An environmental approach for used oil management in Asian cities: a Bangkok's experience

This paper addresses increasing concern about the pollution threat of used oil being illegally dumped and the impact of oil on air pollution and freshwater ecosystems in Asian countries. Used oil is a very serious waste management problem. These results call for management action such as maximising the collection and recovery of used oil. The Thai government recognizes the need to recycle used oil and has been active in encouraging programs to accomplish this goal. Thus unless new approaches and incentives are developed, used oil generation may become an increasing serious problem to our environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the technical and economic feasibility, of recycling used oils. In addition, this paper briefly discusses the problems to be overcome and outlines potential mechanisms for providing the necessary disposal controls in order to maximize the protection to public health and environmental quality from potential hazards posed by used lube oil disposal.

Benzene and lead exposure assessment among occupational bus drivers in Bangkok traffic

Four environmental and biological monitoring sites were strategically established to evaluate benzene and lead exposure assessment at various traffic zones of Bangkok Metropolitan Region(BMR). Biological measurement of 48 non air-conditioned, male bus drivers was carried to study the relationship between individual exposure levels and exposure biomarkers. The study group was further sub-divided into four age groups(16—25, 26—35, 36—45 and 46—55 years old) to monitor the age—related exposure effects. A total of 12 unexposed persons were deliberately chosen as the control group. Measurement of unmetobolized benzene in blood and analysis of urinary tt-Muconic acid urine and urinary creatinine are recommended as biomarkers of benzene exposure. Measurement of lead in blood and urine is also recommended for the biological monitoring of lead exposure. During the monitoring period, benzene and lead levels at Yaowarat Road was C_6H_6: 42.46±3.88 μg/m 3, Pb: 0.29±0.03 μg/m 3 and decreased to C_6H_6: 33.5±1.35 μg/m 3, Pb: 0.13±0.01 μg/m 3 at Phahonyothin Road. Significant difference was established between the nonsmoking exposed group and nonsmoking control group for blood benzene concentrations ( P <0.001, two-tailed, Mann-Whiteney U test). Strong correlations were also found between trans-trans-Muconic acid concentrations in post shift samples and atmospheric benzene concentrations. Similarly, good correlation between all of biomarkers and lead level in air is established from automobile emissions.The analysis revealed that among the occupational population in the urban sites, the driver groups were found to have the highest risk of benzene and lead exposures derived from automobile emission.

Modelling and experimental investigation of effects of moisture and operating parameters during the adsorption of CO2 onto polyaspartamide

Parametric effect of moisture and influence of operating variables on the adsorption behaviour of polyaspartamide during CO2 capture was investigated in this study using experimental and modelling approach. Individual effects of operating conditions (e.g. pressure, temperature and gas flow rates) as well as the effect of moisture on the adsorption capacity of polyaspartamide were methodically investigated using Dubinin-Raduskevich model. Results from the investigations reveal that the presence of moisture in the flue gas had an incremental effect on the adsorption capacity of polyaspartamide;thereby showcasing the potential of polyaspartamide as a suitable hydrophilic material for CO2 capture in power plants. In addition, pressure, temperature and gas flow rates at 200 kPa, 403 K, and 1.5 mL/s, respectively, sig? nificantly influenced the CO2 adsorption capacity of polyaspartamide. Physisorption and chemisorption both governed the adsorption process while equilibrium studies at different temperatures showed that Langmuir isotherm could adequately describe the adsorption behaviour of the material with best fit with R^2>0.95.

Variation Trends of Dust Storms in Relation to Meteorological Conditions and Anthropogenic Impacts in the Northeast Edge of the Taklimakan Desert, China

