Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Air Pollution Control Board'

Urban air pollution and climate are closely connected due to shared generating processes (e.g., combustion) for emissions of the driving gases and aerosols. They are also connected because the atmospheric lifecycles of common air pollutants such as CO, NOx and VOCs, and of the climatically important methane gas (CH4) and sulfate aerosols, both involve the fast photochemistry of the hydroxyl free radical (OH). Thus policies designed to address air pollution may impact climate and vice versa. We present calculations using a model coupling economics, atmospheric chemistry, climate and ecosystems to illustrate some effects of air pollution policy alone on global warming. We consider caps on emissions of NOx, CO, volatile organic carbon, and SOx both individually and combined in two ways. These caps can lower ozone causing less warming, lower sulfate aerosols yielding more warming, lower OH and thus increase CH4 giving more warming, and finally, allow more carbon uptake by ecosystems leading to less warming. Overall, these effects significantly offset each other suggesting that air pollution policy has a relatively small net effect on the global mean surface temperature and sea level rise. However, our study does not account for the effects of air pollution policies on overall demand for fossil fuels and on the choice of fuels (coal, oil, gas), nor have we considered the effects of caps on black carbon or organic carbon aerosols on climate. These effects, if included, could lead to more substantial impacts of capping pollutant emissions on global temperature and sea level than concluded here. Caps on aerosols in general could also yield impacts on other important aspects of climate beyond those addressed here, such as the regional patterns of cloudiness and precipitation.
Abstract in HTML and technical report in PDF available on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://mit.edu/globalchange/www/).
This research was supported by the U.S Department of Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation, and the Industry Sponsors of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change: Alstom Power (France), American Electric Power (USA), BP p.l.c. (UK/USA), ChevronTexaco Corporation (USA), DaimlerChrysler AG (Germany), Duke Energy (USA), J-Power (Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.) (Japan), Electric Power Research Institute (USA), Electricité de France, ExxonMobil Corporation (USA), Ford Motor Company (USA), General Motors (USA), Mirant (USA), Murphy Oil Corporation (USA), Oglethorpe Power Corporation (USA), RWE/Rheinbraun (Germany), Shell International Petroleum (Netherlands/UK), Statoil (Norway), Tennessee Valley Authority (USA), Tokyo Electric Power Company (Japan), TotalFinaElf (France), Vetlesen Foundation (USA).

This thesis examines the implementation of air pollution control at the local level within the UK. Focusing upon the local air pollution control regime (LAPC) that is regulated by local authorities under the provisions of Part One of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the research assesses whether this system has been effective in controlling localised emissions from industrial processes. To place the research in context, it essentially evaluates the implementation of LAPC with reference to its main objectives: to reduce industrial emissions and improve local air quality, to provide greater clarity and certainty for business and to allow the public greater access to local environmental information. The methodology adopted to undertake the research was based upon grounded theory and naturalistic inquiry. As such, the research programme was structured in phases where initially, essential baseline data was collected on the LAPC system. This quantitative data provided the foundations from which more detailed qualitative work was undertaken in the field in subsequent phases of the research. This allowed the research to build towards theory utilising an emergent, yet structured research design. As the research progressed, a range of complementary methods were used to collect data about the LAPC system. Initially, the research critically evaluated the major Reports that had been written on LAPC in order to establish benchmarks from which implementation of the LAPC system could be assessed. To keep the research within defined limits, a case study approach was adopted, using Lancashire as the case study area. Under the first phase of the research a questionnaire was used to survey the process operators within the region in order to collect baseline information about their processes and to obtain their views and perceptions of the LAPC system. Under the second phase qualitative research was carried out in the field. This involved detailed, semi-structured, faceto-face interviews with the process operators and the DETR and examination of documentary evidence within the Public Registers held by Lancashire's local authorities. The phased approach allowed the research to explore progressively deeper into the key areas associated with the implementation of the LAPC system. In particular, the research examined local authority enforcement and administration of the LAPC system to assess their regulatory performance and to determine the strategies they adopt to achieve compliance. The research also focused upon the process operators to assess their capacity to comply with the duties and responsibilities placed upon them under LAPC. The work offers a new perspective as it focuses upon both regulators and operators alike and examines their performance from the outset of LAPC to its closing stages. The research findings allow conclusions to be drawn on the relationship that exists between these "stakeholders" and the regulatory conditions that exist within the system. The research findings suggest that local authorities and process operators have had difficulty in discharging their duties under the LAPC system. For various reasons, the capacity of the regulators and the operators to achieve compliance has been compromised. The difficulties that the stakeholders have faced in striving to come to terms with the LAPC system have influenced their compliance strategies and affected the relationship that exists between them. This research identifies and examines these difficulties and assesses their performance under such conditions.

