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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Comparison of different procedures to stabilize biogas formation after process failure in a thermophilic waste digestion system: Influence of aggregate formation on process stability

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mechanism of process recovery with calcium oxide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Formation of insoluble calcium salts with long chain fatty acids and phosphate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adsorption of VFAs by the precipitates resulting in the formation of aggregates. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Acid uptake and phosphate release by the phosphate-accumulating organisms. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microbial degradation of volatile fatty acids in the aggregates. - Abstract: Following a process failure in a full-scale biogas reactor, different counter measures were undertaken to stabilize the process of biogas formation, including the reduction of the organic loading rate, the addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the introduction of calcium oxide (CaO). Corresponding to the results of the process recovery in the full-scale digester, laboratory experiments showed that CaO was more capable of stabilizing the process than NaOH. While both additives were able to raise the pH to a neutral milieu (pH > 7.0), the formation of aggregates was observed particularly when CaO was used as the additive. Scanning electron microscopy investigations revealed calcium phosphate compounds in the core of the aggregates. Phosphate seemed to be released by phosphorus-accumulating organisms, when volatile fatty acids accumulated. The calcium, which was charged by the CaO addition, formed insoluble salts with long chain fatty acids, and caused the precipitation of calcium phosphate compounds. These aggregates were surrounded by a white layer of carbon rich organic matter, probably consisting of volatile fatty acids. Thus, during the process recovery with CaO, the decrease in the amount of accumulated acids in the liquid phase was likely enabled by (1) the formation of insoluble calcium salts with long chain fatty acids, (2) the adsorption of volatile fatty acids by the precipitates, (3) the acid uptake by phosphorus-accumulating organisms and (4) the degradation of volatile fatty acids in the aggregates. Furthermore, this mechanism enabled a stable process performance after re-activation of biogas production. In contrast, during the counter measure with NaOH aggregate formation was only minor resulting in a rapid process failure subsequent the increase of the organic loading rate.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2012

HYDROGEN CYANIDE IN THE MURCHISON METEORITE

Carbonaceous chondrites are meteorites that may contain abundant organic materials, including soluble compounds as diverse as amino acids and hydrocarbons. We report here the finding of hydrogen cyanide in the Murchison meteorite in amounts {<=} 10 ppm. HCN was never searched for in meteorites and its detection in sizeable amount is surprising in view of the extensive water phase that is recorded by the petrology of this type of meteorites and could have exhausted their HCN content through multiple reactions. The finding adds to the inventory of simple volatile molecules found in both comets and meteorites.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Adsorption of volatile organic compounds in porous metal-organic frameworks functionalized by polyoxometalates

The functionalization of porous metal-organic frameworks (Cu{sub 3}(BTC){sub 2}) was achieved by incorporating Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs), and further optimized via alkali metal ion-exchange. In addition to thermal gravimetric analysis, IR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and powder X-ray diffraction, the adsorption properties were characterized by N{sub 2} and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption measurements, including short-chain alcohols (C<4), cyclohexane, benzene, and toluene. The adsorption enthalpies estimated by the modified Clausius-Clapeyron equation provided insight into the impact of POMs and alkali metal cations on the adsorption of VOCs. The introduction of POMs not only improved the stability, but also brought the increase of adsorption capacity by strengthening the interaction with gas molecules. Furthermore, the exchanged alkali metal cations acted as active sites to interact with adsorbates and enhanced the adsorption of VOCs. - Graphical Abstract: The adsorption behavior of volatile organic compounds in porous metal-organic frameworks functionalized by polyoxometalates has been systematically evaluated. Highlights: > Functionalization of MOFs was achieved by incorporating Keggin-type POMs. > Introduction of POMs improved the thermal stability and adsorption capacity. > Alkali metal ion-exchange modified the inclusion state and also enhanced the adsorption. > Adsorption enthalpies were estimated to study the impact of POMs and alkali metal cations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Study of the VOC emissions from a municipal solid waste storage pilot-scale cell: Comparison with biogases from municipal waste landfill site

