Environmental Monitoring Technology Research Articles

New application for TiO2 P25 photocatalyst: A case study of photoelectrochemical sensing of nitrite ions

Developing photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors based on photocatalytic materials has recently attracted great interest as an emerging technology for environmental monitoring. TiO2 P25 is a well-known highly active photocatalyst, cheap, and produced commercially on a large scale. In the current work, a practical and durable TiO2-based PEC sensor has been fabricated by immobilizing TiO2 P25 nanoparticles at disposable screen-printed carbon substrates using drop-casting method. The fabricated PEC sensor has been applied for the anodic-detection and determination of nitrite (NO2−) ions under UV(A) light (LED, 365 nm) using chronoamperometry (CA) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Linear calibration curves were obtained between the photocurrent responses and the concentrations of NO2− ions in the ranges of 0.1–5.0 and 0.5–10 mg L−1 for CA and DPV, respectively. Surprisingly, the detection limits (sensitivities) of the fabricated sensor towards NO2− ions under light were enhanced by a factor of 4.75 (4.1) and 8.3 (37.4) for CA and DPV, respectively, in comparsion with those measured in the dark. It is found that the photo-excitation of TiO2 facilitates the photooxidation of NO2− ions via the photo-generated holes whereas the photogenerated electrons contribute to the enhanced photocurrent and consequently the enhanced detection limit and sensitivity. The fabricated TiO2-based PEC sensor exhibits a good stability, durability, and satisfying selectivity for NO2− ions determination. These results indicate that the TiO2-based PEC sensor fabricated by utilizing cheap and commercially available components has great potential for being transferred from lab-to-factory.

Intelligent Image Monitoring Technology of Marine Environmental Pollution Information

Chen, H.; Li, W., and Xie, X., 2020. Intelligent image monitoring technology of marine environmental pollution information. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 1-4. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.With the increasing shortage of land resources, countries around the world gradually develop and use marine resources. Therefore, the marine economy has gradually become an important pillar of our national economy, which will gradually expand the scale of marine resources development. With the increase of sea related projects, the probability of marine environmental pollution events is increasing, which has seriously affected the marine ecological environment. Therefore, we need to monitor the degree of marine pollution, which can better protect the marine environment. There are many problems in traditional marine environmental pollution monitoring technology, such as short monitoring range, low monitoring accuracy, long monitoring time, etc., which cannot meet the development needs of modern industrial technology. Based on the digital remote sensing technology, this paper establishes the intelligent image monitoring technology of marine environmental pollution information, which can monitor the marine water quality in multiple dimensions. Through big data analysis, we can calculate and process the collected data, which will better complete the monitoring and analysis of marine environmental pollution. Through the intelligent image monitoring technology, we can achieve the full coverage of high-precision marine pollution monitoring, which will improve the information of marine environmental pollution samples.

Intelligent Edge Monitoring Algorithm of Remote Sensing Images on Marine Environmental Pollution

Liu, G.; Ye, J.; Yang, X.; Chen, Y., and Gu, Y., 2020. Intelligent edge monitoring algorithm of remote sensing images on marine environmental pollution. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 429-432. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Although traditional marine environmental pollution monitoring technology can detect marine pollution, it has shortcomings such as short monitoring range, low monitoring accuracy, and long monitoring time. This paper proposes that by introducing intelligent digital remote sensing multi-layer analysis technology, multidimensional monitoring of marine water quality; using big data analysis method to calculate the collected data to complete marine environmental pollution monitoring and analysis. Experimental results show that improved image monitoring technology can achieve full coverage and high-precision marine pollution monitoring, and can extract marine environmental pollution sample information.

