Suchergebnisse

Waste information is necessary for proper management planning. However, data on waste generation and management are sometimes not reliable enough, do not exist or are not useful for the sector. This is due to the high number of waste types and flows, and actors (producers, managers and administrations),which make data collection and treatment difficult. Furthermore, data loss occurs because some waste flows have economic value and return to the second-hand markets without monitoring. The development of a waste information system for a region is more than just about establishing a routine data collection on waste. It is a way to support the challenges of decision-making on waste management. These challenges range from strategic issues of waste management in the national government to the basic challenges of running local governments. In the Cantabrian region, three indicator sets were defined to constitute the waste information system:(a) a Basic Indicator Set, which provides an overview of the status of the generation and management of the main waste streams, giving a national and international comparative analysis of the situation; (b) a Specific Indicator Set, which monitors the objectives of the different waste policies, and (c) a Transverse Indicator Set, which analyses the influence of different economic and social variables on the generation of specific waste streams. The Waste Information System of the Cantabrian Region has been created using a specific methodology for developing indicator sets with multiple objectives. This methodology consists of seven steps: (i) the synthesis, selection of the indicators sets; (ii) analysis of the system under study and data sources;(iii) evaluation of the indicators proposed; (iv) application and interpretation; (v) public review, dissemination and updating protocol; (vi) improvement of indicators sets using SWOT analysis; and (vii) aggregation of all indicators in an aggregated index. These indicator sets with a total of 27 indicators allow tracking the evolution of generation and management of waste streams and the achievement of the policy objectives, establishing a data record, evaluating the data and sources of data, monitoring proposed action and its effectiveness summarizing large amounts of data on waste in order to spread it to the public and finally, aggregate all information in a single index that allows the evaluation of the evolution of all waste sectors in time. ; This work has been supported by the Cantabrian Government R&D project entitled "Establishing the set of indicators for sustainable resource and waste flow in the region of Cantabria". Eva Cifrianwas funded by the University of Cantabria on a Ph.D. fellowship.

The most common method of handling construction and demolition waste (CDW) is recycling; this produces recycled aggregates that can replace natural aggregates in various applications while offering social, economic, and environmental benefits. However, from technological, environmental, and management perspectives, CDW recycling faces complicated issues that require resolution. This study proposes a methodology for investigating the influence of segregation and heterogeneity of the inlet CDW stream, and the technological level of the recycling facilities, on the quantity and composition of aggregated product streams. Four different scenarios with the combination of two different segregation levels and two homogeneity grades of CDW were developed; two recycling plants of different technological levels, basic and advanced, were used to treat the CDW in these scenarios. The two segregation levels represent the actual situation and the future situation in Spain; the two homogeneity levels represent the mixing of different types of waste due to the contamination of the fractions. The results obtained indicate that under low segregation levels, basic recycling plants can reach the minimum target of non-hazardous CDW resource recovery set at 70% before 2021 by the European Union, as backfilling is permitted. However, high segregation levels and advanced CDW recycling plants are required if backfilling is excluded since the recycling percentage is much lower than the resource recovery percentage.

The evolution of lignin, five-and six-carbon sugars, and other decomposition products derived from hemicelluloses and cellulose was monitored in a sulfite pulp mill. The wastewater streams were characterized and the mass balances throughout digestion and total chlorine free bleaching stages were determined. Summative analysis in conjunction with pulp parameters highlights some process guidelines and valorization alternatives towards the transformation of the traditional factory into a lignocellulosic biorefinery.The results showed a good separation of cellulose (99.64%) during wood digestion, with 87.23% of hemicellulose and 98.47% lignin dissolved into the waste streams. The following steps should be carried out to increase the sugar content into the waste streams: (i) optimization of the digestion conditions increasing hemicellulose depolymerization; (ii) improvement of the ozonation and peroxide bleaching stages, avoiding deconstruction of the cellulose chains but maintaining impurity removal; (iii) fractionation of the waste water streams, separating sugars fromthe rest of toxic inhibitors for 2nd generation biofuel production. A total of 0.173 L of second-generation ethanol can be obtained in the spent liquor per gramof dry wood.The proposed methodology can be usefully incorporated into other related industrial sectors. ; The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to the Sniace personnel and the financial support of the European Union by the BRIGIT "new tailor-made biopolymers produced from lignocellulosic sugars waste for highly demanding fire-resistant applications" research project http://www .brigit-project.eu/.

The protection, preservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems and their functions are of global importance. For European states it became legally binding mainly through the EUWater Framework Directive (WFD). In order to assess the ecological status of a given water body, aquatic biodiversity data are obtained and compared to a reference water body. The quantified mismatch obtained determines the extent of potential management actions. The current approach to biodiversity assessment is based on morpho-taxonomy. This approach has many drawbacks such as being time consuming, limited in temporal and spatial resolution, and error-prone due to the varying individual taxonomic expertise of the analysts. Novel genomic tools can overcome many of the aforementioned problems and could complement or even replace traditional bioassessment. Yet, a plethora of approaches are independently developed in different institutions, thereby hampering any concerted routine application. The goal of this Action is to nucleate a group of researchers across disciplines with the task to identify gold-standard genomic tools and novel ecogenomic indices for routine application in biodiversity assessments of European fresh- and marine water bodies. Furthermore, DNAqua-Net will provide a platform for training of the next generation of European researchers preparing them for the new technologies. Jointly with water managers, politicians, and other stakeholders, the group will develop a conceptual framework for the standard application of eco-genomic tools as part of legally binding assessments. ; Funding program European Cooperation in Science & Technology program (EU COST)