Fabio Tatàno

Biowaste home composting: experimental process monitoring and quality control.

Because home composting is a prevention option in managing biowaste at local levels, the objective of the present study was to contribute to the knowledge of the process evolution and compost quality that can be expected and obtained, respectively, in this decentralized option. In this study, organized as the research portion of a provincial project on home composting in the territory of Pesaro-Urbino (Central Italy), four experimental composters were first initiated and temporally monitored. Second, two small sub-sets of selected provincial composters (directly operated by households involved in the project) underwent quality control on their compost products at two different temporal steps. The monitored experimental composters showed overall decreasing profiles versus composting time for moisture, organic carbon, and C/N, as well as overall increasing profiles for electrical conductivity and total nitrogen, which represented qualitative indications of progress in the process. Comparative evaluations of the monitored experimental composters also suggested some interactions in home composting, i.e., high C/N ratios limiting organic matter decomposition rates and final humification levels; high moisture contents restricting the internal temperature regime; nearly horizontal phosphorus and potassium evolutions contributing to limit the rates of increase in electrical conductivity; and prolonged biowaste additions contributing to limit the rate of decrease in moisture. The measures of parametric data variability in the two sub-sets of controlled provincial composters showed decreased variability in moisture, organic carbon, and C/N from the seventh to fifteenth month of home composting, as well as increased variability in electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, and humification rate, which could be considered compatible with the respective nature of decreasing and increasing parameters during composting. The modeled parametric kinetics in the monitored experimental composters, along with the evaluation of the parametric central tendencies in the sub-sets of controlled provincial composters, all indicate that 12-15 months is a suitable duration for the appropriate development of home composting in final and simultaneous compliance with typical reference limits.

Development of quality objectives for contaminated sites: state of the art and new perspectives

Local soil contamination, mainly associated with industrial facilities (both in operation and after closure), uncontrolled (industrial and/or municipal) waste landfills, mining and diffused leaching underground storage tanks and pipelines, is an actual and relevant environmental priority in Europe. Different approaches have been applied in the European countries during the past few years to develop the quality objectives for contaminated sites according to the following three categories: the limit value criterion for soil and groundwater; the absolute risk analysis for a given contaminated site; and the comparative (or relative) risk analysis among different potentially contaminated sites. The present paper gives, together with a synthetic state of the art of the contaminated site management situation at different EU countries, a view on the current experience, problems and regulatory requirements in Italy on these possible soil and groundwater quality approaches, also with comparative considerations to other significant European and international strategies.

Lab-Scale Treatability Tests for the Thermal Desorption of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils

Within an integrated management plan for contaminated site remediation at a given territorial scale, the performance of treatability tests could be useful and/or expressly requested by the control authority on a site-specific basis to evaluate the overall feasibility of a given remedial option. The thermal desorption process appears to be a favorable treatment technology for organic contaminants. In this context, a particular lab-scale, indirectly heated desorber for treatability tests was originally developed and first applied to natural soils with different textures (silty sand, loam, silt clay, and clayey silt) that were “ad hoc” highly contaminated with diesel oil at various desorption process conditions (heating temperature in the range of 300–390°C, and reactor retention time in the range of 40–120 min). The Italian soil threshold level for heavy hydrocarbons (C > 12) of 50 mg kg−1 (dry matter) was assumed to be the successful goal of the treatability studies. In addition to the individuation of the favorable desorption process conditions for each soil, also in terms of a composite evaluation of heating temperature and retention time, the comparative experimental results provided useful indications of the possible influence of soil texture, the reduction of initial soil organic matter, and the evaluation of kinetic rate constants.

Anaerobic digestion of selected Italian agricultural and industrial residues (grape seeds and leather dust): combined methane production and digestate characterization

A combined experimental evaluation of methane production (obtained by anaerobic digestion) and detailed digestate characterization (with physical-chemical, thermo-gravimetric and mineralogical approaches) was conducted on two organic substrates, which are specific to Italy (at regional and national levels). One of the substrates was grape seeds, which have an agricultural origin, whereas the other substrate was vegetable-tanned leather dust, which has an industrial origin. Under the assumed experimental conditions of the performed lab-scale test series, the grape seed substrate exhibited a resulting net methane production of 175.0 NmL g volatile solids (VS)−1; hence, it can be considered as a potential energy source via anaerobic digestion. Conversely, the net methane production obtained from the anaerobic digestion of the vegetable-tanned leather dust substrate was limited to 16.1 NmL gVS−1. A detailed characterization of the obtained digestates showed that there were both nitrogen-containing compounds and complex organic compounds present in the digestate that was obtained from the mixture of leather dust and inoculum. As a general perspective of this experimental study, the application of diversified characterization analyzes could facilitate (1) a better understanding of the main properties of the obtained digestates to evaluate their potential valorization, and (2) a combination of the digestate characteristics with the corresponding methane productions to comprehensively evaluate the bioconversion process.

