Environmental Protection Technology Research Articles

Environmental financing: does digital economy matter?

Sustainable development and ecological restoration are a common goal pursued by countries around the world to mitigate the collision between economic growth and the environment. Digital economy has been rather instrumental in settling this type of conflict. The study is intended to identify the relationship between digital financing and environmental financing by assessing the specificities of their temporal and industry-specific dynamics, as well as to determine the side effects that the digital economy has in terms of current environmental investments and costs. The special attention is paid to the effect of the digital economy on both total environmental financing and its components, namely, environmental investment and current environmental protection costs. The authors come up with two indicators to evaluate the impact of the digital economy, these are digital financing (direct impact) and digital capital (indirect impact). To calculate these indicators, the authors’ own method is developed. The impact of the digital economy on environmental financing was tested using the least squares method with clustering of annual standard deviation and individual fixed effects. The research data were retrieved from the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) of the Russian Federation for 2012–2022. Our findings show that digital financing exerts a significant positive effect on environmental financing, which indicates that two dynamic processes in the economy—digital transformation and introduction of advanced environmental digital technologies—are synchronized. The authors prove that digital investments stimulate a comparable increase in environmental investment due to the effects created by digital technologies penetrating into environmental protection technologies. We demonstrate that the level of digitalization of the population, companies and the state assessed through the digital capital index has a positive effect on environmental financing. The results of the study are of use in the sphere of public policy.

Environmental regulations implemented by local officials in China: Is there a hometown effect?

The emotional connection of the people-hometown relationship is an informal but important mechanism in environmental regulation. Based on firm-level Pollution Database in China, this study explores the impacts and mechanisms of the emotional connection between local officials and their hometowns in the implementation of environmental regulation. We found that (1) in the implementation of environmental regulation, the presence of native local officials (i.e., those serving in their home province) leads to a significant reduction in the exhaust gas emissions of industrial enterprises within their jurisdiction, which we call the “hometown effect” of local officials in environmental regulation; (2) Mechanism analysis shows that native local officials enforce stricter environmental regulations, manifested in reduced approval for the entry of polluting firms and less land transfer for developing key polluting industries. Simultaneously, firms are observed with remarkable improvements in their environmental protection technologies, with advancements in pre-emission reduction technology, post-treatment technology, and post-treatment efficiency within the jurisdiction of native local officials; (3) The trade-off between local environment quality and economic growth can be explained within the framework of local accountability. Additionally, the study reveals that the “hometown effect” of local officials in pollution control becomes larger in regions with a richer cultural and natural environment.

STEM education, environment, and industries – Toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal through a knowledge transfer programme

STEM education is important for protecting the environment. However, efforts to educate industries on environmental protection should be made to ensure sustainable practices within those industries. This study aims to report on efforts made to educate an industry on environmental protection using the case of wastewater treatment technology through a knowledge transfer programme (KTP) by a university. The KTP was conducted to expose industrial players, who were the research participants, to the issue of protecting the environment through the introduction of new technology in treating industrial wastewater. The main content included sharing knowledge on current bio-based technology and how the industry may be able to adopt the new technology for environmental protection. The participants were also exposed to a national study on the need for new technology in wastewater treatment. After the programme, they assessed the programme’s effectiveness and the outcomes. The key finding is that the KTP has increased the participants’ knowledge and awareness of the importance of adopting new technology in wastewater treatment as a means for achieving sustainable cities and communities. This effort is critical to ensuring the success of translating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among industries.

Photothermal effect and application of photothermal materials in photocatalysis and photoelectric catalysis

Photocatalysis (PC) and photoelectric catalysis (PEC) are environmental protection technologies that use sunlight capacity and environmental governance, and they have a wide range of applications in hydrogen production, carbon dioxide reduction, organic degradation, and other fields. When the light is irradiated on the material, part of the light energy will be converted into heat energy, and the combination of this part of the heat energy with PC and PEC will become an important way to improve optical performance. Compared with traditional technology, the synergistic effect of light and heat can obtain higher catalytic performance and improve energy utilization efficiency. This review begins with an overview of the principle of photoheat generation, which produces heat energy in a non-radiative process through photo-induced instability of electrons. The principle of thermal effect on the performance improvement of PC/PEC is analyzed from the dynamics and thermodynamics of photoreaction and electric reaction. On this basis, several materials widely used at present are listed, such as oxides, plasmas, conductive polymers, carbon materials, and other typical photothermal materials. The specific applications of photothermal materials in PC and PEC processes, such as hydrogen production by oxidation, carbon dioxide reduction, organic matter reduction, and seawater desalination, were discussed. Finally, the challenges to PC/PEC from the introduction of thermal effects are further discussed to provide a clean and sustainable way to build a carbon-neutral society.

