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Polluted Air (polluted + air)
Selected AbstractsBioprocesses for air pollution controlJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Christian Kennes Abstract Bioprocesses have been developed as relatively recent alternatives to conventional, non-biological technologies, for waste gas treatment and air pollution control in general. This paper reviews major biodegradation processes relevant in this field as well as both accepted and major innovative bioreactor configurations studied or used nowadays for the treatment of polluted air, i.e. biofilters, one- and two-liquid phase biotrickling filters, bioscrubbers, membrane bioreactors, rotating biodiscs and biodrums, one- and two-liquid phase suspended growth bioreactors, as well as hybrid reactor configurations. Some of these bioreactors are being used at full-scale for solving air pollution problems, while others are still at the research and development stage at laboratory- or pilot-scale. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Experimental and neural model analysis of styrene removal from polluted air in a biofilterJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Eldon R. Rene Abstract BACKGROUND: Biofilters are efficient systems for treating malodorous emissions. The mechanism involved during pollutant transfer and subsequent biotransformation within a biofilm is a complex process. The use of artificial neural networks to model the performance of biofilters using easily measurable state variables appears to be an effective alternative to conventional phenomenological modelling. RESULTS: An artificial neural network model was used to predict the extent of styrene removal in a perlite-biofilter inoculated with a mixed microbial culture. After a 43 day biofilter acclimation period, styrene removal experiments were carried out by subjecting the bioreactor to different flow rates (0.15,0.9 m3 h,1) and concentrations (0.5,17.2 g m,3), that correspond to inlet loading rates up to 1390 g m,3 h,1. During the different phases of continuous biofilter operation, greater than 92% styrene removal was achievable for loading rates up to 250 g m,3 h,1. A back propagation neural network algorithm was applied to model and predict the removal efficiency (%) of this process using inlet concentration (g m,3) and unit flow (h,1) as input variables. The data points were divided into training (115 × 3) and testing set (42 × 3). The most reliable condition for the network was selected by a trial and error approach and by estimating the determination coefficient (R2) value (0.98) achieved during prediction of the testing set. CONCLUSION: The results showed that a simple neural network based model with a topology of 2,4,1 was able to efficiently predict the styrene removal performance in the biofilter. Through sensitivity analysis, the most influential input parameter affecting styrene removal was ascertained to be the flow rate. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Continuous bioremediation of phenol-polluted air in an external loop airlift bioreactor with a packed bed,JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Hossein Nikakhtari Abstract An external loop airlift bioreactor with a small amount (99% porosity) of stainless steel mesh packing inserted in the riser section was used for bioremediation of a phenol-polluted air stream. The packing enhanced volatile organic chemical and oxygen mass transfer rates and provided a large surface area for cell immobilization. Using a pure strain of Pseudomonas putida, fed-batch and continuous runs at three different dilution rates were completed with phenol in the polluted air as the only source of growth substrate. 100% phenol removal was achieved at phenol loading rates up to 33 120 mg h,1 m,3 using only one-third of the column, superior to any previously reported biodegradation rates of phenol-polluted air with 100% efficiency. A mathematical model has been developed and is shown to accurately predict the transient and steady-state data. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Bioprocesses for the removal of nitrogen oxides from polluted airJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2005Yaomin Jin Abstract Nitrogen oxides (NOx) of environmental concern are nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). They are hazardous air pollutants that lead to the formation of acid rain and tropospheric ozone. Both pollutants are usually present simultaneously and are, therefore, called NOx. Another compound is N2O which is found in the stratosphere where it plays a role in the greenhouse effect. Concern for environmental and health issues coupled with stringent NOx emission standards generates a need for the development of efficient low-cost NOx abatement technologies. Under such circumstances, it becomes mandatory for each NOx-emitting industry or facility to opt for proper NOx control measures. Several techniques are available to control NOx emissions: selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), adsorption, scrubbing, and biological methods. Each process offers specific advantages and limitations. Since bioprocesses present many advantages over conventional technologies for flue gas cleaning, a lot of interest has recently been shown for these processes. This article reviews the major characteristics of conventional non-biological technologies and recent advances in the biological removal of NOx from flue gases based on the catalytic activity of either eucaryotes or procaryotes, ie nitrification, denitrification, the use of microalgae, and a combined physicochemical and biological process (BioDeNOx). Relatively uncomplicated design and simple operation and maintenance requirements make biological removal a good option for the control of NOx emissions in stationary sources. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Monte Carlo model of UV-radiation interaction with TiO2 -coated spheresAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2007Gustavo E. Imoberdorf Abstract Photocatalysis is one of the advanced oxidation techniques that are being studied for the treatment of polluted air and water from different sources. From a kinetic point of view, photocatalytic reaction rates are strongly dependent not only on the reactant and product concentrations, but also on the rate of photon absorption. Unfortunately, the local rate of photon absorption is usually difficult to evaluate because of (i) the inherent complexity of the system and (ii) the lack of data concerning the photocatalyst optical properties. The final objective of this project is focused on the development of a complete model of the radiation field; the bed structure, and the flow pattern to describe the operation of a fixed bed photocatalytic reactor. In this article, the interaction between radiative energy and TiO2 -coated fused-silica sphere beds was studied. The proposed model was built applying the Monte Carlo method, taking into account the complex reflection/refraction/absorption interactions between radiation and the packed bed. To obtain experimental measurements, an ad hoc device was designed and built. This device allows us to validate the proposed radiation model, and to obtain the optical parameters of the composite photocatalyst, i.e., the refractive index and the surface rough index of the fused-silica spheres, as well as the refractive index and the optical thickness of the TiO2 films. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007 [source] Cultured mammary epithelial monolayers (BME-UV) express functional organic anion and cation transportersJOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2009M. M. AL-BATAINEH There is ongoing concern about the potential adverse effects of xenobiotic residues in cows' milk to the human consumer. Although drugs that are intentionally administered to lactating dairy cattle are rigorously regulated to prevent harmful residues, there are numerous other potential sources of exposure that are not as easily controlled. For example, cattle may be exposed to mycotoxins, pesticides and/or persistent organic pollutants through feed, water and inhalation of polluted air. Accurate estimates of the rate and extent of excretion of these compounds into milk is important to assess the risk of exposure through cows' milk. In the present study, the expression of carrier mediated transport processes in cultured monolayers of an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line (BME-UV) was determined using a flow-through diffusion cell system, selective substrates and inhibitors of organic cation transporters (OCT) and organic anion transporters (OAT). The basal-to-apical (BL-to-Ap) flux of tetraethylammonium and estrone sulfate significantly exceeded their flux in the opposite direction. The addition of selective inhibitors to the donor compartment significantly decreased the BL-to-Ap flux of either selective substrate. These results suggest that both OCT and OAT are functionally expressed by BME-UV cells. [source] Effect of Gene-environment Interactions on Mental Development in African American, Dominican, and Caucasian Mothers and NewbornsANNALS OF HUMAN GENETICS, Issue 1 2010Shuang Wang Summary The health impact of environmental toxins has gained increasing recognition over the years. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are known to affect nervous system development in children, but no studies have investigated how polymorphisms in PAH metabolic genes affect child cognitive development following PAH exposure during pregnancy. In two parallel prospective cohort studies of non-smoking African American and Dominican mothers and children in New York City and of Caucasian mothers and children in Krakow, Poland, we explored the effect of gene-PAH interaction on child mental development index (MDI). Genes known to play important roles in the metabolic activation or detoxification of PAHs were selected. Genetic variations in these genes could influence susceptibility to adverse effects of PAHs in polluted air. We explored the effects of interactions between prenatal PAH exposure and 21 polymorphisms or haplotypes in these genes on MDI at 12, 24, and 36 months among 547 newborns and 806 mothers from three different ethnic groups. Significant interaction effects between haplotypes and PAHs were observed in mothers and their newborns in all three ethnic groups after Bonferroni correction. The strongest and most consistent effect observed was between PAH and haplotype ACCGGC of the CYP1B1 gene. [source] | ||||||||||