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Dr Antonis Zorpas is a Chemical Engineer with a PhD in Environmental Management and Engineering. He is Associate Professor at Open University of Cyprus (Director of the Lab of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability). He has more than 400 publications (including editor in scientific books, contribution on books, papers in scientific journals and international conferences and with h-index>35). For more than 20 years, he was acting as Consulting Engineer on behalf of several industrial activities. Research background: Strategic Panning Development in the Framework of Waste Management, Circular and Bio-Economy, Waste to energy, Biosolids treatment and management, hazardous waste, End of Waste Criteria, city metabolism, Life Cycle Analysis and Environmental Risk analysis, SDGs, Advanced Oxidation process etc. On 2019 has received honorary distinction for his long-standing contribution to the environmental issues of Cyprus from the President of the Republic of Cyprus. His has recognized among the worlds to 2% in the list of scholars in his field in the study “Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators, 2020” published recently by a research team of the Stanford University (USA) His publication record can be found here (a) https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=D7koX6YAAAAJ&hl=en (b) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Antonis_Zorpas (c) https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6603816522
In the recent past, sustainable development has been considered a major issue for urban and regional studies. Adaptive reuse appears to be a practical solution for sustainable urban development. Beyond and in addition to a conceptual base consistent with circular economy and sustainability principles, how do we know if adaptive reuse is actually sustainable, provided that it constitutes a multidisciplinary and multilevel process? The present study aims at evaluating, in as much as feasible quantitative terms, adaptive reuse practices sustainability. This was attained using a set of indicators, developed combining PESTLE (the Political, Economic, Technical, Social, Legal, and Environmental aspects) and SWOT (the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) approaches, of which the results were subjected to evaluation by experts (pairwise comparisons), following the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The indicators representing strengths and opportunities of the process were calculated to be of higher value (overall level of final cumulative indicators values; 70.4%) compared with indicators representing weaknesses and threats. Enhancing strengths and opportunities and counteracting weaknesses and threats contribute making the potential of adaptive reuse practices in urban sustainability more evident. Among analysis dimensions, political and economic aspects rank first, followed by environmental, socio-cultural, technological-technical, and legal aspect. The empirical results of this paper serve as a useful reference point for decision-making and policy formulation addressing adaptive reuse practices in sustainable development strategies.
Ioannis Vardopoulos; Evangelia Tsilika; Efthymia Sarantakou; Antonis Zorpas; Luca Salvati; Paris Tsartas. An Integrated SWOT-PESTLE-AHP Model Assessing Sustainability in Adaptive Reuse Projects. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 7134 .
AMA StyleIoannis Vardopoulos, Evangelia Tsilika, Efthymia Sarantakou, Antonis Zorpas, Luca Salvati, Paris Tsartas. An Integrated SWOT-PESTLE-AHP Model Assessing Sustainability in Adaptive Reuse Projects. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (15):7134.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIoannis Vardopoulos; Evangelia Tsilika; Efthymia Sarantakou; Antonis Zorpas; Luca Salvati; Paris Tsartas. 2021. "An Integrated SWOT-PESTLE-AHP Model Assessing Sustainability in Adaptive Reuse Projects." Applied Sciences 11, no. 15: 7134.
The environment is constantly exposed to a variety of chemical loads from natural and anthropogenic causes (xenobiotic substances). However, anthropogenic origin is the main source of xenobiotic substances, such as heavy metals in the environment. Moreover, the presence of these elements in water and soil has significant consequences because they are not easy to remove or deactivate. It is well known that irrigation and composted material can add heavy metals to the soil and deteriorate the quality of soil and plants, as well as the agricultural production with a high risk for food safety. Even more, when compost is been used, increases the metal content in the soils. This paper makes an overview regarding the presence of heavy metals and the methods to remove them and minimize the environmental risk based on the use of zeolites as a sustainable and successful example.
Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; María Belén Almendro Candel. Heavy metal treatment and removal using natural zeolites from sewage sludge, compost, and agricultural soils: a review. Arabian Journal of Geosciences 2021, 14, 1 -19.
AMA StyleAntonis A. Zorpas, Jose Navarro Pedreño, María Belén Almendro Candel. Heavy metal treatment and removal using natural zeolites from sewage sludge, compost, and agricultural soils: a review. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 2021; 14 (12):1-19.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; María Belén Almendro Candel. 2021. "Heavy metal treatment and removal using natural zeolites from sewage sludge, compost, and agricultural soils: a review." Arabian Journal of Geosciences 14, no. 12: 1-19.
