Due to increased demand for an understanding of CH4 emissions from industrial sites, the subject of cross sensitivities caused by absorption from multiple gases on δ13CH4 and C2H6 measured in the ...near-infrared spectral domain using CRDS has become increasingly important. Extensive laboratory tests are presented here, which characterize these cross sensitivities and propose corrections for the biases they induce. We found methane isotopic measurements to be subject to interference from elevated C2H6 concentrations resulting in heavier δ13CH4 by +23.5 ‰ per ppm C2H6 ∕ ppm CH4. Measured C2H6 is subject to absorption interference from a number of other trace gases, predominantly H2O (with an average linear sensitivity of 0.9 ppm C2H6 per % H2O in ambient conditions). Yet, this sensitivity was found to be discontinuous with a strong hysteresis effect and we suggest removing H2O from gas samples prior to analysis. The C2H6 calibration factor was calculated using a GC and measured as 0.5 (confirmed up to 5 ppm C2H6). Field tests at a natural gas compressor station demonstrated that the presence of C2H6 in gas emissions at an average level of 0.3 ppm shifted the isotopic signature by 2.5 ‰, whilst after calibration we find that the average C2H6 : CH4 ratio shifts by +0.06. These results indicate that, when using such a CRDS instrument in conditions of elevated C2H6 for CH4 source determination, it is imperative to account for the biases discussed within this study.
In the modern period the quality of the land, especially for agricultural production is an especially important aspect. For evaluation of agricultural lands pollution, a on land pollution by heavy ...metals, related to 1 and 2 hazard class study was conducted. The study of these metals was carried out in one of the industrial districts of the Irkutsk region - Usol'sky. The study of soils on the content of heavy metals Hg, Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, As was carried out on different agricultural lands for different landscape structures. Grounds for selection of soil samples laid with uniform soil, vegetation conditions and uniform mechanical composition of the soil. The grounds were laid out in distant from the industrial sources, the land located under the "torch" Heating Electrical Station (HES) and the land along Federal highway and the land adjacent to industrial sites. The content of mobile forms of heavy metals are given in tabular material. Analysis of soil samples was carried out for humus horizon (0-10 cm), where the accumulation of heavy metals occurs. From the above factual (tabular) material it follows that the current state of agricultural lands of the Usol'sky district is satisfactory, with the exception of lands located along the Federal highway and land adjacent to the industrial site of OJSC (OAO) "Usol'e - Khimprom". As studies have shown the anomalous accumulation of heavy metals in the soils of this area doesn't occur, which can be explained by the conditions of leaching regime, the mobility of metals, light and middle loam and sandy loam mechanical composition of the soil.
Reclaiming abandoned and unmaintained roads, built originally for forestry and mineral extraction, is an important part of ecological restoration, because the roads running through natural habitats ...cause fragmentation. The roads can be reclaimed in a passive way by blocking access to the road, but successful seedling recruitment may require additional management due to the physical constraints present at the road. We established a full factorial study to compare the effects of three road reclaiming measures, namely ripping, creation of safe sites by adding mulch and pine seed addition, on soil processes, recovery of understorey vegetation and seedling recruitment in three conservation areas in eastern Finland. We surveyed soil organic matter, frequency and cover of plant functional types, litter and mineral soil, and number of tree seedlings. The soil organic matter was, on average, 1.3-fold in the 50-cm-deep ripping treatment relative to unripped and 20-cm-deep ripping treatments. The germination and survival of deciduous seedlings and grass establishment were promoted by adding mulch. The addition of pine seeds counteracted the seed limitation and enhanced the regeneration of trees. The treatment combination consisting of ripping, adding mulch and pine seed addition enhanced the vegetation succession and tree-seedling recruitment most: the cover of grasses, herbs and ericaceous dwarf shrubs was 1.3–7.6-fold and the number of coniferous tree seedlings was 3.4–7.1-fold relative to the other treatment combinations. Differences between short-term (1–3 years) and longer-term (6 years) results indicate the need for a sufficient observation period in road reclamation studies.
