Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T15:14:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissertacaoGilbertoArnauts.pdf: 2349757 bytes, checksum: c988d628a97e246d9cbc1a8a670a9410 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-03 / The milking hygiene is necessary after use, usually in separate process steps which each require water at different temperatures for proper cleaning. But getting the correct temperature for each step is not so simple to be performed manually on farms. From a hot flow and other cold water, the farmer will need to properly mix the two water flows in order to reach a desired temperature for the cleaning step, and due to temperature fluctuations and flow, the required constant intervention of the same to maintain optimum temperature of the mixture. This work developed a mixer with automatic control of cold water flow, coupled to an electric heating system, with the goal of reaching a final ideal temperature required for the cleaning of milking machines, regardless of temperature fluctuations and flow at the entrance. We compared two control boards, Arduino and the IOIO During the first seconds of system operation, the opening angle of the cold water tap is calculated based on the hot and cold water temperatures. After this is accomplished by gradually adjusting the angle. The temperature was considered to be achieved when reached a maximum desviation of 1 ° C compared to the desired temperature. The system was more satisfactory with the IOIO, since the desired temperature was stabilized at lower average time 24 seconds after system startup / A higienização de ordenhadeiras é necessária após sua utilização, processo geralmente separado em etapas onde cada uma delas necessita de água em diferentes temperaturas, para a correta limpeza. Porém, obter a temperatura correta para cada etapa não é tão simples de ser realizado manualmente em propriedades rurais. A partir de uma vazão de água quente e outro de água fria, o agricultor precisará misturar corretamente as duas vazões de água a fim de chegar a uma temperatura desejada para a etapa de higienização, e devido às oscilações de temperatura e vazão, é necessária a constante intervenção do mesmo para manter a temperatura ideal da mistura. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um misturador com controle automático de vazão de água fria, acoplado a um sistema de aquecimento elétrico, com o objetivo de se chegar a uma temperatura ideal final necessária à higienização das ordenhadeiras, independentemente das oscilações de temperatura e vazão na entrada. Foram comparadas 2 placas de controle, o Arduino e o IOIO Durante os primeiros segundos de funcionamento do sistema, o ângulo de abertura do registro de água fria é calculado com base nas temperaturas de água quente e fria. Após isto é realizado ajuste gradativo no ângulo. A temperatura foi considerada como alcançada quando atingia um desvio máximo de 1 ºC em relação à temperatura desejada. O sistema se mostrou mais satisfatório com o IOIO, já que a temperatura desejada foi estabilizada em menor tempo médio, 24 segundos após a inicialização do sistema.

The prolonged challenges and dire consequences of poor sanitation, especially in developing economies, call for the exploration of new sustainable technologies. These need to be: capable of effectively treating human faecal wastes without any health or environmental impacts; scalable to address rapid increases in population and urbanization; capable of meeting environmental regulations and standards for faecal management; and competitive with existing strategies. Further and importantly, despite its noxiousness and pathogenic load, the chemical composition of human biowaste (HBW) indicates that it may be considered to be a potentially valuable, nutrient-rich renewable resource, rather than a problematic waste product. This doctoral study therefore investigated microwave hydrothermal carbonization (M-HTC) as a sanitation technology for processing HBW - to convert it into a safe, pathogen-free material, while also recovering inherent value and providing an economic base to sustain the technology. To this end, the products of M-HTC treatment of sewage sludge, human faecal sludge, synthetic faecal simulant and human faeces were characterized with a suite of techniques and tests to demonstrate pathogenic deactivation, and the intrinsic value of the resultant solid char and liquor.

