An Integrated Bipolar Picture Fuzzy Decision Driven System to Scrutinize Food Waste Treatment Technology through Assorted Factor Analysis

Food Waste(FW)is a pressing environmental concern that affects every country globally.About one-third of the food that is produced ends up as waste,contributing to the carbon footprint.Hence,the FW must be properly treated to reduce environmental pollution.This study evaluates a few available Food Waste Treatment(FWT)technologies,such as anaerobic digestion,composting,landfill,and incineration,which are widely used.A Bipolar Picture Fuzzy Set(BPFS)is proposed to deal with the ambiguity and uncertainty that arise when converting a real-world problem to a mathematical model.A novel Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation-Stable Preference Ordering Towards Ideal Solution(CRITIC-SPOTIS)approach is developed to objectively analyze FWT selection based on thirteen criteria covering the industry’s technical,environmental,and entrepreneurial aspects.The CRITIC method is used for the objective analysis of the importance of each criterion in FWT selection.The SPOTIS method is adopted to rank the alternative hassle-free,following the criteria.The proposed model offers a rank reversal-free model,i.e.,the rank of the alternatives remains unaffected even after the addition or removal of an alternative.In addition,comparative and sensitivity analyses are performed to ensure the reliability and robustness of the proposed model and to validate the proposed result.

Characterization of odorous charge and photochemical reactivity of VOC emissions from a full-scale food waste treatment plant in China

Food waste treatment plants （FWTPs） are usually associated with odorous nuisance and health risks, which are partially caused by volatile organic compound （VOC） emissions. This study investigated the VOC emissions from a selected full-scale FWTP in China. The feedstock used in this plant was mainly collected from local restaurants. For a year, the FWTP was closely monitored on specific days in each season. Four major indoor treatment units of the plant, including the storage room, sorting/crushing room, hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, and aerobic fermentation unit, were chosen as the monitoring locations. The highest mean concentration of total VOC emissions was observed in the aerobic fermentation unit at 21,748.2-31,283.3 μg/m^3, followed by the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit at 10,798.1-23,144.4 μg/m^3. The detected VOC families included biogenic compounds （oxygenated compounds, hydrocarbons, terpenes, and organosulfur compounds） and abiogenic compounds （aromatic hydrocarbons and halocarbons）. Oxygenated compounds, particularly alcohols, were the most abundant compounds in all samples. With the use of odor index analysis and principal components analysis, the hydrothermal hydrolysis and aerobic fermentation units were clearly distinguished from the pre-treatment units, as characterized by their higher contributions to odorous nuisance. Methanthiol was the dominant odorant in the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, whereas aldehyde was the dominant odorant in the aerobic fermentation unit. Terpenes, specifically limonene, had the highest level of propylene equivalent concentration during the monitoring periods. This concentration can contribute to the increase in the atmospheric reactivity and ozone formation potential in the surrounding air.

Economics analysis of food waste treatment in China and its influencing factors

This study examines the economic benefits of food waste treatment projects in China and factors affecting them.National-level pilot projects for food waste treatment located in 29 cities were selected as samples.The economics of food waste recycling from the investors’perspective,in terms of investment during the construction phase and cost and benefit during the operation phase,was assessed.Results indicate that the average tonnage investment of food waste treatment projects was RMB 700.0±188.9 thousand yuan,with a profit to cost ratio of 0.08±0.37.This ratio increased to 0.95±0.57 following the application of government subsidies.It highlights the limited economic benefits of food waste treatment facilities,which rely on government subsidies to maintain their operations in China.Further analysis using a multi-factor analysis model revealed that regional location,service population size,processing technique,and urban income exerted varying impacts on the economy of food waste treatment.Population size exerted the highest impact(P=0.016)during the construction stage,and processing techniques notably influenced the project economy during the operation stage.The study highlights the need to prioritize service population size and processing techniques during economic decision-making and management of food waste recycling projects.The results of this study can serve as a valuable practical reference for guiding future policies regarding food waste treatment and related planning.

Formation of Struvite Crystals in a Simulated Food Waste Aerobic Composting Process

Bench-scale treatments with three mixtures of Mg and P salts, including K3PO4＋MgSO4, K2HPO4＋MgSO4, and KH2PO4＋MgSO4 as additives in a simulated food waste aerobic composting process, were conducted to test the magnesium ammonium phosphate（MAP） formation, and the compost products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, Scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy（EDS） analyses. The comparison results between XRD, SEM, and EDS analyses of MAPs in the dried compost and synthesized MAPs confirm the formation of MAP crystals in the simulated food waste aerobic composting process. The analysis of the compost also indicates that the addition of all the three mixtures of Mg and P salts in the aerobic composting process can increase nitrogen conservation and decrease nitrogen loss because of the formation of MAPs. The mechanism of MAP formation was verified as the reaction of ammonium（NH4＋） with magnesium（Mg^2＋） and phosphate[HnPO4^（3-n） , n=0, 1, and 2）.