Reduce Air Emissions Research Articles

Emission of Harmful Gases from Poultry Farms and Possibilities of Their Reduction

AbstractThis review is devoted to methodology that can help to assess emission of gases from poultry housings and could be used to expand the knowledge base of researchers, policymakers and farmers to maintain sustainable environment conditions for farming systems. Concentration and emission of ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide in poultry barns are discussed in this paper. Surveys of ammonia and greenhouse gases mean concentrations and emission factors in different poultry systems are showed. This paper is also gives the findings in emission mitigation, especially to different manure handling practices, management schemes, housing and facility designs for broilers and laying hens. Finally this paper focused on investigating practical means to reduce air emissions from animal production facilities.

Removal of Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) from Aqueous Solution Using Sunlight and Nano TiO2

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether is a synthetic compound that was developed as a technological solution to a technology-derived problem created by air pollution from vehicle emissions. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether was added to gasoline with the intent to reduce air emissions, making the fuel burn cleaner. Unfortunately, use of this air-saving gasoline additive has created one of the most threatening and widespread environmental problems for the nation's drinking water supply. In this work, degradation of methyl tertiary-butyl ether in aqueous solution using the solar ultraviolet and TiO2 nano particles was investigated. Factors that affect photocatalytic removal of methyl tertiary-butyl ether, such as pH, TiO2, and methyl tertiary-butyl ether concentrations, were studied and optimum conditions were determined using the Taguchi method for designing the experiments. Results showed that the best conditions for the removing of methyl tertiary-butyl ether in the ultraviolet/TiO2 process are 2 g/l nano TiO2 and 50 ppm methyl tertiary-butyl ether, which leads to more than 88% removal of methyl tertiary-butyl ether in 120 min.

Reducing air emissions from tanneries with tradable permits

Purpose – Tanneries present heavy environmental impacts due to air emissions. Specific quality objectives are fixed by European Directives concerning air and, in particular, volatile organic compounds. The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal for the management of air emissions with a view to achieve quality standards in the Italy's largest tannery district by means of a tradable emissions permits (TEPs) system. Design/methodology/approach – A methodological approach is presented and analysed. The proposed system is based on the “bubble” configuration, which appears to be an effective and feasible application based on the total maximum daily load criterion, supported by the air quality standards or the environmental risk assessment (ERA) procedure. Findings – The TEP system favours technological improvements in the reduction of emissions. The system may not provide a solution to the unpleasant odours deriving from the tanneries, but its application supported by ERA will make it possible to define the admissible levels of air pollution and improve the general state of air quality. Research limitations/implications – Although the study is not exhaustive and requires further investigation in the economic, legal, administrative and air pollution sectors, it does give the basic elements for a preliminary analysis. The evident lack of experimental data concerning weather and climatic features, intrinsic to exposure assessment, has been pointed out. Originality/value – This study proposes a methodological pathway aimed at defining the system of tradable permits by verifying the existence and availability of the necessary data. The proposed TEP system can be extended to other homogeneous industrial districts with an appropriate selection of one or more critical parameters.

Environmental impact assessment of a WtE plant after structural upgrade measures

The study focuses on analysing the evolution of environmental impacts caused by a medium–large Italian WtE plant before and after revamping and maintenance operations, with the aim of providing an evaluation of how much these structural upgrade measures may affect the total environmental performance.LCA methodology was applied for the modelling and comparison of six WtE scenarios, each describing the main structural upgrades carried out in the plant over the years 1996–2011. The comparison was conducted by adopting 1ton of MSW as the functional unit, and the net contribution from energy recovery to power generation was distinguished by defining consistent national grid electricity mixes for every year considered. The Ecoindicator99 2.09 impact assessment method was used to evaluate the contribution to midpoint and endpoint categories (e.g. carcinogens, respiratory inorganics and organics, climate change, damage to human health). Lastly, the “Pedigree quality matrix” was applied to verify the reliability and robustness of the model created.As expected, the results showed better environmental scores after both the implementation of new procedures and the integration of operations. However, while a net reduction of air emissions seems to be achievable through dedicated flue gas treatment technologies, outcomes underscored potentials for improving the management of bottom ash through the adoption of alternative options aimed to use that solid residue mainly as filler, and to decrease risks from its current disposal in landfill. If the same effort that is put into flue gas treatment were devoted to energy recovery, the targets for the WtE plant could be easily met, achieving a higher sustainability. This aspect is even more complex: national policies for implementing greener and renewable energy sources would result in a lower impact of the national energy mix and, hence, in a lower net avoided burden from energy recovery.The study confirmed the expected improvements, indicating quantitatively the lower environmental impact resulting from structural upgrade operations in a WtE plant. Furthermore, the work highlights the importance of considering the evolution of the national energy mix in LCA studies, especially during the present years of transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources.

