Particulate Matter Emissions

Flue gas emissions and particle size distribution were investigated during combustion experiments of wood, forest residue and mixtures of these two. The combustion experiments were carried out in a grate fired multi-fuel reactor with and without air staging at stable operation conditions and constant temperature of 850 °C. The overall excess air ratio was held at 1.6, and the primary excess air ratio was 0.8 during air staged experiments. NOx emissions are reduced by air staging. Fly ash particle concentration of forest residues in the flue gas is lower than wood. Aerosols number increased in the staged experiments for fuel blends.

According to World Health Organization’s report upon household air pollution and health (2018), it has been estimated that globally around 3 billion of population uses kerosene and solid fuels (i.e. cow dung, charcoal, wood, coal and crop waste) for cooking food in ineffectual stoves and in open fires. However, the majority of the population lives in rural areas and has low income. As the process of such type of cooking is inefficient which results in producing high level of toxic compounds and gases within the surroundings of household, these gases then directly penetrates into the lungs causing health diseases. Such gases and compound fall into household air pollution or indoor air pollution categories.
This report examined the impact of household air pollution upon the health of household members and the minimizing this impact through usage of efficient cookstoves (i.e. Jaan Pakistan Supreme Stove). The survey was conducted upon the respondents residing in some of the off-grid districts of Pakistan by asking questions regarding their own understandings of danger of household air pollution and feasibility of using efficient biomass fuel combustion technology and its impact upon their lives.

Multiple linear and higher order equations were developed for the estimation of the PM10 spatial distribution over the broader area of Athens, Greece, based on satellite data. In situ PM10 measurements for the period 2007-2010 were used to calibrate the satellite observations. The latter included Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and MERIS (MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) and AATSR (Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) sensors, as well as surface relative humidity, surface temperature and K-Index derived from MODIS. The performance of linear and non-linear relationships and the contribution of each satellite-derived parameter were analyzed based on a stepwise validation. Results found that non-linear relations perform better than simple linear, while the K-Index, an estimator of atmospheric static stability, can be used as a proxy of the vertical aerosol mixing. Coefficients of determination around 0.7 were achieved. Seasonal mean PM10 distributions were also computed, revealing an intra-annual variation, which obtained higher values during the summer, along with spatial differences in PM10 concentrations which were attributed to air pollution at the city center and at industrial areas.

Background

Test the hypothesis that exposure to fine particulate matter in the air (PM2.5) is associated with increased risk of preterm birth (PTB).
Methods

Geo-spatial population-based cohort study using live birth records from Ohio (2007–2010) linked to average daily measures of PM2.5, recorded by 57 EPA network monitoring stations across the state. Geographic coordinates of the home residence for births were linked to the nearest monitoring station using ArcGIS. Association between PTB and high PM2.5 levels (above the EPA annual standard of 15 μg/m3) was estimated using GEE, with adjustment for age, race, education, parity, insurance, tobacco, birth season and year, and infant gender. An exchangeable correlation matrix for the monitor stations was used in the models. Analyses were limited to non-anomalous singleton births at 20-42weeks with no known chromosome abnormality occurring within 10 km of a monitor station.
Results

The frequency of PTB was 8.5 % in the study cohort of 224,921 singleton live births. High PM2.5 exposure (>EPA recommended maximum) occurred frequently during the study period, with 24,662 women (11 %) having high exposure in all three trimesters. Pregnancies with high PM2.5 exposure through pregnancy had increased PTB risk even after adjustment for coexisting risk factors, adjOR 1.19 (95 % CI 1.09–1.30). Assessed per trimester, high 3rd trimester PM2.5 exposure resulted in the highest PTB risk, adjOR 1.28 (95 % CI 1.20–1.37).
Conclusions

Exposure to high levels of particulate air pollution, PM2.5, in pregnancy is associated with a 19 % increased risk of PTB; with greatest risk with high 3rd trimester exposure. Although the risk increase associated with high PM2.5 levels is modest, the potential impact on overall PTB rates is robust as all pregnant women are potentially at risk. This exposure may in part contribute to the higher preterm birth rates in Ohio compared to other states in the US, especially in urban areas.

