This report presents the findings of a desk study, commissioned by NRK-V and executed independently by WFBR. The objective of the desk study is to provide insight in the information available in the public and scientific literature regarding the biodegradability of biodegradable mulch film for use in agriculture and horticulture. Biodegradability o...
Pharmaceutical compounds, originating mainly from industrial production and public consumption, are detected at extremely low levels (ng·L-1 –µg·L-1) in groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. So far, the adverse effects of pharmaceuticals and their intermediates have been widely reported, and include toxicity to humans and ecosystem, and enhan...
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was one of the largest oil spills in history. For three months, oil leaked from the Macondo well at 1,500 m depth into the Gulf. As one of the spill responses, an unprecedented amount of dispersants were applied, both at the sea surface and, for the first time ever, directly inject...
This report presents an overview of facts and figures regarding bio-based and/or biodegradable plastics, in particular for packaging applications.
A constructed wetland (CW) is an integrated and enhanced version of natural ecosystem for fate and transport of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC). This thesis demonstrates removal mechanisms of PhACs in CWs and their application as post-treatment processes to eliminate PhACs from wastewater effluent. Four main subjects were investigated in t...
Tissue engineering is a relatively new, but actively developing field of biomedical science. It aims at organ or tissue regeneration by use of scaffolds, which are usually seeded with cells prior to implantation, and stimulated by bioactive cues or growth factors. It is a promising and valuable alternative to the use of transplants, for which the d...
In deze studie wordt aangetoond dat organisch-biologische afvalstromen besmet met mycotoxinen kunnen verwerkt worden door anaerobe vergisting. De mycotoxinen worden volledig afgebroken en er is geen negatieve invloed op de methaanproductie.
Verontreiniging van de ondergrond als gevolg van stedelijke en industriële activiteiten vormt een ernstig milieurisico. Om deze locaties te zuiveren en in hun oorspronkelijke staat te herstellen is het noodzakelijk dat efficiënte saneringstechnologieën ontwikkeld worden. Echter, de aanwezigheid en de behandeling van deze verontreinigingen biedt ook...
Bioplastics hebben de wind in de rug. Steeds meer bedrijven overwegen hun producten te maken van kunststoffen met een plantaardige oorsprong. Christiaan Bolck van Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research helpt ze aan de juiste receptuur.
Studies on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals show that the widely used pharmaceuticals ibuprofen and diclofenac are present in relevant concentrations in the environment. A pilot plant treating hospital wastewater with relevant concentrations of these pharmaceuticals was evaluated for its performance to reduce the concentration of the pharmaceutica...
