Browsing by Author "Arikan, Osman Atilla"

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Determination of Characteristics for Mechanically Separated Organic Fraction of Msw at a Full-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Plant
(Sprıngernature, 2024-03-07) Kabakci, Yagmur; Koşar, Sadiye; Doğan, Özgur; Uctug, Fehmi Gorkem; Arikan, Osman Atilla
Anaerobic digestion (AD) as a waste management method has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while producing renewable energy, making it a viable option for managing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). OFMSW characteristics can vary depending on factors such as waste source, composition and separation units. The characteristics of OFMSW are critical for analyzing and monitoring the AD process to optimize biogas production. In this study, the waste composition and physicochemical characteristics of the mechanically separated OFMSW (ms-OFMSW) were determined at a full-scale AD plant in Turkiye. The ms-OFMSW samples were collected monthly after mechanical separation and were subsequently sent to the anaerobic digester. The composition and physicochemical characteristics of the samples were determined by manual sorting. The results showed that the majority of the ms-OFMSW (76.45%+/- 1.71%) was organic, while 8.99%+/- 1.56% was recyclable and 14.56%+/- 1.69% was non-recyclable. Loss of environmental benefits for the recyclable materials was determined using a free online tool provided by Environmental Protection Agency. Metals (399.7 GJ) and plastics (403.7 GJ) both saved nearly the same amount of energy while metals saved the most water (421.8 m3), with the greatest positive impact. Greenhouse benefits ranged from 3 tons to 40 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for each waste stream. These findings suggest that efficient pre-separation units can improve the anaerobic digestibility of OFMSW, while also providing greater environmental benefits by preventing recyclable waste from the anaerobic digester. In addition to encouraging source separation applications, this study demonstrates the need for improved technologies to separate OFMSW from mixed MSW.
Citation - WoS: 24
Citation - Scopus: 25
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Utilizing Stem Waste for Banana Production in Greenhouses in Turkey
(Elsevier, 2020-04) Adsal, Kardelen Afrodit; Uctug, Fehmi Gorkem; Arikan, Osman Atilla
The life cycle environmental impacts of banana production and then its supply to the end user in Turkey were investigated. The low ground water temperatures in Turkey inhibits the yield of banana trees in Turkey and literature suggests that it is possible to double the yield of a single tree by increasing the irrigation water temperature to 27 degrees C. Hence, three different scenarios were studied. In the first scenario, the business as usual case was considered; in the second scenario heating the irrigation water by using natural gas was studied; and in the third scenario heating the irrigation water by using biogas produced on-site via the anaerobic digestion of banana stem waste was analyzed. The functional unit was chosen as 2 ton of bananas produced over the course of the lifetime of the biogas production system. CCaLC2 (TM) was used as software, and CML2001 methodology was used. A cradle-to-grave approach was employed. The production processes were modelled based on real life data acquired from a real greenhouse in Turkey. Six impacts (global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, photochemical oxidant creation potential, ozone layer depletion potential, and human toxicity potential) were calculated. Results show that four of the six impacts decreased when biogas was used, suggesting that this practice has the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of banana productionThe results were found to be in good agreement with the values reported in the literature. It was concluded that, in order to reduce the environmental footprint of banana production, utilizing the stem waste instead of the conventional practice of burning is essential, and special emphasis should be given to treating or utilizing the bioreactor digestate to further reduce the environmental footprint. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.