Effect of water washing on the thermal behavior of rice straw

Rice straw can be used as a renewable fuel for heat and power generation. It is a viable mean of replacing fossil fuels and preventing pollution caused by open burning, especially in the areas where this residual biomass is generated. Nevertheless, the thermal conversion of rice straw can cause some operating problems such as slag formation, which negatively affects thermal conversion systems. So, the main objective of this research is studying the combustion behavior of rice straw samples collected from various regions by applying thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, the thermal behavior of ashes from rice straw was also analyzed in order to detect their melting points, and ash sintering was detected at different temperatures within the range between 550 and 1000 °C. Since washing rice straw with water could reduce the content of undesirable inorganic compounds related to the ash fusibility, samples of washed rice straw were analyzed under combustion conditions to investigate its differences regarding the thermal behavior of rice straw. The results showed that rice straw washing led to a significant improvement in its thermal behavior, since it reduced the ash contents and sintering formation.     

The importance of monitoring and evaluation in adaptive maritime spatial planning

Adaptive maritime spatial planning (MSP) uses monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of spatial and temporal management measures to promote understanding and improve planning and decision-making. An adaptive approach to MSP involves exploring alternative ways to meet management objectives, predicting the outcomes of alternative management measures, implementing one or more of these alternative management measures, monitoring to learn about the effects of management measures, and then using the results to update knowledge and adjust management actions. A monitoring and evaluation plan should be designed to be both cost effective and comprehensive. The process of setting and assessing performance metrics requires that the ecological and socio-economic objectives of the spatial management plan must be clearly stated up front for management actions to reflect those objectives accurately. To evaluate the effectiveness of a MSP plan, a range of ecological, socio-economic and institutional indicators need to be developed and monitored.     

Potential protective effects of Spirulina platensis on liver,kidney, and brain acrylamide toxicity in rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Acrylamide (AA) is a hazardous chemical that is widely used in industrial practices. Spirulina platensis (SP) is a blue green alga that is rich in...     

Impact of municipal solid waste dumpsites on trace metal contamination levels in the surrounding area: a case study in West Africa,Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The impact of uncontrolled municipal dumping sites on metal contamination in the surrounding waters, sediments, and soils are of great concern in many...     

Ethanol mediated As(III) adsorption onto Zn-loaded pinecone biochar: Experimental investigation, modeling, and optimization using hybrid artificial neural network-genetic algorithm approach

Organic matters (OMs) and their oxidization products often influence the fate and transport of heavy metals in the subsurface aqueous systems through interaction with the mineral surfaces. This study investigates the ethanol (EtOH)-mediated As(III) adsorption onto Zn-loaded pinecone (PC) biochar through batch experiments conducted under Box–Behnken design. The effect of EtOH on As(III) adsorption mechanism was quantitatively elucidated by fitting the experimental data using artificial neural network and quadratic modeling approaches. The quadratic model could describe the limiting nature of EtOH and pH on As(III) adsorption, whereas neural network revealed the stronger influence of EtOH (64.5%) followed by pH (20.75%) and As(III) concentration (14.75%) on the adsorption phenomena. Besides, the interaction among process variables indicated that EtOH enhances As(III) adsorption over a pH range of 2 to 7, possibly due to facilitation of ligand–metal(Zn) binding complexation mechanism. Eventually, hybrid response surface model–genetic algorithm (RSM–GA) approach predicted a better optimal solution than RSM, i.e., the adsorptive removal of As(III) (10.47 μg/g) is facilitated at 30.22 mg C/L of EtOH with initial As(III) concentration of 196.77 μg/L at pH 5.8. The implication of this investigation might help in understanding the application of biochar for removal of various As(III) species in the presence of OM.     

