Carbon Sequestration by Carbonization of Biomass and Forestation: Three Case Studies

We proposed the carbon sink project called “Carbon Sequestration by Forestation and Carbonization (CFC),” which involves biomass utilization and land conservation by incorporating the products of biomass carbonization into the agents for soil improvement, water purification, etc. Our purpose was to demonstrate the potential of the CFC scheme for carbon sequestration, particularly carbon storage in soil. Case studies were conducted in both developing and developed countries. 1. In southern Sumatra, Indonesia, 88,369 Mg-C year⁻¹ of wood residue from a plantation forest and excess bark from a pulp mill would be converted into 15,571 Mg-C year⁻¹ of the net carbon sink by biochar for soil improvement. The fixed carbon recovery of the system is 21.0%. 2. In a semiarid region in western Australia, the carbonization of wood residue was incorporated with multipurpose projects of a mallee eucalyptus plantation that involved the function of salinity prevention. During the project period of 35 years, the total carbon sink would reach 1,035,450 Mg-C with 14.0% by aboveground biomass, 33.1% by belowground biomass and 52.8% by biochar in soil. 3. In southern Kyushu, Japan, the study was focused on the effective use of surplus heat from a garbage incinerator for carbonizing woody materials. Sawdust of 936.0 Mg-C year⁻¹ would be converted into the net carbon sink of 298.5 Mg-C year⁻¹ by carbonization, with the fixed carbon recovery of the system being 31.9%. Consequently, the CFC project could encourage the creation of a carbon sink in soil. However, we recognize that the quality standard of biochar, the stability of biochar in soil, and the methods for monitoring biochar utilization must be clarified before incorporating biochar carbon into the carbon credit system. Throughout this article (except for diagrams and in citation details) carbonized biomass is, with the authors'agreement, called ‘biochar’ in lieu of the commonly used but misleading word ‘charcoal’ (Editor).     

Effect of additives on dechlorination of PVC by mechanochemical treatment

Polyvinyl chloride (–CH₂–CHCl–) _n (PVC) was ground with a powdered inorganic material (CaO, CaCO₃, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, or slag) in a planetary ball mill under atmospheric conditions to investigate the effect of additions on its dechlorination. The grinding causes a dehydrochlorinating reaction, forming a mixture of partially dechlorinated PVC and inorganic chloride, depending on the grinding time. The dechlorination increases as the grinding progresses, and is improved with increasing amounts of additives. The most effective additive is a mixture of CaO, SiO₂, and Al₂O₃, which has the same constituent components as blast furnace slag. CaO, a mixture of CaO, SiO₂, and blast furnace slag, are also effective, but CaCO₃ is the least effective additive tired. Received: August 3, 2000 / Accepted: September 21, 2000     

Multi‐phase non‐steady state equilibrium model for evaluation of environmental fate of organic chemicals

A simple mathematical fate model, Multi‐Phase Non‐Steady State Equilibrium Model (MNSEM) is proposed to evaluate distribution, persistence, and concentrations of chemicals in a model environment consisting of air, water, soil and sediment phases. The model is applied to evaluation of environmental fate and concentration of trichloroethylene and 1,4‐dichlorobenzene under generic conditions representative of Japan.

Evaluated chemical concentrations in air are within a factor of 3 of average values in Japanese atmosphere, and evaluated concentrations in water, sediment, or fish are greater than an order of magnitude below detection limits in real environments, so that evaluated concentrations are in reasonable agreement with environmental measurement data in Japan.

Although MNSEM is not a model for site‐specific evaluation of environmental fate, results suggested that this model is an adequate method to aid in evaluation of fate of chemicals under generic environment conditions. Evaluated concentration‐profiles may be used to estimate average chemical exposure concentrations for humans and the environment.     

ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR ESTIMATING THE TIME SERIES COMPONENTS OF WATER CONSUMPTION DATA1

ABSTRACT: Understanding the behavior of different time-series components of water consumption data is essential for a more effective analysis of economic incentive effects of alternative policy measures and also closer integration of water supply and demand management. Additive and multiplicative models are used to analyze the trend (T), cyclical (C), seasonal (S) and irregular (I) components. The stepwise regression method was applied to 187 data points (January 1960 to July 1975), each representing average daily water consumption within the service area of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Although statistically similar results (R² 0.95 and 0.96 and respective corresponding F-ratios 277 and 307) might suggest little difference in model performances, closer analysis of the results point to important multiplicative effects which should be taken into account in both short-run and long-run analyses.     