Preface

Preface

Design of a Marine Environment Monitoring System Based on the Internet of Things

Chi, H.T.; Du, Y., and Brett, P.M., 2020. Design of a marine environment monitoring system based on the Internet of Things. In: Al-Tarawneh, O. and Megahed, A. (eds.), Recent Developments of Port, Marine, and Ocean Engineering. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 110, pp. 256–260. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.A good marine environment is the basis for the development and utilization of marine resources. Marine environment monitoring is an important part of marine environment protection. Therefore, the research on the marine environment monitoring technologies is of great significance. In order to realize intelligent monitoring of the marine environment, combining with the sensor technology, 4G communication technology and Zigbee communication technology, this study designed a marine environment monitoring system based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The system is composed of three parts: the information management subsystem, the data collection subsystem and the monitoring terminal subsystem; the structural composition and main implementation technologies of each subsystem are elaborated and the functions of each module in the system are tested by experiments. The test results show that, the IoT-based marine environment monitoring system can realize the functions of collecting, receiving, sending, analyzing, processing, querying and releasing marine environment data. This study provides a technical support for China's marine environment monitoring, and has important theoretical reference value for the research of intelligent marine environment monitoring in China.

Securing the subterranean volumes: Geometrics, land subsidence and the materialities of things

In 2011, thousands of Taiwanese farmers gathered in Yunlin County to protest against a government environmental management programme which attempted to address the land subsidence that has threatened Taiwan’s High-Speed Rail infrastructure. New environmental monitoring technologies have been developed to deal with the land subsidence but these have, simultaneously, provoked contestation. The dispute indicates that the horizontalism inherent in traditional studies of geopolitics fails to account for the politics of verticality. Indeed, recent work on volumetric politics opens up new horizons for thinking about the exercise of power through three dimensions; the geopolitics of the underground have remained untheorised. Moreover, the existing literature on volume also fails to account for the chaotic state of the material world. From the perspective of assemblage thinking, I outline three characteristics which shape the ‘geopolitics of land subsidence’. From this standpoint, this paper argues for a geographical approach to subterranean politics which puts more emphasis on volume, emergence and matter. With reference to ethnographical fieldwork conducted in scientific laboratories and in Yunlin County, I demonstrate how subterranean materials continuously frustrate the state’s volumetric practices. By problematising the geopolitics of land subsidence, this paper also advances the understanding of political geology, which is seeking to ‘decolonise’ and ‘pluralise geological thought’.

A Study of the Marine Environment Monitoring Technology

Cheng, R.-H.; Wang, S.-S.; Sun, L., and Gao, Y., 2020. A study of the marine environment monitoring technology. In: Qiu, Y.; Zhu, H., and Fang, X. (eds.), Current Advancements in Marine and Coastal Research for Technological and Sociological Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 107, pp. 189-192. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.With the increasing development and utilization of marine resources, the marine environment and ecology are greatly affected. In order to understand the status of marine environment and ecology, it is necessary to continuously carry out marine environmental monitoring, so as to carry out marine environmental protection measures in a timely and effective manner. Based on this, this paper first introduces the marine environment monitoring system based on wireless sensor, then analyzes the wireless sensor technology and its network differential compression coding algorithm, and finally gives the construction method of marine environment monitoring platform based on wireless network.

Analysis of RTOS for hardware and software support of environmental monitoring technologies

The article presents an expert analysis of RTOS for hardware and software support of environmental monitoring technologies for hazardous production facilities, including thermal power facilities. The features of the operation of environmental monitoring systems are considered. As the main factors, climatic conditions, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and radiation effects were taken into account. An analysis of the requirements for environmental monitoring systems is carried out, their formalization is given, which fully determines the appearance of the environmental monitoring system. It is shown that the method of comparative analysis allows us to determine the feasible implementation option of RTOS for hardware and software support of environmental monitoring technologies. Expert analysis is presented for Phar Lap ETS, VxWorks and NI Linux Real-Time systems.

