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Source: Environmental Leader.com

Gray water, grey water, or greywater from the shower, lavatory and kitchen sink can be routed to a leach field, a waterway with hyacinths or other biodegrading plants, a dry well/French drain application, or even a decorative planting bed. Leach fields, unlike septic fields, do not handle black water. Some municipalities do not differentiate between gray water and conventional septic systems and as a result require an organized design procedure to avoid problems. The recommended steps in designing a leach field for gray water management are as follows:

1. Investigate the permit process.
2. Prepare the plan.
3. Design the gray water system.
4. Submit the plan for review and approval.
5. Install the system.
6. Arrange for inspection and approval.
7. Use, monitor, and maintain the system.

More often than not, the authority having jurisdiction will assign the same methodology to leach field design as to a septic field. This means that the resultant leach field will be assumed to handle black water and therefore will be sized according to the number of bedrooms in a house or the total number of fixture units in a commercial building.  Some jurisdictions are more open to engineered systems than others.  Those who balk at engineered systems are concerned that failure of an installation would reflect badly on public health agencies by relinquishing control to a new technology. You can help address their concerns by showing competence and thoroughness in your methodology.
Continue reading Gray Water Reuse

Source: Catholic Health World News

Sr. Mary Ellen Leciejewski, OP, doesn’t know why it is that, at some point in the past, someone decreed that bedpans should be mauve.

She just knows they don’t need to be. In fact, the assemblage of plastic items used daily at the patient’s bedside don’t need to have color at all, and the dyes used in manufacturing the products can harm the environment, explained Sr. Leciejewski, ecology program coordinator for Dignity Health.

And that’s why her employer has begun using dye-free bedpans, washbasins, water pitchers and other items commonly found in patient rooms. Earlier this year, San Francisco-based Dignity Health announced it would use only pigment-free plastics in all 40 of its hospitals and its other care centers. It was the first health system in the nation to adopt the practice systemwide, although more than 100 hospitals have decided to follow suit, according to Medline Industries, the manufacturer of the new pigment-free products now in use in Dignity facilities.
Continue reading Dignity Health leads the way in use of pigment-free plastics

Source: Environmental Protection Online.com

According to a new study, silver nanoparticles in clothing can have a severe environmental impact on the environment. The nanosilver, which is toxic to bacteria and higher organisms, is released into water systems after clothing has been washed.

In a study conducted by Chalmers researcher Rickard Arvidsson, the risks associated with nanomaterials were addressed. Arvidsson has developed new methods to assess the risks of nanomaterials, as well as used the methods on a few specific materials such as silver nanoparticles.

Silver nanoparticles have an antibacterial effect, and are used in a variety of consumer products such as workout clothing to prevent the smell of sweat. When the clothes are washed, nanoparticles are released and enter waste water treatment plants through waste water. The particles release silver ions that cannot be broken down at waste water treatment plants or in nature.
Continue reading Nanosilver in Clothing Can Create Environmental Issues

Source: Environmental Protection Online.com

The USDA has patented a process to capture and recycle ammonia from livestock waste, which could help farmers reduce harmful emissions and concentrate nitrogen into a liquid to sell as fertilizer.

The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) patented an ammonia emissions reduction method that was developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Florence, South Carolina. ARA is the chief research agency of the USDA and responds to climate change and promotes international food security.
Continue reading Ammonia Emissions Reduction Method Patented by USDA

Source: Governing.com

Last week California became the second state (after Oregon) to launch a mandatory state-wide paint recycling program, reports the U-T San Diego. The program will make paint recycling more convenient for the public by opening up drop-off sites at retail locations across the state. The industry-created non-profit organization called PaintCare, will administer the program, which will be paid for through a recovery fee that is based on container size and is applied to the purchase price of paint.  The program will be especially useful to local governments that already recycle paint through hazardous waste programs because it will pay for their recycling process. PaintCare will use the funds provided by the 35 cent to $1.60 fee to cover the costs of transportation and processing of the leftover paint. Rhode Island and Connecticut have also passed legislation to create similar programs, but are still in the planning stages. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of the 700 million gallons of paint sold each year in the U.S. can be recycled.