As an energy-intensive industry, iron and steel production are suffering from the resource and environmental issues. Blast furnace—basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) process and electric arc furnace (EAF) process are the two most common routes of steel production. Therefore, it is very important to quantify the industrial metabolism for the two routes. In this work, material flow analysis is used to comparatively investigate the energy efficiency, material efficiency, and emissions intensity at the enterprise level. The results show that the total energy consumption and material consumption per ton of steel of the BF-BOF route are 2.8 and 11 times larger than those of the EAF route, respectively. In addition, the emission intensities of dust, CO2, SO2, NO2 and CO of the BF-BOF route are 7.7, 2.6, 92.6, 33.5, and 12.0 times greater than those of the EAF route, respectively. To achieve a more sustainable steel industry, some policy recommendations are put forward finally.

The real-world possibilities for blockchain applications are endless, yet few
real-world use cases exist in early 2018 beyond cryptocurrency. Among the many newly
initiated and emerging proposals for applications of this unique technology, the area of
vehicle emissions provides an opportunity to bring the advantages of cryptography and
decentralized databases to the collection and storage of scientific research data. The
reporting of vehicle emissions has been a publicly acknowledged area of deceit and
scandal, while the cornerstones of blockchain are transparency and consensus. There
is, perhaps, a way for this newly expanding technology to provide a disruption to the
automotive industry by efficiently and reliably reporting vehicle emissions.
This paper seeks to analyze: the capabilities of an emerging technology when
applied to an existing older technology and its utilized environment as well as propose a
system for efficiently and reliably collecting and reporting internal combustion engine
based vehicle emissions data using blockchain; also, finally, theorize the impact of such
a system on the automotive industry.
By combining multiple technologies which already exist in practice, as well as
some which are expected to be massively implemented in the near future, it is
theoretically possible to establish a blockchain based system for not only recording
emissions from every participating vehicle, but also electronically executing a check
against local emissions restrictions via smart contracts defined by geo-locational range
and GPS referencing. The data can be processed and stored in a way that protects the
identity and location history of the driver by assigning responsibility of compliance to the
identity of the vehicle. The network can be protected from malicious actors by way of an
emissions application specific protocol which involves unique GPS data.
While the short run effects of such a system may be met with pushback from the
automotive industry because of increased regulation and impact on sales of internal
combustion engine vehicle inventory, the long run effects parallel and may even
supplement the future effects of the global trends which make the system possible.

Numerosos estudios epidemiológicos han asociado episodios de altas concentraciones de material particulado con incrementos en admisiones hospitalarias y enfermedades cardiorrespiratorias. El esfuerzo actual se centra en identificar los componentes y características del material particulado, y en identificar los mecanismos por los cuales este material ejerce sus efectos adversos sobre la salud. El material particulado no afecta de la misma manera a toda la población, existen diversos factores que determinan distintos grados de susceptibilidad a la contaminación ambiental. La edad es uno de los factores más reconocidos. Con el objeto de estudiar el efecto de contaminantes ambientales particulados sobre individuos de diferentes grupos etarios, células pulmonares obtenidas por lavado bronqueoalveolar de ratas Wistar macho jóvenes (1-2 meses) y adultas (8-9 meses) fueron incubadas por 2 hs. a 37°C con distintas concentraciones de la fracción soluble de la ROFA (Residual Oil Fly Ash) (0-200 ug/ml), material particulado con efectos adversos marcados sobre la salud. Se realizó también un estudio parcial con un contaminante ambiental particulado recolectado en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (UAP-BA). El modelo actual que trata de explicar los efectos perjudiciales de los contaminantes ambientales particulados con un diámetro aerodinámico promedio menor a 2.5 um, se basa en la capacidad de estos contaminantes de producir o inducir la producción de radicales libres. Por esta razón, el trabajo se centró en el estudio del balance oxidante-antioxidante en el modelo propuesto. Se estudió también el efecto de la fracción soluble de la ROFA (ROFAsf) y de la UAP-BA (UAP-BAsf) sobre la viabilidad celular, apoptosis y fagocitosis. La ROFAsf causó necrosis a una concentración tan baja como 10 ug/ml en las poblaciones celulares provenientes de animales jóvenes y adultos. La viabilidad celular fue dependiente de la dosis de la ROFAsf y cayó aproximadamente a un 70 % en ambas poblaciones celulares cuando fueron incubadas con 200 ug/ml. La ROFAsf indujo una producción incrementada de especies reactivas del oxígeno, con un efecto mayor sobre las células provenientes animales adultos. Por su parte, la capacidad antioxidante en adultos resultó ser la mitad de la correspondiente a los jóvenes. La ROFAsf (200 ug/ml) provocó un aumento significativo en los índices de apoptosis de ambas poblaciones celulares, pero en niveles que probablemente no tengan importancia a nivel biológico. Por último, la actividad fagocítica fue significativamente mayor en adultos que en jóvenes y la exposición a 200 ug/ml de la ROFAsf indujo un incremento del 20 % en la población celular proveniente de animales adultos. Por su parte, 10 ug/ml de UAP-BAsf causó un incremento en la producción de especies reactivas del oxígeno (1.5 veces mayor en adultos que en jóvenes), mientras que no produjo cambios significativos sobre los índices de apoptosis y fagocitosis. Estos resultados indican que las células provenientes de animales adultos son más susceptibles a la exposición a la ROFAsf y UAP-BAsf, y que una menor capacidad antioxidante de estas células determina la ocurrencia temprana de situaciones de estrés oxidativo. El estrés oxidativo es considerado un factor fundamental en la generación de procesos inflamatorios, y esta sería probablemente la causa de la mayor susceptibilidad de la subpoblación de edad avanzada a contraer enfermedades cardiorrespiratorias.