Authors aim to carry out a bibliographic review as an initial approach to state of the art related to the quality of urban soils, as well as its possible link with human health. This concern arises from the need to highlight the consequences that soil could face, derived from the growth and aging of the population, as well as its predicted preference for urban settlement. Urban development may pose a challenge to the health of urban soils, due to degradative processes that it entails, such as land take, sealing, contamination or compaction. A healthy soil is the one which maintains the capacity to support ecosystem services, so it can provide numerous benefits to human health and well-being (carbon sequestration, protection against flooding, retention and immobilization of pollutants and a growth media for vegetation and food production). This article addresses threats facing urban soils, the strategies put forward by the European Union to deal with them, as well as the issues that require further attention. Greening cities could be a consensual solution, so authors analyze whether soils of cities are ready for that challenge and what resources need to maintain soil ecosystem functions. This review proposes to use made by waste Technosols for a sustainable green city. Although the use of Technosols as a type of soil is very recent, the interest of the scientific community in this field continues to grow.
T. Rodríguez-Espinosa; J. Navarro-Pedreño; I. Gómez-Lucas; M. M. Jordán-Vidal; J. Bech-Borras; A. A. Zorpas. Urban areas, human health and technosols for the green deal. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2021, 1 -22.
AMA StyleT. Rodríguez-Espinosa, J. Navarro-Pedreño, I. Gómez-Lucas, M. M. Jordán-Vidal, J. Bech-Borras, A. A. Zorpas. Urban areas, human health and technosols for the green deal. Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 2021; ():1-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. Rodríguez-Espinosa; J. Navarro-Pedreño; I. Gómez-Lucas; M. M. Jordán-Vidal; J. Bech-Borras; A. A. Zorpas. 2021. "Urban areas, human health and technosols for the green deal." Environmental Geochemistry and Health , no. : 1-22.
The soil has lost organic matter in the past centuries. Adding organic matter to soils is one of the management practices applied to recover the levels of soil carbon of the past and to improve soil properties. Is it a good practice to reduce global warming? In fact, one of the practices promoted to combat climate change is increasing soil organic matter. However, the addition of organic residues to the soil could facilitate the liberation of CO2 and wastes could also have no positive effects on soil properties (i.e., pollution). In this sense, what it is important is: (a) to know which is the expected effect of the organic matter added to the soil; (b) how this application alters the soil processes; (c) which are the management practices that should be applied; (d) how much is the real amount of carbon sequester by the soil and; (e) the balance at short and long period after the application of the organic matter. The adequate strategy should be to favour the increment of biologically stabilized soil organic matter considering medium and long time. However, it is necessary to adapt the strategies to the local environmental conditions.
Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Almendro-Candel; Antonis Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? Sci 2021, 3, 18 .
AMA StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño, María Almendro-Candel, Antonis Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? Sci. 2021; 3 (1):18.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño; María Almendro-Candel; Antonis Zorpas. 2021. "The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality?" Sci 3, no. 1: 18.
Tourism activities are considered, among others, the backbone of the local economies. However, tourism activities lead to adverse environmental impacts, especially in coastal zones. Coastal areas are considered and recognized as of strategic importance due to the fact that several activities take place, from leisure to business. At the same time, coastal areas are under pressure from tourist activities, and the waste generated is a very serious issue. Therefore, there are limited studies related to the environmental dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coastal environment. This paper provides answers to the hypothesis that the pandemic lockdown scenario would improve environmental performance due to reduced usage and, therefore, waste, taking into account specific key performance indicators (KPIs) as these KPIs are used to evaluate the performance of an area. The results showed that the study area improved, as did the selected KPIs, i.e., clean coast index (CCI), waste accumulation rate (WAR), and waste accumulation index (WAI). Additionally, according to the final results, the concentration of micro-, meso- and macroplastics on the beach reduced, and the main issues remained the solutions on cigarette butts, straws, and other plastic containers. Furthermore, the final results are considered very useful to local authorities, stakeholders, consultants, policymakers, and any other competent authorities, to reschedule their waste management strategies, to improve waste infrastructures and their level of services (LOS), as well as, to suggest frequent awareness-raising activities to their visitors on how to protect the coastal environment, taking into account a pandemic scenario, as well as, the policy alternative impacts on EU coastal zones 2000–2050.
Pantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Antonis Zorpas. Measuring the Level of Environmental Performance on Coastal Environment before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Cyprus. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2485 .