El crecimiento industrial ha acarreado grandes avances tecnológicos para nuestra sociedad. Lamentablemente, el precio a pagar por estos avances ha sido un aumento significativo de los niveles de contaminación del aire en todo el mundo, afectando tanto a zonas urbanas como a las zonas rurales. Por lo general, la monitorización de la calidad aire se realiza mediante estaciones de monitorización fijas. Sin embargo, este método es demasiado costoso, poco escalable y difícil de implementar en nuestras ciudades, las cuales están cada vez más pobladas. El uso de Mobile CrowdSensing, paradigma en el cual la monitorización la realizan los propios usuarios, permite realizar monitorización ambiental utilizando sensores móviles integrados en vehículos. Los posibles escenarios se pueden dividir en dos: entornos urbanos, donde hay un amplio conjunto de vehículos disponibles, y entornos rurales o industriales, donde el tráfico vehicular es escaso y está limitado a las principales arterias de transporte. Teniendo en cuenta estos dos escenarios, esta tesis propone una arquitectura, llamada EcoSensor, que permite monitorizar la contaminación del aire utilizando pequeños sensores de bajo coste instalados en diferentes tipos de vehículos, tales como bicicletas, automóviles o autobuses del sistema de transporte público, en el caso de entornos urbanos, y en drones o UAS en entornos rurales. La arquitectura propuesta está compuesta por tres componentes: un sensor de bajo coste para capturar datos de contaminación, un smartphone para realizar un preprocesamiento de la información y para transmitir los datos hacia un servidor central, y el servidor central, encargado de almacenar y procesar la información de contaminación ambiental. Para entornos urbanos, analizamos diferentes alternativas con respecto al diseño de una unidad de monitorización de bajo coste basada en plataformas de prototipado comerciales como RaspberryPi o Arduino, junto con sensores también de precio reducido. En la tesis realizamos un análisis, y proponemos un proceso, para llevar a cabo la monitorización ambiental utilizando la arquitectura propuesta. Este proceso abarca cuatro operaciones básicas: captura de datos, conversión de unidades, reducción de la variabilidad temporal, e interpolación espacial. Para entornos rurales, proponemos el uso de drones como unidades de sensorización móviles. Específicamente, equipamos el drone con capacidades de monitorización a través de un microordenador RaspberryPi y sensores de calidad del aire de bajo coste. Finalmente, se propone un algoritmo llamado PdUC para controlar el vuelo del UAV con el objetivo de realizar monitorización ambiental, identificando las áreas más contaminadas, y tratando de ese modo de mejorar la precisión general y la velocidad de monitorización. Además, proponemos una mejora a este algoritmo, denominada PdUC-D, basada en la discretización del área a monitorizar dividiéndola en pequeñas áreas (tiles), donde cada tile se monitoriza una sola vez, evitando así realizar muestreos redundantes. En general, verificamos que la monitorización móvil es una aproximación eficiente y fiable para monitorizar la contaminación del aire en cualquier entorno, ya sea usando vehículos o bicicletas en entornos urbanos, o UAVs en entornos rurales. Con respecto al proceso de monitorización ambiental, validamos nuestra propuesta comparando los valores obtenidos por nuestros sensores móviles de bajo coste con respecto a los valores típicos de referencia ofrecidos por las estaciones de monitorización fijas para el mismo período y ubicación, comprobando que los resultados son semejantes, y están acuerdo a lo esperado. Además, demostramos que PdUC-D, permite guiar autónomamente un UAV en tareas de monitorización del aire, ofreciendo un mejor rendimiento que los modelos de movilidad típicos, reduciendo tanto los errores de predicción como el tiempo para cubrir el área completa,
Industrial growth has brought unforeseen technological advances to our society. Unfortunately, the price to pay for these advances has been an increase of the air pollution levels worldwide, affecting both urban and countryside areas. Typically, air pollution monitoring relies on fixed monitoring stations to carry out the pollution control. However, this method is too expensive, not scalable, and hard to implement in any city. The Mobile Crowdsensing (MCS) approach, a novel paradigm whereby users are in charge of performing monitoring tasks, allows environment monitoring to be made using small sensors embedded in mobile vehicles. The possible scenarios can be divided into two: urban scenarios, where a wide set of vehicles are available, and rural and industrial areas, where vehicular traffic is scarce and limited to the main transportation arteries. Considering these two scenarios, in this thesis we propose an architecture, called EcoSensor, to monitor the air pollution using small sensors installed in vehicles, such as bicycles, private cars, or the public transportation system, applicable to urban scenarios, and the use of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in rural scenarios. Three main components compose our architecture: a low-cost sensor to capture pollution data, a smartphone to preprocess the pollution information and transmit the data towards a central server, and the central server, to store and process pollution information. For urban scenarios, we analyze different alternatives regarding the design of a low-cost sensing unit based on commercial prototyping platforms such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino, and Commercial Off-the-shelf (COTS) air quality sensors. Moreover, we analyze and propose a process to perform pollution monitoring using our architecture. This process encompasses four basic operations: data reading, unit conversion, time variability reduction, and spatial interpolation. For rural scenarios, we propose the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as a mobile sensor. Specifically, we equip the UAV with sensing capabilities through a Raspberry Pi microcomputer and low-cost air quality sensors. Finally, we propose an algorithm, called Pollution-driven UAV Control (PdUC), to control the UAV flight for monitoring tasks by focusing on the most polluted areas, and thereby attempting to improve the overall accuracy while minimizing flight time. We then propose an improvement to this algorithm, called Discretized Pollution-driven UAV Control (PdUC-D), where we discretize the target area by splitting it into small tiles, where each tile is monitored only once, thereby avoiding redundant sampling. Overall, we found that mobile sensing is a good approach for monitoring air pollution in any environment, either by using vehicles or bicycles in urban scenarios, or an UAVs in rural scenarios. We validate our proposal by comparing obtained values by our mobile sensors against typical values reported by monitoring stations at the same time and location, showing that the results are right, matching the expected values with a low error. Moreover, we proved that PdUC-D, our protocol for the autonomous guidance of UAVs performing air monitoring tasks, has better performance than typical mobility models in terms of reducing the prediction errors and reducing the time to cover the whole area.Moreover, we analyze and propose a process to perform pollution monitoring using our architecture. This process encompasses four basic operations: data reading, unit conversion, time variability reduction, and spatial interpolation.
El creixement industrial ha implicat grans avanços tecnològics per a la nostra societat. Lamentablement, el preu que cal pagar per aquests avanços ha sigut un augment significatiu dels nivells de contaminació de l'aire a tot el món, que afecta tant zones urbanes com zones rurals. En general, el monitoratge de la qualitat aire es fa mitjançant estacions de monitoratge fixes. No obstant això, aquest mètode és massa costós, poc escalable i difícil d'implementar a les nostres ciutats, les quals estan cada vegada més poblades. L'ús de Mobile CrowdSensing (MCS), paradigma en el qual el monitoratge el duen a terme els mateixos usuaris, permet realitzar monitorització ambiental tenint sensors mòbils integrats en vehicles. Els possibles escenaris es poden dividir en dos: entorns urbans, on hi ha un ampli conjunt de vehicles disponibles, i entorns rurals o industrials, on el trànsit vehicular és escàs i està limitat a les principals artèries de transport. Tenint en compte aquests dos escenaris, aquesta tesi proposa una arquitectura, anomenada EcoSensor, que permet monitorar la contaminació de l'aire utilitzant petits sensors de baix cost instal·lats en diferents tipus de vehicles, com ara bicicletes, automòbils o autobusos del sistema de transport públic, en el cas d'entorns urbans, i en UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) en entorns rurals. L'arquitectura proposada està composta per tres components: un sensor de baix cost per a capturar dades de contaminació, un smartphone per a realitzar un preprocessament de la informació i per a transmetre les dades cap a un servidor central, i el servidor central, encarregat d'emmagatzemar i processar la informació de contaminació ambiental. Per a entorns urbans, analitzem diferents alternatives pel que fa al disseny d'una unitat de monitoratge (sensor mòbil) de baix cost basada en plataformes de prototipatge comercials com Raspberry Pi o Arduino, juntament amb sensors també de preu reduït. En la tesi fem una anàlisi, i proposem un procés, per a dur a terme el monitoratge ambiental utilitzant l'arquitectura proposada. Aquest procés abasta quatre operacions bàsiques: captura de dades, conversió d'unitats, reducció de la variabilitat temporal, i interpolació espacial. Per a entorns rurals, proposem l'ús de drons o Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) com a unitats de sensorització mòbils. Específicament, equipem el dron amb capacitats de monitoratge a través d'un microordinador Raspberry Pi i sensors de qualitat de l'aire de baix cost. Finalment, es proposa un algorisme anomenat PdUC (Pollution-driven UAV Control) per a controlar el vol del UAV amb l'objectiu de realitzar monitoratge ambiental, que identifica les àrees més contaminades i que, d'aquesta manera, tracta de millorar la precisió general i la velocitat de monitoratge. A més, proposem una millora a aquest algorisme, denominada PdUC-D, basada en la discretització de l'àrea a monitorar dividint-la en xicotetes àrees (tiles), on cada tile es monitora una sola vegada, fet que evita dur a terme mostrejos redundants. En general, verifiquem que el monitoratge mòbil és una aproximació eficient i fiable per a monitorar la contaminació de l'aire en qualsevol entorn, ja siga usant vehicles o bicicletes en entorns urbans, o UAVs en entorns rurals. Pel que fa al procés de monitoratge ambiental, validem la nostra proposta comparant els valors obtinguts pels nostres sensors mòbils de baix cost pel que fa als valors típics de referència oferits per les estacions de monitoratge fixes per al mateix període i ubicació, i es comprova que els resultats són semblants, i estan d'acord amb el resultat esperat. A més, es demostra que PdUC-D permet guiar autònomament un UAV en tasques de monitoratge de l'aire, oferint un millor rendiment que els models de mobilitat típics, reduint tant els errors de predicció com el temps per a cobrir l'àrea completa, i aconseguint una major precisió dins de les àrees més
Alvear Alvear, ÓP. (2018). Mobile Sensing Architecture for Air Pollution Monitoring [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/107928
TESIS

