Search results for "Environmental engineering"
showing 10 items of 2674 documents
Analysis of Solar Energy Resources in Southern Poland for Photovoltaic Applications / Analiza Struktury Zasobów Energii Słonecznej Obszaru Polski Poł…
2013
Abstract The article presents an analysis of the resources and the structure of the solar energy in the area of Southern Poland on the basis of complete meteorological data from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow in 2009. An analysis attempt of its use for photovoltaic conversion using different modules with different spectral characteristics of absorbers was made. These latest methods for characterizing the structure of solar energy resources such as: distributions throughout the year: sky clearness or cloudiness indexes, the average values of photon energy (APE) and the contents of the useful fraction (UF) of the solar spectrum, are not yet widely known and used as in …
Testing the stage-discharge relationship of a sharp crested sluice gate deduced by the momentum equation for a free-flow condition
2018
Abstract In this paper the stage-discharge relationship of a sharp crested sluice gate is deduced by applying the momentum equation for a free flow condition. The theoretically deduced stage-discharge formula was then calibrated using experimental flume data obtained in previous investigations carried out for a free-flow condition. The deduced stage–discharge relationship is characterized by a momentum coefficient which is empirically estimated by the ratio between the height of the orifice and the water depth in the section upstream the gate. The relative errors are always less than or equal to - 10% to +10% and 71.4% of the errors are less than or equal to ± 2%.
The calculation of the mean radiant temperature of a subject exposed to the solar radiation – A generalised algorithm
2005
Abstract The thermal sensation experienced by a subject in a confined environment is significantly affected by the radiative heat exchange between the human body and the surrounding surfaces: it contributes as far as 30% of the whole thermal exchanges of the subject. Besides, the presence of high-intensity radiation sources like, for example, the sun, may appreciably modify the radiant field to which people are exposed. As a consequence, this could alter notably the comfort conditions. In order of properly taking into account this issue, a simple analytical method is introduced in this work, that allows the easy evaluation of the thermal radiant field induced by the presence of the solar ra…
Volatile Oil Content of Scots Pine Needles (Pinus sylvestris L.)
2016
Abstract This study focused on how the concentration of volatile oils in Scots Pine needles varied in relation to the age of the trees, the age of the needles and their location within the canopy. Study material were pine needles from 15-, 44- and 89-year-old pine stands. The mean content of oils increased with the age of trees. The averaged oil content in needles was: 0.46% in the 15-year-old stand, 0.55% in the 44-year-old and 0.61% in the 89-year-old stands. The mean content of volatile oils decreased with the age of the needles. 1-year-old needles contained the highest concentration of volatile oils (0.56%), and the 3-year-old needles contained the least (0.48%). In 15-year-old stands t…
Citizens AND HYdrology (CANDHY) : conceptualizing a transdisciplinary framework for citizen science addressing hydrological challenges
2021
Widely available digital technologies are empowering citizens who are increasingly well informed and involved in numerous water, climate, and environmental challenges. Citizen science can serve many different purposes, from the "pleasure of doing science" to complementing observations, increasing scientific literacy, and supporting collaborative behaviour to solve specific water management problems. Still, procedures on how to incorporate citizens' knowledge effectively to inform policy and decision-making are lagging behind. Moreover, general conceptual frameworks are unavailable, preventing the widespread uptake of citizen science approaches for more participatory cross-sectorial water go…
Influence of activated carbon on performance and microbial communities in the treatment of solvent pollutant mixtures in a continuous stirred tank re…
2020
The influence of the addition of granular activated carbon (GAC) on the anaerobic treatment of wastewater with a mixture of ethanol and 1-ethoxy-2-propanol (E2P), which are typical pollutants from the flexographic/printing industry, was evaluated. For this purpose, the reactor performance and microbial community in two continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs), i.e. control and GAC supplemented, were assessed. Both reactors, seeded with anaerobic granular biomass, showed similar global performance (RE > 93%), except after organic load shocks and after E2P addition. GAC supplementation substantially enhanced the response of the biological system to organic load shocks and reduced the acclimat…
Application of Molecular Topology to the Prediction of Water Quality Indices of Alkylphenol Pollutants
2011
In this paper, topological-mathematical models based on multilineal regression analysis have been built as a model of the degradability of 26 alkylphenols through the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxigen Demand (BOD5). Two models with three-variable were selected (r2= 0.8793 and q2=0.8075 for log(1/COD) and r2= 0.8928 and q2=0.8327 for log(1/BOD5). The models were validated by cross-validation, internal validation and randomization tests. The results, which stand in good accordance with the obtained results, confirm the robustness of the method.
Assessment of the quality of the air in the city of Palermo through chemical and cell analyses on Pinus Needles
2001
The influence of air pollution on the chemical composition of Pinus sp. needles was examined in polluted and control sites in and around the city of Palermo (Sicily). The chemical composition of needles indicated the extent of contamination of the trees, which were cytologically examined. Cell analysis was carried out on pine samples, including needles and pollens, from 15 different locations. Biostructural and spectrophotometric tests were performed. In particular, concentrations of toxic (Cd, Pb) and non-toxic metals (Fe,Cu, Zn) were determined, as well as injury caused by their accumulation in the needles. The more highly urbanised areas showed higher concentrations of metals (Pb, Cu. Zn…
A Multisite-Multipollutant Air Quality Index
2013
Abstract In this paper, starting from a multivariate spatio-temporal array, containing air pollution data collected for the main pollutants at different monitoring sites over a 1-year period, a new approach is proposed to get a Multipollutant-Multisite Air Quality Index (AQI) time series. A two steps aggregation, related to space and to pollutants, is considered. For the first aggregation (spatial synthesis) a PCA is performed on data array opportunely rearranged, while the index I2, proposed in Ruggieri and Plaia (2011) , is used for the second aggregation (pollutant synthesis), obtaining the new index I 2 MS . Daily data of four air pollutants from the city of Palermo (Italy) are analyzed…
PAHs associated with the leaves of Quercus ilex L.: Extraction, GC–MS analysis, distribution and sourcesAssessment of air quality in the Palermo (Ita…
2007
Abstract In this study, the leaves of Quercus ilex L. were selected as possible bioaccumulators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Quercus is an evergreen plant that occurs widely in both urban and rural areas. Several sites (urban roadside, urban, urban park, suburban and rural) in and around Palermo city were investigated. The purpose of this research was to optimize analytical method for quercus leaves, investigate the degree of contamination in the urban area of Palermo by comparing PAH concentration in leaves of quercus from the several sites, establish distribution patterns and relate them to possible sources of PAHs. To this aim, the 16 recommended as priority pollutants by …