To reveal the multivariate relationships between man-made and meteorological factors on dust storm frequency, the LUCC data, NDVI remote sensing data and meteorological data for the period of 1983-2013 were combined with dust storm frequency data, and the possible impacts of meteorological and anthropogenic factors on dust storm frequency were analyzed by using regression analysis and PCA (Principal Component Analysis). Results show that the inter-annual dust storm frequency increased gradually. In particular, an increasing trend in recent years, after 2009, is conspicuous. The monthly frequency of dust storms shows higher values between the months of February and May, with the highest mean number of events occurring in April, which accounts for 29% of the annual dust storm frequency. The annual dust storm frequency is positively correlated with wind speed and negatively correlated with precipitation;the monthly dust storm frequency is positively correlated with wind speed, but no significant correlation can be found with precipitation. The relationship between temperature and dust storms is not simply linear, however, a certain correlation with an unremarkable statistical significance can be found between them. Human activities also affect the dynamics of dust storms indirectly via changing vegetation coverage and direct dust emissions. The multivariate analysis further confirmed the association between dust storm frequency and meteorological factors and NDVI. The high loadings of dust storm frequency, wind speed, precipitation and NDVI on a PC indicate that the increased precipitation and NDVI will decrease dust storm frequency, and increased wind speed will increase dust storm frequency.

Health implication among occupational exposed workers in a chromium alloy factory, Thailand

This study was conducted to assess the occupational exposure and its health impact on the chromium alloy workers. Environmental and biological monitoring, noise and audiometry measurements were done to evaluate the exposure levels in the factory. A total of 112 non-smoking workers were monitored from July 2001 to August 2002 The results showed that most of the chromium and lead exposures in the factory were below the ACGIH-TWA of 50 μg/m 3 for chromium(Ⅵ) and OSHA-PEL of 50 μg/m 3 for lead. The highest chromium(7 25±0 16 μg/m 3) and lead(14 50±0 29 μg/m 3) concentrations were measured in the vibro room. The results indicated that elevated concentrations of chromium and lead were found in both blood and urine samples especially in those areas which were characterized by poor ventilation. The metal contents in blood and urine samples were significantly correlated with airborne metal concentrations in the factory. The result demonstrated that blood and urinary levels among workers were associated with increasing age and duration of exposure. The background noise level of the factory ranged from 67 6 to 89 2 dBA and was frequently higher than the threshold limit value for noise(90 dBA). According to the audiometric test, the exposed workers showed signs of noise-induced hearing loss. Noise at work continued to be an important factor to hearing loss among exposed workers. In our statistical analysis, a significant hearing loss was established on age effect and year of exposure among the workforce.

Interaction of Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Sulfuric Acid,Bisulfate and Sulfate Anions

Intermolecular geometries and energies of the dimers formed between simple aromatic hydrocarbons （benzene, toluene and naphthalene） and sulfate species （sulfuric acid, bisulfate and sulfate） were studied by density functional theory. The AH：H2SO4 complexes were determined by the OH-π H-bond, with H2SO4 acting as the H-bond donor and AHs as the aeeeptor. However, the AHs：HSO4- and AHs：SO4^2- complexes were established by the H-bond, with AHs serving as acid and HSO4 or SO4^2- as alkali. The atmospheric implications of those complexes were strongly supported by their considerable binding energies.

Physico-Chemical and Oxygen-Hydrogen Isotopic Assessment of Bagmati and Bishnumati Rivers and the Shallow Groundwater along the River Corridors in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The direct dumping of solid wastes into the rivers, discharge of industrial effluents together with direct discharge of domestic sewage have excessively polluted the major rivers Bagmati and Bish-numati. Groundwater along these river corridors is also affected from pollution of these rivers. Two major rivers: Bagmati and Bishnumati and shallow tube wells adjacent to these rivers were monitored for 2 years. Samples were analysed for the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (δD and δ18O) and selected physico-chemical parameters to investigate the possible interrelationship between river water and shallow groundwater along these river corridors. The physico-chemical values revealed that shallow groundwater and river water along the Bishnumati River corridor were heavily mineralized due to direct discharge of sewage wastes into this river. The isotope compositions of river water and shallow groundwater clustered together revealed possible interrelationship between them. Some of the isotopic compositions of groundwater and river water deviated below the Local Meteoric Water Line (LMWL) indicating that the water has undergone evaporation. The isotopic and chemical results suggested possible interrelationship between river water and groundwater. Fractional contribution of the river water to groundwater was calculated based on isotopic data using mass balance approach. Results showed that shallow groundwater SG1, along the Bagmati River corridor (in September 2013), was composed of approximately 30% - 40% Bagmati River water. Similarly, shallow groundwater SG5 of Bishnumati River corridor (in September 2013), was composed of approximately 45% - 50% river water. This result indicated that high portion of river water mixed-up with adjoining shallow groundwater along the river corridors. Further, the mix-up of the river water with groundwater can be harmful when rivers are polluted. These findings can be useful for a better understanding of hydrogeological processes at the river-aquifer interface and eventually benefit water management of the Kathmandu Valley in future.

