Papers by OSVALDO Romero Romero
Bioresource Technology, 2008
A start-up experiment was performed in a laboratory-scale, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)... more A start-up experiment was performed in a laboratory-scale, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor using seed sludge from a domestic waste treatment plant at 3.8-33.3 gCOD l À1 day À1 loading rates. Analysis over the height of the reactor with time showed that the VSS in the reactor was initially differentiated into active and non-active biomass at increasing gas production and upflow velocities, and specific update rates of the volatile fatty acids (VFA) components were pronounced at the bottom 10% of the reactor. During start-up, specific methanogenic activity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) uptake rate increased from 0.075 to 0.75 gCOD-CH 4 (gVSS) À1 day À1 and from 0.08 to 0.875 gCOD removed (gVSS) À1 day À1 , respectively. When seed sludge from a distillery waste treatment plant was used, improved performance due to a predominance of active biomass was evident when the loading rate was increased from 9.4 to 28.7 gCOD l À1 day À1. The proposed start-up evaluation is an effective tool to successfully monitor performance of UASB reactors.
Márgenes, Nov 6, 2020
Currently, energy consumption is growing globally, its generation depends mainly on fossil fuels.... more Currently, energy consumption is growing globally, its generation depends mainly on fossil fuels. Policies and programs as part of a global agenda are being implemented throughout the world to change the current energy matrix of countries based on fossil fuels for one with a greater use of renewable energy sources (RES). In this sense, Cuba seeks to achieve 24% participation of the RSE in its energy matrix by 2030. The objective of this article is to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the biomass role as an energy resource for a matrix based on the RES in Sancti Spíritus. Therefore, a review of the bibliography published in recent years on the subject in the territory is carried out for extracting quantitative and qualitative information on both the RES in the province and the role that biomass would play in a matrix based on these sources. The most important results are the following: there is abundant theoretical information that supports a possible energy matrix based 100% on the RES, to which biomass would contribute with more than 90% and at the same time, it would help to solve other problems of the territorial socio-economic development.En la actualidad crece a nivel global el consumo de energía, cuya generación depende mayoritariamente de las energías fósiles. En todo el mundo se implementan políticas y programas para cambiar la actual matriz energética de los países, basadas en combustibles fósiles, por otra con mayoritaria participación de las Fuentes Renovables de Energía (FRE), como parte de una agenda global. En ese sentido, Cuba aspira a lograr el 24% de participación de las FRE en su matriz energética para el 2030. El presente artículo tiene como objetivo realizar un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo del papel de la biomasa como recursos energético para una matriz basada en las FRE en Sancti Spíritus. Para ello se realiza una revisión de la bibliografía publicada en los últimos años sobre la temática en el territorio y extraer información cuantitativa y cualitativa sobre las FRE en la provincia y el papel que desempeñaría la biomasa en una matriz basada en estas fuentes. Se obtiene como resultados más importantes que existe abundante información teórica que sustentan una posible matriz energética basada 100% en las FRE y donde la biomasa aportaría más del 90% a la vez que contribuiría en la solución de otros problemas del desarrollo socio económico territorial
Márgenes, Dec 15, 2020
Cuando a finales del año 2019 los medios de difusión en todo el mundo daban a conocer la aparició... more Cuando a finales del año 2019 los medios de difusión en todo el mundo daban a conocer la aparición delcaso de un paciente afectado con un extraño virus en la ciudad china de Wuhan, la humanidad estaba lejos de imaginar que ese virus, finalmente nombrado SarsCoV 2 y causante de la enfermedad Covid 19, alteraría todas las relaciones sociales, económicas, políticas, laborales y ambientales tradicionalmente imperantes en todo el mundo. En un mundo donde la globalización, las guerras y el neoliberalismo son las causas fundamentales de unas enormes desigualdades sociales, donde 821 millones de personas padecen de hambre, Organización de la Naciones Unidas (OMS, 2018), donde la humanidad consume el equivalente a 1,77 planetas (Count, 2020) y donde las 26 personas más ricas concentran riquezas equivalentes a las que posee la mitad de la población mundial (Martínez, 2019), un virus invisible al ojo humano ha sido capaz de detener a nivel global, los procesos educativos, las actividades económicas dedicadas a los servicios, los vuelos regulares internacionales, cerrar fronteras nacionales y locales, a la vez que su capacidad de expandirse, infectar y matar no distingue entre ricos, pobres, razas o credos; enfermando hasta el 16 de noviembre del 2020,a 54,6 millones de personas y causando la muerte a 1,32 Millones. Ministerio de Salud Pública (MINSAP, 2020). Esto produce actualmente una gran recesión económica a nivel global que se pronostica en una reducción del 5,2% de la economía mundial (BancoMundial, 2020).Adicionalmente se estiman, entre otros riesgos, serios peligros para los niños en todo el mundo asociados al cierre de las escuelas y la consecuente pérdida de oportunidades de aprendizaje, a la muerte de los padres y otros familiares a causa del virus, a la reducción de las remesas y a la reducción del empleo en general. Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU, 2020). Todo lo anterior exigirá en la etapa pos Covid 19, de un mayor y coordinado esfuerzo de los gobiernos con los actores sociales a todos los niveles, donde el enfoque para la salida de la crisis y por tanto del crecimiento económico debe ser hacia lo local, dando prioridad a la utilización con enfoque de sostenibilidad a los recursos endógenos, descentralizando las responsabilidades desde lo nacional hasta lo locale impulsando un proceso de toma de decisiones de abajo hacia arriba (bottom-up) que implique la creación de empleos a nivel comunitario y el desarrollo de productos y servicios que aseguren el crecimiento económico local de forma sostenible, para ello se requerirá de estrategias financieras renovadoras que deberán incluir la descentralización del fisco para empoderar a los gobiernos locales
Márgenes, Feb 16, 2021
Los residuos biológicos son una materia prima esencial para la recuperación de residuos en energí... more Los residuos biológicos son una materia prima esencial para la recuperación de residuos en energía o la producción de fertilizantes naturales. Debido a su inestabilidad estructural, el manejo y almacenamiento de residuos biológicos es un desafío, especialmente cuando se trata de almacenamiento y transporte prolongados. La congelación o el secado de los residuos biológicos húmedos en la fuente es el método óptimo para retener la estructura física y química de la biomasa. El proceso intensivo en energía que se aplica actualmente reduce el interés de aplicar estos métodos en la fuente de generación de residuos biológicos. Esto provoca la necesidad de un dispositivo que facilite su estabilización con bajas demandas de energía y costos operativos y de compra relativamente más bajos. En la fuente de generación, los desechos biológicos se introducen en los contenedores de basura en una etapa muy temprana. Sin embargo, es más fácil deshidratar los residuos biológicos húmedos a temperatura ambiente con una pequeña corriente de circulación de aire en condiciones controladas. La siguiente descripción es una breve introducción de un nuevo concepto de deshidratador doméstico (BioBin) dedicado a la estabilización de residuos biológicos mediante la deshidratación. El presente artículo tiene entre sus objetivos principales presentar los resultados derivados de la evaluación de un experimento llevado a cabo a escala doméstica sobre el proceso de secado de residuos del hogar, y a partir de los resultados alcanzados en esta escala, proponer un recipiente llamado BioBin cuyo uso se puede generalizar para el secado de residuos biológicos.Biowaste is an essential raw material for either Waste to Energy recovery or natural fertilizer production. Due to its structural instability; handling, and storage of biowaste is challenging, especially when it comes to prolonged storage and transportation. Freezing or drying of wet biowaste at source is the optimal method to retain physical and chemical structure of biomass. The currently applied energy intensive process shrinks the interest of applying these methods at the source of biowaste generation (i.e., small kitchens, Homes, and offices). This provokes the need for a device that facilitates biowaste stabilization at low energy demands and relatively lower purchase and operational costs. Biowaste is introduced into the waste-bins of the source of generation at a very early stage (i.e., before decomposition). However, it is easier to dehydrate the wet-biowaste at room temperature with small current of air circulation under controlled conditions. The following description is a short insight to a new concept of a domestic dehydrator (BioBin) dedicated to biowaste stabilization through dehydration. The present article has as fundamental objectives, to present the results of the evaluation of an experiment at a domestic scale of the drying of household waste, and from the results achieved in the evaluations at a domestic scale to propose a container called BioBin that could be generalized for drying of biological waste, mainly fruit and vegetable remains in the kitchens, in city homes.   &nbsp
Marketing efforts administration for business opportunities management is an essential knowledge ... more Marketing efforts administration for business opportunities management is an essential knowledge technology for two development challenges in Cuba: productive enchainments and foreign investment. The state enterprises or business social entrepreneurs in Cuba are recently encouraged on their function as profit organizations with social responsibility, blended to business operation and financial value creation. Even though there are changes in policies and laws favoring a new economic model, the enterprises’ participation in business is limited. An outcome to this problem is to consider the study of marketing efforts administration on state enterprises becoming the emerging fourth sector in Cuba for development. The work focuses on knowledge and performing gaps of Cuban enterprises through a factual study. The causes, conditions, potentialities, limitations, and innovative theoretical concepts fitting the country are determined: business opportunities management of foreign investment,...
Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores, Sep 1, 2019
Las transformaciones del mundo actual provocan que los países necesiten universidades innovadoras... more Las transformaciones del mundo actual provocan que los países necesiten universidades innovadoras, capaces de generar respuestas a las demandas sociales y de propiciar el desarrollo humano sostenible. En Cuba, la actualización del modelo económico exige a las instituciones de Educación Superior adecuar sus programas de formación e investigación para hacerlos pertinentes. El presente
El trabajo versa sobre las posibilidades que ofrecen las tecnologías de producción de biogás en l... more El trabajo versa sobre las posibilidades que ofrecen las tecnologías de producción de biogás en la industria azucarera espirituana, específicamente en las empresas Uruguay y Melanio Hernández. El mismo se realiza con el objetivo de proponer variantes de integración que permitan reducir los consumos energéticos y aprovechar los residuales disponibles. Para el estudio se utilizaron los volúmenes de residuos líquidos y sólidos reportados, propuestas tecnológicas para producir biogás con fines energéticos, que incluyen etapas de pretratamiento de los sustratos, digestión anaerobia, purificación, compresión-almacenamiento y generación de energía. Para el análisis económico se utilizó la metodología propuesta por Peter´s. Los resultados muestran que se podría sustituir, con el 100 % de los residuales, el 30 % y el 60 % de la energía térmica y eléctrica, respectivamente. Se mitigarían los efectos negativos sobre el medio ambiente causados por la emisión de residuos y se entregarían más de ...
Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2020
Food consumption and tobacco smoke are the main sources of toxic trace elements (TTE) for humans.... more Food consumption and tobacco smoke are the main sources of toxic trace elements (TTE) for humans. To the present, no study has been carried out that assessed human exposure to TTE (Cd, Pb, As, Ni, Cr, Cu, and Co) through the consumption of the tomatoes, rice, and tobacco crops grown in the Sancti Spiritus territory of Cuba. Accordingly, the main goal of this study was to assess which metals and crops should receive priority attention for metal pollution management in the local environment. Combining residue element analysis in crops with consumption data collected from a survey, a deterministic exposure assessment was performed. The study identified that priority attention should be focused on Ni and Cd. First, the average concentration of Ni in tomato and rice was found above their reference limits. As a consequence, the concentration of Ni represented a risk to the maximum scenario of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Together with Ni, Cd, and Cu also contribute slightly to the cumulative risk. Then, Cd and Ni were quantified in tobacco smoke at a concentration that represented an equal risk to both active and passive smokers. Concentrations high enough to hazard from these toxic elements. The study helped to identify children as the highest stratum at risk of developing adverse health effects due to exposure to Ni and Cd. The results obtained from the basis for future research aimed at reducing the polluting pressure of TTE on human health and the environment.
Due to the need to evaluate the sustainability of the management of rice straw during rice produc... more Due to the need to evaluate the sustainability of the management of rice straw during rice production in Cuba, the objective of this work was to propose the analysis of four possible alternatives, for the valorization of rice straw for energy purposes in Cuba in two different scenarios, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) metodology was used. The "South of the Jibaro" Grain Enterprise was evaluated as a case study. The environmental impacts generated from the intermediate impact categories and those associated with the three categories of final damages proposed by the methodology ReCiPe was evaluated. In addition, the behavior of the ecological footprint was evaluated. The climate change impact category expressed in kg CO2-Eq. The three alternatives 2, 3 and 4, where valorization of rice straw for energy purposes are considered, presented the better results. The alternative 4, where part of the biogas generated is used in the transportation of the different products has the le...