Japanese Papilio butterflies puddle using Na+ detected by contact chemosensilla in the proboscis

Many butterflies acquire nutrients from non-nectar sources such as puddles. To better understand how male Papilio butterflies identify suitable sites for puddling, we used behavioral and electrophysiological methods to examine the responses of Japanese Papilio butterflies to Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺. Based on behavioral analyses, these butterflies preferred a 10-mM Na⁺ solution to K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ solutions of the same concentration and among a tested range of 1?mM to 1?M NaCl. We also measured the ion concentrations of solutions sampled from puddling sites in the field. Na⁺ concentrations of the samples were up to 6?mM, slightly lower than that preferred by butterflies in the behavioral experiments. Butterflies that sipped the 10?mM Na⁺ solution from the experimental trays did not continue to puddle on the ground. Additionally, butterflies puddled at sites where the concentrations of K⁺, Ca²⁺, and/or Mg²⁺ were higher than that of Na⁺. This suggests that K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ do not interfere with the detection of Na⁺ by the Papilio butterfly. Using an electrophysiological method, tip recordings, receptor neurons in contact chemosensilla inside the proboscis evoked regularly firing impulses to 1, 10, and 100?mM NaCl solutions but not to CaCl₂ or MgCl₂. The dose?Cresponse patterns to the NaCl solutions were different among the neurons, which were classified into three types. These results showed that Japanese Papilio butterflies puddle using Na⁺ detected by the contact chemosensilla in the proboscis, which measure its concentration.     

Heat and carbon dioxide generated by honeybees jointly act to kill hornets

We have found that giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica) are killed in less than 10 min when they are trapped in a bee ball created by the Japanese honeybees Apis cerana japonica, but their death cannot be solely accounted for by the elevated temperature in the bee ball. In controlled experiments, hornets can survive for 10 min at the temperature up to 47°C, whereas the temperature inside the bee balls does not rise higher than 45.9°C. We have found here that the CO₂ concentration inside the bee ball also reaches a maximum (3.6 ± 0.2%) in the initial 0–5 min phase after bee ball formation. The lethal temperature of the hornet (45–46°C) under conditions of CO₂ concentration (3.7 ± 0.44%) produced using human expiratory air is almost the same as that in the bee ball. The lethal temperature of the honeybee is 50–51°C under the same air conditions. We concluded that CO₂ produced inside the bee ball by honeybees is a major factor together with the temperature involved in defense against giant hornets.     

Determination of PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in insulating oil samples from stored Chinese electrical capacitors by HRGC/HRMS

Homologue and congener profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in commercial PCBs formulations are key information for the source identification of PCBs contamination as well as for the risk assessment caused by potential exposure. The isotope dilution technology in combination with high resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) has made the accurate determination of such profiles possible. So far, various commercial PCB formulations except Chinese products have been successfully determined. Two PCBs containing insulating oil samples from stored Chinese electrical capacitors have been determined with the same methodology for comparability. The total concentration PCBs in two oil samples were 790 000 μg g⁻¹ and 720 000 μg g⁻¹, respectively. TriCBs, TetraCBs, and DiCBs were found to be most abundant. Concentration of dioxins contamination in two samples is 650-670 ngTEQ g⁻¹, of which 69-71 ngTEQ g⁻¹ from PCDD/Fs with the predominant congeners of 1,2,7,8-TeCDF; 2,3,7,8-TeCDF; 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF. The contributions of DL-PCBs in total TEQ in both samples were more than 85%. The dioxin-like toxicity in insulating oils contained in electrical capacitors could be considered receive attention as an important dioxins source if such wastes are not managed in an environmentally sound manner.     

Surgical examination of male genital function of calopterygid damselflies (Odonata)

Male genitalia show rapid and divergent evolution. It is rarely determined whether variation in male genital morphology influences male reproductive success. Male damselflies possess a unique aedeagus with a re-curved head and spiny lateral processes, and most females have two sperm storage organs, a spherical bursa copulatrix and a tubular spermatheca. Previous studies have indicated that the re-curved head may remove bursal sperm, whereas the lateral processes remove spermathecal sperm. However, we need more direct evidence of these functions. We compared sperm number in female sperm storage organs by interrupting copulation to examine sperm removal by the male. In Calopteryx cornelia, males removed almost all bursal sperm but only partially removed spermathecal sperm. In contrast, females of Mnais pruinosa store sperm primarily in the bursa, and males removed only bursal sperm. To examine the functions of male spiny lateral processes, we compared mating behaviour between control and experimental males from which we removed (cut) the lateral processes. In C. cornelia, cutting of the lateral processes resulted in a decreased number of abdominal movements during copulation and no removal of spermathecal sperm. The amount of bursal sperm removed during copulation also decreased in experimental males compared to the unmanipulated males. However, in M. pruinosa, the experimental removal of male lateral processes did not decrease the abdominal movements and little affected the removal of bursal sperm. Inter-specific differences between C. cornelia and M. pruinosa may be caused by variation in the strategies of female sperm storage.