A Density Functional Theory Study of the Hydrates of 2NH_3:H_2SO_4 and Its Implications for the Formation of Atmosphere Particles

Density functional theory was used at the B3LYP/6-311＋＋G（d,p） level of theory to study the hydrates of 2NH3：H2SO4：nH2O for n = 0～4. Neutrals of the most stable clusters, when n = 0 and 1, spontaneously formed and were determined to be hydrogen-bonded molecular complexes of monomeric species. Double ions （clusters containing a NH4＋ cation and a HSO4- anion） or even ternary ions （clusters with two NH4＋ cations and one SO42- anion） spontaneously formed in the most stable clusters of 2NH3：H2SO4：nH2O （n = 2, 3, 4）. The energetics of binding and incremental association was also calculated. Double ions are not energetically favorable until 2NH3：H2SO4：2H2O because of the about equal free energies for forming the neutral （the most stable） and double ion （the second stable） isomers. The free energy of incremental association from free H2O and 2NH3：H2SO4：nH2O has a maximum at n = 2 at room temperature with ΔG ≈ –2 kcal/mol. The comparison of incremental association energies between 2NH3：H2SO4：nH2O, NH3：H2SO4：nH2O and H2SO4：nH2O clusters revealed that NH3 plays an important role in the atmospheric particle nucleation.

Analysis of Challenges Related to Poor Environmental Regulatory Framework on Mineral Exploration Projects: A Case of Tanzania

In the United Republic of Tanzania (URT), all environmental issues related to the mining industry are regulated according to two principle Acts: The Mining Act and the Environmental Management Act, and their respective regulations. The current acts were enacted in 2010 and 2004 respectively. Mineral exploration (that includes all on-site activities performed before a mining project is declared feasible) projects in URT appears to be “unforgotten phenomena” in the two major legislative documents, when it comes to environmental considerations. This phenomenon is believed to be causing detrimental effects to the environment. This paper, therefore, analyzes the current environmental regulatory framework on mineral exploration projects in URT and discusses few examples in which mineral exploration projects have caused damage to the indigenous environment. Furthermore, this study reviews environmental regulatory frameworks from other few countries in comparison with existing environmental regulatory framework prevailing in URT.

Cathode catalyst prepared from bacterial cellulose for ethanol fermentation stillage treatment in microbial fuel cell

Bacterial cellulose doped with P and Cu was used as a catalyst for a microbial fuel cell(MFC) cathode,which was then used to treat ethanol fermentation stillage from food waste.Corresponding output power,coulombic efficiency(CE),and biological toxicity were detected.Through a series of characterization experiments,the addition of the cathode catalyst was found to improve catalytic activity and accelerate the consumption of the substrate.The resulting maximum output power was 572.16 mW·m^(-2).CE and the removal rate of chemical oxygen demand(COD) in the fermentation stillage by P-Cu-BC reached 26% and 64.5%,respectively.The rate of biotoxicity removal by MFC treatment reached 84.7%.The aim of this study was apply a novel catalyst for MFC and optimize the treatment efficiency of fermentation stillage.

Theoretical Study of Small Water Clusters of Sulfur Dioxide

The intermolecular clusters of sulfur dioxide with water, SO2（H2O）n （n = 2～5）, are studied by using B3LYP density functional theory and MP2 ab initio methods along with the large basis sets （6-311＋＋G（d,p） and aug-cc-pVDZ）. The equilibrium geometries, intermolecular binding energies, and anharmonic frequencies of the clusters are calculated and compared with those of pure water clusters and available experiments. SO2 tends to form cyclic hydrogen-bonded complexes with two or three water molecules. In the larger clusters, however, water molecules begin to retain the structure of pure water clusters and segregate from SO2. Infrared absorption assignments for the small clusters are discussed to resolve a possible incorrect assignment in a recent spectroscopic experiment on the clusters.