The economic growth and continued urban expansion of Cagayan de Oro city in the Philippines has negative effects in air quality. This has been observed especially in school zones at urban districts. In this study an assessment of road side dust emission, characterization of ambient air quality sources and traffic profile of elementary schools along major arterials are studied. A handheld outdoor dust monitor was used to assess the PM level, while traffic surveys for road side traffic assessment and mobile emissions inventory were utilized for GIS overlay of emission sources. Predominantly PUJs account at least 20% in terms of %PCU observed in Bulua Elementary School. Taking into consideration meteorological factors of PM 2.5 and PM10 the evaluation show values below the standard of PM2.5 and PM10 levels based from WHO.

This work focuses on the chemical characterization of fine aerosol particles (PM 2.5) collected from a rural remote island of the Bay of Bengal (Bhola, Bangladesh) from April to August, 2013. PM 2.5 particle-loaded filters were analyzed for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble ions, and selected saccharides (levoglucosan, mannosan, galactosan, arabitol, and mannitol). The average PM 2.5 mass was 15.0 ± 6.9 μg m −3. Organic carbon and elemental carbon comprised roughly half of the analyzed components. Organic carbon was the predominant contributor to total carbon (TC) and accounting for about 28% of PM 2.5 mass. Secondary organic carbon (SOC) was inferred to be ~ 26% of OC. The sum of ions comprised ~ 27% of PM 2.5 mass. The contribution of sea salt aerosol was smaller than expected for a sea-near site (17%), and very high chloride depletion was observed (78%). NssSO 4 2 − was a dominant ionic component with an average concentration of 2.0 μg m −3 followed by Na + , NH 4 + , and nssCa 2+. The average concentration of arabitol and mannitol was 0.11 and 0.14 μg m −3 , respectively, while levoglucosan and its stereoisomers (mannosan and galactosan) were bellow detection limit. NH 4 + /SO 4 2− equivalent ratio was 0.30 ± 0.13 indicating that secondary inorganic aerosol is not the main source of SO 4 2−. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis showed that SO 4 2− and NO 3 − were enriched in atmospheric particles compared to sea aerosol and soil indicating their anthropogenic origin. Higher OC/EC ratio (3.70 ± 0.88) was a good indicator of the secondary organic compounds formation. Other ratios (OC/EC, K + /EC, nssSO 4 2− /EC) and correlation analysis suggested mixed sources for carbonaceous components. Arabitol and mannitol both showed strong correlation with EC having R 2 value 0.89 and 0.95, respectively. Air mass trajectories analysis showed that concentrations of soil and anthropogenic species were lower for air masses originating from the sea (May– August) and were higher when air came from land (April).

The aim of this review is to study the Opportunities and prospects of introducing diesel-biodiesel-ethanol/bioethanol blend as fuel in the existing diesel engines. The study is based on the engine emissions and its performance. The energy policies and the ever growing energy demand of the world, require an alternative to fossil fuels. In this quest, the diesel-ethanol blend or the diesohol blend might be a good option. But this blend possesses stability problem as well as inferior physicochemical properties when compared to diesel fuel and needs additives to remain stable. When biodiesel is used as an additive in this diesohol blend, it improves the physicochemical properties of the ternary blend, engine performance and also increases the renewable portion of the blend. First the engine performance and emissions data found by using diesel-biodiesel-ethanol/bioethanol ternary blends are accumulated. Then the results of the scientists and investigators are discussed to evaluate its potential as an alternative to fossil diesel fuel. The physicochemical properties of ternary blends are found to be almost similar to the diesel fuel. These ternary blends significantly reduce the PM (particulate matter) emissions from the diesel engine but the emissions of NO (nitrogen oxides), soot and smoke, HC (hydrocarbon), CO (carbon monoxide), CO2 (carbon dioxide) and the carbonyl compounds depend on the operating conditions of the engine and remain almost similar to the diesel fuel exhaust. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Link to Full-Text Articles :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032115002026 
http://umexpert.um.edu.my/file/publication/00003184_119695.pdf

