Papers by Mahdi Ikhlayel
Green Chemistry, 2021
Rigorous process simulation helps in the qualification of direct CO2 to DMC conversion co-assiste... more Rigorous process simulation helps in the qualification of direct CO2 to DMC conversion co-assisted by a catalyst and dehydration agent in GHG emission reduction.
Business Strategy & Development, 2018
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018
Abstract Waste management (WM) is a complex sustainability issue because of its intrinsic associa... more Abstract Waste management (WM) is a complex sustainability issue because of its intrinsic association with many environmental and economic drivers. Addressing this issue requires clear vision, consideration of the waste life cycle, integrative approaches, and implementation of best-practice WM systems. Therefore, this research aims to present an approach to sustainable management of municipal solid waste in developing countries through systematic life cycle thinking. The study examined the practices in Lebanon as a case study of uncontrolled disposal. The environmental impacts of Lebanon's waste disposal were evaluated to better understand their serious threats. In the next step, 30 alternative WM systems of waste handling were designed. They were assessed for their environmental and economic benefits to demonstrate the proposed approach of developing WM systems and selecting alternatives. The results showed that recycling coupled with composting notably reduces the environmental impacts. It also showed that different waste compositions play a major role in the environmental performance of a WM system, and therefore, they should be considered when developing WM plans. In this regard, high fractions of organic waste are associated with multiple environmental impacts. Such organic waste levels create a challenge for making better use of recycling due to the high amounts in developing countries. Overall, the study concluded that sustainability of WM is a broad concept and should be defined at the local level, with the most pressing environmental issues addressed by each country.
Journal of Sustainable Development, 2016
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is considered one of the challenging environmental proble... more Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is considered one of the challenging environmental problems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Municipal solid waste increased significantly due to rapid population growth and fast urbanization, change in lifestyles and consumption patterns. Major problems associated with MSWM are poor collection rates, open dumping, and improper recycling that pose environmental damages. An environmental impact analysis of Jordan’s MSWM was required to look into opportunities for bringing in an integrated solid waste management (ISWM). In this paper, we analyzed the country’s MSWM as a case study in the MENA region. Our goal was to identify the most environmentally-friendly and economically-viable alternative to the current situation. Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we evaluated the potential environmental and economic impacts of 10 MSWM scenarios adopting different waste treatment technologies. Indicators of the environmental perfor...
This research analyzes the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) system in Jordan from the crad... more This research analyzes the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) system in Jordan from the cradle to the grave and is based on life cycle assessment (LCA) techniques using Amman City as a case study. The purpose is to achieve a sustainable MSWM system that is environmentally effective, socially acceptable, and economically affordable. Twenty-three alternative waste management scenarios are proposed and modeled based on specific waste collection, treatment, and final disposal methods. The alternative scenarios included different waste treatment technologies optimized for landfill minimization, recycling, waste-to-energy and global warming emission reduction. The national agenda for MSWM in Amman City is included in the scenarios. Through the use of LCA techniques, the overall environmental burden associated with each scenario is estimated, comprehensively evaluated and compared to the existing modeled waste management system (the baseline scenario). The research applied Global Warm...
International Journal of Environmental Studies
This study aims to estimate the emissions and evaluate the environmental impacts from the product... more This study aims to estimate the emissions and evaluate the environmental impacts from the production of rare earth elements (REEs). The life cycle assessment method was used to evaluate the environmental load from the production of each metal. To understand the environmental impacts of REEs production, they were compared with the impacts from the production of base metals and precious metals. The findings of this study should present a scientific baseline for the environmental profile for producing these REEs, which might help lessen their impacts and improve production processes and technologies.
Journal of Cleaner Production
Resources, Conservation and Recycling
This paper examined pros and cons of five methods of estimating generation of waste electrical an... more This paper examined pros and cons of five methods of estimating generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The study considered WEEE generated from the household sector and aimed at discussing the applicability of the methods to developing countries. For this purpose, Jordan was used as a case study in the Middle East and the North Africa (MENA) region. The total and individual amounts of six types of WEEE generated in Jordan, including both firsthand and secondhand were estimated. The Consumption and Use (C&U) method, which has been widely employed in developing countries because parameters needed are a few and easy to obtain, was modified. The modifications addressed its drawback in which it underestimates the amounts of WEEE. The study showed that most of the compared methods provided similar estimates of the total WEEE amounts but dissimilar results for each appliance. Each method has to be applied with careful consideration of the market conditions (e.g. saturated or unsaturated). For instance, the original C&U method can be applied to a condition of a fully saturated market. Here, the method's assumption is each household owns, at least, one appliance shared by the household members. The Simple Delay method can be applied to a fully saturated market, where the Time Step and the Mass Balance methods apply to both saturated and unsaturated markets. The Approximation 2 method overestimates the amount of WEEE, but its suitability is for a fully saturated market.
The direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from CO2 and methanol is an attractive alternati... more The direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from CO2 and methanol is an attractive alternative route utilizing CO2 instead of toxic phosgene as a carbonate source. The route is thermodynamically difficult because of the equilibrium limitation of the reaction 2CH3OH + CO2 → (CH3O)2O + H2O. In addition{,} the azeotrope formed by DMC and methanol makes the separation of DMC from unreacted methanol complex and energy intensive. The use of CeO2 and 2-cyanopyridine as a catalyst and dehydration agent solved both the equilibrium constraint and the separation challenge. In this study{,} the direct DMC synthesis from CO2 and methanol over CeO2 with 2-cyanopyridine was evaluated in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission with the aid of process simulation. It was validated that the cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emission attributed to the product of this system (0.39 kg-CO2-eq per kg-DMC) becomes much lower than that in conventional commercialized processes. The heat exchange in the process reduced the emission further to 0.34 kg-CO2-eq per kg-DMC. Among the items associated with emissions{,} methanol consumption shared the largest part (0.63 kg-CO2-eq per kg-DMC){,} while the converted CO2 was regarded as an important offset (−0.49 kg-CO2-eq per kg-DMC). It is due to the use of the typical methanol production from natural gas (0.88 kg-CO2-eq per kg-methanol). It suggests that if the methanol production with its associated GHG emission accounting for less than 0.41 or 0.34 kg-CO2-eq per kg-methanol is applicable for with or without heat-exchanging cases{,} the presented process achieves negative emission. Furthermore{,} based on the results{,} the requirements for the practical process implementation are discussed by comparing the lifecycle GHG emission results with other DMC synthesis routes.
Waste management (WM) is a complex sustainability issue because of its intrinsic association with... more Waste management (WM) is a complex sustainability issue because of its intrinsic association with many environmental and economic drivers. Addressing this issue requires clear vision, consideration of the waste life cycle, integrative approaches, and implementation of best-practice WM systems. Therefore, this research aims to present an approach to sustainable management of municipal solid waste in developing countries through systematic life cycle thinking. The study examined the practices in Lebanon as a case study of uncontrolled disposal. The environmental impacts of Lebanon's waste disposal were evaluated to better understand their serious threats. In the next step, 30 alternative WM systems of waste handling were designed. They were assessed for their environmental and economic benefits to demonstrate the proposed approach of developing WM systems and selecting alternatives. The results showed that recycling coupled with composting notably reduces the environmental impacts. It also showed that different waste compositions play a major role in the environmental performance of a WM system, and therefore, they should be considered when developing WM plans. In this regard, high fractions of organic waste are associated with multiple environmental impacts. Such organic waste levels create a challenge for making better use of recycling due to the high amounts in developing countries. Overall, the study concluded that sustainability of WM is a broad concept and should be defined at the local level, with the most pressing environmental issues addressed by each country.
Waste management is a pressing issue for sustainable development, particularly in developing coun... more Waste management is a pressing issue for sustainable development, particularly in developing countries. Its urgent nature is an outcome of the increasing waste produced and the poor waste management in several developing countries. Waste is associated with negative environmental impacts, dangers to public health, social acceptability, and economic aspects. Several factors exacerbate the waste problem: inadequate waste disposal methods, mixing portions of waste electrical and electronic equipment components with municipal waste, and informal recycling. Other factors are a lack of awareness of the toxic nature of hazardous waste and limited legislation to regulate and control the disposal of hazardous waste. Focusing on municipal waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment, this article classifies the levels of waste management and proposes 26 indicators for assessing and enhancing waste management systems. The purpose of this research is to make a contribution to accelerating the transition to sustainable development in developing countries and to highlight business opportunities.
E-waste (also known as waste electrical and electronic equipment) is one of the fastest-growing w... more E-waste (also known as waste electrical and electronic equipment) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams worldwide. Given this rapid growth, issues related to e-waste are a serious concern. Increasing amounts of e-waste pose detrimental effects to the environment and public health through improper recycling and disposal techniques. Such informal recycling practices are common in several developing countries, where recycling methods are rudimentary, and a significant proportion of e-waste components ends up in unsanitary (uncontrolled) landfill and open dump sites. To address these issues, this paper aims to introduce a systematic approach to e-waste management; a process termed integrated e-waste management (IEWM) is a theoretically viable technique in which municipal solid waste and e-waste management systems are managed. This is possible because both systems share common waste fractions and treatment and disposal technologies. Therefore, integrated e-waste management represents an advance in the controlled disposal of e-waste and improvements in local environments and public health in developing countries. This study employs a systematic approach that combines field trip work, systematic literature review, and quantitative data analysis to propose a solution that can bring benefits in the short, medium and long-term. The study proposes the hypothesis that an integrated approach can improve e-waste handling in developing countries by addressing region-specific issues simultaneously. This study considers the technical aspects of implementing an integrated approach and, by comparing these aspects against more traditional, widely practiced approaches.
This study aims to estimate the emissions and evaluate the environmental impacts from the product... more This study aims to estimate the emissions and evaluate the environmental impacts from the production of rare earth elements (REEs). The life cycle assessment method was used to evaluate the environmental load from the production of each metal. To understand the environmental impacts of REEs production, they were compared with the impacts from the production of base metals and precious metals. The findings of this study should present a scientific baseline for the environmental profile for producing these REEs, which might help lessen their impacts and improve production processes and technologies.
