Game theory approach to the analysis of inter-plant water integration in an eco-industrial park

Industrial water conservation is an important adaptation to the effects of climate change. In addition to water conservation within individual plants, wastewater can be reused/recycled among different companies through inter-plant water integration (IPWI) schemes. Such schemes are based on the concept of industrial ecology and industrial symbiosis, and can be used to achieve greater water savings than when water conservation is implemented in individual companies separately. However, in IPWI, each participating company seeks to maximise its own benefits. In the absence of centralised authority dictating the terms of water integration schemes, conventional modelling techniques are not appropriate. This paper shows how a game theory-based approach can be used to analyse the interaction of participating companies in an eco-industrial park seeking to develop an IPWI scheme.     

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Integration of traditional and innovative characterization techniques for flux-based assessment of Dense Non-aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) sites

Key attributes of the source zone and the expanding dissolved plume at a trichloroethene (TCE) site in Australia were evaluated using trends in groundwater monitoring data along with data from on-line volatile organic compound (VOC) samplers and passive flux meters (PFMs) deployed in selected wells. These data indicate that: (1) residual TCE source mass in the saturated zone, estimated using two innovative techniques, is small ( 10 kg), which is also reflected in small source mass discharge ( 3 g/day); (2) the plume is disconnecting, based on TCE concentration contours and TCE fluxes in wells along a longitudinal transect; (3) there is minimal biodegradation, based on TCE mass discharge of  6 g/day at a plume control plane  175 m from source, which is also consistent with aerobic geochemical conditions observed in the plume; and (4) residual TCE in the vadose zone provides episodic inputs of TCE mass to the plume during infiltration/recharge events. TCE flux data also suggest that the small residual TCE source mass is present in the low-permeability zones, thus making source treatment difficult. Our analysis, based on a synthesis of the archived data and new data, suggests that source treatment is unwarranted, and that containment of the large TCE plume ( 1.2 km long,  0.3 km wide; 17 m deep;  2000–2500 kg TCE mass) or institutional controls, along with a long-term flux monitoring program, might be necessary. The flux-based site management approach outlined in this paper provides a novel way of looking beyond the complexities of groundwater contamination in heterogeneous domains, to make intelligent and informed site decisions based on strategic measurement of the appropriate metrics.     

Zinc distribution in soils amended with different kinds of sewage sludge

Sewage sludge (SS) can be applied to cropland to supply and recycle nutrients and organic carbon. Potentially toxic elements in the sludge, however, are of environmental concern. This study evaluates the changes in chemical speciation of Zn in three representative pristine soils of the Pampas Region, Argentina, measured with sequential extraction over a one-year period. Pure SS or SS containing 30% (DM) of its own incineration ash (AS) was applied to the soils at an application rate of 150Mgha(-1). Zn was sequentially fractionated into exchangeable, organically bound, inorganic and residual fractions. The application of the SS and AS amendments significantly increased Zn concentration in all soil fractions at each sampling date. At day 1, Zn was mainly found in the residual fraction. A year after the application of the amendments, redistribution towards the inorganic fraction was observed (41-76% of total Zn content). Zn found in exchangeable and inorganic fractions depended on soil pH rather than on the type of soil used. A negative and significant correlation was found between exchangeable Zn concentrations and soil pH (r=0.94), and a positive and significant correlation between inorganic Zn concentrations and soil pH (r=0.92). For each amended soil and sampling date, no significant differences were observed between SS or AS treatments for the exchangeable fraction. Moreover, the use of AS did not cause significant differences in Zn concentration in the other soil fractions compared to SS. Based on these results, land spreading of AS may be similar to SS diaposal in terms of Zn mobility.