International Diffusion of Open Path FTIR Technology and Air Monitoring Methods: Taiwan (Republic of China)

Abstract

International cooperation and diffusion of environmental technologies is a central goal of the U.S. EPA Environmental Technology Initiative, and is of great interest to many countries. One objective is to exchange knowledge and skills concerning new monitoring technologies. In this case, the technology was open path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (op-FTIR).

Taiwan is a high-technology, newly industrialized country. Because of air pollution problems, it is interested in obtaining skills, knowledge, and instrumentation for monitoring air pollutants. In April 1994, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Center for Industrial Safety and Health Technology (ITRI/CISH) in Hsinchu, Taiwan, requested intensive training in op-FTIR. Training was held between September 30,1994 and October 29,1994.

During the stay, the instructor provided intensive training on op-FTIR theory as well as an introduction to available instrumentation and software. The training concluded with a field demonstration of the instrumentation in a manufacturing facility. This report gives an overview of the training methods, structure, and materials in the op-FTIR training course. It will also address various problems encountered while teaching this course. In addition, the potential use for this technology in industry as well as by the Taiwanese government will be explained.     

Ammonium Nitrate,Nitric Acid,and Ammonia Equilibrium in Wintertime Phoenix,Arizona

A secondary aerosol equilibrium model, SEQUILIB, is applied to evaluate the effects of emissions reductions from precursor species on ambient concentrations during the winter in Phoenix, Arizona. The model partitions total nitrate and total ammonia to gas-phase nitric acid and ammonia and to particle-phase ammonium nitrate. Agreement between these partitions and ambient measures of these species was found to be satisfactory. Equilibrium isopleths were generated for various ammonium nitrate concentrations corresponding to high and low humidity periods which occurred during sampling. These diagrams show that ammonia is so abundant in Phoenix that massive reductions in its ambient concentrations would be needed before significant reductions in particulate ammonium nitrate would be observed. When total nitrate is reduced by reductions in its nitrogen oxides precursor, proportional reductions in particulate nitrate are expected. Many of the complex reactions in SEQUILIB do not apply to Phoenix, and its ability to reproduce ambient data in this study does not guarantee that it will be as effective in areas with more complex chemistry. Nevertheless, the nitrate chemistry in SEQUILIB appears to be sound, and it is a useful model for addressing the difficult apportionment of secondary aerosol to its precursors.     

Radiosynthesis of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS), including solubility, partition and adhesion studies

Here, we describe for the first time the synthesis of [³⁵S] PFOS and [³⁵S] PFBS with sulfur-35 enriched sulfur dioxide as the radiolabelled reagent, resulting in 2.5 and 2.3 mCi of product, respectively. Basic information concerning the physicochemical properties of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are still limited. Hence, we utilized these radiolabelled perfluoroalkanesulfonates (PFSAs), as well as carbon-14 labelled perfluorooctanoic acid ([¹⁴C] PFOA) to determine some basic characteristics of physiological and experimental significance.The solubility of PFOS in buffered aqueous solutions at pH 7.4 was found to be severely reduced in the presence of potassium and sodium ions, which, however, did not reduce the solubility of PFOA or PFBS. PFOS was found to adhere to a small extent to polypropylene and polystyrene, whereas no such adhesion of PFOA or PFBS was detected. The extents of adhesion of PFOS and PFOA to glass were found to be 20% and 10%, respectively. For the first time, the partition coefficients for PFOS, PFBS and PFOA between n-octanol and water were determined experimentally, to be −0.7, −0.3, and 1.4, respectively, reflecting the difference in the amphiphilic natures of these molecules.     

Structuring sustainability science

It is urgent in science and society to address climate change and other sustainability challenges such as biodiversity loss, deforestation, depletion of marine fish stocks, global ill-health, land degradation, land use change and water scarcity. Sustainability science (SS) is an attempt to bridge the natural and social sciences for seeking creative solutions to these complex challenges. In this article, we propose a research agenda that advances the methodological and theoretical understanding of what SS can be, how it can be pursued and what it can contribute. The key focus is on knowledge structuring. For that purpose, we designed a generic research platform organised as a three-dimensional matrix comprising three components: core themes (scientific understanding, sustainability goals, sustainability pathways); cross-cutting critical and problem-solving approaches; and any combination of the sustainability challenges above. As an example, we insert four sustainability challenges into the matrix (biodiversity loss, climate change, land use changes, water scarcity). Based on the matrix with the four challenges, we discuss three issues for advancing theory and methodology in SS: how new synergies across natural and social sciences can be created; how integrated theories for understanding and responding to complex sustainability issues can be developed; and how theories and concepts in economics, gender studies, geography, political science and sociology can be applied in SS. The generic research platform serves to structure and create new knowledge in SS and is a tool for exploring any set of sustainability challenges. The combined critical and problem-solving approach is essential.     

Riparian Zone Influence on Stream Water Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations at the Swedish Integrated Monitoring Sites

Short-term variability in stream water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations is controlled by hydrology, climate and atmospheric deposition. Using the Riparian flow-concentration Integration Model (RIM), we evaluated factors controlling stream water DOC in the Swedish Integrated Monitoring (IM) catchments by separating out hydrological effects on stream DOC dynamics. Model residuals were correlated with climate and deposition-related drivers. DOC was most strongly correlated to water flow in the northern catchment (Gammtratten). The southern Aneboda and Kindla catchments had pronounced seasonal DOC signals, which correlated weakly to flow. DOC concentrations at Gårdsjön increased, potentially in response to declining acid deposition. Soil temperature correlated strongly with model residuals at all sites. Incorporating soil temperature in RIM improved model performance substantially (20–62% lower median absolute error). According to the simulations, the RIM conceptualization of riparian processes explains between 36% (Kindla) and 61% (Aneboda) of the DOC dynamics at the IM sites.     

