres, Isabel Domínguez, Dimitrios Komilis. A Comparison of Two-Stage and Traditional Co-Composting of Green Waste and Food Waste Amended with Phosphate Rock and Sawdust. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1109.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEdgar Oviedo-Ocaña; Angélica Hernández-Gómez; Marcos Ríos; Anauribeth Portela; Viviana Sánchez-Torres; Isabel Domínguez; Dimitrios Komilis. 2021. "A Comparison of Two-Stage and Traditional Co-Composting of Green Waste and Food Waste Amended with Phosphate Rock and Sawdust." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1109.
The problems linked to plastic wastes have led to the development of biodegradable plastics. More specifically, biodegradable bioplastics are the polymers that are mineralized into carbon dioxide, methane, water, inorganic compounds, or biomass through the enzymatic action of specific microorganisms. They could, therefore, be a suitable and environmentally friendly substitute to conventional petrochemical plastics. The physico-chemical structure of the biopolymers, the environmental conditions, as well as the microbial populations to which the bioplastics are exposed to are the most influential factors to biodegradation. This process can occur in both natural and industrial environments, in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, with the latter being the least researched. The examined aerobic environments include compost, soil, and some aquatic environments, whereas the anaerobic environments include anaerobic digestion plants and a few aquatic habitats. This review investigates both the extent and the biodegradation rates under different environments and explores the state-of-the-art knowledge of the environmental and biological factors involved in biodegradation. Moreover, the review demonstrates the need for more research on the long-term fate of bioplastics under natural and industrial (engineered) environments. However, bioplastics cannot be considered a panacea when dealing with the elimination of plastic pollution.
Adele Folino; Aimilia Karageorgiou; Paolo Calabrò; Dimitrios Komilis. Biodegradation of Wasted Bioplastics in Natural and Industrial Environments: A Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6030 .
AMA StyleAdele Folino, Aimilia Karageorgiou, Paolo Calabrò, Dimitrios Komilis. Biodegradation of Wasted Bioplastics in Natural and Industrial Environments: A Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (15):6030.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAdele Folino; Aimilia Karageorgiou; Paolo Calabrò; Dimitrios Komilis. 2020. "Biodegradation of Wasted Bioplastics in Natural and Industrial Environments: A Review." Sustainability 12, no. 15: 6030.
Egg production has increased worldwide and, consequently, there is a large volume of poultry manure generated. The principal egg production systems are the caged ones, namely the conventional and the automated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temporal variability of the physico-chemical, microbiological, and parasitological properties of poultry manure from both systems. Three conventional and four automated farms were studied. The main variables analyzed differed significantly between systems. Poultry manure from conventional system had the highest values of pH, total solids, C:N, phosphorous, sulfate, selected cations, and some microorganisms and parasites. Poultry manure from automated system had the highest values of electrical conductivity, volatile solids, nitrogen content, and soluble fraction of Ca, Mg, and Mn, among others. The lowest temporal variability of the measured parameters was observed in the automated system. Overall, all measured parameters, except nitrogen, had their highest values in the warmest season. The presence of pathogen microorganisms and parasites and the Na and Zn concentrations indicate that a special management before soil application should be considered. This study could contribute to the development of management strategies for poultry manure in each system, such as control of ambient conditions within the facilities and waste treatment.
Pedro Federico Rizzo; Patricia Alina Bres; Brian Jonathan Young; Marta Susana Zubillaga; Nicolás Iván Riera; María Eugenia Beily; Andrea Argüello; Diana Cristina Crespo; Antoni Sanchez-Ferrer; Dimitrios Komilis. Temporal variation of physico-chemical, microbiological, and parasitological properties of poultry manure from two egg production systems. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management 2020, 22, 1140 -1151.
AMA StylePedro Federico Rizzo, Patricia Alina Bres, Brian Jonathan Young, Marta Susana Zubillaga, Nicolás Iván Riera, María Eugenia Beily, Andrea Argüello, Diana Cristina Crespo, Antoni Sanchez-Ferrer, Dimitrios Komilis. Temporal variation of physico-chemical, microbiological, and parasitological properties of poultry manure from two egg production systems. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management. 2020; 22 (4):1140-1151.
