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Optimum Operating Condition for Co-Gasification - A Thermodynamic Study
No full textBackground: Gasification is a popular process for producing syngas from solid
fuels. The focus has nowadays shifted to co-gasification using a mixed feed of coal and
biomass. An optimum gasifier operating condition (OGOC) is an extremely important process
parameter for gasification system.
Method: A thermodynamic analysis was done to calculate this condition for co-gasifier operation.
The relative product gas generation trends in co-gasification were compared with
the single feed coal gasification in this study.
Conclusion: An OGOC of 618°C with CO2 feed of 0.6475 moles and H2O feed of 1.3525
moles was found to be the best condition for co-gasifier operation producing 1.6429 moles
of syngas (of syngas ratio 1.5905) and 54.96% H2O conversion with the gasifier product gas
containing over 61% syngas. Such OGOC can be found for gasification systems ensuring
the advantages of thermoneutral operation as well as 100% carbon conversion
Bubble size prediction in gas–solid fluidized beds using genetic programming
Full text linkThe hydrodynamics of a gas–solid fluidized bed (FB)
is affected by the bubble diameter, which in turn
strongly influences the performance of a fluidized bed
reactor (FBR). Thus, determining the bubble diameter
accurately is of crucial importance in the design and
operation of an FBR. Various equations are available
for calculating the bubble diameter in an FBR. It has
been found in this study that these models show a
large variation while predicting the experimentally
measured bubble diameters. Accordingly, the present
study proposes a new equation for computing the
bubble diameter in a fluidized bed. This equation has
been developed using an efficient, yet infrequently
employed computational intelligence (CI)-based datadriven
modelling method termed genetic programming
(GP). The prediction and generalization performance
of the GP-based equation has been compared with
that of a number of currently available equations for
computing the bubble diameter in a fluidized bed and
the results obtained show a good performance by the
newly developed equation
Green Building, Energy Efficiency, Carbon and Ecological Footprinting (CF and EF), and Life Style Solutions (LSS)
No full textUltimate solutions to climate change problems lie in regulating and controlling
the three key sectors: production, consumption, and lifestyle. In fact, the
third one automatically takes care of the first two because our production and consumption
patterns and trends depend directly on our lifestyles. This boils down to
the fact that key to climate change mitigation lies in our lifestyles. Food, clothing,
and shelter are our primary requirements, and they all contribute significantly to
increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and ultimately to climate
change problem. This chapter illustrates some model development exercises based
on realistic and relevant parameters, which are easy to measure and monitor in the
residential sector. Subsequently, the chapter also shows what kind of researches
need to be pursued in various educational and research institutions so as to gradually
make every citizen of the society environmentally aware and responsible. In
short, the presentation discusses and recommends the kind of activities which need
regular pursuance, refinement, modification, and application in regard to evolving
site-specific, region-specific, and ecosystem-specific environmental management
plans that are aimed at combating the climate-regulated environmental crisis which
is unfolding before us every day with a newer dimension
Manganese-Induced Neurotoxicity and Alterations in Gene Expression in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells
No full textManganese (Mn) is an essential trace element required
for many physiological functions including proper biochemical
and cellular functioning of the central nervous system
(CNS). However, exposure to excess level of Mn through
occupational settings or from environmental sources has been
associated with neurotoxicity. The cellular and molecular
mechanism of Mn-induced neurotoxicity remains unclear. In
the current study, we investigated the effects of 30-day exposure
to a sub-lethal concentration of Mn (100 μM) in human
neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) using transcriptomic approach.
Microarray analysis revealed differential expression
of 1057 transcripts in Mn-exposed SH-SY5Y cells as compared
to control cells. Gene functional annotation cluster analysis
exhibited that the differentially expressed genes were associated
with several biological pathways. Specifically, genes
involved in neuronal pathways including neuron differentiation
and development, regulation of neurogenesis, synaptic
transmission, and neuronal cell death (apoptosis) were found
to be significantly altered. KEGG pathway analysis showed
upregulation of p53 signaling pathways and neuroactive
ligand-receptor interaction pathways, and downregulation of
neurotrophin signaling pathway. On the basis of the gene expression
profile, possible molecular mechanisms underlying
Mn-induced neuronal toxicity were predicted
The composition of the essential oil and aqueous distillate of Origanum vulgare L. growing in Saudi Arabia and evaluation of their antibacterial activity
Full text linkThe essential oil and aqueous distillate composition of Origanum vulgare L. were analyzed
by GC/MS. Sixty-seven different components were detected in both oils. Sixty-four components
were characterized for the oil derived from the aerial parts, whereas thirty-three
components in the volatile oil from the aqueous distillates of O. vulgare L., representing 99.8%
and 98.5% of the oils, respectively. The main components of the volatile oil from the aerial parts
of O. vulgare L. were carvacrol (70.2 ± 1.37%), c-terpinene (5.6 ± 0.11%), p-cymene (4.5 ± 0.42
%), trans-sabinene hydrate (3.8 ± 0.07%), and thymol (2.2 ± 0.12%). In comparison, the main
compounds of the volatile oil of the O. vulgare L. aqueous distillates were carvacrol (92.5 ± 0.97
%), thymol (2.5 ± 0.09%), and terpinen-4-ol (1.0 ± 0.03%). The antibacterial activity of both oils,
along with that of the purified major component, carvacrol, against Gram-positive and Gramnegative
strains was assessed. The results revealed that all three samples showed significant antibacterial
activity against all tested strains. The IC50 values of the oils derived from the aerial parts and
aqueous distillates of O. vulgare L. against the tested strains was in the range of 107–383 mg�mL1
,
whereas, the IC50 value of carvacrol was in the range of 53–151 mg�mL1
. The data suggest that carvacrol,
a major component of both oils, possesses the highest antibacterial activity of all th
A long-term comparative assessment of human health risk to leachate-contaminated groundwater from heavy metal with different liner systems
No full textThe handling and management of municipal solid
waste (MSW) are major challenges for solid waste management
in developing countries. Open dumping is still the most
common waste disposal method in India. However, landfilling
also causes various environmental, social, and human health
impacts. The generation of heavily polluted leachate is a major
concern to public health. Engineered barrier systems (EBSs)
are commonly used to restrict potentially harmful wastes by
preventing the leachate percolation to groundwater and overflow
to surface water bodies. The EBSs are made of natural
(e.g., soil, clay) and/or synthetic materials such as polymeric
materials (e.g., geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners) by
arranging them in layers. Various studies have estimated the
human health risk from leachate-contaminated groundwater.