Comparison of biomethane production and digestate characterization for selected agricultural substrates in Italy

Starting from (but not limited to) their importance in the Italian context, three agricultural substrates, two of fruit origin (grape seeds and plum stones) and one of herbaceous origin (woad), were comparatively tested for both biomethane production and digestate characterization. The anaerobic digestion tests showed that grape seeds had the highest net methane production of 253.0 NmL g volatile solids (VS)−1, followed by plum stones, whose best resulting net methane production was 174.7 NmL gVS−1, and finally by woad with a net methane production of 153.1 NmL gVS−1. Interestingly, the best methane productions of the fruit substrates were obtained with different substrate to inoculum ratios (on a VS basis), 1:1 for grape seeds but 2:1 for plum stones. On the other hand, a three-month ageing of woad caused a limited reduction of methane production. The estimation of obtained degrees of conversion, carried out on a chemical oxygen demand (COD) basis for the specific tests achieving the respective best methane productions, gave values of 48%, 31%, and 33% for grape seeds, plum stones, and woad, respectively. The estimated degrees of conversion were evaluated along with the respective methane productions and substrate COD/VS ratios. The comparison of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and differential thermal analysis (DTA) profiles, carried out for selected digestates in pairs, revealed some distinctive differences in the relative intensities or presence and absence of particular peaks in the FT-IR spectra and in the relative intensities of the exothermic peaks or horizontal curve shifting of the DTA profiles.

Generation and collection of restaurant waste: Characterization and evaluation at a case study in Italy

Because restaurants (as a division of the hospitality sector) contribute to the generation of commercial and institutional waste, thus representing both a challenge and an opportunity, the objective of the present study was to deepen the knowledge of restaurant waste in terms of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of waste generation and the performance achievable by the implementation of a separate collection scheme. In this study, the generated waste was characterized and the implemented separate collection was evaluated at a relevant case study restaurant in a coastal tourist area of Central Italy (Marche Region, Adriatic Sea side). The qualitative (compositional) characterization of the generated total restaurant waste showed considerable incidences of, in decreasing order, food (28.2%), glass (22.6%), paper/cardboard (19.1%), and plastic (17.1%). The quantitative (parametric) characterization of the generated restaurant waste determined the unit generation values of total waste and individual fractions based on the traditional employee and area parameters and the peculiar meal parameter. In particular, the obtained representative values per meal were: 0.72kgmeal-1 for total waste, and ranging, for individual fractions, from 0.20 (for food) to 0.008kgmeal-1 (for textile). Based on the critical evaluation of some of the resulting unit waste generation values, possible influences of restaurant practices, conditions, or characteristics were pointed out. In particular, food waste generation per meal can likely be limited by: promoting and using local, fresh, and quality food; standardizing and limiting daily menu items; basing food recipes on consolidated cooking knowledge and experience; and limiting plate sizes. The evaluation of the monthly variation of the monitored separate collection, ranging from an higher level of 52.7% to a lower level of 41.4%, indicated the following: a reduction in the separate collection level can be expected at times of high working pressure or the closing of a seasonal business (typical for restaurants in tourist areas); and the monthly variation of the separate collection level is inversely correlated with that of the unit generation of total waste per meal. The interception rates of the different restaurant waste fractions collected separately presented a ranking order (i.e., 96.0% for glass, 67.7% for paper/cardboard, 34.4% for food, 20.6% for metal, and 17.9% for plastic) similar to the order of efficiencies achievable at both small and large urban levels. Finally, the original concept of the customer equivalent person (Pce) was introduced and behaviorally evaluated at the case study restaurant, providing the values of 0.42 and 0.39kgPce-1day-1 for the food waste generation and the landfilling of biodegradable waste by the customer equivalent person, respectively. These values were compared, respectively, with the food waste generation per person at the household level and the landfilling of biodegradable waste per inhabitant at the territorial level.

Industrial wastes from the boat-building sector in the Marche Region (Italy): a parametric and chemical-physical characterization.