This study analyzes the impact of the change from gasoline to gasohol as main fuel in the air quality of Lima and Callao. Using different variables such as number of vehicles, square meters of green areas, number of complaints handled,
sources of air pollution, and municipal actions for the conservation of the environment; we implement the Difference-in-Difference methodology to evaluate if this measure was beneficial for the environment. Results indicate there was a significant, but small, effect of the use of gasohol to decrease levels of SO2, NO2 and 2.5 µm and 10 µm particulate matter. Moreover, we also found that municipal actions can be significant in the air quality of the area.

Composition of dust transported locally, regionally, and globally has influences on human health, ecosystem functioning, and biogeochemical cycling. This study aimed to characterize differences between dust and soil samples at a dust source in the eastern Great Basin of Utah, USA. Dust and soil samples were collected from the Sevier Dry Lake, a known dust producing playa in this region. Samples were resuspended in the laboratory and collected using an 8-stage Davis Rotating-drum Universal-size-cut Monitoring (DRUM) impactor. Collected samples were analyzed for elemental concentration using Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence (SXRF). Element concentration was normalized and analyzed for enrichment relative to major soil element Al. Dust and soil samples contain similar enrichments of major soil elements including Si, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, and Ti. However, dust samples were significantly more enriched in Na derived from the surface salts of the Sevier Dry Lake. Minor soil elements (all elements analyzed apart from the major soil elements) were generally more enriched in dust samples and had larger enrichment values (up to 104) than seen in previous studies. Further, for dust and soil samples, the fine fraction (<2.5 μm) was more enriched in minor soil elements than the coarse fraction (2.5–10 μm). Dust from this source, containing elevated levels of potentially hazardous elements, degrades air quality in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area of Utah and is deposited in the alpine ecosystems of the Wasatch Mountains.

This paper presents exhaust gas emissions characteristcs of a new direct injection (DI) compressed natural gas (CNG) engine using a low cost catalytic conveter (Catco). The pollutants exhaust gas emissions measured were CO, HC and NOx with and without Catco. The Catco was developed based on catalyst materials consisting of metal oxides such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and cobalt oxide (CoO) with wiremesh substrate. Both of the catalyst materials (such as TiO2 and CoO) are inexpensive in comparison to conventional catalysts (noble metals) such as palladium or platinum. In addition, the noble metals such as platinum group metal are now indentified as human health risk due to their rapid emissions in the environment from various resources like conventional catalytic converter, jewelers and other medical usages. It can be mentioned that both the CNG-DI engine and TiO2/CoO based catalytic converter were developed under a research collaboration program. The original engine manufacture catalytic conveter (OEM Catco) was tested for comparison purposes. The OEM Catco was based on noble metal catalyst with honeycomb ceramic substrate. It is experimentally found that the conversion efficiencies of TiO2/CoO based catalytic converter are 93%, 89% and 82% for NO x, CO and HC emissions respectively. It is calculated that the TiO2/CoO based catalytic converter reduces 24%,41% and 40% higher NOx, CO and HC emissions in comparison to OEM Catco respectively. The objective of this paper is to develop a low cost three way catalytic converter to be used with the newly developed CNG-DI engine. Detailed review on catalytic converter, low cost catalytic converter development characteristics and CNG-DI engine test results have been presented with discussions. © 2008 SAE International.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDAQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ias.ac.in%2Fsadhana%2FPdf2009Jun%2F467.pdf&ei=fDoZU6fBB8b_rAfllYHgAg&usg=AFQjCNGcoAGJ5CeCgDskEuVuXmqVZroG9Q&sig2=hzzINgMVEBQf06Ehb4oCjQ&bvm=bv.62578216,d.bmk
http://papers.sae.org/2008-01-1550/

This study was carried out to assess the short-term exposure to respirable particulate matter (PM2.5) from biomass combustion. A total of 24 households were sampled from two rural villages in Lilongwe, viz Nsabwe and Bauleni villages. Levels of particulate matter were measured using a portable gas detector. Indoor mean concentrations of PM2.5 ranged from 457 to 698 µg/m 3 , with no significant difference between the two villages, suggesting exposure to similar levels. The observed levels are far above the recommended WHO limit for indoor air, posing a great health risk, more especially to women and children who frequently visit the cooking areas. There is therefore need to widen appropriate intervention measures to reduce the current levels of indoor air pollution in the rural areas.