Research on current situation of farmland runoff pollution and ecological treatment technology

Farmland runoff pollution, caused by excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, poses serious threats to water quality and aquatic ecosystems. To address this issue, various ecological treatment technologies have been developed and applied, such as vegetated ditches, constructed wetlands, and bioaugmentation techniques. These systems aim to reduce nutrient and pesticide concentrations in runoff water and enhance soil quality and biodiversity. This study reviews the current state of farmland runoff pollution and the existing ecological treatment methods. It also presents the results of our comparative analysis of the performance and efficiency of different treatment systems across multiple study sites with diverse climatic conditions. We demonstrate that ecological treatment technologies can effectively remove pollutants from runoff water and improve soil properties and microbial activity. We also discuss the implications and challenges of applying these technologies for agricultural sustainability and environmental protection.

Vasyl Petruk, Andriy Polyvyanchuk, Galina Petruk, Kostyantyn Hura, Volodymyr Faichuk DECARBONIZATION AND ECOMODERNIZATION OF THE ECONOMY AS A RESOURCE-ENERGY-EFFICIENT WAY OF POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION OF UKRAINE

Global climate changes are taking place on our planet, which cause an increase in the average annual temperature of the atmospheric air, and, therefore, rapid melting of glaciers on all continents and an inevitable rise in the level of the world ocean. This, in turn, can lead to "environmental" wars, a brutal struggle for survival resources, and powerful migration processes. At the same time, one of the main reasons for such global changes and processes is the huge amount of emissions of greenhouse gases and soot particles into the surface layer of the atmosphere (troposphere), caused by anthropogenic and man-made activities, outdated energy-intensive technologies that involve the excessive extraction and use of carbon-containing raw materials, their burning and emission into the atmosphere. However, an alternative to this in post-war Ukraine can only be decarbonization and eco-modernization of its economy based, first of all, on renewable energy sources (in particular, the inexhaustible energy of the Sun), resource-saving, closed, recycling, emission-free and other modern innovative environmental protection and energy-efficient technologies. That is, humanity must definitely go on the path of "green" transformation of not only the economy, but also the greening of all other spheres of life (Hura, Petruk, 2021).

Surface functionalized graphene oxide integrated 9,9-diethyl-9H-fluoren-2-amine monohybrid nanostructure: Synthesis, physicochemical, thermal and theoretical approach towards optoelectronics

The fields of energy materials, water purification, environmental protection, catalysis and biomedical technology are greatly promoted by the usage of graphene oxide (GO) and its functionalized derivatives. Among them, the application of functionalized GO in lightning has recently drawn growing attention towards optoelectronics. In the current study, designed and synthesized a 9,9-diethyl-9H-fluoren-2-amine (FA) functionalized with GO by using CDI catalyst results, FA modified graphene oxide (FA-GO) monohybrid. The structural characterization was made with the help of FTIR and Raman spectroscopy; and explored their thermal decomposition temperature (>150 °C). Further, the optical characteristics of UV–visible and photoluminescence (PL) indicate the absorption and emission of FA-GO are ∼314 nm and ∼420 nm, respectively. The calculated CIE color coordinates found to be better in thin film at deep blue emission, are x = 0.158, y = 0.023 (0.1 % PMMA matrix). The FA-GO monohybrid exhibits a striking improvement in PL caused by surface passivation and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer. In addition, density functional theory calculations are used to analyse the stability of the designed structure and its interlayer separation. The results of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels are −6.357 eV and −2.286 eV respectively with the energy gap ΔE = 4.071 eV. In addition, the FMOs excel in evaluating various chemical reactivity descriptors such as electronegativity (χ = 4.3215), global hardness (η = 2.0355), softness (δ = 0.4913) and electrophilicity (ω = 4.5874). Furthermore, a high dipole moment value of 9.133 Debye of FA-GO ensures a strong intramolecular interaction. These evolutions help to improve the optical properties based on amine-functionalized GO. The outcomes, directing an approach to the development of graphene-based materials for blue lightning applications.

