Waste management modeling by MARKAL model: A case study for Basilicata Region

Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental problems which affects likewise urban, industrial and rural areas. Environmental planners, regulators and decision makers need reliable, scientifically based tools to find out strategies for controlling air pollution in a cost-effective way, taking into account the whole productive system. In this framework the basic elements of energy-environmental planning have to be extended to include also waste processing technologies amongst the usually considered pollution sources. Bottom-up optimizing models, based on linear programming techniques and customized for specific cases, represent a powerful tool in energy-environmental management. This paper focuses on the integrated modeling of material flows and energy system performed on a local scale case study (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy) using the linear programming model IEA-MARKAL. We have evaluated the feasibility of the model in representing the waste management system to estimate the environmental impact of the waste processing technologies in the context of the whole productive system. A sensitivity analysis has been carried out to emphasize the connections between tariffs, waste disposal technologies assessment and atmospheric emissions. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A case study on the historical peninsula of Istanbul based on three-dimensional modeling by using photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning

Terrestrial laser scanning is a popular methodology that is used frequently in the process of documenting historical buildings and cultural heritage. The historical peninsula region sprawls over an area of approximately 1,500 ha and is one of the main aggregate areas of the historical buildings in Istanbul. In this study, terrestrial laser scanning and close range photogrammetry techniques are integrated into each other to create a 3D city model of this part of Istanbul, including some of the buildings that represent the most brilliant areas of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Several terrestrial laser scanners with their different specifications were used to solve various geometric scanning problems for distinct areas of the subject city. Photogrammetric method was used for the documentation of the facades of these historical buildings for architectural purposes. This study differentiates itself from the similar ones by its application process that focuses on the geometry, the building texture, and density of the study area. Nowadays, the largest-scale studies among 3D modeling studies, in terms of the methodology of measurement, are urban modeling studies. Because of this large scale, the application of 3D urban modeling studies is executed in a gradual way. In this study, a modeling method based on the facades of the streets was used. In addition, the complimentary elements for the process of modeling were combined in several ways. A street model was presented as a sample, as being the subject of the applied study. In our application of 3D modeling, the modeling based on close range photogrammetry and the data of combined calibration with the data of terrestrial laser scanner were used in a compatible way. The final work was formed with the pedestal data for 3D visualization.     

Structural insights on bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using microalgae: a modelling-based computational study

Research on bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has established that several remediating microbial species are capable of degrading only low molecular weight (LMW)-PAHs, whereas high molecular weight (HMW)-PAHs are hardly degradable. In the present study, the efficiency of degradation of both LMW and HMW-PAHs by cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) of microalgae was studied. CYP have a key role in the detoxification of xenobiotics. So far, the structure of CYP in microalgae is not predicted; the protein structure was constructed by molecular modelling in the current study using the available template of microalgal CYP. Modelled microalgae 3D structures were docked against 38 different PAH compounds, and the information regarding the interaction between protein and PAHs viz. binding sites along with mode of interactions was investigated. We report that CYP from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis and Parachlorella kessleri was found to possess broad oxidising capability towards both LMW and HMW-PAHs. P. kessleri showed a least value with extra precision glide score of ? 10.23 and glide energy of ? 23.48 kcal/mol. PAHs bind to CYP active sites at Lys ⁶⁹, Trp ⁹⁶, Gln ³⁹⁷ and Arg ³⁹⁸ through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Also, study revealed that PAHs interacted with CYP active sites through intermolecular hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic bonding, π–π interactions and van der waals interactions. Thus, structural elucidation study confirms that microalgae Parachlorella kessleri have the capacity to remediate HMW more efficiently than other microorganisms. Our results provide a framework in understanding the structure and the possible binding sites of CYP protein for degradation of PAH and that could be a screening tool in identifying the phycoremediation potential.     

Evaluation of chromium contamination in water, sediment and vegetation caused by the tannery of Jijel (Algeria): a case study

In order to evaluate the chromium (Cr) contamination due to the discharge of waste waters from the tannery of Jijel in the Mouttas river (Algeria), samples of water, sediment and vegetation (Agropyrum repens) were collected during a 6 month period in four stations located upstream (control) and downstream of the tannery. The total chromium was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Metal inputs were clearly related to effluent discharges from the tannery into the river. Although only traces of chromium were found in water samples upstream of the tannery, very high concentrations (up to 860 times higher) were detected downstream. The contamination was not limited to water of Mouttas River because a same difference in chromium concentrations was also found in sediments and plants Agropyrum repens that were sampled upstream and downstream of the tannery. This work showed that the treatment process used in the wastewater treatment plant of the tannery of Jijel is not able to remove the chromium detected in their influents. The occurrence and chromium levels detected in the aquatic environment represent a major problem concerning drinking water resources and environmental protection of water bodies.     