Highlights: > Follow-up of the emission of VOCs in a municipal waste pilot-scale cell during the acidogenesis and acetogenesis phases. > Study from the very start of waste storage leading to a better understanding of the decomposition/degradation of waste. > Comparison of the results obtained on the pilot-scale cell with those from 3 biogases coming from the same landfill site. > A methodology of characterization for the progression of the stabilization/maturation of waste is finally proposed. - Abstract: The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from municipal solid waste stored in a pilot-scale cell containing 6.4 tonnes of waste (storage facility which is left open during the first period (40 days) and then closed with recirculation of leachates during a second period (100 days)) was followed by dynamic sampling on activated carbon and analysed by GC-MS after solvent extraction. This was done in order to know the VOC emissions before the installation of a methanogenesis process for the entire waste mass. The results, expressed in reference to toluene, were exploited during the whole study on all the analyzable VOCs: alcohols, ketones and esters, alkanes, benzenic and cyclic compounds, chlorinated compounds, terpene, and organic sulphides. The results of this study on the pilot-scale cell are then compared with those concerning three biogases from a municipal waste landfill: biogas (1) coming from waste cells being filled or recently closed, biogas (2) from all the waste storage cells on site, and biogas (3) which is a residual gas from old storage cells without aspiration of the gas. The analysis of the results obtained revealed: (i) a high emission of VOCs, principally alcohols, ketones and esters during the acidogenesis; (ii) a decrease in the alkane content and an increase in the terpene content were observed in the VOCs emitted during the production of methane; (iii) the production of heavier alkanes and an increase in the average number of carbon atoms per molecule of alkane with the progression of the stabilisation/maturation process were also observed. Previous studies have concentrated almost on the analysis of biogases from landfills. Our research aimed at gaining a more complete understanding of the decomposition/degradation of municipal solid waste by measuring the VOCs emitted from the very start of the landfill process i.e. during the acidogenesis and acetogenesis phases.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Data Report for Monitoring at Six West Virginia Marcellus Shale Development Sites using NETL’s Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory (July–November 2012)

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Oil and Gas was directed according to the Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act of December 14, 2011 (West Virginia Code §22-6A) to conduct studies of horizontal well drilling activities related to air quality. The planned study, “Noise, Light, Dust, Volatile Organic Compounds Related to Well Location Restrictions,” required determination of the effectiveness of a 625 ft minimum set-back from the center of the pad of a horizontal well drilling site to the nearest occupied dwelling. An investigation was conducted at seven drilling sites by West Virginia University (WVU) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to collect data on dust, hydrocarbon compounds and on noise, radiation, and light levels. NETL’s role in this study was to collect measurements of ambient pollutant concentrations at six of the seven selected sites using NETL’s Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory. The trailer-based laboratory was situated a distance of 492–1,312 ft from each well pad, on which activities included well pad construction, vertical drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flaring, with the objective of evaluating the air quality impact of each activity for 1–4 weeks per site. Measured pollutants included volatile organic compounds (VOCs), coarse and fine particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively), ozone, methane (CH 4 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon isotopes of CH 4 and CO 2 , organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ).

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Seeking to enhance the bioenergy of municipal sludge: Effect of alkali pre-treatment and soluble organic matter supplementation

Highlights: • Bioenergy of municipal waste has been studied. •Glycerine addition (GA) improved the methane production (MP). • GA not affected the pH sludge and organic matter content of the effluent. • GA not affected the stability of the reactor: ratio volatile fatty acid/Alkalinity was <0.4. • Alkali pre-treatment improved the sludge biodegradability. - Abstract: The aim of this research is to enhance the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal sludge from Cadiz-San Fernando (Spain) wastewater treatment plant at 20 days hydraulic retention time (HRT). Two different strategies were tested to improve the process: co-digestion with the addition of soluble organic matter (1% v/v); and alkali sludge pre-treatment (NaOH) prior to co-digestion with glycerine (1% v/v). Methane production (MP) was substantially enhanced (from 0.36 ± 0.09 L CH{sub 4} l/d to 0.85 ± 0.16 L CH{sub 4} l/d), as was specific methane production (SMP) (from 0.20 ± 0.05 L CH{sub 4}/g VS to 0.49 ± 0.09 L CH{sub 4}/g VS) when glycerine was added. The addition of glycerine does not seem to affect sludge stability, the quality of the effluent in terms of pH and organic matter content, i.e. volatile fatty acids (VFA), soluble organic matter and total volatile solid, or process stability (VFA/Alkalinity ratio < 0.4). Alkali pre-treatment prior to co-digestion resulted in a high increase in soluble organic loading rates (more than 20%) and acidification yield (more than 50%). At 20 days HRT, however, it led to overload of the system and total destabilization of the mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and glycerine.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Estimation of abatement potentials and costs of air pollution emissions in China

