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Charcoal has a large share in the Brazilian market. The production is carried out by pyrolysis of biomass at different temperatures, between 300 and 500 °C. In this study, the corn cob pyrolysis was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Samples after pyrolysis were compared with raw biomass to evaluate changes in fuel characteristics. In DTG curves a reduction in the number of degradation peaks in the carbonized material was observed. The FTIR spectra allowed to identify the aromatic ring of the lignin in the charcoals structure, indicating the presence of this compound even in charcoals produced with a temperature of 500 °C. It can be concluded that the temperature of 400 °C was enough to completely degrade the hemicellulose and cellulose of the biomass, resulting the final product (charcoal) less reactive or thermally more resistant than the in natura corn cob.

Charcoal has a large share in the Brazilian market. The production is carried out by pyrolysis of biomass at different temperatures, between 300 and 500 °C. In this study, the corn cob pyrolysis was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Samples after pyrolysis were compared with raw biomass to evaluate changes in fuel characteristics. In DTG curves a reduction in the number of degradation peaks in the carbonized material was observed. The FTIR spectra allowed to identify the aromatic ring of the lignin in the charcoals structure, indicating the presence of this compound even in charcoals produced with a temperature of 500 °C. It can be concluded that the temperature of 400 °C was enough to completely degrade the hemicellulose and cellulose of the biomass, resulting the final product (charcoal) less reactive or thermally more resistant than the in natura corn cob.

The influence of ethanol on the degradation kinetics of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) and organic matter was investigated using batch experiments with different initial LAS concentrations (8.3 mg L-1 to 66.9 mg L-1) and biomass immobilized on sand. Data were fitted with a substrate inhibition model. Concentrations of 2.4 mg LAS L-1 and 18.9 mg LAS L-1 (without and with ethanol) provided the maximum LAS utilization rate by the biomass (Sbm). For LAS degradation, ethanol addition favored a lower decrease in the specific substrate utilization rate (robs), even at the LAS concentration usually reported as inhibitory (> 14.4 mg L-1). For organic matter degradation, robs was higher with ethanol. Higher biomass differentiation was observed at higher LAS concentrations. With ethanol, microbial selection occurred at LAS concentrations near Sbm. At higher LAS concentrations, the dominance and diversity values did not change significantly with ethanol, whereas without ethanol, their behaviors were irregular.

The influence of ethanol on the degradation kinetics of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) and organic matter was investigated using batch experiments with different initial LAS concentrations (8.3 mg L-1 to 66.9 mg L-1) and biomass immobilized on sand. Data were fitted with a substrate inhibition model. Concentrations of 2.4 mg LAS L-1 and 18.9 mg LAS L-1 (without and with ethanol) provided the maximum LAS utilization rate by the biomass (Sbm). For LAS degradation, ethanol addition favored a lower decrease in the specific substrate utilization rate (robs), even at the LAS concentration usually reported as inhibitory (> 14.4 mg L-1). For organic matter degradation, robs was higher with ethanol. Higher biomass differentiation was observed at higher LAS concentrations. With ethanol, microbial selection occurred at LAS concentrations near Sbm. At higher LAS concentrations, the dominance and diversity values did not change significantly with ethanol, whereas without ethanol, their behaviors were irregular.

Effective waste management is of paramount importance as it contributes significantly to environmental preservation, mitigates health hazards, and aids in the preservation of precious resources. Conversely, mishandling waste not only presents severe environmental risks but can also disrupt the balance of ecosystems and pose threats to biodiversity. The emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and greenhouse gases (GHGs) can constitute a significant factor in the progression of global warming and climate change, consequently giving rise to atmospheric pollution. This pollution, in turn, has the potential to exacerbate respiratory ailments, elevate the likelihood of cardiovascular disorders, and negatively impact overall public health. Hence, efficient management of trash is extremely crucial in any society. It requires integrating technology and innovative solutions, which can help eradicate this global issue. The internet of things (IoT) is a revolutionary communication paradigm with significant contributions to remote monitoring and control. IoT-based trash management aids remote garbage level monitoring but entails drawbacks like high installation and maintenance costs, increased electronic waste production (53 million metric tons in 2013), and substantial energy consumption for always-vigilant IoT devices. Our research endeavors to formulate a comprehensive model for an efficient and cost-effective waste collection system. It emphasizes the need for global commitment by policymakers, stakeholders, and civil society, working together to achieve a common goal. In order to mitigate the depletion of manpower, fuel resources, and time, our proposed method leverages quick response (QR) codes to enable the remote monitoring of waste bin capacity across diverse city locations. We propose to minimize the deployment of IoT devices, utilizing them only when absolutely necessary and thereby allocating their use exclusively to central garbage collection facilities. Our solution places the onus of monitoring garbage levels at the community level firmly on the shoulders of civilians, demonstrating that a critical aspect of any technology is its ability to interact and collaborate with humans. Within our framework, citizens will employ our proposed mobile application to scan QR codes affixed to waste bins, select the relevant garbage level, and transmit this data to the waste collection teams’ database. Subsequently, these teams will plan for optimized garbage collection procedures, considering parameters such as garbage volume and the most efficient collection routes aimed at minimizing both time and fuel consumption.

