Source separation of municipal solid waste: The effects of different separation methods and citizens’ inclination—case study of Changsha,China

A case study on the source separation of municipal solid waste (MSW) was performed in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province, China. The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of different separation methods and compare their effects with citizens’ attitudes and inclination. An effect evaluation method based on accuracy rate and miscellany rate was proposed to study the performance of different separation methods. A large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted to determine citizens’ attitudes and inclination toward source separation. Survey result shows that the vast majority of respondents hold consciously positive attitudes toward participation in source separation. Moreover, the respondents ignore the operability of separation methods and would rather choose the complex separation method involving four or more subclassed categories. For the effects of separation methods, the site experiment result demonstrates that the relatively simple separation method involving two categories (food waste and other waste) achieves the best effect with the highest accuracy rate (83.1%) and the lowest miscellany rate (16.9%) among the proposed experimental alternatives. The outcome reflects the inconsistency between people’s environmental awareness and behavior. Such inconsistency and conflict may be attributed to the lack of environmental knowledge. Environmental education is assumed to be a fundamental solution to improve the effect of source separation of MSW in Changsha. Important management tips on source separation, including the reformation of the current pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system, are presented in this work.

Implications: A case study on the source separation of municipal solid waste was performed in Changsha. An effect evaluation method based on accuracy rate and miscellany rate was proposed to study the performance of different separation methods. The site experiment result demonstrates that the two-category (food waste and other waste) method achieves the best effect. The inconsistency between people’s inclination and the effect of source separation exists. The proposed method can be expanded to other cities to determine the most effective separation method during planning stages or to evaluate the performance of running source separation systems.     

Ambient air concentrations exceeded health-based standards for fine particulate matter and benzene during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered one of the largest marine oil spills in the history of the United States. Air emissions associated with the oil spill caused concern among residents of Southeast Louisiana. The purpose of this study was to assess ambient concentrations of benzene (n=3,887) and fine particulate matter (n=102,682) during the oil spill and to evaluate potential exposure disparities in the region. Benzene and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in the targeted parishes were generally higher following the oil spill, as expected. Benzene concentrations reached 2 to 19 times higher than background, and daily exceedances of PM2.5 were 10 to 45 times higher than background. Both benzene and PM2.5 concentrations were considered high enough to exceed public health criteria, with measurable exposure disparities in the coastal areas closer to the spill and clean-up activities. These findings raise questions about public disclosure of environmental health risks associated with the oil spill. The findings also provide a science-based rationale for establishing health-based action levels in future disasters.

Implications: Benzene and particulate matter monitoring during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill revealed that ambient air quality was a likely threat to public health and that residents in coastal Louisiana experienced significantly greater exposures than urban residents. Threshold air pollution levels established for the oil spill apparently were not used as a basis for informing the public about these potential health impacts. Also, despite carrying out the most comprehensive air monitoring ever conducted in the region, none of the agencies involved provided integrated analysis of the data or conclusive statements about public health risk. Better information about real-time risk is needed in future environmental disasters.     

Public health and components of particulate matter: The changing assessment of black carbon

In 2012, the WHO classified diesel emissions as carcinogenic, and its European branch suggested creating a public health standard for airborne black carbon (BC). In 2011, EU researchers found that life expectancy could be extended four to nine times by reducing a unit of BC, vs reducing a unit of PM_2.5. Only recently could such determinations be made. Steady improvements in research methodologies now enable such judgments.

In this Critical Review, we survey epidemiological and toxicological literature regarding carbonaceous combustion emissions, as research methodologies improved over time. Initially, we focus on studies of BC, diesel, and traffic emissions in the Western countries (where daily urban BC emissions are mainly from diesels). We examine effects of other carbonaceous emissions, e.g., residential burning of biomass and coal without controls, mainly in developing countries.

Throughout the 1990s, air pollution epidemiology studies rarely included species not routinely monitored. As additional PM_2.5. chemical species, including carbonaceous species, became more widely available after 1999, they were gradually included in epidemiological studies. Pollutant species concentrations which more accurately reflected subject exposure also improved models.

