WILLINGNESS OF STONE-CUTTING AND READY-MIX CONCRETE FACTORIES TO IMPLEMENT CLEAN PRODUCTION STRATEGY CASE STUDY: INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER IN WADI ZOMER, WEST BANK, PALESTINE
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Date
2023-08-15
Authors
Mo’men Na’el Khaled Alqub
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Abstract
One of the most serious problems in Wadi Al-Zomer area is industrial wastewater from the stone-cutting industries. There are many stonecutters in Wadi al-Zomer area in Nablus and Tulkarm, discharging 2000 m^3/month from their industrial wastewater into the Wadi, bringing in Israeli financial deductions from the Palestinian revenue. This study aims to achieve a sustainable management plan to manage this industrial water for exploitation, in addition to alleviate the extensive damage to the environment.
Many researchers studies have demonstrated that industrial water produced by the stone-cutting industries can be used in the brick and ready-mixed concrete industries to improve its properties. This study focused on the potential of applying clean production strategies to the stone cutting, brick and ready-mixed concrete industries to minimize the discharge of industrial wastewater into the valley. For this purpose, a research model was developed and data from stone cutting, brick and ready-mixed concrete factories were collected by using questionnaire. Study model presented by PLS-SEM Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling using the Smart PLS program. Data analysis based on 45 responses collected from these plant managers through questionnaires. The results of the study show that stone-cutting factories managers are willing to adopt clean production strategies to manage industrial water production.
As for ready-mixed concrete and brick factories, they tend to adopt clean production strategies, but they make a number of recommendations which focus on getting approval from Palestinian Standards Institution, availability of official supervisor authority, reasonable price for sludge and easy transportation method for sludge. In addition to the economic gains by up to 530 USD monthly for each factory of stone-cutting due to reducing of water consumption and incomes through sale of the sludge, the study will benefit all Palestinians in general by reducing the environmental damage in Wadi Al-Zomer region and reduce about 5.26 Million USD from the Israeli financial deductions. The hypotheses aimed at was fully proven as all t-values are greater than 1.96.
Keywords: clean production, sustainable management, stone-cutting industries, industrial wastewater, Partial Least Square Modeling of Structural Equations, ready-mix concrete factory.