A Case Study of the Economic and Environmental Impacts from a Bio-fuel Facility (Southwest Georgia Ethanol, LLC) on the Surrounding Communities, Southwest Georgia

Bio-fuels such as ethanol provide an extraordinary opportunity to address our dependency on foreign oil. This case study examines the economic and environmental impacts associated with constructing and operating a dry mill ethanol manufacturing facility in a Southwest Georgia town and surrounding communities. The case study found that the plant had little impact on air quality, water quality, and habitat fragmentation. However, economic results showed the plant produced $1.5 million in tax revenues, and 86 jobs. Ethanol producers and communities must consider both the economic and environmental impacts on a local community when searching or attracting a bio-fuels plant. Likewise, communities should be aware of these challenges when attracting ethanol production plants.

An Investigation of Ozone Related Data and Development of a Model to Evaluate Ozone Episodes for Exceptional Event Criteria

The EPA promulgated the Exceptional Events Rule codifying guidance regarding exclusion of monitoring data from compliance decisions due to uncontrollable natural or exceptional events. This capstone examines documentation systems utilized by agencies requesting data be excluded from compliance decisions due to exceptional events. A screening tool is developed to determine whether an event would meet exceptional event criteria. New data sources are available to enhance analysis but evaluation shows many are unusable in their current form. The EPA and States must collaborate to develop consistent evaluation methodologies documenting exceptional events to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the new rule. To utilize newer sophisticated data, consistent, user-friendly translation systems must be developed.

Trees as Tools in Environmental Improvement; An Analysis of the Contribution of Vegetation to Energy and Water Conservation in the Front Range of Colorado

The Denver metropolitan area is facing rapid population growth that increases the stress on already limited resources. Research and advanced computer modeling show that trees, especially those in urban areas, have significant environmental benefits. These benefits include air quality improvements, energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, and possible water conservation. This Capstone Project applies statistical methods to analyze a small data set of residential homes and their energy and water consumption, as a function of their individual landscape. Results indicate that tree shade can influence water conservation, and that irrigation methods can be an influential factor as well. The Capstone is a preliminary analysis for future study to be performed by the Institute for Environmental Solutions in 2007.

Evidence of different thermoregulatory mechanisms between two sympatric Scarabaeus species using infrared thermography and micro-computer tomography

In endotherms insects, the thermoregulatory mechanisms modulate heat transfer from the thorax to the abdomen to avoid overheating or cooling in order to obtain a prolonged flight performance. Scarabaeus sacer and S. cicatricosus, two sympatric species with the same habitat and food preferences, showed daily temporal segregation with S. cicatricosus being more active during warmer hours of the day in opposition to S. sacer who avoid it. In the case of S. sacer, their endothermy pattern suggested an adaptive capacity for thorax heat retention. In S. cicatricosus, an active ‘heat exchanger’ mechanism was suggested. However, no empirical evidence had been documented until now. Thermographic sequences recorded during flight performance showed evidence of the existence of both thermoregulatory mechanisms. In S. sacer, infrared sequences showed a possible heat insulator (passive thermal window), which prevents heat transfer from meso- and metathorax to the abdomen during flight. In S. cicatricosus, infrared sequences revealed clear and effective heat flow between the thorax and abdomen (abdominal heat transfer) that should be considered the main mechanism of thermoregulation. This was related to a subsequent increase in abdominal pumping (as a cooling mechanism) during flight. Computer microtomography scanning, anatomical dissections and internal air volume measurements showed two possible heat retention mechanisms for S. sacer; the abdominal air sacs and the development of the internal abdominal sternites that could explain the thermoregulation between thorax and abdomen. Our results suggest that interspecific interactions between sympatric species are regulated by very different mechanisms. These mechanisms create unique thermal niches for the different species, thereby preventing competition and modulating spatio-temporal distribution and the composition of dung beetle assemblages.

