Search results for "Produce"
showing 10 items of 101 documents
The effects of anthropogenic organic matter inputs on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in organisms from different trophic levels in a southern Me…
2005
Stable isotope ratios were used to determine the impact of anthropogenically derived organic matter from onshore and offshore fish farming and a sewage outfall on organisms at different trophic levels (primary producers and consumers) on the south-east coast of Sicily (Italy, Mediterranean). Representative macroalgae and consumers were collected in three sampling locations: "Impact" and two putative "Controls" sited to the north of the impacted location. While delta(13)C values of both organic matter sources and consumers varied little between locations, delta(15)N spatial variability was higher and delta(15)N was shown to be a good descriptor of organic enrichment and uptake of anthropogen…
Marine Discharges of Offshore Produced Water: the North-East Atlantic Management Strategy
2002
Este capítulo contiene un estudio de Derecho internacional del medio ambiente sobre las normas y estrategias para prevenir y eliminar la contaminación resultante de hidrocarburos y otras substancias causadas por las descargas de agua de producción costa afuera en el mar. Debemos tener en cuenta que no existe ni un solo tratado internacional de ámbito mundial relativo a la contaminación por descargas de hidrocarburos contenidas en las aguas de producción generadas en las instalaciones costa afuera. De hecho, sólo hay una región marina donde existen normas jurídicas y estrategias para hacer frente a este problema de contaminación. La región marina es el Atlántico nordeste y la norma en cuesti…
Desalination of oilfield produced waters via reverse electrodialysis: A techno-economical assessment
2023
Produced waters (PWs) are oilfield waste streams rich in minerals and hydrocarbons whose production rate is largely increased in last decades following the corresponding increase of energy demand. The high salinity level of PWs inhibits the adoption of cheap biological treatments. Also, desalination techniques based on osmotic membranes would require severe pre-treatments. As an alternative, Reverse ElectroDialysis (RED) and Assisted Reverse ElectroDialysis (ARED) are here proposed for the first time to reduce the salinity level of PWs. RED may also guarantee an operation cost reduction thanks to its energy generation. An ad-hoc model for RED and ARED is here developed in order to deal suit…
Feasibility analysis of a renewable hybrid energy system with producer gas generator fulfilling remote household electricity demand in Southern Norway
2016
Abstract Hybrid energy system is increasingly emerging as an option to produce energy for the remote areas. This paper presented an economic feasibility analysis of a single standalone house operating with a hybrid power plant consisting of a fixed capacity producer gas generator (2 kWe) and other renewable energy sources (Photovoltaic and wind). The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) was employed which evaluated techno-economic analysis based on the criteria of net present cost and levelized cost of electricity. Taking the site specific daily average solar radiation, average wind speed and load data into account, renewable hybrid…
Assessing the gasification potential of five woodchips species by employing a lab-scale fixed-bed downdraft reactor
2015
Abstract This paper is aimed to assess the performance of air blown fixed-bed downdraft gasification of local lignocellulosic biomasses which in perspective of Southern Norway are both available and sustainable. Long rotation forest crops birch, oak and spruce, coupled with energy crops poplar and willow were used as feedstocks. The gasification conditions undertaken were widely varied in-terms of air (∼3.20–4.20 N m3/h) and fuel flow (∼1.70–2.10 kg/h) so that the corresponding equivalence ratio (ER) differed (0.19–0.80) and ultimately reflected to other operational parameters such as bed temperature (∼550–760 °C maximum), producer gas yield (∼1.50–2.30 N m3/kg, wet base), cold gas efficien…
Antiviral capacity of sanitizers against infectious viruses in process water from the produce industry under batch and continuous conditions
2023
The presence of human enteric viruses in produce has extensively been reported. However, the significance of the quality of process water (PW) used by the produce industry and the viral inactivation capacity of water disinfection agents used to maintain the microbiological quality of PW has received limited attention. This study evaluates the antiviral disinfection efficacy of chlorine, chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and peracetic acid (PAA) at recommended operational limits in PW using hepatitis A virus (HAV), the cultivable norovirus surrogate, murine norovirus (MNV-1), and MS2 coliphages. Defined commodity representative crops (baby leaves, bell peppers, and the vegetable mix of tomatoes, cucum…
Phytoplankton communities of polar regions–Diversity depending on environmental conditions and chemical anthropopressure
2015
The polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) constitute up to 14% of the biosphere and offer some of the coldest and most arid Earth's environments. Nevertheless several oxygenic phototrophs including some higher plants, mosses, lichens, various algal groups and cyanobacteria, survive that harsh climate and create the base of the trophic relationships in fragile ecosystems of polar environments. Ecosystems in polar regions are characterized by low primary productivity and slow growth rates, therefore they are more vulnerable to disturbance, than those in temperate regions. From this reason, chemical contaminants influencing the growth of photoautotrophic producers might induce serious disorders…
Ecological risk assessment of pesticides in urban streams of the Brazilian Amazon
2022
Abstract The use of pesticides in households and peri-urban areas of the Amazon has increased notably during the last years. Yet, the presence of these contaminants in Amazonian freshwater ecosystems remains unexplored. Here, we assessed the exposure to 18 pesticides and 5 transformation products in the Amazon River and in the urban streams of Manaus, Santarem, Macapa, and Belem (Brazil). Pesticide concentrations were analyzed by liquid and gas chromatography methods. Ecological risks were assessed following a two-tiered approach. First, hazard quotients and an overall hazard index were calculated using toxicity data for standard test species of primary producers, invertebrates, and fish. S…
Assessment of the microbiological quality of fresh produce on sale in Sicily, Italy: preliminary results
2015
Background Fresh produce occupies an increasingly important place in the human food supply because of its health-promoting nutritional properties. Most fresh produce is eaten raw or after minimal processing and, consequently, pathogen contamination can represent a serious health risk. There has been an increase in foodborne outbreaks and cases associated with fresh produce, but literature data about the prevalence of pathogen contamination are inconsistent. This study was undertaken to assess the hygienic quality and the prevalence of the most common bacterial pathogens in fresh produce sold in retail markets in Sicily. A total of 125 samples of different types of vegetables were examined b…
Improving Separation of Oil and Water Using a Novel Coalescing Centrifugal Pump
2017
Abstract A novel centrifugal pump, which increases oil droplet sizes in produced water, has been developed. This paper investigates a concept of pumping pressure optimization with respect to downstream separation efficiency, for the new pump. The investigation shows that the coalescing centrifugal pump always increases the separation efficiency of a downstream hydrocyclone. Furthermore, it is seen that the pumping pressure can be adjusted to maximize the improvement. Experimental results demonstrate how pumping conditions, which minimize the volume fraction of droplets with a diameter smaller than the cut size of the hydrocyclone, maximize the separation efficiency. Finally, it is exemplifi…