Chicago/Turabian StylePedro Federico Rizzo; Patricia Alina Bres; Brian Jonathan Young; Marta Susana Zubillaga; Nicolás Iván Riera; María Eugenia Beily; Andrea Argüello; Diana Cristina Crespo; Antoni Sanchez-Ferrer; Dimitrios Komilis. 2020. "Temporal variation of physico-chemical, microbiological, and parasitological properties of poultry manure from two egg production systems." Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management 22, no. 4: 1140-1151.
The level of uncertainty during quantification of hazardous elements/properties of waste-derived products is affected by sub-sampling. Understanding sources of variability in sub-sampling can lead to more accurate risk quantification and effective compliance statistics. Here, we investigate a sub-sampling scheme for the characterisation of solid recovered fuel (SRF) - an example of an inherently heterogeneous mixture containing hazardous properties. We used statistically designed experiments (DoE) (nested balanced ANOVA) to quantify uncertainty arising from material properties, sub-sampling plan and analysis. This was compared with the theoretically estimated uncertainty via theory of sampling (ToS). The sub-sampling scheme derives representative analytical results for relatively uniformly dispersed properties (moisture, ash, and calorific content: RSD ≤ 6.1 %). Much higher uncertainty was recorded for the less uniformly dispersed chlorine (Cl) (RSD: 18.2 %), but not considerably affecting SRF classification. The ToS formula overestimates the uncertainty from sub-sampling stages without shredding, possibly due to considering uncertainty being proportional to the cube of particle size (FE ∝ d3), which may not always apply e.g. for flat waste fragments. The relative contribution of sub-sampling stages to the overall uncertainty differs by property, contrary to what ToS stipulates. Therefore, the ToS approach needs adaptation for quantitative application in sub-sampling of waste-derived materials.
Spyridoula Gerassimidou; Costas A. Velis; Richard Bourne; Dimitrios Komilis; Emilio Garcia-Taengua; Paul T. Williams. Statistical quantification of sub-sampling representativeness and uncertainty for waste-derived solid recovered fuel (SRF): Comparison with theory of sampling (ToS). Journal of Hazardous Materials 2020, 388, 122013 .
AMA StyleSpyridoula Gerassimidou, Costas A. Velis, Richard Bourne, Dimitrios Komilis, Emilio Garcia-Taengua, Paul T. Williams. Statistical quantification of sub-sampling representativeness and uncertainty for waste-derived solid recovered fuel (SRF): Comparison with theory of sampling (ToS). Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2020; 388 ():122013.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSpyridoula Gerassimidou; Costas A. Velis; Richard Bourne; Dimitrios Komilis; Emilio Garcia-Taengua; Paul T. Williams. 2020. "Statistical quantification of sub-sampling representativeness and uncertainty for waste-derived solid recovered fuel (SRF): Comparison with theory of sampling (ToS)." Journal of Hazardous Materials 388, no. : 122013.
Biodegradable plastics have been introduced to the market to substitute “traditional”, non-biodegradable, petro-based plastics to alleviate plastic pollution. Biochemical methane potential tests were carried out on compostable bags made of MaterBi®, biodegradable bottle wine corks and cellulosic plates to examine the anaerobic biodegradability of those materials. The impact of four factors: type of pretreatment (predigestion, mechanical, alkaline, predigestion and alkaline), digestion duration, type of inoculum and temperature were statistically evaluated through regression modeling. Anaerobic tests on compostable and polyethylene bags (control) were carried out in mesophilic (35 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) conditions, while tests on bottle wine corks and cellulosic plates were carried out in mesophilic conditions only. After 15 days of digestion, a dry mass reduction of 22.8 ± 6.2% and 27.6 ± 14.0% for mesophilic and thermophilic tests respectively was recorded for MaterBi®. Chemical pretreatment with NaOH led to a mass reduction of 78.2 ± 7.2% and was the only statistically significant factor to affect both methane yields and dry mass loss. A higher digestion temperature led to an increased mass loss without a concurrent increase in methane production. The cellulosic plates were completely degraded (99.9 ± 0.03% mass reduction), while the wine bottle corks weight did not change.
P.S. Calabro’; Adele Folino; F. Fazzino; D. Komilis. Preliminary evaluation of the anaerobic biodegradability of three biobased materials used for the production of disposable plastics. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2019, 390, 121653 .