Understanding the air pollution emission abatement potential and associated control cost is a prerequisite to design cost ef?cient control policies. In this study, a linear programming algorithm model, International Control Cost Estimate Tool, was updated with cost data for applications of 56 types of end-of-pipe technologies and ?ve types of renewable energy in 10 major sectors namely power generation, industry combustion, cement pro-duction, iron and steel production, other industry processes, domestic combustion, transportation, solvent use, livestock rearing, and fertilizer use. The updated model was implemented to estimate the abatement potential and marginal cost of multiple pollutants in China. The total maximum abatement potentials of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), primary particulate matter (PM2.5), non-volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), and ammonia (NH3) in China were estimated to be 19.2, 20.8, 9.1, 17.2 and 8.6 Mt, respectively, which accounted for 89.7%, 89.9%, 94.6%, 74.0%, and 80.2% of their total emissions in 2014, respectively. The associated control cost of such reductions was estimated as 92.5, 469.7, 75.7, 449.0, and 361.8 billion CNY in SO2, NOx, primary PM2.5, NMVOCs and NH3, respectively. Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces exhibited large abatement potentials for all pollutants. Provincial disparity analysis shows that high GDP regions tend to have higher reduction potential and total abatement costs. End-of-pipe technologies tended be a cost-ef?cient way to control pollution in industries processes (i.e., cement plants, iron and steel plants, lime production, building ceramic production, glass and brick production), whereas such technologies were less cost- effective in fossil fuel-related sectors (i.e., power plants, industry combustion, domestic combustion, and transportation) compared with renewable energy. The abatement potentials and marginal abatement cost curves developed in this study can further be used as a crucial component in an integrated model to design optimized cost-ef?cient control policies.

Zhang, Fenfen↗
DOE OSTI2023

Midlatitude Ozone Depletion and Air Quality Impacts from Industrial Halogen Emissions in the Great Salt Lake Basin

We report aircraft observations of extreme levels of HCl and the dihalogens Cl 2 , Br 2 , and BrCl in an industrial plume near the Great Salt Lake, Utah. Complete depletion of O 3 was observed concurrently with halogen enhancements as a direct result of photochemically produced halogen radicals. Observed fluxes for Cl 2 , HCl, and NO x agreed with facility-reported emissions inventories. Bromine emissions are not required to be reported in the inventory, but are estimated as 173 Mg year –1 Br 2 and 949 Mg year –1 BrCl, representing a major uncounted oxidant source. A zero-dimensional photochemical box model reproduced the observed O 3 depletions and demonstrated that bromine radical cycling was principally responsible for the rapid O 3 depletion. Inclusion of observed halogen emissions in both the box model and a 3D chemical model showed significant increases in oxidants and particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in the populated regions of the Great Salt Lake Basin, where winter PM 2.5 is among the most severe air quality issues in the U.S. The model shows regional PM 2.5 increases of 10%–25% attributable to this single industrial halogen source, demonstrating the impact of underreported industrial bromine emissions on oxidation sources and air quality within a major urban area of the western U.S.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Assessing Potential Air Pollutant Emissions from Agricultural Feedstock Production using MOVES

