Information system with multiple data layer approach to select the C&D waste landfilling infrastructure

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Landfilling is a critical method in managing massive generated C&D waste, and the appropriate selection of C&D waste landfill sites...     

Silver nanoparticles-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: the protective role of red beetroot (Beta vulgaris) juice

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study was designed to investigate the nephrotoxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs; 80 mg/kg; > 100 nm)...     

Geospatial technology for assessment of soil erosion and prioritization of watersheds using RUSLE model for lower Sutlej sub-basin of Punjab,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Erosion of soil by water coupled with human activities is considered as one of the...     

Modeling runoff-sediment influx responses to alternative BMP interventions in the Gojeb watershed,Ethiopia, using the SWAT hydrological model

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been calibrated over a 33-year period to evaluate the Gojeb watershed’s hydrological...     

Microplastic abundance in beach sediments of the Kiel Fjord,Western Baltic Sea

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We assessed the abundance of microplastics (0.2–5 mm) in drift line sediments from three sites in Kiel Fjord, Western Baltic...     

The occurrence of microplastic contamination in littoral sediments of the Persian Gulf,Iran

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) in aquatic environments are an emerging contaminant of concern due to their possible ecological and...     

Effect of fine recycled aggregate on the strength and durability properties of concrete modified through two-stage mixing approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To overcome the scarcity of river sand and dumping of construction and demolition wastes, the fine recycled aggregate (FRA) collected from C&D...     

How does “the Belt and Road” and the Sino-US trade conflict affect global and Chinese CO2 emissions?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the context of the rapid development of the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, the continuous transfer of Sino-US trade to the B&R...     

Meeting the Aichi targets: Pushing for zero extinction conservation

Effective protection of the ~19 000 IUCN-listed threatened species has never been more pressing. Ensuring the survival of the most vulnerable and irreplaceable taxa and places, such as those identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species and their associated sites (AZEs&s), is an excellent opportunity to achieve the Aichi 2020 Targets T11 (protected areas) and T12 (preventing species extinctions). AZE taxa have small, single-site populations that are especially vulnerable to human-induced extinctions, particularly for the many amphibians. We show that AZEs&s can be protected feasibly and cost-effectively, but action is urgent. We argue that the Alliance, whose initial main aim was to identify AZEs&s, must be followed up by a second-generation initiative that directs and co-ordinates AZE conservation activities on the ground. The prominent role of zoos, conservation NGOs, and governmental institutions provides a combination of all-encompassing knowhow that can, if properly steered, maximize the long-term survival of AZEs&s.     

Effects of zinc and iron on the abundance of Microcystis in Lake Taihu under green light and turbulence conditions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Trace element is one of the important factors affecting the growth of Microcystis. The effects of zinc (0.4 mg/L) and iron (2 mg/L)...     

Partitioning of Arsenic Species in Fine-Grained Soils

It has been theoretically and experimentally shown that rate-limited sorption/desorption can have a profound effect upon the transport of sorbing contaminants. The advection/dis-persion equation that has been traditionally used to model contaminant transport uses a retardation factor to account for sorption, thereby implicitly assuming local equilibrium between contaminant in the sorbed and aqueous phases. This assumption fails to consider the possibly large effects of rate-limited sorption/desorption.

The mass release characteristic of arsenic-contaminated soils at the Crystal Chemical site in Houston, TX, was examined. Soils were collected from beneath two former waste-water ponds that were the source of arsenic in the uppermost aquifer. Samples were typical of those found within the fine-grained components of local alluvial overbank deposits that comprise the bulk of the site. The dynamic test applied a continuing head of water, operating in an upflow mode, through 4-inch-diameter by 12-inch-long soil columns repacked to in-situ density. Three columns were constructed

The mass release characteristic of arsenic-contaminated soils at the Crystal Chemical site in Houston, TX, was examined. Soils were collected from beneath two former waste-water ponds that were the source of arsenic in the uppermost aquifer. Samples were typical of those found within the fine-grained components of local alluvial overbank deposits that comprise the bulk of the site. The dynamic test applied a continuing head of water, operating in an upflow mode, through 4-inch-diameter by 12-inch-long soil columns repacked to in-situ density. Three columns were constructed—

two containing predominantly clay, and the other containing clayey silt. Leachate from the most permeable column was collected over 42 pore volumes (equivalent to 120 years of extraction). Sharp declines in arsenic concentrations in the leachate were measured after just four pore volumes. A biphasic response was evident, consistent with published research on kinetically limited mass transfer of retarding solutes. The most responsive column was pulsed to elucidate the effects of diffusion and pulsed pumpingtwo containing predominantly clay, and the other containing clayey silt. Leachate from the most permeable column was collected over 42 pore volumes (equivalent to 120 years of extraction). Sharp declines in arsenic concentrations in the leachate were measured after just four pore volumes. A biphasic response was evident, consistent with published research on kinetically limited mass transfer of retarding solutes. The most responsive column was pulsed to elucidate the effects of diffusion and pulsed pumping.

Arsenic concentrations returned to baseline levels in less than three pore volumes.

These studies ultimately led to a joint assessment between Southern Pacific Lines (SPL) and EPA Region VI, which concluded that extraction and treatment of the shallow aquifer beneath the site was not feasible, in light of the aggressive restoration goal.     