Recovery of Soil Water,Groundwater, and Streamwater From Acidification at the Swedish Integrated Monitoring Catchments

Recovery from anthropogenic acidification in streams and lakes is well documented across the northern hemisphere. In this study, we use 1996–2009 data from the four Swedish Integrated Monitoring catchments to evaluate how the declining sulfur deposition has affected sulfate, pH, acid neutralizing capacity, ionic strength, aluminum, and dissolved organic carbon in soil water, groundwater and runoff. Differences in recovery rates between catchments, between recharge and discharge areas and between soil water and groundwater are assessed. At the IM sites, atmospheric deposition is the main human impact. The chemical trends were weakly correlated to the sulfur deposition decline. Other factors, such as marine influence and catchment features, seem to be as important. Except for pH and DOC, soil water and groundwater showed similar trends. Discharge areas acted as buffers, dampening the trends in streamwater. Further monitoring and modeling of these hydraulically active sites should be encouraged.     

Activated soil filters for removal of biocides from contaminated run-off and waste-waters

Building facades can be equipped with biocides to prevent formation of algal, fungal and bacterial films. Thus run-off waters may contain these highly active compounds. In this study, the removal of several groups of biocides from contaminated waters by means of an activated soil filter was studied.A technical scale activated vertical soil filter (biofilter) with different layers (peat, sand and gravel), was planted with reed (Phragmites australis) and used to study the removal rates and fate of hydrophilic to moderate hydrophobic (log K_ow 1.8-4.4) biocides and biocide metabolites such as: Terbutryn, Cybutryn (Irgarol® 1051), Descyclopropyl-Cybutryn (Cybutryn and Terbutryn metabolite), Isoproturon, Diuron, and its metabolite Diuron-desmonomethyl, Benzo-isothiazolinone, n-Octyl-isothiazolinone, Dichloro-n-octylisothiazolinone and Iodocarbamate (Iodocarb). Three experiments were performed: the first one (36 d) under low flow conditions (61 L m⁻² d⁻¹) reached removal rates between 82% and 100%. The second one was performed to study high flow conditions: During this experiment, water was added as a pulse to the filter system with a hydraulic load of 255 L m⁻² within 5 min (retention time <1 h). During this experiment the removal rates of the compounds decreased drastically. For five compounds (Cybutryn, Descyclopropyl-Cybutryn, Diuron, Isoproturon, and Iodocarb) the removal dropped temporarily below 60%, while it was always above 70% for the others (Terbutryn, Benzo-isothiazolinone, n-Octyl-isothiazolinone, Dichloro-n-octylisothiazolinone). However, this removal is a considerable improvement compared to direct discharge into surface waters or infiltration into soil without appropriate removal. In the last experiment the removal efficiencies of the different layers were studied. Though the peat layer was responsible for most of the removal, the sand and gravel layers also contributed significantly for some compounds. All compounds are rather removed by degradation than by sorption.     

Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in relation to soil chemical properties and heavy metal contamination

Abundance and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with dominant plant species were studied along a transect from highly lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) polluted to non-polluted soil at the Anguran open pit mine in Iran. Using an established primer set for AMF in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA, nine different AMF sequence types were distinguished after phylogenetic analyses, showing remarkable differences in their distribution patterns along the transect. With decreasing Pb and Zn concentration, the number of AMF sequence types increased, however one sequence type was only found in the highly contaminated area. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that further factors than HM soil concentration affect the AMF community at contaminated sites. Specifically, the soils’ calcium carbonate equivalent and available P proved to be of importance, which illustrates that field studies on AMF distribution should also consider important environmental factors and their possible interactions.     

Photocatalytic degradation of dichlorvos in aqueous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> suspensions

Introduction  

In the present work, we explored the kinetics of dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorvinyl dimethyl phosphate, DDVP) decay through UV-A light-induced TiO₂ photocatalysis at pH 4 and 9, and the formation of degradation intermediates and final products under specific experimental conditions. Experimental observations and theoretical considerations allowed us to suggest the degradation mechanism of DDVP by the UV/TiO₂ process in aqueous solution.     

Evidence for struvite in poultry litter: effect of storage and drying

The use of spectroscopic techniques (especially phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance [(31)P-NMR] and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy) has recently advanced the analysis of the speciation of P in poultry litter (PL) and greatly enhanced our understanding of changes in P pools in PL that receive alum (aluminum sulfate) to reduce water-soluble P and control ammonia emissions from poultry houses. Questions remain concerning changes of P species during long-term storage, drying, or after application of PL to cropland or for other uses, such as turfgrass. In this study, we investigated a set of six PL samples (of which three were alum-amended and three were unamended) that had been characterized previously. The P speciation was analyzed using solid-state (31)P-NMR spectroscopy, and the mineralogy was analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) after storing the samples moist and dried for up to 5 yr under controlled conditions. The magnesium ammonium phosphate mineral struvite was identified in all but one PL samples. Struvite concentrations were generally lower in dried samples (< or = 14%) than in samples stored moist (23 and 26%). The moist samples also had higher concentrations of phosphate bound to aluminum hydroxides. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy was in general more sensitive than XRD in detecting and quantifying P species. Although phosphate associated with calcium and aluminum made up a large proportion of P species, they were not detected by XRD.