Natural “interventions” - reductions in emissions concurrent with fuel changes or increased combustion efficiency; introduction of ventilation in highway tunnels; implementation of electronic toll payment systems – demonstrated health benefits of reducing specific carbon emissions. Toxicology studies provided plausible biological mechanisms by which different PM species, e.g., carbonaceous species, may cause harm, aiding interpretation of epidemiological studies.

Our review finds that BC from various sources appears to be causally involved in all-cause, lung cancer, and cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, and perhaps adverse birth and nervous system effects. We recommend that the U.S. EPA rubric for judging possible causality of PM_2.5. mass concentrations, be used to assess which PM_2.5. species are most harmful to public health.

Implications: Black carbon (BC) and correlated co-emissions appear causally related with all-cause, cardiovascular, and lung cancer mortality, and perhaps with adverse birth outcomes and central nervous system effects. Such findings are recent, since widespread monitoring for BC is also recent. Helpful epidemiological advances (using many health relevant PM_2.5 species in models; using better measurements of subject exposure) have also occurred. “Natural intervention” studies also demonstrate harm from partly combusted carbonaceous emissions. Toxicology studies consistently find biological mechanisms explaining how such emissions can cause these adverse outcomes. A consistent mechanism for judging causality for different PM_2.5 species is suggested.

A list of acronyms will be found at the end of the article.     

Limitations of the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure for providing a conservative estimate of landfilled municipal solid waste incineration ash leaching

Limitations of the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) for simulating pollutant leaching from wastes disposed of in full-scale landfills are well understood in the waste management profession; the TCLP solution has a lower pH and greater organic acid content than typical landfill leachate. The TCLP serves its intended regulatory objective, however, as long as a conservative estimate of leaching is provided. Here, we examine TCLP’s ability to represent worst-case leaching conditions for monofilled municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ash. A critical examination of TCLP’s applicability to MSWI ash is especially relevant, as ash management at MSWI facilities often centers on passing TCLP, regardless of environmental risk posed by the ash or its recyclability. Multiple batch leaching tests were conducted on different MSWI ash streams: mixed ash, fly ash, and different size fractions of bottom ash. Batch-test results were compared with leachate simulating MSWI ash monofills. The TCLP did not consistently provide the most conservative estimate of leaching, supporting the need to consider alternative methodologies in future regulatory development.

Implications: This paper analyzes the existing hazardous waste regulatory testing requirement for municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash management to evaluate whether the TCLP serves its intended purpose in providing the most conservative estimate of landfilled MSWI ash. The results will serve as guidance and motivation for policy makers and the regulatory community to reevaluate the TCLP’s application for characterizing MSWI ash leaching in certain disposal scenarios and could promote consideration of alternative testing procedures based upon results of this study. This study serves to promote representative and accurate quantification of leaching risk from MSWI ash.     

Increasing the Use of Earth Science Data and Models in Air Quality Management

In 2010, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) as a 5-year, $17.5-million award with 19 principal investigators. AQAST aims to increase the use of Earth science products in air quality-related research and to help meet air quality managers’ information needs. We conducted a Web-based survey and a limited number of follow-up interviews to investigate federal, state, tribal, and local air quality managers’ perspectives on usefulness of Earth science data and models, and on the impact AQAST has had. The air quality managers we surveyed identified meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and particulate matter, emissions from mobile sources, and interstate air pollution transport as top challenges in need of improved information. Most survey respondents viewed inadequate coverage or frequency of satellite observations, data uncertainty, and lack of staff time or resources as barriers to increased use of satellite data by their organizations. Managers who have been involved with AQAST indicated that the program has helped build awareness of NASA Earth science products, and assisted their organizations with retrieval and interpretation of satellite data and with application of global chemistry and climate models. AQAST has also helped build a network between researchers and air quality managers with potential for further collaborations.

Implications: NASA’s Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) aims to increase the use of satellite data and global chemistry and climate models for air quality management purposes, by supporting research and tool development projects of interest to both groups. Our survey and interviews of air quality managers indicate they found value in many AQAST projects and particularly appreciated the connections to the research community that the program facilitated. Managers expressed interest in receiving continued support for their organizations’ use of satellite data, including assistance in retrieving and interpreting data from future geostationary platforms meant to provide more frequent coverage for air quality and other applications.     