Effective waste management is of paramount importance as it contributes significantly to environmental preservation, mitigates health hazards, and aids in the preservation of precious resources. Conversely, mishandling waste not only presents severe environmental risks but can also disrupt the balance of ecosystems and pose threats to biodiversity. The emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and greenhouse gases (GHGs) can constitute a significant factor in the progression of global warming and climate change, consequently giving rise to atmospheric pollution. This pollution, in turn, has the potential to exacerbate respiratory ailments, elevate the likelihood of cardiovascular disorders, and negatively impact overall public health. Hence, efficient management of trash is extremely crucial in any society. It requires integrating technology and innovative solutions, which can help eradicate this global issue. The internet of things (IoT) is a revolutionary communication paradigm with significant contributions to remote monitoring and control. IoT-based trash management aids remote garbage level monitoring but entails drawbacks like high installation and maintenance costs, increased electronic waste production (53 million metric tons in 2013), and substantial energy consumption for always-vigilant IoT devices. Our research endeavors to formulate a comprehensive model for an efficient and cost-effective waste collection system. It emphasizes the need for global commitment by policymakers, stakeholders, and civil society, working together to achieve a common goal. In order to mitigate the depletion of manpower, fuel resources, and time, our proposed method leverages quick response (QR) codes to enable the remote monitoring of waste bin capacity across diverse city locations. We propose to minimize the deployment of IoT devices, utilizing them only when absolutely necessary and thereby allocating their use exclusively to central garbage collection facilities. Our solution places the onus of monitoring garbage levels at the community level firmly on the shoulders of civilians, demonstrating that a critical aspect of any technology is its ability to interact and collaborate with humans. Within our framework, citizens will employ our proposed mobile application to scan QR codes affixed to waste bins, select the relevant garbage level, and transmit this data to the waste collection teams’ database. Subsequently, these teams will plan for optimized garbage collection procedures, considering parameters such as garbage volume and the most efficient collection routes aimed at minimizing both time and fuel consumption.

The paper proposes a critical assessment of municipal solid waste gasification today, starting from basic aspects of the process (process types and steps, operating and performance parameters) and arriving to a comparative analysis of the reactors (fixed bed, fluidized bed, entrained bed, vertical shaft, moving grate furnace, rotary kiln, plasma reactor) as well as of the possible plant configurations (heat gasifier and power gasifier) and the environmental performances of the main commercially available gasifiers for municipal solid wastes. The analysis indicates that gasification is a technically viable option for the solid waste conversion, including residual waste from separate collection of municipal solid waste. It is able to meet existing emission limits and can have a remarkable effect on reduction of landfill disposal option.

The paper proposes a critical assessment of municipal solid waste gasification today, starting from basic aspects of the process (process types and steps, operating and performance parameters) and arriving to a comparative analysis of the reactors (fixed bed, fluidized bed, entrained bed, vertical shaft, moving grate furnace, rotary kiln, plasma reactor) as well as of the possible plant configurations (heat gasifier and power gasifier) and the environmental performances of the main commercially available gasifiers for municipal solid wastes. The analysis indicates that gasification is a technically viable option for the solid waste conversion, including residual waste from separate collection of municipal solid waste. It is able to meet existing emission limits and can have a remarkable effect on reduction of landfill disposal option.