Pollution Control Board Research Articles

Effects of lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak on air quality and anthropogenic heat in an industrial belt of India

Highly urbanized and industrialized Asansol Durgapur industrial belt of Eastern India is characterized by severe heat island effect and high pollution level leading to human discomfort and even health problems. However, COVID-19 persuaded lockdown emergency in India led to shut-down of the industries, traffic system, and day-to-day normal work and expectedly caused changes in air quality and weather. The present work intended to examine the impact of lockdown on air quality, land surface temperature (LST), and anthropogenic heat flux (AHF) of Asansol Durgapur industrial belt. Satellite images and daily data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) were used for analyzing the spatial scale and numerical change of air quality from pre to amid lockdown conditions in the study region. Results exhibited that, in consequence of lockdown, LST reduced by 4.02 °C, PM10 level decreased from 102 to 18 μg/m3 and AHF declined from 116 to 40W/m2 during lockdown period. Qualitative upgradation of air quality index (AQI) from poor to very poor state to moderate to satisfactory state was observed during lockdown period. To regulate air quality and climate change, many steps were taken at global and regional scales, but no fruitful outcome was received yet. Such lockdown (temporarily) is against economic growth, but it showed some healing effect of air quality standard.

A mini review on generation, handling, and initiatives to tackle construction and demolition waste in India

Increase in the construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation all over the globe is indeed troublesome as it pose threat to the economy and sustainability. Construction, India’s second largest sector, has undergone massive growth in recent decades. Quantifying the C&D waste generation and its handling is considered to be an important for an effective waste management. Various approaches have been used in the literature to measure C&D waste generation at both regional and project levels. This study represents the review on the current status of generation, handling and important steps undertaken to manage C&D waste in India. This study also aims to examine the reasons for the waste management problem in the construction sector. The study reveals that the contractor, manufacturer, supplier and designer are some of the major contributors of C&D waste generation. In order to ensure the coordinated collection, storage, transport, treatment/processing and disposal of C&D waste in India, the C&D Waste Management Rules were implemented in 2016. But in the four-year period there was little improvement in the widespread use of C&D waste. According to Central Pollution Control Board, India, Chennai and Mumbai each have generated 2500 tonnes per day C&D waste in the year 2017. Further, approaches to manage C&D waste proposed by various organizations promotes the use of “sustainable construction materials” and recycled C&D waste items, to construct affordable housing units by 2022 to tackle serious housing shortages. Regulations exist, but recycling is not gathering traction yet. The fact is due to inefficient capacity of the plants and lack of monitoring by government authorities. This research is relevant to policy makers, regulatory authorities, industry and academics who research or handle the waste and its recycling in construction and demolition. • Construction, India’s second largest industry has undergone massive growth. • Industry is generating 10–12 million tonnes of C&D waste annually. • Population migration is one of the reasons for higher waste generation rate. • Out of total waste generated, 30%–40% waste is concrete. • Swachh Bharat Mission is government of India’s flagship plan for increased waste and resource recovery.

Characterization of bacterial diversity in wastewater of Indian paper industries with special reference to water quality

The bacterial diversity in terms of structure and community profile, with special reference to water quality in the wastewater treatment plant of Indian paper industries, is poorly understood. In the present work, characterization of bacterial diversity using 16S (V3-V4 region) rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data with reference to physicochemical parameters in the wastewater treatment plant of two paper industries has been carried out. Amplicon data analysis revealed the presence of bacterial taxa belonging to the phylum such as Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Patescibacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, etc. Further, taxonomic classification upto genus level and functional analysis data indicated that genera such as Cloacibacterium, Aerococcus, Chryseobacterium, Microbacterium, Acinetobacter, Sphingobium, etc., were involved in the predicted metabolic pathways like carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid and aromatic compounds biosynthesis as well as degradation. Canonical correspondence analysis confirmed a significant correlation between the microbial pollutions loads and physicochemical parameters. Further, the chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids exceeded the acceptable limits prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board New Delhi, Government of India, for discharge of wastewater. This study finds the correlation between the bacterial community residing in the polluted water of wastewater treatment plant and their environmental preferences. The presence of these bacterial diversity in the wastewater treatment plant of paper industries may affect the maintenance as well as paper quality. In future, it will provide a benchmark for the better understanding and management of wastewater treatment plant in paper industries across the globe.