Technologies for Environmental Ecological Restoration and Agricultural Sustainability Are the Focus of Future Safeguarded Agriculture Development

Global agricultural production is facing unprecedented challenges as the environment becomes increasingly polluted. Governments, scientists, companies and farmers are beginning to focus on appropriate environmental remediation and sustainable agricultural technologies and practices. Innovative environmental adaptation/remediation technologies have been developed and validated, including physical/chemical remediation, green sorbents and bioremediation. The development of environmental remediation technologies has provided additional tools and methods for global agri-environment and food security. The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together 21 cutting-edge research papers covering the latest developments in soil conditions, inorganic pollution, organic pollution, remediation technologies and monitoring methods. The four themes of the Special Issue are “Improvement of agricultural soil properties”, “Remediation of potentially toxic element pollution”, “Remediation of organic pollution” and “Ecosystem and crop assessment”. Based on the results of this Special Issue, we find that combining the latest environmental pollution problems with advanced remediation technologies, continuously promoting technological innovation and policy support, and developing integrated new technologies for environmental protection will be future areas of research for sustainable agro-environmental development.

Quality Control Measures for Air Monitoring Site of Environmental Protection Engineering

The purpose of environmental protection engineering construction is to better protect the water, soil, atmosphere and other environmental factors in the region, and comprehensive air monitoring on the site of environmental protection engineering can prompt the air pollution problems in the site of environmental protection projects, and provide effective atmospheric environment data basis for the construction and operation of environmental protection projects.

The Important Role of Environmental Protection Projects in the Background of Low-carbon Economy

With the continuous development of low-carbon economy, the role and status of environmental protection engineering are becoming increasingly prominent. The low-carbon economy not only emphasizes slowing down the speed of economic development, but also emphasizes that in the process of development, it always protects resources and the environment, and carries out social production and economic development on the basis of respecting nature, so as to promote the sustainable development of the national economy. The construction of environmental protection projects has been influenced by the concept of a low-carbon economy. This paper analyzes the construction of environmental protection projects under the background of low-carbon economic.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНИХ ВИДІВ ПАЛИВА НА ПОЛТАВЩИНІ

The possibilities of using energy-resource solid household waste, agricultural waste, logging waste from forestry enter-prises, green waste from landscaping and growing energy crops as alternative renewable fuels to meet the goals of small-scale heat and power generation in Poltava Oblast are investigated. To study this issue, the specialists from the Departments of Applied Ecology and Nature Management and Heat and Gas Supply, Ventilation and Heat Power En-gineering of National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic" were invited to join the project and a new specialization "Renewable Heat and Power Engineering, Alternative Fuels and Environmental Protection" was opened in the specialty 183 "Environmental Protection Technologies". The problem was included in the strategic development plan of Poltava region and included in the development of the Action Plan for Sustainable Energy Development and Climate of Poltava City Territorial Community until 2030 in accordance with the European initiative "Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy". The assessment of the bioenergy potential may become a significant environmental and economic basis for improving the regional bioenergy sector in Poltava Oblast in the future. A complex of methods of system analysis and the method of data analysis has been applied to achieve the goal of the research. An analysis of modern international literary sources, an analysis of the morphological composition of municipal and green waste, and an analysis of the energy potential of plant biomass were reviewed. As a result of research, the scientific and applied task of using local energy resources at the level of each individual community of the Poltava region, taking into account ecological, economic and social development, has been formulated and substantiated. Ref. 10, figure. Keywords: energy security, environmental security, alternative fuels, renewable energy sources, energy crops, solid household waste, small-scale energy, environmental impact.

Recent Advances in the Effects of Biochar on Constructed Wetlands: Treatment Performance and Microorganisms

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a kind of green environmental protection technology, which are widely used in sewage treatment. Traditional CWs are faced with the problem of a low treatment effect of high-concentration sewage. In recent years, biochar, as a new type of adsorption material, has been used in CWs because of its advantages of large specific surface area, strong adsorption capacity, and wide material sources. This paper systematically summarized the characteristics of biochar and the preparation of biochar by studying the changes in microorganisms added to CWs and compared the effects of different treatment methods coupled with biochar on the treatment performance of CWs. The effects of biochar coupled with CWs on enzyme activity, functional genes, metabolites, and microbial communities were investigated. This review summarizes how different preparation methods affect the properties of biochar and how these biochar properties cause changes in the microorganisms added to CWs. It provides a new theoretical basis for the treatment of pollutants in CWs.

