Provision of extended producer responsibility system for products packaging: A case study of Iran.

A powerful legal tool in evolving solid waste management (SWM) systems is extended producer responsibility (EPR). It is a mechanism that shifts the responsibility of a product to manufacturers/importers at the 'end-of-life' stage. Yet, implementation of the EPR concept has faced difficulties in developing countries. In Iran, as one such country, the principle of EPR system was issued in executive regulation of SWM in 2005, however, so far, it has been limited to a voluntary scheme. The problem merits further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the obstacles in the path of developing EPR system for product packaging. The research examines the current SWM systems in four functional classified frameworks: legal, institutional, financial and technical. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the system are elaborated through semi-structured interviews with a senior executive in the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Then, viable methods to increase resource efficiency and sustainable waste treatment are suggested. The change in the financing mechanism in the Budget Law 2020 forces the manufacturers/importers of products containing recyclable components to pay the revenue from one in 1000 products to MoI for developing recycling facilities and incinerators through partnerships with the private sector. This new strategy would promote proper management of product packaging, create more jobs and a market for international cooperation. However, poor source-separation of wet/dry waste, informal sector activities, exclusive focus on the economic aspect of waste management, lack of expertise and public awareness campaigns are the barriers in this regard.

Characterization of the biosurfactant produced by Pesudomonas areuginosa strain R 4 and its application for remediation pyrene-contaminated soils.

A biosurfactant producing strain was isolated and the rhamnolipid type biosurfactant was extracted for soil washing of a synthetically and naturally hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Following the primary screening, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain R 4 was selected and the effect of the carbon and nitrogen source and the salinity on biosurfactant production was studied. Of the best results were observed for glucose as a carbon source, NH4Cl as a nitrogen source and salinity of 1.4%. The produced biosurfactant was a glycolipid type biosurfactant and reduced the surface tension to 32.5 mN/m with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 50 mg/L and production yield of 90 mg/L. Using produced biosurfactant, a pyrene desorption rate of 82% was observed in selected conditions for initial pyrene concentration of 200 mg/L.

Adoption of sustainable solid waste management and treatment approaches: A case study of Iran.

Developing countries face serious environmental, social and economic challenges when it comes to managing different kinds of solid waste. Iran, as one such country, is forced to deal with many difficulties including the absence of a comprehensive policy framework, a lack of technical know-how, insufficient financial resources and lack of proper disposal facilities. This study attempts to suggest ways to overcome those problems by providing applicable waste management solutions to the local conditions. The research was performed in four structured phases: diagnosis of the existing solid waste management system practised, identification of areas of weakness in the waste management frameworks, bridging the gaps to ensure the sustainability of the concepts offered, and finally the provision of affordable solutions. A source-separated collection system for wet and dry fractions was drawn up. Establishment of a mechanical biological treatment facility and the introduction of biological treatment technology were considered as the main treatment options. From the economic point of view, the extended producer responsibility concept was provided as a resource management tool. The involvement of the stakeholders, as well as the public-private partnership model, was identified as the cornerstone in the planning and implementing of the new approaches. A roadmap was consequently designed aimed at gradually introducing a waste management system in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.

Remediation of oily sludge wastes using biosurfactant produced by bacterial isolate Pseudomonas balearica strain Z8.

Biological treatment of oily sludge wastes was studied using an isolated halo-tolerant strain Pseudomonas balearica strain Z8. An oily sludge sample was obtained from oil fields of south waste of Iran and was fully characterized. The initial TPH content was 44,500 mg kg-1. The ability of Pseudomonas balearica strain Z8 in production of biosurfactant was investigated using oil displacement method. Results demonstrated that isolated strain is a biosurfactant producing bacteria. The CMC and emulsification index [E24] of produced biosurfactant were 90 mg L-1 and 44% for crude oil. Effect of operational parameters including nitrogen source, sludge/water ratio and temperature were investigated against the time. The most TPH removal of 35% was observed for nitrogen source of NH4Cl, sludge/ water ratio of 1:7 and temperature of 40 °C.

Remediation of PAHs contaminated soil using a sequence of soil washing with biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PF2 and electrokinetic oxidation of desorbed solution, effect of electrode modification with Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

This work aimed to investigate the performance of biosurfactant, produced by a halotolerant bacterial strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PF2, for desorption of PAHs from soil, followed by electrokinetic oxidation of the desorbed solution using Magnetite Nanoparticles Modified Graphite (MNMG). Pyrene (PYR), anthracene (ANT) and phenanthrene (PHE) were used as contamination model. Produced and extracted biosurfactant was characterized as rhamnolipid with Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of 60 mg/L and emulsification index (E24) value of 60.2% for n-hexadecane, 58.4% for n-heptane and 55.6% for n-Hexane, respectively. Results of LC-MS/MS analysis indicated the presence of seven major peaks at m/z of 677.5, 531.1, 649.3, 528.9, 475.1, 359 and 503.2, which corresponded to the deprotonated molecules of RhaRhaC12C10, RhaC12C10, RhaRhaC10C10, RhaC12:1C10, RhaC8C10, Rha-C12:2 and RhaC10C10, respectively. The maximum desorption of PAHs was derived at pH value of 6, CMC of 3 and contact time of 24 h. Modification of graphite electrode enhanced the PAH degradation significantly. In electrokinetic oxidation of desorbed solution, the best results were observed at pH value of 5, contact time of 6 h, voltage of 3 V and electrolyte concentration of 25 mg/L, with the average removal efficiency of higher than 99% for all studied PAHs.