Waste management (New York, N.Y.), Jan 26, 2017
This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts and benefits of state-of-the-art technologi... more This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts and benefits of state-of-the-art technologies for proper e-waste handling using Jordan as a case study. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was employed to evaluate five advanced management systems represent state-of-the-art treatment technologies, including sanitary landfilling; proper recycling of metals, materials, and precious metals (PMs); and incineration of plastic and the hazardous portion of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Six e-waste products that contribute the most to the e-waste in Jordan were included in the assessment of each scenario, which resulted in 30 total cases of e-waste management. The findings indicated that landfills for the entire components of the e-waste stream are the worst option and should be avoided. The most promising e-waste management scenario features integrated e-waste processes based on the concept of Integrated Waste Management (IWM), including recycling materials such as non-PMs and PMs, incinerati...
Sustainable Development, 2017
We aim in this paper to address the sustainability challenge of how an integrated approach can le... more We aim in this paper to address the sustainability challenge of how an integrated approach can lead to figuring out solutions to complex issues for modern societies. We reviewed papers related to integrated water resource management (IWRM) and integrated solid waste management (ISWM) to advocate some innovative concepts and methodologies of sustainability science. An investigation of the concepts of IWRM and ISWM over various sustainability science research clusters and dimensions is presented. Water resource management projects at different scales and across various geographical boundaries are reviewed to understand the IWRM approach. The ISWM approach is discussed with regard to research topics and methodologies from selected case studies in developed and developing countries. We sought to look at various definitions, the integrated elements, and the similarities and differences between the two approaches. We also present our definitions for each approach. Our findings show how integrated thinking can help in achieving sustainable development. Finally, we present our recommendations for possible implications to the integrated approach in order to accelerate the process of sustainable development.
This paper examined pros and cons of five methods of estimating generation of waste electrical an... more This paper examined pros and cons of five methods of estimating generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The study considered WEEE generated from the household sector and aimed at discussing the applicability of the methods to developing countries. For this purpose, Jordan was used as a case study in the Middle East and the North Africa (MENA) region. The total and individual amounts of six types of WEEE generated in Jordan, including both firsthand and secondhand were estimated. The Consumption and Use (C&U) method, which has been widely employed in developing countries because parameters needed are a few and easy to obtain, was modified. The modifications addressed its drawback in which it underestimates the amounts of WEEE. The study showed that most of the compared methods provided similar estimates of the total WEEE amounts but dissimilar results for each appliance. Each method has to be applied with careful consideration of the market conditions (e.g. saturated or unsaturated). For instance, the original C&U method can be applied to a condition of a fully saturated market. Here, the method's assumption is each household owns, at least, one appliance shared by the household members. The Simple Delay method can be applied to a fully saturated market, where the Time Step and the Mass Balance methods apply to both saturated and unsaturated markets. The Approximation 2 method overestimates the amount of WEEE, but its suitability is for a fully saturated market.
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is considered one of the challenging environmental proble... more Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is considered one of the challenging environmental problems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Municipal solid waste increased significantly due to rapid population growth and fast urbanization, change in lifestyles and consumption patterns. Major problems associated with MSWM are poor collection rates, open dumping, and improper recycling that pose environmental damages. An environmental impact analysis of Jordan’s MSWM was required to look into opportunities for bringing in an integrated solid waste management (ISWM). In this paper, we analyzed the country’s MSWM as a case study in the MENA region. Our goal was to identify the most environmentally-friendly and economically-viable alternative to the current situation. Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we evaluated the potential environmental and economic impacts of 10 MSWM scenarios adopting different waste treatment technologies. Indicators of the environmental performance used were four impact categories of EDIP 2003 assessment method: Climate Change (GWP 100a), Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential and Human Toxicity. The results showed that improving the current MSWM with 72% of sanitary landfills with energy recovery and 28% of dry recyclable materials was the best scenario in terms of environmental impacts and economic cost. The cost recovery of this scenario was 155% compared to an average of 55.5% of the current cost recovery. The study also revealed that the materials recycled could be increased by 33.5% if the waste separation was applied at the source of generation.
Conferences by Mahdi Ikhlayel
In this paper, we analyze the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) System in Amman, Jordan con... more In this paper, we analyze the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) System in Amman, Jordan considering proper treatment of municipal solid wastes from its creation to disposal. The objective is to investigate and evaluate the effects and impacts of adopting possible waste treatment technologies based on the life cycle assessment method, and to identify environmentally and economically an efficient system. Ten municipal solid waste management scenarios were designed considering alternative waste collection, treatment, and final disposal methods to reduce landfilled wastes and emission of greenhouse gas and to enhance recycling and waste- to-energy conversion. The overall environmental burden associated with each scenario is estimated and comprehensively evaluated based on the life cycle assessment method. The weighted sum of greenhouse gas emissions with Global Warming Potential, remaining capacity for landfill disposal, and recycling ratio are utilized as major indicators for the...
phdtheses by Mahdi Ikhlayel
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Papers by Mahdi Ikhlayel
Conferences by Mahdi Ikhlayel
phdtheses by Mahdi Ikhlayel