Environmental judicial protection and urban green technology innovation: evidence from China’s environmental public interest litigation pilot

ABSTRACT Environmental justice is an important part of the environmental governance system. We use the exogenous shock of the environmental public interest litigation (EPIL) pilot implemented by the Chinese government in 2015 to construct a quasi-natural experiment and employ the difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine the impact and its mechanisms of environmental judicial protection on urban green technology innovation (GTI) with the help of the panel data of 274 cities in China from 2011 to 2019. The results show that the EPIL policy can significantly promote urban GTI. Mechanism tests reveal that the EPIL policy can induce urban GTI by raising public environmental attention (PEA) and strengthening the application of digital technology (DE). Heterogeneous analyses indicate that the promoting effect is more significant in eastern cities, southern cities, cities with higher administrative levels, larger cities, and cities with higher economic development levels. Our study not only enriches the relevant literature in the field of ‘law and economics’, but also provides a reference for policymakers to scientifically implement EPIL policy.

Analysis of the Impact of Green Innovation and Corporate Green Performance

Green innovation plays a crucial role in contemporary enterprise development, and its impact on enterprise green performance is multifaceted and far-reaching. From policy guidance to technology promotion to intellectual property protection, this series of measures together motivate enterprises to be more active in innovation in the field of environmental protection and improve the level of green performance. First, policy support provides enterprises with clear directions and incentives, and through financial incentives, regulations and other means, it promotes enterprises to better fulfill their social responsibilities and accelerates the pace of green innovation. Secondly, the improvement of technology level and the protection of intellectual property rights have provided the technical basis and legal guarantee for green innovation, accelerated the dissemination and application of environmental protection technology, and improved the core competitiveness of enterprises in the field of environmental protection. Finally, from the perspective of industry chain resilience, green innovation makes the whole industry chain more adaptable and growth potential, provides new market opportunities for enterprises, and promotes the upgrading and sustainable development of the whole industry chain. Overall, green innovation not only provides enterprises with a new impetus for development, but also pushes them to fulfill their social responsibilities more actively, and prompts the whole industry chain to move towards a greener, more innovative and sustainable direction.

THE PLACE OF DPF WITH A LIQUID WORKING BODY IN THE CLASSIFICATION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE COMPLEX NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF POWER PLANTS WITH RECIPROCATION ICE

In the article, which reflects the results of the authors' own research, the purpose of which was to improve the classification of methods and means of cleaning the exhaust gases flow of a reciprocating ICE from pollutants as environmental protection technologies by including in it executive devices for a complex effect on pollutants and factors of energy pollution of atmospheric air as a component the environment, in particular the DPF with a liquid working body, the following tasks were consistently solved regarding the improvement of the previously developed, listed in the open press and tested at a number of scientific and technical conferences of the design level of the executive device of the integrated action DPF and the improvement of the scientific product of information arrangement – a number of interconnected multi-level classifications – by determining the place of the device in these classifications, namely: analysis of literature data on environmental hazard factors, the source of which is a a reciprocating ICE as part of an power plant; analysis of the classification of methods and means of reducing exhaust gases toxicity of diesel a reciprocating ICE; analysis of the classification of methods and means of cleaning exhaust gases of diesel a reciprocating ICE from PM; analysis of mechanical devices and systems for cleaning of exhaust gases of diesel a reciprocating ICE from PM; analysis of chemical devices and systems for cleaning of exhaust gases of diesel a reciprocating ICE from PM; analysis of hydrodynamic methods of cleaning of exhaust gases of diesel a reciprocating ICE from PM and other factors of environmental danger; analysis of methods of regeneration of DPF with a liquid working body; analysis of the experimental recognition of the effectiveness of the use of DPF with a liquid working body; analysis of the neutralization of nitrogen oxides in the DPF with a liquid working body; analysis of the ozone method of neutralization of nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases of diesel a reciprocating ICE; analysis of the field of application of liquid neutralization of pollutants in the exhaust gases diesel a reciprocating ICE and improvement of the design of the diesel liquid neutralizer of exhaust gases diesel a reciprocating ICE. The object of the study is the classification of methods and means of cleaning the flow of exhaust gases of a reciprocating ICE from pollutants as environmental protection technologies. The subject of the study is the place of executive devices for complex impact on pollutants and factors of energy pollution of atmospheric air as a component of the environment, in particular, the DPF with a liquid working body, in the object of the study. The scientific novelty of the study results lies in the fact that the classification of methods and means of cleaning the exhaust gases flow of a reciprocating ICE from pollutants as environmental protection technologies by including in it executive devices for a complex effect on pollutants and factors of energy pollution of atmospheric air as a component the environment, in particular, DPF with a liquid working body. The practical significance of the study results is that the classification improved and supplemented in the study is useful for more detailed ordering of information and substantiation of the relevance of the development of individual complex innovative technologies of environmental management and the establishment of vertical and horizontal structural and logical relationships between the classification objects.