A case study on pulp and paper industry effluent treatment

Industrial effluent Management is one of the major environmental concerns, especially in developing countries under rapid industrialization. The grossly polluting industries recognized by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), such as Pulp and Paper Industries, poses even bigger environmental threats, owing to quantity and quality of effluent generated. This paper aimed at analyzing effluent management practices in pulp and paper industries in India, and asses the performance variability of a paper mill effluent treatment plant (ETP), as a Case Study. Majority of pulp and paper industries found to still employ conventional methods of effluent treatment. Although, most of the parameters of treated effluent are commonly reported within CPCB’s permissible discharge limits, the treatment is usually cost and energy intensive, and produce high amount of solid residuals as sludge. For the case study paper mill ETP, the treatment efficiencies of the ETP units were analyzed under variable inlet pH, TSS, TDS, BOD and COD loads. The pH variations in the range of 6.5 to 9 had little effect of COD or TSS removal, however removal efficiencies were higher for larger inlet COD or TSS loads. The results of the study could be helpful in optimizing operation of the existing ETPs, as well as, guiding on upgrading ETPs with more cost-effective and efficient units.

An assessment of ambient air quality using AQI and exceedance factor for Udaipur City, Rajasthan (India)

Air pollution is a severe issue of concern worldwide due to its most significant environmental risk to human health today. All substances that appear in excessive amounts in the environment, such as PM10, NO2, or SO2, may be associated with severe health problems. Anthropogenic sources of these pollutants are mainly responsible for the deterioration of urban air quality. These sources include stationary point sources, mobile sources, waste disposal landfills, open burning, and similar others. Due to these pollutants, people are at increased risk of various serious diseases like breathing problems and heart disease, and the death rate due to these diseases can also increase. Hence, air quality monitoring is essential in urban areas to control and regulate the emission of these pollutants to reduce the health impacts on human beings. Udaipur has been selected for the assessment of air quality with monitored air quality data. Air quality monitoring stations in Udaipur city are operated by the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and RSPCB (Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board). The purpose of this study is to characterize the level of urban air pollution through the measurement of PM10, NO2, or SO2 in Udaipur city, Rajasthan (India). Four sampling locations were selected for Udaipur city to assess the effect of urban air pollution and ambient air quality, and it was monitored for a year from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019. The air quality index has been calculated with measured values of PM10, NO2, and SO2. The concentration of PM10 is at a critical level of pollution and primarily responsible for bad air quality and high air quality Index in Udaipur city.

Some roadside medicinal weeds as bio-indicator of air pollution in Kolkata

Air pollution is a significant matter of concern in today’s world. The current study objective is to determine the air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of Kolkata from five roadside medicinal plants, namely, Heliotropium indicum, Tridax procumbens, Cleome rutidosperma, Commelina benghalensis, and Euphorbia hirta. APTI was determined by fresh leaves extracts using four important plants physiological parameters such as relative water content, ascorbic acid (AA) content, total chlorophyll (Chl) content, and pH of leaf extracts. Three sites or areas were selected for the study in Kolkata. It includes a control area (Jadavpur), a moderately polluted area (Salt Lake, Sec V), and highly polluted area (Dunlop Bridge) based on the West Bengal State Pollution Control Board databases and previous study reports. For estimating Chl and AA content spectrophotometer and titration method were used, respectively. A higher APTI value was found in plants located at the control area and moderately polluted area. However, the lower amount of APTI value was found in plants located in the polluted area. The study concludes that air pollution has a severe impact on plant and human health. The plant species with high APTI value can be planted around industrial complexes, roadsides, and urbanized sites to monitor air pollution in greener and cost-effective way.

Water quality assessment of the Ganges River during COVID-19 lockdown.

Ganges River water quality was assessed to record the changes due to the nation-wide pandemic lockdown. Satellite-based (Sentinel-2) water quality analysis before and during lockdown was performed for seven selected locations spread across the entire stretch of the Ganges (Rishikesh–Dimond Harbour). Results revealed that due to the lockdown, the water quality of the Ganges improved with reference to specific water quality parameters, but the improvements were region specific. Along the entire stretch of Ganges, only the Haridwar site showed improvement to an extent of being potable as per the threshold set by the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, India. A 55% decline in turbidity at that site during the lockdown was attributed to the abrupt halt in pilgrimage activities. Absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic matter which is an indicator of organic pollution declined all along the Ganges stretch with a maximum decline at the downstream location of Diamond Harbour. Restricted discharge of industrial effluent, urban pollution, sewage from hotels, lodges, and spiritual dwellings along the Ganges are some of the reasons behind such declines. No significant change in the geographic trend of chlorophyll-a was observed. The findings of this study highlight the importance of regular monitoring of the changes in the Ganges water quality using Sentinel-2 data to further isolate the anthropogenic impact, as India continues the phase-wise opening amidst the pandemic.

