Solid Waste Management

Plasticrete is a proposed building material designed to address two major global issues: plastic waste pollution and the demand for affordable, sustainable construction materials. It is a composite made primarily from recycled plastics and is engineered to be durable, weather-resistant, and structurally sound for a wide range of applications including housing, infrastructure, and emergency shelters. ### Branding **Coherent Resonance (TM)** Plasticrete is a project under the Coherent Resonance initiative, dedicated to materials that align with regenerative systems, waste inversion, and harmonic structural integrity.

This Research paper is a live study on the above mentioned title "Concrete using Waste marble slurry" This paper consist the introduction of waste marble powder with its uses and properties. Various test results on waste marble powder concrete also described. It also consist the concrete mix design of M25 grade. The future recommendations are also discussed in addition.

As we know the term ‘concrete” is a mixture of cement + sand + coarse aggregate with water. Concrete is a widely used in buildings as main constructional material. It is most important substance of a structure. In this project we replace cement by waste marble slurry because cement is costlier than waste marble slurry and some properties of cement are find in waste marble slurry. Marble powder is generated from sawing & polishing of marble blocks. Marble powder contains heavy metals which affect the human health environment. So to reduce thereharmful effects we use it as a replacement material in cement concrete. In the marble industry marble waste is generated in huge amount so disposal of this have great threat in front of industry. The Marble waste has cementing properties, so by using it we can replace cement and sand which will reduce the environmental & health effects as well as cost also.

Municipal solid waste management has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing environmental protection agencies in developing countries. This study assessed the current solid waste management practices, problems and management in Maitama District, Abuja. The objectives of the study were to identify the structure of solid waste management and the sustainability of the process from generation to disposal. The research made use of structured questionnaires which were administered to residents of Maitama District, Abuja. The study revealed that women are more involved than men in the management of the heterogeneous waste in the study area. Although respondents recommended the services of waste collectors as 98% of them adjudged their services as satisfactory. There is still the problem of poor attitude to payment by residents of the area. The study therefore recommends that there should be more effective involvement of the private sector and greater integration of the informal sector, composting of biodegradable wastes and increased waste recycling and resource recovery can be areas for further development and better means of collection of waste charges should be developed in the study area.

Physico-chemical properties of soils of a particular area is crucial for determination of its potential and constraints based on which appropriate management interventions could be applied for enhanced and sustained agricultural production and productivity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine physico-chemical properties of the soils of Ambukuna microcachment and to identify its potentials and constraints for crop production.  Five sites representing a soil each were opened and profile in each site was described for its morphological, physical and chemical characteristics according to standard procedures. A total of 20 disturbed soil samples and 16 core ring samples were collected from five representative sites. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory for texture, BD, FC, PWP, Soil pH, EC, OC, TN, av.P, av.K, exchangeable bases and CEC. The results of the study showed that the proportions of soil separates varied among sites. The BD varied from 1.13 in the s...

Urban organic wastes are an important component of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Southern countries. These wastes include the organic portion of municipal waste (mainly street sweepings and household garbage), livestock manure and wastewater, and are sold via informal markets. The operation of organic waste markets, and their contribution to solid waste management, is not widely documented. As well as making a positive contribution to agriculture, the sale of organic wastes reduces the amount of waste to be collected and disposed of by municipal authorities. The case study of Hubli}Dharwad, India, illustrates how these markets operate and identi"es a number of issues which threaten their future. These include the increasing role of the private sector in the collection and disposal of solid waste and moves to evict livestock from large urban areas. Policy measures to support the use of urban organic wastes are suggested. 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current study was carried out to investigate the heavy metals removal from landfill leachate and urban wastewater by powdered activated carbon and powdered zeolite augmented SBR technique. The research was carried out in six 2000 mL breakers (working size was 1200 ml). The reactors were parted into 2 groups covering 3 for activated carbon augmented SBRs (PAC-SBR), and 3 for powdered zeolite augmented SBRs (PZE-SBR). The response surface methodology (RSM) and the central composite design (CCD) were employed to explain the most advantageous settings of the independent variables (aeration rate (l min -1 ), reaction time (h), and leachate-to-wastewater mixing ration (%; v/v) and their resopnses (dependent variables including Fe, Mn, Ni and Cd). The results indicated that the PZE-SBR showed higher performance in removal efficiencies while compared to PAC-SBR. At the optimum conditions of contact time (13.83 h), aeration rate (2.81 l min -1 ) and leachate to domestic wastewater proportion (20.00%) for the PZE-SBR, the removal efficiencies for Fe, Mn, Ni, and Cd were 65. 65%, 61.56, 63.41%, and 60.44%, respectively.

