Control of Emissions Through Efficient Use of Atmospheric Dispersion—a Forecast System

Fuel use limitations present a dilemma to both suppliers and users in that fuel with high sulfur content may be prohibited, even though during much of the year meteorological conditions may provide sufficent dispersion to maintain acceptable air quality levels. To make most efficient use of available fuels, a system of varying emissions according to atmospheric parameters is suggested. Objective forecasts of meteorological conditions in terms of dispersion effects can be used to monitor fuel use according to the atmosphere’s ability to disperse pollutants successfully.     

Estimates of 1973–1982 Annual Sulfur Oxide Emissions from Electric Utilities

Estimates of 1973–1982 annual SO₂ emissions from electric utility plants are presented in this paper. Results are based on analyses of plant level data collected by the U.S. Department of Energy on consumption and quality of fuels burned. Emissions are estimated from known information about fuel consumption, sulfur content, ash content, and control equipment. Results show that electric utility emissions decreased 16% from 1973 to 1982 and that these reductions were due to the use of lower sulfur coals and to the operation of flue gas desulfurization equipment.     

Impacts of urbanization at city cluster scale on ecosystem services along an urban–rural gradient: a case study of Central Yunnan City Cluster,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Urban agglomeration will be the main mode of future urbanization in China, greatly influencing social and economic development and ecosystem...     

Impacts of regional development on emissions in China’s transport sector

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The CO2 emissions in China’s transport sector increased from 349.00 Mt in 2005 to 723.87 Mt in 2017. Thus, a number of climate change policies...     

Impacts of hydrologic variations on chemical weathering and solute sources in the Min River basin,Himalayan–Tibetan region

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Feedback between hydrologic variations and chemical weathering is thought to play a crucial role in modulating global carbon cycling. The mechanisms...     

Emissions from the copper–nickel industry on the Kola Peninsula and at Noril'sk,Russia

Published estimates for base metal emissions from the copper–nickel industry on the Kola Peninsula are re-examined in the light of (a) chemical data on the composition of the ores; (b) official emission figures for 1994; and (c) modelled emissions based on dry and wet deposition estimates derived from data for snow and rain samples collected in 1994. The modelled emissions, official emission figures and chemical data are mutually compatible for Ni, Cu and Co and show that previously published figures underestimated the emissions of the major elements, Ni and Cu (though within the same order of magnitude) and overestimated the emissions of As, Pb, Sb and Zn by up to several orders of magnitude, in some cases exceeding the calculated total input to the plants. Published estimates have neglected information on the nature and chemistry of the ores processed in metallurgical industries in the Noril'sk area of Siberia and the Urals. Revised emission estimates for 1994, using knowledge of the chemistry of the ores, are proposed: taken with published information on total emissions up to 2000 these data give an indication of emission levels in more recent years.     

Influence of polymethyl acrylate additive on the formation of particulate matter and NOX emission of a biodiesel–diesel-fueled engine

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the polymethyl acrylate (PMA) additive on the formation of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen...     

Research trends and areas of focus on water rights: a bibliometric analysis 1971–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigated the research trends, key areas, and directions of water rights (WRs) using bibliometric data based on the Science Citation...     

Operationalising a social–ecological system perspective on the Arctic Ocean

We propose a framework to support management that builds on a social–ecological system perspective on the Arctic Ocean. We illustrate the framework’s application for two policy-relevant scenarios of climate-driven change, picturing a shift in zooplankton composition and alternatively a crab invasion. We analyse archetypical system dynamics between the socio-economic, the natural, and the governance systems in these scenarios. Our holistic approach can help managers identify looming problems arising from complex system interactions and prioritise among problems and solutions, even when available data are limited.     

Effects of solids retention time on the performance of bioreactors bioaugmented with a 17β-estradiol-utilizing bacterium, Sphingomonas strain KC8

This study investigated the performance of lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) that were inoculated with nitrifying activated sludge and bioaugmented with a Sphingomonas strain KC8 (a 17β-estradiol-degrading bacterium). The bioaugmented SBRs were supplied with synthetic wastewater (average initial total organic carbon (TOC) = 175 mg L⁻¹ and average initial ammonia-N = 25 mg L⁻¹) and daily dose of 17β-estradiol (1 mg L⁻¹) and operated under three solid retention times (SRTs) of 5, 10, and 20 d. After three times periods of the operating SRTs, the overall removal of TOC (>87%) and ammonia (>91%) was similar in all the SBRs. Higher 17β-estradiol removals (>99%) were observed for the SBRs. Neither estrogens nor estrogenic activity was detected in the treated water, except some samples from the SBR operating under 5 d of SRT. The ratios of known estrogen degraders (Sphingomonas strain KC8 and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria) and amoA gene to the total bacterial population decreased as SRT increased, suggesting the presence of unknown estrogen-degraders in SBRs operating at SRT = 10 and 20 d. Real-time-terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis showed that the evenness of microbial community structures was not affected by the SRT; while, the diversity indices suggest that longer SRTs might lead to more diverse microbial community structure. Overall, the results suggested that bioaugmented bioreactors operating at long SRTs (10 and 20 d) were effective in removing 17β-estradiol to the non-estrogenic treatment endpoint.     

