Emission factors for high-emitting vehicles based on on-road measurements of individual vehicle exhaust with a mobile measurement platform

Fuel-based emission factors for 143 light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) and 93 heavy-duty diesel trucks (HDDTs) were measured in Wilmington, CA using a zero-emission mobile measurement platform (MMP). The frequency distributions of emission factors of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO(x)), and particle mass with aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 microm (PM2.5) varied widely, whereas the average of the individual vehicle emission factors were comparable to those reported in previous tunnel and remote sensing studies as well as the predictions by Emission Factors (EMFAC) 2007 mobile source emission model for Los Angeles County. Variation in emissions due to different driving modes (idle, low- and high-speed acceleration, low- and high-speed cruise) was found to be relatively small in comparison to intervehicle variability and did not appear to interfere with the identification of high emitters, defined as the vehicles whose emissions were more than 5 times the fleet-average values. Using this definition, approximately 5% of the LDGVs and HDDTs measured were high emitters. Among the 143 LDGVs, the average emission factors of NO(x), black carbon (BC), PM2.5, and ultrafine particle (UFP) would be reduced by 34%, 39%, 44%, and 31%, respectively, by removing the highest 5% of emitting vehicles, whereas CO emission factor would be reduced by 50%. The emission distributions of the 93 HDDTs measured were even more skewed: approximately half of the NO(x) and CO fleet-average emission factors and more than 60% of PM2.5, UFP, and BC fleet-average emission factors would be reduced by eliminating the highest-emitting 5% HDDTs. Furthermore, high emissions of BC, PM2.5, and NO(x) tended to cluster among the same vehicles.     

The role of environmental and socio-demographic indicators in the analysis of land use changes in a protected area of the Natura 2000 Network: the case study of Lake Trasimeno,Umbria, Central Italy

This article sets out to analyse how and to what degree land use is linked to the physical characteristics of the territory itself, and the way in which changes in land use are determined by agricultural and socio-demographic dynamics. The study was conducted within the territorial boundaries of five municipalities surrounding Lake Trasimeno and refers to the periods 1977–2000 for land use and 1971–2001 for socio-demography data. The use of environmental, social, economic and agricultural indicators demonstrates how a mix of various indicators are useful for monitoring the changes which took place. It also shows the powerful influence that socio-demographic factors exert upon land use and landscape change.     

Indoor air quality in university environments

This study evaluates the airborne microflora in research laboratories of the University of Chieti (Italy). A quali-quantitative evaluation of the index microbial air contamination was performed using the settle plate method. The microbial air contamination was evaluated during 6 months in three university buildings (A, B, and C). Nutrient agar plates were exposed, monthly, for 1 h at the morning and the afternoon to evaluate the colony forming units per plate per hour. Together with the quantitative analysis, the most frequent bacterial and fungal colonies isolated were also characterized. Moreover, in each sampling, the number of the occupants in each room was recorded to evaluate a possible relationship with the microbial pollution. The microbial concentration was always within the limit values defined for these environments. Buildings A and C displayed a seasonal fluctuation of airborne microflora with the increase in microbial concentration in the warmer season (April to June) in respect to the colder period (October to December). The most common microorganisms detected in the indoor air of the examined buildings were Gram-positive bacteria, belonged to the genera Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Actinomyces. Data presented here underline the useful monitoring of the research university laboratories also emphasizing the effectiveness of the settle plate method.     

Anoxic-aerobic treatment of the liquid fraction of cattle manure

Cattle manure from a dairy farm was treated in order to reduce its pollution potential. The manure came from a farm with 120 cows kept in stables in a free stall barn. As pretreatment, the manure is usually filtered on the farm using a screw press separator with a 0.5 mm mesh. Approximately 70% of the total filtered volume passes through the screen, thus constituting the liquid fraction. This fraction, with a composition of around 64,500 mg COD/l, 5770 mg total-N/l and 800 mg total-P/l, was subjected to centrifugation followed by a two-step biological treatment (anoxic-aerobic) to reduce organic matter (COD), nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. Centrifugation led to the following removal efficiencies: 35% total solids, 60% COD, 75% total phosphorus and 20% total nitrogen (mainly organic nitrogen). With the subsequent anoxic-aerobic treatment, average removal efficiencies of 85% for COD, 90% for total phosphorus and 75% for total nitrogen were achieved.     