L'amélioration de la productivité agricole à travers les politiques publiques est vue comme un moyen d'améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et la réduction de la pauvreté en milieu rural et ceci va en droite ligne de l'atteinte des objectifs du développement durable. Cette tendance met l'accent sur les programmes, touchant le secteur agricole qui permet de guider les agriculteurs sur les nouvelles pratiques culturales à adopter pour améliorer leurs rendements à la fin de chaque campagne agricole. L'objectif de ce papier est d'analyser les déterminants de la productivité agricole au Togo. A partir de la base d'enquête QUIBB-2015 (Questionnaire Unifié des Indicateurs de Base du Bien-être, 2015), les résultats de la méthode de régression linéaire double logarithmique montrent un effet positif et significatif de la taille du ménage, des dépenses d'investissement dans l'achat des engrais, des phytosanitaires, des motoculteurs ; et de la quantité de récolte vendue sur la productivité agricole au Togo. Ces variables sont celles qui améliorent la productivité des agriculteurs togolais. Ce résultat suggère qu'il faudra renforcer les politiques visant à améliorer la productivité agricole tout en mettant un accent particulier sur ces variables préalablement évoquées.

The escalating environmental challenges posed by waste rubber tyres (WRTs) necessitate innovative solutions to address their detrimental effects on the geoenvironment. Thus, the knowledge about the recent advancements in material recovery from WRTs, emphasising their utilisation within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the circular economy principles, is the need of the hour. Keeping this in mind, various techniques generally used for material recovery, viz., ambient, cryogenic, waterjet, and so on, which unveil innovative approaches to reclaiming valuable resources (viz., recycled rubber, textiles, steel wires, etc.) from WRTs and various devulcanisation techniques (viz., physical, chemical, and microbial) are elaborated in this paper. In parallel, the paper explores the utilisation of the WRTs and recovered materials, highlighting their application in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering development projects while addressing the necessary environmental precautions and associated environmental risks/concerns. This paper incorporates circular economy principles into WRTs utilisation and focuses on achieving SDGs by promoting resource efficiency and minimising their environmental impact.

Recibido: 11.03.21 Aprobado. 12.04.21 RESUMEN Este artículo -basado en estudios sobre desigualdades sociales en salud-analiza los contextos cotidianos de vida y trabajo de personas viviendo en los alrededores de un basurero a cielo abierto. Nuestro objetivo es definir cómo ganarse la vida mediante el trabajo con la basura estructura mundos sociales y define exposiciones a riesgos, formas de involucramiento, sentidos y tejidos de relaciones con impactos diferenciales. Basados en enfoques de la epidemiología social, la salud colectiva y la antropología médica crítica, y utilizando diferentes estrategias de indagación (etnografía y métodos colaborativos y audiovisuales), distinguimos cuatro mundos con crecientes grados de precariedad. Concluimos que los estudios sobre desigualdades sociales en salud necesitan reconocer las múltiples formas que adquieren en escenarios concretos, evitando reduccionismos economicistas, biomédicos o de cualquier otro tipo para poder contemplar su riqueza y complejidad. Palabras clave: basurales a cielo abierto, trabajo, etnografía, antropología colaborativa, desigualdades

Esta ponencia es parte de la investigación que estoy desarrollando como parte de mi tesis de maestría, se centra en conocer el proceso de negociación entre un grupo de recuperadores urbanos y los funcionarios encargados de llevar adelante esta política en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. En este marco, la ponencia que aquí presento tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre el agente público (al Principio llamado PRU y luego DGREC) encargado de desarrollar la política de reciclado en la ciudad y de controlar el trabajo de los recuperadores urbanos, a partir del análisis de sus capacidades estatales.Mesa 15: Pobres ciudadanos. Las clases populares en la Argentina democráticaFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

