Phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated paddy soils with Pteris vittata markedly reduces arsenic uptake by rice

Arsenic (As) accumulation in food crops such as rice is of major concern. To investigate whether phytoremediation can reduce As uptake by rice, the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata was grown in five contaminated paddy soils in a pot experiment. Over a 9-month period P. vittata removed 3.5-11.4% of the total soil As, and decreased phosphate-extractable As and soil pore water As by 11-38% and 18-77%, respectively. Rice grown following P. vittata had significantly lower As concentrations in straw and grain, being 17-82% and 22-58% of those in the control, respectively. Phytoremediation also resulted in significant changes in As speciation in rice grain by greatly decreasing the concentration of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). In two soils the concentration of inorganic As in rice grain was decreased by 50-58%. The results demonstrate an effective stripping of bioavailable As from contaminated paddy soils thus reducing As uptake by rice.     

Use of fungi for the bioconversion of rice straw into cellulase enzyme

Cellulase production was carried out by solid state bioconversion (SSB) method using rice straw, a lignocellulosic material and agricultural waste, as the substrate of three Trichoderma spp. and Phanerochaete chrysosporium in lab-scale experiments. The results were compared to select the best fungi among them for the production of cellulase. Phanerochaete chrysosporium was found to be the best among these species of fungi, which produced the highest cellulase enzyme of 1.43 IU/mL of filter paper activity (FPase) and 2.40 IU/mL of carboxymethylcellulose activity (CMCase). The "glucosamine" and "reducing sugar" parameters were observed to evaluate the growth and substrate utilization in the experiments. In the case of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium, the highest glucosamine concentration was 1.60 g/L and a high concentration of the release of reducing sugar was measured as 2.58 g/L obtained on the 4th day of fermentation. The pH values were also recorded. The range of the pH was about 5.15 to 5.56 in the case of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium.     

Combined Non-Catalytic Reduction of NOx and SO2 by Ammonia Liquor during Staged Fluidized-Bed Combustion

Emissions of NOx and SO2 were monitored in the presence of ammonia liquor in a 0.09 m2 and 2 m high stainless-steel fluidized-bed combustor. Experiments were carried out at 2 m/s fluidizing velocity, 40% excess air, and 870 °C bed temperature. Ammonia liquor with 7% ammonia by weight was injected into the freeboard of the combustor 52 cm above the distributor through a water-cooled injector. A 65 : 34 primary/secondary air ratio was maintained throughout the investigation. Approximately 70% of NO and 20% of SO2 was reduced at an NH3/NO molar ratio of 2 : 1, respectively. However, a higher reduction in SO2 emissions (62%) was achieved at a very high NH3/NO molar ratio of 7 : 1. These experiments showed that ammonia addition did have a significant effect in SO2 reduction if injected in an excess amount. The injection of ammonia liquor combined with staged combustion was found to be very effective in reducing NOx emissions. A reduction of about 50% was achieved at an NH3/NO molar ratio of 0.6 : 1 which is also coupled with a very low level of ammonia in the flue.     

Separation and determination of trace levels of aromatic amines by HPLC

Aromatic amines were analysed by normal phase and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography employing silica gel and octadecyl silane (ODS) columns, respectively. A number of mobile phases were used. The results obtained on silica gel column were compared with those achieved on reverse phase column. Excellent results were obtained on ODS and shoulder peaks were eliminated when a mixture of methyl alcohol and sodium perchlorate was used as mobile phase.     

Use of membrane collectors in electrostatic precipitators.

Membrane collection surfaces, developed and patented by researchers at Ohio University, were used to replace steel plates in a dry electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Such replacement facilitates tension-based rapping, which shears the adhered particle layer from the collector surface more effectively than hammer-based rapping. Tests were performed to measure the collection efficiency of the membranes and to quantify the potential improvements of this novel cleaning technique with respect to re-entrainment. Results indicate that even semiconductor materials (e.g., carbon fibers) collect ash nearly as efficiently as steel plates, potentially indicating that collection surface resistivity is primarily dictated by the accumulated ash layer and not by the underlying plate conductivity. In addition, virtually all sheared particles separated from the collecting membranes fell within the boundary layer of the membrane, indicating extremely low potential for re-entrainment.     

A conceptual offshore oil and gas process accident model

The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss an accident prevention model for offshore oil and gas processing environments. The accidents that are considered in this work relate specifically to hydrocarbon release scenarios and any escalating events that follow. Using reported industry data, the elements to prevent an accident scenario are identified and placed within a conceptual model to depict the accident progression. The proposed accident model elements are represented as safety barriers designed to prevent the accident scenario from developing. The accident model is intended to be a tool for highlighting vulnerabilities of oil and gas processing operations and to provide guidance on how to minimize their hazards. These vulnerabilities are discussed by applying the 1988 Piper Alpha and the 2005 BP Texas City disaster scenarios to the model.     

Transition to a low-CO2 emissions economy: China government policy for early-stage green finance

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The popularity of green economy as an innovative technique and financial mechanism has soared as a result of this exchange, the gross domestic product...     

Modeling factors of biogas technology adoption: a roadmap towards environmental sustainability and green revolution

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In a developing country such as Pakistan, adopting biogas technology is a complicated process. The government has taken several steps to address...     

Visible-light-driven photocatalytic dual-layer hollow fibre membrane ameliorates the changes of bisphenol A exposure in gastrointestinal tract

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Various treatments of choice are available to overcome contamination of bisphenol A (BPA) in the environment including membrane technologies; however,...     

Symmetric and asymmetric analysis of trade and environment in Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The study examines how trade influences the environment via the effects of scale, composition, and technique. The study is conducted for Pakistan...