Engine Performance and Emission Characteristics of Plastic Oil Produced from Waste Polyethylene and Its Blends with Diesel Fuel

The overall objective of this study was to explore the utility of waste plastics as a potential source of diesel fuel. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the use of various blends of plastic oil produced from waste polyethylene (WPE) with diesel fuel (D). WPE was degraded thermally and catalytically using sodium aluminum silicate as a catalyst. The oil collected at optimum conditions (414°C–480°C range and 1 h reaction time) was fractionated at different temperatures and fuel properties of the fractions were measured. Plastic oil was blended with diesel fuel at the volumetric ratios of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 100%. Fuel properties of blends are found comparable with those of diesel fuel within the EN 590 Diesel Fuel standard and they can also be used as fuel in compression ignition engines without any modification. Engine performance and exhaust emission studies of 5% WPE-D (WPE5) blend were performed. Experimental results showed that carbon monoxide (CO) emission is decreased by 20.63%, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission is increased by 3.34%, and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) emission is increased by 9.17% with WPE-D (WPE5) blend compared to diesel fuel.     

Recent improvements in oily wastewater treatment: Progress, challenges, and future opportunities

Oily wastewater poses significant threats to the soil, water, air and human beings because of the hazardous nature of its oil contents. The objective of this review paper is to highlight the current and recently developed methods for oily wastewater treatment through which contaminants such as oil, fats, grease, and inorganics can be removed for safe applications. These include electrochemical treatment, membrane filtration, biological treatment, hybrid technologies, use of biosurfactants, treatment via vacuum ultraviolet radiation, and destabilization of emulsions through the use of zeolites and other natural minerals. This review encompasses innovative and novel approaches to oily wastewater treatment and provides scientific background for future work that will be aimed at reducing the adverse impact of the discharge of oily wastewater into the environment. The current challenges affecting the optimal performance of oily wastewater treatment methods and opportunities for future research development in this field are also discussed.     

Bromate formation on the non-porous TiO2 photoanode in the photoelectrocatalytic system

The increasing use of ozone in water disinfection processes has been the focus of considerable concern in regards to inorganic disinfection by product formation of bromate in waters containing bromide. Due to the public health risk caused by the presence of bromate as a suspected carcinogen, attention had been addressed to the conditions under which bromate is formed. In this study, photoanodic bromine generation and bromate (BrO(3)(-)) formation were investigated using a TiO(2) electrode in a photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) treatment process. The separation of anodic and cathodic reactions in the PEC system resulted in a pH decrease from 9.3 to 3.0 in the photoanode compartment and an increase to 11.0 in the cathode compartment. Under a photo-illumination intensity of 5.7 m W cm(-2) UV, a biasing potential of +1.0V vs SCE, a pH of 6.0 and at a NaBr concentration of 1.0 x 10(-2) M, active bromine formation increased over time with 2.4 x 10(-6) M min(-6) rate and reached a steady-state concentration of 1.44 x 10(-4) M in 60 min. Bromate formation was detected after a lag-period of 15 min and exhibited a continuous increasing trend with respect to irradiation time. No bromate formation was observed below pH 6.5 whereas an increasing bromate concentrations and pH up to pH=8.5 were noted.     

Carbon dioxide sequestration of iron ore mining waste under low-reaction condition of a direct mineral carbonation process

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mining waste that is rich in iron-, calcium- and magnesium-bearing minerals can be a potential feedstock for sequestering CO2 by mineral carbonation....     

Decision support model to select crop pattern for sustainable agricultural practices using fuzzy MCDM

The crop pattern has a significant impact on the feasibility of sustainable agricultural practices. Selected crop pattern influences environmental and economic condition and affects sustainability profoundly in agricultural practices. Hence, a careful intervention is required in the selection of an optimal crop pattern for sustainable agricultural practices. Selection of a particular set of crop pattern depends on many criteria that may vary from place to place thus pose challenges in deciding an optimum crop pattern. The present research focuses on the crop selection pattern in Indian environment that considers comprehensive criteria related to sustainable farming practices. Based on the in-depth review of the literature and experts opinion, comprehensive criteria related to sustainable farming practices for Ravi season crop are identified. Total twelve criteria covering socioeconomic conditions, soil and water conditions, environmental and climatic conditions are earmarked and taken into account for eight most commonly grown crops in Ravi season and later on modeled to determine the crop pattern for most needed sustainability. A fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making model has been developed considering the Indian farming system. The scarce resources availability to Indian farmers poses many challenges to practice farming with most needed sustainability. The present research will be useful in the area of Indian farming practices in particular and global farming practices in general. It will also help stakeholders in their cost effective decision making for better crop productivity leading to sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the state policy makers will be able to formulate effective state driven sustainable farming policy to enhance its stake in gross domestic product to become self-reliance.     

