Structure of Mn-Zr mixed oxides catalysts and their catalytic performance in the gas-phase oxidation of chlorocarbons

The catalytic activity and selectivity of manganese zirconia mixed oxides were evaluated for the oxidation of two common chlorinated pollutants found in waste streams, namely 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Mixed oxides with varying Mn-Zr content were prepared by coprecipitation via nitrates, and subsequent calcination at 600 degrees C for 4 h in air. These catalysts were characterised by means of several techniques such as atomic emission spectrometry, N2 adsorption-desorption, powder X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, pyridine adsorption followed by diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction with hydrogen. The active catalytic behaviour of Mn-Zr mixed oxides was ascribed to a substantial surface acidity combined with readily accessible active oxygen species. Hence, the mixed oxide with 40 mol% manganese content was found to be an optimum catalyst for the combustion of both chlorocarbons with a T50 value around 305 and 315 degrees C for DCE and TCE oxidation, respectively. The major oxidation products were carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride and chlorine. It was observed that the formation of both CO2 and Cl2 was promoted with Mn loading.     

Oxidation of trichloroethene over metal oxide catalysts: kinetic studies and correlation with adsorption properties

The performance of bulk chromium oxide is compared with that of a Mn commercial catalyst for the deep oxidation of trichloroethene (1000-2500ppmv, 55h(-1) space velocity) in air, in dry and wet (20000ppm of H(2)O) conditions, in terms of activity, selectivity and stability. Chromium oxide was found to be more active (on a catalyst weight basis), however its activity decreases continuously with time on stream. The presence of water increases its stability, the Mn catalyst showing the opposite behaviour. The effect of water on the Cr catalyst can be explained according to the Deacon equilibrium, as the presence of water tends to decrease the Cl(2) concentration, assumed to be responsible of the catalyst deactivation. Regarding to the selectivity, the Mn catalyst yields C(2)Cl(4), CCl(4) and CHCl(3) as organochlorinated by-products, whereas chromium oxide produces only trace amounts of CCl(4). Simple power-law kinetics expressions (first-order for Mn and zero-order for Cr) provide fairly good fits for the evolution of the conversion with the temperature. Furthermore, the kinetic behaviour of chromium oxide can be represented with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood model taking into account the chlorine inhibitory effect.     

Sustainable cities: do political factors determine the quality of life?

The implementation of urban sustainability practices is affected by political obstacles, and diverse political ideologies may defend different city models. Sustainable policy design could also be affected by several factors that cause the deflection of resources initially allocated to other groups that are contrary to the concerns pursued and have the power to veto sustainable plans by exerting pressure on the party in power.In this sense, the aim of this paper is to show the impact that political factors have on cities’ sustainability, and the effect of both on cities’ economic development. To do so, we used the 78 Spanish cities with a population over 100,000 studied by MERCO (Spanish Corporate Reputation Monitor) as regards their levels of sustainability for the fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Both relationships have been tested empirically through two dependence models using linear regression techniques.The results obtained show that political competition improves cities’ sustainability, while a leftist ideology has an inverse impact. On the other hand, a significant direct relationship has been observed between urban sustainability and municipal economic activity.     

Recovery of the histogram of hourly ozone distribution from weekly average concentrations

A simple method is presented for estimating hourly distribution of air pollutants, based on data collected by passive sensors on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with no need for previous measurements at a site. In order for this method to be applied to locations where no hourly records are available, reference data from other sites are required to generate calibration histograms. The proposed procedure allows one to obtain the histogram of hourly ozone values during a given week with an error of about 30%, which is good considering the simplicity of this approach. This method can be a valuable tool for sites that lack previous hourly records of pollutant ambient concentrations, where it can be used to verify compliance with regulations or to estimate the AOT40 index with an acceptable degree of exactitude.     

An improved trend vegetation analysis for non-stationary NDVI time series based on wavelet transform

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this paper is to improve trend analysis for non-stationary Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series (TS) over different...     

Understanding conservation conflicts associated with rodent outbreaks in farmland areas

Rodent outbreaks affect many farmland areas worldwide and the negative environmental impacts of control campaigns cause intense social tensions. In such conservation conflicts, understanding stakeholders’ viewpoints is critical to promote ecologically sustainable management. We used Q-methodology, a framework standing between qualitative and quantitative social research, to investigate human subjectivity and understand conflicts caused by rodent outbreaks in Spain. We interviewed farmers, conservationists, hunters, and governmental agencies, and identified five main discourses about the origins and consequences of the conflictive situation. Finding sustainable management is impaired by opposing views about causes and consequences of vole outbreaks and their management, which are at the root of the conflict. Social tensions will likely remain until the underlying conflicts between people holding different views are also managed. Decision-making should therefore focus on mitigating underlying conflicts. Using trained independent mediators would help the effective resolution of conservation conflicts caused by rodent outbreaks and their management.

     

Spatial distribution of pesticides,organochlorine compounds,PBDEs, and metals in surface marine sediments from Cartagena Bay,Colombia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cartagena Bay is an estuarine system located in the Caribbean Sea (Colombia, South America), that receives fresh water from Canal del Dique, which is...     

A method to estimate emission rates from industrial stacks based on neural networks

This paper presents a technique based on artificial neural networks (ANN) to estimate pollutant rates of emission from industrial stacks, on the basis of pollutant concentrations measured on the ground. The ANN is trained on data generated by the ISCST3 model, widely accepted for evaluation of dispersion of primary pollutants as a part of an environmental impact study. Simulations using theoretical values and comparison with field data are done, obtaining good results in both cases at predicting emission rates. The application of this technique would allow the local environment authority to control emissions from industrial plants without need of performing direct measurements inside the plant.     

Green marketing mix: A case study of Brazilian retail enterprises

The challenges posed by the limited availability of resources means that retail operations and methods must be revised and redesigned. Against the current backdrop of changes, companies are seeking to innovate the way in which they market their wares. Within this context, this article discusses the “green marketing mix” from the perspective of Brazilian retail enterprises. In addition, the study described in this article sought to identify and highlight the elements that should be considered when defining strategically each variable within the green retail marketing mix. As part of this work, a case study was carried out on two Brazilian retail companies. The case analysis revealed that despite defining themselves as “green,” when their retail marketing mix was analyzed, the companies presented differing degrees of sustainability. Furthermore, expanding the theoretical framework for the green retail marketing mix is a crucial issue in the services sector, and it has significant, practical repercussions.