Life cycle assessment of Tehran Municipal solid waste during the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental impacts prediction using machine learning

A comprehensive protocol for evaluating health, safety, and environmental risks of hospital solid waste through FMEA technique

This protocol outlines a comprehensive approach to evaluating hospital solid waste levels and assessing associated health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risks using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology. The study focuses on Imam Khomeini Hospital (RA) and employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. Over a 3-month period, waste production and potential risks are assessed, with specific attention to household, infectious, medicinal, and sharps waste. Through FMEA, potential failure modes and associated risks in waste management sectors are identified, enabling targeted interventions for risk mitigation. The protocol emphasizes the importance of aligning waste management practices with international standards and highlights the need for comprehensive training, awareness campaigns, and effective waste management methods to ensure the safety and environmental responsibility of hospital waste management practices.

Biphasic pretreatment excels over conventional sulfuric acid in pinewood biorefinery: An environmental analysis

This study assesses the environmental impact of pine chip-based biorefinery processes, focusing on bioethanol, xylonic acid, and lignin production. A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is employed, comparing a novel biphasic pretreatment method (p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH)/pentanol, Sc-1) with conventional sulfuric acid pretreatment (H2SO4, Sc-2). The analysis spans biomass handling, pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, yeast fermentation, and distillation. Sc-1 yielded an environmental impact of 1.45E+01 kPt, predominantly affecting human health (96.55%), followed by ecosystems (3.07%) and resources (0.38%). Bioethanol, xylonic acid, and lignin contributed 32.61%, 29.28%, and 38.11% to the total environmental burdens, respectively. Sc-2 resulted in an environmental burden of 1.64E+01 kPt, with a primary impact on human health (96.56%) and smaller roles for ecosystems (3.07%) and resources (0.38%). Bioethanol, xylonic acid, and lignin contributed differently at 22.59%, 12.5%, and 64.91%, respectively. Electricity generation was predominant in both scenarios, accounting for 99.05% of the environmental impact, primarily driven by its extensive usage in biomass handling and pretreatment processes. Sc-1 demonstrated a 13.05% lower environmental impact than Sc-2 due to decreased electricity consumption and increased bioethanol and xylonic acid outputs. This study highlights the pivotal role of pretreatment methods in wood-based biorefineries and underscores the urgency of sustainable alternatives like TsOH/pentanol. Additionally, adopting greener electricity generation, advanced technologies, and process optimization are crucial for reducing the environmental footprint of waste-based biorefineries while preserving valuable bioproduct production.

Assessment of inorganic solid waste management techniques using full consistency and extended MABAC method

Population and industrial growth have spiked product consumption, which in turn have caused an abrupt rise in municipal solid waste (MSW) production. Due to the lack of resources allocated to waste management, municipal inorganic solid waste (ISW) has increased exponentially, posing a significant strain on the environment and health. To mitigate these issues, sustainable waste management strategies need to be implemented to reduce environmental impacts and improve waste collection and disposal efficiency. The objective of our work was to analyse and identify the most effective techniques for disposing of ISW in India by employing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). This technique entails selecting the most suitable alternative based on a variety of competing and interactive criteria. A fusion decision model named the FULL COnsistency Method (FUCOM) and Multi-Attributive Border Approximation area Comparison (MABAC) based on the interval-valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy (IV q-ROF) was developed. Finally, a comparative analysis was performed to demonstrate the system's robustness.