A study on experts' judgement on the future perspective of a country: a case study for China

The future of the environment in China until the year 2050 has been forecasted through a heuristic approach. A questionnaire survey was given to a group of Japanese experts concerning 47 selected indices, including past data and reference data about other countries. The indices were related to aspects of the economy, population, food, energy, transportation, and the environment. The experts were requested to plot a graph for each index up to 2050 based on their intuition. The lines drawn by 60 experts were compiled along with their comments, and the characteristics of each index were analyzed. Different values for the indices regarding transportation and per capita GDP were forecasted by the experts, while rather similar values were obtained for those referencing population and food consumption. The respective fields of the experts were found to affect their perspectives on the future. Economists tended to show rather optimistic views, expressing a business-as-usual scenario, while engineers predicted limited growth but technological innovation.     

Evaluation of surface water quality characteristics by using multivariate statistical techniques: A case study of the Euphrates river basin, Turkey

The surface water quality of the Euphrates river basin in Turkey are evaluated by using the multivariate statistical techniques known as factor analysis (FA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis. When FA was applied to the water quality data obtained from the 15 different surface water quality monitoring stations, two factors were identified, which were responsible from the 86.02% of the total variance of the water quality in the Euphrates river basin. The first factor called the urban land use factor explained 44.20% of the total variance and the second factor called the agricultural use factor explained 41.81% of the total variance. MDS technique showed that electrical conductivity (EC), percent sodium (Na%) and total salt are the most important variables causing difference in the water quality analysis.     

Design of on-line river water quality monitoring systems using the entropy theory: a case study

The design of a water quality monitoring network is considered as the main component of water quality management including selection of the water quality variables, location of sampling stations and determination of sampling frequencies. In this study, an entropy-based approach is presented for design of an on-line water quality monitoring network for the Karoon River, which is the largest and the most important river in Iran. In the proposed algorithm of design, the number and location of sampling sites and sampling frequencies are determined by minimizing the redundant information, which is quantified using the entropy theory. A water quality simulation model is also used to generate the time series of the concentration of water quality variables at some potential sites along the river. As several water quality variables are usually considered in the design of water quality monitoring networks, the pair-wise comparison is used to combine the spatial and temporal frequencies calculated for each water quality variable. After selecting the sampling frequencies, different components of a comprehensive monitoring system such as data acquisition, transmission and processing are designed for the study area, and technical characteristics of the on-line and off-line monitoring equipment are presented. Finally, the assessment for the human resources needs, as well as training and quality assurance programs are presented considering the existing resources in the study area. The results show that the proposed approach can be effectively used for the optimal design of the river monitoring systems.     

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the western part of Maira area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a case study by using electrical resistivity

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the Maira vicinity is important for the characterization of aquifer system and developing numerical groundwater flow models to predict the future availability of the water resource. Conventionally, the aquifer parameters are obtained by the analysis of pumping tests data which provide limited spatial information and turn out to be costly and time consuming. Vertical electrical soundings and pump testing of boreholes were conducted to delineate the aquifer system at the western part of the Maira area, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, Pakistan. Aquifer lithology in the eastern part of the study area is dominated by coarse sand and gravel whereas the western part is characterized by fine sand. An attempt has been made to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer system by establishing a relationship between the pumping test results and vertical electrical soundings by using regression technique. The relationship is applied to the area along the resistivity profiles where boreholes are not drilled. Our findings show a good match between pumped hydraulic conductivity and estimated hydraulic conductivity. In case of sparse borehole data, regression technique is useful in estimating hydraulic properties for aquifers with varying lithology.     

Assessment using CFD of the wind direction on the air discharges caused by natural ventilation of a poultry house

Air inside poultry houses must be removed on a regular basis to prevent excess of heat, particles and noxious gases that can imperil animals. To cope with this issue, natural ventilation could be an effective method when assisted by accurate predictions. This study investigates air discharges caused by natural ventilation of a poultry house by means of a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. It solves the governing equations of momentum, heat and mass transport, radiative transfers and animal-generated heat. Wind directions of 0°, 36° and 56° (0° corresponds to a wind blowing perpendicular to the ridgeline) were investigated; the CFD model predictions achieved a RMSE of 1.2 °C and 0.6 g[H₂O] kg^?1 [dry air] for internal temperature and absolute humidity, respectively, when air blew with an angle of 36°. Air renewal rates (ARR) were 39.5 (±?1.9), 34.9 (±?2.2) and 33.6 (±?1.7) volumes of the building per hour, when air blew at 0°, 36° and 56°, respectively. Such ARR predictions served to know how the gases contained in air would likely spread downstream from the building in order to define regions of potentially high gas concentration that could endanger neighbouring habitable facilities.     

