Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 25 of 25

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Impact Of The Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Plant In Warsaw On Air Quality, Robert Oleniacz Dec 2014

Impact Of The Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Plant In Warsaw On Air Quality, Robert Oleniacz

Robert Oleniacz

The only Polish municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator has been operating within the Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Plant in Warsaw since 2000. In the paper selected results of the air quality impact assessment for this incinerator during an operating period of one year (2008) are presented. With respect to the incinerated waste amounts and emission levels, the analysed period can be considered typical for this facility. Assessment of the air quality impact was carried out by assessing air pollutant emissions in reference to the applicable emission limit values and by modeling atmospheric dispersion of these pollutants. It has been found …


An Evaluation Of The Us High Production Volume (Hpv) Chemical-Testing Programme: A Study In (Ir)Relevance, Redundancy And Retro Thinking, Andrew Nicholson, Jessica Sandler, Troy Seidle Dec 2014

An Evaluation Of The Us High Production Volume (Hpv) Chemical-Testing Programme: A Study In (Ir)Relevance, Redundancy And Retro Thinking, Andrew Nicholson, Jessica Sandler, Troy Seidle

Troy Seidle, PhD

Under the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Programme, chemical companies have volunteered to conduct screening-level toxicity tests on approximately 2800 widely-used industrial chemicals. Participating companies are committed to providing available toxicity information to the EPA and presenting testing proposals for review by the EPA and posting on the EPA Web site as public information. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and a coalition of animal protection organisations have reviewed all the test plans submitted by the participating chemical companies for compliance with the original HPV framework, as well as with animal welfare guidelines …


A Modular One-Generation Reproduction Study As A Flexible Testing System For Regulatory Safety Assessment, Richard Vogel, Troy Seidle, Horst Spielmann Dec 2014

A Modular One-Generation Reproduction Study As A Flexible Testing System For Regulatory Safety Assessment, Richard Vogel, Troy Seidle, Horst Spielmann

Troy Seidle, PhD

The European Union’s Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) legislation mandates testing and evaluation of approximately 30,000 existing substances within a short period of time, beginning with the most widely used “high production volume” (HPV) chemicals. REACH testing requirements for the roughly 3000 HPV chemicals specify three separate tests for reproductive toxicity: two developmental toxicity studies on different animal species (OECD Test Guideline 414) and a two-generation reproduction toxicity study (OECD TG 416). These studies are highly costly in both economic and animal welfare terms. OECD TG 416 is a fertility study intended to evaluate reproductive performance of animals …


Cetaceans And Marine Debris: The Great Unknown, Mark Peter Simmonds Dec 2014

Cetaceans And Marine Debris: The Great Unknown, Mark Peter Simmonds

Mark P. Simmonds, OBE

Plastics and other marine debris have been found in the gastrointestinal tracts of cetaceans, including instances where large quantities of material have been found that are likely to cause impairment to digestive processes and other examples, where other morbidity and even death have resulted. In some instances, debris may have been ingested as a result of the stranding process and, in others, it may have been ingested when feeding. Those species that are suction or “ram” feeders may be most at risk. There is also evidence of entanglement of cetaceans in marine debris. However, it is usually difficult to distinguish …


Ocena Wpływu Na Jakość Powietrza Procesu Przygotowania Obszaru Wiertni Przy Poszukiwaniach Gazu Z Łupków, Marek Bogacki, Robert Oleniacz, Monika Janicka Oct 2014

Ocena Wpływu Na Jakość Powietrza Procesu Przygotowania Obszaru Wiertni Przy Poszukiwaniach Gazu Z Łupków, Marek Bogacki, Robert Oleniacz, Monika Janicka

Robert Oleniacz

This chapter presents the model calculation results of the level of concentration of air pollutants emitted during works related to the preparation of the drilling pad for the shale gas exploration. The most significant emission sources located in the drilling pad, including rig access roads, paved and unpaved, were analyzed. The emission field was defined by the parameterization of various sources/processes, taking into account the technical, technological, organizational and environmental conditions. The calculations of the pollutants dispersion in the air were carried out using the Gaussian reference model. The results of numerical calculations showed that the only substance likely to …


Ocena Efektów Termomodernizacji Budynków Jednorodzinnych. 2. Ograniczenie Wpływu Na Jakość Powietrza Atmosferycznego, Robert Oleniacz, Magdalena Kasietczuk, Mateusz Rzeszutek Sep 2014

Ocena Efektów Termomodernizacji Budynków Jednorodzinnych. 2. Ograniczenie Wpływu Na Jakość Powietrza Atmosferycznego, Robert Oleniacz, Magdalena Kasietczuk, Mateusz Rzeszutek

