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.     

Comparison of six particle size distribution models on the goodness-of-fit to particulate matter sampled from animal buildings

Lognormal distribution is often used as a default model for regression analysis of particle size distribution (PSD) data; however, its goodness-of-fit to particle matter (PM) sampled from animal buildings and its comparison to other PSD models have not been well examined. This study aimed to evaluate and to compare the goodness-of-fit of six PSD models to total suspended particulate matter (TSP) samples collected from 15 animal buildings. Four particle size analyzers were used for PSD measurement. The models' goodness-of-fit was evaluated based on adjusted R2, Akaike's information criterion (AIC), and mean squared error (MSE) values. Results showed that the models' approximation of measured PSDs differed with particle size analyzer. The lognormal distribution model offered overall good approximations to measured PSD data, but was inferior to the gamma and Weibull distribution models when applied to PSD data derived from the Horiba and Malvern analyzers. Single-variable models including the exponential, Khrgian-Mazin, and Chen's empirical models provided relatively poor approximations and, thus, were not recommended for future investigations. A further examination on model-predicted PSD parameters revealed that even the best-fit model of the six could significantly misestimate mean diameter median diameter; and variance. However, compared with other models, the best-fit model still offered the relatively best estimates of mean and median diameters, whereas the best predicted variances were given by the gamma distribution model.     

Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air at Four Residential Locations in Seoul, Korea

To investigate the environmental behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban areas, their concentrations were measured at four urban monitoring sites (namely, N, S, E, and W) in Seoul, Korea (February to December 2009). A total of 27 compounds were quantified that consist of four chemical groups: aromatic (AR), halogenated aromatic, halogenated paraffin, and halogenated olefin. Results were evaluated by focusing on these four functional groups just mentioned and their summation term as total VOC (TVOC) along with several individual species (mainly AR species, that is, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene). The highest concentration of chemical groups was found from AR (71.1±42.1?ppbC), while that for individual species confirmed the dominance of toluene (7.48±3.88?ppb). The analysis of spatial distribution indicated that high TVOC levels were recorded at sites N and W, while it was not so significant such as S and E in terms of TVOC budget. Seasonal variation of these VOCs was characterized by the peak values in December to reflect the combined effects of pronounced source activities and meteorological conditions. Analysis of spatial variations in VOC levels between the four urban sites indicated that their distributions are tightly affected by local source processes in each area.     

Examination of Critical Factors Related to Summer Chlorophyll a Concentration in the Sueo Dam Reservoir, Republic of Korea

This study examined critical factors related to the short-term variation of algae growth in reservoirs during the summer. To this end, statistical tests were carried out at a small dam reservoir to determine how chemical factors (e.g., nutrient concentrations) and physical factors (e.g., theoretical and relative residence times, temperature) influenced the chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. Statistical tests revealed that, although phosphorus (P) concentration was significant for Chl-a, residence time had much stronger relationship to Chl-a concentration than chemical factors. In addition, the study verified that relative residence time (RRT) best explained the relation of water status to algae growth. RRT was found to be useful in identifying water status related to the summer algae bloom. Finally, this study raised the possibility of inhibiting summer algae growth by operating dam reservoirs moderately. These findings need to be seriously considered when reservoir operators establish effective strategies for water quality management in summer.     

Revised relative potency values for PCDDs, PCDFs, and non-ortho-substituted PCBs for the optimized H4IIE-luc in vitro bioassay

While the World Health Organization 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalency factors are useful estimates of relative potencies of mixtures when conducting risk assessments, they are not useful when comparing the results of bioassays such as the H4IIE-luc to concentrations of TCDD equivalents calculated from instrumental analyses. Since there are thousands of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs), one use of screening assays is to determine if all of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) active DLCs in a mixture have been accounted for in instrumental analyses. For this purpose, bioassay-specific relative potency (ReP) values are needed. RePs of 21 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls that exhibit effects mediated through the AhR were determined by use of the H4IIE-luc assay. Different values of RePs are derived, depending on the statistical, curve-fitting methods used to derive them from the dose–response relationships. Here, we discuss the various methods for deriving RePs from in vitro data and their assumptions and effects on values of RePs. Full dose–response curves of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and other representative DLCs were used to estimate effective concentrations at multiple points (e.g., EC20-50-80), which were then used to estimate ReP of each DLC to 2,3,7,8-TCDD.     