A factor analysis of residents’ performance in municipal solid waste source-separated collection: A case study of pilot cities in China

To explore the potential effectiveness of a localized waste recycling system in Chinese cities, several rounds of a municipal solid waste source-separated collection (MSWSC) program were implemented throughout China from 2000 to 2017. In our study, to evaluate the achievements of the MSWSC program, a structured questionnaire survey and face-to-face interviews were conducted in eight representative cities from the MSWSC pilot cities. Influencing factors were examined via a Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) on both the individual level and the city level. The differences in MSWSC performance among the eight research cities were investigated through a comparative analysis. The results suggested that gender, age, knowledge of MSWSC, satisfaction with sanitation and satisfaction with publicity had significant impacts on MSWSC, and we further found that the city-level factors influenced the relationship between MSWSC performance and the individual-level variables. Differences among the eight research sites indicated that Nanjing and Hangzhou exhibited relatively high achievements in the implementation of MSWSC program, while Yichun and Guiyang showed poor performance. The experiences of these advanced pilot cities suggest that specific containers for designated waste types, widespread public education, and sufficient MSWSC incentives must be provided and publicized to promote municipal solid waste recycling behaviors. Given the unique status of municipal solid waste management in China and its regional heterogeneity, the MSWSC system should be further discussed with regard to local conditions in a wider range of city settings.

Implications: This study attempts to discuss the factors affecting performance on municipal solid waste source-separated collection (MSWSC) by considering the nested data of two levels of individual and city from a structured questionnaire survey. Therefore, a Hierarchical Linear Model is established which can analyze the intra-group and inter-group effects of two-level variables. The proposed method can be expanded to other cities to determine the main factors affecting MSWSC or to evaluate the residents’ performance on MSWSC.     

Freight shipment modal split and its environmental impacts: An exploratory study

Freight transportation activities are responsible for a large share of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Various freight transportation modes have significantly different impacts on air quality and environmental sustainability, and this highlights the need for a better understanding of interregional freight shipment mode choices. This paper develops a binomial logit market share model to predict interregional freight modal share between truck and rail as a function of freight and shipment characteristics. This model can be used to estimate the impacts of various factors, such as oil price, on shippers’ mode choice decisions. A set of multiyear freight and geographical information databases was integrated to construct regression models for typical freight commodities. The atmospheric impact levels incurred by different freight modal choice decisions are analyzed to provide insights on the relationship among freight modal split, oil price change, and air quality.

Implications:

Freight transportation has become a major source of energy consumption and air pollution, and emissions rates vary significantly across different modes. Understanding freight shipment mode choice under various economic and engineering factors will help assess the environmental impacts of freight shipment systems at the national level. This paper develops a binomial logit model for two dominating modes (truck and rail) and shows how this model is incorporated into an environmental impact analysis. The framework will be useful to policy makers to assess the impacts of freight movements on air quality and public health and to mitigate those adverse impacts.     

Validation of a new method for measuring and continuously monitoring the efficiency of industrial flares

A new method has been developed for a direct and remote measurement of industrial flare combustion efficiency (CE). The method is based on a unique hyper-spectral or multi-spectral Infrared (IR) imager which provides a high frame rate, high spectral selectivity and high spatial resolution. The method can be deployed for short-term flare studies or for permanent installation providing real-time continuous flare CE monitoring.

In addition to the measurement of CE, the method also provides a measurement for level of smoke in the flare flame regardless of day or night. The measurements of both CE and smoke level provide the flare operator with a real-time tool to achieve “incipient smoke point” and optimize flare performance.

The feasibility of this method was first demonstrated in a bench scale test. The method was recently tested on full scale flares along with extractive sampling methods to validate the method. The full scale test included three types of flares – steam assisted, air assisted, and pressure assisted. Thirty-nine test runs were performed covering a CE range of approximately 60-100%. The results from the new method showed a strong agreement with the extractive methods (r²=0.9856 and average difference in CE measurement=0.5%).

