Biography:

Nader Parvin has obtained his expertise in environmental studies from the Kharazmi National University in Tehran. Their research topics are related to natural disasters, especially droughts, floods, hail, severe storms, wind and solar energy in relation to the western winds of the middle atmosphere and their direct impact on environmental conditions.

Abstract:

The Middle East region is located in the world's dry belt is among the vast and strategic parts of the world, whose water resources, agriculture and vegetation are gradually deteriorating. Since most environmental characteristics are directly or indirectly explained in relation to topographic changes of atmospheric pressure levels (500 HPa), the study of the main causes of climate change in the Middle East region is of particular importance. For this purpose, first, the altitude data of contour 500 HPa of the atmosphere and the temperatures of January and February for the past half-century (1968-2017) for a range of studies with dimensions of 25-77.5 degrees longitude and of 10-45 degrees latitude were taken and summarized from the NCEP/NCAR. Using factor analysis and clustering, homogeneous regions were identified. The temperature trend and the significance test of its changes were performed using the Mann-Kendall statistical and graphics method. Using the correlation and multiple regressions, the equation governing the status of the process of temperature changes in each of the Middle East countries was calculated and analyzed. Eventually, Using GIS, the results of climate change were prepared and analyzed in form of illustrative maps. The results of the study showed that over the past half-century, both the western wind wave has been displaced by 2.5 degrees to higher geographic latitudes, and the frequency and the trough axis of the western winds ridge affecting the Middle East region have changed. Following these changes, isothermal lines of all Middle Eastern countries rose by 1.5 to 2.5 centigrade during the winter rainfall. From south to north-east of the region, the isothermal lines have moved from 250 to 150 kilometers to higher latitudes respectively. The most significant increase in temperature was in February, and in southern Iran, Iraq, and Syria, temperatures have risen more than other regions.

Biography:

Abstract:

The Middle East region is located in the world's dry belt is among the vast and strategic parts of the world, whose water resources, agriculture and vegetation are gradually deteriorating. Since most environmental characteristics are directly or indirectly explained in relation to topographic changes of atmospheric pressure levels (500 HPa), the study of the main causes of climate change in the Middle East region is of particular importance. For this purpose, first, the altitude data of contour 500 HPa of the atmosphere and the temperatures of January and February for the past half-century (1968-2017) for a range of studies with dimensions of 25-77.5 degrees longitude and of 10-45 degrees latitude were taken and summarized from the NCEP/NCAR. Using factor analysis and clustering, homogeneous regions were identified. The temperature trend and the significance test of its changes were performed using the Mann-Kendall statistical and graphics method. Using the correlation and multiple regressions, the equation governing the status of the process of temperature changes in each of the Middle East countries was calculated and analyzed. Eventually, Using GIS, the results of climate change were prepared and analyzed in form of illustrative maps. The results of the study showed that over the past half-century, both the western wind wave has been displaced by 2.5 degrees to higher geographic latitudes, and the frequency and the trough axis of the western winds ridge affecting the Middle East region have changed. Following these changes, isothermal lines of all Middle Eastern countries rose by 1.5 to 2.5 centigrade during the winter rainfall. From south to north-east of the region, the isothermal lines have moved from 250 to 150 kilometers to higher latitudes respectively. The most significant increase in temperature was in February, and in southern Iran, Iraq, and Syria, temperatures have risen more than other regions.

Biography:

Abstract:

The Middle East region is located in the world's dry belt is among the vast and strategic parts of the world, whose water resources, agriculture and vegetation are gradually deteriorating. Since most environmental characteristics are directly or indirectly explained in relation to topographic changes of atmospheric pressure levels (500 HPa), the study of the main causes of climate change in the Middle East region is of particular importance. For this purpose, first, the altitude data of contour 500 HPa of the atmosphere and the temperatures of January and February for the past half-century (1968-2017) for a range of studies with dimensions of 25-77.5 degrees longitude and of 10-45 degrees latitude were taken and summarized from the NCEP/NCAR. Using factor analysis and clustering, homogeneous regions were identified. The temperature trend and the significance test of its changes were performed using the Mann-Kendall statistical and graphics method. Using the correlation and multiple regressions, the equation governing the status of the process of temperature changes in each of the Middle East countries was calculated and analyzed. Eventually, Using GIS, the results of climate change were prepared and analyzed in form of illustrative maps. The results of the study showed that over the past half-century, both the western wind wave has been displaced by 2.5 degrees to higher geographic latitudes, and the frequency and the trough axis of the western winds ridge affecting the Middle East region have changed. Following these changes, isothermal lines of all Middle Eastern countries rose by 1.5 to 2.5 centigrade during the winter rainfall. From south to north-east of the region, the isothermal lines have moved from 250 to 150 kilometers to higher latitudes respectively. The most significant increase in temperature was in February, and in southern Iran, Iraq, and Syria, temperatures have risen more than other regions.