Identification of Eco-friendly Practices in the Industries of EGREE Region for Sustainable Development, Andhra Pradesh, India

This study has been conceived with the basic objective to investigate the role played by industries in the East Godavari River Estuarine Ecosystem (EGREE) region to reduce the level of industrial pollution and other eco-friendly initiatives taken for eco-friendly and sustainable development. Effluent treatment systems prevalent in the majority of the studied industries are in working conditions. 57% of industries' effluent treatment plants are working conditions, 29% of the industries are using landing filling methods for disposal of agro-based waste. There is a strong common understanding among the EGREE region industries to lower the CO2 footprint by substituting coal consumption with bio-fuel. In some companies like ITC, biofuel consumption is 80%, and the remaining 20% is Coal. Government and policymakers have to make provision for industrial waste disposal, especially for small and medium enterprises (SME). Waste transporting cost is high for SME. Effluent treatment plant (ETP) and sewage treatment plant (STP) conditions to be verified by the pollution control board periodically

A particle swarm optimization methodology to design an effective air quality monitoring network

Good air quality is highly essential to the well-being of mankind, all living organisms and the environment. The quality of air is degrading at a faster pace through natural and anthropogenic activities, on a global scale. The transportation sector is attributed as one of the main pollution sources, with vehicles emitting enormous volumes of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter into the environment. Establishing an Air Quality Monitoring Network (AQMN) to effectively monitor and assess the atmospheric air quality is the need of the hour for every city. This research focuses on designing an optimal AQMN in Coimbatore, a city in Tamil Nadu, India, based on the emissions from automobile sources. AQMN is aimed to measure the concentration of pollutants at various locations by means of automobile emissions and meteorological factors. An air dispersion model called General Finite Line Source Model is employed in the estimation of pollutant concentration from emission and dispersion levels. The design of AQMN is a combinatorial optimization problem, and the optimum locations to establish an AQMN are identified using the bio-inspired algorithm which is Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). A utility function that comprises pattern score and violation score of various specified sites in the study area is used in the assessment of the fitness of the optimal locations for AQMN. Assessment of pollution concentration at sample stations in the study area has clearly indicated the gradual increase in air pollution over the years, contributed by increase in vehicle traffic as well as the changes in climatic conditions. PSO algorithm has given the best optimal locations to establish monitoring stations for the design of AQMN to effectively monitor the level of pollutants emitted from automobile sources. The outcome of this work is a scalable AQMN prototype which can well serve as a guideline to the Central Pollution Control Board in improving the air quality monitoring infrastructure in Coimbatore city.

Short term unwinding lockdown effects on air pollution

Although the impact of lockdown on Air Quality Index(AQI) was given enough attention but investigation on AQI during partial lockdown, change of the worst AQI hot spot pattern and its consistency, spatio-temporal dynamics of core-periphery divide of pollution over megacities were lacking. The present study explored the above mentioned issues along with monitoring of AQI of India during lockdown and partial lockdown based on the daily data of Central Pollution Control Board(CBCB). Gi-index, instability index, least squares regression and frequency approaches were used for analyzing AQI hot spot, spatial instability of AQI, trend of AQI and consistency of Pollution State Presence Frequency (PSPF). In result, clear improvement of AQI was observed since average AQI reduced from 110 in pre-lockdown to 73 in lockdown I and 93 in partial lockdown. The average AQI of the mega cities was improved up to 55%–75% in lockdown. However during partial lockdown, with restoration of economic activities the air quality was observed to degrade again. AQI hotspot and PSPF were identified high in and around Delhi and industrial hubs. Positive trend of AQI change, instability of AQI were found gradually high in partial lockdown period and these effects was observed greater in urban and industrial belts. Though all these facts signify anthropogenic activities as a major source of air pollution but shutting down economic activities lockdown couldn’t be a permanent solution to combat it. Hence, prioritizing green energy sources, improve technologies, utilize energy sustainably that could reduce the pollution level.