Air quality in the Shenandoah Valley has deteriorated in recent years. The valley exceeds the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone (O3) a few days each year, and with stricter fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standards coming into effect, the valley risks exceeding those as well. Visibility is poor in the valley region, and the haze obscures the spectacular vistas from the Shenandoah National Park. To solve the growing problem local governments in the valley joined forces to find economically and politically feasible ways to reduce air pollution. In this study we aim to provide the scientific basis for air quality management strategies through modeling the sensitivity of various pollutants to changes in emissions. We distinguish between locally generated versus regionally transported air pollution as well as assess the impacts of proposed local air pollution control measures on ambient air quality in the valley. The first part of this thesis assesses air pollutant emissions in the Shenandoah Valley. Emissions were assigned to one of 14 source categories and allocated by county or city. Biogenic sources were responsible for 56% of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted in the valley. VOCs are important because they, together with nitrogen oxides (NOx) react to form O3 in the presence of sunlight. On-road and off-road mobile sources were the largest anthropogenic sources of VOCs as well as 63% of the NOx. PM2.5 emissions were not dominated by any single source, but fuel combustion, dust, and agriculture were important contributors. The second part of this thesis focuses on modeling ambient air pollution concentrations in the Shenandoah Valley based on the emissions generated in the first portion. We developed a set of three alternative emissions scenarios for comparison to the base case. We first zeroed anthropogenic emissions in the valley, allowing us to determine how much pollution was produced by local sources versus transported into the valley from upwind areas. We then developed a scenario that contained nine different pollution reduction strategies being considered by local governments. Finally we modeled a similar scenario in which we predicted the impact of ten proposed greenhouse gas reduction strategies on concentrations of O3 and PM2.5. We found that PM2.5 concentrations fell when emissions in the valley were reduced, but O3 did not. PM2.5 concentrations fell by 26-57% for the Zero Case and by 10-27% for the other two cases, depending on the time of year and location. Conversely for O3 there was either no change in most seasons or a small increase in concentrations in the fall. These results suggest that PM2.5 in the valley can be controlled with local measures but O3 is a more geographically wide problem.
Master of Science