Nitrate removal from groundwater using chemically modified coconut husk based granular activated carbon:characterization of the adsorbent,kinetics and mechanism

In this study,a highly porous chemically activated granular activated carbon(GAC)was prepared from coconut husk and tested as an adsorbent to remove nitrate from contaminated groundwater.The prepared GAC was characterized by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis(TGA/DTA),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)surface area(SBET)analysis.The effects of various process parameters such as initial nitrate concentration,contact time and adsorbent dose on nitrate removal efficiency(response)by the modified GAC were investigated using the statistically significant response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design of experiments.The experimental data were fitted to well-known adsorption isotherms and kinetic models to ascertain the mechanism of the adsorption process.Analysis of variance(ANOVA)was performed to determine the significance of the individual and the interactive effects of process variables on the response.The BET surface area(SBET)and micropore volume of the prepared GAC from coconut husk was 1120 m^(2)/g and 0.392 cm^(3)/g,respectively.The experimental results showed that physisorption was the main adsorption mechanism governing the process,while the rate of adsorption was limited at initial nitrate concentrations>10 mg/L.The Langmuir mono-layer adsorption isotherm best fitted the experimental data with a maximum adsorption capacity of 6.0±1.3 mg/g(~92.5%)with an adsorbent dose of 0.1 g/50 mL,an equilibrium time of 6 h at 28±2℃,and at pH 7.6(±0.2).Among the tested process variables,the adsorbent dose and initial nitrate concentration showed significant effects on the nitrate removal efficiency.

Comparative investigation of coal-and oil-fired boilers based on emission factors,ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials of VOCs

Volatile organic compounds(VOCs)are the important precursors of the tropospheric ozone(O3)and secondary organic aerosols(SOA),both of which are known to harm human health and disrupt the earth’s climate system.In this study,VOC emission factors,O3 and SOA formation potentials were estimated for two types of industrial boilers:coal-fired boilers(n=3)and oil-fired boilers(n=3).Results showed that EVOCs concentrations were more than nine times higher for oil-fire d boilers compared to those for coal-fired boilers.Emission factors ofΣVOCs were found to be higher for oil-fired boilers(9.26-32.83 mg-VOC/kg)than for coal-fired boilers(1.57-4.13 mg-VOC/kg).Alkanes and aromatics were obtained as the most abundant groups in coal-fired boilers,while oxygenated organics and aromatics were the most contributing groups in oil-fired boilers.Benzene,n-hexane and o-ethyl toluene were the abundant VOC species in coal-fired boiler emissions,whereas toluene was the most abundant VOC species emitted from oil-fired boilers.O3 and SOA formation potentials were found 12 and 18 times,respectively,higher for oil-fired than for coal-fired boilers.Total OFP ranged from 3.99 to 11.39 mg-O3/kg for coal-fired boilers.For oil-fired boilers,total OFP ranged from 36.16 to 131.93 mg-O3/kg.Moreover,total secondary organic aerosol potential(SOAP)ranged from 65.4 to 122.5 mg-SOA/kg and 779.9 to 2252.5 mg-SOA/kg for the coal-fired and oil-fired boilers,respectively.

Mechanical strength of wheat grain varieties influenced by moisture content and loading rate

