Wayfinding with a GPS-based mobile navigation system: A comparison with maps and direct experience

This study examined the effectiveness of a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based mobile navigation system in comparison to paper maps and direct experience of routes, by focusing on the user's wayfinding behavior and acquired spatial knowledge. Based on information received from one of these three media, participants walked six routes finding the way to goals. Results showed that GPS users traveled longer distances and made more stops during the walk than map users and direct-experience participants. Also, GPS users traveled more slowly, made larger direction errors, drew sketch maps with poorer topological accuracy, and rated wayfinding tasks as more difficult than direct-experience participants. Characteristics of navigation with these three learning media and possible reasons for the ineffectiveness of the GPS-based navigation system are discussed.     

Spatial simulation and LCA evaluation on the plastic waste recycling system in Tianjin

With the rapid economic development in China, the amount of plastic waste (PW) generated has greatly increased and much of the waste is currently not treated. To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from recycling of PW, we estimated the PW flow and considered methods to improve the household PW recycling system in Tianjin by adjusting processes during transportation and establishing a PW recycling factory in Zi’ya Industrial Park. The goal of the study was to identify reasonable improvements for the recycling system and clarify the environmental load. Geographic information system (GIS) technology was used to simulate transport processes for comparing GHG emissions from the transport processes between the present case and an improved case. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare GHG emissions between a projected scenario and a baseline scenario. Estimated GHG emissions during transport processes in the improved case were reduced by about 12,197 t CO₂ eq per year compared to the present case, equivalent to about 65.9 % of the total emissions in the present case. GHG emissions in the projected scenario were about 101,738 t CO₂ eq less per year than the baseline scenario, equivalent to about 75.5 % of the total emissions in the baseline scenario.     

Future year ozone source attribution modeling study using CMAQ-ISAM

ABSTRACT

To achieve the current United States National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) attainment level for ozone or particulate matter, current photochemical air quality models include tools to determine source apportionment and/or source sensitivity. Previous studies by the authors have used the Ozone and Particulate Matter Source Apportionment Technology and Higher-order Decoupled Direct Method probing tools in CAMx to investigate these source-receptor relationships for ozone. The recently available source apportionment for CMAQ, referred to as the Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM), was used in this study to conduct future year (2030) source attribution modeling. The CMAQ-ISAM ozone source attribution results for selected cities across the U.S. showed boundary conditions were the dominant contributor to the future year highest July maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) ozone concentrations. Point sources were generally larger contributors in the eastern U.S. than in the western U.S. The contributions of on-road mobile emissions were around 5 ppb at most of the cities selected for analysis. Off-road mobile source contributions were around 20 ppb or nearly 30%. Since boundary conditions play an important role in future year ozone levels, it is important to characterize future year boundary conditions accurately. The current implementation of ISAM in CMAQ 5.0.2 requires significant computing resources for ozone source attribution, making it difficult to conduct long-term simulations for large domains. The computing requirements for PM source attribution are even more onerous. CMAQ 5.2 was released after this study was completed, and does not include ISAM. If an efficient version of ISAM becomes available, it could be used in long-term ozone and PM2.5 studies. Implications: Ozone source attribution results provide useful information on important emission source contribution categories and provide some initial guidance on future emission reduction strategies. This study explains a new source apportionment technique, CMAQ-ISAM, and compares it to CAMx OSAT. The techniques have similar results: ozone’s highest source contributor is boundary conditions, followed by point sources, then off-road mobile sources. The current version of ISAM in CMAQ 5.0.2 requires significant computing resources for ozone source attribution, while the computing requirements for PM source attribution are even more onerous. CMAQ 5.2 was released after this study was completed, and does not include ISAM.     

Quantitative analysis of microbial biomass yield in aerobic bioreactor

We have studied the integrated model of reaction rate equations with thermal energy balance in aerobic bioreactor for food waste decomposition and showed that the integrated model has the capability both of monitoring microbial activity in real time and of analyzing biodegradation kinetics and thermal-hydrodynamic properties. On the other hand, concerning microbial metabolism, it was known that balancing catabolic reactions with anabolic reactions in terms of energy and electron flow provides stoichiometric metabolic reactions and enables the estimation of microbial biomass yield (stoichiometric reaction model). We have studied a method for estimating real-time microbial biomass yield in the bioreactor during food waste decomposition by combining the integrated model with the stoichiometric reaction model. As a result, it was found that the time course of microbial biomass yield in the bioreactor during decomposition can be evaluated using the operational data of the bioreactor (weight of input food waste and bed temperature) by the combined model. The combined model can be applied to manage a food waste decomposition not only for controlling system operation to keep microbial activity stable, but also for producing value–added products such as compost on optimum condition.     

