Emerging applications of green coconut: A promising lignocellulosic biomass

Waste accumulation is a grave concern and becoming a transboundary challenge for environment. During Covid-19 pandemic, diverse type of waste were collected due to different practices employed in order to fight back the transmission rate of the virus. Covid-19 was proved to be capricious catastrophe of this 20th century and even not completely eradicated from the world. The havoc created by this imperceptible quick witted, pleomorphic deadly virus can't be ignored. Though a number of vaccines have been developed by the scientists but there is a fear of getting this virus again in our life. Medical studies prove that immunity drinks will help to reduce its reoccurrences. Coconut water is widely used among all drinks available globally. Its massive consumption created an incalculable pile of green coconut shells around the different corners of the world. This practice generating enormous problem of space acquisition for the environment. Both the environment and public health will benefit from an evaluation of quantity of coconut waste that is being thrown and its potential to generate value added products. With this context, present article has been planned to study different aspects like, coconut waste generation, its biological properties and environmental hazards associated with its accumulation. Additionally, this review illustrates, green technologies for production of different value added products from coconut waste.     

新形势下环境质量综合分析思路探讨

随着中国共产党第十九次全国代表大会的顺利召开,环保"大部制"改革、环境监测垂直管理制度改革以及国家"大气十条""水十条""土十条"的全面实施均对生态环境保护、环境监测乃至环境质量综合分析工作提出了新要求。新形势下,环境质量综合分析应与时俱进、开拓创新,进一步优化工作机制,加强系统分析,增强综合分析报告的科学性、规范性、时效性、精准性、客观性等,强化技术与能力支撑,更好发挥环境监测对环境管理和决策的引领作用。     

2020年初疫情管控对山东省空气质量影响的模拟

利用2020年初新冠疫情对人类生产、生活的一次自然冲击及由此导致的大气污染状况变化,研究了空气质量对污染物减排及气象因素的响应关系.通过对疫情管控前（1月15~23日）和疫情控制关键期（1月24日~2月7日）这2个阶段空气质量对比分析发现,疫情期间山东省除O₃浓度上升外,PM₁₀、PM_2.5、NO₂、SO₂及CO浓度分别降低72.6 μg·m^-3、47.4 μg·m^-3、25.6 μg·m^-3、3.0 μg·m^-3和0.5 mg·m^-3;降幅分别为45.86%、41.24%、58.00%、17.71%和31.40%;RAMS-CMAQ模拟显示,疫情期气象扩散条件改善导致的PM₁₀、PM_2.5、NO₂、SO₂和CO浓度改善幅度为26.04%、33.03%、28.35%、43.27%和23.29%,人为减排造成的各污染物浓度降低幅度为19.82%、8.21%、29.65%、-25.56%和8.12%.疫情期间O₃浓度上升20.51%,气象因素和人为活动的影响分别占10.47%和10.04%.结果表明一次污染物对减排响应更敏感,二次污染物对减排响应有一定时滞性且受气象因素影响更显著,臭氧浓度对污染物减排线性响应关系不明显,总体呈负相关,说明臭氧的控制需探索科学的污染物减排比例.     

京津冀及周边地区秋冬季大气污染物排放变化因素解析

基于大气污染源排放清单技术方法,定量分析2016~2017年秋冬季"跨年霾"至2019~2020年秋冬季"疫情霾"期间京津冀及周边地区主要大气污染物排放量变化,解析大气污染防治政策实施带来的减排和疫情造成的活动水平下降对主要污染物排放的贡献,并利用空气质量模型模拟分析不利气象条件下措施减排和疫情影响对空气质量改善的贡献.结果表明,从"跨年霾"（2016-12-16~2017-01-14）至"疫情霾"（2020-01-22~2020-02-14）该区域主要大气污染物排放量大幅下降50%左右,不利气象条件下,区域PM_2.5平均浓度可削减40%以上.措施减排主要来自火电、钢铁等重点工业行业提标改造和工业锅炉、民用燃煤等燃煤源治理,对SO₂和PM_2.5排放量的削减贡献较大,贡献率分别为67.1%和53.4%;疫情主要影响移动源和轻工业活动水平,对NO_x和VOCs排放量的削减贡献较大,贡献率分别为71.9%和68.2%.措施减排对区域空气质量改善贡献突出,有效抑制了重污染过程的强度和范围.在"跨年霾"的不利气象条件下,措施减排使区域PM_2.5平均浓度下降26%,重度及以上污染天数减少44%.受疫情影响,区域PM_2.5平均浓度继续下降24%,重污染持续时间和范围进一步缩减.     