An eco-friendly strategy for dairy wastewater remediation with high lipid microalgae-bacterial biomass production

The present study attempts to integrate phyco-remediation and enhanced lipid productivity using microalgae-bacterial consortium enriched from wastewater fed aquaculture pond. Metagenomic analyses and microscopic images of the consortium revealed the presence of Chlorella variabilis, Parachlorella kessleri, Thermosynechococcus elongatus, Chlamydomonas, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Oscillatoriales, Synechocystis sp., Microcystis aeruginosa, Nostocales, Naviculales, Stramenopiles, other members of Chlorophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, and Chroococcales along with potential bacterial bioremediants. During a 30 days trial run (15 days stabilization and 14 days remediation studies) for phyco-remediation drastic reduction in the nutrient and COD content from the tested wastewater samples was seen. There was up to 93% and 87.2% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium concentration, respectively. Further, almost 100% removal of nitrates and phosphates from the dairy wastewater upon 48 h of treatment with polyculture under ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C) with 6309 lux illumination and mild aeration, was observed for all the seven cycles. Interestingly, the nutrient and COD concentrations in the treated water were below the discharge standards as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms. In additions, biomass (reported as dry cell weight) was enhanced by 67% upon treatment with ammonia-rich dairy wastewater exhibiting 42% lipid, 55% carbohydrate, and 18.6% protein content enhancement. The polyculture mainly grown as attached biofilm to the surface, offered an easy harvesting and separation of grown biomass from the treated wastewater. Overall, dairy wastewater was found to be a potential nutrient source for microalgae-bacteria cultivation thereby making the treatment process sustainable and eco-friendly.

Positive effects of COVID-19 lockdown on air quality of industrial cities (Ankleshwar and Vapi) of Western India

On January 30, 2020, India recorded its first COVID-19 positive case in Kerala, which was followed by a nationwide lockdown extended in four different phases from 25th March to 31st May, 2020, and an unlock period thereafter. The lockdown has led to colossal economic loss to India; however, it has come as a respite to the environment. Utilizing the air quality index (AQI) data recorded during this adverse time, the present study is undertaken to assess the impact of lockdown on the air quality of Ankleshwar and Vapi, Gujarat, India. The AQI data obtained from the Central Pollution Control Board was assessed for four lockdown phases. We compared air quality data for the unlock phase with a coinciding period in 2019 to determine the changes in pollutant concentrations during the lockdown, analyzing daily AQI data for six pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, CO, NO2, O3, and SO2). A meta-analysis of continuous data was performed to determine the mean and standard deviation of each lockdown phase, and their differences were computed in percentage in comparison to 2019; along with the linear correlation analysis and linear regression analysis to determine the relationship among the air pollutants and their trend for the lockdown days. The results revealed different patterns of gradual to a rapid reduction in most of the pollutant concentrations (PM10, PM2.5, CO, SO2), and an increment in ozone concentration was observed due to a drastic reduction in NO2 by 80.18%. Later, increases in other pollutants were also observed as the restrictions were eased during phase-4 and unlock 1. The comparison between the two cities found that factors like distance from the Arabian coast and different industrial setups played a vital role in different emission trends.

Investigating India's pollution-intensive 'dirty' trade specialisation: analysis with 'revealed symmetric comparative advantage' index.

This study intends to explore India's comparative advantage in the pollution-intensive product export with temporal and spatial analysis by applying an alternative measure of revealed comparative advantage index. The emission-intensive manufacturing commodities are mainly chosen as per the list published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India to draw some inferences on India's pollution haven characteristics. For the spatial analysis, the 'dirty' comparative advantage is calculated for all the BRICS countries for the year 2017, and for the temporal analysis, the index value is calculated for 42 product groups at 3 digit SITC level from 2009 to 2017 to examine the structure of 'dirty' specialisation in India and its change over time. India is found at the top among the BRICS members for a maximum of 16 in 25 products. Among these 25 sectors, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa are found having a comparative advantage in 4, 12, 11 and 10 products, respectively. In these comparatively advantageous products, Brazil ranked one in 75% and three in 25% of products. Russia ranked one in 33% and two in 67% of products. India among the BRICS members stood 1st at 62.5, 2nd and 3rd both at 18.75% cases, respectively. Findings reveal that pollution-intensive trade-exposed sectors successfully absorbed the stringent environmental regulation-shocks which brought in an additional burden of compliance cost upon trade competitiveness. The results of this study are more insightful for evaluating India's recent initiatives for stricter environmental regulations.

