Windsor, Ontario exposure assessment study: design and methods validation of personal, indoor, and outdoor air pollution monitoring

The Windsor, Ontario Exposure Assessment Study evaluated the contribution of ambient air pollutants to personal and indoor exposures of adults and asthmatic children living in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In addition, the role of personal, indoor, and outdoor air pollution exposures upon asthmatic children's respiratory health was assessed. Several active and passive sampling methods were applied, or adapted, for personal, indoor, and outdoor residential monitoring of nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter (PM; PM-2.5 pm [PM2.5] and < or =10 microm [PM10] in aerodynamic diameter), elemental carbon, ultrafine particles, ozone, air exchange rates, allergens in settled dust, and particulate-associated metals. Participants completed five consecutive days of monitoring during the winter and summer of 2005 and 2006. During 2006, in addition to undertaking the air pollution measurements, asthmatic children completed respiratory health measurements (including peak flow meter tests and exhaled breath condensate) and tracked respiratory symptoms in a diary. Extensive quality assurance and quality control steps were implemented, including the collocation of instruments at the National Air Pollution Surveillance site operated by Environment Canada and at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality site in Allen Park, Detroit, MI. During field sampling, duplicate and blank samples were also completed and these data are reported. In total, 50 adults and 51 asthmatic children were recruited to participate, resulting in 922 participant days of data. When comparing the methods used in the study with standard reference methods, field blanks were low and bias was acceptable, with most methods being within 20% of reference methods. Duplicates were typically within less than 10% of each other, indicating that study results can be used with confidence. This paper covers study design, recruitment, methodology, time activity diary, surveys, and quality assurance and control results for the different methods used.     

Characterizing dissolved organic matter and evaluating associated nanofiltration membrane fouling

Natural organic matter (NOM) characteristics were determined for three ground waters exhibiting different water quality conditions. The water quality of the three feed waters collected at various water table depths was characterized by XAD-8/-4 resin adsorption, high performance size exclusion chromatography with ultraviolet and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) detections, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine NOM fractionation, molecular weight, and NOM functional groups, respectively. Systematic studies were conducted to identify potential NOM foulants in ground water for nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling. The results show that the hydrophobic fraction of NOM in all of the samples was significantly high (71-93%) compared to the hydrophilic (1.7-22.6%) and transphilic (5.3-6.6%) fractions. However, insignificant flux-decline (less than 5%) was observed for the highest DOC (36.9 mg l(-1)) and hydrophobic NOM (93%) containing groundwater compared to the other lesser DOC and hydrophobic NOM containing ground waters. This is presumably due to either higher fractions of hydrophilic and transphilic NOM or inorganic interactions that may be major foulants. Based on FTIR, aromatic foulants were observed at 1662 cm(-1) (CO-NH2 or CO conjugated with aromatic rings) for the fouled NF membrane with the relatively low DOC source waters. The contact angle of the clean membrane (52 degrees ) decreased with fouling up to 42-47 degrees for fouled membranes with the various samples.     

Pesticides in urban multiunit dwellings: hazard identification using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis

Many units in public housing or other low-income urban dwellings may have elevated pesticide residues, given recurring infestation, but it would be logistically and economically infeasible to sample a large number of units to identify highly exposed households to design interventions. Within this study, our aim was to devise a low-cost approach to identify homes in public housing with high levels of pesticide residues, using information that would allow the housing authority and residents to determine optimal strategies to reduce household exposures. As part of the Healthy Public Housing Initiative, we collected environmental samples from 42 public housing apartments in Boston, MA, in 2002 and 2003 and gathered housing characteristics; for example, household demographics and self-reported pesticide use information, considering information available with and without a home visit. Focusing on five organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides, we used classification and regression tree analysis (CART) to disaggregate the pesticide concentration data into homogenous subsamples according to housing characteristics, which allowed us to identify households and associated networks impacted by the mismanagement of pesticides. The CART analysis demonstrated reasonable sensitivity and specificity given more extensive household information but generally poor performance using only information available without a home visit. Apartments with high concentrations of cyfluthrin, a pyrethroid of interest given that it is a restricted use pesticide, were more likely to be associated with Hispanic residents who resided in their current apartment for more than 5 yr, consistent with documented pesticide usage patterns. We conclude that using CART as an exploratory technique to better understand the home characteristics associated with elevated pesticide levels may be a viable approach for risk management in large multiunit housing developments.     