Mechanical shear resistance of wheat grain is a significant concern for the designers and researchers related to the design of threshing,handling and processing machinery of the field crops.The grain mechanical properties directly affect the machine geometry and its operational parameters.The present study was carried out to determine the shear resistance of five wheat varieties(Locally names;TD-02,Sindhu-1105,Benazir,China and SKD-118)influenced by moisture content(16.7%,18.7%and 19.5%)and loading rate(3 mm/s,6 mm/s and 9 mm/s).However,some physio-dimensional properties(length,width,thickness,slenderness ratio,surface area and sphericity)were obtained at different moisture contents.The results showed that the shear resistance reduced by increasing the moisture content and loading rate.The average shear resistance decreased from 10.45 N to 3.74 N for 3-9 mm/s loading rate at moisture content of 16.7%to 19.5%.Thus,the maximum correlation(r=0.905)of shear resistance obtained at 16.7%,whereas minimum correlation(r=0.692)obtained at 19.5%.The shear resistance of wheat grain was highly significant(p<0.05)at 9 mm/s for 19.5%.Shear resistance decreased with an increase in the moisture content in the grain whereas deformation is increasing with the increase of moisture content.However,the maximum bulk density of wheat grain obtained at 19.5%for SKD-118,while the minimum obtained at 16.7%for TD-02.It is recommended that the design and modification of wheat grain processing equipment should be executed on the physio-mechanical properties of grain varieties.

Synthesis of carbon-coated magnetic nanocomposite(Fe_3O_4@C) and its application for sulfonamide antibiotics removal from water

The occurrence of antibiotics in the environment has recently raised serious concerns regarding their potential threat to human health and aquatic ecosystem. A new magnetic nanocomposite, Fe304@C （Fe304 coated with carbon）, was synthesized, characterized, and then applied to remove five commonly-used sulfonamides （SAs） from water. Due to its combinational merits of the outer functionalized carbon shell and the inner magnetite core, Fe3O4@C exhibited a high adsorption affinity for selected SAs and a fast magnetic separability. The adsorption kinetics of SAs on Fe304 @ C could be expressed by the pseudo second-order model. The adsorption isotherms were fitted well with the Dual-mode model, revealing that the adsorption process consisted of an initial partitioning stage and a subsequent hole-filling stage. Solution pH exerted a strong impact on the adsorption process with the maximum removal efficiencies （74% to 96%） obtained at pH 4.8 for all selected SAs. Electrostatic force and hydrogen bonding were two major driving forces for adsorption, and electron-donor-acceptor interactions may also make a certain contribution. Because the synthesized Fe304@C showed comprehensive advantages of high adsorptivity, fast magnetic separability, and prominent reusability, it has potential applications in water treatment.

Glacial Lakes in the Andes under a Changing Climate:A Review

In this article, we review the current knowledge of the glacial recession and related glacial lake development in the Andes of South America. Since the mid-1980 s, hundreds of glacial lakes either expanded or formed, and predictions show that additional hundreds of lakes will form throughout the 21 st century. However, studies on glacial lakes in the Andes are still relatively rare. Many glacial lakes pose a potential hazard to local communities, but glacial lake outburst floods(GLOFs) are understudied. We provide an overview on hazards from glacial lakes such as GLOFs and water pollution, and their monitoring approaches. In real-time monitoring, the use of unmanned aerial systems(UASs) and early warning systems(EWSs) is still extremely rare in the Andes, but increasingly authorities plan to install mitigation systems to reduce glacial lake risk and protect local communities. In support, we propose an international remote sensing-based observation initiative following the model of, for example, the Global Land Ice Measurements from Space(GLIMS) one, with the headquarters in one of the Andean nations.

Occurrence and discharge of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in dewatered sludge from WWTPs in Beijing and Shenzhen

This study mainly focused on the occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs)in sewage dewatered sludge and their discharges through sludge disposal from wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs).The data were obtained and calculated from seven PPCPs in dewatered sludge collected from 12WWTPs in two typical cities,Beijing and Shenzhen in China.Four of seven PPCPs,diclofenac acid,carbamazepine,mefenamic acid and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide were detectable in dewatered sludge from Beijing and Shenzhen with concentration up to 4240,11,060,92 and 219μg/kg respectively.While,the other three compounds,trimethoprim,chloramphenicol and bezafibrate were not detected in collected samples from these two cities.The highest discharge of diclofenac acid and carbamazepine were 1023 g/d and 494 g/d respectively.In addition,the total discharge of these four detected PPCPs from each plant ranged from 5 to 1092 g/d in Beijing and 4e497 g/d in Shenzhen.Thus,PPCP discharge through sludge disposal cannot be neglected,and further research on transfer of PPCPs during sludge disposal onto agriculture land and influence of sludge application is required and essential.

