Search results for "feature"
showing 10 items of 4091 documents
Marble quarrying: an energy and waste intensive activity in the production of building materials
2008
Marble represents an important component of Italian buildings, where it is often utilized as a covering for bottom surfaces, despite its relatively high price. Moreover, it characterizes several public buildings, for which it is by far the most important decorative material, also because of its structural features and its long durability. Unfortunately, marble quarrying is an energy intensive activity that requires relevant amounts of electric and thermal energy sources; in addition, the extraction of the marble blocks from the mountain sides does involve a noticeable quantity of explosives, particularly in sites where traditional working methods are utilized. Another important feature of t…
Polarity-reversal subduction zone initiation triggered by buoyant plateau obstruction
2022
Abstract Oceanic lithosphere worldwide is younger than ca. 200 Myr, suggesting that it must have been globally recycled by the recurrent formation of new subduction zones since the existence of subduction on Earth. However, postulated subduction zone initiation processes remain difficult to explain in many cases, and the specific geodynamic conditions under which these might occur are still largely unknown. We here use numerical models driven by the internal force balance of a subduction system to better understand the (geo)dynamics governing (intra-oceanic) polarity-reversal subduction zone initiation. This initiation mode assumes that the birth of a new subduction zone could be triggered …
Outdoor NO2 and benzene exposure in the INMA (Environment and Childhood) Asturias cohort (Spain)
2011
Air pollution exposure during pregnancy has been linked to a wide range of negative health effects. NO2, a traffic pollution marker, and benzene, an industrial pollution indicator, stand out among the types of air pollution linked to these effects. The aim of this work is to show the methodology used to assign exposure levels for both pollutants and preliminary reports in the INMA (Environment and Childhood) Asturias cohort in Spain. This cohort consists of 494 pregnant women and their children, who have been recruited and followed since 2004. Air pollution levels were measured at 67 points by means of passive samplers. The mean NO2 measured value was 21.2 mu g m(-3) (range 3.5 mu g m(-3) t…
Microalgal oil production for use in rice farms in Albufera (València) region
2013
In the Albufera (Valencia) region of Spain, rice has been farmed for nearly 500 years. Post-harvest flooding of rice fields has become an integral element of wetland refuge for migratory birds. The steady rise in the cost of purchased inputs is causing considerable economic stress to the viability of rice farming in this region. In 2011, it has been estimated the cost of purchased diesel accounted for about 15% of the gross revenue from grain sales. Setting aside about 1.6% of the 14,350-hectare paddy fields for the dedicated yearround cultivation of oleaginous microalgae appears to be sufficient for the entire annual need of diesel fuel. The isolated crude microalgal oil could be used dire…
Multiple-stressor effects on river biofilms under different hydrological conditions
2016
Summary We studied the relative importance of environmental factors (river flow, nutrients, dissolved organic matter) and organic micro-pollutants [herbicides, insecticides, industrial organic compounds, personal care products, antibiotics and pharmaceuticals, (PhCs)] to the structure and function of epilithic biofilms under various hydrological conditions and land uses. Biofilms from four river basins in the Iberian Peninsula (Llobregat, Ebro, Jucar and Guadalquivir) were analysed in summer–autumn during a wet period and base-flow conditions. The sites experienced different levels of pollution. We used variance partitioning (Redundancy Detrended Analysis, RDA) to link environmental stresso…
Influence of coordinated traffic lights parameters on roadside pollutant concentrations
2009
Abstract The paper examines the effects of coordinated traffic lights on CO and C 6 H 6 roadside concentrations in an urban area of Palermo in Southern Italy. Traffic loop detectors and one pollution-monitoring are used to collect data for use in DRACULA traffic microsimulator software. CO and C 6 H 6 roadside concentrations associated with varying cycle and offset times of the coordinated traffic lights are estimated using a neural network. Two functions were set up describing the relations of pollutant concentrations in term of cycle and offset time.
Phytoremediation and Plant-Assisted Bioremediation in Soil and Treatment Wetlands: A Review
2015
Phytoremediation is a technology that is based on the combined action of plants and their associated microbial communities to degrade, remove, transform, or immobilize toxic compounds located in soils, sediments, and more recently in polluted ground water and wastewater in treatment wetlands. Phytoremediation could be used to treat different types of contaminants including petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, explosives, heavy metals and radionuclides in soil and water. The advantages of phytoremediation compared to conventional techniques are lower cost, low disruptiveness to the environment, public acceptance, and potentiality to remediate various pollutants. The use …
Traffic Parameters Estimation to Predict Road Side Pollutant Concentrations using Neural Networks
2007
The analysis aims to evaluate which is the most important among traffic parameters (flows, queues length, occupancy degree, and travel time) to forecast CO and C6H6 concentrations. The study area was identified by Notarbartolo Road and bounded by Liberta Street and Sciuti Street in the urban area of Palermo in Southern Italy. In this area, various loop detectors and one pollution-monitoring site were located. Traffic data related to the pollution-monitoring site immediately near the road link were estimated by Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) traffic microsimulator software using as input the flows measured by loop detectors on other links of road network. Traffic and weather data were u…
Stress-induced cytological and chemical adaptations in Cupressus plants from an urban area of Palermo (Italy)
2004
We studied stress-induced cytological and chemical adaptations in Cupressus pollens and needles from the area of Palermo (Sicily, Italy), in polluted and control sites (unpolluted) of urban and suburban areas. Pollen and needle chemical composition were investigated to provide an indicator of contamination of the trees, which were also examined structurally throughout one year. The concentration of particulate with lead was found to be significantly higher in plants at the polluted traffic site. Lead is one of the worst particulate pollutants in cities, especially in the winter season. In trees from the polluted site, all structural analysis revealed displasies. Structural changes, observed…
Origin of atmospheric lead in Johannesburg, South Africa
2006
International audience; The origin of lead in the atmosphere of Johannesburg, South Africa was investigated on the basis of elemental and lead isotopic analyses of coals, mine dumps, gasoline, and about 30 epiphytic lichen samples. Lead predominantly comes from automotive exhausts in urban and suburban areas, as leaded antiknock additives were still in use in South Africa at the time of the study. Although dust emissions from the numerous mine-tailing dumps were expected to contribute significantly to the heavy metal budget, the southern townships that are surrounded by the dumps (such as Soweto and other historically Black residential areas) do not appear to be more than partially influenc…