Article
Environmental Sciences
Srishti Jain, Sudhir Kumar Sharma, Narayanswami Vijayan, Tuhin Kumar Mandal
Summary: This study examined the seasonal variations in sources contributing to PM(2.5) and PM(10) in Delhi, India, from 2013 to 2016. Three receptor models were used to analyze the chemical components of the samples and the major sources identified included secondary aerosols, vehicular emissions, biomass burning, and soil dust, with varying contributions across different seasons. The study highlighted the importance of considering seasonal variations when interpreting source contributions to PM mass concentration to avoid misinterpretations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Mohamad Sakizadeh, Chaosheng Zhang
Summary: The research identified and quantified the relationship between land use pattern and heavy metals in soil samples collected in the border of Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Geological formations, mineral explorations, and fertilizers in agriculture were identified as influential factors for elevated levels of heavy metals, with different receptor models showing varying levels of accuracy in source identification. Heavy metals like As and Hg had poor performance in certain models, while elements like Cr, Co, As, Ni and Cu showed strong correlations with pH and land use types according to redundancy analysis.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Angzu Cai, Haixia Zhang, Yawei Zhao, Xiaojian Wang, Litao Wang, Hui Zhao
Summary: This study investigates the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in the soil of a polluted city using receptor models. The results show higher deposition fluxes in industrial areas and steel-smelter emission as the major source contributor. Future predictions indicate an increase in heavy metal accumulation in the soil, particularly for Cd.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiawei Ma, Kaining Lanwang, Shiyan Liao, Bin Zhong, Zhenhua Chen, Zhengqian Ye, Dan Liu
Summary: Identifying and quantifying the source of heavy metal pollution is crucial for soil pollution control. The APCS-MLR, UNMIX, and PMF models were used to determine the pollution sources of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni in farmland soil near an abandoned iron and steel plant. The models were evaluated for their sources, contribution rates, and applicability. The results showed that the APCS-MLR and UNMIX models could accurately allocate pollution sources, while the PMF model was less accurate. The combination of multiple models improved the accuracy of pollution source analysis for soil heavy metals. These findings provide a scientific basis for further remediation of heavy metal pollution in farmland soil.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lucyna Samek, Anna Rys, Jan Dudek, Zdzislaw Stegowski, Vania Martins, Susana Marta Almeida, Katarzyna Styszko
Summary: This study collected PM10 samples from different periods between 2018 and 2020 and found a decrease in PM10 concentration, as well as changes in concentrations of certain elements and ions. Modeling analysis revealed the contributions of different pollution sources. The characteristics of PM10 were significantly influenced by the implementation of a ban and the COVID-19 pandemic.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yago Alonso Cipoli, Celia Alves, Marco Rapuano, Margarita Evtyugina, Ismael Casotti Rienda, Nora Kovats, Ana Vicente, Fabio Giardi, Leonardo Furst, Teresa Nunes, Manuel Feliciano
Summary: Using positive matrix factorisation (PMF), the distribution of daytime and nighttime sources of PM10 in Braganca, Portugal was studied. Five factor profiles were identified: traffic, dust, biomass burning, secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA), and sea salt. Daytime concentrations were influenced by vehicle traffic and dust, while nighttime concentrations were dominated by residential biomass burning. Exceedances of daily limit values for PM10 and PM2.5 were observed, mainly due to biomass burning and Saharan dust outbreaks. The ecotoxicity assessment using the Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay showed that biomass burning is a major source of PM10 toxicity.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qi Wu, Shao-Ke Xiao, Chang-Gui Pan, Chao Yin, Ying-Hui Wang, Ke-Fu Yu
Summary: Our study investigated the occurrence, spatial distribution, source, and ecological risks of 22 antibiotics in the Beibu Gulf, revealing a decreasing trend of antibiotic levels from coast to offshore area and identifying livestock and aquaculture as dominant sources. Risk assessment indicated medium risks to algae posed by certain antibiotics. Overall, our results provide significant insights into the fate and transport behaviors of antibiotics in the subtropical marine environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Turki M. Habeebullah, Said Munir, Jahan Zeb, Essam A. Morsy