Ammonia is a key alkaline species, playing an important role by neutralizing atmospheric acidity and inorganic secondary aerosol production. On the other hand, the NH3/NH4+ increases the acidity and eutrophication in natural ecosystems, being NH3 classified as toxic atmospheric pollutant. The present study aims to give a better comprehension of the nitrogen content species distribution in fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM2.5–10) and to quantify ammonia vehicular emissions from an urban vehicular tunnel experiment in the metropolitan area of São Paulo (MASP). MASP is the largest megacity in South America, with over 20 million inhabitants spread over 2000 km2 of urbanized area, which faces serious environmental problems. The PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 median mass concentrations were 44.5 and 66.6 μg m−3, respectively, during weekdays. In the PM2.5, sulfate showed the highest concentration, 3.27 ± 1.76 μg m−3, followed by ammonium, 1.14 ± 0.71 μg m−3, and nitrate,
0.80 ± 0.52 μg m−3. Likewise, the dominance (30 % of total PM2.5) of solid species, mainly the ammonium salts, NH4HSO4, (NH4)2SO4, and NH4NO3, resulted from simulation of inorganic species. The ISORROPIA simulation was relevant to show the importance of environment conditions for the ammonium phase distribution (solid/aqueous),
which was solely aqueous at outside and almost entirely solid at inside tunnel. Regarding gaseous ammonia concentrations, the value measured inside the tunnel (46.5 ± 17.5 μg m−3) was 3-fold higher than that outside (15.2 ± 11.3 μg m−3). The NH3 vehicular emission factor
(EF) estimated by carbon balance for urban tunnel was 44 ± 22 mg km−1. From this EF value and considering the MASP traffic characteristics, it was possible to estimate more than 7 Gg NH3 year−1 emissions that along with NOx are likely to cause rather serious problems to natural ecosystems in the region.

This work summarizes the results of a series of comprehensive studies on particulate matter (PM) carried out in Spain from 1999 to 2001. Monitoring sites were selected in accordance with different climatic and geographic conditions as well as anthropogenic influences, varying from rural background to urban curb-side sites. Measurements were carried out with gravimetric high-volume samplers and with automatic devices for different PM grain sizes, focusing on PM10 and PM2.5. A simultaneous meteorology study was performed to assess the influence of air masses and to detect long-range transport processes, especially African dust outbreaks, affecting the PM levels in the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands. Mean values, chemical compositions and source apportionment analyses were obtained and discussed as a function of the different monitoring sites and during PM episodes.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes of varied thicknesses (20–100 µm) were electrospun at a polymer concentration of 14% (w/v) in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF); characterized for porosity, pressure drop, air permeability and particle filtration efficiency (PFE). Densities of membranes are found very less (0.11 to 0.21 g/cm3), with porosities in the range of 80–92%, higher porosity was for higher thickness. Membranes were used to measure air pressure drop, which was higher for thicker membranes due to the torturous path encountered by air. Air permeability of membranes decreased with increasing thickness for the same reason. The PFE was higher for thin samples due to less porosity and was lower for thicker samples due to higher porosities and cushion effect. The 20-µm-thick membranes achieved highest PFE of &gt; 99.7% for clearing 0.3 µm particles. Above experiments suggested that PAN nanofiber membranes prepared in this study could be used for face mask in addition to non-woven fabrics.