Air pollution control (APC) residues are by-products of the flue gas cleaning process in energy-from-waste (EfW) plants treating municipal solid waste. They are classified as a hazardous waste in the EU Waste Catalogue and are a priority hazardous waste stream in the UK due to high alkalinity, concentrations of volatile heavy metals and soluble salts. Plans currently exist to increase the number of EfW plants in the UK, with the potential to increase future arisings of APC residues. Stabilisation/solidification (S/S) is an inexpensive treatment technology, involving mixing of the waste with cementitious binders. The main objective of this research is to assess the effectiveness of CEM I and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as S/S binders for the treatment of APC residues. The ultimate goal is to expand existing knowledge on S/S systems and assist development of more sustainable treatment methods for APC residues. S/S APC residue specimens were prepared varying the waste-to-binder and water-to-solids ratios and subsequently tested for physical properties and contaminant leaching according to international standards. Geochemical modelling was used to assess contaminant release-controlling processes and contribute to more efficient mix and treatment design. Results from this study indicate that mechanical properties of 50 wt.% CEM I and GGBS mixes exceed UK landfill disposal criteria (1.0 MPa), achieving unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values of up to 21 MPa. CEM I mixes with 10 and 20 wt.% binder addition also met the criterion of 1.0 MPa, achieving UCS values of up to 10 MPa. In contrast, 10 and 20 wt.% GGBS mixes exhibited inferior mechanical properties (UCS < 1.0 MPa). S/S is hampered predominantly by high concentrations of chloride in APC residues. All monolithic S/S samples exceeded relevant UK waste acceptance criteria (monWAC) for chloride (20,000 mg/m2) within the first two days of the 64-day monolithic leaching test. Altough partial immobilisation occurs through the formation of chloro-complexes, S/S of APC residues would require binder additions greater than 50 wt.% to meet UK requirements for landfill disposal. Leaching of Pb also becomes problematic for mixes with 10 and 20 wt.% binder addition, exceeding UK monWAC (20 mg/m2). Nevetheless, the amphoteric nature of heavy metals and the high solubility of chloride salts could favour extraction of potentially valuable elements through washing procedures. Modelling results indicate that a simple washing step may be able to extract 650 mg of Pb and 120 mg of Zn per kg of APC residues treated, while removing approximately 90% of available chloride.

The main purpose of this thesis was to compare GAC adsorption method, VOCs incinerationmethod and Non-treatment alternative by using LCA to find which method or alternative isenvironmentally preferable. The LCA framework proposed by ISO 14040 (1997) has beenconsidered in this research. The comparison was made by considering a flue gas contaminatedby toluene (with three different concentration 100, 1000, 2000 mg/m3). The plant locationwhere the polluted flue gas is emitted has been assumed to be located in Borås, Sweden. Theflow rate of emitted flue gas was 10000m3/hr. The present thesis report contains two mainparts.The results of LCA showed that when the toluene concentration is low (< 100 mg/m3), GACadsorption method, Non-treatment alternative and VOCs incineration method are respectivelypreferable from environmental point of view. On the other side, when the tolueneconcentration of inlet stream is high (>1000 mg/m3), the order of GAC adsorption method,incineration and Non-treatment alternative is more desirable. Furthermore, the resultsillustrated that as toluene plays the role of fuel as a hydrocarbon, VOCs incineration methodis much more suitable when toluene concentration is high due to lower demand on additionalfuel. In the other words, high toluene concentration of influent leads to less environmentalimpact when VOCs incineration method is exploited. Conversely, the environmental impactof GAC adsorption method is increased when the inlet concentration of toluene is escalated.In overall, the weighted result showed that GAC adsorption method is the most preferablemethod while Non-treatment alternative is the worst.

About 66% of all heat energy generated in Sweden originates from the incineration of municipal solid waste and biofuels such as wood, cardboard and peat. In addition to heat energy, incinerators generate about 1.7 Mt of ashes each year, of which 500 000 t are air pollution control (APC) residues. APC residues from municipal solid waste incineration are usually landfilled whereas those from biofuel incinerators are used in roads, as soil fertilizers, and as amendments for stabilizing APC residues classified as hazardous waste. The physico-chemical properties of compacted APC residues are such that they could be viable alternatives to clay in landfill cover liners, and could also replace cement in cases where a solidified structure is desired. However, APC residues are classified as waste and their use may rise concern due to the release of harmful substances into the environment. This thesis examines the environmental impact of APC residues when used together with other waste materials (e.g. sewage sludge, bottom ash, compost) in a landfill cover. In addition, the suitability of APC residues as amendments for stabilizing contaminated soil and their effect on the stability of treated soil under landfill conditions was investigated. The environmental impacts of alternative landfill cover were evaluated by field and laboratory tests that examined two water streams: the landfill cover’s drainage water and its leachate. The drainage water that seeps above the landfill cover liner and is drained away from a landfill cover was contaminated with Cl-, N, TOC and the trace elements As, Cu, Mo, Ni, Se, Pb and Zn. This water stream will need treatment for at least three to four decades. The amounts of landfill cover leachate that percolated through the liner in the field test ranged from 3 to 30 l (m2 y)-1, which was below the legal limit on the leachate flow in non-hazardous waste landfills (

