ABSTRACT
The ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 has devastatingly influenced the environment, society, and economy around the world. Numerous medical resources are used to inhibit the infectious transmission of the virus, resulting in massive medical waste. This study proposes a sustainable and environment-friendly method to convert hazardous medical waste into valuable fuel products through pyrolysis. Medical protective clothing (MPC), a typical medical waste from COVID-19, was utilized for co-pyrolysis with oil palm wastes (OPWs). The utilization of MPC improved the bio-oil properties in OPWs pyrolysis. The addition of catalysts further ameliorated the bio-oil quality. HZSM-5 was more effective in producing hydrocarbons in bio-oil, and the relevant reaction pathway was proposed. Meanwhile, a project was simulated to co-produce bio-oil and electricity from the co-pyrolysis of OPWs and MPC from application perspectives. The techno-economic analysis indicated that the project was economically feasible, and the payback period was 6.30-8.75 years. Moreover, it was also environmentally benign as its global warming potential varied from -211.13 to -90.76 kg CO2-eq/t. Therefore, converting MPC and OPWs into biofuel and electricity through co-pyrolysis is a green, economic, and sustainable method that can decrease waste, produce valuable fuel products, and achieve remarkable economic and environmental benefits.
ABSTRACT
Recycling waste cooking vegetable oils by reclaiming and using these oils as biodiesel feedstocks is one of the promising solutions to address global energy demands. However, producing these biodiesels poses a significant challenge because of their poor physicochemical properties due the high free fatty acid content and impurities present in the feedstock, which will reduce the biodiesel yields. Hence, this study implemented the following strategy in order to address this issue: (1) 70â¯vol% of waste cooking vegetable oil blended with 30â¯vol% of Calophyllum inophyllum oil named as WC70CI30 used to alter its properties, (2) a three-stage process (degumming, esterification, and transesterification) was conducted which reduces the free fatty acid content and presence of impurities, and (3) the transesterification process parameters (methanol/oil ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time, and catalyst concentration) were optimized using response surface methodology in order to increase the biodiesel conversion yield. The results show that the WC70CI30 biodiesel has favourable physicochemical properties, good cold flow properties, and high oxidation stability (22.4â¯h), which fulfil the fuel specifications stated in the ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 standards. It found that the WC70CI30 biodiesel has great potential as a diesel substitute without the need for antioxidants and pour point depressants.
Subject(s)
Biofuels , Vegetables , Beauty , Catalysis , Cooking , Esterification , Plant OilsABSTRACT
This study was carried out to characterize the detection and quantitation of several paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin congeners using a receptor binding assay (RBA). This involved competitive binding of the toxin congeners against tritium-labeled STX for receptor sites on rat brain sodium channels. Competitive binding curves were described by a four-parameter logistic equation. Half-saturation values (EC(50)) ranged from 4.38 nM for STX to 142 nM for GTX5. Receptor binding affinity was in the order STX>GTX1/4>neoSTX>GTX2/3>dcSTX>GTX5, and this was similar to the order of mouse toxicity of these congeners. Predicted toxin concentrations from observed STXeq values and EC(50) ratios relative to STX were within 20% or better of the actual concentrations used in the assay. In contrast predicted toxin concentrations using mouse toxicity ratios relative to STX did not provide a good match to actual concentrations, except for GTX1/4. This study has shown that the rat brain sodium channel RBA will provide a reliable integration of total toxicity of various PSP toxin congeners present in a sample.