El medio ambiente se ha convertido en tema obligado durante este último tiempo. Diferentes países del mundo han comenzado a discutir y repensar la forma de crecer económicamente manteniendo y mejorando los estándares ambientales para poder así cambiar la relación producción-contaminación a una relación perfectamente sustentable. Una herramienta esencial en la planificación de este desarrollo económico y ambiental de los países ha resultado ser la Logística. La relación Logística Inversa -Medio Ambiente y descubrir cuál es el rol que debe tomar el Estado con el fin de instaurar y promover las mejores prácticas ha sido uno de los temas obligados a discutir, lo que se realizará tomando ejemplos de todo el mundo pero siempre con una visión de cómo está Chile con respecto al tema.

Municipal solid waste management is a problem that is experienced by all counties in the world. Because of its nature, it has remained one of the major environmental problems man continues to face. Municipal solid waste management is considered as one of the most serious environmental and social problems challenging municipal authorities in all major cities in India. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is facing lot of hardship in day to day management and maintenance of solid waste management. Therefore the present study was taken to find out the problems and prospects of Municipal solid waste in Visakhapatnam city. A detailed investigation was made regarding the methods of practices associated with sources, quantity generated, collection, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal of Municipal solid waste in Visakhapatnam city. The data concerning to SWM in Visakhapatnam was obtained through questionnaire, individual field visit, interacting with people and authentic record of municipal corporation. Photographic evidences were also made about generation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of MSW. The study reveals the issues to be addressed for a more effective and efficient solid waste management practices in Visakhapatnam city as per Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2000.

This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Author JMK designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and wrote first draft of the manuscript. Authors BS and ANM managed the analyses of the study and author DNK managed the literature searches.

The impact of waste accumulation can be highly drastic for many communities in developing countries. In Egypt, the issue gets more challenging as there are no clearly-defined strategies for an efficient management of solid waste, which inflicts serious environmental risks on Egyptian communities and drains a considerable portion of the local economy. This study aims to improve solid waste management in Egypt by exploring the options by which solid waste can be sustainably managed, and reviewing international models of sustainable management systems. Eventually, a strategy is formulated for the sustainable management of solid waste on the local scale of Egypt.

A gestao de materiais inserviveis em instituicoes publicas e uma questao que tem demandado a atuacao coordenada de diferentes instâncias no sentido contribuir com a promocao da sustentabilidade. Regulamentada desde a decada de 1990 na esfera federal, a gestao de materiais inserviveis ainda permanece como um desafio no servico publico. O aumento das aquisicoes de bens de consumo aumentou ainda mais a carencia de profissionais habilitados a promover o sistema de descarte de inserviveis. Este artigo busca apresentar alguns dos elementos que foram identificados no processo de descontinuacao do uso e descarte de bens na Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), por meio de analise descritiva e documental. Os resultados evidenciam que os procedimentos, em sua maioria regulamentados, foram complementados por leis estaduais nas principais capitais brasileiras e, ainda assim, permanecem passiveis de melhorias para que sejam efetivados e contribuam para uma destinacao ambientalmente adequada...

A gestão de materiais inservíveis em instituições públicas é uma questão que tem demandado a atuação coordenada de diferentes instâncias no sentido contribuir com a promoção da sustentabilidade. Regulamentada desde a década de 1990 na esfera federal, a gestão de materiais inservíveis ainda permanece como um desafio no serviço público. O aumento das aquisições de bens de consumo aumentou ainda mais a carência de profissionais habilitados a promover o sistema de descarte de inservíveis. Este artigo busca apresentar alguns dos elementos que foram identificados no processo de descontinuação do uso e descarte de bens na Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), por meio de análise descritiva e documental. Os resultados evidenciam que os procedimentos, em sua maioria regulamentados, foram complementados por leis estaduais nas principais capitais brasileiras e, ainda assim, permanecem passíveis de melhorias para que sejam efetivados e contribuam para uma destinação ambientalmente adequada, segundo os requisitos legais. A falta de conhecimento sobre as ações cabíveis e a falta de sistematização configuram como principais áreas para melhoria do sistema. Palavras-chave: logística reversa; gestão de resíduos; consumo sustentável.