Godkänd; 2015; 20141215 (igotra); Nedanstående person kommer att disputera för avläggande av teknologie doktorsexamen. Namn: Igor Travar Ämne: Avfallsteknik/Waste Science and Technology Uppsats: The Use of Air Pollution Control Residues in Landfill Covers and for Soil Stabilization Opponent: Dr Richard Beaven, Principal Research Fellow, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, United Kingdom Ordförande: Professor Jurate Kumpiene, Institutionen för samhällsbyggnad och naturresurser, Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Fredag den 30 januari 2015 kl. 10.00 Plats: F1031, Luleå tekniska universite

Waste materials are hazardous if they display toxic, corrosive or other characteristics which have the potential to cause danger to health or the environment. New regulations to meet the requirements of the Landfill Directive contain controls on hazardous waste including the requirement to pre-treat hazardous waste prior to disposal and to ensure these wastes meet stringent waste acceptance criteria (WAC) on leachability. Waste from the cleaning of combustion gases produced from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is classed as hazardous by virtue of their corrosive properties. The majority of these air pollution control (APC) residues which contain dioxins, heavy metals and high levels of chloride are currently sent to landfill. To meet the new controls, pretreatment will be required to improve the handling properties and reduce the release of chloride ions into the environment. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is used to treat hazardous wastes. The solid form produced with the addition of OPC is however susceptible to degradation from aggressive leaching fluids and may release contaminants over time. Additives with high silica content can be used to interact with free lime produced during OPC hydration to improve the physical and chemical properties of the solid waste form. The treatment of MSW APC residues with sodium silicate and cement produces a solid waste form with a reduced structural integrity and a tendency to breakdown under attack from aggressive fluids. Silica 'gels' are formed during initial setting reactions which 'depolymerise' with fluid ingress to form new calcium rich silica 'gels' within cracks and voids of the solid waste form. Expansion due to water absorption and continual 'gel' formation causes structural failure. The addition of sodium silicate to sludges produced from a current treatment by mixing MSW APC residues with other mixed hazardous waste improves strength development by 'encapsulating' the waste sludge inside a calcium/silica 'gel'. This stops components of the sludge from interfering with normal OPC hydration. The treatment of MSW APC residues with sodium silicate will not produce a solid form to meet the new waste acceptance criteria. However, sodium silicate has the potential to improve handling and structural integrity of the sludge produced from the current treatment process.

The harmful effects of air pollutants on human beings and environment have been the major reason for efforts in sampling, analysis and control of their sources. The major pollutants emitted to atmosphere from stationary combustion processes are nitrogen oxides, inorganic acids, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and soot. In the current work two methods are developed for sampling and analysis of volatile chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons and semi-volatile chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons for example 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) by using solid sorbent, thermal desorption and high resolution GC-MS. The capacity of several solid sorbents is compared by breakthrough value and percentage recovery ofthe analyte from the sorbent. The thermal stability of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC in the presence of metals is studied because PVC is a polymer commonly found in solid waste derived from medical waste, car recycling and electrical cable. Harmful pollutant emissions from combustion and pyrolysis of PVC are measured using the novel method developed in this work. The main inorganic volatile is HCl while benzene is the major volatile organic formed under pyrolysis and combustion conditions. The thermal degradation of PVC produces a large number of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon and short chain linear gases. A study is designed for control of harmful pollutants from combustion of PVC including HCl, aromatic hydrocarbon, chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons and soot. It is reported that the presence of metal oxides have the ability to control the level of harmful emissions by facilitating the producing of more short chain linear gases. A study is designed for control of harmful pollutants from combustion of PVC including HCl, aromatic hydrocarbon, chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons and soot. It is reported that the presence of metal oxides have the ability to control the level of harmful emissions by facilitating the producing of more short chain linear gases. Two methods are developed for the control of soot from liquid and gas combustion process by using applied fields, Magnetic and electric fields. In this study, it is shown that an increase in applied field strength leads to an increase in flame temperature but a decrease in the length of flame. The level of soot emission was decreased in presence of an applied field. A discussion of the effect of applied fields on the combustion process is given.

A variety of methods exist to remove volatile organic compound (VOC) air pollutants from contaminated gas streams. As regulatory and public opinion pressures increase, companies are searching for more effective methods to control these emissions. This document is intended as a guide to help determine if existing systems are adequate and to provide additional information to improve the efficiency of the systems. It explores conventional methods of controlling VOC emissions, as well as innovative technologies including membrane separation, plasma destruction, and ozone catalytic oxidation. The conventional technologies covered include condensation, adsorption, absorption (or scrubbing), thermal incineration, flaring, catalytic incineration, and biofiltration. Each chapter includes a description of the technology, a discussion of the types of systems available, notes on the design of the system, economic estimates, an explanation of potential problems, and a list of considerations for installation and maintenance concerns. The final chapter is dedicated to the preparation and characterization of metal catalysts which were developed to improve the reaction rate of VOCs using ozone as an oxidant.
Ph. D.