基于机器学习算法的新冠疫情管控对河南省空气质量影响的模拟分析

全国各地为了减少新冠疫情对社会和人民生活的影响,采取了必要的防疫防控措施,这些措施对空气质量的变化产生了重要的影响,此外空气质量的变化与气象条件也存在很大的关系.通过对河南省疫情前（1月1~26日）和疫情管控期（1月27日~2月29日）这两阶段的空气质量分析对比发现,整个河南省除了O₃浓度上升了69.64%外,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、CO和NO₂分别降低了36.89%、34.18%、19.43%、29.85%和58.51%;通过机器学习算法中的长短期记忆型网络（LSTM）模拟显示,气象条件引起污染物浓度的降幅大部分在15%~30%之间;人为排放减少引起的污染物浓度的降幅大部分在6%~40%之间.O₃在疫情期间上升过程中,气象条件和人为排放两种因素分别占了34.84%和34.81%.结果表明,疫情管控期间,河南省空气质量总体上有所改善,但是也有重污染发生,其中O₃的浓度对于疫情管控减排的影响不明显,呈负相关,需要进一步探索引起臭氧浓度上升的原因,以此帮助政府合理控制臭氧等前体污染物的减排比例.     

Aerosol transmission,an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread: case study of a department-store cluster

• Aerosol transmission is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread. • Different outbreak sites have different epidemiologic feature. • SRAS-CoV-2 can exist for a long time in aerosol. • SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in diverse places. • Some environmental factors can impact SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol. Patients with COVID-19 have revealed a massive outbreak around the world, leading to widespread concerns in global scope. Figuring out the transmission route of COVID-19 is necessary to control further spread. We analyzed the data of 43 patients in Baodi Department Store (China) to supplement the transmission route and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in a cluster outbreak. Incubation median was estimated to endure 5.95 days (2–13 days). Almost 76.3% of patients sought medical attention immediately upon illness onset. The median period of illness onset to hospitalization and confirmation were 3.96 days (0–14) and 5.58 days (1–21), respectively. Patients with different cluster case could demonstrate unique epidemiological characteristics due to the particularity of outbreak sites. SRAS-CoV-2 can be released into the surrounding air through patient’s respiratory tract activities, and can exist for a long time for long-distance transportation. SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in different sites, including isolation ward, general ward, outdoor, toilet, hallway, and crowded public area. Environmental factors influencing were analyzed and indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol was dependent on temperature, air humidity, ventilation rate and inactivating chemicals (ozone) content. As for the infection route of case numbers 2 to 6, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 23, we believe that aerosol transmission played a significant role in analyzing their exposure history and environmental conditions in Baodi Department Store. Aerosol transmission could occur in some cluster cases when the environmental factors are suitable, and it is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread.     

广东某市疫情期间污水中精神药物的分布特征和滥用评价

采用污水流行病学的方法，研究了2020年新冠疫情期间及前后广东省某市生活污水中两种典型精神药物甲基苯丙胺和氯胺酮的赋存特征及其变化情况，并运用手机信令数据分析人口总数、结构特征及其变动规律，进而将两者结合分析了疫情期间及前后两种药物的消费量变化特征.结果表明，疫情期间该市实际人口相对于疫情前下降了约45%，两种药物总消费量相对于疫情前下降了约75%.总消费量的显著下降很大程度是由疫情期间实际人口下降造成的.实际上，疫情期间该市甲基苯丙胺和氯胺酮的人均消费水平相对于疫情前下降不到50%.考虑到疫情期间严格的管控措施，这一下降幅度说明这两种精神类药物滥用极其顽固；而疫情后两种药物的消费量及在环境中的浓度又基本恢复到疫情前的水平，进一步证明了精神类药物滥用的顽固性.     