Environmental, Economic, and Energy Assessment of the Ultimate Analysis and Moisture Content of Municipal Solid Waste in a Parallel Co-combustion Process

Use of municipal solid waste (MSW) as fuel for electricity generation reduces landfill disposal and can mitigate air quality degradation associated with combustion of conventional fossil fuels. Co-combustion is a waste-to-energy technology that can use MSW and coal as co-fuels, offering potential energy recovery and reduced air emissions. This research discerns how MSW composition influences the heating value and air pollution for the co-combustion of coal with MSW using five MSW composition scenarios, four of which were derived by a reduction of plastics, organics, paper, or a combination thereof, as compared to the national average MSW composition. Numerous combustion products could be evaluated; this study focused on five high impact air combustion products: SO2, CO, CO2, NO, and NO2. The moisture content was varied from ∼10% (considered dry) to 40% (average MSW moisture). AspenPlus software was used for the deterministic simulation modeling of incineration (MSW only) and parallel co-firing (co-combustion of coal and MSW) to determine theoretical heating values and pollutant effluent concentrations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) models WAR and WARM were used to determine the potential environmental impacts (PEIs) and greenhouse gas emission equivalencies, respectively, for each MSW scenario. For the WAR model, values for each impact category parameter can vary, but each parameter is weighed equally. Of the MSW scenarios studied, the national average held the highest heating value with 8519 MBtu/lb and the lowest occurred for the MSW scenario with recycled paper and composted organics, with 8251 MBtu/lb. Results show that SO2, CO, CO2, NO, and NO2 flue gas concentrations (and therefore PEIs) depend upon the composition and moisture of the MSW, in addition to the MSW/coal ratio. Approximate ranges for the WAR results (PEI/h) are 7410–7663 for NO, 4–8 for NO2, 18–105 for CO, 30–46 for CO2, and 89–2152 for SO2. WARM results show lower net CO2 emission equivalents to landfill MSW with reduced paper and organics, while combustion is preferred for MSW with paper reduction, organics reduction, and plastics reduction. The results for the national average MSW were independent of the disposal processing method. Reduction in pollutant concentrations did not yield overall cost savings for the electricity producer, as profit was reduced by ∼20–30%. There are savings associated with emission costs using MSW in lieu of coal: up to ∼3.3% for NO, ∼20–47% for NO2, and ∼95% for SO2. A hypothetical carbon dioxide tax was also imposed to realize the potential cost savings by reducing CO2 emissions. In summary, the measurable impact MSW composition and moisture had on pollutant concentration, heating value, and economic parameters was important.

Die Ökobilanz der energetischen Holzverwertung: Faktoren für einen hohen ökologischen Nutzen

Life cycle assessment of wood energy: factors for high ecological benefits Wood energy is increasingly used to replace non-renewable energy sources. Energy wood is a limited resource and should therefore be used wisely not only to maximize the economic but also the environmental benefits associated with its use. This article assesses the environmental burdens associated with wood energy (for heat, electricity and transportation) and the benefits that may arise when non-renewable energy technologies are substituted. It is shown that from a global warming perspective the use of wood energy seems almost always beneficial, but this effect may be significantly reduced if biogenic CO2 is taken into account. The method of ecological scarcity on the other hand, which considers several additional environmental dimensions and combines these into a single score, shows significantly lower environmental benefits of wood in comparison with non- renewable energy. One of the principal reasons for this are air emissions associated with wood energy such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic carbon (VOC). Considerable environmental benefits can be achieved in both cases if the following three key factors are respected: 1) a wise choice of the substituted technology and the underlying energy carrier, 2) a high efficiency in the conversion from energy contained in biomass to final energy, and 3) the implementation of measures to reduce air emissions such as particle filters and, if possible, more advanced flue gas cleaning. The article then discusses the limits of the comparison and selected issues within the life cycle assessment methodology that need further development.

Wild Spaces or Polluted Places: Contentious Policies, Consensus Institutions, and Environmental Performance in Industrialized Democracies

This article contributes to the literature on environmental governance in industrialized democracies by showing that effectively conserving biodiversity requires different institutional strategies than reducing air emissions. Institutional effectiveness diminishes as the politically contentiousness of the issue increases, moving from biodiversity to air pollution, and then climate change. Drawing on Lijphart's theory of consensus democracy and theories of functional and actorcentered federalism, we use the 2010 Environmental Performance Index and panel analysis on twenty-one OECD countries to show that consensus-based party systems improve performance. We find that centralization generates greater improvements with respect to air pollution than biodiversity, but that decentralized strategies can improve biodiversity when implemented alongside corporatist bargaining structures.

Do Voluntary Programs Reduce Pollution? ExaminingISO14001's Effectiveness across Countries

Voluntary environmental programs have emerged as important instruments of environmental policy. Despite considerable scholarly scrutiny, there remain debates about whether they reduce pollution among participants, and their overall impact at the country level. We present a cross‐national analysis of the efficacy ofISO14001, the most widely adopted voluntary environmental program in the world. While several single country studies have explored the effect ofISO14001 participation on pollution reduction at the facility level, this is the first article to assess (i) national level pollution reduction effects ofISO14001 participation levels, (ii) across a large number of countries, and (iii) across two pollutants. We examine whether all else equal, the national level uptakes ofISO14001 are associated with reductions in air emissions (sulfur dioxide,SO2) and water pollution (biochemical oxygen demand,BOD). Because firms, regulators, and environmental groups tend to focus more on visible types of pollution than less visible ones, we hypothesize thatISO14001 uptake will be associated with more pronounced reductions in air pollution (visible) in relation to water pollution (less visible). Our analyses of pollution levels for a panel of 138 (72 forBOD) countries for the 1991–2005 period suggest that a 1 percent increase in aggregate levels ofISO14001 adoption is associated with about a 0.064 percent reduction inSO2emissions, all else equal. In contrast, we do not find a statistically significant relationship betweenISO14001 adoption levels and changes in water pollution (BOD).

The utilization of light weight boards for reducing air emissions by the German wood industry – a perspective?

BackgroundResource saving product development is one competitive advantage for companies. Forestbased industries try to realize this amongst others with lightweight board solutions.Using lightweight boards is discussed in the wood industry for several years and could be technically realized nowadays on an industrial scale. Advantages by using lightweight boards are expected in costs due to reduced wood requirements as well as in respect to logistics. In discussion are potential environmental advantages of an enhanced use of lightweight boards.The objective of the paper is to identify and quantify the environmental impacts due to an increased use of lightweight boards in the furniture industry. The focus rests on the so-called Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions, NMVOC and formaldehyde.ResultsThe study grounds on a process-based material flow model, which depicts the use of forest resources in Germany. The situation in 2005 is compared with a scenario, which describes a partial substitution of conventional boards by lightweight boards using sandwich design.Overall the greenhouse gas emissions will decrease, even though the overall decline is rather small.ConclusionsBy this lightweight boards could be a perspective for the German wood-industry to reduce emissions into air noteworthy. The main causes are a reduced requirement for adhesives and binders, logistics and thermal use of residuals.