AMA StylePantelitsa Loizia, Irene Voukkali, Georgia Chatziparaskeva, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Antonis Zorpas. Measuring the Level of Environmental Performance on Coastal Environment before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Cyprus. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2485.
Chicago/Turabian StylePantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Antonis Zorpas. 2021. "Measuring the Level of Environmental Performance on Coastal Environment before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Cyprus." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2485.
Europe is considered one of the most attractive and safe prevalent tourist destinations in the entire world. Approximately half (47.4%) of European tourist visits occurred in coastal regions, defined “on the basis of and consist of local administrative units or municipalities that border the sea, or have at least half of their total surface area within a distance of 10 km from the sea.” Destinations such as Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Croatia presented with an increased level of tourist accommodation establishments, as well as, the overall flow of tourism in the European Union is mostly concentrated on Mediterranean coastal regions (as nine out 10 tourists, in 2015, spent their holidays at coastal areas). This paper, is dealing with the assessment of a tourist area and how the concept of urban metabolism has been affected by touristic activities. Moreover, this research using several key performance indicators such as waste compositional analysis, the clean coast index, the accumulation rate, and accumulation index, etc., tries to measure the level of environmental performance, and furthermore, to assess the existing infrastructures and the waste management plan, that are being implemented. The results are very useful, for any policy-maker, as well as competent authorities and/or tourist organizations which are dealing with tourist activities and aim to propose or re-schedule any waste strategy targeting the goals of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, European Green Deal, and the new circular economy strategy.
Irene Voukkali; PantelisA Loizia; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Antonis A. Zorpas. Urban strategies evaluation for waste management in coastal areas in the framework of area metabolism. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 2021, 39, 448 -465.
AMA StyleIrene Voukkali, PantelisA Loizia, Jose Navarro Pedreño, Antonis A. Zorpas. Urban strategies evaluation for waste management in coastal areas in the framework of area metabolism. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy. 2021; 39 (3):448-465.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIrene Voukkali; PantelisA Loizia; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2021. "Urban strategies evaluation for waste management in coastal areas in the framework of area metabolism." Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 39, no. 3: 448-465.
The air quality of modern cities is considered an important factor for the quality of life of humans and therefore is being safeguarded by various international organizations, concentrating on the mass concentration of particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10, 2.5 and 1 μm. However, the different physical and anthropogenic processes and activities within the city contribute to the rise of fine (1 μm) particles, directly impacting human health and the environment. In order to monitor certain natural and anthropogenic events, suspecting their significant contribution to PM concentrations, seven different events taking place on the coastal front of the city of Limassol (Cyprus) were on-site monitored using a portable PM instrument; these included both natural (e.g., dust event) and anthropogenic (e.g., cement factory, meat festival, tall building construction, tire factory, traffic jam, dust road) emissions taking place in spring and summer periods. The violations of the limits that were noticed were attributed mainly to the various anthropogenic activities taking place on-site, revealing once more the need for further research and continuous monitoring of air quality.
Christos Petsas; Marinos Stylianou; Antonis Zorpas; Agapios Agapiou. Measurements of Local Sources of Particulates with a Portable Monitor along the Coast of an Insular City. Sustainability 2020, 13, 261 .
AMA StyleChristos Petsas, Marinos Stylianou, Antonis Zorpas, Agapios Agapiou. Measurements of Local Sources of Particulates with a Portable Monitor along the Coast of an Insular City. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):261.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristos Petsas; Marinos Stylianou; Antonis Zorpas; Agapios Agapiou. 2020. "Measurements of Local Sources of Particulates with a Portable Monitor along the Coast of an Insular City." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 261.
Membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems are connected to several advantages compared to the conventional activated sludge (CAS) units. This work aims to the examination of the life cycle environmental impact of an MBR against a CAS unit when treating municipal wastewater with similar influent loading (BOD = 400 mg/L) and giving similar high-quality effluent (BOD < 5 mg/L). The MBR unit contained a denitrification, an aeration and a membrane tank, whereas the CAS unit included an equalization, a denitrification, a nitrification, a sedimentation, a mixing, a flocculation tank and a drum filter. Several impact categories factors were calculated by implementing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, including acidification potential, eutrophication potential, global warming potential (GWP), ozone depletion potential and photochemical ozone creation potential of the plants throughout their life cycle. Real data from two wastewater treatment plants were used. The research focused on two parameters which constitute the main differences between the two treatment plants: The excess sludge removal life cycle contribution—where GWPMBR = 0.50 kg CO2-eq*FU−1 and GWPCAS = 2.67 kg CO2-eq*FU−1 without sludge removal—and the wastewater treatment plant life cycle contribution—where GWPMBR = 0.002 kg CO2-eq*FU−1 and GWPCAS = 0.14 kg CO2-eq*FU−1 without land area contribution. Finally, in all the examined cases the environmental superiority of the MBR process was found.
