1,721,015 research outputs found
Environmental balance study for the construction of a biomass plant in a small town in Piedmont (Northern Italy)
Full text linkIn consideration of local critical aspects in opposition to overall environmental benefits (decrease of GHG generation), the aim of this work is to verify the local acceptability from the point of view of air quality of the territory in question for a biomass plant. The plant to be realized in a small town located in Piedmont, Northern Italy, will be constructed to produce electricity and heat. In order to verify the aspect of compatibility we performed an evaluation of the emissive flow modification that in the hypothesis of the biomass plant activation should be introduced in the municipal area. The evaluation has been conducted by using mass and energy balances as a tool. © 2011 WIT Press
Analysis of the emergent climate change mitigation technologies
Full text linkA climate change mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases. Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. The mitigation technologies are able to reduce or absorb the greenhouse gases (GHG) and, in particular, the CO2 present in the atmosphere. The CO2 is a persistent atmospheric gas. It seems increasingly likely that concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will overshoot the 450 ppm CO2 target, widely seen as the upper limit of concentrations consistent with limiting the increase in global mean temperature from pre-industrial levels to around 2◦C. In order to stay well below to the 2◦C temperature thus compared to the pre-industrial level as required to the Paris Agreement it is necessary that in the future we will obtain a low (or better zero) emissions and it is also necessary that we will absorb a quantity of CO2 from the atmosphere, by 2070, equal to 10 Gt/y. In order to obtain this last point, so in order to absorb an amount of CO2 equal to about 10 Gt/y, it is necessary the implementation of the negative emission technologies. The negative emission technologies are technologies able to absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere. The aim of this work is to perform a detailed overview of the main mitigation technologies possibilities currently developed and, in particular, an analysis of an emergent negative emission technology: the microalgae massive cultivation for CO2 biofixation
A Circular Approach for Recovery and Recycling of Automobile Shredder Residues (ASRs): Material and Thermal Valorization
No full textAbstract: The transition of the automotive industry towards a circular economy requires viable solutions for end-of-life vehicle (ELV) reuse, recycling and recovery. This study tested the feasibility of two recycling processes intended, the first, to produce recycled plastic composite goods from selected plastic fractions extracted from ASRs, through a conventional mechanical process; the second, to use the remaining ASRs as a solid recovered fuel (SRF) to saturate the residual treatment capacity of the local (Turin, NW Italy) municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant. Samples of light (CER code 191004) and heavy (CER code 191204) ASRs were collected from an ELV authorized treatment facility, subjected to a complete characterization and tested for the two recycling options. The results demonstrated that selected fractions of thermoplastic polymers could be employed in a molding process for the production of recycled plastic composite goods. This fraction, equal to 2660 t/a, was more than 2% b.w. of the original ELV and 7.6% of the whole ASR waste product. The remaining ASR, after plastic extraction and recycling, had lower heating values (LHVs, 24 or 31 MJ/kg, depending on the original product) and chlorine content (< 50 mg/kg) that made it suitable to assume the status of SRF. In the present operating conditions, the Turin MSW incineration plant has a residual treatment capacity of at least 45,000 t/y, for waste with a LHV of 30 MJ/kg, that is approximately 30% more than the annual amount of ASRs produced in the Turin area. The application of mass and energy balances to the thermal process demonstrated that the addition of ASRs as an extra fuel to the incineration plant did not worse the quality of flue gases in terms of acid compound (HCl, SO2) concentration and allowed the annual net electrical energy production to be increased from 31 to 38 MW. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.