Planning vessel air emission regulations compliance under uncertainty

In this paper we consider the reduction of air emissions from vessels when uncertainty is taken into account. Uncertainty in the reduction effects of the different existing air emission controls is currently high and makes their selection for vessel emission regulations compliance a challenging process. We develop a two-stage stochastic optimization model that addresses this uncertainty. The model’s objective is to plan the installation of air emission controls over a specified time horizon for a vessel to comply in the most cost-efficient way with the air emission regulations. The uncertain reduction effects of the controls are modelled by a set of scenarios. The approach is applied to a case study with real data. The solution exposes the important impact of uncertainty on this problem, especially on the SO X reduction, while the CO2 reduction plan seems in this case not affected by uncertainty.

Benefits of Reducing Air Emissions: Replacing Conventional with Electric Passenger Vehicles

The study estimated the cost of local and global air emissions, and to compare the differences between electric passenger vehicles (EV) and conventional, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The air emissions were estimated for the year 2020, for Denmark, France and Israel, because of their significantly different fuel mixes to produce electricity—a high percentage of renewable energy, mainly nuclear energy and high fossil fuels, respectively. Air emissions from electricity production and conventional traffic were calculated for each country and then multiplied by the specific country’s cost of emissions. Subtracting the total cost of electricity production from the total cost of conventional transportation yields the total benefit for each of the economies studied. The environmental benefit, depending on EV penetration rates, was found to be in the range of 7.8 to 133 MEUR/year for Denmark, 94 to1948 MEUR/year for France and only 4 to 82 MEUR/year for Israel, whose energy mix is the most polluting. Our analysis also shows higher potential benefits when replacing passenger car fleets comprising a high percentage of diesel cars with EVs, as well as in highly populated areas. In addition, we quantified the differences between EVs with fixed batteries and the new switch able battery concept (EASYBAT), as part of the EU 7th Framework Program me. The additional electricity demands for the EASYBAT concept are negligible, and therefore, do not change the overall conclusion that the cleaner the electricity energy mix and the higher the penetration of EVs, the higher the environmental benefits achieved.

UNEP Demonstrations of Mercury Emission Reduction at Two Coal-fired Power Plants in Russia

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) partnership area “Mercury releases from coal combustion” (The UNEP Coal Partnership) has initiated demonstrations of mercury air emission reduction at two coal-fired power plants in Russia. The first project has modified the wet particulate matter (PM) scrubber installed in Toliatti thermal plant to allow for addition of chemical reagents (oxidants) into the closedloop liquid spray system. The addition of oxidant resulted in significant improvement of mercury capture from 20% total mercury removal (without the additive) up to 60% removal (with the additive). It demonstrates the effectiveness of sorbent injection technologies in conjunction with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). ESPs are installed at 60%, while wet PM scrubbers are installed at 30% of total coal-fired capacity in Russia. Thus, the two UNEP Coal Partnership projects address the majority of PM emission control configurations occurring in Russia.

Study on the incorporation of photovoltaic systems as an auxiliary power source for hybrid and electric vehicles

We investigate the use of photovoltaic systems as auxiliary power generators in hybrid and electric vehicles. This technology provides an as yet unexploited possibility with the advantages of a new power source, which is light, noiseless, maintenance-free and continuously working. A notable reduction of air emissions can be achieved through a synergy of various technological breakthroughs, such as the method we present of introducing photovoltaic arrays and additional electrochemical energy storage capacity in vehicles. Solar cars are also considered as a case study in order to demonstrate the use of solar panels in electric cars. However, solar cars cannot be used extensively in practice, while hybrid and electric cars have already been used for many years and their market share is increasing. In order to reduce further the fuel consumption and emissions from hybrid vehicles we propose the use of solar panels and additional battery capacity. Finally, we examine if the reduction in the fuel consumption and air emissions from the use of solar panels compensates for the additional cost involved.