AMA StyleP.S. Calabro’, Adele Folino, F. Fazzino, D. Komilis. Preliminary evaluation of the anaerobic biodegradability of three biobased materials used for the production of disposable plastics. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2019; 390 ():121653.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP.S. Calabro’; Adele Folino; F. Fazzino; D. Komilis. 2019. "Preliminary evaluation of the anaerobic biodegradability of three biobased materials used for the production of disposable plastics." Journal of Hazardous Materials 390, no. : 121653.
Goal of the work was to compare the respiration activities, as measured via oxygen consumption with three different organic waste stability methods so that to propose the optimal one. The novelty of the work is that there exists no comparison of solid-phase with liquid-phase stability assessment techniques in the literature. The respiration activities were assessed using two solid-phase methods and a manometric liquid-phase method (MANLIQ) performed on twenty-seven organic substrates. The methods rely on measuring oxygen consumption (uptake) via pressure drops (liquid-phase test, static solid-phase test) or via direct O2 measurements on the gaseous phases at the inlet and outlet of the respirometer (solid-phase dynamic test). A positive statistically significant correlation was calculated between the MANLIQ and the static solid-phase indices. The maximum rate MANLIQ index for the raw substrates was 2900 mg O2 kg−1 VS h−1, while most of the processed substrates had cumulative MANLIQ indices below 160 g O2 kg−1 VS. The ratio of the liquid indices to the static solid-phase indices ranged from 1.6 to 2.7 and the ratio of the liquid indices to the dynamic solid-phase indices ranged from 0.2 to 0.4. The MANLIQ method failed to result in a good correlation of the processing time with the respiration indices. On the other hand, a correlation was more visible in the two solid-phase tests, despite the large variability of the types and sources of the substrates. Therefore, the solid-phase methods should be preferred over the liquid-phase method to assess stability for various organic substrates.
Alexandros Evangelou; Dimitrios Komilis. A new liquid-phase method and its comparison to two solid-phase microbial respiration activity methods to assess organic waste stability. Waste Management 2019, 102, 1 -11.
AMA StyleAlexandros Evangelou, Dimitrios Komilis. A new liquid-phase method and its comparison to two solid-phase microbial respiration activity methods to assess organic waste stability. Waste Management. 2019; 102 ():1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexandros Evangelou; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "A new liquid-phase method and its comparison to two solid-phase microbial respiration activity methods to assess organic waste stability." Waste Management 102, no. : 1-11.
Jonathan Soto-Paz; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Pablo Cesar Manyoma; Jenny Fabiana Gaviría-Cuevas; Luis Fernando Marmolejo-Rebellón; Patricia Torres-Lozada; Antoni Sánchez; Dimitrios Komilis. A Multi-criteria Decision Analysis of Co-substrate Selection to Improve Biowaste Composting: a Mathematical Model Applied to Colombia. Environmental Processes 2019, 6, 673 -694.
AMA StyleJonathan Soto-Paz, Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña, Pablo Cesar Manyoma, Jenny Fabiana Gaviría-Cuevas, Luis Fernando Marmolejo-Rebellón, Patricia Torres-Lozada, Antoni Sánchez, Dimitrios Komilis. A Multi-criteria Decision Analysis of Co-substrate Selection to Improve Biowaste Composting: a Mathematical Model Applied to Colombia. Environmental Processes. 2019; 6 (3):673-694.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJonathan Soto-Paz; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Pablo Cesar Manyoma; Jenny Fabiana Gaviría-Cuevas; Luis Fernando Marmolejo-Rebellón; Patricia Torres-Lozada; Antoni Sánchez; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "A Multi-criteria Decision Analysis of Co-substrate Selection to Improve Biowaste Composting: a Mathematical Model Applied to Colombia." Environmental Processes 6, no. 3: 673-694.