This submission to the Australian Government Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Circular Economy discusses conceptual aspects of circular economy with relevance to government policy from the perspective of design and the built environment. These opportunities lay less in recycling, which has been overemphasised by industry, and more in applications of repair and reuse involving creative and professional design labour. Opportunities also exist for new applications of digital tools that help inventory, sort and manipulate waste materials so that redesign of waste integrates with existing digital workflows in the design industry. Focus is on reuse of waste from the largest single contributor to landfill: the building, construction and demolition industry.

population growth, industrialization, urbanization and technology trends have led to a sharp increase in solid waste generation. Some municipalities are still using the conventional approach to solid waste management leading to solid waste becoming a sight everywhere. It is important to monitor solid waste collection and record the information pertaining to collection time, area and other related data from a central location. For this purpose, an Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management System (IMSWMS) is presented and discussed in this paper. The system ensures solid waste reduction through proper collection monitoring, waste intelligence initiatives and environmental education. It is an embedded system incorporating global positioning system (GPS), radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which is interfaced with a microcontroller and a web based graphical user interface (GUI) that can be accessed from anywhere. The web based GUI allows real time interaction of the central office with waste collection processes and residents.

Solid waste management in urban centers of developing countries has been a major challenge as a result of increasing population, migration and rising standard of living. This study focuses on Daura Township, Katsina State northern Nigeria. The methodology deployed to achieve the aim is through direct observational technique during two field visits to the town. There is also the administration of questionnaire on respondents that were purposively sampled for the study and interview with the Zonal Officer of the waste management agency in charge of Daura town. The results obtained have shown that the State Government provides 78.12% of the waste disposal facilities while 12.88% of the facilities comprise the use of open spaces and uncompleted buildings. The efficiency of waste collection for disposal by the waste management agency is 55% of the wastes generated with the remaining 45% not collected for proper disposal. The major findings are that 22.82% of the respondents disposed wastes in authorized sites, waste materials are allowed to accumulate before vehicles and equipment are sent to collect the wastes for disposal and some of the residents are not cooperating with the Agency to ensure proper waste management. The challenges associated with waste management include blockage of drainages, air and land pollution, littering of streets and road sides. It is therefore recommended that adequate facilities, machineries and equipment should be provided by the State Government and public enlightenment campaign should be carried out to overcome the challenges of solid waste management in the township.

About UMC Urban Management Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to building resilient systems for inclusive and equitable development. We work with governments to strengthen local governance and build lasting institutional structures. We also work directly with vulnerable people to ensure that they have the tools and support they need. Over the last 25 years, UMC and its teams have developed fundamental innovations in urban and rural development challenges such as performance assessment, capacity building and decentralized institutional strengthening.

This themed issue of Environmental Geotechnics brings together seven research articles that investigate the efficacy of different bio-inspired ground improvement solutions across diverse geoengineering applications. The main focus of the themed issue is on biopolymer-based admixtures, which are the subject of four of these articles, plus two investigating MICP, and one exploring the application of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes.

This book explores how groundbreaking innovations can emerge from resource-limited environments through creativity, resilience, and visionary thinking. Bridging engineering, grassroots development, and sustainability, the book offers a practical and interdisciplinary perspective on low-resource technological advancement, with a particular focus on African contexts. Through real-world projects and personal narratives, it documents novel approaches in manufacturing, renewable energy, agriculture, aerospace, healthcare, and education, challenging conventional assumptions that innovation is confined to wealthier regions. By integrating technical rigor with lived experiences, the book fills a critical gap in the literature on grassroots innovation and African-centered development strategies. It proposes new frameworks for understanding, supporting, and scaling transformative ideas born from necessity and driven by dreams. This work invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to reimagine innovation ecosystems that recognize the potential of marginalized communities as powerful contributors to global progress.

Marabá e Parauapebas com abundantes recursos naturais, essenciais à acumulação capitalista. Aponta grandes projetos mínero-metalúrgicos natural resources essential to the capitalist accumulation. It points out great Mining-metallurgical Projects as privileged

The bio-production of ethanol from sweet potato peel using microorganism was examined. Proximate analysis was carried out on the peel and the results from the analysis demonstrated that sweet potato peel contained sufficient amounts of starch and total carbohydrates to guarantee use for bio-ethanol production. To obtain maximum conversion of starch into fermentable sugars, sweet potato peel was hydrolysed by hydrochloric acid at different temperature and concentration. The effect of inoculum size, pH, temperature and time to obtain maximum ethanol from sweet potato peel waste were studied in batch fermentation. The maximum ethanol yield obtained was 6.39g/L at pH 5.0, temperature of 32.5⁰C and inoculums size of 6% (v/v) after 48 hours of fermentation. The results obtained showed that sweet potato peel which is a waste, can be a feedstock for bioethanol production.