Spatial variation of emissions impacts due to renewable energy siting decisions in the Western U.S. under high-renewable penetration scenarios

One of the policy goals motivating programs to increase renewable energy investment is that renewable electric generation will help reduce emissions of CO 2 as well as emissions of conventional pollutants (e.g., SO 2 and NO x ). As a policy instrument, Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) encourage investments in wind, solar and other generation sources with the goal of reducing air emissions from electricity production. Increased electricity production from wind turbines is expected to displace electricity production from fossil-fired plants, thus reducing overall system emissions. We analyze the emissions impacts of incremental investments in utility-scale wind power, on the order of 1 GW beyond RPS goals, in the Western United States using a utility-scale generation dispatch model that incorporates the impacts of transmission constraints. We find that wind investment in some locations leads to slight increases in overall emissions of CO 2, SO 2 and NO x . The location of wind farms influences the environmental impact by changing the utilization of transmission assets, which affects the overall utilization of power generation sources and thus system-level emissions. Our results suggest that renewable energy policy beyond RPS targets should be carefully crafted to ensure consistency with environmental goals.

Surrogate models to compute optimal air quality planning policies at a regional scale

Secondary pollutants (such as PM10) derives from complex non-linear reactions involving precursor emissions, namely VOC, NOx, NH3, primary PM and SO2. Due to difficulty to cope with this complexity, Decision Support Systems (DSSs) are essential tools to help Environmental Authorities to plan air quality policies that fulfill EU Directive 2008/50 requirements in a cost-efficient way. To implement these DSSs the common approach is to describe the air quality indices using linear models, derived through model reduction techniques starting from deterministic Chemical Transport Model simulations. This linear approach limits the applicability of these surrogate models, and while these may work properly at coarse spatial resolutions (continental/national), where average values over large areas are of interest, they often prove inadequate at sub national scales, where the impact of non linearities on air quality are usually higher.The objective of this work is to identify air quality models able to properly describe the relation between emissions and air quality indices, at a sub national scale. In this context, artificial neural networks, identified processing long-term simulation output of a 3D deterministic multi-phase modelling system, are used to describe the non-linear relations between the control variables (precursor emissions reduction) and a pollution index. These models can then be used with a reasonable computing effort to solve a multi-objective (air quality and emission reduction costs) optimization problem, that requires thousands of model runs and thus would be unfeasible using the original process-based model. A case study of Northern Italy is presented.

Adoption and use of improved biomass stoves in Rural Mexico

In households that rely on biomass for a large percentage of their energy needs, adoption of improved biomass stoves can result in significant reduction of indoor air pollutants and emissions of greenhouse gasses with concurrent health co-benefits. To maximize the effectiveness of the stove dissemination process, promoters should choose target populations that are both likely to adopt the new technology and to influence the opinions of other potential adopters within a social group. In the current study a longitudinal analysis of adoption patterns and intensity of use of a Patsari improved biomass cookstove was conducted in 259 randomly selected households of a community intervention study in rural communities of Michoacan, Mexico. Health promoters classified households into one of several stove user groups during a series of monthly follow up interviews after Patsari installation, based on physical traces of use and household self-reporting by questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was used develop a model of household and community characteristics associated with early adoption of the Patsari, leading to the development of bi-level model for targeting improved stove dissemination efforts. Factors including community of residence, number of adults in household, suffering from irritated eyes, using wood scraps for fuel, and cooking with certain types of traditional fogons were associated with early adoption of Patsari cookstoves. Maximum saturation of the Patsari in the study population was reached four months after installation; after this point, stove use decreased until eight months but remained relatively steady with 55% of the sample using the Patsari regularly from month eight onwards. Results highlight the importance of utilizing effective targeting strategies to maximize NGO resources and increase the robustness of the diffusion process, resulting in more stoves in actual use. Additionally, results point to the importance of evaluating the success of an improved stove program in terms of stove use over time, rather than the total number of stoves disseminated.