Biography:

Nader Parvin has obtained his expertise in environmental studies from the Kharazmi National University in Tehran. Their research topics are related to natural disasters, especially droughts, floods, hail, severe storms, wind and solar energy in relation to the western winds of the middle atmosphere and their direct impact on environmental conditions.

Abstract:

The Middle East region is located in the world's dry belt is among the vast and strategic parts of the world, whose water resources, agriculture and vegetation are gradually deteriorating. Since most environmental characteristics are directly or indirectly explained in relation to topographic changes of atmospheric pressure levels (500 HPa), the study of the main causes of climate change in the Middle East region is of particular importance. For this purpose, first, the altitude data of contour 500 HPa of the atmosphere and the temperatures of January and February for the past half-century (1968-2017) for a range of studies with dimensions of 25-77.5 degrees longitude and of 10-45 degrees latitude were taken and summarized from the NCEP/NCAR. Using factor analysis and clustering, homogeneous regions were identified. The temperature trend and the significance test of its changes were performed using the Mann-Kendall statistical and graphics method. Using the correlation and multiple regressions, the equation governing the status of the process of temperature changes in each of the Middle East countries was calculated and analyzed. Eventually, Using GIS, the results of climate change were prepared and analyzed in form of illustrative maps. The results of the study showed that over the past half-century, both the western wind wave has been displaced by 2.5 degrees to higher geographic latitudes, and the frequency and the trough axis of the western winds ridge affecting the Middle East region have changed. Following these changes, isothermal lines of all Middle Eastern countries rose by 1.5 to 2.5 centigrade during the winter rainfall. From south to north-east of the region, the isothermal lines have moved from 250 to 150 kilometers to higher latitudes respectively. The most significant increase in temperature was in February, and in southern Iran, Iraq, and Syria, temperatures have risen more than other regions.

Biography:

Anahita Rabii is a 4^th year PhD candidate in civil engineering at Ryerson University. She has her expertise in water and wastewater treatment technologies, pollution monitoring and control, and resource recovery through working in both industry and academia. She is currently conducting her research on developing a model for anaerobic digestion of multi feedstocks. Various waste materials can be utilized as feedstocks for digesters. Anaerobic digestion is able to produce biogas comprised mostly of methane which provides a renewable energy source.

Abstract:

Waste generation and energy crisis are among the most important global issues. Municipalities are facing increasing challenges regarding management and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) which includes a range of organic and inorganic materials. Source Separated Organic Waste (SSO) refers to the combination of the MSW organic fraction from residences, industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sector. According to Environment Canada, almost 40% of residential waste consists of organic waste. Municipalities are not able to achieve diversion targets above 50% without establishing residential organics collection program. On the other side, sludge handling is responsible for the major fraction of the operating costs of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been in consideration as a sustainable option for waste management and for being a renewable energy source. AD technologies have shown adaptability to a range of different feedstocks. Various sources of waste such as the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, animal wastes, and sewage sludge can be utilized as feedstocks to digesters. Anaerobic co-digestion, which entails the simultaneous digestion of two or more feedstocks has shown to be beneficial for its economic viability, increasing methane yields, and its capability to alleviate some of the problems emerging in mono-digestion. This research was aimed to investigate biomethane production from anaerobic co-digestion of SSO and Thickened Waste Activated Sludge (TWAS) via BMP assay. Co-digestion of TWAS and SSO was conducted at different mixture ratios in mesophilic condition. The results indicated that co-digestion of TWAS/SSO at the mixture ratio of 1:9 resulted in 70% and 38% cumulative methane increase compared to conventional digestion of TWAS and SSO alone respectively. The maximum methane yield of 216mL CH₄/gTCOD added was obtained by TWAS/SSO co-digestion at the mixture ratio of 1/9

Biography:

Nasrin Sultana, System Analyst of Bangladesh Water Development Board, Ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of Bangladesh, has her expertise in ICT, human resource management, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Gender Equity issues. She has to maintain personnel Management and Information Service, Recruitment and Promotion of officers and employees. She maintains Personal Data of 7558 male and female employees of BWDB. She also maintains necessary databases of flood control, river erosion, losses of properties due to the flood, adverse effects and flood and other natural disaster-related databases. She is also discharging the environment pollution and climate change issues, especially the environment pollution due to old and useless plastic materials. She is monitoring gender-related activities. Also, supervise the Gender Equity Committee since 2014. She has to organize training for female WMG members. Focal Point of e-filing of Bangladesh Water Development Board. Former resource person of ‘Gender Equity Strategy Action Plan’ of ADP Bangladesh.