Implications: Because industrial flares are operated in the open atmosphere, direct measurement of flare combustion efficiency (CE) has been a long-standing technological challenge. Currently flare operators do not have feedback in terms of flare CE and smoke level, and it is extremely difficult for them to optimize flare performance and reduce emissions. The new method reported in this paper could provide flare operators with real-time data for CE and smoke level so that flare operations can be optimized. In light of EPA’s focus on flare emissions and its new rules to reduce emissions from flares, this policy-relevant development in flare CE monitoring is brought to the attention of both the regulating and regulated communities.     

Long-term dust aerosol production from natural sources in Iceland

Iceland is a volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean with maritime climate. In spite of moist climate, large areas are with limited vegetation cover where >40% of Iceland is classified with considerable to very severe erosion and 21% of Iceland is volcanic sandy deserts. Not only do natural emissions from these sources influenced by strong winds affect regional air quality in Iceland (“Reykjavik haze”), but dust particles are transported over the Atlantic ocean and Arctic Ocean >1000 km at times. The aim of this paper is to place Icelandic dust production area into international perspective, present long-term frequency of dust storm events in northeast Iceland, and estimate dust aerosol concentrations during reported dust events.

Meteorological observations with dust presence codes and related visibility were used to identify the frequency and the long-term changes in dust production in northeast Iceland. There were annually 16.4 days on average with reported dust observations on weather stations within the northeastern erosion area, indicating extreme dust plume activity and erosion within the northeastern deserts, even though the area is covered with snow during the major part of winter. During the 2000s the highest occurrence of dust events in six decades was reported. We have measured saltation and Aeolian transport during dust/volcanic ash storms in Iceland, which give some of the most intense wind erosion events ever measured.

Icelandic dust affects the ecosystems over much of Iceland and causes regional haze. It is likely to affect the ecosystems of the oceans around Iceland, and it brings dust that lowers the albedo of the Icelandic glaciers, increasing melt-off due to global warming. The study indicates that Icelandic dust may contribute to the Arctic air pollution.

Implications: Long-term records of meteorological dust observations from Northeast Iceland indicate the frequency of dust events from Icelandic deserts. The research involves a 60-year period and provides a unique perspective of the dust aerosol production from natural sources in the sub-Arctic Iceland. The amounts are staggering, and with this paper, it is clear that Icelandic dust sources need to be considered among major global dust sources. This paper presents the dust events directly affecting the air quality in the Arctic region.     

A review of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pollution in indoor air environment

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in industrial production due to the unique physical and chemical properties. As a kind of persistent organic pollutants, the PCBs would lead to environment pollution and cause serious problems for human health. Thus, they have been banned since the 1980s due to the environment pollution in the past years. Indoor air is the most direct and important environment medium to human beings; thus, the PCBs pollution research in indoor air is important for the protection of human health. This paper introduces the industrial application and potential harm of PCBs, summarizes the sampling, extracting, and analytical methods of environment monitoring, and compares the indoor air levels of urban areas with those of industrial areas in different countries according to various reports. This paper can provide a basic summary for PCBs pollution control in the indoor air environment.

Implications: The review of PCBs pollution in indoor air in China is still limited. In this paper, we introduce the industrial application and potential harm of PCBs, summarize the sampling, extracting, and analytical methods of environment monitoring, and compare the indoor air levels of urban areas with industrial areas in different countries according to various reports.     