Community-based solid waste bank program for municipal solid waste management improvement in Indonesia: a case study of Padang city

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Indonesia has a regulation UU No. 18/2008 which changes the paradigm from waste dumping to recycling. The purpose of this study is to understand...     

Preparation and performance of arsenate (V) adsorbents derived from concrete wastes

Solid adsorbent materials, prepared from waste cement powder and concrete sludge were assessed for removal of arsenic in the form of arsenic (As(V)) from water. All the materials exhibited arsenic removal capacity when added to distilled water containing 10–700 mg/L arsenic. The arsenic removal isotherms were expressed by the Langmuir type equations, and the highest removal capacity was observed for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment at 105 °C, the maximum removal capacity being 175 mg-As(V)/g. Based on changes in arsenic and calcium ion concentrations, and solution pH, the removal mechanism for arsenic was considered to involve the precipitation of calcium arsenate, Ca₃(AsO₄)₂. The enhanced removal of arsenic for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment was thought to reflect ion exchange by ettringite. The prepared adsorbents, derived from waste cement and concrete using simple procedures, may offer a cost effective approach for arsenic removal and clean-up of contaminated waters, especially in developing countries.     

Model prediction on the rise of pCO2 in uniform flows by leakage of CO2 purposefully stored under the seabed

A numerical study was conducted to predict pCO₂ change in the ocean on a continental shelf by the leakage of CO₂, which is originally stored in the aquifer under the seabed, in the case that a large fault connects the CO₂ reservoir and the seabed by an earthquake or other diastrophism. The leakage rate was set to be 6.025 × 10⁻⁴ kg/m²/sec from 2 m × 100 m fault band, which corresponds to 3800 t-CO₂/year, referring to the monitored seepage rate from an existing EOR field. The target space in this study was limited to the ocean above the seabed, the depth of which was 200 or 500 m. The computational domain was idealistically rectangular with the seabed fault-band perpendicular to the uniform flow. The CO₂ takes a form of bubbles or droplets, depending on the depth of water, and their behaviour and dissolution were numerically simulated during their rise in seawater flow. The advection–diffusion of dissolved CO₂ was also simulated. As a result, it was suggested that the leaked CO₂ droplets/bubbles all dissolve in the seawater before spouting up to the atmosphere, and that the increase in pCO₂ in the seawater was smaller than 500 μ atm.     

Influence of arsenic stress on synthesis and localization of low-molecular-weight thiols in Pteris vittata

The roles of low-molecular-weight thiols (LMWTs), such as glutathione and phytochelatins, in arsenic (As) tolerance and hyperaccumulation in Pteris vittata an As-hyperaccumulator fern remain to be better understood. This study aimed to thoroughly characterize LMWT synthesis in P. vittata to understand the roles played by LMWTs in As tolerance and hyperaccumulation. LMWT synthesis in P. vittata was induced directly by As, and not by As-mediated oxidative stress. Expression of PvECS2, one of the putative genes of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γECS), increases in P. vittata shoots at 48 h after the onset of As exposure, almost corresponding to the increase in the concentrations of γ-glutamylcysteine and glutathione. Furthermore, localization of As showed similar trends to those of LMWTs in fronds at both whole-frond and cellular levels. This study thus indicates the specific contribution of LMWTs to As tolerance in P. vittata. γECS may be responsible for the As-induced enhancement of LMWT synthesis.     

Numerical simulation on multi-scale diffusion of CO2 injected in the deep ocean in a practical scenario

The direct injection of CO₂ into the deep ocean is one of the ways for the mitigation of the global warming. There is, however, a concern about its environmental impact near the injection point. To minimize its biological impact, it is necessary to make CO₂ disperse as fast as possible and it is thought that injection with pipes towed by moving-ships is effective for this purpose. Because the injection ships are planned to move in the site, the order of magnitude of which is 10² km, a mesoscale model is required to predict CO₂ fate in seawater. At the same time, it is required to predict the concentration precisely near the injection points, which move with the ships in the mesoscale domain. In this study, a multi-scale ocean model was developed to analyze the dispersion of CO₂ in the deep ocean: the model consists of a fixed mesoscale domain and 5 small-scale domains nesting in the mesoscale domain. Each small-scale domain involves 6 pipes and moves along with the trajectories of the injection ships. From the results of the present numerical simulation, the developed technique demonstrated its applicability as a tool to optimise the system to dilute CO₂ below some criterion of biological impact.