Summary: This study characterized the emission sources of PM10 by analysing its trace elements and ions contents. The PM10 concentrations in Makkah exceeded air quality standards, and the GAM model and PMF identified the main sources of pollution, including road traffic, industrial emissions, restaurant and dwelling emissions, and fossil fuel combustion.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nuria Galindo, Alvaro Clemente, Eduardo Yubero, Jose F. Nicolas, Javier Crespo
Summary: In a residential area in southeastern Spain, the composition of PM10, including molecular markers of biomass burning, was determined during winter and early spring. Biomass combustion was found to contribute 23% to organic carbon, with levoglucosan being the dominant anhydrosugar. Positive Matrix Factorization model identified six factors contributing to PM10 composition, with biomass burning factor accounting for 8%.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiashen Feng, Ningning Song, Yingxia Li
Summary: The study compared three mature receptor models to investigate the mechanisms by which parameters influence the source apportionment results. Results showed that the FA-NNC and PMF models produced similar results, while the PCA-MLR model was more stable. When the sample size was reduced, similar source profiles were extracted consistent with all samples. However, the overall contribution rates were not as stable as the source profiles. FA-NNC and PMF performed better in terms of contribution rate stability and source profile stability, respectively. Improvements in goodness of fit were associated with decreased relevance among variables, indicating decreased credibility of the results. Thus, finding an appropriate sample size is more suitable for source apportionment models than involving too many samples.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenqing Zhu, Yuxuan Qi, Huihui Tao, Haizhou Zhang, Wenshuai Li, Wenjun Qu, Jinhui Shi, Yingchen Liu, Lifang Sheng, Wencai Wang, Guanru Wu, Yunhui Zhao, Yanjing Zhang, Xiaohong Yao, Xinfeng Wang, Li Yi, Yingge Ma, Yang Zhou
Summary: The long retention of dust air masses in polluted areas can change the properties of aerosols and impact health and ecology. This study analyzed the impact of a large-scale haze-to-dust event in the North China Plain region on the city of Qingdao. The analysis revealed the formation of sulfate in PM2.5 and nitrate in PM10-2.5 during the dust swing process. The study also identified waste incineration, coal burning, and regional transport as major contributors to pollution in Qingdao.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Clemente, E. Yubero, N. Galindo, J. Crespo, J. F. Nicolas, M. Santacatalina, A. Carratala
Summary: The study revealed that reducing fugitive emissions caused by bulk material handling at the port would be an effective way to decrease PM10 levels, while other measures could help mitigate anthropogenic exceedances of the daily PM10 limit.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Alebic-Juretic, Boris Mifka
Summary: Air quality monitoring in Rijeka primarily focused on industrial sources, neglecting the impact of maritime traffic on pollution. PMF analysis identified major pollution sources in the urban area including biomass burning, sea spray, and road/soil dust.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haixia Zhang, Zefei Zhao, Angzu Cai, Bo Liu, Xia Wang, Rui Li, Qing Wang, Hui Zhao
Summary: Handan city, as a transportation hub in North China, ranks at the bottom in air quality all year round, causing widespread concern about environmental pollution. The study found that heavy metals in wet deposition are mainly influenced by anthropogenic activities, with pollution sources including traffic sources, industrial sources, coal combustion sources, and metal smelting sources.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ke Chen, Jingsha Xu, Lord Famiyeh, Yong Sun, Dongsheng Ji, Honghui Xu, Chengjun Wang, Sarah E. Metcalfe, Raghu Betha, Sailesh N. Behera, Chunrong Jia, Hang Xiao, Jun He
Summary: A comprehensive year-round field campaign was conducted in Ningbo, China to examine the driving factors of PM2.5 oxidative potential (OP) and its potential health impacts. The study found that the OP of PM2.5 varied with seasons, sources, and concentrations, highlighting the need for a comprehensive mitigation strategy.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
A. Veses, O. Sanahuja-Parejo, M. V. Navarro, J. M. Lopez, R. Murillo, M. S. Callen, T. Garcia