In this work, sound pressure levels of some generators in Pankshin town of Plateau State, Nigeria were measured. The sound power levels, noisiness, perceived noise levels of generators and people’s attitude towards the noise were obtained. The sound pressure levels of the different generators were carried out using sound level meter type SL 4010 EUROLAB. The measured sound pressure levels range between 76dBA and 98dBA. The sound power levels range between 87dBA and 109dBA. The values of noisiness were in the range of 14noy and 60noy.The perceived noise levels (PNdB) were in the range of 78dBA to 99dBA. The generator sound was rated to range between moderately noisy and noisy whereas the annoyance rating ranges between slight annoyance and very much annoyance. The correlation coefficient for the generator noise and the noise rating was ? 1 =0.589 whereas the correlation coefficient for generator noise sound pressure levels and annoyance rating by respondents was ? 1 =0.729, both impl...

Biochar and ash are the solid residues from biomass gasification which require a large storage area and lead to environmental pollution such as land pollution. Utilization of these solid residues is an alternative method to solve this problem. These materials can be used as aggregate in concrete due to their compositions. Hence, this research carried out to produce eco-friendly concrete blocks by replacing these residues varied from the 5, 10, 20 and 30%. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength of the concrete decreased with the increase in the amount of the replacement. The compressive strength with the replacement of 30% solid residues in the concrete showed no significant difference when the sample was aged at longer time. From this study, the compressive strength of the concrete substituted by biochar and ash were varied in the range of 3.3-14.3 MPa which is higher than 2.5 MPa of hollow non-load bearing concrete masonry units standard. Therefore, the use o...

Los COVs son compuestos orgánicos que se volatilizan a temperatura ambiente y que pueden originar serios problemas en el medio y en la salud de los seres vivos. Se ha realizado un estudio cuantitativo y cualitativo de los COVs en el interior y exterior del IES Plaza de la Cruz en dos momentos distintos del curso escolar (semana del 19 al 25 de enero y semana del 31 de mayo al 6 de junio), seleccionando un total de 19 puntos de muestreo. Se han utilizado tubos de TENAX para recoger las muestras mediante difusión pasiva y se han analizado los resultados en el  Laboratorio Integrado de Calidad Ambiental (LICA) del Departamento de Química de la UNAV mediante cromatografía de gases. Se plantean las hipótesis de que en invierno se registrará una mayor cantidad y concentración de COVs que en verano, que los espacios que den a la calle San Fermín estarán más contaminados por estos compuestos, que ciertas zonas como los laboratorios, el Museo, la sala de profesores Ximénez y conserjería contendrán más COVs y en mayor concentración que otras. Tras el análisis de las muestras se concluye que en invierno se registran más COVs que en verano; que la calle San Fermín no es la que presenta un mayor grado de contaminación por COVs sino la calle Tafalla; que los laboratorios presentan más contaminación por COVs pero no el Museo, la sala Ximénez ni la conserjería. Los resultados indican que todas las concentraciones obtenidas están muy por debajo de los valores límites ambientales de exposición media diaria recogidos por el Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (2024) gracias al papel de la ventilación natural. Finalmente se analizan las fuentes emisoras de los COVs obtenidos, llegando a la conclusión de que el tráfico y las calefacciones son las principales fuentes en el exterior del centro, sobre todo en invierno. En el interior, las principales fuentes son la calefacción, los productos de limpieza y las plantas.