The ceramic glazing techniques of vapour glazing, reduction lustre, Raku and fuming all require specialised firing conditions with the use of potentially hazardous kiln atmospheres and specialist kiln designs for their successful execution. The technique of reduction lustre is an ancient, highly decorative technique in which pigments or glazes containing reducible metal oxides such as copper, silver and bismuth are subjected to a reducing atmosphere which results in the formation of stable iridescent lustrous colour effects. Conventionally hydrocarbons are used to produce a reducing atmosphere, the combustion of which can lead to potentially high levels of CO. This research has concentrated on the technique of reduction lustre with the aim of producing a safe, environmentally friendly firing system. Reduction lustre effects were reproduced using a 100 litre down draft gas kiln designed and constructed for the purpose. A 40 litre electric kiln was modified for use with reducing atmospheres and a laboratory muffle kiln was also adapted to provide closely controlled firing conditions. Alternative reducing atmospheres were assessed, consisting of either 5% H2 in N2 or hydrocarbon vapour in N2 The former is reliable, safe, environmentally friendly and is recommended for studio pottery use. A theoretical design for a reduction lustre kiln incorporating a gas control system based on the use of a 5% H2 in N2 gas mixture and a gas tight outer casing was developed. Thermoanalytical methods were used to investigate the reduction behaviour of raw materials, glazes and frits under different atmospheric conditions. Diffusional and topochemical models of reduction reactions occurring in a typical lustre glaze have been evaluated. In-glaze lustres reduce with thecharacteristics of diffusion processes. Water diffusion out of the glaze may be rate determining. Studies carried out using energy dispersive x-ray analysis andphoto electron spectroscopy show that lustres are associated with the presence of metallic copper, the actual colour being dependent on the surface concentration of the metal. The aesthetic results of the various firing methods developed were assessed using a perceptual study based on the use of a semantic differential test developed from a multiple sorting survey carried out using lustred tiles. The survey used both lustred tiles to represent a 2-dimensional surface and lustred vases which represented a 3-dimensional lustre glazed surface. The survey showed that statistically significant differences were observed between lustred ceramics fired in different systems, allowing comparisons to be made in an objective manner.

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente Perfil de Engenharia de Sistemas Ambientais
Air pollution control (APC) residues from municipal solid waste incineration are classified as hazardous waste and disposed of, although it contains potential resources. Due to the different fuel gas cleaning system designs (wet or semi-dry), the APC residues present distinct chemical and physical characteristics that influence the remediation success and their possible reuse. Electrodialytic (ED) process was applied to two types of APC residues aiming their remediation. The characteristics of raw residues and upgraded APC and a broad range of ED experimental conditions were studied (ED cell with – 3 and 2 compartments; 5 or 50 mA of direct current; 3, 7 and 14 days of remediation time). Obtained results showed that remediation was very difficult but the use of low level direct current promoted the immobilization of the heavy metals. The leaching behaviour, for instance, of Pb was avoided in wet system, while the remaining values were kept below the Danish regulation thresholds, with a few exceptions. Still, after 14 days of ED process the best removal rates achieved were: 84% of Cd, 67% of Pb, 67% of Zn, 30% of Cu and 21% of Cr. Thus, 5% of Ordinary Portland Cement was replaced by APC residues in mortars, with or without ED pre-treatment. Porosity, density, compressive strength, heavy metals leaching and chloride were tested. After analysing the parameters, it is possible to say that for the wet gas cleaning systems use a pre-treatment before the reuse in building materials is the best option, since the values for heavy metals leaching tests decrease after, and compressive strength are comparable to material without residue. However, for semi-dry cleaning gas systems, the heavy metals leaching after pre-treatment appears to increase, so for this type of APC it is thus possible to aggregation only of the raw residue. The results of this study suggest new possibilities for this APC waste reuse, presenting great advantages in the waste management system as well as for resource conservation.
ELECTROACROSS - Electrokinetics across disciplines and continents: an integrated approach to finding new strategies for sustainable development (FP7-PEOPLE- 2010-IRSES-269289) and PTDC/ECM/111860/2009 - Electrokinetic treatment of sewage sludge and membrane concentrate: phosphorus recovery and dewatering

Some suburbs within North West (NW) metropolitan Adelaide have lung cancer mortality up to twice that expected from state averages. Previous international research investigating high lung cancer rates in similar shared industrial and residential areas have had inconsistent results. This case control study was conducted to determine whether residential exposure to industry is a risk factor for lung cancer in NW Adelaide. Contemporary ambient air monitoring was undertaken as an indicator of future respiratory health risk. 142 lung cancer patients and 415 age, gender matched population controls were interviewed utilising an event history calendar. Lifetime exposure indices were calculated for cigarette smoking, passive smoking, occupation, air pollution (residential proximity to industry) and hobbies. Data was analysed utilising chi- quared and conditional logistic regression. Ambient carcinogens and fine particulates with potential industrial sources in the region were monitored in five locations. In the final multivariate model leaving school early, pack- years of cigarettes and not living in close proximity to the power station or light industrial area were statistically significant risk factors for lung cancer. A composite score of residential exposure to all industries was not significant. However cautious interpretation is required as it was noted participating controls resided significantly closer to industry than non-participants. Average concentrations of ambient carcinogens were within guidelines; however diesel exhaust particulate and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons were elevated at sites in proximity to heavy vehicle traffic. Diurnal variations in PM[subscript 2.5] included weather and traffic-related short term peaks, and other peaks potentially related to industrial activity. Cigarette smoking is likely to be the primary cause of elevated lung cancer mortality in suburbs of NW Adelaide. The negative effect of residential exposure to two industries may be due to participation bias. Whilst having more thorough exposure assessment than previous research, this study may have been limited by low participation rates in cases and controls. Air monitoring data suggests there is not a significant public health risk at present; however these results are unlikely to be indicative of historical exposures. Future public health initiatives to curb high lung cancer mortality in the NW should focus on smoking prevention and reduction strategies.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Department of Medicine and Department of Public Health, 2004.

Particles reduce visibility, change climate, and affect human health. In 1997, the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 mm) was promulgated. The annual mean PM2.5 mass concentrations in Atlanta, Georgia exceed the standard, and control is needed. The first goal of this study is to develop the control strategies of PM2.5 in Atlanta, Georgia. Based on the statistical analysis of measured data, from 22% to 40% of emission reductions are required to meet the NAAQS at 95% CI. The estimated control levels can be tested using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to better assess if the proposed levels will achieve sufficient reduction in PM2.5. The second goal of this study is to analyze various uncertainties residing in CMAQ. For the model to be used in such applications with confidence, it needs to be evaluated. The model performance is calculated by the relative agreement between volume-averaged predictions and point measurements. Up to 14% of the model error for PM2.5 mass is due to the different spatial scales of the two values. CMAQ predicts PM2.5 mass concentrations reasonably well, but CMAQ significantly underestimates PM2.5 number concentrations. Causes of the underestimation include that assumed inaccurate particle density and particle size of the primary emissions in CMAQ, in addition to the expression of the particle size with three lognormal distributions. Also, the strength and limitations of CMAQ in performing PM2.5 source apportionment are compared with those of the Chemical Mass Balance with Molecular Markers. Finally, the accuracy of emissions, one of the important inputs of CMAQ, is evaluated by the inverse modeling. Results show that base level emissions for CO and SO2 sources are relatively accurate, whereas NH3, NOx, PEC and PMFINE emissions are overestimated. The emission adjustment for POA and VOC emissions is significantly different among regions.

Les réseaux de capteurs sans fil (RCSF) sont largement utilisés dans les applications environnementales où l’objectif est de détecter un phénomène physique tel que la température, l’humidité, la pollution de l’air, etc. Dans ce contexte d’application, l’utilisation de RCSF permet de comprendre les variations du phénomène et donc être en mesure de prendre des décisions appropriées concernant son impact. En raison des limitations de ses méthodes de suivi traditionnelles et de sa grande variabilité spatiale et temporelle, la pollution de l'air est considérée comme l'un des principaux phénomènes physiques qui restent à étudier et à caractériser. Dans cette thèse, nous considérons trois applications concernant l’utilisation de RCSF pour le suivi de la pollution de l’air : la cartographie en temps réel de la qualité de l’air, la détection de dépassements de seuils des polluants et la correction de modèles physiques qui simulent le phénomène de dispersion de la pollution. Toutes ces applications nécessitent de déployer et d’ordonnancer minutieusement les capteurs afin de mieux comprendre la pollution atmosphérique tout en garantissant un coût de déploiement minimal et en maximisant la durée de vie du réseau. Notre objectif est de résoudre les problèmes de déploiement et d'ordonnancement tout en tenant compte des caractéristiques spécifiques du phénomène de la pollution de l’air. Nous proposons pour chaque cas d'application une approche efficace pour le déploiement de noeuds capteurs et puits. Nous proposons également une approche d’ordonnancement adaptée au cas de la correction de modèles physiques. Nos approches d'optimisation prennent en compte la nature physique de la pollution atmosphérique et intègrent les données réelles fournies par les plateformes existantes de suivi de la qualité de l’air. Dans chacune de nos approches d’optimisation, nous utilisons la programmation linéaire en nombres entiers pour concevoir des modèles d’optimisation adaptés à la résolution de petites et moyennes instances. Pour traiter les grandes instances, nous proposons des heuristiques en utilisant des techniques de relaxation linéaire. Outre nos travaux théoriques sur le suivi de la pollution atmosphérique, nous avons conçu et déployé dans la ville de Lyon un réseau de capteurs de pollution économe en énergie. Sur la base des caractéristiques de notre système et des jeux de données de la pollution atmosphérique, nous avons évalué l’efficacité de nos approches de déploiement et d’ordonnancement. Nous présentons et discutons dans cette thèse les résultats d'évaluation de performances ainsi que des lignes directrices pour la conception de systèmes de suivi de la pollution de l’air. Parmi nos principales conclusions, nous soulignons le fait que la taille optimale du réseau de capteurs dépend du degré de variation des concentrations de pollution dans la région de déploiement
Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are widely used in environmental applications where the aim is to sense a physical phenomenon such as temperature, humidity, air pollution, etc. In this context of application, the use of WSN allows to understand the variations of the phenomenon over the monitoring region and therefore be able to take adequate decisions regarding the impact of the phenomenon. Due to the limitations of its traditional costly monitoring methods in addition to its high spatial and temporal variability, air pollution is considered as one of the main physical phenomena that still need to be studied and characterized. In this thesis, we consider three main applications regarding the use of WSN for air pollution monitoring: 1) the construction of real time air quality maps using sensor measurements; 2) the detection of pollution threshold crossings; and 3) the correction of physical models that simulate the pollution dispersion phenomenon. All these applications need careful deployment and scheduling of sensors in order to get a better knowledge of air pollution while ensuring a minimal deployment cost and a maximal lifetime of the deployed sensor network. Our aim is to tackle the problems of WSN deployment and scheduling while considering the specific characteristics of the air pollution phenomenon. We propose for each application case a new efficient approach for the deployment of sensor and sink nodes. We also propose a WSN scheduling approach that is adapted to the case of physical models’ correction. Our optimization approaches take into account the physical nature of air pollution dispersion and incorporate real data provided by the existing pollution sensing platforms. As part of each approach, we use integer linear programming to derive optimization models that are well adapted to solving small and medium instances. To deal with large instances, we propose heuristic algorithms while using linear relaxation techniques. Besides our theoretical works on air pollution monitoring, we design from scratch and deploy in the Lyon city a cost-effective energy-efficient air pollution sensor network. Based on the characteristics of our monitoring system in addition to real world air pollution datasets, we evaluate the effectiveness of our deployment and scheduling approaches and provide engineering insights for the design of WSN-based air pollution monitoring systems. Among our conclusions, we highlight the fact that the size of the optimal sensor network depends on the degree of the variations of pollution concentrations within the monitoring region

