Current scenario of solid waste management techniques and challenges in Covid-19 - A review

In-depth analysis to develop a social marketing model to promote women's participation in waste segregation behaviour: A qualitative study

Waste separation is one of the key factors in managing solid waste and creating a healthy environment. Waste separation at source has always been associated with challenges. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the perceptions of housewives and related parties regarding the factors that influence waste separation behaviour and to identify approaches to improve behaviour based on the social marketing framework. This study was conducted as a qualitative content analysis in Amol City in 2022. The data was collected through semi-structured individual interviews. A total of 25 housewives were selected as main participants and 5 stakeholders through purposive selection. The results of the study included lack of awareness of recyclable materials (product), personal, family and environmental barriers (price), lack of doorstep collection of dry waste (place), and lack of use of appropriate technology (promotion). The lack of financial resources, inappropriate political measures and the coronavirus pandemic were also the causes of this challenge. Most participants cited environmental and educational deficits as the main reason for not separating waste. It is possible to improve waste sorting behaviour at source through appropriate behavioural interventions at the individual, social and environmental levels. Researchers can use the results of this study to design, implement and evaluate waste segregation intervention programmes for housewives.

An application of BWM for risk control in reverse logistics of medical waste

The pollution posed by medical waste complicate the procedures of medical waste logistics (MWL), and the increasingly frequent occurrence of public health emergencies has magnified the risks posed by it. In this study, the authors established an index of the factors influencing the risks posed by MWL along five dimensions: the logistics business, emergency capacity, equipment, personnel, and management. The best-worst case method was used to identify the critical risk-related factors and rank them by importance. Following this, we assessed the risk posed by MWL in four major cities in China as an example and propose the corresponding measures of risk control. The results showed that the linking of business processes was the most important factor influencing the risk posed by MWL. The other critical risk-related factors included the location of the storage site, the capacity for emergency transportation, measures to manage emergencies, and the safety of packaging. Of the cities considered, Beijing was found to be a high-risk city, and its MWL needed to be improved as soon as possible in light of the relevant critical risks. Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were evaluated as general-risk cities, which meant that the risks of MWL were not a priority in these areas, and the other goals of urban development should be comprehensively considered during the long-term planning for MWL in these municipalities.

Toxicity assessment of SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides in combination with a mix of pollutants on zebrafish adults: A perspective study of behavioral, biometric, mutagenic, and biochemical toxicity

The dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 in aquatic environments via the discharge of domestic and hospital sewage has been confirmed in different locations. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the possible impacts of zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposure to SARS-CoV-2 peptide fragments (PSPD-2001, 2002, and 2003) alone and combined with a mix of emerging pollutants. Our data did not reveal the induction of behavioral, biometric, or mutagenic changes. But we noticed an organ-dependent biochemical response. While nitric oxide and malondialdehyde production in the brain, gills, and muscle did not differ between groups, superoxide dismutase activity was reduced in the "PSPD", "Mix", and "Mix+PSPD" groups. An increase in catalase activity and a reduction in DPPH radical scavenging activity were observed in the brains of animals exposed to the treatments. However, the "Mix+PSPD" group had a higher IBRv2 value, with NO levels (brain), the reduction of acetylcholinesterase activity (muscles), and the DPPH radical scavenging activity (brain and muscles), the most discriminant factors for this group. The principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis indicated a clear separation of the "Mix+PSPD" group from the others. Thus, we conclude that exposure to viral fragments, associated with the mix of pollutants, induced more significant toxicity in zebrafish adults than in others.