Biomass feedstock production is expected to grow as demand for biofuels and bioenergy increases. The change in air pollutant emissions that may result from large-scale biomass supply has implications for local air quality and human health. We developed spatially explicit emissions inventories for corn grain and six cellulosic feedstocks through the extension of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Feedstock Production Emissions to Air Model (FPEAM). These inventories include emissions of seven pollutants (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur oxides, and carbon monoxide) generated from biomass establishment, maintenance, harvest, transportation, and biofuel preprocessing activities. By integrating the EPA's MOtor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) into FPEAM, we created a scalable framework to execute county-level runs of the MOVES-Onroad model for representative counties (i.e., those counties with the largest amount of cellulosic feedstock production in each state) on a national scale. We used these results to estimate emissions from the on-road transportation of biomass and combined them with county-level runs of the MOVES-Nonroad model to estimate emissions from agricultural equipment. We also incorporated documented emission factors to estimate emissions from chemical application and the operation of drying equipment for feedstock processing, and used methods developed by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board to estimate fugitive dust emissions. The model developed here could be applied to custom equipment budgets and is extensible to accommodate additional feedstocks and pollutants. Future work will also extend this model to analyze spatial boundaries beyond the county-scale (e.g., regional or sub-county levels).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Spatially Explicit Modeling of Criteria Air Pollutants from Agricultural and Forestry Feedstock Production

The Feedstock Production Emissions to Air Model (FPEAM) is a spatially explicit supply chain model that quantifies criteria air pollutants and precursors generated by biomass production, harvest and transportation to biorefineries. FPEAM was most recently used for the 2016 Billion Ton Study (BTS) published by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office. This presentation describes several use cases for the model, and provides an overview of recent restructuring that increases FPEAM's usability and functionality. FPEAM currently estimates emissions of volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and carbon monoxide from on-farm equipment operation, on-farm fugitive dust, on-farm chemical (fertilizer, herbicide and insecticide) application, and biomass transportation. These calculations are implemented within FPEAM as modules, which independently perform calculations for each emissions category. This structure allows users to include or exclude emissions categories according to the goal and scope of their analysis. Each module's input data defines the activities taking place with information including fuel combusted, chemicals applied, and equipment used. Users can replace or augment the default input data to quantify additional pollutant types, emissions categories, farming practices and biomass types. Emissions from biomass transportation and on-farm equipment operation are by default calculated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) and NONROAD model, respectively. These models - which are computationally intensive but provide detailed results - can optionally be replaced with user-provided emissions factors for fuel combustion and vehicle operation. This approach reduces FPEAM's runtime and allows users to run sensitivity analyses around biomass production and transportation scenarios. Other enhancements currently under development are the use of farm-to-biorefinery route information to increase the spatial resolution of transportation emissions, and a module to connect FPEAM and the Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP), which will enable the quantification of human health impacts.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Data-Driven Modeling of Spatially Explicit Air Pollutant Inventories for Agricultural and Forestry Feedstock Production

As biomass feedstock production expands, air pollutants generated from feedstock supply chain activities may impact air quality and human health. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Feedstock Production Emissions to Air Model (FPEAM) generates county-scale inventories of direct air pollutant emissions produced by feedstock supply chain activities. FPEAM can also be used to generate local, temporally resolved inventories for input into air quality models. This presentation provides an overview of FPEAM functionality and discusses several recent use cases prior to FPEAM's scheduled public release in September 2019. FPEAM is a modular, data-driven model. Each module contains calculations for an activity type, except for the feedstock transportation and on-farm equipment operation modules which connect to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) and Nonroad models, respectively. The data-driven aspect of FPEAM means that it is the input data provided for a scenario rather than the model itself that determines the pollutants and supply chain activities included in the scenario scope. Modules within FPEAM can also be turned on or off manually to adjust the scenario scope. Default input data packaged with the FPEAM code base can be used to calculate inventories of volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and carbon monoxide generated by agricultural and forestry equipment operation, application of nitrogenous fertilizers, herbicide and insecticide, and feedstock transportation. Custom, user-developed data can be used in place of the default data to analyze scenarios with additional or alternate feedstocks, pollutants, and supply chain activities.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1978

Precondensed matter - Key to the early solar system

Explicit astrophysical details are developed for the hypothesis that chemical and isotopic anomalies in primitive solar-system samples reflect routine initial chemical conditions within precondensed matter. The central feature of this theory concerns the chemical state of presolar dust, which is regarded as never having been vaporized in the region where the most chemically primitive samples (carbonaceous meteorites) accumulated. It is suggested that the initial chemical state of heavy atoms during meteorite and planetary accumulation was distributed between a refractory-mineral component from high-temperature condensation and a volatile component resulting from cold matter adhering to preexisting grains. Thermal conditions in the solar nebula are considered along with the existence of supernova condensates and other thermal condensates in the interstellar dust. Fractionation into volatile and refractory elements is idealized in terms of four distinct interstellar components, and the fractionated precondensed matter is described.