A multi-objective assessment of an air quality monitoring network using environmental,economic, and social indicators and GIS-based models

In the United States, air pollution is primarily measured by Air Quality Monitoring Networks (AQMN). These AQMNs have multiple objectives, including characterizing pollution patterns, protecting the public health, and determining compliance with air quality standards. In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a directive that air pollution agencies assess the performance of their AQMNs. Although various methods to design and assess AQMNs exist, here we demonstrate a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach that combines environmental, economic, and social indicators through the assessment of the ozone (O₃) and particulate matter (PM10) networks in Maricopa County, Arizona. The assessment was conducted in three phases: (1) to evaluate the performance of the existing networks, (2) to identify areas that would benefit from the addition of new monitoring stations, and (3) to recommend changes to the AQMN. A comprehensive set of indicators was created for evaluating differing aspects of the AQMNs’ objectives, and weights were applied to emphasize important indicators. Indicators were also classified according to their sustainable development goal. Our results showed that O₃ was well represented in the county with some redundancy in terms of the urban monitors. The addition of weights to the indicators only had a minimal effect on the results. For O₃, urban monitors had greater social scores, while rural monitors had greater environmental scores. The results did not suggest a need for adding more O₃ monitoring sites. For PM10, clustered urban monitors were redundant, and weights also had a minimal effect on the results. The clustered urban monitors had overall low scores; sites near point sources had high environmental scores. Several areas were identified as needing additional PM10 monitors. This study demonstrates the usefulness of a multi-indicator approach to assess AQMNs. Network managers and planners may use this method to assess the performance of air quality monitoring networks in urban regions.

Implications:The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a directive in 2006 that air pollution agencies assess the performance of their AQMNs; as a result, we developed a GIS-based, multi-objective assessment approach that integrates environmental, economic, and social indicators, and demonstrates its use through assessing the O₃ and PM₁₀ monitoring networks in the Phoenix metropolitan area. We exhibit a method of assessing network performance and identifying areas that would benefit from new monitoring stations; also, we demonstrate the effect of adding weights to the indicators. Our study shows that using a multi-indicator approach gave detailed assessment results for the Phoenix AQMN.     

Air quality measurements—From rubber bands to tapping the rainbow

It is axiomatic that good measurements are integral to good public policy for environmental protection. The generalized term for “measurements” includes sampling and quantitation, data integrity, documentation, network design, sponsorship, operations, archiving, and accessing for applications. Each of these components has evolved and advanced over the last 200 years as knowledge of atmospheric chemistry and physics has matured. Air quality was first detected by what people could see and smell in contaminated air. Gaseous pollutants were found to react with certain materials or chemicals, changing the color of dissolved reagents such that their light absorption at selected wavelengths could be related to both the pollutant chemistry and its concentration. Airborne particles have challenged the development of a variety of sensory devices and laboratory assays for characterization of their enormous range of physical and chemical properties. Advanced electronics made possible the sampling, concentration, and detection of gases and particles, both in situ and in laboratory analysis of collected samples. Accurate and precise measurements by these methods have made possible advanced air quality management practices that led to decreasing concentrations over time. New technologies are leading to smaller and cheaper measurement systems that can further expand and enhance current air pollution monitoring networks.

Implications: Ambient air quality measurement systems have a large influence on air quality management by determining compliance, tracking trends, elucidating pollutant transport and transformation, and relating concentrations to adverse effects. These systems consist of more than just instrumentation, and involve extensive support efforts for siting, maintenance, calibration, auditing, data validation, data management and access, and data interpretation. These requirements have largely been attained for criteria pollutants regulated by National Ambient Air Quality Standards, but they are rarely attained for nonroutine measurements and research studies.     

Changes in extreme events and the potential impacts on human health

Extreme weather and climate-related events affect human health by causing death, injury, and illness, as well as having large socioeconomic impacts. Climate change has caused changes in extreme event frequency, intensity, and geographic distribution, and will continue to be a driver for change in the future. Some of these events include heat waves, droughts, wildfires, dust storms, flooding rains, coastal flooding, storm surges, and hurricanes. The pathways connecting extreme events to health outcomes and economic losses can be diverse and complex. The difficulty in predicting these relationships comes from the local societal and environmental factors that affect disease burden. More information is needed about the impacts of climate change on public health and economies to effectively plan for and adapt to climate change. This paper describes some of the ways extreme events are changing and provides examples of the potential impacts on human health and infrastructure. It also identifies key research gaps to be addressed to improve the resilience of public health to extreme events in the future.

