Revitalizing plastic wastes employing bio-circular-green economy principles for carbon neutrality.

The use of plastics has become deeply ingrained in our society, and there are no indications that its prevalence will decrease in the foreseeable future. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the global plastic waste disposal landscape, examining it through regional perspectives, various management technologies (dumping or landfilling, incineration, and reuse and recycling), and across different sectors including agriculture and food, textile, tourism, and healthcare. Notably, this study compiles the findings on life-cycle carbon footprints associated with various plastic waste management practices as documented in the literature. Employing the bio-circular-green economy model, we advocate for the adoption of streamlined and sustainable approaches to plastic management. Unique management measures are also discussed including the utilization of bioplastics combined with smart and efficient collection processes that facilitate recycling, industrial composting, or anaerobic digestion. Moreover, the integration of advanced recycling methods for conventional plastics with renewable energy, the establishment of plastic tax and credits, and the establishment of extended producer responsibility are reviewed. The success of these initiatives relies on collaboration and support from peers, industries, and consumers, ultimately contributing to informed decision-making and fostering sustainable practices in plastic waste management.

Electroneutralization desalination with spontaneous chemoelectric power generation.

This study designs a novel electroneutralization desalination cell using reaction heat from acidic-alkaline wastewater neutralization to desalinate wastewater and generates chemoelectric power. Several key performance indicators are measured in terms of the energy, environmental and economic aspects of the system, including the ionic flux, the electrical energy produced, the electrical energy consumption for desalination, parasitic losses, overall energy conversion efficiency and desalination performance. The maximum peak power density is ∼31.5 mW/cm2 at 83.5 mA/cm2 and the desalination efficiency is 62 % using brine. The overall energy conversion efficiency is ∼81.8 % and the desalination followed the zero-order reaction. Assuming a 1.5 million litres per day treatment capacity integrated with reverse osmosis, the system has environmental and economic benefits, with 44.5 kg-CO2eq greenhouse gas emissions per cubic meter of treated brine, and a discounted payback period of 4.2 years. This study demonstrates a pioneering electroneutralization technique for self-sufficient brine valorization and wastewater reclamation.

Electrochemical detection of oxytetracycline employing sugarcane carbon modified graphite electrode.

The present study used CeO2-Co3O4 quantum dots@porous carbon/multiwalled carbon nanotube (CeO2-Co3O4 QDs@PC/MWCNT/GE) composites to modify graphite electrodes to fabricate high-sensitivity electrochemical sensors to detect the presence of oxytetracycline (OTC). The quantum dots were made from waste sugarcane bagasse. The electrochemical analysis demonstrated the superior electrochemical performance of CeO2-Co3O4 QDs@PC/MWCNT/GE, with a peak current density of 1.276 mA/cm2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed lower impedance values for CeO2-Co3O4 QDs@PC/MWCNT/GE compared to other electrodes, indicating enhanced conductivity. The modified electrode exhibited an enlarged electrochemically active area, with values of 0.602 cm2, almost seven times that of the bare graphite electrode (0.079 cm2). The results showed that the CeO2-Co3O4 QDs@PC/MWCNT/GE had excellent performance for OTC detection, and its linear calibration range was 1.007 × 10-8 to 2.04 × 10-7 M (i.e., 0.005-0.1 ppm) and 1.007 × 10-6 to 1.209 × 10-4 M (i.e., 0.5-60 ppm). The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 1.23 nM (0.61 ppb) and 4.09 nM (2.03 ppb) (S/N = 3), respectively. The electrode demonstrated long-term stability for up to 7 weeks. This method provides a new way to prepare electrochemical sensors for OTC detection.

Plausible Role of NLRP3 Inflammasome and Associated Cytokines in Pathogenesis of Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a post-streptococcal sequela caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. The global burden of disease is high among people with low socio-economic status, with significant cases emerging every year despite global eradication efforts. The current treatment includes antibiotic therapies to target strep throat and rheumatic fever and valve replacement strategies as a corrective measure for chronic RHD patients. Valvular damage and valve calcification are considered to be the end-stage processes of the disease resulting from impairment of the endothelial arrangement due to immune infiltration. This immune infiltration is mediated by a cascade of events involving NLRP3 inflammasome activation. NLRP3 inflammasome is activated by wide range of stimuli including bacterial cell wall components like M proteins and leukocidal toxins like nicotinamide dehydrogenase (NADase) and streptolysin O (SLO) and these play a major role in sustaining the virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes and progression of RHD. In this review, we are discussing NLRP3 inflammasome and its plausible role in the pathogenesis of RHD by exploiting the host-pathogen interaction mainly focusing on the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated cytokines IL-1ß and IL-18. Different therapeutic approaches involving NLRP3 inflammasome inactivation, caspase-1 inhibition, and blockade of IL-1ß and IL-18 are discussed in this review and may be promising for treating RHD patients.

Food waste and soybean curd residue composting by black soldier fly.

This study attempted to manage the food waste and soybean curd residue generated in Taiwan's National Ilan University by black soldier fly-aided co-composting. The food waste and soybean curd residue were co-composted with rice husk as a bulking agent in 4:1 ratio and 0.42 mg BSF/g waste. The higher organic matter degradation of 31.9% was found in Container B (black soldier flies aided food waste and rice husk co-composting) with a rate constant of 0.14 d-1. In Container D (black soldier flies aided soybean curd residue and rice husk co-composting), the organic matter degradation of 29.4% was found with a rate constant of 0.29 d-1. The matured compost of 6.02 kg was obtained from 20 kg of food waste, while 5.83 kg of matured compost was generated from 20 kg of soybean curd residue. The physico-chemical parameters of the final matured compost were in the favorable range of Taiwan's compost standards. The germination index was 188.6% and 194.78% in Containers B and D, respectively. The present study will expand the application of BSF at the institutional level which prove to be a feasible solution for rapid, clean, and efficient composting of post-consumer food wastes.

Treatment of urban municipal landfill leachate utilizing garbage enzyme.

In the present study, an attempt has been made to extend the application of garbage enzyme (GE) (fermented mixture of jaggery, organic waste, and water in the ratio 1:3:10) from the domestic wastewater to the urban municipal landfill leachate of Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa landfill sites of Delhi (India). The Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) has been found to be 27.6, 25.4 and 29.2, respectively. The competence of GE was assessed by comparing the initial and final LPIs. The GE was added to the leachate for the contact period of 7-28 days under different mix proportions of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The maximum final LPI reduction of 74.75% was observed in the Okhla landfill leachate for mixing the proportion of 20% GE after 28 days. However, the mixing ratio of 5% GE showed significant reduction of 60.61% and 55.12% in the final LPI of Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill leachate, respectively.