Environmental degradation and depleting fuel reserves are matters of great concern around the global. Solid waste plastic is currently receiving renewed interest for fuel generation. Waste plastic to fuel is suitable for compression ignition engines and more attention is focused in the world because of its potential to generate large-scale employment and relatively low environmental degradation. A postcommercial PS polymer waste was thermal degradation and fractional distillation without catalysts using a steel reactor operating thermally at ambient pressure under fume hood without vacuum system. Two types of temperature profile was used for this experiment such as PS waste plastic liquefaction purposed temperature used 100-400 ºC and fractional column distillation temperature was used 180-305 ºC for collection kerosene or aviation grade fuel. Produced fuel was analyzed by using gas chromatography and mass spectrometer and fuel hydrocarbon range showed into GC/MS analysis is C 6 to C 16 .

The seriousness of current environmental problems underlie the importance and urgency of environmental education in higher learning institutions, which need better tools for evaluating environmental programs. This study is based on an evaluation card used to assess the performance of two management programs of municipal solid waste (MSW) implemented in two different universities. The study was conducted during mutual visits between researchers of the two universities. University A has more than ten years of experience with its solid waste management program; university B has two years of experience. The results show the need of an Environmental Institutional Plan that supports and support to guide the short- and long - term, this is where, in addition to the technical and engineering aspects, has strategic value environmental education supported strategies that promote and facilitate the correct disposal and proper management of MSW generated in universities.

Presently, scientific discoveries are expanding the minds and improving the personal satisfaction of all people on Earth. Science and innovation are to be considered at the core of our nation’s prosperity. The most prevailing pattern in this era is the application of machines in all globules of life. Science and technology are progressing very fast; toward the end of this century, life will get mechanized. Notwithstanding, if there should be an occurrence of SWM, where we have to change and stop the reception of assortment and landfill system. Life Cycle of Waste assortment impacts the environmental sustainability of waste management. SWM has become the global concern in urban populated areas which is rising continuously. The implications related with nature due to SWM are mounting, which need perseverance. In developed countries, the system which we will discuss is being analyzed, and advancement in the framework has been mostly targeted with well-defined technology, process, engin...

Purpose: This paper describes the current status of waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling and disposal in Europe, and its impact on the environment, human health and the economy. Design/methodology/approach: The production of electric and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing areas. This development has resulted in an increase of WEEE. Increased recycling of WEEE is supposed to limit the total quantity of waste going to final disposal. Findings: Based on comprehensive bibliography, this article reviewed the implementation of strategies of WEEE treatment and the recovery technologies of WEEE. Research limitations/implications: Further studies should be undertaken in order to develop integrated WEEE recycling and disposal systems. Practical implications: In view of the environmental problems involved in the management of WEEE, many countries and organizations have drafted national legislation to improve the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such waste so as to reduce disposal. Recycling of WEEE is an important subject not only from the point of waste treatment but also from the recovery of valuable materials. The study of WEEE properties is important for a further recycling and eventual reuse.

Construction projects generally take place in uncontrolled and unprepared environments where accurate and timely information are vital to operating a well managed and cost efficient construction project. Automated advanced tracking and data storage technologies such as RFID and GPS give costeffective, unobtrusive and hazard-free solutions for acquiring operations data in the relatively harsh and hectic environment of construction sites. This paper investigates the applications of integrated RF technologies such as RFID and GPS in the management and delivery of construction information. RFID integrated with the GPS provides an opportunity to collect data and to transfer them by GSM technology using minimal or no worker input.

A Área era composta de um departamento de estudos e dois departamentos operacionais dedicados às questões urbana e rural. No gabinete do diretor trabalhavam, além de duas secretárias, os dois assessores. Ser assessora de diretor do BNDES significa, entre outras funções, ter a tarefa de ler todos os relatórios e matérias que as demais áreas redigiram e estão encaminhando para a próxima reunião de diretoria. As reuniões são semanais, e não raro a pilha de documentos a serem lidos tem mais que um palmo e meio de altura. Pouco depois da minha chegada, Carlos Lessa -que já era diretor da Área há vários meses -entrou na sala dos assessores e disse que eu não mais precisaria ler as matérias pautadas, que ele já tinha bastante prática e poderia fazê-lo, que realizar estudos seria muito mais profícuo.