Abstract:

Plastic recycling is a livelihood for the marginalized society in Bangladesh. Plastics are cheap, durable and lightweight materials. It meets the domestic demand in Bangladesh as well as some products are exported. The plastic industry has emerged as an important industrial sector in Bangladesh during the last three decades. At present, there are 5000 plastic manufacturing units, 95% of which belong to the Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Domestic market size is Tk 10,300 crore (US$ 1425 million). Per capita consumption of plastics in Bangladesh is 5kg per year. The Plastic sector constitutes 1.0 of GDP and provides employment for half a million people. Total export earnings for both direct and deem (RMG accessories) export is about the US $ 537 million. The availability of cheap labor and the fast developing plastic waste recycling industry, provide Bangladesh potential advantage of competitiveness in the global market. It is observed that a major portion of plastic produced each year is used to make disposable items of packaging and other short-lived products that are discarded within a year of manufacture. So our current use of plastic is not sustainable. Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts and represents one of the most dynamic areas in the plastics industry today. Recycling provides opportunities to reduce oil usage, carbon-dioxide emissions and the quantities of waste requiring disposal. Recycling of packaging materials has seen rapid expansion over the last decades in a number of countries. Advances in technologies and systems for the collection, sorting and reprocessing of recyclable plastics are creating new opportunities for recycling and with the concerted efforts of the people, industry, and government. A thorough analysis of the relevant issues using Triple Triangle Framework (TTF) model helps to understand the competitive dynamics of the Bangladesh SME Plastic industry.

Biography:

Eric Ikenna Onuegbu is a solid waste consultant and a profound business tycoon that deals with tire importation and tire recycling. He has done a series of research and consultancy on solid waste management. He has Masters of Philosophy in Geography where did his thesis on “Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries: Lessons learned from Malaysia and Nigeria” and have several papers on waste management that has presented in many international conferences. He is currently doing research on “Challenges of Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Developing countries: Case study-Windhoek, Namibia)”. His approach is that the Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) should be adopted in developing countries to combat waste management menace.

Abstract:

The handling of wastes is an eternal problem; all societies are confronted with this issue. Their origins are very diverse, they could come from industrial activities, power production, shops, retail or household for instance including medical institutions. While in developed countries the collection is generally efficient and the disposal is safe, but the situation in developing countries is different. The municipal budget does not allow the construction of advanced and expensive methods of disposal and the collection suffer from the age of vehicles. This generalization is nevertheless not totally true as the situation extremely depends on the country but also of the city considered. Each city will need to adapt its waste management according to its size, climate, wealth, culture, development, industrialization etc. This report will focus on the capital city of Namibia called Windhoek City. The aim is to be able to draw a clear picture of the waste management currently achieved. When the situation is well known, new directions to make Windhoek refuse management more sustainable can be decided. Implementing progressively an integrated waste management system (IWMS) is a solution to the waste problem as it is considering economic, social and environmental impacts. A waste characterization was done in order to know the exact amount and composition of the waste generated in Windhoek to implement afterward the most suitable solution. The refuse of Windhoek is surprisingly very similar to a high-income country. Moreover, the stakeholders involved in recycling were investigated. A small informal sector is already making a living by recycling a few materials as hospital waste and some medical materials like medicinal bottles, glass bottle, and cans. There is also a possibility to include extra stakeholder in the recycling process in Windhoek. Recycling companies, recycling organization or investors are also important stakeholders who can be included in Windhoek recycling plan. Developing recycling in Windhoek is facing some challenges but it is also full of opportunities. The main issue when it comes to recycling in Namibia is the long transportation distances what makes it expensive. Furthermore, most of the recovered materials have to be sent to South Africa because Namibia does not possess the necessary industries to recycle hospital, medical materials, paper and glass for instance. On another hand the presence in Windhoek of a small informal sector already working with waste is promising. The workers could be more organized and the municipality can also help them with logistic and storage to improve the recycling done. The dump site will also be closed within the next years and a new sanitary landfill will be open. It will be a great opportunity to implement a recycling facility on site. Informal workers working on the landfill will be more controlled, to avoid for instance children labor. Some stricter health and safety measure can be decided, to give better working condition to the informal manpower. The development of recycling activities in Tsumeb will be highly beneficial to the community. It will create jobs for the poorest part of the population, decrease the cost of waste management, reduce pollution and stimulate the local economy.

