Au nanoring arrays as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate for chemical component study of individual atmospheric aerosol particle

Monolayer-ordered gold nanoring arrays were prepared by ion-sputtering method and used as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates to test the individual atmospheric aerosols particle. Compared to other methods used for testing atmospheric aerosols particles, the collection and subsequent detection in our work is performed directly on the gold nanoring SERS substrate without any treatment of the analyte. The SERS performance can be tuned by changing the depth of the gold nanoring cavity as originating from coupling of dipolar modes at the inner and outer surfaces of the nanorings. The electric field exhibits uniform enhancement and polarization in the ordered Au nanoring substrate, which can improve the accuracy for detecting atmospheric aerosol particles. Combined with Raman mapping, the information about chemical composition of individual atmospheric aerosols particle and distribution of specific components can be presented visually. The results show the potential of SERS in enabling improved analysis of aerosol particle chemical composition, mixing state, and other related physicochemical properties.     

Implementing single- and multi-year sensitivity analyses to propose several feasible solutions for meeting the electricity demand in large-scale tourism sectors applying renewable systems

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The tourism sectors consume a high amount of electrical power, which in most cases is supplied by the electrical grid and diesel generator. As a...     

Water management in Saudi Arabia: a case study of Makkah Al Mukarramah region

Environment, Development and Sustainability - In the hydrologic design of water management infrastructures, rainfall characteristics are often used and the available historical rainfall events in...     

Climate change and disaster management

Climate change, although a natural phenomenon, is accelerated by human activities. Disaster policy response to climate change is dependent on a number of factors, such as readiness to accept the reality of climate change, institutions and capacity, as well as willingness to embed climate change risk assessment and management in development strategies. These conditions do not yet exist universally. A focus that neglects to enhance capacity-building and resilience as a prerequisite for managing climate change risks will, in all likelihood, do little to reduce vulnerability to those risks. Reducing vulnerability is a key aspect of reducing climate change risk. To do so requires a new approach to climate change risk and a change in institutional structures and relationships. A focus on development that neglects to enhance governance and resilience as a prerequisite for managing climate change risks will, in all likelihood, do little to reduce vulnerability to those risks.     

Potential of microalgae Bio-Coke as a sustainable solid fuel alternative to coal coke

Energy and environmental issues have triggered the search for new sources of green energy alternatives in recent years. Biofuel production from renewable sources is widely considered one of the most sustainable alternatives for environmental and economic sustainability. Microalgae are currently being promoted as one of the most promising liquid biofuel feedstocks due to their rapid growth, high lipid production capacity, and carbon–neutral cycle. In this study, whole microalgae cells were utilized as raw material to produce solid biofuel, i.e., Bio-Coke, and this study aimed to investigate the possibility of microalgae Bio-Coke as an alternative to coal coke. The results show that Bio-Coke can be produced from microalgae in the temperature range of 80–100 °C. The apparent density is between 1.253 and 1.261 g/cm³, comparable to the apparent density of lignocellulosic Bio-Coke. Additionally, the calorific value is higher than the calorific value of lignocellulosic Bio-Coke and within the range of the calorific value of subbituminous coal. Therefore, microalgae Bio-Coke can be utilized to replace coal coke usage in the future.

     

Size fraction of hazardous particulate matter governing the respiratory deposition and inhalation risk in the highly polluted city Delhi

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Delhi has been identified as one of the highly polluted cities in the world and recently associated with the highest population weighted PM2.5...     

Modeling of energy and emissions from animal manure using machine learning methods: the case of the Western Mediterranean Region,Turkey

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In Turkey, facilities for the use of biomass resources in energy production are increasing, and new conversion facilities are commissioned every year...     

Endocrine disrupting pesticides in soil and their health risk through ingestion of vegetables grown in Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A comprehensive study was conducted to appraise the concentrations of 30 endocrine disrupting pesticides (EDPs) in soil and vegetable samples...     

Amelioration of toxicopathological effects of cadmium with silymarin and milk thistle in male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cadmium is an important widely distributed heavy metal in the environment due to its several industrial uses, while milk thistle is an important herb...     

Green sol–gel synthesis of novel nanoporous copper aluminosilicate for the eradication of pathogenic microbes in drinking water and wastewater treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We used a green sol–gel synthesis method to fabricate a novel nanoporous copper aluminosilicate (CAS) material. Nanoporous CAS was characterized...