A comparative environmental life-cycle analysis for removing phosphorus from wastewater: biological versus physical/ chemical processes

Phosphorus can be removed from wastewater biologically, chemically, or through a combination of the two. In this study, we applied environmental life-cycle assessment to develop a metric with which decision-makers can compare processes. Two phosphorus-removal scenarios were contrasted-one based on a desktop-level design and one based on full-scale operational data. To achieve 0.5 mg/L effluent phosphorus (desktop design), a biological-only process would incur 5.2% less effect on global warming potential, as contrasted with a chemical-only process. At an effluent quality of 0.1 mg/L (full-scale facilities), where a biological process augmented with chemicals was contrasted with a chemical-only process, the relative gap increases to 13.2%. As chemical usage increased, the adverse environmental effect of chemical treatment only increased. The results of this study suggest that best practices would center phosphorus removal first on the biological process, with chemical processes added only as necessary.     

利用物联网打造再生资源社会回收平台

"阿拉环保"再生资源公共服务平台立足于打造上海品牌,在全国首先尝试利用物联网技术打造再生资源社会回收平台,突破了传统的回收模式,理念新颖,促进电子废物社会回收步入规范化、科学化发展轨道。     

淮河流域水环境管理绩效动态评价

通过国内外相关文献研究与实地调研,结合淮河流域水环境管理的社会经济发展目标,构建了淮河流域水环境管理绩效评价指标体系与动态评价模型,并应用该模型实证分析了2000-2010年沿淮四省水环境管理绩效指数动态变化趋势,揭示水环境管理绩效指数动态变化的动因,并对水环境管理绩效水平优劣进行对比分析。评价显示,2000-2010年期间,沿淮四省水环境管理绩效指数均有不同程度的提升,按提升速度排序依次为山东、江苏、河南和安徽,按相对管理绩效水平排序依次为江苏、山东、河南和安徽;其中2000-2005年期间,江苏省水环境管理绩效水平最高,且绩效指数年均增长率最快;2005-2010年期间,江苏省水环境管理绩效水平仍然最高,而山东省绩效指数年均增长最快。研究表明,水环境管理绩效指数受省界断面水质达标率、COD排放量、氨氮排放量的影响较大。     

Acid neutralization of precipitation in Northern China

There is an increasing concern over the impact of human-related emissions on the acid precipitation in China. However, few measurements have been conducted so far to clarify the acid-neutralization of precipitation on a regional scale. Under a network of 10 sites across Northern China operated during a 3-year period from December 2007 to November 2010, a total of 1118 rain and snow samples were collected. Of this total, 28% was acid precipitation with pH < 5.6. Out of these acid samples, 53% were found heavily acidic with pH value below 5.0, indicating significantly high levels of acidification of precipitation. Most of the acidity of precipitation was caused by H2SO4 and HNO3, their relative contribution being 72% and 28%, respectively. However; the contribution of HNO3 to precipitation acidity will be enhanced due to the increasing NO(x) and stable SO2 emissions in future. Neutralization factors for K+, NH4+, Ca2+, Na+, and Mg2+ were estimated as 0.06, 0.71, 0.72, 0.15, and 0.13, respectively. The application of multiple regression analysis further quantified higher NH4+ and Ca2+ contribution to the neutralization process, but the dominant neutralizing agent varied from site to site. The neutralization was less pronounced in the rural than urban areas, probably due to different levels of alkaline species, which strongly buffered the acidity. Presence of high concentrations of basic ions was mainly responsible for high pH of precipitation with annual volume-weighted mean (VWM) values larger than 5.6 at several sites. It was estimated that in the absence of buffering ions, for the given concentration of SO4(2-) and NO3-, the annual VWM pH of precipitation would have been recorded around 3.5 across Northern China. This feature suggested that emissions of particles and gaseous NH3 played very important role in controlling the spatial variations of pH of precipitation in the target areas.     

Determination of the emissions from an aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU) during the Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX)

The emissions from a Garrett-AiResearch (now Honeywell) Model GTCP85-98CK auxiliary power unit (APU) were determined as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX) using both JP-8 and a coal-derived Fischer Tropsch fuel (FT-2). Measurements were conducted by multiple research organizations for sulfur dioxide (SO2, total hydrocarbons (THC), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), speciated gas-phase emissions, particulate matter (PM) mass and number, black carbon, and speciated PM. In addition, particle size distribution (PSD), number-based geometric mean particle diameter (GMD), and smoke number were also determined from the data collected. The results of the research showed PM mass emission indices (EIs) in the range of 20 to 700 mg/kg fuel and PM number EIs ranging from 0.5 x 10(15) to 5 x 10(15) particles/kg fuel depending on engine load and fuel type. In addition, significant reductions in both the SO2 and PM EIs were observed for the use of the FT fuel. These reductions were on the order of approximately 90% for SO2 and particle mass EIs and approximately 60% for the particle number EI, with similar decreases observed for black carbon. Also, the size of the particles generated by JP-8 combustion are noticeably larger than those emitted by the APU burning the FT fuel with the geometric mean diameters ranging from 20 to 50 nm depending on engine load and fuel type. Finally, both particle-bound sulfate and organics were reduced during FT-2 combustion. The PM sulfate was reduced by nearly 100% due to lack of sulfur in the fuel, with the PM organics reduced by a factor of approximately 5 as compared with JP-8.     