Asociación entre la dieta y la presencia de sobrepeso y obesidad: método de evaluación dietética de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Española 2006

Introducción: analizar la asociación entre la frecuencia de consumo de alimentos y la presencia de sobrepeso-obesidad a partir de datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Española 2006 (ENS-06). Material y métodos: estudio transversal retrospectivo de fuentes secundarias de la ENS-06. Se seleccionaron 29.321 individuos que respondieron el Cuestionario de Frecuencia de Consumo de Alimentos, compuesto por una lista de 12 grupos, sobre los que se preguntaba su frecuencia de consumo en 5 opciones de respuesta y que se categorizaron en 3 para el análisis (consumo diario, semanal y ocasional). Se realizó un análisis descriptivo del consumo de grupos de alimentos categorizados por frecuencia de consumo, y calculando la diferencia (brecha) entre hombres y mujeres. La asociación entre frecuencia de consumo de alimentos y sobrepeso-obesidad se realizó mediante regresión logística. Resultados: el 40,7% de la población consume a diario verduras-hortalizas y el 65,2% consume frutas a diario. El 69,8%, y el 46,3% de las mujeres cumplen las recomendaciones de consumo de frutas (brecha -7,2), y de verduras-hortalizas (brecha -14,0) respectivamente. Consumir fruta ocasionalmente, disminuye la probabilidad de padecer obesidad (OR=0,72 IC95%: 0,63-0,82), frente a consumirla a diario. Consumir embutidos a diario, disminuye la probabilidad de padecer obesidad (OR=0,75 IC95%: 0,68-0,83), frente a un consumo ocasional. Conclusiones: Los resultados muestran contradicciones científicas por la presencia de sesgos en el instrumento utilizado en la recogida de la información, sugiriendo la necesidad de que la ENS incluya un método de recogida de información dietética-nutricional validado y adoptado, que permita mediciones de mayor calidad y exactitud.

Atmospheric PM and volatile organic compounds released from Mediterranean shrubland wildfires

Wildfires produce a significant release of gases and particles affecting climate and air quality. In the Mediterranean region, shrublands significantly contribute to burned areas and may show specific emission profiles. Our objective was to depict and quantify the primary-derived aerosols and precursors of secondary particulate species released during shrubland experimental fires, in which fire-line intensity values were equivalent to those of moderate shrubland wildfires, by using a number of different methodologies for the characterization of organic and inorganic compounds in both gas-phase and particulate-phase. Emissions of PM mass, particle number concentrations and organic and inorganic PMx components during flaming and smouldering phases were characterized in a field shrubland fire experiment. Our results revealed a clear prevalence of K+ and SO42- as inorganic ions released during the flaming-smouldering processes, accounting for 68 to 80% of the inorganic soluble fraction. During the residual-smouldering phases, in addition to K+ and SO42-, Ca2+ was found in significant amounts probably due the predominance of re-suspension processes (ashes and soil dust) over other emission sources during this stage. Concerning organic markers, the chromatograms were dominated by phenols, n-alkanals and n-alkanones, as well as by alcohol biomarkers in all the PMx fractions investigated. Levoglucosan was the most abundant degradation compound with maximum emission factors between 182 and 261 mg kg-1 in PM2.5 and PM10 respectively. However, levoglucosan was also observed in significant amounts in the gas-phase. The most representative organic volatile constituents in the smoke samples were alcohols, carbonyls, acids, monocyclic and bicyclic arenes, isoprenoids and alkanes compounds. The emission factors obtained in this study may contribute to the validation and improvement of national and international emission inventories of this intricate and diffuse emission source.