Assessment of the Water Quality of Troia for the Multipurpose Usages

The aim of this study was to determine the origin and quality of waters in Troia. For this purpose total of 25 water samples including 2 springs, 14 surfaces and 9 groundwaters, were collected at eight different times. Global positioning system (GPS) was used to determine to coordinates of sampling points. The concentration of 6 minor elements (B, Cu, F, Fe, Pb and Zn), 9 major anions and cations (Na(+), Ca(2+), K(+), Mg(2+), SO(4)(2-), PO(4)(3-), HCO(3)(-), Cl(-) and, CO(3)(2-)) were determined by spectrometric, colorimetric and volumetric methods. Water pH, EC, DO, ORP and TDS were measured in situ using probes. The data showed that the concentrations of most of minor elements were below the EPA and TSE limits except Pb which ranged between 0.001 and 4.832 mg L(-1). Statistically significant relationships (P<0.01 and r>0.70) were observed between Fe and Cu, Cu and K(+), Cu and Ca(2+), B and Na(+), Na(+) and K(+). Assessing the water based on irrigation using Wilcox model showed that some well waters were not suitable for irrigation. Troia water was found to be highly corrosive and the average corrosion coefficients varied from 0.5 to 4.6. According to the Piper and Schoeller diagrams results, the water in Troia was classified as mixed water type.     

Seasonal and spatial variation of Yamuna River water quality in Delhi, India

Street dust was collected from five roads with different traffic volumes in the metropolitan area of Beijing and separated into five size fractions. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adsorbed on street dust in different size ranges and their correlation with specific surface area and total organic carbon (TOC) were investigated. Results show that the concentration of 16-PAHs of sieved samples ranges from 0.27 to 1.30 mg/kg for all the sampling sites. Particles smaller than 40 μm in diameter have the highest 16-PAHs concentration among all of the size ranges for street dust from the four sampling sites with vehicles running on. PAHs with three or four rings account for 68% of the overall 16-PAHs on average. Remarkable positive correlation exists between 16-PAHs concentration and specific surface area with R ² values from 0.7 to 0.96 for the four sampling sites with vehicles running on. The relationship between the concentration of 16-PAHs and TOC is less clear.     

Trihalomethane formation potential in treated water supplies in urban metro city

Trihalomethane (THM) formation potential (TFP) is very useful test to assess the level of the formation of trihalomethanes in worst case scenario. Organics in water have the potential to generate harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as THMs, as a result of their reaction with disinfectant chlorine used in drinking water. DBPs are increasingly recognized as cancerous agents. TFP of postchlorinated treated water were investigated at six water treatment plants (WTPs) in Delhi City (India). The present paper presents the current trends of TFP so that prevention and control measures can be initiated by the regulating agencies responsible for drinking water supply. Liquid–liquid extraction method, followed by qualitative and quantitative estimation by gas chromatograph equipped with electron capture detector, had been used for the determination of THMs in water samples collected at the outlet just before supplying to the consumers during 2000–2007. The TFP values from 2004 onward of all WTPs did not exceed the WHO guideline value of ≤1.     

Spatial distribution and source identification of trace elements in topsoil from heavily industrialized region,Aliaga, Turkey

Topsoil samples (n?=?40) were collected from a heavily industrialized region in Turkey. The region includes several scrap processing iron–steel plants with electric arc furnaces (EAFs), a petroleum refinery, a petrochemical complex, steel rolling mills, a natural gas-fired power plant, ship-breaking yards and very dense transportation activities. The region has undergone a rapid transition from an agricultural region to a heavily industrialized region in the last three decades. Collected soil samples were analyzed for 48 trace elements using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The elemental distribution pattern in the region indicated that Nemrut area with dense iron–steel production activities was a hotspot for elemental pollution. In addition to crustal elements, concentrations of anthropogenic trace elements (i.e., Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu, Cd, Cr and Mo) were very high in the area influencing many parts of the region. Elemental compositions of fugitive sources polluting the soil (i.e., paved and unpaved roads, slag piles, EAFs filter dust piles and coal piles) were also determined. The methods (enrichment factors [EFs] and the index of geoaccumulation [I _geo]) used for determination of pollution status of soil showed that Cr, Ag, Zn, As and Pb were the strongly contaminating elements for the region. Principal component analysis (PCA) clearly indicated that anthropogenic sources (steel production, refinery and petrochemical processes and traffic) were important sources in this region.     

Assessment of ozone variations and meteorological influences in a tourist and health resort area on the island of Mali Lošinj (Croatia)

The purpose of this study was to investigate ozone, variations, and its correlation with meteorological parameters at a remote location on the Mali Lo?inj Island, which has been a tourist and health resort area in the northern Adriatic. The measured data are discussed in relation to the EU guidelines (Directive 2002/3/EC; Directive 2008/50/EC). In order to characterize ambient air with respect to ozone vegetation injury and photochemical pollution, we calculated accumulated dose over a threshold of 40 parts per billion index and two photochemical pollution indicators. The influence of local meteorological parameters on the measured ozone volume fractions was also investigated. We used the multivariate technique principal component analysis to trace correlations between measured ozone concentration and meteorological parameters.