ACIMED, 2015
Conclusiones: los docentes manifestaron haber constatado el avance logrado por los cursistas dura... more Conclusiones: los docentes manifestaron haber constatado el avance logrado por los cursistas durante el programa, y reconocieron el aporte de este para el desarrollo de sus competencias y funciones en la biblioteca. Palabras clave: bibliotecas universitarias, alfabetización informacional, programa de alfabetización informacional, profesionales de la información.
El presente trabajo se origina a partir de la necesidad de profundizar sobre los sistemas de gest... more El presente trabajo se origina a partir de la necesidad de profundizar sobre los sistemas de gestion ambiental (SGA) en la industria azucarera cubana y la busqueda de alternativas metodologicas para implementarlos. El objetivo del mismo es proponer una alternativa metodologica para implementar sistemas sostenibles de gestion ambiental en la industria azucarera, a la vez que se eleve la cultura ambiental de todo el personal de esta industria. Se propone una alternativa metodologica, basada en metodologias o procedimientos reportados por otros autores sobre el tema y se aplican tecnicas y metodos tales como: el trabajo en grupos, encuestas a expertos y el personal de la fabrica, la matriz DAFO y el metodo Delphi que facilitan el analisis. Para validar la alternativa metodologica propuesta se estudia la fabrica Melanio Hernandez, en la que se analizan sus principales indicadores y se propone una estrategia inicial para la gestion ambiental. El trabajo demuestra la novedad cientifica y...
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2020
Pesticides are not only used on food but also on non-food crops, such as tobacco, to control a ra... more Pesticides are not only used on food but also on non-food crops, such as tobacco, to control a range of unwanted animal, plant, and microbial, fungal pests. The residue levels in tobacco leaves are expected to decline up to harvest, during drying, and when the leaves are further processed. Additional pesticides may also be applied to the finished product and residue levels may remain present even when the tobacco is burned. Human exposure to pesticide residues on tobacco occurs when residues remaining in cigarette smoke are inhaled. Based on this assumption, the objectives of this research were (i) to determine the level of pesticides residues in harvested tobacco leaves and (ii) to assess the risk of human exposure to these residues in tobacco smoke. Pesticide residues were detected in all analysed tobacco samples. These detected residues represent ten different active ingredients (AI), three of these AIs (thiodicarb, alachlor, and endosulfan) are no longer allowed in Europe. A 54.7% of these residues were quantifiable. Furthermore, it was found that with the use of solid-phase extraction sorbent (SPE) as adsorbent and n-hexane as solvent, higher recoveries of the pesticide residues in the tobacco smoke from the amount spiked can be obtained. It was also found that cigarette filters help to reduce the intake of residues of pesticides that may be present in cigarettes. Finally, the study concluded that both active smoking and passive smoking populations are exposed to pesticide residues in the tobacco smoke.
Revista Electrónica Educare, 2018
The postulates of Víctor García Hoz, on teaching staff’s behaviors characterized by preferences a... more The postulates of Víctor García Hoz, on teaching staff’s behaviors characterized by preferences and attitudes, have been little analyzed in postgraduate teaching programs. The present article, based on a research project, shows an experience for strengthening the ethical formation of the Cuban university teaching staff that trains administrative personnel from the postulates of the referenced author, as a contribution to personalized education. The methodology developed from an interpretative perspective is applied to professors with the highest scientific and academic categories from the Faculties of Economics, Engineering and Humanities at the University of Sancti Spiritus. The experience is designed in three phases. The first one is descriptive, based on the selection and reading of documents and discussion groups, to know the essential elements of the professional ethics in the context of the university. The second one is empirical, where intervention is implemented to strengthe...
International Journal of Exergy, 2019
In this paper, the exergy analysis methodology is used to analyse four alternatives for the valor... more In this paper, the exergy analysis methodology is used to analyse four alternatives for the valorisation of rice straw for energy purposes in Cuba. The exergy input and output of the product (%), the exergy destroyed (MJ) and the exergetic efficiency (%) are calculated. The exergetic efficiency increases in the three alternatives where rice straw is valorised for energetic purposes. In alternative 4, where it is considered the production of biomethane (to replace 60% of the diesel fuel for harvesting and transportation of products) and electricity via biogas, the exergetic efficiency reaches values of 66.6%. The exergy flow contained in the product increases from 13.2% to 21.9%. The increase in exergy flow in the final product also represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as emissions are avoided by generating the same amount of electricity in a thermal power plant. Alternative 4 also achieves the highest sustainability index (2.994). The cumulative exergy consumption in greenhouse gases (CExCGEI), a new indicator that considers the accumulated exergy that is destroyed in greenhouse gases, is proposed.
Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, 2019
BACKGROUND: The aim of the present research was to provide a strategy for the start-up of upflow ... more BACKGROUND: The aim of the present research was to provide a strategy for the start-up of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors treating sugar cane vinasse, with emphasis on the relevant sulfur compounds along the reactor height. To this end, a laboratory-scale UASB reactor was started up and its performance under the applied conditions was studied. RESULTS: Biomass was able to assimilate organic loading rates from 3 to 10 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) m R −3 d −1 , reducing VFAs accumulation, while increasing biogas production rate (BPR) from 0.92 to 4.12 m 3 m R −3 d −1. The COD and sulfate (SO 4 2−) were mainly removed in the reactor bed, showing homogenous distribution in the blanket and settler zones. However, from bottom to top of the reactor, a slight decrease of total and free sulfide concentrations was observed, indicating that the sludge bed in the UASB reactor was exposed to H 2 S concentrations higher than those measured in the reactor effluent. CONCLUSIONS: During 54 days, the development of macroscopic granules, the COD removal efficiency, the BPR and the CH 4 content proved good indicators to monitor the start-up period. Further research will be needed for strategy validation in pilot and full-scale UASB reactors treating vinasse.
Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, 2017
BACKGROUND Microbial community dynamics during the anaerobic digestion of vinasse has been little... more BACKGROUND Microbial community dynamics during the anaerobic digestion of vinasse has been little studied. However, having knowledge about it is essential for early detection of reactor operational difficulties to apply preventive actions. This research studies the microbial This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as
Waste management (New York, N.Y.), Jan 18, 2017
The conversion efficiency of high solids waste digestion as sugarcane press mud (P) may be limite... more The conversion efficiency of high solids waste digestion as sugarcane press mud (P) may be limited due to hydrolysis step. The option of co-digestion with vinasse, main liquid waste generated from ethanol production, was investigated under batch regime at mesophilic conditions (37.5±1°C) and the best mixture was evaluated under semicontinuous regime in stirred-tank reactors. The maximum values for methane yield in batch tests were for V75/P25 and V50/P50 mixtures (on basis of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) percentage added in the mixture), with an average value of 246NmL CH4g(-1) CODfed, which was 13% higher than that of press mud alone. A highest methane production rate of 69.6NmL CH4g(-1) CODfed(-1)d(-1) was obtained for the mixtureV75/P25. During the experiment carried out in CSTR reactors, the organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 0.5 up to 2.2gVSL(-1)d(-1). Methane yields of 365L CH4 kg(-1)VS and biogas productivities of 1.6LL(-1) were obtained in co-digestion, which ...
Infociencia, Sep 29, 2010
This paper shows the results of a bibliometric study on the scientific productions on the science... more This paper shows the results of a bibliometric study on the scientific productions on the science and technological innovation issue in the universities of Sancti Spiritus between 1999 and 2009, with the objective of identifying the most active institutions in the province as well as the tendencies of the investigation on this subject. Through the analysis techniques of the content the documents are evaluated based on eleven categories. The most important results of the studies on the topic are located in the University of Sancti Spiritus and are oriented towards the diagnosis and suggestions of instruments which do not achieve significant impacts at present but constitute future development potential on the subject; and also offer a detailed information in the studied scientific production.
Infociencia, Jun 19, 2014
The sugar industry is a big consumer of the resource water in all its processes, including the al... more The sugar industry is a big consumer of the resource water in all its processes, including the alcohol production industry, one of the derivatives of its main process. Associated to water consumption there are important energetic expenses mainly for the necessity of using electro-pumps for its transfer. In the alcohol production the highest values of water consumed are concentrated in the fermentation stage. In the industry, object of study the highest consumptions are associated to the molasses dilution stage in alcohol production. This is the reason why this investigation is developed with the objective of assessing the water pumping system in the dilution stage in the distillery "Paradise", located in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba. As a result of this analysis it is proposed the reduction of the diameter of the pump impeller, it would make possible to save 38 249 kW-h per year, equivalent to $ 8 315, 67 per year.
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Papers by OSVALDO Romero Romero