The Total Sanitation Campaign is an initiative launched by the Government of India in 1999 to accelerate sanitation coverage throughout the country. This thesis measures the impact of the Total Sanitation Campaign on education in Indian government schools. I assess whether access to toilets, access to water or access to both toilets and water impact the following parameters of education: literacy, current enrollment in school or completed years of education. Data is sourced from the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2005, sorted for the nineteen major states in India and aggregated at a district level for each state. The analysis employs two separate probit regression models to assess sanitation facilities’ impact on literacy and current enrollment in school, and a robust linear model to assess sanitation facilities’ impact on completed years of education. The models control for age, sex, caste, religion, household location, household size and household income. The results indicate that sanitation facilities positively impact education based on the age, sex and caste of the sample population. These findings present implications for future policymaking in order to improve access to and participation in education.

<p>Because of the impact on human health and sustainable livelihood, the topic of drinking water and sanitation facilities is becoming a seriously discussed issue among international organizations as well as developing agencies in industrialized countries. The importance of water and sanitation management initialized this master thesis.</p><p> </p><p>The aim of the project is to do an assessment of the drinking water quality as well as the sanitation situation in the village Condrita in the Republic of Moldova. This was done by studying the existing water and sanitation facilities, sampling the water, evaluating the reason for the poor water quality and mapping the current situation using ArcGIS. Furthermore, technologies for improving the drinking water and sanitation facilities are suggested.</p><p> </p><p>The work was carried out by doing a literature study on how water sources and sanitation facilities should be constructed in order to ensure people’s health and to meet their needs. Geographic coordinates and water samples were collected from twenty-two public wells and springs. Interviews on the water situation and sanitation facilities were performed. Furthermore, water samples were analysed with respect to nitrate, turbidity, electrical conductivity and coliform bacteria amongst others. Pesticide contamination was also taken into consideration when one of the wells was analysed. Water sources were classified as improved or unimproved according to definitions by WHOSIS. Moreover, the DRASTIC vulnerability model was used to evaluate the groundwater susceptibility to contaminants.</p><p> </p><p>In general, the water quality in the study area was poor and measured values of the analyzed parameters exceeded international or Moldovan standards for nitrate, hardness, electrical conductivity and total coliform bacteria. Four wells were contaminated with <em>E. coli</em> bacteria. Furthermore, turbidity measurements exceeded Moldovan standards in seven out of twenty-two water sources. No pesticide contamination was detected. Sampled water from the densely populated parts of the village as well as unimproved water sources proved to be of poorer quality. Map results showed that a majority of the groundwater within the study area was subject to a moderate or high risk of becoming contaminated. The current sanitation situation is that most families use simple pit latrines, which are placed far away from the dwelling-houses. Digging a new toilet when the existing one is full is a common practice in Condrita. Hand-washing facilities are seldom placed in proximity to the toilets.</p><p> </p><p>Pit latrines are believed to be the most important source of groundwater contamination in the study area. Other sources are agricultural activities and poor practice when abstracting water from the wells. A feasible solution to improve both the drinking water quality and the sanitation situation would be to install ecosan toilets. Improvements of the well’s features that are suggested include construction of an apron slab as well as proper lids for covering the well.</p>