In order to investigate the particulate matters emission characteristics of various emitting sources in the coking process of iron and steel plants, an automatic dust (smoke) tester and an eight-staged Anderson sampler were employed to conduct the on-site sampling of particulate matters emitting from coking process, including coal loading & coke pushing, coke dry quenching exhaust and coke screening & transferring in a steel plant, based on the measurement rule of particulate matter in the exhaust of fixed sources and the sampling method of gaseous pollutants. The morphology, particle size distribution and chemical composition of the particulate matters from different sources were investigated. The results show that the kinds of single particle can be divided into five categories: iron-rich, silicon-rich, calcium-rich, carbon and smoke polymer. In appearance, they are mainly in four forms: polygon block, irregular lamellae, lumps and floc. The size of particles is mainly 3.3-4.7 μm for coal loading & coke pushing unit, while 3.3-4.7 μm and 5.8-9.0 μm for dry quenching exhaust and 4.7-5.8 μm for coke screening & transferring unit. The main chemical components of the particulate matters in the coking process are C, SiO2, Al2O3, S, CaO and TFe, with the content of 76.30%-81.30%, 5.36%-5.91%, 3.96%-4.26%, 1.15%-1.34%, 0.52%-1.59% and 0.81%-1.34%, respectively. 0 Introduction The effect of air pollution on human health and environment visibility widely attracts the attentions of researchers. Some studies showed that particulate matter emitted from industry is one of the primary sources of urban air pollution. Among them, steel industry with large production scale has a large number of emission sources of particulate matters, and the emission amount reaches 3.572 million t, accounting for 28.9% of the total emission in industrial

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanoiber membranes of varied thicknesses (20-100 µm) were electrospun at a polymer concentration of 14% (w/v) in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF); characterized for porosity, pressure drop, air permeability and particle iltration eiciency (PFE). Densities of membranes are found very less (0.11 to 0.21 g/cm 3), with porosities in the range of 80-92%, higher porosity was for higher thickness. Membranes were used to measure air pressure drop, which was higher for thicker membranes due to the torturous path encountered by air. Air permeability of membranes decreased with increasing thickness for the same reason. The PFE was higher for thin samples due to less porosity and was lower for thicker samples due to higher porosities and cushion efect. The 20-µm-thick membranes achieved highest PFE of > 99.7% for clearing 0.3 µm particles. Above experiments suggested that PAN nanoiber membranes prepared in this study could be used for face mask in addition to non-woven fabrics.

Diesel exhaust is a complex mixture of combustion products of diesel fuel, and the exact composition of the mixture depends on the nature of the engine, operating conditions, lubricating oil, additives, emission control system, combustion parameters and fuel composition. In a diesel engine, NOx (NO & NO2) and PM (Particulate Matter) are the most critical constituents for the emission legislation. In order to control the PM emission of diesel engine and comply with increasingly stringent exhaust legislation, more information is required on the components and genesis of PM. In general, PM from diesel engines is classified into two fractions: Insoluble Organic Fraction (ISOF) and Soluble Organic Fraction (SOF). In this experimental study, a series of 13 mode ESC cycle were run on a light duty diesel engine after optimization of combustion parameters (Injection Pressure, Injection Timing, Multiple Injections, EGR rate, etc) in successive tests and PM component was analyzed. An unconventional and innovative method to check the contribution of each mode by taking PM individually in all 13 modes was employed. Unlike the usual ESC 13 mode sample method, PM in the exhaust was separately sampled in this research under every test mode. The overall objective of this is to utilize current understandings presented from methods of experimentation to develop a new way for the reduction of 13 mode ESC cyclic PM by per mode analysis. This was done to further reduce the PM by optimization after analysis and meet the emission norms. The effects of injection timing, rail pressure, multiple injections and EGR rate on PM composition of diesel engine are investigated in this study. The percentages of ISOF and SOF contents in PM are markedly changed with changes in combustion parameters. Results provide insight into the effects of combustion parameters on combustion and emissions in this engine and identify areas of potential future emissions reduction.

Unplanned urban and industrial growth and rise in population are the main factors that had led to air pollution
problems. Surface ozone causes human health problems and environmental degradation and acts as a greenhouse gas. Surface ozone is the most significant key substance of photochemical smog. Dependence of air pollutants on
meteorology is described with the objective of understanding the prevailing processes pollutants phase interaction. Rigorous measurements of gaseous materials (surface O3, NO2, CO, and SO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5) were carried out regularly during the summer season of 2012 at kerbsite of Agra to assess the characteristics of air pollutants. The air mass trajectories have been calculated using the HYSPLIT 4 and FLEXTRA model. The maximum hourly levels of these pollutants exceeded 116.5 ppb for O3, 96.2 ppb for NO2, 16 ppb for SO2, 4.60 ppm for CO and 188 μg/m3 for PM2.5. There is obvious diurnal variation in the concentration of surface ozone which clearly follows the diurnal variation of atmospheric temperature. The joint application of principal component analysis and clustering techniques to data collected has led to the recognition of inherent relationships between variables that have been associated with governing processes related to surface O3 formation. The effect of wind on pollutants appears to be noteworthy. We also found that, the maximum average concentrations of SO2 and O3 occurred at humidity ≤30% pinpointing for strong
vertical mixing. For CO, NO2 and PM2.5 the maximum average concentrations occurred at humidity below 40%.

Colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs), first described by Felix Sebba in his book Foams and Biliquid Foams-Aphrons in 1987, consist of a system of spherical microbubbles with diameters mostly above 25 μm and classified as kugelschaums (ball foam). They possess some colloidal properties and can be pumped at uniform rate through pipes and channels, much like liquids. Also, they have high stability due to very small size and thick surfactant shells. Research work published over the past two decades indicate effective applications of CGAs for clarification of particles and microorganisms, protein separation, gas and nutrient transfer and pollutant separation from water and soil matrices. In this review paper, the techniques for generating CGAs and their application to pollution abatement are discussed. Some mineral separation processes by CGA flotation have also been reviewed because of their relevance to contaminant removal processes. The CGAs were found to function on the principles of bubble entrained floc flotation, electrostatic and ionic interaction, diffusion of entrapped gas and hydrophobicity of the pollutant particles. Two tables have also been provided to present a comparative overview of the generation technologies and the effectiveness of pollution remediation techniques. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jctb.3691/full

Among the alternative fuels the Bio diesel is one the most common and familiar to all. It's biodegradable, environment friendly as well as suitable source, to meet the future energy crises. The main concern of this experimental analysis is to reach a tentative goal, how this fuel can be utilised with maximum effective way. To find this ,an experiment data analysis of different parameter such as break power, break specific fuel consumption, emission characteristic(NO x, HC,CO. etc) and exhaust temperature, is done through bio diesel fuel and also compared with ordinary diesel which is also known as petro diesel. This investigation is carried out through eddy current dynamometer and load cell arrangement which is controlled by a computer in case of finding the break power and BSFC respectively. And the emission characteristics are observed using Bosch and Bacharach exhaust analyzers. And finally the result is compared with diesel engine which is run by ordinary diesel. The final result implied that the bio diesel with some additives (B20+1%) shows best performance and reduce the exhaust emission including NO x.Thus the decision may be taken,20% blended bio diesel with 1% additive as a best alternative fuel considering all the view aspects and alternatives. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610211045632 
http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1876610211045632/1-s2.0-S1876610211045632-main.pdf?_tid=54085724-a9c6-11e3-81cf-00000aab0f02&acdnat=1394615683_6664911a7bc56a482e075669df8a3456

The aim of this review is to study the opportunities and prospects of introducing diesel–biodiesel–ethanol/bioethanol blend as fuel in the existing diesel engines. The study is based on the engine emissions and its performance. The energy policies and the ever growing energy demand of the world, require an alternative to fossil fuels. In this quest, the diesel–ethanol blend or the diesohol blend might be a good option. But this blend possesses stability problem as well as inferior physicochemical properties when compared to diesel fuel and needs additives to remain stable. When biodiesel is used as an additive in this diesohol blend, it improves the physicochemical properties of the ternary blend, engine performance and also increases the renewable portion of the blend. First the engine performance and emissions data found by using diesel–biodiesel–ethanol/bioethanol ternary blends are accumulated. Then the results of the scientists and investigators are discussed to evaluate its po...

A novel method for indoor air quality monitoring is presented in this paper. It is based on the network of smart sensors permanently connected to the cloud. The prototype system, consisting of 10 smart sensors is evaluated in laboratory and real use. Each smart sensor was able to measure air temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter concentration, and carbon dioxide concentration. The cloud-based architecture of the system is explained, followed by the calibration method and real scenario results. The system proved to be suitable for real-time monitoring of indoor air quality parameters for large buildings.

Accelerated pavement wear is one of the major environmental disadvantages of studded tyres in northern regions and results in increased levels of PM 10. Measurements of PM 10 in a road simulator hall have been used to study the influence of pavement properties, tyre type and vehicle speed on pavement wear. The test setup included three different pavements (one granite and two quartzite with different aggregate sizes), three different tyre types (studded, non-studded, and summer tyres) and different speeds (30–70 km h À1). The results show that the granite pavement was more prone to PM 10 production compared to the quartzite pavements. Studded winter tyres yield tens of times higher PM 10 concentrations compared to non-studded winter tyres. Wear from summer tyres was negligible in comparison. It was also shown that wear is strongly dependent on speed; every 10 km h À1 increase yielded an increase of the PM 10 concentration of 680 mg m À3 in one of the simulator experiments.