Research progress in CO2 capture technology

The creation of effective CO2 capture systems is a critical undertaking since carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have a significant impact on global climate change. Carbon dioxide capture technology is an important environmental protection technology that can effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this article, the technical principles of carbon capture are introduced, along with a thorough explanation of the benefits and drawbacks of each carbon capture technology. The article also discusses the potential future directions for development of technologies. The use of activated carbon, organic amine water, amino acid and other technologies to capture carbon dioxide has been put into application. To achieve higher treatment efficiency and efficiency, new materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), biological methods, and membrane separation method are also being further explored. Overall, carbon capture technology is a technology with broad development prospects and application prospects. Although most of these technologies are still in the laboratory stage and only a small portion are in operation, they will shine brightly in the future and become a top priority in affecting climate change of Earth.

Using clustering to predict the effectiveness of innovative environmental protection technologies

The article examines the role of innovations in the development of the national economy. The dynamics of budgetary financing of strategic priorities of innovation and technology transfer activities in Ukraine for 2019-2021 is analyzed. The priorities, the support of which is increasing annually, and the priorities where funding is decreasing, are identified. It is proposed to carry out a predictive assessment of innovative projects using the clustering procedure. The implementation of the proposal is highlighted on the example of innovative developments in the strategic priority area "Widespread use of cleaner production technologies and environmental protection". A point system for expert evaluation of the planned scientific results of the innovation and the scientific potential of the performers is shown. The indicators that have the greatest impact on the forecast efficiency are identified. The results of clustering of innovative developments according to certain indicators are presented. The statistical indicators of average scores in each cluster are analyzed. Significant differences between the clusters have been determined using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. The carried out clustering provides reasonable recommendations on the feasibility of financing an innovative project based on predictive expert assessments.

Surface Protection Technology for Metallic Materials in Marine Environments.

As the demand for the development and utilization of marine resources continues to strengthen, the service requirements for advanced marine equipment are rapidly increasing. Surface protection technology has become an important way of solving the tribological problems of extreme operating conditions and improving the safety performance of equipment by imparting certain special properties to the surface of the material through physical, chemical or mechanical processes to enhance the ability of the material to withstand external environmental factors. Combined with the extremely complex characteristics of the marine environment, this paper describes the commonly used surface protection technologies for metal materials in the marine environment. Research on surface texture was summarized under different surface reshaping technologies, as well as processes and coating materials under different surface modification technologies. Combined with the existing research progress and development trends of marine metallic materials, the surfaces of metal materials under the marine environment protection technology foreground are prospected and provide a reference for the improvement of equipment performance in extreme marine environments.

Research on environmental protection and water and soil conservation technology of power grid engineering mechanized construction based on modular design

In the construction and development of modern society, power grid engineering as an important content of urban construction and development and protection of residents' quality of life, in the face of the expanding scale of power grid investment, power grid project construction shows a rapid growth trend. With the continuous development of social economy and smart grid construction needs, the requirements of power grid construction quality and construction period are getting higher and higher. On the basis of understanding the research status of mechanized construction of power engineering, this paper mainly discusses the principle and structure of modular design by taking the actual soil and water conservation measures on site as an example, and then takes the mechanized construction of power engineering in a certain area as an example to determine the construction environmental protection technology, in order to improve the comprehensive level of China's power grid construction.

Tourism development, environmental regulations, and natural resource management: Evidence from G20 countries

The rapid development in the tourism sector across the globe has posed significant challenges for the conservation and management of natural resources, necessitating the implementation of effective environmental regulations. In this perspective, to add empirical evidence in the academic literature, this study aims to investigate the role of tourism development and environmental regulations in the management of natural resources in the G20 countries. To serve the objective, this paper takes the data of G20 countries over the period of 1995–2020 and employ FGLS and PCSE econometric techniques for empirical estimations. The results have shown that tourism development, environmental regulations, environmental protection technologies, and government regulatory quality interventions have a positive impact on natural resources management. However, natural resource depletion has a negative impact on the protection of natural resources. The results were significant when both a common AR(1) model and a panel-specific AR(1) model were used. Although the slope coefficients vary slightly, the estimates are comparable using the Prais-Winsten and Driscoll-Kraay standard error regressions. The findings of the study hold promising insights for policy formation in G20 countries for developing environmental and tourism policies to manage the natural resources for the future generations.