COVID-19’s lockdown effect on air quality in Indian cities using air quality zonal modeling

The complete lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the improvement of air quality across the countries particularly in developing countries including India. This study aims to assess the air quality by monitoring major atmospheric pollutants such as AOD, CO, PM2.5, NO2, O3 and SO2 in 15 major cities of India using Air Quality Zonal Modeling. The study is based on two different data sources; (a) grid data (MODIS- Terra, MERRA-2, OMI and AIRS, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA) and (b) ground monitoring station data provided by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) / State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). The remotely sensed data demonstrated that the concentration of PM2.5 has declined by 14%, about 30% of NO2 in million-plus cities, 2.06% CO, SO2 within the range of 5 to 60%, whereas the concentration of O3 has increased by 1 to 3% in majority of cities compared with pre lockdown. On the other hand, CPCB/SPCB data showed more than 40% decrease in PM2.5 and 47% decrease in PM10 in north Indian cities, more than 35% decrease in NO2 in metropolitan cities, more than 85% decrease in SO2 in Chennai and Nagpur and more than 17% increase in O3 in five cities amid 43 days pandemic lockdown. The restrictions of anthropogenic activities have substantial effect on the emission of primary atmospheric pollutants.

Evaluating the performance of horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetlands: A case study from southern India

Constructed wetlands are a nature-based engineering solution enabling polishing of septic tank effluents at low-cost. However to date, the influence of planting on treatment efficiency remains little understood. Here we report a case study evaluating the performance of two near-identical Horizontal Sub-Surface Flow Constructed Wetlands (HSSF-CW) deployed at a school in southern India. The HSSF-CWs were of similar size and construction with the exception that one system was planted (Canna indica) whilst the other was operated without plants. Both systems were operated at similar hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 84 mm day−1 and 3.7 days, respectively to treat the effluent from septic tanks. The systems were monitored fortnightly for one year and the performance kinetics, nutrient and organics removal efficiencies were evaluated. Significant reduction in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (p < 0.05) were observed in both systems with BOD5 removal efficiency of 67% and 61% in the planted and unplanted systems, respectively. Whilst the effluent from both systems met the environmental discharge standards set by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India, the total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal in the unplanted system were significantly greater than in the planted system. The first-order decay rate constants (K) obtained for TN (KTN) and BOD5 (KBOD5) in the planted system (0.16 day−1 and 0.30 day−1) were higher than in the unplanted system (0.09 day−1 and 0.27 day−1). Greater R2 values obtained for the planted system (~ 0.90) suggests applicability of a first-order decay model to assess contaminant degradation. Plants contributed to 7% (0.3 g/m2/day) BOD5, 18% (1.9 g/m2/day) COD and 5% (0.09 g/m2/day) TN load removal. Our data demonstrates that planting is effective in improving treatment efficiency in constructed wetlands, and whilst the improvement is marginal here, it is noted that a rust infection could have limited effectiveness of the plants in this case.

Spatio-temporal trends in the flow and water quality: response of river Yamuna to urbanization.

Urban rivers are major victims of pollution and the river Yamuna is a notable example. Effective human intervention requires an understanding of the water quality response of rivers to urbanization. To this end, the time-series data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was analyzed. The dataset included 44 parameters for twelve stations on Yamuna mainstream from 1978 to 2015. Statistical tests for analysis of trends revealed decreasing monsoon flows over the past decades. Furthermore, increasing non-monsoon flows from Delhi to Agra was indicative of a significant contribution from wastewater discharge to the river. Groundwater parameters such as electrical conductivity, hardness, and sodium content were found to increase in the river over the years. This suggests the use of groundwater that gets converted into domestic wastewater flowing in surface drains discharging into the river resulting in the deterioration of water quality of river Yamuna. Dissolved oxygen (DO) and ammonical nitrogen values from Delhi to Agra stretch do not support indigenous aquatic life. A positive correlation between total and fecal coliform in this river stretch indicates the dominance of domestic sewage. The expected significant correlation between DO and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was not observed throughout the river stretch. High values of DO reported by CPCB indicate the presence of photosynthetic activity in the river; hence diurnal DO measurement is suggested for validation. For the rejuvenation of river Yamuna, the focus of treatment should be shifted to coliform, DO, chemical oxygen demand, and nutrients. The present study analyzed the response of the riverine ecosystem to altered flow regimes and changes in river water quality, and the findings can serve as a basis for decision-makers engaged in river restoration and conservation efforts.

COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: effects on the air quality of South Asia.

The world is facing an unexpected, like never before, situation due to COVID-19. The measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic are to incorporate lockdown, social distancing, disconnection, and home isolation. Lockdown was enforced by the various governments of the South Asian countries, which include non-working of all the businesses and assembling units, with limited access to the outer world pertaining to essential commodities. However, During the COVID-19 pandemic, an uncommon positive impact is noteworthy for worldwide abatement in air-contamination levels. Principally, specialists have estimated significant improvement in air quality and a remarkable decrease in concentration levels of various harmful gases like sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3). In this article, there is an analysis made on the impact of Covid-19 lockdown on the air quality of the South Asian region i.e. (that is) the various environmental parameters along with others namely aerosol, temperature, and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10). The work includes the refining and analysis of crude information of this present (2020) and the past year of different toxic gases and parameters of air pollutants. These have been obtained from pollution control boards of respective South Asian nations alongside information and satellite pictures from the UN Environment Program and Space Administration for correlation of various parameters. It has been observed that there is a sharp dip in the pollutant concentration in South Asia. This examination altogether will be valuable data to environmentalists and experts to make the future policies for improving air quality and the environment.

A recurrent neural network forecasting technique for daily PM2.5 concentration level in Southern Kerala

The natural environment and public health are seriously impacted by air pollution. One of the most dominant contributors to air pollution around the world is particulate matter PM2.5. Predicting air pollution in advance has considerable importance for the regulation of people’s health and to implement pollution control strategies for air quality management. The study was conducted for Thiruvananthapuram district, the southernmost region of Kerala. The data for the period from 1st July 2017 to 31st December 2019 were collected from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) website. To predict the daily PM2.5 concentration, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) was used here. LSTM was built on the inputs of four meteorological parameters, namely average temperature, wind speed, wind direction and relative humidity and air pollutant parameter PM2.5 values. Performance evaluation of the prediction model has conducted, and the results showed that the model attained considerable prediction accuracy.

Planned redesign of beehive coke ovens for pollution control and power generation

Fossil fuel based thermal power or ovens not only exude greenhouse gases and pollutants but transfer enormous amount of waste heat up in air. Heat gets enveloped in the stratosphere and circulate around the earth; escalating global warming. France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany made it the hottest June on record in 2019. Around 50 coke ovens around Dhanbad are losing and facing closure, with fate of employees doomed. Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board, Dhanbad had been issuing letters to the small-scale refractory and beehive hard coke-ovens to bring down stack gas emissions to below 150mg/Nm3 of suspended particulate matter (SPM), equivalent to the standards of large thermal power plants, deploying electrostatic precipitators (ESP). Some locally made pollution control devices were deployed, but these reduced the chimney draft and coking time increased. Installation of wet scrubbing methods would not be economic and slow down production. With experience as the Manager of a by-product coke oven, the chimney detour method with mechanical exhauster suggested for beehive coke oven. Proposed design not only can generate power, but also trap pollutants by a kind of wet scrubbing and produce byproducts like coal tar. Various associations of small-scale hard coke ovens and refractory industries had approached The Institution of Engineers (India), Dhanbad Local Centre. In this paper, the authors briefly present how waste heat can be converted to power, while absorbing pollutants in hydraulic main in the unique chimney detour method and producing coal tar, exuding clean gas.

Study on Efficiency of the Sewage Treatment Plant at College Campus (Karnataka) for Sustainable Artificial Recharge Designed model: A Case study

The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of sewage generated from 7000 KLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) located at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Karnataka which is based on the Activated Sludge Technology. The study of sewage quality of this plant is essential as most of the treated effluent discharged into a stream during monsoon and remaining season used for a Gardening purpose. Water samples were collected from the outlet and analyzed for the major waste-water quality parameters, such as pH, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and residual chlorine. The overall quality of sewage of 7000 KLD Sewage treatment plants will be evaluated by collecting samples. The results of these evaluations also determine whether the effluent discharged into the water body is under limits given by Karnataka state pollution control board (KSPCB) &amp; BIS standards.