Argamassas de auto-limpeza : da formulação às aplicações

Atualmente assiste-se a um grave problema de salubridade visual das cidades, designadamente no espaço edificado/ construído. A sujidade é uma ameaça que, junto com os graffitis, tem contribuído para a degradação precoce dos espaços urbanos. A fim de se enfrentar este problema, que tem vindo a proliferar nas cidades, um pouco por todo o mundo, a presente dissertação de mestrado ambiciona contribuir para a sistematização da informação existente sobre a produção e caracterização de argamassas de auto-limpeza. As argamassas de auto-limpeza são produzidas por uma de duas formas: com a adição de nanopartículas de dióxido de titânio (TiO2) na sua matriz ou com a aplicação de um filme fino à base de TiO2 na sua superfície. Esta segunda é apontada como a técnica mais eficaz e económica. Salienta-se o facto do TiO2 ser um dos nanomateriais mais utilizados na construção pelas suas propriedades fotocatalíticas que o capacitam como um dos mais exímios fotocatalisadores, aquando da fotocatálise heterogénea. É graças ao processo de fotodegradação química da fotocatálise, que na presença de luz solar e da ação da água, que o TiO2 é ativado, desencadeando reações químicas que aumentam a eficácia e eficiência fotocatalítica. Analisou-se um conjunto de trabalhos de investigação recentes que comprovam que o uso das argamassas de auto-limpeza é adequado e benéfico em intervenções em edifícios novos como em obras de conservação e reabilitação de edifícios antigos. Além de reduzirem os investimentos em obras de limpeza, manutenção/conservação e reabilitação, prolongam a conservação das fachadas e melhoram os níveis da qualidade do ar. Apesar do crescente número de patentes pedidas e concedidas nesta área, as normas aplicáveis ainda não se encontram uniformizadas. Nesse sentido, a experiência do Japão deve ser tida como exemplo para que os restantes países desenvolvam de forma consensual as suas próprias normas e patentes, permitindo, futuramente, conferir maior credibilidade, segurança no uso dos nanomateriais e uma maior permeabilidade no setor da construção. Elencam-se alguns nano-produtos à base de nano TiO2 comercializados que têm vindo a ser aplicados sobretudo na China, Japão e na Alemanha.

A novel, bedside technique to rapidly identify umbilical cord blood units with high total nucleated cell numbers

BACKGROUND With increasing demand for umbilical cord blood units (CBUs) with total nucleated cell (TNC) counts of more than 150 × 10(7) , preshipping assessment is mandatory. Umbilical cord blood processing requires aseptic techniques and laboratories with specific air quality and cleanliness. Our aim was to establish a fast and efficient method for determining TNC counts at the obstetric ward without exposing the CBU to the environment. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Data from a total of 151 cord blood donations at a single procurement site were included in this prospective study. We measured TNC counts in cord blood aliquots taken from the umbilical cord (TNCCord ), from placenta (TNCPlac ), and from a tubing segment of the sterile collection system (TNCTS ). TNC counts were compared to reference TNC counts in the CBU which were ascertained at the cord blood bank (TNCCBU ). RESULTS TNCTS counts (173 ± 33 × 10(7) cells; calculated for 1 unit) correlated fully with the TNCCBU reference counts (166 ± 33 × 10(7) cells, Pearson's r = 0.97, p < 0.0001). In contrast, TNCCord and TNCPlac counts were more disparate from the reference (r = 0.92 and r = 0.87, respectively). CONCLUSIONS A novel method of measuring TNC counts in tubing segments from the sterile cord blood collection system allows rapid and correct identification of CBUs with high cell numbers at the obstetric ward without exposing cells to the environment. This approach may contribute to cost efficacy as only CBUs with satisfactory TNC counts need to be shipped to the cord blood bank.

Additional traffic assignment options for the TASSIM model. Phase I. Final report.

Transportation Department, Washington, D.C.

Human exposure model-II : user's guide.

Mode of access: Internet.

Control of particulate matter from oil burners and boilers /

Mode of access: Internet.

Social Security Administration District Office, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Mode of access: Internet.

Development of a methodology for designing carbon monoxide monitoring networks /

Mode of access: Internet.

Pollution prevention research programs /

Mode of access: Internet.

Are you still holding your breath?

Mode of access: Internet.