Humic-like substances global levels and extraction methods in aerosols

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The abundance of humic-like substances in the atmosphere has received considerable attention since these substances play an important role in various atmospheric...     

Why do municipalities accept disaster waste? Evidence from the great east Japan earthquake

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - Municipalities’ cooperation is critical for successful policy interventions for disaster recovery. Using a spatial econometric model, we...     

Airborne hydrophilic microplastics in cloud water at high altitudes and their role in cloud formation

Microplastic pollution is occurring in most ecosystem, yet their presence in high altitude clouds and their influence on cloud formation and climate change are poorly known. Here we analyzed microplastics in cloud water sampled at the summits of Japan mountains at 1300–3776 m altitude by attenuated total reflection imaging and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We observed nine microplastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide 6, polycarbonate, ethylene–propylene copolymer or polyethylene–polypropylene alloy, polyurethane, and epoxy resin. Microplastic were fragmented, with mean concentrations ranging from 6.7 to 13.9 pieces per liter, and with Feret diameters ranging from 7.1 to 94.6 μm. Microplastics bearing hydrophilic groups such as carbonyl and/or hydroxyl groups were abundant, suggesting that they might have acted as condensation nuclei of cloud ice and water. Overall, our finding suggest that high-altitude microplastics cloud influence cloud formation and, in turn, might modify the climate.

     

The adoption of a Climate Disaster Resilience Index in Chennai,India

Results derived from the Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI)—consisting of five dimensions (economic, institutional, natural, physical, and social), 25 parameters, and 125 variables—reflect the abilities of people and institutions to respond to potential climate‐related disasters in Chennai, India. The findings of this assessment, applied in the 10 administrative zones of the city, reveal that communities living in the northern and older parts of Chennai have lower overall resilience as compared to the flourishing areas (vis‐à‐vis economic growth and population) along the urban fringes. The higher resilience of communities along the urban fringes suggests that urbanisation may not necessarily lead to a deterioration of basic urban services, such as electricity, housing, and water. This indication is confirmed by a strong statistical correlation between physical resilience and population growth in Chennai. The identification of the resilience of different urban areas of Chennai has the potential to support future planning decisions on the city's scheduled expansion.     

Characteristics of the vibrating-mesh minimum ignition energy testing apparatus for dust clouds

A novel apparatus for testing the minimum ignition energies of flammable dusts is introduced. Unlike the conventional apparatus (the Hartmann tube), this new apparatus employs a vibrating mesh to produce a dust cloud. Using three kinds of powders, namely lycopodium, anthraquinone and polyacrylonitrile, which are designated as the samples for calibration by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC, 1994) standards, fundamental characteristics were experimentally investigated. Concerning the minimum ignition energies (MIEs), the new testing apparatus worked well for two samples, lycopodium and polyacrylonitrile. The MIE for anthraquinone, however, was by far larger than the expected value. We concluded that the aggregation of anthraquinone particles is the main cause of the difference and is attributable to both the tribo-charges acquired by the particles when passing through the mesh and the filamentary shape of the crystal. Other essential factors for characterizing the testing apparatus, such as the concentration of dust, the shape and spacing of the sparking electrode system, and the impedance of the sparking circuit are discussed.     

Formation of PCDF, PCDD, PCB, and PCN in de novo synthesis from PAH: mechanistic aspects and correlation to fluidized bed incinerators

The difference of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) isomer patterns between stoker type incinerators and some fluidized bed incinerators (FBI) is a key to understand the formation mechanisms in both types of incinerators. The total yield and the isomer patterns of PCDF, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN), and polychlorinated benzenes (PCBz) formed via de novo synthesis from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) indicate that chlorinated aromatics in the FBI are formed as a result of PAH breakdown. The detailed analysis of the isomer patterns of PCDF, PCB and PCN gives a first insight into the transformation mechanism of the PAHs and the sequence of degradation, chlorination and oxygen insertion. The major chlorination takes part at the position of the C-C cleavage during degradation of the PAHs. Further chlorination of the hydrogen position of the former PAH takes part preferably in ortho-position to this chlorination or is directed by incorporated oxygen. A perylene structure in soot is proposed as basis for the observed PCDF pattern in the FBI. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated phenols (PxCP) were formed in lower concentrations from the de novo experiments indicating an additional formation pathway for these compounds in the FBI.     

Anaerobic transformation of chlorophenols in methanogenic sludge unexposed to chlorophenols

Transformation of all 19 chlorophenol (CP) isomers was investigated in a laboratory anaerobic methanogenic sludge that had not been exposed to synthetic chemicals. Concentration of CP was analyzed over time to calculate disappearance rate constants using first-order reaction kinetics and all possible CP degradation pathways were estimated. The rate constants ranged between 0.46 x 10(-3) and 0.161 day(-1). CPs were transformed via dechlorination. The chlorine atom at the ortho-position was the most easily dechlorinated, whereas dechlorination rate at the para-position was lowest. The overall pathways of CP transformation were much less diverse than that we previously found for contaminated sediment. The Dolfing hypothesis of microbial selection of the most thermodynamically favorable pathways was not applicable for CP transformation in this study as well as previous study performed by our group.     

Feasibility study of a centralized biogas plant performance in a dairy farming area

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this feasibility study, the anaerobic co-digestion of different organic wastes obtained from a dairy farming area in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan...