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Solid Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, and Recovery

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 11429

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hongping He

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Guest Editor

College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: treatment, disposal and resource utilization of solid waste; environmental processes in landfills; interfacial processes relevant to dissolution and redox
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xiaofeng Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Interests: solid waste management; material flow analysis; resource management; environmental system engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the global population growth, economy development, and urban expansion, municipal solid waste (MSW) is becoming one of the key environmental issues. MSW mainly includes domestic waste, medical waste, commercial waste, e-waste (WEEE), and construction and demolition waste, all of which have potential risks to human health and the ecosystem. However, with the depletion of non-renewable energy and development of recycling technology, MSW is gradually viewed as one of the most renewable resources. A large proportion of MSW is improperly segregated, collected, and transported due to the absence of a suitable management system. In order to reduce MSW pollution and maximize MSW recycling, it is necessary to optimize the waste management strategy and recycling technology, which is beneficial to improve environmental quality and favor the development of a harmonious society. Future directions can be generalized into two aspects: (i) encouraging the collection and separation of MSW from the source, (ii) developing advanced treatment technology to transform MSW into energy (e.g., electricity), material (e.g., biochar), and fuel (e.g., liquid biofuel), and so on.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health aims to improve solid waste treatment technology and management strategies. We welcome manuscripts on topics including but not limited to:

Optimization of MSW management strategy;
Collection and classification of MSW;
Characterization of MSW property;
Recycling mode of MSW;
Technology development in MSW recycling;
Pollutant generation during MSW incineration;
Eco-friendly utilization of fly ash;
Treatment of landfill leachate;
Material flow analysis in MSW management;
Lifecycle assessment in MSW management.

Dr. Hongping He
Dr. Xiaofeng Gao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

municipal solid waste
management strategy
classification and collection
recycling mode
treatment technology
fly ash
landfill leachate
resource utilization

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Slope Safety, Heavy Metal Leaching, and Pollutant Diffusion Prediction Properties under the Influence of Unclassified Cemented Paste Backfill in an Open Pit

by Ke Chen, Qinli Zhang, Yunbo Tao, Kai Luo and Qiusong Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12772; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912772 - 6 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1449

Abstract

Open-pit unclassified cemented paste backfilling (OPUCPB) methods have not only addressed the disposal problems of tailings but also eliminated geological hazards of high and steep open pit slopes and created conditions for ecological restoration of the open pit in the future. In this paper, slope safety simulations, heavy metal leaching, groundwater monitoring, and pollutant diffusion predictions were examined to evaluate the slope safety pattern and environmental protection enabled by OPUCPB. The results showed that: (1) The safety factor of the open pit slope was proportional to the height of OPUCPB operation. Under the condition of seismic force and seepage field, the safety factor of slope B was increased from 1.188 to 1.574 by OPUCPB. (2) The toxic and harmful components in tailings were significantly stabilized by the OPUCPB. Under the conditions of acid leaching and water leaching, the quality of the leaching solution met the requirements of the class III limit of groundwater (GB/T14848-2017). (3) The monitoring results of groundwater quality around the open pit showed that the OPUCPB had no effect on groundwater, and the water quality met the requirements of the class III limit of groundwater (GB/T14848-2017). (4) Considering the diffusion prediction of pollutants and groundwater under extreme conditions, it was found that the pollution process is slow, and the shortest time required for pollutants to reach the standard limit is 232 d at a distance of 50 m from the leakage point. Therefore, the influence of OPUCPB can be controlled, and this method can achieve improved reclamation of open pits and safety treatment of tailings. It was worth popularizing and applying in mining enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, and Recovery)

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18 pages, 6463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are Iron Tailings Suitable for Constructing the Soil Profile Configuration of Reclaimed Farmland? A Soil Quality Evaluation Based on Chronosequences

by Wenjuan Jin, Han Wu, Zhongyi Wei, Chunlan Han, Zhenxing Bian and Xufeng Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8235; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148235 - 6 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1398