How will Ocean Acidification Affect Baltic Sea Ecosystems? An Assessment of Plausible Impacts on Key Functional Groups

Increasing partial pressure of atmospheric CO₂ is causing ocean pH to fall—a process known as ‘ocean acidification’. Scenario modeling suggests that ocean acidification in the Baltic Sea may cause a ≤3 times increase in acidity (reduction of 0.2–0.4 pH units) by the year 2100. The responses of most Baltic Sea organisms to ocean acidification are poorly understood. Available data suggest that most species and ecologically important groups in the Baltic Sea food web (phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrozoobenthos, cod and sprat) will be robust to the expected changes in pH. These conclusions come from (mostly) single-species and single-factor studies. Determining the emergent effects of ocean acidification on the ecosystem from such studies is problematic, yet very few studies have used multiple stressors and/or multiple trophic levels. There is an urgent need for more data from Baltic Sea populations, particularly from environmentally diverse regions and from controlled mesocosm experiments. In the absence of such information it is difficult to envision the likely effects of future ocean acidification on Baltic Sea species and ecosystems.     

Simulation of the influence of industrial wastewater on a municipal sewage treatment plant—a case study

Purpose  

Industrial wastewater flow caused operational difficulties in the wastewater treatment plant in Debrecen, Hungary. Bioaugmentation was successfully applied to maintain effluent quality in the periods when wastewater of high starch content was accepted, but, at the end of 2008, the nitrification capacity of the plant decreased considerably due to improperly pre-treated pharmaceutical wastewater.     

Feasibility of biochar application on a landfill final cover—a review on balancing ecology and shallow slope stability

Due to the increasing concerns on global warming, scarce land for agriculture, and contamination impacts on human health, biochar application is being considered as one of the possible measures for carbon sequestration, promoting higher crop yield and contamination remediation. Significant amount of researches focusing on these three aspects have been conducted during recent years. Biochar as a soil amendment is effective in promoting plant performance and sustainability, by enhancing nutrient bioavailability, contaminants immobilization, and microbial activities. The features of biochar in changing soil physical and biochemical properties are essential in affecting the sustainability of an ecosystem. Most studies showed positive results and considered biochar application as an effective and promising measure for above-mentioned interests. Bio-engineered man-made filled slope and landfill slope increasingly draw the attention of geologists and geotechnical engineers. With increasing number of filled slopes, sustainability, low maintenance, and stability are the major concerns. Biochar as a soil amendment changes the key factors and parameters in ecology (plant development, soil microbial community, nutrient/contaminant cycling, etc.) and slope engineering (soil weight, internal friction angle and cohesion, etc.). This paper reviews the studies on the production, physical and biochemical properties of biochar and suggests the potential areas requiring study in balancing ecology and man-made filled slope and landfill cover engineering. Biochar-amended soil should be considered as a new type of soil in terms of soil mechanics. Biochar performance depends on soil and biochar type which imposes challenges to generalize the research outcomes. Aging process and ecotoxicity studies of biochar are strongly required.     

CFD investigation on gas–solid two-phase flow of dust removal characteristics for cartridge filter: a case study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The filter cartridge dust collector has been widely used in industry, but the influence of its internal structure on its operation effects is rarely...     

Impact of sewage sludge spreading on nickel mobility in a calcareous soil: adsorption–desorption through column experiments

A soil column adsorption–desorption study was performed on an agricultural calcareous soil to determine the impact of sewage sludge spreading on nickel mobility. Ni adsorption experiments were followed by desorption tests involving the following liquid extractants: water, calcium (100 mg/L), oxalic acid (525 mg/L equivalent to 100 mg carbon/L), and sludge extracts (0.5 and 2.5 g/L). Desorption tests were also conducted after sewage sludge spreading at three application rates (30, 75, and 150 t/ha). According to the breakthrough curve, Ni adsorption was irreversible and occurred mainly through interactions with calcite surface sites. Nickel desorption from the soil column was promoted in presence of significant dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration as observed with oxalic acid elution and sludge extract at 2.5 g/L. In sludge-amended soil columns, the maximum Ni levels occurred in first pore volumes, and they were positively correlated to the sludge application rate. The presence of DOC in leaching waters was the main factor controlling Ni desorption from the sludge-amended soil columns. This finding implies that DOC generated by sludge applied on calcareous soils might facilitate the leaching of Ni due to the formation of soluble Ni–organic complexes. Thus, sludge application can have potential environmental impacts in calcareous soils, since it promotes nickel transport by decreasing Ni retention by soil components.     

Role of biochar on composting of organic wastes and remediation of contaminated soils—a review

Biochar is produced by pyrolysis of biomass residues under limited oxygen conditions. In recent years, biochar as an amendment has received increasing attention on composting and soil remediation, due to its unique properties such as chemical recalcitrance, high porosity and sorption capacity, and large surface area. This paper provides an overview on the impact of biochar on the chemical characteristics (greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen loss, decomposition and humification of organic matter) and microbial community structure during composting of organic wastes. This review also discusses the use of biochar for remediation of soils contaminated with organic pollutants and heavy metals as well as related mechanisms. Besides its aging, the effects of biochar on the environment fate and efficacy of pesticides deserve special attention. Moreover, the combined application of biochar and compost affects synergistically on soil remediation and plant growth. Future research needs are identified to ensure a wide application of biochar in composting and soil remediation.

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The influence of antibiotics on the anammox process — a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is one of the most promising processes for the treatment of ammonium-rich wastewater. It is more effective,...     

Research trend and dynamical development of focusing on the global critical metals: a bibliometric analysis during 1991–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Critical metals are indispensable to a world seeking to transition away from carbon. Yet their extraction, processing, and application leave an...