Trio-Sensor Wireless Networked System for Indoor Monitoring and Fire Detection in Human Habitats

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) in recent times have become a dominant technology in environmental monitoring and in early detection of conditions like fire outbreaks in order to save lives and properties. In this article, the design and development of a WSN fire detection system is presented. For accurate and reliable detection of fire, three sensors (i.e., MQ-2, DS18B20, and KY-026) are employed in addition to other WSN key components for the respective detection of gas, temperature, and infrared, which are major fire parameters. The system further has a battery monitoring scheme for the observation of the energy resource of the nodes and to ensure their viability. A developed graphic user interface is deployed for the remote monitoring of the entire system and its data. Results obtained from the different test conditions using combustible solid, inflammable liquid, and gas show that the system performed optimally. The developed system is recommended for residential and small office applications.

Can Water Constituents Be Used as Proxy to Map Microplastic Dispersal Within Transitional and Coastal Waters?

Due to high spatiotemporal variability of aquatic ecosystems, relationships between microplastic sources and sinks are highly complex and transportation pathways yet to be understood. Field data acquisitions are a necessary component for monitoring of microplastic contamination but alone cannot capture such complex relationships. Remote sensing is a key technology for environmental monitoring through which extrapolation of spatially limited field data to larger areas can be obtained. We tested whether microplastic distribution follows the same movement pattern as water constituents depictable from Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, and RapidEye satellite images, namely chlorophyll-a, suspended particulate matter, and colored dissolved organic matter, and if they can be utilized as proxies. As rivers are a major source for marine microplastic contamination, we sampled three example river systems: the lower courses and river mouths of the Trave and Elbe estuary in Germany and the Po delta in Italy. For a full quantitative analysis of microplastics (>300 µm), ATR- and FPA-based µFTIR spectroscopy and NIR imaging spectroscopy were utilized. A comparison of water constituents with in-situ data using regression analysis showed no consistent pattern. Only for the Trave river, a positive relationship between microplastics and water constituents was present. Differences in hydrodynamic conditions and spatiotemporal dynamics of water constituents and microplastic emissions among the rivers are possible explanations for the contrary results. The lower detection limit of 300 µm for microplastics could also have influenced relationships as microplastic abundance exponentially increases with decreasing size class. Further studies with improved sampling methods are necessary to assess our proposed method.

Prospects for the implementation of the state information system for waste management (using the Tyumen region as an example)

Relevance of work. One of the main state tasks is the organization of balanced management of production and consumption waste. An effective tool for integrated management in this area is the implementation of the state information system. The research results will contribute to the development of regional environmental monitoring based on modern digital technologies. Purpose of the work: to study the current prospects for the implementation of the state information system for the management of production and consumption waste in the region (Tyumen region without autonomous okrugs). Methods of research. The collection and systematization of information on the organization in the region of the management of production and consumption waste, including existing technologies for remote environmental monitoring, have been completed. A spatial digital model of the regional waste management is formed, on the basis of which the proposed solutions for the state information system have been tested. Statistical and geoinformation methods of study were used. Results. The system for managing waste from production and consumption, which has been formed in the Tyumen Region, as well as information support for government bodies for making managerial decisions, does not correspond to modern challenges and existing potential. Existing issues in the way of a comprehensive state information representation of the industry are considered. Conditions and prospects for the implementation of the state information system at the regional level are systematized. Conclusions. Using the Tyumen region as an example, the prospects for introducing a state system for the management of production and consumption waste were determined, and managerial measures in this direction were outlined.