Evaluation of Reference Evapotranspiration Methods in Arid,Semiarid, and Humid Regions

It is often necessary to find a simpler method in different climatic regions to calculate reference crop evapotranspiration (ET_o) since the application of the FAO‐56 Penman‐Monteith method is often restricted due to the unavailability of a comprehensive weather dataset. Seven ET_o methods, namely the standard FAO‐56 Penman‐Monteith, the FAO‐24 Radiation, FAO‐24 Blaney Criddle, 1985 Hargreaves, Priestley‐Taylor, 1957 Makkink, and 1961 Turc, were applied to calculate monthly averages of daily ET_o, total annual ET_o, and daily ET_o in an arid region at Aksu, China, in a semiarid region at Tongchuan, China, and in a humid region at Starkville, Mississippi, United States. Comparisons were made between the FAO‐56 method and the other six simple alternative methods, using the index of agreement D, modeling efficiency (EF), and root mean square error (RMSE). For the monthly averages of daily ET_o, the values of D, EF, and RMSE ranged from 0.82 to 0.98, 0.55 to 0.98, and 0.23 to 1.00 mm/day, respectively. For the total annual ET_o, the values of D, EF, and RMSE ranged from 0.21 to 0.91, ?43.08 to 0.82, and 24.80 to 234.08 mm/year, respectively. For the daily ET_o, the values of D, EF, and RMSE ranged from 0.58 to 0.97, 0.57 to 0.97, and 0.30 to 1.06 mm/day, respectively. The results showed that the Priestly‐Taylor and 1985 Hargreaves methods worked best in the arid and semiarid regions, while the 1957 Makkink worked best in the humid region.     

Regulation of Indirect Sources

The Division of Air Pollution Control, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, has conducted an ambient air quality monitoring project focusing on carbon monoxide levels in and around several indirect sources. An analysis of the data indicates that highway-type pollutant emissions have the greatest impact on receptors in the vicinity of indirect sources. This implies that the principal, localized constraint on the siting of indirect sources will be the carbon monoxide generated on public roadways servicing those indirect sources. Clearly, adequate procedures must be developed to link such highway-type emissions to pollutant concentrations. An area-source model and a line-source model were tested using the data generated during the monitoring project. Favorable results were achieved using the line-source model. The proper siting of indirect sources involves the allocation of roadway capacity by the governmental units responsible for transportation network design, working in conjunction with regional planning bodies. A regulatory structure is suggested which emphasizes a regional approach, and an example of an air quality allocation scheme is given. The methodology is applicable to all automotive air pollutants although, in general, localized sensitivity is lost for N0₂ and photochemical oxi-dants.     

Thiosulfate as an Oxidation Inhibitor in Flue Gas Desulfurization Processes: A Review of R&D Results

Sodium thiosulfate (Na₂S₂O₃) has been tested in a pilot plant as an oxidation inhibitor in flue gas desulfurization by lime and limestone slurry scrubbing with and without MgO and adiplc acid additives. The effectiveness of thiosulfate is proportional to the inhibitor product, defined as the product of thiosulfate concentration (M), calcium concentration (M), and the moles of SO₂ absorbed per hour per liter of hold tank volume. Gypsum saturation was less than 100 percent and scaling was eliminated when the inhibitor product exceeded 0.3 × 10^?6(gmol/L)³/h. Thiosulfate was relatively more effective in systems with chlorides and less effective in systems promoted by MgO. An inhibitor product greater than 10^?6(gmol/L)³/h significantly enhanced dewatering of solids from limestone scrubbing. SO₂ removal and/or limestone utilization were increased in systems that started with less than 10 mM dissolved calcium.     