Impact of roadside noise barriers on particle size distributions and pollutants concentrations near freeways

Increasing epidemiological evidence has established an association between a host of adverse health effects and exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and co-pollutants, especially those emitted from motor vehicles. Although PM and their co-pollutants dispersion profiles near the open freeway have been extensively characterized by means of both experimental measurements and numerical simulations in recent years, such investigations near freeways with roadside barriers have not been well documented in the literature. A few previous studies suggested that the presence of roadside structures, such as noise barriers and vegetation, may impact the decay of pollutant concentrations downwind of the freeway by limiting the initial dispersion of traffic emissions and increasing their vertical mixing due to the upward deflection of airflow. Since the noise barriers are now common roadside features of the freeways, particularly those running through populated urban areas, it is pertinent to investigate the impact of their presence on the particles and co-pollutants concentrations in areas adjacent to busy roadways. This study investigated two highly trafficked freeways (I-710 and I-5) in Southern California, with two sampling sites for each freeway, one with and the other without the roadside noise barriers. Particle size distributions and co-pollutants concentrations were measured in the immediate proximity of freeways and at different distances downwind of the freeways. The results showed the formation of a “concentration deficit” zone in the immediate vicinity of the freeway with the presence of roadside noise barrier, followed by a surge of pollutant concentrations further downwind at 80–100 m away from freeway. The particle and co-pollutants concentrations reach background levels at farther distances of 250–400 m compared to 150–200 m at the sites without roadside noise barriers.     

Fate and degradation of triasulfuron in soil and water under laboratory conditions

The behavior and fate of triasulfuron (TRS) in water and soil systems were examined in laboratory studies. The degradation of TRS in both buffer solution and soil was highly pH-sensitive. The rate of degradation could be described with a pseudo first-order kinetic and was much faster at pH 4 than at pH 7 and 9. Aqueous hydrolysis occurred by cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge to form 2-(2-chloroethoxy) benzenesulfonamide (CBSA) and [(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino] (AMMT). AMMT was unstable in aqueous solutions in any pH condition but it degraded more quickly at pH 4 and 9. CBSA did not degrade in aqueous solutions or in enriched cultures but it underwent a quick degradation in the soil. The rates of TRS degradation in sterile and non-sterile soils were similar, suggesting that microorganisms played a minimal role in the breakdown process. This hypothesis is supported by the results of studies on the degradation of TRS by enriched cultures during which the molecule underwent a prevalently chemical degradation.     

Photocatalytic mechanisms of indoleamine destruction by the quinalphos metabolite 2-hydroxyquinoxaline: a study on melatonin and its precursors serotonin and N-acetylserotonin

The redox-active quinalphos main metabolite, 2-hydroxyquinoxaline, is particularly effective under excitation by light. We have studied the photocatalytic destruction of melatonin and its precursors, because the cytoprotective indoleamine has been detected in high quantities in mammalian skin. In photooxidation reactions, in which melatonin, N-acetylserotonin and serotonin are destroyed by 2-hydroxyquinoxaline, the photocatalyst is virtually not consumed. Rates of melatonin and serotonin destruction are not changed by the singlet oxygen quencher 1,4-diazabicyclo-(2,2,2)-octane, indicating that this oxygen species is not involved in the primary reactions, so that the persistence of 2-hydroxyquinoxaline has to be explained by redox cycling. This should imply formation of an organic radical, presumably the quinoxaline-2-oxyl radical, from which 2-hydroxyquinoxaline is regenerated by electron abstraction from indolic radical scavengers. Electron donation by 2-hydroxyquinoxaline is demonstrated by reduction of the 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazolinyl-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical under ultrasound excitation. The compound 2-hydroxyquinoxaline interacts with the specific superoxide anion scavenger Tiron. Formation of oligomeric products from melatonin and serotonin is strongly inhibited by sodium dithionite. Products from photocatalytic indolamine conversion are predominantly dimers and oligomers. No kynuramines were detected in the case of serotonin oxidation, and melatonin's otherwise prevailing oxidation product N ¹-acetyl-N ²-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine, another cytoprotective metabolite, is only formed in relatively small quantities. The proportion between products from melatonin is changed by 1,4-diazabicyclo-(2,2,2)-octane: singlet oxygen, also formed under the influence of excited 2-hydroxyquinoxaline, only affects secondary reactions.     

Application of Cellulose Microfibrils in Polymer Nanocomposites

Cellulose microfibrils obtained by the acid hydrolysis of cellulose fibers were added at low concentrations (2–10% w/w) to polymer gels and films as reinforcing agents. Significant changes in mechanical properties, especially maximum load and tensile strength, were obtained for fibrils derived from several cellulosic sources, including cotton, softwood, and bacterial cellulose. For extruded starch plastics, the addition of cotton-derived microfibrils at 10.3% (w/w) concentration increased Young’s modulus by 5-fold relative to a control sample with no cellulose reinforcement. Preliminary data suggests that shear alignment significantly improves tensile strength. Addition of microfibrils does not always change mechanical properties in a predictable direction. Whereas tensile strength and modulus were shown to increase during addition of microfibrils to an extruded starch thermoplastic and a cast latex film, these parameters decreased when microfibrils were added to a starch–pectin blend, implying that complex interactions are involved in the application of these reinforcing agents.