Hazelnuts are commonly consumed raw and are valued for their numerous health benefits and antioxidant properties. Increased foodborne illness outbreaks associated with Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination of tree nuts and peanuts generate a need for improving agricultural sanitation procedures. Food-safe chemical sanitizers have shown promise for reducing pathogenic organisms on fresh produce, but minimal research has been conducted for in-shell nuts. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of water and three food-safe sanitizers on a) the natural microbial load of postharvest in-shell hazelnuts and b) populations of pathogenic Salmonella (S. enterica subsp. enterica ser. Panama) inoculated and dried onto the surfaces of in-shell hazelnuts. The first phase of the study investigated the effectiveness of water, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl; 25 ppm, 50 ppm), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 80 ppm, 120 ppm), and acidified sodium chlorite (ASC; 990 ppm) as sanitizers for use on postharvest in-shell hazelnuts. Treatments were applied to two groups of freshly harvested hazelnut samples to examine their effects on total aerobic microorganism populations during different times of harvest (Group 1 = early season, dry weather; Group 2 = late season, rainy weather). Treatments within each group included hazelnuts that underwent a tap water rinse, a tap water rinse followed by a water spray, and a tap water rinse followed by a chemical spray. Due to excess soil attached to shell surface, hazelnuts harvested later in the season (Group 2) had an initial population mean 2.24 log CFU/hazelnut greater than hazelnuts harvested earlier in the season (Group 1). All treatments, including water, resulted in significant population reductions compared to untreated controls (P���0.05). Rinsing with tap water produced reductions of 0.38 log units in both groups, and additional water spraying resulted in reductions of 0.83 and 0.73 log units in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. None of the chemical treatments were significantly more effective than the water spray treatment in Group 1; however, several chemical treatments in Group 2 were significantly more effective than water spraying. Tight adherence to shell surfaces during dry weather may have increased the chemical resistance of microorganisms on hazelnuts. Treatment with ASC produced the greatest reduction in Group 1 and Group 2 compared to the control (1.22 and 2.08 log units, respectively) and water spray treatments (0.39 and 1.39 log units, respectively), but the efficacies varied between treatment groups. Wide variation between Group 1 and Group 2 treatment results made determination of chemical efficacy difficult. The second phase of the study analyzed the effectiveness of water, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl; 25 ppm, 50 ppm), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 80 ppm, 120 ppm), and acidified sodium chlorite (ASC; 450 ppm, 830 ppm, 1013 ppm) as sanitizers for reducing Salmonella on in-shell hazelnuts. Hazelnut samples were soaked in pure cultures of S. Panama for 24 h, air dried for 66 h, and then sprayed with water and chemical treatments. Surviving S. Panama populations were evaluated using a non-selective medium (tryptic soy agar), followed by a selective overlay (xylose lysine deoxycholate agar) after a 3 h incubation period. Tight adhesion prevented significant population decreases from physical removal by water, which allowed for clear demonstration of chemical effectiveness. All of the chemical treatments significantly reduced the S. Panama population (P���0.05) compare to untreated and water-sprayed samples. The most effective concentrations of ASC, PAA, and NaOCl treatments resulted in mean microbial population reductions of 2.65, 1.46, and 0.66 log units, respectively. Overall, physical removal of excess dirt appeared to have the greatest effect on the microbial population reductions of postharvest in-shell hazelnuts, and adherence to shells during dry weather appeared to increase the chemical resistance of microorganisms. Future sanitation experiments should consider weather and levels of excess soil on hazelnuts as factors in the apparent efficacy of chemical sanitizers. Testing chemical sanitizers against tightly-adhered Salmonella cells provided consistent results with clear demonstration of chemical efficacies. Acidified sodium chlorite at 1013 ppm was significantly more effective at reducing Salmonella populations than other treatments and shows the greatest potential for use as a postharvest sanitation treatment. Thorough rinsing of hazelnuts in clean tap water, followed by spraying with high concentrations of acidified sodium chlorite could help increase the efficacy of current hazelnut processing. / Graduation date: 2013

Thesis (Ph.D. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the level and extent of community participation in the Danga Ecological Sanitation Project carried out in the Zvishavane district of Zimbabwe. The people-centered approach was chosen as a theoretical background. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather relevant information. The results indicated that the community was not fully involved in the ecological sanitation project. As a result, the project had a poor performance record. In the course of this study, political interference in community projects carried out in Zimbabwean rural communities, resulting in the failure to reach the intended beneficiaries, was also noted. Full community participation in community projects may ensure that empowerment and ownership take place. Institutional arrangements, which in most cases impede development, need to be readdressed with clear demarcation of decision-making processes.</p>