Coupled Biofilter – Heat Exchanger Prototype for a Broiler House

Biofiltration is effective in reducing air emissions from livestock barns but it increases the production cost. Coupling a biofilter with a heat exchanger may allow waste heat recovery to temper the fresh air going back into the livestock barn when supplemental heating is required. A proof-of-concept coupled biofilter - heat exchanger was evaluated for its ability to reduce ammonia emissions and recover heat in a 5,000-bird broiler house in Wardensville, West Virginia. The heat exchanger plenum was stacked on top of the biofilter with a corrugated aluminum sheet serving as the heat transfer surface. The biofilter was effective in treating very high inlet ammonia concentrations (>96 ppm) with removal efficiencies >79% for empty bed residence times ranging from 4.3 to 29.1 s. Accumulation of sulfur in the medium showed that the biofilter may have been effective in trapping some sulfurous gases emitted from the broiler house. Based on 13.5 h of monitoring, the heat exchanger had heat recoveries of 2.3 to 8.3 kW and overall heat transfer coefficients of 7.37 to 35.30 W m-2 K-1. The heat exchanger's performance was comparable to two commercially-available heat exchangers evaluated in published studies in livestock barns. The biofilter-heat exchanger system can improve air quality and reduce energy use in livestock production where supplemental heating is required but additional design improvements and testing are required for commercial application.

Emission Reductions from Woody Biomass Waste for Energy as an Alternative to Open Burning

ABSTRACT Woody biomass waste is generated throughout California from forest management, hazardous fuel reduction, and agricultural operations. Open pile burning in the vicinity of generation is frequently the only economic disposal option. A framework is developed to quantify air emissions reductions for projects that alternatively utilize bio-mass waste as fuel for energy production. A demonstration project was conducted involving the grinding and 97-km one-way transport of 6096 bone-dry metric tons (BDT) of mixed conifer forest slash in the Sierra Nevada foothills for use as fuel in a biomass power cogeneration facility. Compared with the traditional open pile burning method of disposal for the forest harvest slash, utilization of the slash for fuel reduced particulate matter (PM) emissions by 98% (6 kg PM/BDT biomass), nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 54% (1.6 kg NOx/BDT), nonmethane volatile organics (NMOCs) by 99% (4.7 kg NMOCs/BDT), carbon monoxide (CO) by 97% (58 kg CO/BDT), and carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) by 17% (0.38 t CO2e/BDT).Emission contributions from biomass processing and transport operations are negligible. CO2e benefits are dependent on the emission characteristics of the displaced marginal electricity supply. Monetization of emissions reductions will assist with fuel sourcing activities and the conduct of biomass energy projects. IMPLICATIONS Economic considerations frequently dictate the disposal of woody biomass wastes by open burning. The alternative use for energy provides significant reduction in criteria air pollutant and greenhouse emissions. Valuing these reductions will improve the economic viability and increase the use of biomass for energy as well as assist with forest and agricultural management objectives.

The Impact of Inspections on Plant-Level Air Emissions

Abstract Each year, the United States conducts approximately 20,000 inspections of manufacturing plants under the Clean Air Act. This paper compiles a panel dataset on plant-level inspections, fines, and emissions to understand whether these inspections actually reduce air emissions. We find plants reduce air emissions by fifteen percent, on average, following an inspection under the Clean Air Act. Plants that belong to industries that typically have low abatement costs respond more strongly to an inspection than those who belong to industries with high abatement costs.

A Case Study of the Relative Effects of Power Plant Nitrogen Oxides and Sulfur Dioxide Emission Reductions on Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition

The contrasting effects of point source nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) air emission reductions on regional atmospheric nitrogen deposition are analyzed for the case study of a coal-fired power plant in the southeastern United States. The effect of potential emission reductions at the plant on nitrogen deposition to Escambia Bay and its watershed on the Florida–Alabama border is simulated using the three-dimensional Eulerian Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. A method to quantify the relative and individual effects of NOx versus SO2 controls on nitrogen deposition using air quality modeling results obtained from the simultaneous application of NOx and SO2 emission controls is presented and discussed using the results from CMAQ simulations conducted with NOx-only and SO2-only emission reductions; the method applies only to cases in which ambient inorganic nitrate is present mostly in the gas phase; that is, in the form of gaseous nitric acid (HNO3). In such instances, the individual effects of NOx and SO2 controls on nitrogen deposition can be approximated by the effects of combined NOx + SO2 controls on the deposition of NOy (the sum of oxidized nitrogen species) and reduced nitrogen species (NHx), respectively. The benefit of controls at the plant in terms of the decrease in nitrogen deposition to Escambia Bay and watershed is less than 6% of the overall benefit due to regional Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) controls.