Search results for "lcsh:TA1-2040"
showing 10 items of 554 documents
A Study of Milk Particles Size Variation with pH Change using Dynamic Light Scattering
2019
A very simple experimental setup for a Dynamic Light Scattering measurement was used to measure the average size of the milk proteins in aqueous suspensions at 20 °C. The PH of the suspensions was adjusted using Calcium lactate, in its most common form of pentahydrate C6H10CaO6•5H2O. The mean size variation of the suspended particles in time has been monitored and reveals a fast increase over a time interval of less than ten of seconds.
A Regional Geography Approach to Understanding the Environmental Changes as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Highly Populated Spanish Cities
2021
Spain has been highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is reflected at different scales. From an economic point of view, lockdowns and the reduction of activities have damaged the country (e.g., complete lockdown from March 13 to June 21, 2020). However, it is not clear if the associated environmental impacts could be observed in 2020. Currently, studies on the effects of the lockdown (e.g., decrease in economic activities, transport and social communication) on specific parameters related to climate change, such as air temperature or air pollution, due to a drastic decrease in human activities are rare. They are focused on specific cities and short periods of time. Therefore, the m…
Is agro-tourism eco-friendly?
2017
The paper will highlight the impact of agro-tourism on environment in Romania, focusing on the Sibiu County. Thanks to the results obtained from this analysis, research and information collection, the paper will give some answers regarding the question: are agro-tourisms environmentally friendly? The authors identify potential causes of environmental pollution from agro-tourism and some resources that could be economically used. The negative and positive aspects on the increase of agro-tourism activities in the proposed region will be also discussed taking into account there impact on the environment. Based on the obtained results, the authors will propose a method for the management of res…
Open source solutions to improve the quality of sustainable forest management
2019
Climate change is becoming more acute, including in terms of individual perception. Forest, as an ecosystem, has a special role to play in mitigating climate change, protecting the soil, water and air. There are forests of scientific interest, preservation of the Eco fund and forest Geno fund, as well as recreational forests, so that the ecological functions are fulfilled in the optimum. Also, alongside the social function, green energy generation is one of the main attributes of the forest. In addition to preserving biodiversity, the forestry administration has as objectives the provision of the necessary resources for the short, medium and long-term development of local communities. Fores…
First in-situ measurements of plume chemistry at mount garet volcano, island of gaua (Vanuatu)
2020
Recent volcanic gas compilations have urged the need to expand in-situ plume measurements to poorly studied, remote volcanic regions. Despite being recognized as one of the main volcanic epicenters on the planet, the Vanuatu arc remains poorly characterized for its subaerial emissions and their chemical imprints. Here, we report on the first plume chemistry data for Mount Garet, on the island of Gaua, one of the few persistent volatile emitters along the Vanuatu arc. Data were collected with a multi-component gas analyzer system (multi-GAS) during a field campaign in December 2018. The average volcanic gas chemistry is characterized by mean molar CO2/SO2, H2O/SO2, H2S/SO2 and H2/SO2 ratios …
Current Experience with Application of Metal-based Nanofertilizers
2019
Agriculture is one of the many fields in which nanotechnology is currently applied. At the nano-scale, materials exhibit different properties mainly due to the reduced molecular size which allows different interactions between molecules. Nowadays, the agricultural sector demands methods that not only increase crop productivity, but are also sustainable and produce less environmental impact. Large-scale application of chemical fertilizers is common in farming with the aim of increasing productivity. The use of large doses of fertilizers, however, causes more harm than good. Chemically intensive agriculture disturbs the soil-mineral balance, pollutes soil, water and air, and makes lands less …
Poplar Biochar as an Alternative Substrate for Curly Endive Cultivated in a Soilless System
2020
Imminent necessity for eco-friendly and low-cost substitutes to peat is a defiance in the soilless plant cultivation systems. Wood biochar could entirely or partly substitute peat as a plant growing constituent to produce vegetables. Nevertheless, knowledge concerning potential plant performance of leafy green vegetables grown on wood biochar is restricted. The present study assessed the main physicochemical traits of various growing media constituted by decreasing the content of peat and by increasing the percentages of poplar wood biochar. Yield, nutritional and functional properties of curly endive plants cultivated in a protected environment were also tested. Biochar was pyrolyzed from …
Life Cycle Energy Consumption and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Agricultural Residue Feedstock for Bioenergy
2021
The depletion of fossil fuels and climate change concerns are drivers for the development and expansion of bioenergy. Promoting biomass is vital to move civilization toward a low-carbon economy. To meet European Union targets, it is required to increase the use of agricultural residues (including straw) for power generation. Using agricultural residues without accounting for their energy consumed and carbon dioxide emissions distorts the energy and environmental balance, and their analysis is the purpose of this study. In this paper, a life cycle analysis method is applied. The allocation of carbon dioxide emissions and energy inputs in the crop production by allocating between a product (g…
Solar and Heat Pump Systems for Domestic Hot Water Production on a Small Island: The Case Study of Lampedusa
2020
The achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, related to energy and resource use, is a critical issue for small and insulated communities. In many minor islands, solar energy is not correctly exploited, and electrical heaters are connected to weak grids with very a high share of generation by fossil fuels. As a consequence, there is the necessity to assess the potential and the suitability of diffusion of alternative systems to avoid dependency on the electrical grid and reduce carbon emissions. This paper aims to evaluate the technical and economic performances of some alternative systems exploiting renewable energy for domestic hot water production. Four different syste…
Experimental Investigation into the Effect of Pyrolysis on Chemical Forms of Heavy Metals in Sewage Sludge Biochar (SSB), with Brief Ecological Risk …
2021
Experimental investigations were carried out to study the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the characteristics, structure and total heavy metal contents of sewage sludge biochar (SSB). The changes in chemical forms of the heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Cd) caused by pyrolysis were analyzed, and the potential ecological risk of heavy metals in biochar (SSB) was evaluated. The conversion of sewage sludge into biochar by pyrolysis reduced the H/C and O/C ratios considerably, resulting in stronger carbonization and a higher degree of aromatic condensation in biochar. Measurement results showed that the pH and specific surface area of biochar increased as the pyrolysis temperature increa…