Background: In 2010, a massive earthquake left the capitol Port-au-Prince in ruins and destroyed infrastructure providing electricity, piped clean water, and waste removal to the region. Water, sanitation, and hygiene intervention programs attempt to reduce the burden of water-related disease in earthquake-affected regions. However, there are few evaluations of these programs, especially following natural disasters. Methods: Data provided by Samaritan’s Purse Canada’s WASH program were examined. The data set included a household (N=1198) and a latrine (N=167) survey that recorded household use of laundry pads, bath houses, hand-pumped drilled wells, health and hygiene education sessions, and latrines as well as demographic data. Data analysis was conducted in IBM SPSS Version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were computed, and statistical relationships were analyzed for 1.) Health and hygiene education session attendance and program outcomes and 2.) Household diarrheal disease and program interventions Results:This study found that households attending any of four health and hygiene sessions were significantly more likely to use program-provided bath houses and hand-pumped wells (p Discussion: This study concluded that health and hygiene session attendance is positively associated with the utilization of program interventions. However, further improvements in data collection methodology are needed to fully understand the effects of this multi-intervention WASH program on target communities.

Background: In 2010, a massive earthquake left the capitol Port-au-Prince in ruins and destroyed infrastructure providing electricity, piped clean water, and waste removal to the region. Water, sanitation, and hygiene intervention programs attempt to reduce the burden of water-related disease in earthquake-affected regions. However, there are few evaluations of these programs, especially following natural disasters. Methods: Data provided by Samaritan’s Purse Canada’s WASH program were examined. The data set included a household (N=1198) and a latrine (N=167) survey that recorded household use of laundry pads, bath houses, hand-pumped drilled wells, health and hygiene education sessions, and latrines as well as demographic data. Data analysis was conducted in IBM SPSS Version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were computed, and statistical relationships were analyzed for 1.) Health and hygiene education session attendance and program outcomes and 2.) Household diarrheal disease and program interventions Results: This study found that households attending any of four health and hygiene sessions were significantly more likely to use program-provided bath houses and hand-pumped wells (p<0.05). Attendance was also significantly associated with increased knowledge of diarrheal disease prevention and hand washing technique. Households using the program-provided hand pump reported lower rates of diarrhea in children under five years old. Discussion: This study concluded that health and hygiene session attendance is positively associated with the utilization of program interventions. However, further improvements in data collection methodology are needed to fully understand the effects of this multi-intervention WASH program on target communities.

Aggravated by rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization and most recently by climate change events, the availability of water especially in the third world is reaching critical proportions.  This is aggravated by the non treatment of wastewater (sewage) and discharged of untreated wastewater into water bodies. The study focused on identifying and reviewing four wastewater treatment methods from a sustainability perspective; waste stabilization pond, constructed wetland, up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor and sedimentation/thickening tank systems suitable for the Limbe Urban Municipality (LUM) of Cameroon in Central West Africa with an estimated population of 120, 000 inhabitants and experiencing 4.7 per cent annual growth rate. The attractiveness of these four methods stems from their apparent energy efficiency, simplicity, robustness, low cost effectiveness in situations where as in the LUM, there are huge tracts of available land, warm temperatures, and their capacity to promote effluent re-use opportunities for various sectors. Issues of sustainability of the water supply and wastewater treatment systems, untreated sewage, and their contribution to escalating environmental and public health impacts in LUM (Cameroon) were critically evaluated and discussed with the aid of Kärrman (2000) framework approach that employs different sets of sustainability criteria (Environmental, Health and Hygiene, and Functional), sub-criteria and indicators. Results obtained reveal that water and wastewater treatment systems in LUM do not operate or conforms to sustainability perspectives. Inhabitants do not still have access to clean drinking water (an approximate 45 per cent) especially in the dry periods of the year, low sanitation coverage (with the tradition of sewage treatment in septic tanks and pit latrines), rising yearly public health impacts associated with water-borne (cholera, dysentery, malaria, typhoid fever and diarrhea) infections and 6 deaths reported in LUM. These leading problems are directly or indirectly linked to consumption of contaminated water or foods in different communities such as Mile II, Isokolo, Bonadikombo (Mile four) etc, and New Town areas and flood prone zones in the Limbe urban municipality.