Implications: Extreme weather and climate events affect human health by causing death, injury, and illness, as well as having large socioeconomic impacts. Climate change has caused changes in extreme event frequency, intensity, and geographic distribution, and will continue to be a driver for change in the future. Some of these events include heat waves, droughts, wildfires, flooding rains, coastal flooding, surges, and hurricanes. The pathways connecting extreme events to health outcomes and economic losses can be diverse and complex. The difficulty in predicting these relationships comes from the local societal and environmental factors that affect disease burden.     

Greenhouse gas emission from small clinics solid waste management scenarios in an urban area of an underdeveloping country: A life cycle perspective

This study aimed to investigate the effects on the environment of small clinics solid waste management by applying a life cycle analysis approach. Samples were collected from 371 private clinics situated in densely populated areas of Hyderabad, Pakistan. The solid waste from surveyed clinics was categorically quantified on daily basis for 30 consecutive days. The functional unit for waste was defined as 1 tonne. System limitations were defined as landfilling, incineration, composting, material recovery, and transportation of solid waste. The treatment and disposal methods were assessed according to their greenhouse gas emission rate. For the evaluation, three different scenarios were designed. The second scenario resulted in the highest emission value of 1491.78 kg CO₂ eq/tonne of solid waste due to mixed waste incineration, whereas the first scenario could not offer any saving because of uncovered landfilling and 67.5% higher transport fuel consumption than the proposed network. The proposed third scenario was found to be a better solution for urban clinics solid waste management, as it resulted in savings of 951.38 kg CO₂ eq/tonne of solid waste. This integrated design is practicable by resource-constrained economy. This system consists of composting, material recovery, and incineration of hazardous waste. The proposed system also includes a feasible transportation method for urban area collection networks. The findings of the present study can play a vital role in documenting evidence and for policymakers to plan the solid waste management of clinics, as previously no studies have been conducted on this particular case.

Implications: This study aims to highlight the impact of small clinics solid waste management scenarios on the environment in a developing country’s urban area. Life cycle analysis is used for comparison of greenhouse gase emission from different scenarios, including the purposed integrated method. Small clinics play a very important role in health care, and their waste management is a very serious issue; however, there are no previous studies on this particular case to the best knowledge of the authors. This study can be considered as forerunner effort to quantify the environmental footprint of small clinics solid waste in urban areas of a developing country.     

Application of life cycle assessment for hospital solid waste management: A case study

This study was meant to determine environmental aspects of hospital waste management scenarios using a life cycle analysis approach. The survey for this study was conducted at the largest hospital in a major city of Pakistan. The hospital was thoroughly analyzed from November 2014 to January 2015 to quantify its wastes by category. The functional unit of the study was selected as 1 tonne of disposable solid hospital waste. System boundaries included transportation of hospital solid waste and its treatment and disposal by landfilling, incineration, composting, and material recycling methods. These methods were evaluated based on their greenhouse gas emissions. Landfilling and incineration turned out to be the worst final disposal alternatives, whereas composting and material recovery displayed savings in emissions. An integrated system (composting, incineration, and material recycling) was found as the best solution among the evaluated scenarios. This study can be used by policymakers for the formulation of an integrated hospital waste management plan.

Implications: This study deals with environmental aspects of hospital waste management scenarios. It is an increasing area of concern in many developing and resource-constrained countries of the world. The life cycle analysis (LCA) approach is a useful tool for estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from different waste management activities. There is a shortage of information in existing literature regarding LCA of hospital wastes. To the best knowledge of the authors this work is the first attempt at quantifying the environmental footprint of hospital waste in Pakistan.     

Technology selection for infectious medical waste treatment using the analytic hierarchy process

The overall objective of this paper was to evaluate five different technologies used for infectious medical waste treatment and select the optimum one by means of multicriteria analysis. Steam disinfection was selected as the optimum treatment technology, among others using incineration, microwave disinfection, chemical disinfection with sodium hypochlorite, and reverse polymerization with microwaves. The evaluation was based on four groups of criteria, specifically, environmental, economic, technical, and social criteria, using the analytic hierarchy process. Selection among four commercial systems using steam disinfection was not possible, because it required additional site-specific criteria, e.g., loading capacity and requirements of local regulations.