Abstract

Iron tailings used as soil substitute materials to construct reclaimed farmland soil can effectively realize the large-scale resource utilization of iron tailings and reduce environmental risks. It is vital to understand the mechanisms affecting reclaimed soil quality and determine the appropriate pattern for reclamation with iron tailings. Thus, a soil quality index (SQI) was developed to evaluate the soil quality of reclaimed farmland with iron tailings in a semi-arid region. Soil samples were collected from two reclamation measures (20 cm subsoil + 20 cm iron tailings + 30 cm topsoil and 20 cm subsoil + 20 cm iron tailings + 50 cm topsoil) with reclamation years of 3 (R3), 5 (R5), and 10 (R10) at three soil depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm) to measure 13 soil physicochemical properties in western Liaoning, China. Adjacent normal farmland (NF) acted as a reference. Results indicated that iron tailings were suitable for constructing the soil profile configuration of reclaimed farmland. SQI of reclaimed soil increased with the reclamation year, but it has not reached the NF level after 3 years, while it was better than NF after 5 years. The nutrient content of reclaimed soil increased with the reclamation year, but it still did not reach the NF level after 10 years. SQI of R10 (with 50 cm topsoil) was also better than NF but slightly lower than R5 (with 30 cm topsoil). For the semi-arid region with sticky soil texture, the topsoil thickness of reclamation was not the thicker the better, and 30 cm topsoil covered on iron tailings in western Liaoning could achieve a better reclamation effect than 50 cm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, and Recovery)

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Review

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9 pages, 621 KiB

Open AccessReview

Waste Management and the Perspective of a Green Hospital—A Systematic Narrative Review

by Sabrina Lattanzio, Pasquale Stefanizzi, Marilena D’ambrosio, Eustachio Cuscianna, Giacomo Riformato, Giovanni Migliore, Silvio Tafuri and Francesco Paolo Bianchi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15812; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315812 - 28 Nov 2022

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5008

Abstract

The concept of a “green hospital” is used in reference to a hospital that includes the environment as part of its quality services and one that pays attention to the sustainable design of buildings. Waste disposal represents a potential risk for the environment; therefore, waste collection from healthcare centers is a key environmental issue. Our study aims to systematically review the experiences acquired in worldwide nosocomial settings related to the management of healthcare waste. Nineteen studies, selected between January 2020 and April 2022 on Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science databases were included in our systematic narrative review. Operating room and hemodialysis activities seem to be the procedures most associated with waste production. To deal with waste production, the 5Rs rule (reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and research) was a common suggested strategy to derive the maximum practical benefit while generating the minimum amount of waste. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the greening process of nosocomial environments. Waste management requires a multifactorial approach to deal with medical waste management, even considering the climate change that the world is experiencing. Education of health personnel and managers, regulation by governmental institutions, creation of an “environmental greening team”, and awareness of stakeholders and policymakers are some of the measures needed for the greening of healthcare facilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, and Recovery)

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21 pages, 1088 KiB

Open AccessReview

Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste and Its Microbial Consortia: A Historical Review and Future Perspectives

by Shuijing Wang, Chenming Xu, Liyan Song and Jin Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9519; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159519 - 3 Aug 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2898

Abstract

Renewable energy source, such as food waste (FW), has drawn great attention globally due to the energy crisis and the environmental problem. Anaerobic digestion (AD) mediated by novel microbial consortia is widely used to convert FW to clean energy. Despite of the considerable progress on food waste and FWAD optimization condition in recent years, a comprehensive and predictive understanding of FWAD microbial consortia is absent and therefore represents a major research challenge in FWAD. The review begins with a global view on the FWAD status and is followed by an overview of the role of AD key conditions’ association with microbial community variation during the three main energy substances (hydrogen, organic acids, and methane) production by FWAD. The following topic is the historical understanding of the FWAD microorganism through the development of molecular biotechnology, from classic strain isolation to low-throughput sequencing technologies, to high-throughput sequencing technologies, and to the combination of high-throughput sequencing and isotope tracing. Finally, the integration of multi-omics for better understanding of the microbial community activity and the synthetic biology for the manipulation of the functioning microbial consortia during the FWAD process are proposed. Understanding microbial consortia in FWAD helps us to better manage the global renewable energy source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, and Recovery)

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