Removal of SO2 and NOX from Stack Gas by Reaction with Calcium Hydroxide Solids

Previous workers have shown that simultaneous SO₂/NO_X removal can be obtained in a dry scrubbing system with Ca(OH)₂ promoted by an additive such as NaOH, and that fly ash and product recycle improve the reactivity of the solids toward SO₂. To test SO₂/NO_X removal with fly ash and product recycle, bench-scale experiments with a packed bed reactor were performed at bag filter conditions. The most reactive solid for NO_X removal was prepared by slurrying Ca(OH)₂ with fly ash, CaSO₃, and NaOH. The best conditions for NO_X removal were the greatest temperature (125°C) and greatest concentrations of SO₂ (1500 ppm) and O₂ (20 percent). At the best conditions, NO_X removed in 1 hour was 3-4 moles per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂, compared to 5-10 moles SO₂ removed per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂. The best SO₂ removal was obtained at the highest relative humidities/lowest temperatures (55% RH/ 65°C) with solids prepared by slurrying Ca(OH)₂ with fly ash and NaOH. At these conditions, SO₂ removed In 1 hour was 60-80 moles per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂, compared to 0.5 to 1 moles NO_X removed per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂.     

The Great Lakes Hydrography Dataset: Consistent,Binational Watersheds for the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin

Ecosystem‐based management of the Laurentian Great Lakes, which spans both the United States and Canada, is hampered by the lack of consistent binational watersheds for the entire Basin. Using comparable data sources and consistent methods, we developed spatially equivalent watershed boundaries for the binational extent of the Basin to create the Great Lakes Hydrography Dataset (GLHD). The GLHD consists of 5,589 watersheds for the entire Basin, covering a total area of approximately 547,967 km², or about twice the 247,003 km² surface water area of the Great Lakes. The GLHD improves upon existing watershed efforts by delineating watersheds for the entire Basin using consistent methods; enhancing the precision of watershed delineation using recently developed flow direction grids that have been hydrologically enforced and vetted by provincial and federal water resource agencies; and increasing the accuracy of watershed boundaries by enforcing embayments, delineating watersheds on islands, and delineating watersheds for all tributaries draining to connecting channels. In addition, the GLHD is packaged in a publically available geodatabase that includes synthetic stream networks, reach catchments, watershed boundaries, a broad set of attribute data for each tributary, and metadata documenting methodology. The GLHD provides a common set of watersheds and associated hydrography data for the Basin that will enhance binational efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes.     

Enhancement of nitrogen and phosphorus removal from eutrophic water by economic plant annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) with ion implantation

Severe eutrophication of surface water has been a major problem of increasing environmental concern worldwide. In the present study, economic plant annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) was grown in floating mats as an economic plant-based treatment system to evaluate its potential after ion implantation for removing nutrients in simulated eutrophic water. The specific weight growth rate of L. multiflorum with ion implantation was significantly greater than that of the control, and the peroxidase, nitrate reductase, and acid phosphatase activities of the irradiated L. multiflorum were found to be greater than those plants without ion implantation. Higher total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies were obtained for the L. multiflorum irradiated with 25 keV 5.2?×?10¹⁶ N⁺ ions/cm² and 30 keV 4.16?×?10¹⁶ N⁺ ions/cm², respectively (p?L. multiflorum itself was directly responsible for 39–49 and 47–58 % of the overall N and P removal in the experiment, respectively. The research results suggested that ion implantation could become a promising approach for increasing phytoremediation efficiency of nutrients from eutrophic water by L. multiflorum.     

Value in sustainability: the process industry perspective

The most important driver for management is successful business that increases its value to shareholders. The adoption of environmentally responsible business practices can open up an additional range of opportunities for companies, for example by improving material efficiency. The choice to improve environmental performance of a company tends to also improve its financial performance. In this paper, our aim is to study the value of sustainability in process and mining industry from the perspective of interest groups such as investors, customers and the public, by using case examples. Interviews and workshops were employed to investigate whether or not investors and customers are interested in sustainability in the process and mining industries. We also illustrate how easy it can be to jeopardize corporate reputation through. The present situation and challenges faced in bringing sustainability into everyday business practices are summarized and proposals made concerning ways to achieve increased sustainability.