Implications: The paper can help health care facilities to select the system for infectious waste treatment that best fits their needs. It was concluded that steam disinfection was the optimum technology, using environmental, economic, technical, and social criteria.     

Pollution characterization of liquid waste of the factory complex Fertial (Arzew,Algeria)

The industrial development in Algeria has made a worrying situation for all socioeconomic stakeholders. Indeed, this economic growth is marked in recent years by the establishment of factories and industrial plants that discharge liquid waste in marine shorelines. These releases could destabilize the environmental balance in the coming years, hence the need to support the processing of all sources of pollution. Remediation of such discharges requires several steps of identifying the various pollutants to their treatments. Therefore, the authors conducted this first work of characterization of industrial effluents generated by the mineral fertilizer factory complex Fertial (Arzew), and discussed the pollution load generated by this type of industry. This monitoring would establish a tool for reflection and decision support developed by a management system capable of ensuring effective and sustainable management of effluents from industrial activities of Fertial.

Implications: The authors conducted this first work of characterization of industrial effluents generated by the mineral fertilizer factory complex Fertial (Arzew), and discussed the pollution load generated by this type of industry. This monitoring would establish a tool for reflection and decision support developed by a management system capable of ensuring effective and sustainable management of effluents from industrial activities of Fertial.     

Control of ammonia and urea emissions from urea manufacturing facilities of Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), Kuwait

Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) in Kuwait has mitigated the pollution problem of ammonia and urea dust by replacing the melting and prilling units of finished-product urea prills with an environmentally friendly granulation process. PIC has financed a research project conducted by the Coastal and Air Pollution Program’s research staff at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to assess the impact of pollution control strategies implemented to maintain a healthy productive environment in and around the manufacturing premises. The project was completed in three phases: the first phase included the pollution monitoring of the melting and prilling units in full operation, the second phase covered the complete shutdown period where production was halted completely and granulation units were installed, and the last phase encompassed the current modified status with granulation units in full operation. There was substantial decrease in ammonia emissions, about 72%, and a 52.7% decrease in urea emissions with the present upgrading of old melting and prilling units to a state-of-the-art technology “granulation process” for a final finished product. The other pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have not shown any significant change, as the present modification has not affected the sources of these pollutants.

Implications: Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) in Kuwait has ammonia urea industries, and there were complaints about ammonia and urea dust pollution. PIC has resolved this problem by replacing “melting and prilling unit” of final product urea prills by more environmentally friendly “granulation unit.” Environmental Pollution and Climate Program has been assigned the duty of assessing the outcome of this change and how that influenced ammonia and urea dust emissions from the urea manufacturing plant.     

Evaluation of carbon emission reductions promoted by private driving restrictions based on automatic fare collection data in Beijing,China

Public transportation automatic fare collection (AFC) systems are able to continuously record large amounts of passenger travel information, providing massive, low-cost data for research on regulations pertaining to public transport. These data can be used not only to analyze characteristics of passengers’ trips but also to evaluate transport policies that promote a travel mode shift and emission reduction. In this study, models combining card, survey, and geographic information systems (GIS) data are established with a research focus on the private driving restriction policies being implemented in an ever-increasing number of cities. The study aims to evaluate the impact of these policies on the travel mode shift, as well as relevant carbon emission reductions. The private driving restriction policy implemented in Beijing is taken as an example. The impact of the restriction policy on the travel mode shift from cars to subways is analyzed through a model based on metro AFC data. The routing paths of these passengers are also analyzed based on the GIS method and on survey data, while associated carbon emission reductions are estimated. The analysis method used in this study can provide reference for the application of big data in evaluating transport policies.

Implications: Motor vehicles have become the most prevalent source of emissions and subsequently air pollution within Chinese cities. The evaluation of the effects of driving restriction policies on the travel mode shift and vehicle emissions will be useful for other cities in the future. Transport big data, playing an important support role in estimating the travel mode shift and emission reduction considered, can help related departments to estimate the effects of traffic jam alleviation and environment improvement before the implementation of these restriction policies and provide a reference for relevant decisions.