Although studies have increasingly linked air pollution to specific health outcomes, less well understood is how public perceptions of air quality respond to changing pollutant levels. The growing availability of air pollution measurements and the proliferation of social media provide an opportunity to gauge public discussion of air quality conditions. In this paper, we consider particulate matter (PM) measurements from four Chinese megacities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu) together with 112 million posts on Weibo (a popular Chinese microblogging system) from corresponding days in 2011–2013 to identify terms whose frequency was most correlated with PM levels. These correlations are used to construct an Air Discussion Index (ADI) for estimating daily PM based on the content of Weibo posts. In Beijing, the Chinese city with the most PM as measured by U.S. Embassy monitor stations, we found a strong correlation (R = 0.88) between the ADI and measured PM. In other Chinese cities with lower pollution levels, the correlation was weaker. Nonetheless, our results show that social media may be a useful proxy measurement for pollution, particularly when traditional measurement stations are unavailable, censored or misreported.

DPF regenerations involve a trade-off between fuel economy
and DPF durability. High temperature regenerations of DPFs
have fewer fuel penalties but simultaneously tend to give
higher substrate temperatures, which can reduce thermal
reliability. In order to weaken the trade-off, the integrated
system-level model [1,2,3,4] is used to conduct optimization
studies and explore novel regeneration strategies for DPF
aftertreatment devices. The integrated model developed in the
Engine Research Center (ERC) includes sub-models for
engines, emissions, aftertreatment devices and controllers.
Based on the engine and regeneration fuel economy, multiple
and single cycle regeneration tests are performed and
analyzed. The optimal soot loadings to initiate and terminate
regenerations are discussed. A pulsed regeneration strategy,
which is characterized by injecting multiple pulses of fuel
(upstream of a DOC) during regenerations, is investigated. It
is found that pulsed regeneration has the potential to reduce
regeneration fuel penalties without generating significantly
high wall temperatures that can reduce DPF durability.

Coal-fired power plants utilising fluidised bed technologies emit copious amounts of fly-ash, which is harmful to people owing to its particulate nature. A planned 300 MW power plant will have an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) for fly-ash emissions control, in line with power generation industry best practices. This ESP should meet a fly-ash emission limit value ≤ 50 mg/Nm3. This paper details the design process and resultant technical specifications of a coldside, single-stage, and plate-wire dry ESP designed for the power plant. The ESP will consist of twin-chambers with quadruple-fields (2 × 4 × 315 m3) and octonary bus-sections independently energised by individual high-frequency three-phase switched integrated rectifiers (70 kV, 800 mA) to maximise ionisation. Dynamically balanced, singleimpact, tumbling hammer rappers (857.5 rpm) will dislodge fly-ash from the collector plates into mass-flow wedgeshaped hoppers. A specific collection area (≥ 56.9 m2/m3/s) and an ESP index (≥...

The objective of this study was to estimate the contribution
of a facility that processes steel production slag into raw
material for cement production to local outdoor particle
deposition in Camden, NJ. A dry deposition sampler that
can house four 37-mm quartz fiber filters was developed
and used for the collection of atmospheric particle deposits.
Two rounds of particle collection (3–4 weeks each) were
conducted in 8–11 locations 200–800 m downwind of the
facility. Background samples were concurrently collected in
a remote area located
2 km upwind from the facility. In
addition, duplicate surface wipe samples were collected
side-by-side from each of the 13 locations within the same
sampling area during the first deposition sampling period.
One composite source material sample was also collected
from a pile stored in the facility. Both the bulk of the source
material and the <38 mmfraction subsample were analyzed
to obtain the elemental source profile. The particle deposition flux in the study area was higher (24–83 mg/m2day) than at the background sites (13–17 mg/m2day). The concentration of Ca, a major element in the cement source production material, was found to exponentially decrease with increasing downwind distance from the facility (P < 0.05). The ratio of Ca/Al, an indicator of Ca enrichment due to anthropogenic sources in a given sample, showed a similar trend. These observations suggest a significant contribution of the facility to the local particle deposition. The contribution of the facility to outdoor deposited particle mass was further estimated by three independent models using the measurements obtained from this study. The estimated contributions to particle deposition in the study area were 1.8–7.4% from the regression analysis of the Ca concentration in particle deposition samples against the distance from the facility,
0–11% from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) source–receptor model, and 7.6–13% from the EPA Industrial Source Complex Short Term (ISCST3) dispersion model using the particle-size-adjusted permit based emissions estimates.