Assessment of potential impacts of municipal solid waste treatment alternatives by using life cycle approach: a case study in Vietnam

In Vietnam, most of municipal solid waste (MSW) is disposed of at open dumping and landfill sites, and the methane gas from waste is the un-ignorable source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. It is indispensable to explore the possibility for GHG mitigation in MSW management. The objective of this study was to estimate alternative waste treatment practices towards the GHG emission mitigation, energy consumption and generation, reduction of landfill volume, and various benefits for proposing the appropriate selection by scenario analyses for representative Vietnam’s cities. Impacts were calculated by utilizing life cycle assessment (LCA) method. A literature review survey on the current applicability of LCA database for assessing impacts from waste sector in developing countries, especially for Vietnam, was carried out. This study assessed the contribution of alternative solid waste treatment practices. The result showed that, except investment and operation costs, incineration with energy recovery seems the suitable alternative for treating waste from representative cities of Vietnam according to reduction of GHG emission and waste burden to landfill sites and energy recovery and generation. Besides, MSW composition was identified as an important factor directly influencing to impacts as well as other products and benefits of waste treatment alternatives. Reliable data on waste composition are indispensable for assessing to choose, improve, or plan the waste treatment practices towards sustainable development.     

Assessing the influence of nutrient reduction on water quality using a three-dimensional model: case study in a tidal estuarine system

A coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model has been developed and applied to the Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal sea. The water quality model considers various species of nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and phytoplankton as well as dissolved oxygen and is driven by a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The hydrodynamic and water quality models were validated with observations of water surface elevation, velocity, salinity distribution, and water quality parameters. Statistical error analysis shows that predictions of hydrodynamics, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients from the model simulation quantitatively agreed with the observed data. The validated model was then applied to predict water quality conditions as a result of a reduction in nutrient loadings based on different engineering strategies. The simulated results revealed that the dissolved oxygen concentration would increase significantly and would be higher than 2 mg/L in the main stream and in three tributaries to meet the minimum statutory requirement for dissolved oxygen. Active estuarine management focused on the reduction of anthropogenic nutrient loads is needed for improvement in water quality.     

Identification of effective best management practices in sediment yield diminution using GeoWEPP: the Kasilian watershed case study

Identifying areas that are susceptible to soil erosion is crucial for water resource planning and management efforts. Furthermore, modeling has proven helpful in recognizing and monitoring high-risk areas at the watershed scale. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) geospatial interface (GeoWEPP) software integrates GIS with the WEPP to analyze the spatial variation in soil loss, and it has been used as a modeling tool to determine the areas that are most prone to soil erosion and to evaluate best management practices for the Kasilian watershed in Iran. As much as 62.4 % of the agronomic land in the Kasilian watershed is affected by a high magnitude of erosion (>5 t/ha). On the basis of this study, by using soybeans, high fertilization levels, and the drill-no-tillage system, reductions of erosion by almost 32.68–34.02 % are perceivable in three critical subwatersheds that are located in the cultivated lands. Also, it is projected that reductions in the production of sediment in the range of about 36.7–47.1 % are achievable by structural management within two critical, upland subwatersheds. So, by utilizing the best management strategies, sediment yield can be lowered and the conservation of soil and water is feasible at the watershed scale. These results objectively indicate that GeoWEPP can be efficaciously used for evaluating effective management practices for developing watershed conservation.     

Developmental strategies for sustainable ecosystem on mine spoil dumps: a case of study

An important goal of ecological rehabilitation is to accelerate natural successional processes to increase biological productivity, soil fertility and biotic control over biogeochemical fluxes within the recovering ecosystems. A new approach called Microbe Assisted Green Technology (MAGT) is an integrated biotechnological approach developed at National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) through exhaustive laboratory as well as field studies and serve as a model for land reclamation and development of lush green vegetation on mine overburdens. One year old seedlings of native tree species were planted on 6.3 ha area of manganese mine overburden at Gumgaon under Manganese Ore India Ltd., Maharashtra, India. Continuous efforts resulted in nutrient rich soil with high N, P, K and organic carbon; well developed biodiversity, including bacteria, fungi, higher plants (more than 350 species) and different classes of animals. Planted trees accumulated 698 t ha( - 1) above ground biomass and 143 t ha( - 1) below ground mass. This was achieved in 18 years by MAGT, which otherwise takes hundreds of years.     