The valorization of orange peel waste (OPW) is sought worldwide mainly via anaerobic digestion. A common problem encountered during the biological treatment is the seasonality of its production and the presence of d-Limonene. The latter is a typical anti-microbial compound. This work aims to evaluate the effect of the use of granular activated carbon (GAC) combined with alkaline pretreatment to enhance methane generation during semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of OPW. The experimental design consisted of two groups of experiments, A and B. Experiment A was designed to verify the maximum OPW loading and to assess the effect of pH and nutrients on the process. Experiment B was designed to study the effect of alkaline pretreatment alone and of alkaline pretreatment aided by biochar addition to the process. Apart from the methane yields, the d-Limonene contents were measured in all experiments. The preliminary results showed that OPW alkaline pretreatment after the addition of a moderate amount of GAC can render anaerobic digestion of OPW sustainable as long as the organic loading does not exceed 2 gVS·L−1·day−1 and nutrients are supplemented. The experiment in which GAC was added after alkaline pretreatment resulted in the highest methane yield and reactor stability.
Paolo Calabrò; Filippo Fazzino; Adele Folino; Emilia Paone; Dimitrios Komilis. Semi-Continuous Anaerobic Digestion of Orange Peel Waste: Effect of Activated Carbon Addition and Alkaline Pretreatment on the Process. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3386 .
AMA StylePaolo Calabrò, Filippo Fazzino, Adele Folino, Emilia Paone, Dimitrios Komilis. Semi-Continuous Anaerobic Digestion of Orange Peel Waste: Effect of Activated Carbon Addition and Alkaline Pretreatment on the Process. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (12):3386.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaolo Calabrò; Filippo Fazzino; Adele Folino; Emilia Paone; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "Semi-Continuous Anaerobic Digestion of Orange Peel Waste: Effect of Activated Carbon Addition and Alkaline Pretreatment on the Process." Sustainability 11, no. 12: 3386.
The success of separate collection of municipal solid waste, the efficiency of the other connected services and the justification of a large cost assumed by an authority, depends on the level of service provided to customers as well as the citizens’ attitude towards waste management. In this paper, a semi-qualitative inspection method to evaluate both the door-to-door collection system and the conventional curbside system is proposed. The method is based on the combined evaluation of waste collection using a set of indicators and the assessment of the perception of the citizens towards collection and street cleaning services using behavioural questionnaires. The ultimate goal was to assess potential differences between door-to-door and curbside collection systems. The standardized inspection evaluation method was applied to the city of Reggio, Calabria (Italy), since both collection systems are used there. The standardized inspection evaluation proved to be simple to implement and was effective to accurately evaluate the quality of the service delivered to the citizens. The results of the behavioural survey revealed that citizens that practised door-to-door separation had a higher recycling conscience and were more satisfied with the city waste management system than the ones that practised curbside separation. According to the results of the study, there was a qualitative agreement between the results of the standardized inspection evaluation and the behavioural survey. The door to door collection system is suggested to replace the curbside collection system.
Paolo S. Calabrò; Dimitrios Komilis. A standardized inspection methodology to evaluate municipal solid waste collection performance. Journal of Environmental Management 2019, 246, 184 -191.
AMA StylePaolo S. Calabrò, Dimitrios Komilis. A standardized inspection methodology to evaluate municipal solid waste collection performance. Journal of Environmental Management. 2019; 246 ():184-191.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaolo S. Calabrò; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "A standardized inspection methodology to evaluate municipal solid waste collection performance." Journal of Environmental Management 246, no. : 184-191.
A novel approach to optimize the composting process of biowaste (BW) mixed with sugarcane filter cake (SFC) and the product quality was attempted in the present study by adopting Artificial Neuronal Network (ANN) and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The effectiveness of the co-composting process depends on operational parameters such as Mixing Ratio (MR) and Turning Frequency (TF). Using the optimization of these factors, the process time can be reduced while product quality can be maximized. This study includes the simultaneous evaluation of both operational parameters, with SFC being the amendment material (BW:SFC MR of 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30) and a TF of 1, 2 and 3 turnings per week. The simultaneous effect of the two operational parameters was evaluated using a central composite design. ANN was used to predict the behaviour of the response parameters, and the PSO algorithm was used to optimize the process and the final product quality. The results of the simulations with ANN suggest that the BW:SFC ratios of 81:19 and 75:25, with a TF of two times/week and an estimated operation time of 76–94 days, correspond to a final product with the most adequate physicochemical quality for agricultural use. The optimization with PSO showed the optimal local at a BW:SFC MR of 76.9:23.1 with a turning frequency of two times weekly. An 80-day process is recommended to optimize the final product quality. The model can be useful to define design criteria and operational conditions during biowaste composting.
