The velocity of DNAPL fingering in water-saturated porous media: laboratory experiments and a mobile–immobile–zone model

Dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are immiscible with water and can give rise to highly fingered fluid distributions when infiltrating through water-saturated porous media. In this paper, a conceptual mobile–immobile–zone (MIZ) model is presented to describe the structure of a DNAPL finger in water-saturated porous media and the velocity of finger propagation. A finger is composed of a finger body and a tip. The finger body has a mobile core and an immobile sheath. All the DNAPL within the tip of a finger is mobile. Lab experiments utilizing image analyses of a DNAPL (PCE) penetrating into water-saturated homogeneous glass beads were carried out in a two-dimensional transparent chamber. The results show that the fingers elongated almost linearly with time. The fingers did not grow laterally after the tip of the finger had passed. The average finger diameters were between 3.9 and 5.4 mm for PCE propagation in water-saturated glass bead porous media with mean particle diameters from 0.32 to 1.36 mm. The estimated mobile core diameters were 51–60% of the average finger diameters.     

Environmental and economic benefit of recycling model of packaging waste: a case study on aluminum

Abstract

In order to achieve sustainable utilization of natural resources, save energy and protect environment and ecosystem, it is important for a region or a nation to develop and implement a viable waste recycling model from both theoretical and practical point of view. Some packaging recycling models operated in developed countries are introduced in this article. Aluminium can recovery and recycling is emphasized. Cost effective, economic and environmental benefit of different models are compared and analyzed. The result shows that all recycling models have their characteristics due to the initial purpose of recovery and the situation of the implementing country. However, all the models contribute to the reduction of municipal solid waste disposal and resources conservation.     

Determination of Cd,Cr, Cu,Pb and Zn from various water samples with use of FAAS techniques after the solid phase extraction on rice bran

A facile and novel method has been developed for the determination of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc from various water samples using FAAS. In the present investigation, a syringe was loaded with sorbent (rice bran) for the separation and enrichment of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc, prior to their analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry which was described to substitute the batch and column techniques. The syringe was loaded with 2.0 g of sorbent in order to retain the analyte elements. Six milliliter of sample solution (pH 8.0 ± 0.2) was drawn into the syringe in 15 s and discharged over a period of 15 s. Then, 2.0 M HCl eluent was drawn into the syringe and ejected back to desorb the analyte elements. At the optimum conditions, the percentage recoveries of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn was in the range of 95.5–99.4% with SD of 0.10%. The elements could be concentrated by drawing and discharging several portions of sample successively. The detailed study of various interferences made the confirmation of the method highly selective. The risk of contamination is less than that with the column technique. The method was successfully applied for the determination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in spiked and natural water samples. The results obtained are in good agreement with the reported methods at the 95% confidence level.     

The legacy of surface mining: Remediation,restoration, reclamation and rehabilitation

Surface mining is a global phenomenon. When dealing with the land disturbances caused by surface mining operations, the terms remediation, reclamation, restoration and rehabilitation (R4) are commonly used interchangeably or otherwise vaguely defined. Expectations associated with these terms may differ significantly from one stakeholder to another, however. Regulators, industry, environmental practitioners, local communities and the general public therefore stand to benefit from a precise terminology based on agreed-upon end-goals. The latter range from the avoidance of exposure to pollutants (remediation) to the full recovery of the original ecosystem (restoration). Although frequently claimed as the end-goal, restoration may often not be unachievable, because of altered hydrology, habitat fragmentation, contamination, climate change, prohibitive costs and other environmental and socio-economic boundary conditions. Mostly, the definitions of reclamation and rehabilitation may overlap in their definitions and approaches. Here we attempt the creation of a road-map that can clearly translate end-goals for each of the R4 terms. According to the definitions encountered and exposed here, reclamation, which aims to recover key ecosystem services and biogeochemical functions within a replacement ecosystem or rehabilitation, which implies a repurposing of the landscape, may be the best approaches to deal with surface mining legacies.     

台北市生活垃圾管理经验及启示

台北市生活垃圾管理效果显著,人均生活垃圾日清运量年均减量7.3%、资源回收率年均增长28.3%并带动资源回收产业发展、居民负担仅为1998年的22.0%、社会成本较1998年减少30.7%。主要经验包括:明确的生活垃圾减量与资源回收目标;系统的管理模式设计,包括政府(环保局、地方清洁队、资源回收管理基金)、生产商、回收商、处理商、居民、垃圾焚烧厂和填埋场以及第三方等主要干系人。采取的主要政策手段包括强制源头分类、随袋征收垃圾处理费、建立资源回收管理基金、对资源回收行业的政策扶持以及信息公开与公众参与等。台北市先进的生活垃圾管理经验对中国大陆城市开展垃圾分类与资源化管理具有重要的参考价值。     

Bargaining over natural resources: Governments between environmental organizations and extraction firms

We consider the resource-extraction policy of a government that is lobbied by an environmental organization and an extraction firm from foreign countries. To analyze this situation, we propose a sequential Nash bargaining solution: The government bargains with both lobbies simultaneously. Should this trilateral negotiation fail, it chooses one lobby for a bilateral negotiation. The disagreement point then is to bargain with the other lobby. Finally, should this second bilateral negotiation break down, the government chooses the welfare-maximizing policy.As long as cumulative extraction is low, such that stock-dependent extraction costs are also low and extraction profits are high, the environmental organization has a weak bargaining position, but it takes influence to reduce extraction. Once that cumulative extraction has increased so much that extraction profits are below a threshold, the bargaining positions change, and the environmental organization gets compensated by the extraction firm for not letting the trilateral negotiation fail.     