High performance broadband photodetectors based on Sb2Te3/n-Si heterostructure

With the rapid development of optoelectronic devices, photodetectors have triggered unprecedented promise in the field of optical communication, environmental monitoring, biological imaging, chemical sensing. At the same time, there is a higher requirement for photodetectors. It is still a huge challenge for photodetectors that possess excellent performance, low cost and broad range photoresponse from ultraviolet to infrared. In this work, a facile, low cost growth of Sb2Te3 thin film using magnetic sputtering was performed. After rapid annealing treatment, the crystallinity of the thin film was transformed from amorphous to polycrystalline. Ultraviolet-visible-infrared absorption study of the thin film revealed broad absorption range, which is ideal for use in broadband photodetectors. Such photodetectors can find many important applications in communication, data security, environmental monitoring and defense technology etc. A prototype photodetector, consisting of Sb2Te3/n-Si heterostructure, was produced and characterized. The device demonstrated a significant photoelectric response at a broad spectral range of between 250 and 2400 nm. The maximum responsivity and detectivity of the device were 270 A W−1 and 1.28 × 1013 Jones, respectively, under 2400 nm illumination. Therefore, the results showed the potential use of Sb2Te3 thin film in developing high performance broadband photodetectors.

Advances in the Development of Innovative Sensor Platforms for Field Analysis.

Sustainable growth, environmental preservation, and improvement of life quality are strategic fields of worldwide interest and cornerstones of international policies. Humanity health and prosperity are closely related to our present choices on sustainable development. The main sources of pollution concern industry, including mining, chemical companies, and refineries, wastewater treatment; and consumers themselves. In order to guide and evaluate the effects of environmental policies, diffuse monitoring campaigns and detailed (big) data analyses are needed. In this respect, the development and availability of innovative sensor platforms for field analysis and remote sensing are of crucial relevance. In this review, we provide an overview of the area, analyzing the major needs, available technologies, novel approaches, and perspectives. Among environmental pollutants that threaten the biosphere, we focus on inorganic and organic contaminants, which affect air and water quality. We describe the technologies for their assessment in the environment and then draw some conclusions and mention future perspectives opened by the integration of sensing technologies with robotics and the Internet of Things. Without the ambition to be exhaustive in such a rapidly growing field, this review is intended as a support for researchers and stakeholders looking for current, state-of-the-art, and key enabling technologies for environmental monitoring.

Big data technologies in environmental monitoring

The article deals with the big data technologies currently used for environmental monitoring. The processes of accumulation and preservation of super-large data sets, technologies for working with them, and a paradigm shift in science are presented. A predictive function of big data has been identified that allows effective use of this technology in environmental monitoring. A general idea of environmental monitoring as a complex system of observations, assessment and forecast of changes in the environmental state has been formed. The main areas of environmental monitoring are identified. As an example, the activity of collecting, processing and storing big data in the framework of the strategic project “Geographic Information system “Yenisei-Arctic”, implemented by the employees of Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology. The main tasks and results of the project are presented. Among the main results of the project, the formation of a research direction in the field of big data and the involvement of young scientists and students in promising research that can prepare the necessary information for the needs of environmental monitoring is highlighted. It is proved that big data technologies can raise environmental monitoring to a whole new level.

Field assessment of sensor technology for environmental monitoring using a process-based soil gas method at geologic CO2 storage sites

A process-based approach to soil gas monitoring at geologic CO2 storage sites is an accurate, simple, and cost-effective alternative to other “concentration-based” soil gas methods which require complicated long-term baseline data collection and analysis. The current limitation to implementing a process-based method on an industrial scale (e.g. gigatons of storage) is a lack of technology for economical field-deployable smart data collection of all required gas concentrations (CO2, CH4, O2, N2). To address this gap, the Carbon Transport and Storage Corporation Pty Ltd (CTSCo) deployed commercially-available automated sensors at their proposed future Glenhaven CO2 storage site, located 21 km SW of the town of Wandoan, Queensland, Australia. The goal was to assess the suitability of currently-available sensors for implementing a process-based monitoring approach with the aim of providing real-time answers on source attribution of surface anomalies that could represent CO2 migration to surface. Here we report the results of a first-ever long-term (2 years) test of commercially available sensors for the purpose of process-based soil gas environmental monitoring. The accuracy and precision of data collected with an array of sensors for measuring CO2, CH4, and O2, with additional sensors for measuring temperature, relative humidity, and pressure were compared against the current method using gas chromatography. The results indicate that currently-available sensors are not adequate for attaining the long-term monitoring goals set forth by a process-based monitoring approach and additional technology development is recommended.