Jonathan Soto; Wilfredo Alfonso Morales; Eduardo Caicedo-Bravo; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Patricia Torres-Lozada; Pablo Cesar Manyoma; Antoni Sanchez; Dimitrios Komilis. A New Approach for the Optimization of Biowaste Composting Using Artificial Neural Networks and Particle Swarm Optimization. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2019, 11, 3937 -3951.
AMA StyleJonathan Soto, Wilfredo Alfonso Morales, Eduardo Caicedo-Bravo, Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña, Patricia Torres-Lozada, Pablo Cesar Manyoma, Antoni Sanchez, Dimitrios Komilis. A New Approach for the Optimization of Biowaste Composting Using Artificial Neural Networks and Particle Swarm Optimization. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2019; 11 (8):3937-3951.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJonathan Soto; Wilfredo Alfonso Morales; Eduardo Caicedo-Bravo; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Patricia Torres-Lozada; Pablo Cesar Manyoma; Antoni Sanchez; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "A New Approach for the Optimization of Biowaste Composting Using Artificial Neural Networks and Particle Swarm Optimization." Waste and Biomass Valorization 11, no. 8: 3937-3951.
The standard of living and certain socioeconomic and development indices can influence solid waste generation. This potential association can aid to focus on, and to establish, appropriate policies to reduce waste generation, with waste prevention being the cornerstone of those policies so that to eventually decouple waste generation from economic growth. Although, several studies have been performed at a regional or municipal level to study the impact of socioeconomic factors on waste generation, this impact on a European scale using data of several individual special solid waste streams from the years of the economic crisis has not been studied. The goal of the work was to investigate the impact of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Human Development Index (HDI), the Unemployment Rate (UR), and the CO2 emissions on the generation rates of thirteen solid waste streams using data from ten European countries. Annual data ranged from years 2008/2009 to 2015. Regression modeling between the waste generation rates and each of the four indices was developed and significant correlations were calculated. Results revealed that nine solid waste streams were positively correlated to the GDP, with waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE) having the strongest positive correlation. With the aid of a novel graphical methodology, the countries were grouped into “normally behaving”, “affected”, “preventive” and “wasteful”. Greece and Portugal were the countries that belonged to the “affected” countries for most waste streams, whilst Germany and the United Kingdom belonged most frequently to the preventive countries.
Konstantinos-Georgios Namlis; Dimitrios Komilis. Influence of four socioeconomic indices and the impact of economic crisis on solid waste generation in Europe. Waste Management 2019, 89, 190 -200.
AMA StyleKonstantinos-Georgios Namlis, Dimitrios Komilis. Influence of four socioeconomic indices and the impact of economic crisis on solid waste generation in Europe. Waste Management. 2019; 89 ():190-200.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKonstantinos-Georgios Namlis; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "Influence of four socioeconomic indices and the impact of economic crisis on solid waste generation in Europe." Waste Management 89, no. : 190-200.
Although composting is an effective option for the use of biowaste (BW), its physicochemical quality has limiting conditions (e.g., low C/N ratio, phosphorus and high moisture) that affect the process and the quality of the product. The incorporation of amendment materials (AM) and the variation in the turning frequency (TF) are two of the most widely used operational strategies to improve these limiting conditions. However, the effect of the simultaneous application of these two strategies on the BW composting process has been few studied. In this article, the inclusion of sugarcane filter-cake (SFC) as an AM in BW at several mixing ratios (BW:SFC (w/w); 100:00, 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30) and three TFs (1, 2 and 3 turnings/week) was evaluated at a pilot scale. A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to analyse the simultaneous effects of the two strategies. Results showed that the application of both operational strategies simultaneously has a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on process parameters [i.e., stabilization time, temperature, pH, oxygen concentration, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP)] and on product quality. A mixture ratio of 80:20% (BW:SFC) and a TF of 2 reduced processing time by 13 days compared to the control treatment, maintained temperatures above 65 °C and increased the TOC (> 15%), TN (2.4%) and TP (1.6%) contents at the end of the composting process, thus improving the quality of the final product.
Jonathan Soto-Paz; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Pablo Cesar Manyoma; Luis Fernando Marmolejo-Rebellón; Patricia Torres-Lozada; Raquel Barrena; Antoni Sánchez; Dimitrios Komilis. Influence of mixing ratio and turning frequency on the co-composting of biowaste with sugarcane filter cake: a mixture experimental design. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2019, 11, 2475 -2489.
AMA StyleJonathan Soto-Paz, Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña, Pablo Cesar Manyoma, Luis Fernando Marmolejo-Rebellón, Patricia Torres-Lozada, Raquel Barrena, Antoni Sánchez, Dimitrios Komilis. Influence of mixing ratio and turning frequency on the co-composting of biowaste with sugarcane filter cake: a mixture experimental design. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2019; 11 (6):2475-2489.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJonathan Soto-Paz; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; Pablo Cesar Manyoma; Luis Fernando Marmolejo-Rebellón; Patricia Torres-Lozada; Raquel Barrena; Antoni Sánchez; Dimitrios Komilis. 2019. "Influence of mixing ratio and turning frequency on the co-composting of biowaste with sugarcane filter cake: a mixture experimental design." Waste and Biomass Valorization 11, no. 6: 2475-2489.
Mass-burn incineration is a thermal treatment process for municipal solid waste (MSW) that is commonly applied worldwide. MSW can be sometimes pretreated prior to incineration to increase its calorific value. Biodrying is lately widely applied to MSW as a pretreatment process prior to incineration to produce a RDF of higher calorific value compared to raw commingled MSW. However, no information exists on the assessment of the overall environmental emissions and energy consumption of the combined biodrying-incineration process. Therefore, the goal of this work was to estimate the overall viability of biodrying prior to incineration by accounting for the greenhouse gas emissions, net energy balance and total cost. These parameters were compared to the corresponding parameters of the direct mass-incineration of MSW without any pretreatment. The study developed four scenarios that included mass-incineration alone and incineration of biodried waste. Additional scenarios were developed to include transport of waste to a distance of 100 km. Results revealed that direct mass-incineration led to slightly lower overall greenhouse gas emissions compared to incineration of biodried MSW, primarily due to the consumption of electricity during the preceding biodrying stage (because of the required aeration) and the direct emissions of biodrying. In addition, a 5% less overall energy consumption was calculated during mass-incineration, compared to incineration of biodried RDF, while the net cost was also lower in the case of the mass-incineration compared to the RDF based incineration.
Panagiotis Psaltis; Dimitrios Komilis. Environmental and economic assessment of the use of biodrying before thermal treatment of municipal solid waste. Waste Management 2018, 83, 95 -103.
AMA StylePanagiotis Psaltis, Dimitrios Komilis. Environmental and economic assessment of the use of biodrying before thermal treatment of municipal solid waste. Waste Management. 2018; 83 ():95-103.
Chicago/Turabian StylePanagiotis Psaltis; Dimitrios Komilis. 2018. "Environmental and economic assessment of the use of biodrying before thermal treatment of municipal solid waste." Waste Management 83, no. : 95-103.
Poultry manure (PM) can contain ammonium and ammonia nitrogen, which may inhibit the anaerobic process. The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of anaerobic digestion of PM co-digested with fruit and vegetable waste. Two semi-continuous bench scale (19L) stirred tank reactors were used. The operating conditions were: 34.5 °C, 2 gVS/L.d (organic load rate), 28 d of hydraulic retention time and 100 revolutions per m (1 h × 3 times by day) for the agitation. The reactors were fed PM and a mixture of PM and fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) at equal proportions (based on wet weight). The performance of the anaerobic process was assessed through biogas and methane yields, reduction of organic matter, release of nitrogen compounds and the monitoring of stability indicators (pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA), total (TA) and partial (PA) alkalinity). Moreover, the digestate quality was evaluated to determine potential risk and benefits from its application as biofertilizer. Toxicity was assessed using Daphnia magna immobilization tests. Results showed that biogas and methane yields from PM-FVW were 31% and 32% higher than PM alone, respectively. Values of organic matter, pH, alpha (PA/TA) and VFA revealed that stability was approached in PM and PM-FVW. The co-digestion of PM with FVW led to the highest methane and biogas yields, lower FAN and TAN concentrations, and a better digestate quality compared to mono-digestion of this manure.
Patricia Bres; María Eugenia Beily; Brian Jonathan Young; Javier Gasulla; Mariano Butti; Diana Crespo; Roberto Candal; Dimitrios Komilis. Performance of semi-continuous anaerobic co-digestion of poultry manure with fruit and vegetable waste and analysis of digestate quality: A bench scale study. Waste Management 2018, 82, 276 -284.
AMA StylePatricia Bres, María Eugenia Beily, Brian Jonathan Young, Javier Gasulla, Mariano Butti, Diana Crespo, Roberto Candal, Dimitrios Komilis. Performance of semi-continuous anaerobic co-digestion of poultry manure with fruit and vegetable waste and analysis of digestate quality: A bench scale study. Waste Management. 2018; 82 ():276-284.
Chicago/Turabian StylePatricia Bres; María Eugenia Beily; Brian Jonathan Young; Javier Gasulla; Mariano Butti; Diana Crespo; Roberto Candal; Dimitrios Komilis. 2018. "Performance of semi-continuous anaerobic co-digestion of poultry manure with fruit and vegetable waste and analysis of digestate quality: A bench scale study." Waste Management 82, no. : 276-284.
The aim of this work was to record the quantities and composition of medical waste (MW) generated by public and private medical histopathology laboratories (HISTOLB) and to provide pertinent waste generation design coefficients (e.g. g/examinee) for those laboratories. This can be a useful coefficient when designing medical waste treatment facilities. The study was conducted on three public and four private HISTOLBs in the city of Thessaloniki (Greece) for a period of 5 months. One sampling week was selected randomly per month. During the study period, the examinees per week were 108 and 90 in the public and private HISTOLBs, respectively. According to the results, 57% of the total MW generated in both the public and private laboratories were toxic waste (TXW), namely the liquid formaldehyde that is used to preserve the tissue. The mixed hazardous waste (MHW) comprised 28% and 24%, respectively, of the total MW, in the public and private facilities, respectively. The infectious waste constituted around 15% of the total MW generated in both types of facilities. Urban type waste was always less than 4% by weight. The total mean MW generated in the public and private laboratories were 208 ± 543 (n = 1614) and 195 ± 512 (n = 1789) g/examinee, respectively. A large variance among the mean MW generation rates of the participating individual laboratories that belonged to the same category was observed. The dominant fraction of the infectious waste was the plastic containers that contained the tissue samples, being around 75% of the total infectious waste, followed by the latex gloves (being around 17% of the infectious waste).
Katerina Kalogiannidou; Eftychia Nikolakopoulou; Dimitrios Komilis. Generation and composition of waste from medical histopathology laboratories. Waste Management 2018, 79, 435 -442.
AMA StyleKaterina Kalogiannidou, Eftychia Nikolakopoulou, Dimitrios Komilis. Generation and composition of waste from medical histopathology laboratories. Waste Management. 2018; 79 ():435-442.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKaterina Kalogiannidou; Eftychia Nikolakopoulou; Dimitrios Komilis. 2018. "Generation and composition of waste from medical histopathology laboratories." Waste Management 79, no. : 435-442.
This work examined the dependence of the health care waste generation rates (HCWGR) from economic factors (gross domestic product per capita, health expenditure per capita), social and health-related factors (human development index, life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, deaths due to tuberculosis, under-five mortality rate, hospital beds, improved sanitation facilities, physicians, nurses and midwives, diabetes prevalence, deaths due to cancer, deaths due to asthma, deaths due to influenza and pneumonia), and one environmental sustainability factor (carbon dioxide emissions) from 41 countries using multiple linear regression modeling and principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, the Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for all pairwise comparisons and a geographical grouping of the HCWGR was performed. The examined HCWGR included both the hazardous and the municipal fraction of health care waste (HCW). Results showed that the CO2 emissions and the life expectancy at birth positively correlated to the HCWGR (kg/bed/d) and can be used as adequate statistical predictors. The resulting best reduced model explained 84.7% of the variability. The hospital beds and the deaths due to cancer were not correlated to any principal component due to their low loadings. Only the diabetes prevalence was correlated to the F2 principal component. The other fourteen variables were correlated to the F1, which was the most significant principal component. Thus, the HCWGR and the other thirteen variables that were grouped to the F1 component have strong autocorrelation and can be treated as one variable.
Minas Minoglou; Dimitrios Komilis. Describing health care waste generation rates using regression modeling and principal component analysis. Waste Management 2018, 78, 811 -818.