The field of behavior analysis has long been known for its advances in strategies to intervene on individual behavior; however, many behavior analysts have also been developing strategies to arrange contingencies for cultural practices. The cultural practices of interest are those that represent good prospects for the survival of humankind. Solid waste management, for example, has been an important target of interventions. Interventions can be designed to change behaviors related to the inappropriate disposal of waste, which otherwise generates public health problems. The current study describes a case of planning and applying a cultural design to foster behaviors that make up an adequate cultural practice of solid waste management with children who attended a nongovernmental organization. The cultural design emphasized maintaining the practice for the long term. Two studies were conducted. The 1st study consisted of planning a cultural design, supported by a guide developed by Carrara et al. ("Desenvolvimento de guia e fluxograma como suporte para delineamentos culturais [Guide and Flow-Chart Development as Support for Cultural Designs]," Acta Comportamentalia, 21 [1], 99-119, 2013). Researchers surveyed the demands related to natural resources management in the community. Then, they investigated the cultural practice of inadequate solid waste management, which was identified as the most urgent practice to be modified. Based on the data and analysis, interventions were Behavior and Social Issues

Dissertacao de Mestrado apresentado junto ao Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Desenvolvimento Regional e Meio Ambiente, Area de Concentracao em Desenvolvimento Sustentavel e Diagnostico Ambiental, para obtencao do Titulo de Mestre em Desenvolvimento Regional e Meio Ambiente. Orientador: Ene Gloria da Silveira

Es un documento muy oportunamente actualizado por la OMS a la vista de los desastres naturales acaecidos y, según se prevé, cada vez más profundos en un futuro próximo. Se trata de 16 Notas Técnicas con recomendaciones basadas en la experiencia sobre cómo socorrer y atender de forma inmediata y a medio plazo a la población. Describe las mejores prácticas y novedades en tratamiento y almacenamiento seguros del agua, cantidades necesarias y rehabilitación de pozos y sondeos:

Basic sanitary services, including waste disposal, treated water supply and sewage services, do have a strong effect on human health and on the environment. Brazil stands as having a large deficit in these services,which results in labour productivity's decrease and loss of GDP. This study aims at estimating a demand model for sewage services in Brazil.. In this sense, a model of random utility based on the logit multinomial was used for waste disposal and sewage . This model is based on the assumption that the choice for sanitary services is done in a context where this is one domiciliary attribute among others. A hedonic price approach is used in this context to value those services, where other domiciliary attributes stand as being either competing or complementary with them. Results show that certain domiciliary characteristics do compete with sanitary services. In particular, number of rooms and electricity access do compete with sewage services, as well as is the same case between number of rooms and waste disposal. An interesting conclusion is that there is a certain trade-off between sanitary services and domiciliary comfort. . Results also show that demand for sanitary services in Brazil is also sensitive to the following factors: income, education level, size of the family.

The purpose of the exploratory research is to ascertain the possibility of improving the quality and quantity of biogas yield from anaerobic digestion of elephant grass (pennisetum purpureum), which has been considered a potential alternative to cow dung, using Liquid extract from plantain (Musa paradisiacal normalis) pseudo stem. The concept of comparative advantage and productive effect of synergy was adopted in trying to obtain biogas production of better yield and quality from the two feedstocks. Liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem; which previously was considered as waste, but recently have been found to have low biogas yield with high methane content; was considered useful as the mixing fluid instead of water. Six digesters were developed using 500ml conical flasks for the experiment with 3 duplicates runs. The first set contained elephant grass and water, the second contained elephant grass and liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem, while the third is loaded with liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem only. The pH of the substrates was improved through partial decomposition prior to digestion. The digesters were then monitored for 36 days, measuring the biogas yield and the ambient temperature. All the trials produced biogas after 3 to 4 days of inoculation as observed and confirmed using flame test. The digesters containing combination of elephant grass and liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem gave the highest yield, as well as the best qualityin terms of methane content. The results from the experiment shows a 45.95% and 33.95% improvement in biogas yield and methane content respectively when the liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem was used to mix the elephant grass instead of water. Although, biogas generation from elephant grass has been widely reported in literature, but at relatively low methane content (43.4 to 64.3%). Hence, it requires more post-production upgrading effort to bring the methane content to the value admissible into internal combustion engine. The findings of this research provides efficient means of improving the methane content of the produced gas to 72.97 ± 3.8 %, using liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem. The research thus found productive use for the liquid extract from plantain pseudo stem, as well as possibility of having better yield from anaerobic digestion of elephant grass. This research is purely original.