Worst case scenario study to assess the environmental impact of amine emissions from a CO2 capture plant

Use of amines is one of the leading technologies for post-combustion carbon dioxide capture from gas and coal-fired power plants. This study assesses the potential environmental impact of emissions to air that result from use of monoethanol amine (MEA) as an absorption solvent for the capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Depending on operation conditions and installed reduction technology, emissions of MEA to the air due to solvent volatility losses are expected to be in the range of 0.01–0.8 kg/tonne CO₂ captured. Literature data for human and environmental toxicity, together with atmospheric dispersion model calculations, were used to derive maximum tolerable emissions of amines from CO₂ capture. To reflect operating conditions with typical and with elevated emissions, we defined a scenario MEA-LOW, with emissions of 40 t/year MEA and 5 t/year diethyl amine (DEYA), and a scenario MEA-HIGH, with emissions of 80 t/year MEA and 15 t/year DEYA. Maximum MEA deposition fluxes would exceed toxicity limits for aquatic organisms by about a factor of 3–7 depending on the scenario. Due to the formation of nitrosamines and nitramines, the estimated emissions of DEYA are close to or exceed safety limits for drinking water and aquatic ecosystems. The “worst case” scenario approach to determine maximum tolerable emissions of MEA and other amines is in particular useful when both expected environmental loads and the toxic effects are associated with high uncertainties.     

Home energy efficiency grants and advice: findings from the English Midlands

Research was conducted in Nottinghamshire, England to investigate public attitudes regarding home energy efficiency issues. Quantitative data were collected in the form of a postal survey, achieving over three hundred responses. Additionally, predominantly qualitative data were collected in semi-structured interviews in 15 homes. The issues investigated included the grant-funded energy efficiency measures installed by the public, the organisations providing grants, the means by which the recipients were referred to the organisations, and the public's preferences regarding energy efficiency advice. Findings were made about the local authority's success in encouraging the take-up of energy efficiency grants, about the public's preferences for the means by which advice should be provided, about trust relating to energy efficiency grants provided by gas and electricity suppliers, and about people's knowledge of the most effective energy efficiency measures. Additional findings were drawn about specific energy efficiency issues, including old heating systems and compact fluorescent light bulbs.     

Toward an integrated analysis of mitigation and adaptation: some preliminary findings

Between 1999 and 2003, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) made a preliminary effort to integrate an analysis of mitigation and adaptation to climate change impact vulnerabilities in two ways: top-down and bottom-up. This paper briefly describes these early experiments and summarizes their findings, both about climate change vulnerability reduction and about the challenges of integrated analysis, expanding upon results previously reported [Wilbanks et al. (Environment 45/5:28–38, 2003); ORNL (Integrated analysis of mitigation and adaptation as responses to concerns about impacts of global climate change, ORNL Working paper 2003); ORNL and CUSAT 2003; Wilbanks 2005]. The U.S Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged     

澜沧江梯级水电站库区浮游藻类组成及变化

2008年1～6月对澜沧江干流的漫湾水电站和大朝山水电站库区进行浮游藻类调查.两库区共检出浮游藻类7门28属.藻细胞密度变化范围:大朝山库区0.06×106～2.28×106个/L,漫湾库区0.12×106～4.86×106个/L.藻类的组成和数量随环境和水文条件呈现一定的变化,1、2月份主要是蓝藻、硅藻、绿藻,3～6月份主要以硅藻为主,漫湾库区的总藻数明显高于大朝山库区.     

乌海市节能减排要有新思路

尽管世界金融风暴放缓了世界节能减排的步伐,但节能减排仍是中央经济工作会议确定的我国2009年重点工作之一。对于新兴资源型工业城市乌海市来说,确保经济平稳快速增长的同时,又要顺利完成“十一五”节能减排目标,必须要有新的节能减排思路。     

粉煤灰在热处理过程中汞的逸出规律

文章研究了粉煤灰在热处理过程中汞的逸出规律,通过改变焙烧温度、焙烧时间和通气流量等条件,利用安大略水法,对逸出的零价汞(Hg0)和二价汞(Hg2+)以及总汞的含量进行了测定。结果表明:在加热温度达到400℃时,飞灰中的可挥发汞已基本完全释放,逸出量大约为0.2μg/g。当加热温度升高到600~1 000℃之间时,零价汞含量明显降低,而二价汞含量明显升高,可以观察到较为明显的零价汞氧化为二价汞的现象。汞的逸出量与氧化程度主要与加热温度有关,而加热时间与通气量的影响相对较小。在1 000℃,加热时间30 min,通气量0.5 L/min的条件下,可挥发汞将完全逸出并有部分零价汞被氧化。结合上述研究结果,在对粉煤灰进行加热处理时,需要对其中汞的二次释放现象加以重视并采取相应的控制措施。