Dimitra C. Banti; Michail Tsangas; Petros Samaras; Antonis Zorpas. LCA of a Membrane Bioreactor Compared to Activated Sludge System for Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Membranes 2020, 10, 421 .
AMA StyleDimitra C. Banti, Michail Tsangas, Petros Samaras, Antonis Zorpas. LCA of a Membrane Bioreactor Compared to Activated Sludge System for Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Membranes. 2020; 10 (12):421.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDimitra C. Banti; Michail Tsangas; Petros Samaras; Antonis Zorpas. 2020. "LCA of a Membrane Bioreactor Compared to Activated Sludge System for Municipal Wastewater Treatment." Membranes 10, no. 12: 421.
The soil has lost organic matter in the past centuries. Adding organic matter to soils is one of the management practices applied to recover the levels of soil carbon of the past. Is it a good practice to reduce global warming? In fact, one of the practices promoted to combat climate change is increasing soil organic matter. However, the addition of organic residues to the soil could facilitate the liberation of CO2 and wastes could also have no positive effects on soil properties. In this sense, what it is important is: a) to know which is the expected effect of the organic matter added to the soil; b) how this application alters the soil processes; c) which are the management practices that should be applied; d) how much is the real amount of carbon sequester by the soil and; e) the balance at short and long period after the application of the organic matter. The adequate strategy should be to favour the increment of biologically stabilized soil organic matter considering medium and long time. However, it is necessary to adapt the strategies to the local environmental conditions.
Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Antonis A. Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño, María Belén Almendro-Candel, Antonis A. Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2020. "The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality?" , no. : 1.
To measure “something that is not there”, is not easy and at the same time not fully understandable and perceived by the citizens. Several elements (such as, waste production, waste management cost, social attitude and behaviour, etc.) interrupt and disturb any strategy in the framework of waste management. Additionally, through the European Green Deal (EGD), Europe is trying to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, taking into account the Circular Economy Strategy (CES) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) breakdown was applied, to establish and organize key information's on the environmental performance (E.P) taking into consideration the existing pollution, reviewing the contemporary knowledge and existing implemented waste strategies on the driving forces, pressures, states and impacts. This paper includes several key performed indicators (KPIs), in order to evaluate the E.P of an area, through hybrid approach which cover among others, the waste compositional analysis, SWOT and PESTEL analysis, waste recycling and waste accumulation index, prevention activities, awareness activities etc. The results indicate that, the selected areas implement periodic measures, but they need to put more effort to boost their citizens to participate in any proposed waste strategy. Furthermore, the results are very valuable and helpful to policy makers, consultants, scientists, competent authorities, stakeholders etc., in order to design and promote synergies and activities (mainly in Local Authorities), to reach the proposed figures that EGD, proposed in relation with the CES as well as with the SDGs.
Pantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Vassilis J. Inglezakis; Ioannis Vardopoulos; Maria Doula. Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 753, 141974 .
AMA StylePantelitsa Loizia, Irene Voukkali, Antonis A. Zorpas, Jose Navarro Pedreño, Georgia Chatziparaskeva, Vassilis J. Inglezakis, Ioannis Vardopoulos, Maria Doula. Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 753 ():141974.
Chicago/Turabian StylePantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Vassilis J. Inglezakis; Ioannis Vardopoulos; Maria Doula. 2020. "Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development." Science of The Total Environment 753, no. : 141974.
In this study, magnetic Fe3O4 particles and Fe3O4-Ag0 nanocomposites were prepared by a facile and green method, fully characterized and used for the removal of Hg2+ from water. Characterizations showed that the Fe3O4 particles are quasi-spherical with an average diameter of 217 nm and metallic silver nanoparticles formed on the surface with a size of 23–41 nm. The initial Hg2+ removal rate was very fast followed by a slow increase and the maximum solid phase loading was 71.3 mg/g for the Fe3O4-Ag0 and 28 mg/g for the bare Fe3O4. The removal mechanism is complex, involving Hg2+ adsorption and reduction, Fe2+ and Ag0 oxidation accompanied with reactions of Cl− with Hg+ and Ag+. The facile and green synthesis process, the fast kinetics and high removal capacity and the possibility of magnetic separation make Fe3O4-Ag0 nanocomposites attractive materials for the removal of Hg2+ from water.