博斯腾湖西岸表流人工湿地水体脱盐效果研究

针对博斯腾湖日益严重的盐污染问题,以博斯腾湖西岸表面流人工湿地为研究对象,引当地排渠水进入人工湿地,对人工湿地的进水和出水进行连续7个月的水质监测,对比分析进水和出水中8种离子(Ca~(2+)、Na~+、K~+、Mg~(2+)、Cl~-、SO_4~(2-)、CO_3~(2-)、HCO_3~-)和矿化度的变化,结果表明:人工湿地进水含盐量较高,8种离子的浓度和矿化度波动较大,4月和10月进水为微咸水,5—9月进水为咸水,而出水含盐量相对较低,8种离子的浓度和矿化度波动较小,各月出水均为微咸水。经计算分析可知,人工湿地对水体总盐的平均去除率为51%,水体盐分的去除率与温度呈正相关,且随季节性温度变化而发生变化。     

Assessment of inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level: a case study from Western Ghats in India

Assessment of vulnerability is an important step in building long-term resilience in the forestry sector. The objective of this paper is to present a methodological approach to assess inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level. The approach involves use of vulnerability indicators, the pairwise comparison method, and geographic information system (GIS) tools. We apply this approach to assess the inherent vulnerability of forests of the Western Ghats Karnataka (WGK) landscape, which is a part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India. Four vulnerability indicators, namely biological richness, disturbance index, canopy cover, and slope, are selected. We find that forests in 30, 36, 19, and 15 % grid points in this region show low, medium, high, and very high inherent vulnerability, respectively. The forest showing high and very high inherent vulnerability are mostly dry deciduous forests and plantations located largely on the eastern side of the landscape. We also find that canopy cover is one of the key indicators that determine the inherent vulnerability of forests, and natural forests are inherently less vulnerable than man-made plantations. Spatial assessment of inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level is particularly useful for developing strategies to build resilience to current stressors and climate change in future.     

包气带系统对矿冶固废渗滤液中重金属的净化作用

矿冶固废渗滤液流经包气带系统时,包气带系统中的黏土矿物、土壤有机质、土壤微生物和植物根系会把渗滤液中的部分污染物质固定下来,使渗滤液得到净化。包气带系统中的微生物、黏土矿物、有机质和植物根系构成了包气带系统的净化介质,是决定包气带系统自净能力和影响重金属迁移转化的关键因素。分别从包气带系统中的黏土矿物、土壤有机质、土壤微生物和植物四个方面对重金属的净化机理进行了阐述分析,指出包气带系统对重金属的净化作用可能是暂时的,pH值和Eh值等条件的改变会促使累积在包气带系统中的重金属重新发生迁移,并提出利用包气带系统净化矿冶固废渗滤液中具有高毒性与放射性的核素时,必须对该核素在包气带系统中的迁移转换规律进行研究,只有这样才能合理地利用包气带系统的自净作用,保障生态环境的安全性。     

深部隧道单节理岩体开挖卸荷破裂及锚杆加固研究

深部隧道开挖卸荷引起的岩体破裂是地下工程典型灾害之一。针对深部隧道单节理岩体在开挖卸荷条件下的破裂问题,基于开挖卸荷引起的最小主应力线性降低规律,采用Griffith强度理论准则对开挖卸荷条件下的含单节理岩体破裂进行了分析,并对破裂岩体进行了锚杆加固设计研究。结果表明:当结构面倾角大于支护应力状态下的破裂角时,深部岩体初始应力状态下未产生破裂,随着最小主应力的降低,深部岩体先产生材料破坏后沿结构面破坏;当支护应力状态下的破裂角大于结构面倾角时,深部岩体受支护应力作用仅产生材料破裂;当结构面倾角小于最小主应力为0时对应的破裂角,深部岩体无论是否支护岩体仅产生材料破裂;对于深部岩体,产生破裂的必要条件是最大主应力大于8倍的岩体抗拉强度,且破裂角变化于30°~45°之间;岩体支护应力的选择应在岩体初始破裂应力与结构面破裂应力之间,并且要保证岩体应力的释放率以及围岩的稳定性。石塘隧道岩体破裂分析及锚杆加固研究表明:岩体首先产生材料破坏,其破坏的临界应力值为10.25 MPa,对应的破裂角为39.9°,结构面破裂的临界应力值为4.15 MPa;石塘隧道岩体在无支护条件下,沿结构面产生突发性破坏,岩体支护应在开挖完成40.59h内完成,岩体支护应力为7.175 MPa,支护破裂角为37.5°,单根锚杆锚拉设计值为88.7kN,锚固长度为5m,倾角为15°,间距为0.8m,此锚杆设计参数下可保证岩体应力充分释放以及确保围岩的稳定性。