Effect of organic matter and moisture on the calorific value of solid wastes: An update of the Tanner diagram

Objective of the work was to experimentally determine the effect of the organic matter and moisture contents on the calorific value of organic solid wastes. Nine substrates (i.e. newsprint, biodried municipal solid wastes, municipal solid waste derived composts, wastewater sludges, and sea weed derived compost), with organic matter contents that ranged from 12% to 91% (dry weight) were used in the experiments. All substrates were dried and ground and deionized water was artificially added in order to achieve certain target moisture contents per substrate. The higher heating value (HHV) was, then, determined experimentally for each sample using a bomb calorimeter. Best reduced models were developed to describe the higher and lower heating values as a function of organic matter, ash and moisture contents. A triangular plot was constructed and the self-sustained combustion area was determined and compared to that of the Tanner diagram. Response surfaces were drawn to visually assess the effect of organic matter and moisture contents on the calorific value of the wastes.     

Influence of aeration modes on leachate characteristic of landfills that adopt the aerobic–anaerobic landfill method

As far as the optimal design, operation, and field application of the Aerobic–Anaerobic Landfill Method (AALM) are concerned, it is very important to understand how aeration modes (different combinations of aeration depth and air injection rate) affect the biodegradation of organic carbon and the transformation of nitrogen in landfill solid waste. Pilot-scale lysimeter experiments were carried out under different aeration modes to obtain detailed information regarding the influence of aeration modes on leachate characteristics. Results from these lysimeter experiments revealed that aeration at the bottom layer was the most effective for decomposition of organic carbon when compared with aeration at the surface or middle layers. Moreover, the air injection rate led to different nitrogen transformation patterns, unlike the lesser influence it has on organic carbon decomposition. Effective simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were observed for the aeration mode with a higher air injection rate (=1.0 L/min). On the other hand, the phenomenon of sequenced nitrification and denitrification could be observed when a low air injection rate (=0.5 L/min.) was employed. Finally, it is concluded that, for AALM, air injection with a higher air injection rate at the deepest layer near the leachate collection pipe tends to accelerate the stabilization of landfill waste as defined in terms of the enhancement of denitrification as well as organic carbon decomposition.     

Determination of the insecticide diflubenzuron in mushrooms by kinetic method and high-performance liquid chromatographic method

In the present study, a new sensitive and simple kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the determination of the insecticide diflubenzuron [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(2,6-diflubenzoil)urea] is proposed. The method is based on the inhibited effect of diflubenzuron on the oxidation of sulphanilic acid (SA) by hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer in presence Cu(II) ion. Diflubenzuron was determined with linear calibration graph in the interval from 0.31 to 3.1 μg mL^?1 and from 3.1 to 31.0 μg mL^?1. The optimized conditions yielded a theoretical detection limit of 0.18 μg mL^?1corresponding to 0.036 mg Kg^?1mushroom sample based on the 3S_b criterion. The RSD is 5.03–1.83 % and 2.81–0.71 % for the concentration interval of diflubenzuron 0.31–3.1 μg mL^?1and 3.1–31.0 μg mL^?1, respectively. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically at 370 nm. The kinetic parameters of the reaction are reported, and the rate equations are suggested. The developed procedure was successfully applied to the rapid determination of diflubenzuron in spiked mushroom samples of different mushroom species. The HPLC method was used like a comparative method to verify results.     

Modeling and comparative assessment of municipal solid waste gasification for energy production

Gasification is the thermochemical conversion of organic feedstocks mainly into combustible syngas (CO and H₂) along with other constituents. It has been widely used to convert coal into gaseous energy carriers but only has been recently looked at as a process for producing energy from biomass. This study explores the potential of gasification for energy production and treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW). It relies on adapting the theory governing the chemistry and kinetics of the gasification process to the use of MSW as a feedstock to the process. It also relies on an equilibrium kinetics and thermodynamics solver tool (Gasify®) in the process of modeling gasification of MSW. The effect of process temperature variation on gasifying MSW was explored and the results were compared to incineration as an alternative to gasification of MSW. Also, the assessment was performed comparatively for gasification of MSW in the United Arab Emirates, USA, and Thailand, presenting a spectrum of socioeconomic settings with varying MSW compositions in order to explore the effect of MSW composition variance on the products of gasification. All in all, this study provides an insight into the potential of gasification for the treatment of MSW and as a waste to energy alternative to incineration.