Modelling of the effect of size on flocculent dust explosions

The effect of size on the severity of explosions involving flocculent materials has been simulated by means of a model previously developed for spherical particles and here extended to the cylindrical geometry of flock. The model consists of the identification of the regime (internal and external heating, pyrolysis/devolatilization reaction, and volatiles combustion) controlling the explosion by the evaluation of dimensionless numbers (Bi, Da, Th and Pc) and then of the estimation of the deflagration index as a function of flocculent size. The model has been validated by means of explosion data of polyamide 6.6 (nylon) at varying diameter and length. The comparison between model and experimental data show a fairly good agreement.     

Can ISO 14063 be a tool to plan the environmental communication strategy of a territorial area?

Over the past two decades, communication on environmental values, actions and performance has become an essential activity of organisations, because of the increased public concern and legislation related to the environment.

Stakeholders put pressure on companies to take environmental responsibility. In this framework, an effective environmental communication can generate value-added on companies' environmental work, and consequently, their competitiveness and profitability can benefit from communicating their environmental responsibility.

In 2006, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) launched a standard for environmental communication, ISO 14063. ISO 14063 should not be used for third-party certification purposes. Instead, it is intended to be used as a guideline and support companies to ensure successful environmental communication. The aim of this paper is to prompt a discussion about the applicability of the standard ISO 14063 not only to single organisations but as a tool to plan the environmental communication strategy of a whole territorial area. This is achieved by performing a case study relating to the Interreg IVC-funded project “Progresland”. The project involved three Italian and one Spanish natural areas and demonstrated that ISO 14063 could be a valid support to define and implement an environmental communication plan for a territorial area.     

Heavy metal load and effects on biochemical properties in urban soils of a medium-sized city,Ancona, Italy

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Urban soils are often mixed with extraneous materials and show a high spatial variability that determine great differences from their agricultural or natural...     

Study of a surface coating present on a Renaissance Piety from the Museum of Ancient Art (Castello Sforzesco,Milan)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The surface coating present on a marble Piety dating to the Renaissance period and stored at the Castello Sforzesco-Museum of Ancient Art (Milan,...     

An efficient simultaneous degradation of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim by photoelectro-Fenton process under non-modified pH using a natural citric acid source: study of biodegradability,ecotoxicity, and antibacterial activity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, the use of natural organic wastes (orange and lemon peels) as sources of citric acid was evaluated along with the application of the...     

Molecular signatures of organic particulates as tracers of emission sources

Chemical signature of airborne particulates and deposition dusts is subject of study since decades. Usually, three complementary composition markers are investigated, namely, (i) specific organic compounds; (ii) concentration ratios between congeners, and (iii) percent distributions of homologs. Due to its intrinsic limits (e.g., variability depending on decomposition and gas/particle equilibrium), the identification of pollution sources based on molecular signatures results overall restricted to qualitative purposes. Nevertheless, chemical fingerprints allow drawing preliminary information, suitable for successfully approaching multivariate analysis and valuing the relative importance of sources. Here, the state-of-the-art is presented about the molecular fingerprints of non-polar aliphatic, polyaromatic (PAHs, nitro-PAHs), and polar (fatty acids, organic halides, polysaccharides) compounds in emissions. Special concern was addressed to alkenes and alkanes with carbon numbers ranging from 12 to 23 and?≥?24, which displayed distinct relative abundances in petrol-derived spills and exhausts, emissions from microorganisms, high vegetation, and sediments. Long-chain alkanes associated with tobacco smoke were characterized by a peculiar iso/anteiso/normal homolog fingerprint and by n-hentriacontane percentages higher than elsewhere. Several concentration ratios of PAHs were identified as diagnostic of the type of emission, and the sources of uncertainty were elucidated. Despite extensive investigations conducted so far, the origin of uncommon molecular fingerprints, e.g., alkane/alkene relationships in deposition dusts and airborne particles, remains quite unclear. Polar organics resulted scarcely investigated for pollution apportioning purposes, though they looked as indicative of the nature of sources. Finally, the role of humans and living organisms as actual emitters of chemicals seems to need concern in the future.

     

Sources and trends of trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a shallow lake in the Mediterranean area from sediment archives of the Anthropocene

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the anthropogenic contamination in Trasimeno lake (Central Italy) was investigated using three sediment cores spanning over the last...     

Brain cortical assessment by MRI in fetuses with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Objective

To evaluate fetal brain development using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia).

Methods

52 isolated left CDH and 104 control fetuses were imaged using MRI. Brain morphometry (Biparietal diameter—BPD, brain fronto-occipital diameter—BFOD, third ventricle, posterior ventricles, transcerebellar diameter—TCD, anteroposterior and craniocaudal cerebellar vermis diameter—AP and CC) and cortical structures (bilateral cingulate fissure—CF, insular fissure—IF, insular depth - ID) were compared with controls using Mann–Whitney test.

Results

Median gestational age at MRI (p = 0.95)and the median biparietal diameter (p = 0.737) were comparable. Among morphometric parameters, only the brain fronto-occipital diameter was significantly smaller in CDH (p = 0.001) and the third ventricle was significantly greater in CDH (<0.0001). Among cortical structures, the cingulate and insular fissures were significantly deeper in CDH fetuses (p < 0.0001) as the insular depth ID was smaller in CDH (p < 0.03).

Conclusions

CDH fetuses have a smaller fronto-occipital diameter, reduced insular depth, deeper cingulate and insular fissure, and greater third ventricle width as compared to controls. These findings suggest that left CDH may have an impact on fetal brain development with an overall reduction in brain volume.     

Multitechnique diagnostic analysis and 3D surveying prior to the restoration of St. Michael defeating Evil painting by Mattia Preti

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, a multimethodological analysis involving optical and physical/chemical diagnostic techniques and 3D photogrammetric survey was...     

The potential of animal manure management pathways toward a circular economy: a bibliometric analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Improper disposal of animal waste is responsible for several environmental problems, causing eutrophication of lakes and rivers, nutrient overload in...