Robert Oleniacz

The article assesses to what extent reduced the impact on air quality of a complex of detached coal-fired houses as a result of some thermal renovation works which lowered the fuel consumption and reduced emissions of pollutants into the air. The assessment was done on the basis of results of dispersion modelling for selected substances (SO2, NO2, CO, PM10, B(a)P and PCDD/F) in the ambient air with the use of CALMET/CALPUFF models. The calculation process encompassed preparation of the data on spatial features of the area, making a three-dimensional grid of meteorological data, definition of geometrical parameters of substitute emitters …


Interactions Between People And Wildlife In Urbanizing Landscapes, John Hadidian Aug 2014

Interactions Between People And Wildlife In Urbanizing Landscapes, John Hadidian

John Hadidian, PhD

In little more than 100 years, America has been transformed from a rural to an urban society in which 8 out of every 10 people live in cities or associated metropolitan areas. This change has affected the way that people interact with wildlife and has introduced new and unique situations in which human-wildlife conflicts arise and must be dealt with. Most urban wildlife problems occur in and around primary residences or nodes (e.g., airports, golf courses, lake fronts) and involve only a few species. This relationship may change as urban landscapes mature or expand through restoration efforts, or as more …


Transportation Safety And Access: A Case Study Of The St. Claude Bridge In New Orleans, Earthea Nance Jun 2014

Transportation Safety And Access: A Case Study Of The St. Claude Bridge In New Orleans, Earthea Nance

Earthea Nance, PhD (Stanford University, 2004)

The community-university collaborative model, first developed in early-1990s public health research, expands opportunities for new research partnerships and joint problem-solving. This model is ideally suited to land-grant colleges and urban research universities whose mission involves community engagement. At the University of New Orleans, this model is employed in “practicum” graduate courses offered in the Department of Planning and Urban Studies. One such practicum partnered with the Lower 9th Ward community in spring 2012 to address serious safety problems with the St. Claude Bridge. The bridge, which linked the lower and upper halves of the community and served as an essential …


Emisja Dioksyn I Furanów Z Procesu Współspalania Paliw Alternatywnych W Piecach Cementowych, Magdalena Kasietczuk, Robert Oleniacz, Marian Mazur Jun 2014

Emisja Dioksyn I Furanów Z Procesu Współspalania Paliw Alternatywnych W Piecach Cementowych, Magdalena Kasietczuk, Robert Oleniacz, Marian Mazur

Robert Oleniacz

The chapter discusses the problem of air emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) from the process of cement clinker production. In the analyzed cement kilns significant amount of fossil fuels is replaced with alternative fuels, mainly waste-derived fuels. Thus, particular attention has been paid to the potential impact on the level of the emissions such factors as type and quantity of used wastes and their ways of introducing into the kiln during co-combustion. The analysis include the results of measurements of PCDD/PCDF concentrations in the flue gases of selected cement kilns and differences in used raw materials, methods of …


Niekontrolowane Spalanie Odpadów I Pozostałości Roślinnych Na Terenach Wiejskich – Przykład Inwentaryzacji Źródeł Emisji I Oceny Wpływu Na Jakość Powietrza, Robert Oleniacz, Barbara Bacik, Marcelina Spiszak Jun 2014

Niekontrolowane Spalanie Odpadów I Pozostałości Roślinnych Na Terenach Wiejskich – Przykład Inwentaryzacji Źródeł Emisji I Oceny Wpływu Na Jakość Powietrza, Robert Oleniacz, Barbara Bacik, Marcelina Spiszak

Robert Oleniacz

The most troublesome air pollutant emissions that occur in rural areas are associated with the operation of domestic furnaces (mainly during the heating season) and the processes of open burning of plant residues (mainly outside the heating season). The paper presents an example of emission inventory for this type of sources in two submontane villages of Małopolska Voivodeship (Poland) based on the results of the questionnaire survey and an attempt to assess the impact on air quality of these sources, including the potential uncontrolled burning of waste.The conducted questionnaire survey showed the use to home heating mainly solid fuels (first …


The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran May 2014

The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Large-scale farm animal production facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), release a significant amount of contaminants into the air and water. Adverse health effects related to exposure to these contaminants among CAFO workers have been welldocumented; however, less is known about their impact on the health of residents in nearby communities. Epidemiological research in this area suggests that neighboring residents are at increased risk of developing neurobehavioral symptoms and respiratory illnesses, including asthma. Additional research is needed to better understand community-scale exposures and health outcomes related to the management practices and emissions of CAFOs.