Sustainability in energy production
Full text linkThe requirement of energy in different human activities is continuously increasing; from the energetic production, chiefly by thermal systems, important and worrying environmental problems are generated: there are concerns about climate change, local air quality worsening, exhaustion of resources and land use change. To limit these negative aspects, policies of reduction in energy use must be first proposed; besides different technological, economic and planning solutions can be considered; their effect must be carefully assessed, as concerns effectiveness and practical implementation. The final political decision must consider the different tools that are at disposal, in order to define the best approach for the satisfaction of necessities with the minimum consequent impact
Technical and environmental comparison among different municipal solid waste management scenarios
Full text linkIn order to determine the optimal final destination of municipal solid waste, it is necessary to consider both monetary costs and environmental externalities, as well as the local availability of waste-processing industrial infrastructure. The paper examines the results obtained from a technical, economic, and environmental comparison between different scenarios for waste management: in particular, the solutions of gasification and pyrolysis were studied and, afterwards, were compared with direct combustion in incineration plant (from the point of view of the thermal treatment) and final disposal in landfill. In order to perform this analysis, 19 plants operating on full scale were analyzed. The comparison took into account environmental, energy, and economic aspects. From the environmental and energetical point of view, the tool of mass and energy balance was used to address some key environmental aspects. In particular, some indexes were defined in order to perform a comparison among the different analyzed solutions. As concerns the economic point of view, conventional economic criteria were considered. The analysis showed advantages for the examined thermal treatment solutions. The comparison methodology that has been defined can establish a more general useful approach in order to help the definition of the best solution for waste management planning
Managing the environmental adaptation of vehicle operations
Full text linkThe growing vehicle fleet, which is the largest consumer of the hydrocarbon fuels and the emitter of toxic substances and greenhouse gases, creates the serious environmental challenges that require an integrated approach to solve them. Simulation of the alternative scenarios for the traffic flows distribution allows evaluating the impact of various schemes of the road traffic organization and changes of the road infrastructure on the state of atmospheric air. It is necessary to consolidate the application of the legislative, economic and management mechanisms, orienting parties responsible for the negative consequences of the car operation to implement the optimal technological solutions. Possible economic incentives for the manufacturers of the vehicles, fuel producers, and the car owners are discussed, which enable to improve the environmental safety of the motor vehicles operation. The proposed model of an environmental fuel tax has been tested in the evaluating of the annual value of the possible additional tax revenues from a number of Russian refineries. The introduction of the proposed tax model can significantly reduce the negative consequences of vehicles operation
VARIABILITY of EMISSION RATE DEFINITION in REGULATORY ODOUR DISPERSION MODELLING from CIVIL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS
Full text linkThe analysis of odour impacts in civil wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a challenging task. Odour regulations still present a lack of standardization, that bring inherent levels of uncertainty to the analysis procedure. Dispersion models can provide support towards the characterization and reduction of odour nuisances. The application of dispersion models requires an adapt setting and a detailed characterization of the emission sources, in terms of emission rate. In this study odour dispersion of a large WWTP in northern Italy was considered. Simulations were carried out with the CALPUFF model. The study focused on the selection of the open field correction method for wind velocity used in the calculation of odour emission rates (OERs). Three different relationships were considered: the power law, the logarithmic law and the Deaves–Harris (D–H) law. The area underlying the 1 OU/m3, 3 OU/m3, and 5 OU/m3 concentration isopleths was considered as indicator. The results showed that OERs and impact area varied depending on the selected method. Taking the power law as the reference, the average variability of the impact area was between –33% and –48% if the logarithmic law was applied, and –83% and –94% if the D–H law was applied. The present study provides knowledge towards a better alignment of the concept of the odour impact criteria
Environmental effects of WWTP discharge on the quality of the receptor river
No full textThe aim of this study was to examine the water quality of a small stretch of the Po River in the Piedmont region (northern Italy). Along this stretch the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Castiglione Torinese treats a large pollution load derived from Turin’s metropolitan area (about 2 million population equivalent), and discharges it into the Po River. The objective of the study was the definition of the environmental impact produced by the Castiglione Torinese Wastewater Treatment Plant on the water quality of the river, based on various hydrological conditions, and to recommend possible interventions on both the point and diffuse loads. In order to obtain this result the different loads in terms of sources, destination and effects of the emitted pollutants was characterized.
The obtained results show that the environmental status of the Po River is only minimally influenced by the Castiglione Torinese WWTP discharge, and hence the necessary intervention would be on the diffuse load rather than the treatment plant
Analysis of the Po River Environmental Compatibility
No full textThe aim of this paper is to examine water quality of the Po River in a small stretch in Piedmont region (northern Italy). In this stretch a large pollution load, derived from Turin’s metropolitan area (about 2 million population equivalent) is mainly treated in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Castiglione Torinese, and discharged in the Po River. The study quantified and modelled (using the tool of the mass balance) this load (in particular for the two parameters Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous) in order to understand the sources, destinations and effects of the emitted pollutants. The objective was to define the environmental impact produced by the Castiglione Torinese Wastewater Treatment Plant on the water quality of the river, based on various hydrological conditions and the possible interventions on the point and diffuse loads. The obtained results show that the environmental status of the Po River is only minimally influenced by the Castiglione Torinese WWTP discharge and so an intervention on the diffuse load is necessary
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