Human health damage caused by particulate matter PM10 and ozone in urban environments: the case of Athens, Greece

Studies conducted over the past decades have provided substantial evidence that both the long- and the short-term exposures to ozone and particulate matter are responsible for mortality and cardiopulmonary morbidity. This paper examines the relationship between exposure to ambient concentrations of ozone (O₃) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM₁₀) and public health and provides the quantification of the burden of disease from PM₁₀ and O₃-related mortality and morbidity through a Life Cycle Impact Assessment focused on the greater area of Athens, Greece. Thus, characterizations factors (CFs) for human health damage are calculated in 17 sites in Athens, in terms of the annual marginal change in the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to a marginal increase in the ambient concentrations. It is found that the PM₁₀ intake factors range between 1.25?×?10^?6 and 2.78?×?10^?6, suggesting that 1.25–2.78 μg of PM₁₀ are inhaled by the Athenian population per kg of PM₁₀ in the urban atmosphere. Mortality due to chronic exposure to PM₁₀ has a dominant contribution to years of life lost with values ranging between 6.2?×?10^?5 and 1.1?×?10^?4. On the other hand, the mortality caused by short-term exposure to O₃ is weaker with the CFs ranging between 1.58?×?10^?7?years of life lost in the urban/traffic areas and 4.71?×?10^?7?years in the suburbs. Finally, it is found that 9,000 DALYs are lost on average in Athens, corresponding to 0.0018 DALYs per person. This is equal to 0.135 DALYs per person over a lifetime of approximately 75 years, assuming constant emission rates for the whole period.     

Assessing the value of species: a case study on the willingness to pay for species protection in Chile

We conduct a valuation of species protection in central Chile's Campana National Park (CNP) using the choice experiment (CE) method. The CNP has been recognized as having global relevance for the conservation of biological diversity. Specifically, the aim is to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) of park visitors for protection of different protected species in the area: popular species of flora and fauna that are known by visitors of the park, inconspicuous species (phytofagous, fungus) that are unknown to visitors, and species with conservation problems of which visitors are unaware. We also investigate the WTP for different levels of species biodiversity protection within the sample as the WTP for biodiversity protection is sensitive to the way in which biodiversity is presented to respondents. The levels of species biodiversity protection are represented using “icon” inconspicuous species and numbers of inconspicuous species protected in La Campana National Park. This methodology allowed us to obtain information on the sensitivity of the participants to the scope of the information provided. Overall, visitors attach positive and significant values to the local conservation of species. These values are derived not only from the desire to preserve popular species in the area but also from the preservation or assured existence of inconspicuous species that are protected in the park. Visitors behave as consumers who are sensitive to changes in the price of park admission as a result of the implementation of specific strategies for wildlife conservation management in the park. Furthermore, the study also elucidates the observations that the public is able to perceive biodiversity conservation in broader terms than a single species and that greater benefits are attached to the conservation of multiple species than single ones. Results also provide insights into methodological considerations regarding the conceptual framework used to assess the valuation of biodiversity changes in developing countries, including the level of biological diversity and the scale of the change.     

Assessment of environmental impact on air quality by cement industry and mitigating measures: a case study

In this study, environmental impact on air quality was evaluated for a typical Cement Industry in Nigeria. The air pollutants in the atmosphere around the cement plant and neighbouring settlements were determined using appropriate sampling techniques. Atmospheric dust and CO₂ were prevalent pollutants during the sampling period; their concentrations were recorded to be in the range of 249–3,745 mg/m³ and 2,440–2,600 mg/m³, respectively. Besides atmospheric dust and CO₂, the air pollutants such as NO _x , SO _x and CO were in trace concentrations, below the safe limits approved by FEPA that are 0.0062–0.093 mg/m³ NO _x , 0.026 mg/m³ SO _x and 114.3 mg/m³ CO, respectively. Some cost-effective mitigating measures were recommended that include the utilisation of readily available and low-cost pozzolans material to produce blended cement, not only could energy efficiency be improved, but carbon dioxide emission could also be minimised during clinker production; and the installation of an advance high-pressure grinding rolls (clinker–roller-press process) to maximise energy efficiency to above what is obtainable from the traditional ball mills and to minimise CO₂ emission from the power plant.