Using the renowned leisure boat-building sector in the Marche Region (Italy) as a case-study, this paper addresses the characterization of (1) the industrial waste generation from the building of composite material-based boats and (2) some chemical-physical properties of representative types of boat-building residues (plastic foam, hardened resin, fibre-reinforced composite residues, and sanding dust). A parametric evaluation based on the number of employees gave a representative unit generation rate per employee (UGRpE) of 1.47 tonswaste employee−1 year−1 for the entire Marche regional boat-building district, whereas evaluations carried out separately for three case-study companies provided values of 1.56, 3.07, and 1.12 tonswaste employee−1 year−1 as representative for a mass-produced motor boat builder (case-study company ‘1’), a customized sailing boat builder (case-study company ‘2’), and a mould and structural component builder (case-study company ‘3’), respectively. The original proposal and evaluation of two additional generation rates based on physical characteristics intrinsic to the manufactured product, i.e. the unit generation rate per boat area (UGRpA) and per boat weight (UGRpW), confirmed the higher waste generation for the sailing boat builder (representative UGRpA and UGRpW values of 0.35 tonswaste year−1 and 2.71 tonswaste year−1, respectively) compared with the motor boat builder (representative UGRpA and UGRpW values of 0.06 tonswaste year−1 and 0.49 tonswaste year−1, respectively). The chemical-physical property characterization of the selected residues revealed the following aspects: a general condition of low moisture contents; significant ash contents in the glass- and carbon-fibre composite residues and the correlated sanding dust; and relatively high energy content values in the overall range 14,144–32,479 kJ kg−1, expressed as the lower heating value.

Analysis Of The Industrial Solid Wastes From TheBoat Building Sector In Marche Region (Italy):Parametrical And Chemical-physicalCharacterisation

This paper deals with a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the particular industrial solid waste generated from the renowned manufacturing sector of motor and sailing pleasure crafts in Marche Region (Central Italy, Adriatic Sea side). Three case-study boat-builder companies, located in the Marche regional district and selected for their representative production in glass-fibre or carbon fibre reinforced composite materials, were examined. Specific waste production coefficient values per employee were derived on a four-year temporal range (2006–2009) and also two original waste production coefficients (per boat-area unit and per boat-weight unit) were proposed. Furthermore, a chemical-physical characterisation was carried out for two representative composite waste typologies of the boat manufacturing sector, namely a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic residue and a glass-fibre reinforced plastic residue.

Procedural Steps in Human Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites: An Italian Case-Study Application with the ARA-CoSSSLs Approach

ABSTRACT Within the increased attention to the absolute risk assessment for potentially contaminated sites at the Italian level, the definable ARA-CoSSSLs modeling approach for human health protection was recently derived with predominant reference to the USEPA SSLs procedure. The basic aim of the ARA-CoSSSLs applications regards the possible technical-scientific improvement and better understanding of significant aspects in carrying out the human risk assessment at a given site. Particularly, the final reliability of the human risk assessment depends on the scientific plausibility of the procedural steps implemented during the elaboration of the available site investigation and information data. In this perspective, this article deals with the procedural elaboration steps conceived and implemented for the ARA-CoSSSLs case-study application at a potentially contaminated subarea of a major Italian priority industrial site. Specific indications and aspects are addressed in the paper on the following procedural steps: (1) the usefulness of selection criteria for contaminants of concern; (2) the consideration of the possible soil gas loss (during drilling and/or sampling and/or analytical operations) for a reliable definition of subsurface representative concentrations for organic contaminants; (3) the geostatistical definition of the site areal extent, with a proposed conservative scenario in case of sparse spatial concentration data.

Proposal and application of a regional methodology of comparative risk assessment for potentially contaminated sites

ABSTRACT A possible approach for determining soil and groundwater quality criteria for contaminated sites is the comparative risk assessment. Originating from but not limited to Italian interest in a decentralised (regional) implementation of comparative risk assessment, this paper first addresses the proposal of an original methodology called CORIANREG-M, which was created with initial attention to the context of potentially contaminated sites in the Marche Region (Central Italy). To deepen the technical-scientific knowledge and applicability of the comparative risk assessment, the following characteristics of the CORIANREG-M methodology appear to be relevant: the simplified but logical assumption of three categories of factors (source and transfer/transport of potential contamination, and impacted receptors) within each exposure pathway; the adaptation to quality and quantity of data that are available or derivable at the given scale of concern; the attention to a reliable but unsophisticated modelling; the achievement of a conceptual linkage to the absolute risk assessment approach; and the potential for easy updating and/or refining of the methodology. Further, the application of the CORIANREG-M methodology to some case-study sites located in the Marche Region indicated the following: a positive correlation can be expected between air and direct contact pathway scores, as well as between individual pathway scores and the overall site scores based on a root-mean-square algorithm; the exposure pathway, which presents the highest variability of scores, tends to be dominant at sites with the highest computed overall site scores; and the adoption of a root-mean-square algorithm can be expected to emphasise the overall site scoring. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT