Brazil, like many emerging countries, has experienced a fast growth in the demand for automobiles in recent decades. This has produced a significant increase in the amount of hazardous waste to be disposed of, including used lubricant... more
Brazil, like many emerging countries, has experienced a fast growth in the demand for automobiles in recent decades. This has produced a significant increase in the amount of hazardous waste to be disposed of, including used lubricant oil. Restrictive regulations are being used by many nations to deal with this problem, focusing on treatments, such as recycling, to avoid resource depletion. Specific rules for disposal of used lubricant oil already exist in various countries, including Brazil, but not for its containers. Using the life cycle assessment methodology, this article evaluates different management options for the destination of Lubricant Oil Plastic Containers (LOPCs), comparing recycling and incineration to disposal in an industrial landfill. Results show that reducing the proportion of LOPCs destined to the landfill has positive impacts in lowering the burdens caused in the life cycle of LOPCs. Incineration, which is not a technology used for destination of LOPCs in Brazil, proved to be a promising option when combined with recycling for treatment of this kind of waste. Combining different destinations is also a good option as long as economic, logistics and the environment are taken into consideration. The present paper concludes that emerging countries are able to manage hazardous waste provided that there is adequate legislation and political will along with cooperation from the private sector. This study can be helpful to the decision-making processes concerning hazardous waste, especially for industrial strategies and policy makers.
A mineração, etapa inicial da maioria dos processos industriais, é a fornecedora primária de dados necessários para a ACV de praticamente qualquer produto ou serviço. Apesar do grande crescimento de estudos de ACV, seu uso na mineração é... more
A mineração, etapa inicial da maioria dos processos industriais, é a fornecedora primária de dados necessários para a ACV de praticamente qualquer produto ou serviço. Apesar do grande crescimento de estudos de ACV, seu uso na mineração é limitado e pode se dizer que o setor mineral, ainda, não aderiu ao Pensamento de Ciclo de Vida, o que pode ser devido à falta de estudos e dados suficientes para a adequação da ferramenta ACV ao particular mundo da mineração.
The early arrival and colonization of species belonging to the family Calliphoridae (Insecta: Diptera) on a corpse represent one of the most reliable means of estimating minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). However, information on the... more
The early arrival and colonization of species belonging to the family Calliphoridae (Insecta: Diptera) on a corpse represent one of the most reliable means of estimating minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). However, information on the development and life cycles of some Argentine species in this family is not complete. The objective of this work was to contribute new information regarding the larval body size of neotropical species that allow, through the construction of forensic methods, the estimation of a more precise and specific PMImin. This work was conducted on laboratory cultures of larvae of Lucilia ochricornis (Wiedemann) and Lucilia purpurascens (Walker) using as average temperatures: 13.4, 15.1, 22.6, and 23.3°C, which represent the four seasons of the year for the province of Salta. With this information, we constructed isomegalen diagrams and growth models for the obtained variables of larval length and body weight. The mean values of length and body weight differ between both species, indicating that L. purpurascens exceeded L. ochricornis in both variables. In contrast, within each species the mean length and weight remained unchanged between culture temperatures for the three larval instars. Isomegalen diagrams can be used for the entire range of temperatures worked in the laboratory, but the body size entered is approximate. The growth models allow the use of point data but are specific for each culture temperature used. Resumen El arrivo y colonización tempranos de las especies pertenecientes a la familia Calliphoridae (Insecta: Diptera) sobre un cadáver representan los medios más confiables para estimar el mínimo intervalo postmortem (IPMmin). Sin embargo, la información sobre el desarrollo y los ciclos vitales de algunas especies argentinas de esta familia no es completa. El objetivo de este trabajo fue aportar nueva información respecto al tamaño corporal larval de especies neotropicales que permitan mediante la construcción de métodos forenses estimar un IPMmin más preciso y específico. Este trabajo fue conducido en laboratorio sobre cultivos de larvas de Lucilia ochricornis (Wiedemann) y Lucilia purpurascens (Walker) utilizando como temperaturas promedio: 13.4, 15.1, 22.6 y 23.3°C, que representan las cuatro estaciones del año para la provincia de Salta. Con esta información se construyeron isomegalendiagramas y modelos de crecimiento para las variables longitud y peso corporal larval. Los valores medios de longitud y peso corporal difieren entre ambas especies, indicando que L. purpurascens supera a L. ochricornis en ambas variables. Contrariamente, dentro de cada especie la