Biography:

Mohamed Aboughaly graduated from University Technology Petronas with first class honors in 2012 followed by 3 years industrial experience at mega-projects as a process engineer including petrochemical 400KTA LLDPE/HDPE chemical plant, 100tpd LDAN (Low-density ammonium nitrate) chemical plant and 100tpd MIDOR oil refinery chemical plant followed by MASc Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in 2017 and working as a quality control engineer at Haremar Plastics Manufacturing, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract:

Municipal solid waste has various chemical compositions which vary from region to region whereas developed countries with wealthier population show higher inorganic material content such as plastic wastes, paper, electronic wastes and metals (B Ruj 2014). Thermal plasma pyrolysis and gasification have been in active development due to high volume reduction capabilities, increase in reactivity and temperature control. RF thermal plasma specifically has major advantages such as large plasma volume, higher thermal plasma purity and efficient delivery of heat energy which enhances chemical and physical changes in solid waste (H Huang 2007). Conventional MSW pyrolysis and gasification have some process limitations which are enhanced by thermal plasma such as syngas purity, energy efficiency, product yield and temperature control (F Fabry 2013). Added to that, thermal plasma accelerates reaction kinetics for both pyrolysis and gasification and thermally crack impurities at high temperatures. On the thermal aspect, thermal plasma provides an advantage of temperature control over current which makes the process independent of the oxidizing ratio and the nature of the plasma medium (F Fabry 2013). Gasification reactions are heterogeneous equilibrium reactions carried in updraft/downdraft or fluidized bed reactors in limited oxygen supply at 1100°C to 1300°C. Therefore, plasma pyrolysis and gasification are acknowledged as a novel technology with the potential to improve chemical recycling through faster heating rates of reaction particles, rapid heat and mass exchange as well as eliminate landfilling and incineration (L Tang 2013). Incineration has very low thermal efficiency up to 40% and highest CO₂ and NO₂ emissions as well as high cost of emission control (VV Sergeev 2016). On the contrary, pyrolysis has the highest thermal efficiency of 90% followed by plasma gasification which can reach up to 85%.

Biography:

Mei Liu is currently a third-year PhD student in Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University. She received her MS degree on Environmental Science and Engineering from School of Environment, Tsinghua University in 2006. Then she worked as a teacher in the School of Material Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute. She was promoted to a Lecturer in 2008, and Director of Teaching and Research Section of Environmental Engineering in 2013. Her research interests focus on the preparation, characterization, and application of functional materials for environmental pollution control and recycling of solid waste in the production of functional ceramics.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Mine waste sludge is usually generated from a lime neutralization process of acid mine drainage, which formed both at active and abandoned mines. At present, a few investigations on reusability of mine waste sludge have been reported. The environmental and economic problems of sludge disposal at mine sites lead to the need of new technologies for the sludge recycling.

Methodology: In this study, we recycled mine waste sludge, which was sampled from two abandoned Japanese mines, to produce multifunctional M-type hexagonal ferrite ceramic by a solid-state reaction with the addition of a small amount of barium carbonate.

Findings: The result of X-ray diffraction shows M-type hexagonal ferrite can be obtained when the addition of mine waste sludge is up to 90% (mass%). Impurities in the sludge result in second phases such as crystalline aluminosilicates and amorphous phases in calcined products. An increase in formation temperature of M-type hexagonal ferrite is observed in the case of addition of sludge with higher sulfur content. Furthermore, we think the impurities are responsible for a decrease in melting point, which lead to different microstructure between products from sludge and those from pure chemicals.

Conclusion & Significance: The mine waste sludge can be recycled to produce value-added M-type hexagonal ferrite ceramics which have an abroad range of applications. In addition, our study provides a fundamental understanding of how mine waste sludge works in M-type hexagonal ferrites production.

Biography:

Saida Tayibi obtained her Master's degree in physic-chemistry of materials. Now, she is a PhD student at SupAgro Montpellier-France. Her thesis subject represents a part of project ATLASS in collaboration with SupAgro & INRA-Montpellier, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University-Benguerir, and APESA-Pau.