However, no studies have been reported to compare the human
health risks, particularly due to the leachate contamination
with different liner systems. The present study endeavors
to quantify the human health risk to contamination fromMS
Biodegradation of food waste using microbial cultures producing thermostable a-amylase and cellulase under different pH and temperature
No full textThe aim of this work was to study the biodegradation of food waste employing thermostable a-amylase
and cellulase enzymes producing bacteria. Four potential isolates were identified which were capable of
producing maximum amylase and cellulase and belong to the amylolytic strains, Brevibacillus borstelensis
and Bacillus licheniformis; cellulolytic strains, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus licheniformis, respectively.
These strains were selected based on its higher cell density, enzymatic activities and stability at a wide
range of pH and temperature compared to other strains. The results indicated that 1:1 ratio of pre and
post consumed food wastes (FWs) were helpful to facilitate the degradation employing bacterial consortium.
In addition, organic matter decomposition and chemical parameters of the end product quality also
indicated that bacterial consortium was very effective for 1:1 ratio of FWs degradation as compared to
the other treatments
Geospatial assessment of tourism impact on land environment of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
No full textIndia’s tourism industry has emerged as a
leading industry with a potential to grow further in the
next few decades. Dehradun, one of the famous tourist
places in India located in the state of Uttarakhand,
attracts tourist from all over the country and abroad.
The surge in tourist number paved the way for new
infrastructure projects like roads, buildings, and hotels,
which in turn affects the topography of the mountainous
region. In this study, remote sensing and GIS techniques
have been used to assess the impact of tourism on the
land environment of Dehradun. Satellite images of the
years 1972, 2000, and 2016 were analyzed using objectbased
image analysis (OBIA) to derive land use and
land cover (LULC) and ASTER-DEM (Digital ElevationModel)
was used to determine the topography of the
study area. LULC classification includes built-up, vegetation,
forest, scrub, agriculture, plantation, and water
body. The slope of the region was categorized as gentle,
moderate, strong, extreme, steep, and very steep. To
assess the sprawl of built-up on high terrain land,
built-up class of LULC was overlaid on slope classes.
The overlay analysis reveals that due to increase in
tourism, the land use in terms of the built-up area has
been extended from gentle slope to very steep slope. The
haphazard construction on the extreme, steep, and very
steep slope is prone to landslide and other natural disasters.
For this, landslide susceptibility maps have also
been generated using multicriteria evaluation (MCE)
techniques to prevent haphazard construction and to
assist in further planning of Dehradun City. This study
suggests that a proper developmental plan of the city is
essential which follows the principles of optimumuse of
land and sustainable tourism
Natural Gas Pipelines Leakage, Toxicity and its Safety Measures
Full text linkA fugitive emission of natural gas during the extraction of oil and gas and its transportation through the pipeline has potential
threat to the environment. Natural gas (NG) is the mixture of hydrocarbon gases consisting primarily of methane and other varying
hydrocarbons, a small fraction of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide and rare trace gases like helium, neon, xenon
etc. The colorless and odorless NG has a wide range of applications as a cleaner fuel. The rapid urbanization, industrialization and
economic growth all over the world demand the increasing transportation capacity of NG. Though the transportation pipeline are laid
with well-equipped sophisticated technology and leak detection sensors, however still there are risk factor associated for leakage of the
gases and explosion. The impacts of man-made disaster are in terms of deaths, injury, losses in economics, property and also having the
adverse effect on ecology. The integrity of the NG pipeline system can be achieved by adopting continuous sophisticated up gradation
technology. It also requires operation and maintenance of the pipeline at regular interval
Stabilized landfill leachate treatment using heterogeneous Fenton and electro-Fenton processes
No full textIn the present study, stabilized landfill leachate treatment by heterogeneous Fenton and electro-Fenton
(EF) was carried out. Iron-manganese binary oxide loaded zeolite (IMZ) was used as a catalyst for
generating hydroxyl radicals in the acidic medium. Heterogeneous Fenton process was capable of
removing 88.6% COD from landfill leachate at the optimal conditions, while 87.5% COD removal was
observed at optimal EF treatment conditions. Biodegradability of landfill leachate was increased significantly from 0.03 to 0.52 after Fenton treatment. The prepared heterogeneous catalyst was found
reusable with a reduction in COD removal rate. Even though, both the processes are efficient for leachate
treatment, the low catalyst dosage requirement in case of EF process justifies that it is more feasible than
Fenton process