Control of Malodors from Kraft Recovery Operations by Pyrolysis

The major source of malodorous emissions which emanate from kraft mills is the recovery furnace and its associated direct contact evaporator. The primary reasons for this problem are gross furnace overloading and/or inadequate design. Existing recovery furnaces are incapable of carrying out, to an acceptable degree of completion, the complex sequence of physical and chemical steps which describe combustion. These steps are evaporation, sublimination, pyrolysis, recombination, and oxidation. A simplified odor model is presented which establishes the constraints which must be placed on the combustion phase of the recovery operation if environmental concentrations of malodorous compounds are to be held below their respective threshold odor levels. The pyrolysis and recombination steps of combustion have been isolated for study because they encompass the reaction mechanisms responsible for malodorous compound production. The findings of the steady state pyrolysis study indicate that the optimization of pyrolysis appears to be a very desirable process technique for abating alodorous emissions from kraft mills. The comprehensive data obtained in the study has engendered the current design and construction efforts toward a pilot plant operation.     

Extreme Values in TSP Distribution Functions

The highest values in annual TSP distributions fall below the best-fit, log-normal straight line more than one would expect from ordinary sampling statistics but not dramatically so. The lowest values in annual TSP distributions overwhelmingly fall below the best-fit, log-normal straight line. The most highly improbable high values above the best-fit line in such distributions are very questionable and probably do not represent true air quality values. The most improbable cases of highest values falling below the best-fit, log-normal line are the result of data artifacts at the opposite end of the data distribution. They do not represent low probabilities and probably do represent true air quality values. The most improbable low values are all of highly doubtful validity.     

Destruction of Bacteria and Toxic Organic Chemicals by a Corona Discharge

A detailed analysis of international trends in air pollution control and waste management markets forecasts considerable growth and expansion due to increased economic activity, more stringent regulations requiring pollution control, and the increased amounts of solid waste being generated worldwide.     

Potential Problems with the Current RCRA Incineration Permit Process

The current hazardous waste incinerator permitting process is highly uncertain, complex, and unnecessarily restrictive, which makes a permitted facility very difficult to operate on a continuous basis without permit violations. This paper discusses the problems in the current regulation and enforcement practices. Some solutions are suggested. It is suggested that the current highly conservative permitting approach of disallowing any operating conditions or banning any waste feeds which the permit writer may have the slightest doubt of failing to meet the four-9s destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) requirement for even a few seconds, should be reevaluated. It is suggested that a more reasonable approach, using practical engineering judgment to allow those operating conditions and waste feeds which should be able to meet the DRE requirement, should be considered by the regulatory agencies.     

Removal of Low Concentrations of Carbon Tetrachloride in Compost-Based Biofilters Operated under Methanogenic Conditions

ABSTRACT

Research was performed to demonstrate the removal of carbon tetrachloride (CT) using compost biofilters operated under methanogenic conditions. Biofilters were operated at an empty-bed residence time of 2.8 minutes using nitrogen as the atmosphere. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide were supplied as an electron donor and carbon source, respectively, during acclimation of the bed medium microbes. Once methanogenesis was demonstrated, CT flow to the biofilter was established. Biofilters were operated over a CT concentration range from 20 to 700 ppbv for 6 months. Bed medium microbes were able to remove up to 75% of the inlet CT. At excessively high CT concentrations (>500 ppmv), methane production and hydrogen utilization by the bed medium microbes appeared to be inhibited. CT removal by the biofilter decreased when the hydrogen supply was removed from the biofilter inlet, indicating that hydrogen acted as the electron donor for reductive dechlorination. The removal efficiency and relatively low empty bed residence times demonstrated by these laboratory-scale biofilters indicate that anaerobic biofiltration of CT may be a feasible full-scale process.