Assessment Of The Impact Of Municipal Waste Incineration Plants On Air Quality And The Possibilities Of Its Reduction, Robert Oleniacz May 2014

Assessment Of The Impact Of Municipal Waste Incineration Plants On Air Quality And The Possibilities Of Its Reduction, Robert Oleniacz

Robert Oleniacz

The planned construction of new municipal waste incineration plants over the next few years in Poland results in protests of local communities, which arise mainly from fear of an increase in the air pollution in its vicinity. These protests extend the investment process and hinder the selection of incineration plant location, but on the other hand they necessitate the use of more efficient solutions to reduce their impact on the air quality.This paper characterizes the world's most widely used technology for municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) and assesses the possible maximum impact on the air quality of an exemplary MSWI …


Wykorzystanie Atmosferycznego Modelu Dyspersji Calpuff Do Oceny Oddziaływania Na Jakość Powietrza Planowanego Zakładu Termicznego Przekształcania Odpadów Komunalnych W Krakowie, Mateusz Rzeszutek, Robert Oleniacz Apr 2014

Wykorzystanie Atmosferycznego Modelu Dyspersji Calpuff Do Oceny Oddziaływania Na Jakość Powietrza Planowanego Zakładu Termicznego Przekształcania Odpadów Komunalnych W Krakowie, Mateusz Rzeszutek, Robert Oleniacz

Robert Oleniacz

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the planned Municipal Waste Thermal Treatment Plant in Krakow on air pollution. Air quality impact assessment was based on the current state of the legal formalities (including emission limit values for waste incineration plants) and the results of the air pollutant atmospheric dispersion modeling for one month period. In this study to calculate of air pollutant dispersion was used model system CALMET/CALPUFF. Using the CALMET model variables in time and space weather condition were calculated. CALPUFF model were performed to computing of propagation of air pollution. Analysis of the …


Lead In Green Turf, Shawn Gerstenberger Mar 2014

Lead In Green Turf, Shawn Gerstenberger

Shawn Gerstenberger

Green turf. You see it everywhere: football fields, day care centers, parks.... But is it safe? A UNLV professor says it can release lead, which people could inhale or ingest. But the Synthetic Turf Council says no one has reported bad effects. How safe is the turf we play on? How can we change it? The research professor breaks down the green turf situation for us.


Susceptibility Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) To Hot-Water Sprays As A Means Of Watercraft Decontamination, Sean Comeau, Scott Rainville, Wen Baldwin, Emily Austin, Shawn Gerstenberger, Chad Cross, Wai Wong Mar 2014

Susceptibility Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) To Hot-Water Sprays As A Means Of Watercraft Decontamination, Sean Comeau, Scott Rainville, Wen Baldwin, Emily Austin, Shawn Gerstenberger, Chad Cross, Wai Wong

Shawn Gerstenberger

The recent spread of dreissenid mussels to various bodies of water in the western US has sparked interest by many state and federal agencies to develop protocols to stop further expansion. Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are of particular importance as they are currently the most widespread dreissenid species in the region. This project examined the susceptibility of quagga mussels to hot-water sprays at different temperatures and durations of spray contact at Lake Mead (Nevada-Arizona, USA). Emersed adult quagga mussels were exposed to hot-water sprays at 20, 40, 50, 54, 60, 70, and 80°C for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, …


Estimating Survival Rates Of Quagga Mussel (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) Veliger Larvae Under Summer And Autumn Temperature Regimes In Residual Water Of Trailered Watercraft At Lake Mead, Usa, W. Choi, Shawn Gerstenberger, R. Mcmahon, Wai Wong Mar 2014

Estimating Survival Rates Of Quagga Mussel (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) Veliger Larvae Under Summer And Autumn Temperature Regimes In Residual Water Of Trailered Watercraft At Lake Mead, Usa, W. Choi, Shawn Gerstenberger, R. Mcmahon, Wai Wong

Shawn Gerstenberger

No abstract provided.


An Evaluation Of Mercury Concentrations In Three Brands Of Canned Tuna, Shawn Gerstenberger, Adam Martinson, Joanna Kramer Mar 2014

An Evaluation Of Mercury Concentrations In Three Brands Of Canned Tuna, Shawn Gerstenberger, Adam Martinson, Joanna Kramer

Shawn Gerstenberger

There is widespread concern over the presence of Hg in fish consumed by humans. While studies have been focused on determining the Hg concentration in sport fish and some commercial fish, little attention has been directed to canned tuna; it is widely held that concentrations are low. In the present study, the amount of Hg present in canned tuna purchased in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, was examined, and the brand, temporal variation, type, and packaging medium impacts on Hg concentrations in tuna were explored. A significant (p < 0.001) brand difference was noted: Brand 3 contained higher Hg concentrations ($\bar x$ …


Using Social Network Analysis To Evaluate Health - Related Adaptation Decision Making In Cambodia, Kathryn Bowen, Damon Alexander, Fiona Miller, Dany Va Mar 2014

Using Social Network Analysis To Evaluate Health - Related Adaptation Decision Making In Cambodia, Kathryn Bowen, Damon Alexander, Fiona Miller, Dany Va

Dany Va

Climate change adaptation in the health sector requires decisions across sectors, levels of government, and organisations. The networks that link these different institutions, and the relationships among people within these networks, are therefore critical influences on the nature of adaptive responses to climate change in the health sector. This study uses social network research to identify key organisational players engaged in developing health-related adaptation activities in Cambodia. It finds that strong partnerships are reported as developing across sectors and different types of organisations in relation to the health risks from climate change. Government ministries are influential organisations, whereas donors, development …


Removal Of Arsenic From Groundwater At The Baird & Mcguire Superfund Site, Christopher D. Zevitas, Irvine W. Wei Jan 2014

Removal Of Arsenic From Groundwater At The Baird & Mcguire Superfund Site, Christopher D. Zevitas, Irvine W. Wei

Irvine W. Wei

No abstract provided.


Estimating Plume Emission Rate And Dispersion Pattern From A Cement Plant At Yandev, Central Nigeria, Fanan Ujoh Ph.D, Olarewaju Oluseyi Ifatimehin Ph.D, Isa Dlama Kwabe Mr Jan 2014

Estimating Plume Emission Rate And Dispersion Pattern From A Cement Plant At Yandev, Central Nigeria, Fanan Ujoh Ph.D, Olarewaju Oluseyi Ifatimehin Ph.D, Isa Dlama Kwabe Mr

Dr. Fanan Ujoh

Cement production at Yandev, Nigeria commenced in 1980 without an environmental impact assessment to ascertain the extent of damage production activities would bring to bear on the physical conditions of the host environment. This study was carried out to provide baseline data on the rate and pattern of plume rise from the factory. Field survey was employed for primary data collation, while secondary data (climatic and factory data) were acquired from NIMET Makurdi Office and Dangote Cement Plc. Plume rate was estimated using the Gaussian (Mathematical) Model; Kriging, using Arc GIS, was adopted for modelling the pattern of plume dispersion. …


Climate Risk Polycentricity And The Iad Framework, Troy D. Abel, Mark Stephan, Dorothy Daley Jan 2014

Climate Risk Polycentricity And The Iad Framework, Troy D. Abel, Mark Stephan, Dorothy Daley

Troy D. Abel

Climate change is commonly cast as a significant governance challenge demanding national and international actions. Subsequently, political science research tends to focus on the policy and politics of nation-states, their domestic institutions, and/or their interplay in international venues. However, thousands of industrial facilities and hundreds of subnational US governments are active in American climate risk governance. Therefore, we argue that more research should attend to climate governance’s subnational policy and politics, their promise, and their performance. In the vacuum of national policies to mitigate and adapt to climate-change, subnational arrangements offer an ideal opportunity to study not only the spontaneity …


Paradoxes Of Democratisation: Environmental Politics In East Asia, Mary Alice Haddad Dec 2013

Paradoxes Of Democratisation: Environmental Politics In East Asia, Mary Alice Haddad

Mary Alice Haddad

This chapter examines environmental politics in four polities that run the full spectrum of political regimes: mainland China (authoritarian), South Korea and Taiwan (newly democratic), and Japan (mature democracy). The chapter argues that variation in environmental politics in each place resulted primarily from the timing of their environmental movements, with subsequent movements learning from predecessors and gaining increasing access to global NGO networks. Paradoxically, when environmental movements became linked to democratization movements (in South Korea and Taiwan), they also became linked to political parties, which hindered access to government policymaking when non-allied parties were in power.


Advancing Green Economy Through Technology Transfer Experiences From Malawi, Stanley Mubako Dec 2013

Advancing Green Economy Through Technology Transfer Experiences From Malawi, Stanley Mubako

Stanley Mubako

No abstract provided.


Air Concentrations Of Volatile Compounds Near Oil And Gas Production: A Community-Based Exploratory Study, Gregg P. Macey Dec 2013

Air Concentrations Of Volatile Compounds Near Oil And Gas Production: A Community-Based Exploratory Study, Gregg P. Macey

Gregg P. Macey

Background: Horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and other drilling and well stimulation technologies are now used widely in the United States and increasingly in other countries. They enable increases in oil and gas production, but there has been inadequate attention to human health impacts. Air quality near oil and gas operations is an underexplored human health concern for five reasons: (1) prior focus on threats to water quality; (2) an evolving understanding of contributions of certain oil and gas production processes to air quality; (3) limited state air quality monitoring networks; (4) significant variability in air emissions and concentrations; and (5) …


Climate Change Adaptation And Water In Semi-Arid Regions: A Case Study Of The Limpopo River Basin, Stanley Mubako Dec 2013

Climate Change Adaptation And Water In Semi-Arid Regions: A Case Study Of The Limpopo River Basin, Stanley Mubako

Stanley Mubako

No abstract provided.