Dramatic decline of observed atmospheric CO2 and CH4 during the COVID-19 lockdown over the Yangtze River Delta of China

The temporal variation of greenhouse gas concentrations in China during the COVID-19 lockdown in China is analyzed in this work using high resolution measurements of near surface △CO₂, △CH₄ and △CO concentrations above the background conditions at Lin'an station (LAN), a regional background station in the Yangtze River Delta region. During the pre-lockdown observational period (IOP-1), both △CO₂ and △CH₄ exhibited a significant increasing trend relative to the 2011-2019 climatological mean. The reduction of △CO₂, △CH₄ and △CO during the lockdown observational period (IOP-2) (which also coincided with the Chinese New Year Holiday) reached up to 15.0 ppm, 14.2 ppb and 146.8 ppb, respectively, and a reduction of △CO₂/△CO probably due to a dramatic reduction from industrial emissions. △CO₂, △CH₄ and △CO were observed to keep declining during the post-lockdown easing phase (IOP-3), which is the synthetic result of lower than normal CO₂ emissions from rural regions around LAN coupled with strong uptake of the terrestrial ecosystem. Interestingly, the trend reversed to gradual increase for all species during the later easing phase (IOP-4), with △CO₂/△CO constantly increasing from IOP-2 to IOP-3 and finally IOP-4, consistent with recovery in industrial emissions associated with the staged resumption of economic activity. On average, △CO₂ declined sharply throughout the days during IOP-2 but increased gradually throughout the days during IOP-4. The findings showcase the significant role of emission reduction in accounting for the dramatic changes in measured atmospheric △CO₂ and △CH₄ associated with the COVID-19 lockdown and recovery.     

Adsorptive removal of resorcinol on a novel ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) employing COK-19 silica scaffold: Kinetics and equilibrium study

Phenolic compounds and their derivatives have been found in industrial wastewater, which pose threats to the natural environment. Ordered mesoporous carbon(OMC) has been identified as an ideal adsorbent possessing high specific surface area and large pore volume to alleviate these pollutants. A novel ordered mesoporous carbon was prepared using COK-19 template with the cubic Fm3 m structure for the first time. Ordered mesoporous silica COK-19 was synthesized and reported in 2015. Sucrose as the carbon precursor was impregnated into the mesopores of silica and converted to carbon through carbonization process using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. Ordered mesoporous carbon was obtained after the removal of silica framework using hydrofluoric acid. Boric acid was employed for the preparation of OMCs with tunable pore sizes in the range of 6.9–16.6 nm. Several characterization techniques such as nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscope(TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Boehm titration and elemental analysis were employed to characterize the OMCs. The pore size analysis and TEM images confirmed that OMC has replicated the mesostructure of the COK-19. Results obtained from adsorption kinetics and isotherms suggest that the Pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm well described the experimental data.     

新冠期间河北省典型钢铁企业大气污染影响

基于国家气象局气象预报数据,建立了基于AERMOD的钢铁企业污染预报模型,模拟了新冠疫情管控期（2020年2~3月）及解封后期（2020年4~10月）河北省某钢铁企业对大气污染的影响,并结合空气质量实测数据进行模型验证.结果显示,不利风向条件下,该钢铁厂大气污染物排放对当地3个国控站点SO₂、NO_x和PM₁₀的平均浓度贡献占比,在疫情管控期分别为20.19%~33.81%,17.49%~23.46%和2.02%~2.69%,在解封后期分别为13.43%~21.01%,11.09%~20.92%和1.20%~2.22%.由于疫情管控期受其他人为源干扰较少,该钢铁厂SO₂、NO_x和PM₁₀的预报值和三个国控站点实际监测值的相关系数,在新冠疫情管控期（在单个站点中,最高分别为0.43、0.48和0.29）高于解封后期（最高分别为0.42、0.39和0.07）.