Determining the relationship between chemical composition and size, shape and effective density of airborne fine particles through concurrent use of inertial and optical based measurements

This study presents the development of a medium flow, multiple slit based PM2.5 （particle aerodynamic diameter 〈2.5 μm） inertial impactor. Its performance was compared with that of a light scattering based optical particle sizer in a field study and in controlled lab based experiments using polydisperse dolomite powder as test aerosol. The impactor＇s optimum nozzle configuration had a cutoff size of 2.51 μm （aero- dynamic diameter） at an operating flow rate of 215 L/rain with a pressure drop of 0.35 kPa across the impactor stage. Because the apparent particle density of an ambient aerosol depends on the physical properties and the chemical composition of the particles, the PM2.5 mass concentration was measured with an optical particle sizer and an inertial impactor over a weekday and a weekend day in a field study during which the effective particle shape factor and density were in tandem modified in order to com- pare the results from the two sampling techniques. The correlation of the two instrument results tended towards 1：1 with increasing values of shape factor （irregular shaped） and effective particle density. This observation was supported through chemical investigations of the collected mass, which showed a higher percentage contribution from elements which are mostly of crustal nature （namely, Ca, Fe, and Mg）.

Effect of intensity and duration of anthropic noises on European mink locomotor activity and fecal cortisol metabolite levels

Human activities involving noise emission can affect wild animals.European mink was exposed to road noise and human voice playbacks to analyze how sound intensity level and duration of both noises altered the time that individuals were active and if their fecal cortisol metabolite(FCM)levels varied.A Hierarchical Analysis Cluster was performed to establish 2 mink groups with respect to both noise source type:short duration/low intensity(SL)and long duration/high intensity(LH).We performed general linear mixed models to evaluate the variation in locomotor activity duration(s)and FCM(nanogram per gram)levels,respectively.The results showed both road noise and human voices decreased locomotor activity duration in SL more sharply compared with LH,and human voices were the triggers that induced the most pronounced response to both exposure conditions.FCM(ng/g)levels increased in SL compared with LH during road noise while the opposite happened during human voices.Differences based on sex and age of individuals were observed.In conclusion,noise characteristics given by the sound type determined the variations in locomotor activity duration while noise exposure level determined the variations in FCM(ng/g)levels.Attention should be paid to noisy activities(e.g.,recreational activities for visitors in protected natural areas)and loud groups of people to conserve wildlife,especially noise sensitive species.

Characterization of municipal solid waste based on seasonal variations,source and socio-economic aspects

Municipal solid waste(MSW)generation and characterization are the basic inputs for waste handling and treatment systems design.In present research,we performed waste characterization investigations in Visakhapatnam(India),using a waste characterization methodology by integrating two standard sampling and characterization approaches.The characterization methodology was designed by combining seasonal variations,source,and socio-economic stratifications.Source-based sampling was performed at household(s),dumpster(s),transfer station,and landfill.Socio-economic-based sampling was performed based on the zone classification of the city.Three sampling campaigns were conducted to identify the waste composition based on seasonal variations.Studies aimed to perform stratified characterization of waste and assess chemical characteristics of the mixed waste fractions to evaluate waste-to-energy potential.Results indicate that the amount of MSW generated in the city is 1250±100 tons/day,with a generation rate of 0.65 kg/capita/day.Based on source stratification,organic matter(45.5%±6.5%)is a major component followed by inert waste.The paper,plastic,and textile components amount to 25%of overall waste.From seasonal studies,organic matter was higher in pre-monsoon(42%)compared to winter(39%).The moisture content of MSW varied between 30%and 35%and volatile solids between 39%and 43%.The calorific value was determined to be between 5680-7110 kJ/kg.Outlined the limitations and potential errors associated with sampling and waste characterization.Biochemical and thermal conversion treatment alternatives for processing,treatment,and handling were discussed.The findings of this research would assist regulatory bodies and city councils to formulate policy directives on waste sampling,characterization,segregation,education,and awareness campaigns.