Vassilis Inglezakis; Aliya Kurbanova; Anara Molkenova; Antonis Zorpas; Timur Atabaev. Magnetic Fe3O4-Ag0 Nanocomposites for Effective Mercury Removal from Water. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5489 .
AMA StyleVassilis Inglezakis, Aliya Kurbanova, Anara Molkenova, Antonis Zorpas, Timur Atabaev. Magnetic Fe3O4-Ag0 Nanocomposites for Effective Mercury Removal from Water. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (13):5489.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVassilis Inglezakis; Aliya Kurbanova; Anara Molkenova; Antonis Zorpas; Timur Atabaev. 2020. "Magnetic Fe3O4-Ag0 Nanocomposites for Effective Mercury Removal from Water." Sustainability 12, no. 13: 5489.
The efficiency of a wastewater treatment process may be affected by several factors including the scale at which the system is operating. This study aimed at investigating the influence of scale on a poultry slaughterhouse wastewater treatment process. The process is comprised of several units including electrolysis, membrane filtration, and ultraviolet irradiation. The results of the industrial-scale wastewater treatment plant of the Izevski poultry farm slaughterhouse in Kazakhstan were compared with those of a lab-scale wastewater treatment process under the same conditions. The traditional and water quality index (WQI) approaches were used to present the results and the drinking water quality standards of Kazakhstan were used as a reference. The industrial and lab-scale plants showed high purification efficiency for most of the studied water quality parameters. The comparative analysis based on the WQI showed that the industrial-scale wastewater treatment plant outperforms the lab-scale wastewater treatment process.
Kulyash Meiramkulova; Antonis A. Zorpas; Duman Orynbekov; Michael Zhumagulov; Gulnur Saspugayeva; Aliya Kydyrbekova; Timoth Mkilima; Vassilis J. Inglezakis. The Effect of Scale on the Performance of an Integrated Poultry Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Process. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1 .
AMA StyleKulyash Meiramkulova, Antonis A. Zorpas, Duman Orynbekov, Michael Zhumagulov, Gulnur Saspugayeva, Aliya Kydyrbekova, Timoth Mkilima, Vassilis J. Inglezakis. The Effect of Scale on the Performance of an Integrated Poultry Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Process. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKulyash Meiramkulova; Antonis A. Zorpas; Duman Orynbekov; Michael Zhumagulov; Gulnur Saspugayeva; Aliya Kydyrbekova; Timoth Mkilima; Vassilis J. Inglezakis. 2020. "The Effect of Scale on the Performance of an Integrated Poultry Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Process." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 1.
Agricultural sector should be considered, as one of the main economic development sectors in the entire world, while at the same time is responsible for important pollution. The life cycle assessment (LCA) procedure was involved in the agricultural strategic development planning for Balkan region, as a useful tool to identify and quantify potential environmental impacts from the production of apple juice, wine and pepper pesto in three selected sites in Greece, North Macedonia and Bulgaria. These three products were chosen, as are considered as the main economic activities at the areas. The LCA approach covered the entire production line of each product. Based on the LCA results, which comprise the size of six impact categories characterization factors, suggestions were made in order to minimize the footprint of the apples orchard, vineyard and pepper cultivation plots as well as of the production processes of apple juice, wine and pepper pesto as final distribution products. The results indicate that changes in the cultivation and the production must be considered in order to optimize the environmental footprint. Moreover, the whole approach could be useful for agricultural stakeholders, policy makers and producers, in order to improve their products ecological performance, reduce food loss and food waste and increase the productivity of the agricultural sector, while at the same time can improve the three pillars of sustainability through strategy development.
Michail Tsangas; Ifigeneia Gavriel; Maria Doula; Flouris Xeni; Antonis A. Zorpas. Life Cycle Analysis in the Framework of Agricultural Strategic Development Planning in the Balkan Region. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1813 .
AMA StyleMichail Tsangas, Ifigeneia Gavriel, Maria Doula, Flouris Xeni, Antonis A. Zorpas. Life Cycle Analysis in the Framework of Agricultural Strategic Development Planning in the Balkan Region. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (5):1813.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichail Tsangas; Ifigeneia Gavriel; Maria Doula; Flouris Xeni; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2020. "Life Cycle Analysis in the Framework of Agricultural Strategic Development Planning in the Balkan Region." Sustainability 12, no. 5: 1813.