Educating the next generation of atmospheric scientists within a European Network of Excellence

In order to promote the next generation of atmospheric scientists, the task Training and Education (T&E) in ACCENT, the European Network of Excellence in Atmospheric Composition Change (www.accent-network.org) has developed and implemented an Integrated Learning Environment (ILE). For school teachers and their students, the Internet-based “Global Change Magazine” provides up-to-date and freely accessible scientific material in English and five other languages. Additionally, T&E has produced online teaching material for early-career scientists. These e-learning modules are now being used in University Master's courses across Europe. T&E also organised training events for early-career scientists, combining scientific content with development in transferable skills, to focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, interaction with senior scientists, communication with stakeholders, and dissemination to the general public. Evaluation based on participant feedback evidences the effectiveness of these events, e.g., in terms of motivation to remain in the field. Methodologies and materials from T&E are being published in a Handbook on Best Practice, intended for both educators and scientists around the globe who are involved in education in the field of air quality and climate change science.     

Settleability and dewaterability of sewage sludge with modified diatomite

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM)-modified diatomite and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-modified...     

An Alternate Compliance Strategy for Title III of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

ABSTRACT

An alternate compliance strategy (ACS) is developed which incorporates pollution prevention and flexibility to replace traditional end-of-pipe (EOP) control strategy regulation. The ACS takes into consideration the intent of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) to incorporate pollution prevention into regulations and provides a viable mechanism for implementation. This proposed new compliance strategy was developed after studying the CAAA regulations, related compliance issues, and pollution prevention literature. The ACS is defined by amending language in the Hazardous Organic National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (HON) regulation into a performance-based standard permitting regulated facilities to design compliance programs to meet all requirements.

A change in regulation is considered reasonable only if it forces the same emission reductions, reduces risk a comparable amount, and is acceptable to the public, the regulators, and the regulated industry. In order to demonstrate that the ACS can meet all these requirements, an example application is summarized from an ethylene oxide-ethylene glycol plant. The example demonstrates that the ACS reduces hazardous air pollution (HAP) emissions more than the HON rule requires. Three evaluation methods are developed and applied to further demonstrate the acceptability of the ACS. They include a qualitative evaluation matrix, a total cost assessment, and

a risk reduction measurement model. Results indicate that the ACS provided a preferable compliance program.

The ACS should be adopted as an alternative method of compliance. It provides a major step in the progression of regulations from the traditional EOP treatment philosophy to pollution prevention performance-based standards.     

Delayed association of acute particulate matter 2.5 air pollution exposure with loss of complexity in cardiac rhythm dynamics: insight from detrended fluctuation analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There is a delayed (lag 1 to 2 days) correlation between acute PM 2.5 (particulate matter <?2.5 μm in aerodynamic...     

An Assessment of Source Contributions to Ambient Aerosols in Central Taiwan

Ambient aerosols were sampled at three selected sites in the coastal region of central Taiwan to obtain composition data for use in receptor modeling. All the samples were analyzed for 20 elements with an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The mass percentage of sulfates in particle samples was determined by ion chromatography, and mass percentages of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were determined by an elemental analyzer.

Because the three sampling sites were located within 25 km of each other, the average chemical compositions were similar for particle samples taken at the three sites on the same day. However, the variation in composition from day to day was significantly influenced by wind direction and change in local sources, such as the burning of agricultural wastes. The abundant species in the coarse fraction (2.5-10 µm) were Al (0.5-4.0 µg/m³), Cl (0.1-4.8 µg/m³), Ca (0.2-3.4 µg/m³), Fe (0.2-2.8 µg/ m³), and K (0.1-1.4 µg/m³), while the abundant species in the fine fraction (<2.5 µm) were S (0.3-3.5 µg/m³), Cl (0.01-1.9 µg/ m³), K (0.04-0.98 µg/m³), organic carbon (0.01-10.5 µg/m³), elemental carbon (0-10.7 µg/m³), and sulfates (1.2-15.7 µg/m³).

Calculations for source apportionment were carried out using the CMB7 software developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The main sources for the coarse fraction of ambient aerosols in the region were found to be marine aerosol, coal and fuel oil combustion, burning of agricultural wastes, and paved road dust. The main sources for the fine fraction were burning of agricultural wastes, diesel exhaust, coal and oil combustion, and sulfates. Source apportionment for the fine fraction was relatively sensitive to the types of sources selected for calculations and the compositions of the sources. The problem can be ameliorated by careful examination of possible sources and by use of local source profiles.     

Investigation of the influence of transport from oil and natural gas regions on elevated ozone levels in the northern Colorado front range

The Northern Colorado Front Range (NCFR) has been in exceedance of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) since 2004, which has led to much debate over the sources of ozone precursors to the region, as this area is home to both the Denver, CO, metropolitan area and the Denver–Julesburg Basin, which has experienced rapid growth of oil and natural gas (O&NG) operations and associated emissions. Several recent studies have reported elevated levels of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a result of O&NG emissions and the potential for significant ozone production from these emissions, despite implementation of stricter O&NG VOC emissions regulations in 2008. Approximately 88% of 1-hr elevated ozone events (>75 ppbv) occur during June–August, indicating that elevated ozone levels are driven by regional photochemistry. Analyses of surface ozone and wind observations from two sites, namely, South Boulder and the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory, both near Boulder, CO, show a preponderance of elevated ozone events associated with east-to-west airflow from regions with O&NG operations in the N-ESE, and a relatively minor contribution of transport from the Denver Metropolitan area to the SE-S. Transport from upwind areas associated with abundant O&NG operations accounts for on the order of 65% (mean for both sites) of 1-hr averaged elevated ozone levels, while the Denver urban corridor accounts for 9%. These correlations contribute to mounting evidence that air transport from areas with O&NG operation has a significant impact on ozone and air quality in the NCFR.

Implications: This article builds on several previous pieces of research that implied significant contributions from oil and natural gas emissions on ozone production in the Northern Colorado Front Range. By correlating increased ozone events with transport analyses we show that there is a high abundance of transport events with elevated ozone originating from the Denver–Julesburg oil and natural gas basin. These findings will help air quality regulators to better assess contributing sources to ozone production and in directing policies to curb ozone pollution in this region.