Appropriate solid waste management(SWM)strategies are necessary to avoid severe environmental and sanitary impacts,especially in low-income countries.Such strategies are most likely to succeed whether implementing act...Appropriate solid waste management(SWM)strategies are necessary to avoid severe environmental and sanitary impacts,especially in low-income countries.Such strategies are most likely to succeed whether implementing actors are supported by scientific research.In this paper,the results of a collaboration between local authorities and researchers are presented and discussed that are the assessment of waste generation in the city of Quelimane(Mozambique),integrating existing and field-collected data and the design of a small-scale center for plastic sorting to complement the SWM system of the city.The center is expected to receive about 0.3-0.4 t/day of plastic waste(5%-7%of the overall amount of plastic waste daily produced in Quelimane).As long-term sustainability represents a typical issue,simplicity of operation was a leading principle in the design of the center;moreover,the design included a treatment plant(WWTP)for generated wastewater,whose management is usually neglected in such interventions.Among others,natural wastewater treatment(constructed wetlands)has been chosen for its affordability.Noteworthy,the so-conceived WWTP appears as a novelty in the scientific literature associated with small-scale plastic sorting plants.The system is designed to treat an average flow of 6 m3/day and consisted of a septic tank followed by a subsurface flow constructed wetland.Overall,the COD(chemical oxygen demand)and TSS(total suspended solids)removal higher than 80%and 90%were estimated,respectively.Based on this work,both the center and the WWTP were successfully realized,which are waiting to become operational.In the authors’opinion,the implemented procedure could become a reference for broader investigations and surveys.展开更多
基金This research was developed based on the project(Europe-Aid/150577/DD/ACT/MZ)funded by the European Union and implemented by the Italian Non-Governmental Organization Celim(Centro Laici Italiani per le Missioni)in partnership with local authorities.
文摘Appropriate solid waste management(SWM)strategies are necessary to avoid severe environmental and sanitary impacts,especially in low-income countries.Such strategies are most likely to succeed whether implementing actors are supported by scientific research.In this paper,the results of a collaboration between local authorities and researchers are presented and discussed that are the assessment of waste generation in the city of Quelimane(Mozambique),integrating existing and field-collected data and the design of a small-scale center for plastic sorting to complement the SWM system of the city.The center is expected to receive about 0.3-0.4 t/day of plastic waste(5%-7%of the overall amount of plastic waste daily produced in Quelimane).As long-term sustainability represents a typical issue,simplicity of operation was a leading principle in the design of the center;moreover,the design included a treatment plant(WWTP)for generated wastewater,whose management is usually neglected in such interventions.Among others,natural wastewater treatment(constructed wetlands)has been chosen for its affordability.Noteworthy,the so-conceived WWTP appears as a novelty in the scientific literature associated with small-scale plastic sorting plants.The system is designed to treat an average flow of 6 m3/day and consisted of a septic tank followed by a subsurface flow constructed wetland.Overall,the COD(chemical oxygen demand)and TSS(total suspended solids)removal higher than 80%and 90%were estimated,respectively.Based on this work,both the center and the WWTP were successfully realized,which are waiting to become operational.In the authors’opinion,the implemented procedure could become a reference for broader investigations and surveys.