Human activities are considered among the main producers of any kind of pollution. This paper, through a Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model analyses, focuses on the evaluation and assessment of the existing practices, procedures, and results obtained in order to determine whether the municipal solid waste (MSW) management implemented in three major Greek municipalities in the greater urban area of Attica, namely the municipalities of Nea Smirni, Vyronas, and Piraeus, could be considered viable and sustainable. The evaluation indicated that MSW in Greek cities have reduced over the last years, also suggesting a steady downward trend, which could be considered consistent with that of the per capita incomes in Greece due to the extended economic austerity, while at the same time the recycling indicator seems to optimize. The results are very useful for policymakers and local authorities towards taking actions related to the targets set from the circular economy strategies as well as the targets set from United Nation Development Program and the European Green Deal Strategy.
Ioannis Vardopoulos; Ioannis Konstantopoulos; Antonis A. Zorpas; Lionel Limousy; Simona Bennici; Vassilis Inglezakis; Irene Voukkali. Sustainable metropolitan areas perspectives through assessment of the existing waste management strategies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2020, 28, 24305 -24320.
AMA StyleIoannis Vardopoulos, Ioannis Konstantopoulos, Antonis A. Zorpas, Lionel Limousy, Simona Bennici, Vassilis Inglezakis, Irene Voukkali. Sustainable metropolitan areas perspectives through assessment of the existing waste management strategies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020; 28 (19):24305-24320.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIoannis Vardopoulos; Ioannis Konstantopoulos; Antonis A. Zorpas; Lionel Limousy; Simona Bennici; Vassilis Inglezakis; Irene Voukkali. 2020. "Sustainable metropolitan areas perspectives through assessment of the existing waste management strategies." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28, no. 19: 24305-24320.
The aspect of backyard composting as element of sustainable development is examined and discussed. Towards this, the effect of various physicochemical parameters (temperature, humidity, organic content, pH, electric conductivity and seed germination index) with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during food waste composting is studied. Multivariate data analysis (MDA) was also applied to explore the potentials of using VOCs measurements in combination with various physicochemical parameters for monitoring the composting process in terms of compost maturity and biological activity. Therefore, composting bins filled with inedible food (95% v/v) and back yard (5% v/v) waste were sampled on a weekly base for a period of two months, in order to monitor the emitted odor compounds and the various physicochemical parameters of composting. The emitted VOCs were determined using the headspace solid-phase micro extraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) method. The composting process resulted in the release of a variety of VOCs (terpenes, oxygenated compounds such as esters, acids, ketones and alcohols, sulfides, hydrocarbons), where terpenes played a dominant role. The most abundant VOC which was highly recognized during the process was limonene. The results of chemometric analysis revealed that high terpenes evolution is related with compost immaturity along with low seed germination index (phytotoxicity), whereas sulfides (i.e. dimethyl disulfide), temperature (Tin) and pH can be associated to compost biological activity. During maturation time, the emissions of terpenes and electronic conductivity were reduced, while the seed germination index increased. Thus, it is concluded that limonene can be related to the immature phase of compost and dimethyl disulfide with compost biological activity. These findings could be the basis for developing a future tool (e.g. special sensor combined with chemometrics) for monitoring purposes. The results of the current work are considered useful to any competent authority aiming to develop and apply a holistic strategy to treat organic waste (mainly food waste) using home composting as the best available technique, and at the same time to control the respective waste aroma.
Agapiou Agapios; Vasileiou Andreas; Stylianou Marinos; Mikedi Katerina; Zorpas A. Antonis. Waste aroma profile in the framework of food waste management through household composting. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 257, 120340 .
AMA StyleAgapiou Agapios, Vasileiou Andreas, Stylianou Marinos, Mikedi Katerina, Zorpas A. Antonis. Waste aroma profile in the framework of food waste management through household composting. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 257 ():120340.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAgapiou Agapios; Vasileiou Andreas; Stylianou Marinos; Mikedi Katerina; Zorpas A. Antonis. 2020. "Waste aroma profile in the framework of food waste management through household composting." Journal of Cleaner Production 257, no. : 120340.
Taking into account the declaration from the Treaty of Rome (back in 1957), on environmental protection “the harmonization of environmental legislations and uniformity in the fight against certain forms of aid, so that technical barriers to the free circulation of goods would not arise due to different national links”, there is a need to develop Strategy(ies) in the Framework of Waste Management in order to reach the targets on 2050. Those Strategies aim to increase quality of life and change the way that citizens react in the great debates. Those Strategies should reduce the impact of several processes on the environment through product, processes, and corporate policies using green applicable sustainable resources and environmental management systems (such as ISO 14001, EMAS) as well as a number of activities (prevention, reduced, reused etc) measuring at the same time the impact on society. This paper provides a holistic approach processing how to develop, implement, monitor and improve a strategy (even an existing one) in the framework of waste management at a local level and or at a central level. The proposed methodology could be a useful tool for any policy makers, consultants, engineers, urban planners, academics etc., in order to develop and apply strategy related with household and/or food waste prevention, material reuse, waste reduce (i.e plastics, food, recyclables etc)., in the framework of household solid waste management and beyond. Moreover, the adoption of Strategy(ies) also aims to protect and enhance the Union's natural capital and to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy in the nearest future taking into acount also the European Green Deal stategy.
Antonis A. Zorpas. Strategy development in the framework of waste management. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 716, 137088 .
AMA StyleAntonis A. Zorpas. Strategy development in the framework of waste management. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 716 ():137088.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonis A. Zorpas. 2020. "Strategy development in the framework of waste management." Science of The Total Environment 716, no. : 137088.
While composting is one of the sustainable solutions for the recycling of organic solid waste (OSW) however, it has some drawbacks that need to be addressed properly. For instance, nitrogen loss, mobility of heavy metals (HMs), greenhouse gases emissions, low productivity, and antibiotic-resistant gens enrichment are some of the technical issues of traditional composting processes. The application of zeolite and other additives to the OSW composting process is a very interesting interdisciplinary research topic that are studied by many researchers worldwide. This review intends to discuss the latest advancements on the applications of zeolites to the OSW composting processes and the its effect on the compost quality, soil remediation, nutrient management and plants growth. According to the published reports, modification of OSW compost with zeolite not only improves physicochemical properties of the compost product but also enhances microbial activities by promoting OSW decomposition and reduce the duration of the composting process. Furthermore, zeolitic additives can reduces greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions of the composting process. Zeolite-modified compost has reduced total and available HMs and reduced antibiotic resistance genes. Zeolite can upgrade the compost quality by enhancing maturity, and decreasing salinity. Last but not least, zeolite contributes to the optimization of anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas. Compost modified with zeolite exhibited improved crop yield and water retention and prevent soil nutrient losses. Overall, addition of natural zeolites to composting products are beneficial to agricultural soils and for soil remediation purposes. It is noteworthy that the addition of zeolitic aluminosilicate to soil might change the soil texture in the long term. Therefore, more in-depth researches are necessary to evaluate the cumulative effect of the addition of zeolitic minerals to agricultural lands.
Hajar Taheri Soudejani; Hossein Kazemian; Vassilis Inglezakis; Antonis A. Zorpas. Application of zeolites in organic waste composting: A review. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 2019, 22, 101396 .
AMA StyleHajar Taheri Soudejani, Hossein Kazemian, Vassilis Inglezakis, Antonis A. Zorpas. Application of zeolites in organic waste composting: A review. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 2019; 22 ():101396.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHajar Taheri Soudejani; Hossein Kazemian; Vassilis Inglezakis; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2019. "Application of zeolites in organic waste composting: A review." Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 22, no. : 101396.
The European Union (EU) is one of the major producers of municipal solid wastes and has a common policy based on circular economy to reuse the wastes. However, there are differences between countries and the methods for disposal and treatments. Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be composted and recycled as a source of plant nutrients and improves soil properties. This chapter analyzed the production in the EU and the effects on plant nutrients and environmental pollutants when MSW is added to the soil. The origin of the waste and the compost-like output (CLO) derived is important to determine the expectative of nutrient availability and other possible risks. MSW is so heterogeneous, but after a good pretreatment, an organic-rich matter mix can be composted giving a stabilized organic matter. The addition of the CLO to the soils can improve the nutrient status and favor the bioavailability of nutrients (macronutrients and micronutrients). In general, an increment of N and P was found in the soils. Moreover, important micronutrient availability (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) has been described. However, the presence of pollutants and their mobility should be considered as an environmental risk.