基于环境责任保险的动态环境侵权救济体系研究

通过对环境责任保险的定义和特点的总结,以及对其环境侵权救济功能的探讨,得出结论:社会从矫正的正义观到分配的正义观的转变,是推动环境责任保险制度发展的根本原因;赋予第三人直接请求权是环境责任保险制度的重要组成部分;公共补偿制度的建立和发展是对环境责任保险制度的必要补充。在此结论的基础上,以环境侵权受害者能够得到及时有效的救济为出发点,构建了以环境责任保险制度为核心的动态侵权救济体系:民事救济作为第一层次,通过法律程序来确认侵权行为、责任主体以及赔偿额度等事项;环境责任保险作为第二层次,用来分散被保险人的污染损害赔偿责任,补偿受害者损失;公共补偿制度作为第三层次,用来补充民事救济和环境责任保险所未能覆盖到的受害者的人身、财产损失。三个层次联动配合、相互补充,从而在我国面临日益增多的环境污染事故的情况下,为受害者、企业和国家开辟了一条新的环境侵权救济之路。     

Study on the Effect of Dicumyl Peroxide on Structure and Properties of Poly(Lactic Acid)/Natural Rubber Blend

In attempt to enhance the compatibility of NR in PLA matrix, and furthermore to enhance mechanical properties of PLA, PLA/NR blends with strong interaction were prepared in Haake internal mixer, using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as cross-linker. The effects of dicumyl peroxide on morphology, thermal properties, mechanical properties and rheological properties of PLA and PLA/NR blends were studied. The results indicated that dicumyl peroxide could increase the compatibility of poly(lactic acid) and natural rubber. With small amount of dicumyl peroxide, the effect on NR toughening PLA was enhanced and the tensile toughness of PLA/NR blends was improved. When the DCP content was up to 0.2 wt%, the PLA/NR blend reached the maximum elongation at break (26.21 %) which was 2.5 times of that of neat PLA (the elongation at break of neat PLA was 10.7 %). Meanwhile, with introducing 2 wt% DCP into PLA/NR blend, the maximum Charpy impact strength (7.36 kJ/m²) could be achieved which was 1.8 times of that of neat PLA (4.18 kJ/m²). Moreover, adding adequate amount of DCP could improve the processing properties of blends: the viscosity of PLA/NR blend decreased significantly and the lowest viscosity of the blends could be achieved when the DCP content was 0.5 wt%.     

湿热水解处理餐厨垃圾氮素转化规律

为了研究餐厨垃圾湿热水解过程中氮素的变化规律,设计了10、30、60、90和120℃5个温度水平以及30、60、90、120、150和180min6个加热时间水平,进行了30组完全实验,对不同湿热条件下餐厨垃圾粗蛋白、TN、NH4＋-N、NO3-N、有机氮及氨基酸等氮的不同存在形式的变化规律进行实验研究。结果表明,10、30及60℃条件下蛋白质的高级结构不会改变,利于粗蛋白的积累,且在温度120℃,加热时间90min条件下粗蛋白百分含量最高,占干物质的31．34％;随温度的升高和加热时间的延长TN、NHf-N和有机氮含量均上升;当温度达到120℃,由于水解反应,各温度处理下NHf．N浓度超过有机氮浓度,而NO3-N始终维持较低水平。氨基酸总量随温度的升高和水解时间的延长呈上升趋势,当温度达90％,加热时间达180min时,处理后餐厨垃圾总氨基酸百分含量最高,达164％,但温度达到120℃时,随着处理时间的延长,餐厨垃圾总氨基酸含量明显降低。     

Sustainable Development by Design: Review of Life Cycle Design and Related Approaches

The environmental profile of goods and services that satisfy our individual and societal needs is shaped by design activities. Substantial evidence suggests that current patterns of human activity on a global scale are not following a sustainable path. Necessary changes to achieve a more sustainable system will require that environmental issues be more effectively addressed in design. But at present much confusion surrounds the incorporation of environmental objectives into the design process. Although not yet fully embraced by industry, the product life cycle system is becoming widely recognized as a useful design framework for understanding the links between societal needs, economic systems and their environmental consequences. The product life cycle encompasses all activities from raw material extraction, manufacturing, and use to final disposal of all residuals.

Life cycle design (LCD), Design for Environment (DFE), and related initiatives based on this product life cycle are emerging as systematic approaches for integrating environmental issues into design. This review presents the life cycle design framework developed forthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a structure for discussing the environmental design literature. Specifying environmental requirements and evaluation metrics are essential elements of designing for sustainable development. A major challenge for successful design is choosing appropriate strategies that satisfy cost, performance, cultural, and legal criteria while also optimizing environmental objectives. Various methods for specifying requirements, strategies for reducing environmental burden, and environmental evaluation tools are explored and critiqued. Currently, many organizational and operational factors limit the applicability of life cycle design and other design approaches to sustainable development. For example, lack of environmental data and simple, effective evaluation tools are major barriers. Despite these problems, companies are beginning to pursue aspects of life cycle design. The future of life cycle design and sustainable development depends on education, government policy and regulations, and industry leadership but fundamental changes in societal values and behavior will ultimately determine the fate of the planet’s life support system.