Afforestation on reclaimed mining areas has high ecological and economic importance. However, ecosystems established on post-mining substrate can become vulnerable due to climate variability. We used ...tree-ring data and dendrochronological techniques to study the relationship between climate variables and annual growth of Scots pine (
Pinus sylvestris
L.) growing on reclaimed open cast oil shale mining areas in Northeast Estonia. Chronologies for trees of different age classes (50, 40, 30) were developed. Pearson’s correlation analysis between radial growth indices and monthly climate variables revealed that precipitation in June–July and higher mean temperatures in spring season enhanced radial growth of pine plantations, while higher than average temperatures in summer months inhibited wood production. Sensitivity of radial increment to climatic factors on post-mining soils was not homogenous among the studied populations. Older trees growing on more developed soils were more sensitive to precipitation deficit in summer, while growth indices of two other stand groups (young and middle-aged) were highly correlated to temperature. High mean temperatures in August were negatively related to annual wood production in all trees, while trees in the youngest stands benefited from warmer temperatures in January. As a response to thinning, mean annual basal area increment increased up to 50 %. By managing tree competition in the closed-canopy stands, through the thinning activities, tree sensitivity and response to climate could be manipulated.
This study aims to establish a common Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) framework for reporting about the gypsum industry biodiversity at the European level. In order to integrate different opinions ...and to reach a consensus framework, an original participatory process approach has been developed among different stakeholder groups: Eurogypsum, European and regional authorities, university scientists, consulting offices, European and regional associations for the conservation of nature, and the extractive industry. The strategy is developed around four main steps: (1) building of a maximum set of indicators to be submitted to stakeholders based on the literature (Focus Group method); (2) evaluating the consensus about indicators through a policy Delphi survey aiming at the prioritization of indicator classes using the Analytic Hierarchy Process method (AHP) and of individual indicators; (3) testing acceptability and feasibility through analysis of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and visits to three European quarries; (4) Eurogypsum final decision and communication. The resulting framework contains a set of 11 indicators considered the most suitable for all the stakeholders. Our KPIs respond to European legislation and strategies for biodiversity. The framework aims at improving sustainability in quarries and at helping to manage biodiversity as well as to allow the creation of coherent reporting systems. The final goal is to allow for the definition of the actual biodiversity status of gypsum quarries and allow for enhancing it. The framework is adaptable to the local context of each gypsum quarry.
Light scattering PM2.5 dust test instrument is widely used, but it is susceptible to many kinds of interference, and will produce large deviation in some industrial sites. The influence of particle ...size, relative humidity and other parameters on the measurement results of light scattering dust meter is studied and corrected. The experimental results show that the relative error of detecting single particle size dust is smaller than that of detecting multi-particle size dust. Relative humidity has no effect on non-hygroscopic dust detection, but has obvious influence on hygroscopic dust detection, and the relative error after correction is significantly reduced.
Despite increased recognition of the importance of urban vegetation research, few attempts have been made to assess the relative influence of ecological variables on the species composition of urban ...wastelands. The main aim of this paper is to assess the relative importance of soil and microclimatic variables in structuring plant species richness and diversity in this habitat. Field investigations were carried out in 22 wasteland sites situated within the city of Brussels. The vegetation has been recorded in 38 4
m
2-plots according to the Braun–Blanquet-method. A total of 19 environmental variables were taken into consideration, among others the presence of different kinds of anthropogenic substrates and microclimatic variables. Results indicate that plant species composition in urban wastelands is mainly driven by soil nutrient content, soil moisture, soil pH and light intensity (as inferred by the mean Ellenberg's indicator values). Various types of anthropogenic substrates such as concrete, pebbles, sand and rubble had different effects on the species composition, the proportion of neophytes, hemeroby and urbanity level. Air temperature and humidity did show a significant influence on the presence of some species. The contribution of these environmental variables to the species composition and diversity of urban wastelands is discussed.
There is increasing pressure for industrial sites to minimise energy consumption. A long-term energy reduction strategy plays a critical role in realising energy savings. A key exchange mechanism of ...energy for sites is the heat exchanger network, which can be revamped and retrofitted to lift process energy efficiency. Retrofit analysis of heat exchanger networks commonly looks for a modified design that could provide significant energy savings for a comparatively modest investment but rarely does the analysis consider how retrofit projects can be sequenced as part of an energy retrofit plan while staying with capital investment constraints. The challenge in developing a long-term plan is the identification of projects and their ideal order out of the numerous possible combinations. This paper aims at developing an energy retrofit planning tool by performing a multi-stage retrofit analysis based on the automated retrofit targeting algorithm used to search for retrofit designs. The key output of the energy retrofit planning analysis is several sets of retrofit plans that can be further analysed for case-specific practicality (e.g., space, distance, and fluid compatibility) and developed into an energy retrofit plan, forming a part of a company’s overall energy strategy. The method is demonstrated using two industrial case studies with complex features and room for multiple sets of retrofit modifications. For the petrochemical complex case study, the study concludes that a 4-stage retrofit plan could be undertaken under a strategic investment plan that in total requires 11 modifications to the system, which generates 1.47 million EUR in annual profit with a payback of 1.75 years.
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