Summary: The successful scale-up of catalytic co-pyrolysis of grape seeds and polystyrene demonstrated the production of an upgraded organic fraction rich in aromatic compounds and high heating value. The synergetic positive effects of plastics and CaO catalyst were reflected in the production of deoxygenated and dehydrated organic fraction. The non-condensable H-2-rich gas stream with low CO2 concentration showed potential for both energetic applications and synthetic fuels production.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Isabel Martinez, Gemma Grasa, Maria S. Callen, Jose Manuel Lopez, Ramon Murillo
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lukas Schick, Vicenta Gonzalez-Alfaro, Adrian Garcia, J. M. Lopez, David J. Morgan, Said Agouram, Stuart H. Taylor, Tomas Garcia, Benjamin Solsona
Summary: The nature of the support and calcination temperature significantly influence the catalytic performance of iridium oxide supported catalysts for the total oxidation of VOCs. Silica, ZSM-5 zeolites, and titania are suitable supports for IrOx, while gamma-alumina is not suitable. The Lewis acidity of the support has a strong influence on the turnover frequency of the iridium oxide.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Javier Remon, Marina Casales, Jesus Gracia, Maria S. Callen, Jose Luis Pinilla, Isabel Suelves
Summary: This study investigated the hydrodeoxygenation of lignocellulosic bio-oil over a carbon-neutral Mo2C/CNF catalyst, finding significant effects of temperature, initial pressure, reaction time, and catalyst/bio-oil ratio on conversion efficiency and product fractionation. Higher temperature, pressure, and appropriate catalyst dosage can achieve higher proportions of upgraded products and liquid biofuels from bio-oil.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alberto Veses, Olga Sanahuja-Parejo, Isabel Martinez, Maria Soledad Callen, Jose Manuel Lopez, Tomas Garcia, Ramon Murillo
Summary: The study demonstrates that mattress foam waste can be converted into high-quality syngas through pyrolysis coupled to thermal or catalytic cracking, especially at high temperatures. The addition of catalysts significantly reduces tar formation, increases gas yield, and maintains CO and CH4 as the main components, making it suitable for energy generation.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Isabel Martinez, Maria S. Callen, Gemma Grasa, Jose M. Lopez, Ramon Murillo
Summary: Sorption-enhanced gasification (SEG) is a promising route for biomass conversion into synthetic fuels. Experimental results show that the feedstock used, temperature, sorbent-to-biomass ratio, and steam excess significantly influence syngas quality, particularly tar composition and gaseous contaminants like H2S.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Maria Soledad Callen, Isabel Martinez, Gemma Grasa, Jose Manuel Lopez, Ramon Murillo
Summary: Gasification is a potential technology for converting biomass into energy, with key parameters such as biomass type, composition, and gas composition influencing the process. Multivariate statistical analysis identified correlations between these parameters and methane, ethylene, and tar contents in the outlet gas. Adjusting gasification bed temperature, CaO/C ratio, and other variables can help improve the quality of the outlet gas.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alberto Sanchis, Alberto Veses, Juan Daniel Martinez, Jose Manuel Lopez, Tomas Garcia, Ramon Murillo
Summary: This study investigates the effect of different temperature profiles on the chemical recycling of end-of-life tyres. The results show that the temperature profile has a significant influence on the distribution and properties of the products. A lower temperature profile increases the production of limonene, while a higher temperature profile increases the production of BTEX.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Juan Daniel Martinez, Alberto Veses, Maria Soledad Callen, Jose Manuel Lopez, Tomas Garcia, Ramon Murillo
Summary: This work presents the fractionation of tire pyrolysis oil (TPO) in a continuous operational mode under industrially relevant conditions. By assessing different process parameters, the optimal conditions for producing light and heavy fractions with high recovery efficiency were determined.
Article
Thermodynamics
Asma Ben Abdallah, Aida Ben Hassen Trabelsi, Maria Victoria Navarro, Alberto Veses, Tomas Garcia, Daoued Mihoubi
Summary: The physicochemical properties, kinetic pyrolysis, and thermodynamic study of various types of biomass waste (spent green tea, pure spent coffee grounds, spent coffee grounds blended with 50% torrefied barley and coffee husk) were experimentally investigated. The study revealed the activation energy profiles and decomposition stages of the different biomass constituents, indicating that lignin decomposition was the most demanding. The results showed that these biomass wastes have significant reactivity and potential for the production of bioenergy and high-value chemicals and materials.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2023)