AMA StyleMinas Minoglou, Dimitrios Komilis. Describing health care waste generation rates using regression modeling and principal component analysis. Waste Management. 2018; 78 ():811-818.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMinas Minoglou; Dimitrios Komilis. 2018. "Describing health care waste generation rates using regression modeling and principal component analysis." Waste Management 78, no. : 811-818.
Green waste (GW) is an important fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW). The composting of lignocellulosic GW is challenging due to its low decomposition rate. Recently, an increasing number of studies that include strategies to optimize GW composting appeared in the literature. This literature review focuses on the physicochemical quality of GW and on the effect of strategies used to improve the process and product quality. A systematic search was carried out, using keywords, and 447 papers published between 2002 and 2018 were identified. After a screening process, 41 papers addressing feedstock quality and 32 papers on optimization strategies were selected to be reviewed and analyzed in detail. The GW composition is highly variable due to the diversity of the source materials, the type of vegetation, and climatic conditions. This variability limits a strict categorization of the GW physicochemical characteristics. However, this research established that the predominant features of GW are a C/N ratio higher than 25, a deficit in important nutrients, namely nitrogen (0.5–1.5% db), phosphorous (0.1–0.2% db) and potassium (0.4–0.8% db) and a high content of recalcitrant organic compounds (e.g. lignin). The promising strategies to improve composting of GW were: i) GW particle size reduction (e.g. shredding and separation of GW fractions); ii) addition of energy amendments (e.g. non-refined sugar, phosphate rock, food waste, volatile ashes), bulking materials (e.g. biocarbon, wood chips), or microbial inoculum (e.g. fungal consortia); and iii) variations in operating parameters (aeration, temperature, and two-phase composting). These alternatives have successfully led to the reduction of process length and have managed to transform recalcitrant substances to a high-quality end-product.
M. Reyes-Torres; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; I. Dominguez; D. Komilis; A. Sánchez. A systematic review on the composting of green waste: Feedstock quality and optimization strategies. Waste Management 2018, 77, 486 -499.
AMA StyleM. Reyes-Torres, Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña, I. Dominguez, D. Komilis, A. Sánchez. A systematic review on the composting of green waste: Feedstock quality and optimization strategies. Waste Management. 2018; 77 ():486-499.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Reyes-Torres; Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña; I. Dominguez; D. Komilis; A. Sánchez. 2018. "A systematic review on the composting of green waste: Feedstock quality and optimization strategies." Waste Management 77, no. : 486-499.
“Fossetto” landfill has been operating in the municipality of Monsummano Terme (Pistoia Province, Italy) since 1988; the authorized volume for landfilling is about 1,000,000 m3; at the moment the plant is being mainly used to dispose of mechanically and biologically treated residual municipal solid waste. Since September 2006, an in-situ reverse osmosis leachate treatment plant has been operating to treat leachate. The treated water is being discharged into a small nearby stream while the concentrated leachate is being recirculated back into the landfill body following Italian Regulations and an authorization from the local authority (Pistoia Province). This paper presents monitoring results on leachate generation rates and composition for the past fifteen years. A moderate increase of the concentration of some of the monitored parameters occurred (e.g. ammonium, chlorides) and a decrease for most heavy metals. The increase of concentrations for Cl− and NH4+ was more evident in the leachate coming from the wells closer to reinjection area. However, the change in leachate composition did not affect the quality of the effluent from the leachate treatment plant. The annual volume of the generated leachate increased significantly right after the recirculation started.
P.S. Calabrò; E. Gentili; C. Meoni; S. Orsi; D. Komilis. Effect of the recirculation of a reverse osmosis concentrate on leachate generation: A case study in an Italian landfill. Waste Management 2018, 76, 643 -651.
AMA StyleP.S. Calabrò, E. Gentili, C. Meoni, S. Orsi, D. Komilis. Effect of the recirculation of a reverse osmosis concentrate on leachate generation: A case study in an Italian landfill. Waste Management. 2018; 76 ():643-651.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP.S. Calabrò; E. Gentili; C. Meoni; S. Orsi; D. Komilis. 2018. "Effect of the recirculation of a reverse osmosis concentrate on leachate generation: A case study in an Italian landfill." Waste Management 76, no. : 643-651.