Abstract:

Sustainable conversion methods of organic industrial residues for producing new low cost activated/unactivated biochar, which have received more attention in recent years. Those processes and conversion methods were not only used for producing biochars but also, due to their huge positive benefits on environment protection and remediation, could contribute to minimize the number of industrial residues. Slow pyrolysis, which is one of the most conventional types of pyrolysis that has been used for thousands of years primarily for the biochar production, represents an efficient solution to convert these residues to valued bio-products. In the remediation field, activated biochars produced from organic waste have proved the ability to remove many kinds of micropollutants and they showed good results by comparing to commercial activated charcoal. In this study, the production of activated biochars was carried out using a one-pot activation/pyrolysis method with different type of chemical agents and pyrolyzed at 2 different temperatures. The solutions of chemical agents were proceeded on raw macroalgae residue using a simple spry system, unlike activation baths that require large volumes of chemical solutions. All the unactivated/activated biochars were analyzed and characterized by different methods and analysis technics (CHNS, HPLC, FTIR, SEM, EDS, zeta potential  After that adsorption experiments using methylene blue as micropollutants in aqueous medium were realized to evaluate the removal efficiencies of produced biochars. The results showed that biochars activated by alkaline agents gave high removal efficiencies: they range between 87 to 91.47% compared to 97.78% with commercial activated charcoal.

Biography:

Mbah Robert Achu completed his MSc in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Buea in 2010 with 02 papers co-published. Inspector in the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, Cameroon since 2011.

Abstract:

A large amount of municipal solid waste that is being generated within the City of Douala from sources such as markets, households, provision stores, supermarkets, drinking spots etc. is left generally unmanaged. The waste collection and disposal company, Société Hygiene et Salubrité du Cameroun (HYSACAM), does not contend with the amount of waste generated per day, as a result, garbage is scattered. These areas produce not only a large quantity of solid waste but also generate different types of waste. Thus requiring different strategies in their proper management, in order to avoid the detrimental effects, it could have on human health and safety and the environment as a whole. This paper presents the challenges and problems associated with managing plastic waste generated by the City of Douala. Several methods were used to conduct this study including questionnaires, interviews, and direct observations. The results of the study shows 1,409,404 tons of municipal waste was collected by HYSACAM in 2017, with 422,821 tons as plastic waste. The study also revealed several shortcomings in connection with the plastic waste management in the City including low-level awareness in waste management processes, poor collection and transportation facilities, open dump site, insufficient collection frequency of solid waste, insufficient plastic waste recycling companies, lack of ready markets for recycled materials and lack of incentives. This study proposes several methods to improve solid waste management starting with the provision of adequate dustbins, facilitate sorting at the source, and also including an increase of collection frequency, increasing public awareness, the involvement of private sector. The logical conclusion is that all the solid waste collected be valorized.

Biography:

PVV Prasada Rao worked on Pollution Analysis, Remediation of wastes, Microbial ecology, Vegetation studies and also on Environmental Impact Assessment. At present, he is involved in the Apportioning of Particulate Matter in ambient air of Visakhapatnam, an important city in Southern India. He developed low-cost methodologies for the removal of heavy metals from industrial effluents. He also worked on biodegradation of plastics, bio removal of fluoride in groundwater and climate change studies. At present, he is working on the development of silver nanoparticles for addressing pollutants in aqueous solutions. A good number of students are benefitted by the research studies. He had published more than 60 scientific papers in both national and international journals. He is at present working as a senior professor in the Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India.

Abstract:

Biomaterials are gaining importance as inexpensive adsorbents for removing pollutants, especially heavy metals, from aqueous solutions. Cadmium has been one of the major pollutants in the waters of small foundries and is often released before effective treatment. This paper proposes an inexpensive adsorption based removal of Cd (II) for these foundries using Maize Corn Cob (MCC) as an adsorbent. MCC is an abundant agricultural waste in most parts of India and easily available at very low prices. The dried raw MCC was pulverized and was investigated for its adsorption properties and tested for the removal of Cd (II) from aqueous solutions using different sets of experimental variables. Adsorption of Cd (II) on MCC was found to be dependent on contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage and initial concentration of metal ion (adsorbate). Maximum adsorption occurred at pH 6.0. Among the different sets of experimentation, maximum adsorption was found with an adsorbent particle size of 0.21mm and the pH of the aqueous solution at 6.0 with Cd (II) concentration of 200mg/l. 200mg of Maize corn cob has the potential to reduce Cd (II) concentration to 1mg from 50ml aqueous solution containing 10mg of Cd (II) with a contact time of 70 minutes. The results of the study reveal that Maize Corn Cob (MCC) can be effectively used for Cd (II) removal in the foundry effluent waters, by optimizing the technique in the field trials.