María Belén Almendro-Candel; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Antonis A. Zorpas; Irene Voukkali; Pantelitsa Loizia. The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants. Municipal Solid Waste Management 2019, 1 .
AMA StyleMaría Belén Almendro-Candel, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Ignacio Gómez Lucas, Antonis A. Zorpas, Irene Voukkali, Pantelitsa Loizia. The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants. Municipal Solid Waste Management. 2019; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Belén Almendro-Candel; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Antonis A. Zorpas; Irene Voukkali; Pantelitsa Loizia. 2019. "The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants." Municipal Solid Waste Management , no. : 1.
The requirements to define End-of-Waste Criteria (EWC) were set in the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), Article 6 and the detailed data collected are considered to be the baseline for the elaboration of the operational EWC through several steps. Such waste stream (which is produced from End of Life Tires-ELT) could be a valuable source for energy recovery and can be used on a pan-European basis as an alternative fuel, for co-incineration in cement plants or furthermore in internal compunctions engines. The exploration for sustainable energy is one of the most dynamic areas of research currently. This study aims to investigate the ability to manage and exploit the energy content of Tire Pyrolysis Oil (TPO), through pyrolysis technology as incineration/co-incineration technology for ELTs presents significant environmental issues. However, TPO, must be declassified from waste in order to be able to be use as an alternative fuel in internal combustion engines for power generation participating in the loop of circular economy and industrial symbiosis. This paper focus on the development of a Quality Protocol (QP) and the procedure how to develop EWC for the declassification of TPO in order to replace Light Fuel Oil (LFO).
Neoklis A. Antoniou; Antonis A. Zorpas. Quality protocol and procedure development to define end-of-waste criteria for tire pyrolysis oil in the framework of circular economy strategy. Waste Management 2019, 95, 161 -170.
AMA StyleNeoklis A. Antoniou, Antonis A. Zorpas. Quality protocol and procedure development to define end-of-waste criteria for tire pyrolysis oil in the framework of circular economy strategy. Waste Management. 2019; 95 ():161-170.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNeoklis A. Antoniou; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2019. "Quality protocol and procedure development to define end-of-waste criteria for tire pyrolysis oil in the framework of circular economy strategy." Waste Management 95, no. : 161-170.
Worldwide, waste raised from tires counts 1.3–1.5 billion tonnes/year and by the end of 2025, is expected to be more than 2.5 billion tonnes. On 2013, the EU countries reached 3.6 million tonnes of used tires. However, the cheapest treatment method since now is landfilling and is considered to be a major threat for the environment and the public health. In Cyprus, the total tires that were imported on 2015 was 835,142 pieces (5.8% more than the 2014), which were equal to 9638 t, while at the same time, the total waste from those tires were 6629 tonnes. Moreover, the cement industry used 6691 tonnes of tires as alternative fuel. Until now, there are three management systems in place in Cyprus, for the end-of-life tires (ELTs). The collection of ELTs on 2011 was 1817 tonnes while at the end of 2016 was 7201 tonnes. The main treatment methods in Cyprus are the use of ELTs as alternative fuel in cement industry or to produce rubber granules (609–2738 tonnes/year) to be used to construct artificial surfaces or substrate for artificial lawn grounds and limited to pyrolysis (324–837 tonnes/year). At the same time, the environmental fees for the collection of tires varies and depends on the tire category. Furthermore, the market share of ELTs is up to 1.5 million € and the total recovery index from the market is closed to 90% the last 6 years (2013–2017). This paper evaluates and assess the existing tire waste management system (TWMS) in Cyprus in order to promote strength and weakness as well as to propose a holistic management system in insular communities in order to adopt the targets set by the concept of circular economy. The SWOT analysis identified as the main weaknesses the absence from the legislation of specific target for the recovery index of tires and the absence of any centralized logistic system to control the existing management systems while the main threats includes bureaucracy and the absence of technical and economic data which will guarantee the financial viability of a centralized treatment unit
Demitris Symeonides; Pantelitsa Loizia; Antonis A. Zorpas. Tire waste management system in Cyprus in the framework of circular economy strategy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2019, 26, 35445 -35460.
AMA StyleDemitris Symeonides, Pantelitsa Loizia, Antonis A. Zorpas. Tire waste management system in Cyprus in the framework of circular economy strategy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2019; 26 (35):35445-35460.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDemitris Symeonides; Pantelitsa Loizia; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2019. "Tire waste management system in Cyprus in the framework of circular economy strategy." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 26, no. 35: 35445-35460.