As human beings, we rely on the atmospheric environment as a valuable resource for our daily needs. Destruction of this environment is usually an irreversible process. Attempting to restore an already damaged atmospheric environment is much more costly than preventing atmospheric pollution in the first place. As has been the case with the industrialization of western countries, Asia‘s social and economic development has created an awareness of new problems of environmental pollution and ecological degradation. Data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) indicate that particulates transported in the air from East Asia to North America represent about 15% of the total particulate production in North America. China, as the largest developing country located in Asia, has experienced a dramatic increase in energy demands and pollutant emissions. This is partly because coal is the primary source of energy for China, something that is not expected to change in the foreseeable future. The country is not meeting its established objectives on air pollution abatement and the current administrative mechanisms are not providing adequate solutions for sulphur dioxide or acid rain problems. In response to this, the Chinese government is looking for more effective ways to balance economic growth and pollution control. One such mechanism for China could be an emissions trading program aimed at adjusting and improving air pollutant control mechanisms. This research is primarily an exploration of introducing an emissions trading system, which has played a significant and effective role in sulphur dioxide and acid rain control in US, aiming at adjusting and improving the air pollutant control mechanism in China. In terms of the feasibility analysis, with the improvement of China‘s special market economy conditions, integrating market mechanisms with "total amount control" to establish China‘s own emissions trading system, which is also known as "cap & trade", is likely to contribute greatly to sulphur dioxide and acid rain control in China. A recommended design and implementation roadmap for China‘s emissions trading scheme has also been conducted in this research.

Most existing environmental chambers cannot simulate dynamically changing environmental conditions. Hence there is a need for a dynamically controlled artificial environment for plant studies. This project demonstrates the control of temperature, humidity and SO₂ concentration in a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) system using feedback control through a computer. An IBM-PC was connected to the measuring instrumentation and control equipment through a data acquisition and control system. Temperature and humidity were controlled by an ON-OFF control scheme. Sulfur dioxide concentration was controlled by means of a modified proportional derivative control algorithm. The system is capable of achieving a wide range of temperatures (7°C to 40°C), humidities (30% to 97%), and SO₂ concentrations. Temperature is maintained within ±0.5°C of the desired value and humidity is controlled within ±4% of the desired value. Sulfur dioxide concentration is kept within ±10% of the desired concentration. It was found that as humidity increases, the supply rate of SO₂ must be increased to maintain a given concentration. Software response time is slow. This causes time lags in the modification of the controlled parameters to achieve desired values. The heating and cooling characteristics of the system can be improved by better insulation of the chamber walls. The system demonstrates that computerized feedback control is practical for application to controlling environmental parameters in a fumigation chamber.
Master of Science

碩士
國立中正大學
化學工程所
94
Adsorption method was used to decrease volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odors fraction emitted from waste-plastic recycle process. The VOC saturated adsorbent was then regenerated by wet air oxidation (WAO). During the wet air oxidation, Pt clusters on the carbon support were aggregated to bigger particles leading to a catalyst deactivation. In order to regenerate the sintered catalysts, oxychlorination technique was used to redisperse the aggregated Pt clusters. Active carbon (GAC830) and bamboo carbon were used as adsorbents in this study and GC-Mass was used to characterize the species evolved from waste-plastic recycle process. The results indicated that pentane, isopentane, and acetaldehyde are the main species evolved from nylon recycle process, paraffins and olefins from polyethylene, methanol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid from polyethylene terephthalate, and isopentane, styrene, and xylene from emulsified polystyrene. Model gas, air containing toluene, and methanol (polar) and air containing hexane and cyclohexane (non-polar) air were used to test the adsorption capacity and the results indicated that GAC-830 is superior to bamboo carbon; 0.13 g polar and 0.17 g non-polar species, respectively, for GAC-830 and 0.10 and 0.12 g, respectively, for bamboo carbon. As to the catalyst regeneration, after wet-air oxidation, the deactivated Pt/C catalysts was regenerated by oxychlorination and the results indicated that the activity can only be recovered partially because of the limitation of carbon combustion commenced at 400 °C. By EXAFS、XRD and XANES, the redispersion mechanism was proposed as the spreading of Pt clusters on carbon support because of the formation of PtClx species during the redispersion process. The high affinity between PtClx and carbon surface retards the growth of Pt clusters toward 3-dimensionsl during hydrogen reduction step.