Application of synthetic benzoic acid technology in environmental radiocarbon monitoring

Environmental radiocarbon (14C) monitoring is gaining importance in China due to the recent rapid development of the nuclear industry. In this study, synthetic benzoic acid samples with the fingerprint of environmental 14C were generated by using the synthesis method, and the specific activity of 14C was determined using the liquid scintillation counting (LSC) method. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) analysis was performed in chemical properties test and results showed that the mean assay and yield of synthetic benzoic acid were 91.8% ± 2.4% and 84.5% ± 2.0%, respectively. Under adopted LSC counting conditions, the minimum detectable activity (MDA) of 64 Bq/kg C was achieved in our laboratory. The method's linearity was examined using a series of spiked samples, along with the 14C-free samples. The results showed a wide linear range up to 2000 Bq/kg C. Reproducible results were obtained from three batches of experiments with deviations in the intra-group and inter-group of 0.38%–3.06% and 1.24%–3.55%, respectively. Long-term evaluation of the system was found to be very stable (over 5 months storage) with the relative standard deviations of <1%. In addition, field applications in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant demonstrated that 14C data measured by our method was consistent with the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) method, suggesting the method's precision can meet the requirement of 14C monitoring near the nuclear facility. This is the first study to report the use of synthetic benzoic acid in environmental 14C monitoring, and it provides a new approach for improving the environmental 14C monitoring network.

Review of estuarine and coastal environmental monitoring technologies

Review of estuarine and coastal environmental monitoring technologies

High Fundamental Frequency (HFF) Monolithic Resonator Arrays for Biosensing Applications: Design, Simulations, Experimental Characterization

Miniaturized, high-throughput, cost-effective sensing devices are needed to advance lab-on-a-chip technologies for healthcare, security, environmental monitoring, food safety, and research applications. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCMD) is a promising technology for the design of such sensing devices, but its applications have been limited, until now, by low throughput and significant costs. In this work, we present the design and characterization of 24-element monolithic QCMD arrays for high-throughput and low-volume sensing applications in liquid. Physical properties such as geometry and roughness, and electrical properties such as resonance frequency, quality factor, spurious mode suppression, and interactions between array elements (crosstalk), are investigated in detail. In particular, we show that the scattering parameter, S21, commonly measured experimentally to investigate crosstalk, contains contributions from the parasitic grounding effects associated with the acquisition circuitry. Finite element method simulations do not take grounding effects into account explicitly. However, these effects can be effectively modelled with appropriate equivalent circuit models, providing clear physical interpretation of the different contributions. We show that our array design avoids unwanted interactions between elements and discuss in detail aspects of measuring these interactions that are often-overlooked.

Preliminary Study on Double Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection of Gas Phase Trace Explosives

The demand of continuous detection technology for gas phase trace explosives (GPTE) in explosion-proof stability maintenance, public security, explosive security storage and other occasions is summarized. By studying the development status and research trends of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection technology to detect GPTE, an application of a double enhanced Raman scattering (DERS) substrate consisted of a novel 1D composite silver grating and gold nanospheres colloids in the GPTE detection was presented. The detection sensitivity of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and cyclotrimethyltrinitroamine (RDX) was 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-11</sup> mol/L. Combining with microfluidic technology, it can realize in-situ and continuous GPTE detection. This DERS substrate has a significant reference for the application of SERS detection technology in food safety, health care and environmental monitoring, et al.

Assessment models for the generalized quality criterion for the production processes of thermal power plants

In order to increase the information reliability of the hardware and software technology for industrial and environmental monitoring, we obtained models of the thermal power plants production processes that can give an assessment of a generalized quality criterion for the occurrence of such technological processes as the preparation of fuel, fuel combustion, removal of flue gases and suspended particles. To form the measured values of the parameters of each technological process, a multiversion approach is used, which is based on obtaining the n-th amount of measured data.