Clayton, D. D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Application of Atmospheric Gases and Particulate Matter to the Assessment of Urban Heat Island

Background: Urban heat island (UHI), where built areas are warmer compared to non-urban regions, increases human related diseases and mortality. A key challenge in UHI analysis is the designation of sites as urban or suburban/rural; however, the growing complexity of green spaces in urban areas and the predominance of the transportation sector in nonurban areas creates a dilemma for distinct delineation. Objectives: This study aims to utilize the variability of atmospheric components such as particulate matter (PM), inorganic gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as direct tracers of the degree of urbanization for ground-based measurements to fully comprehend UHI in convoluted regions with indistinct delineation of urban and nonurban environments. Methods: Atmospheric gases and aerosols were used as direct tracers of urbanization for UHI analysis. Inorganic gases and particulate matter were monitored in two sites in a southeastern US city with varying degrees of urbanization. VOCs were analyzed using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results: The more-urbanized site exhibited warmer night conditions and elevated total oxidant levels, leading to the formation of nanometer-sized particles. Machine learning analysis revealed similar atmospheric pollutant profiles for both sites, suggesting comparable sources and variability. Biogenic VOCs were enhanced at the less-urbanized site; however, levels of anthropogenic aromatic VOCs were comparable for both sites. A comprehensive mass spectra analysis revealed distinct molecular backbones per site that further affirmed the applicability of VOCs as indicators of urbanization. Conclusion: This study concludes that VOCs provide more direct and accurate information than typical inorganic gases and PM parameters for characterizing the degree of urbanization. Further exploration of VOCs can enhance our understanding of UHI dynamics and its interaction with vegetation in urban green spaces.

Air quality sensor↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) Field Experiment

The Alaskan Layered Pollution And Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) field experiment was a collaborative study designed to improve understanding of pollution sources and chemical processes during winter (cold climate and low-photochemical activity), to investigate indoor pollution, and to study dispersion of pollution as affected by frequent temperature inversions. A number of the research goals were motivated by questions raised by residents of Fairbanks, Alaska, where the study was held. This paper describes the measurement strategies and the conditions encountered during the January and February 2022 field experiment, and reports early examples of how the measurements addressed research goals, particularly those of interest to the residents. Outdoor air measurements showed high concentrations of particulate matter and pollutant gases including volatile organic carbon species. During pollution events, low winds and extremely stable atmospheric conditions trapped pollution below 73 m, an extremely shallow vertical scale. Tethered-balloon-based measurements intercepted plumes aloft, which were associated with power plant point sources through transport modeling. Because cold climate residents spend much of their time indoors, the study included an indoor air quality component, where measurements were made inside and outside a house to study infiltration and indoor sources. In the absence of indoor activities such as cooking and/or heating with a pellet stove, indoor particulate matter concentrations were lower than outdoors; however, cooking and pellet stove burns often caused higher indoor particulate matter concentrations than outdoors. The mass-normalized particulate matter oxidative potential, a health-relevant property measured here by the reactivity with dithiothreiol, of indoor particles varied by source, with cooking particles having less oxidative potential per mass than pellet stove particles.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Collaborative Lubricating Oil Study on Emissions: November 28, 2006 - March 31, 2011

The Collaborative Lubricating Oil Study on Emissions (CLOSE) project was a pilot investigation of how fuels and crankcase lubricants contribute to the formation of particulate matter (PM) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) in vehicle exhaust. As limited vehicles were tested, results are not representative of the whole on-road fleet. Long-term effects were not investigated. Pairs ofvehicles (one normal PM emitting, one high-PM emitting) from four categories were selected: light-duty (LD) gasoline cars, medium-duty (MD) diesel trucks, heavy-duty (HD) natural-gas-fueled buses, and HD diesel buses. HD vehicles procured did not exhibit higher PM emissions, and thus were labeled high mileage (HM). Fuels evaluated were non-ethanol gasoline (E0), 10 percent ethanol (E10),conventional low-sulfur TxLED diesel, 20% biodiesel (B20), and natural gas. Temperature effects (20 degrees F, 72 degrees F) were evaluated on LD and MD vehicles. Lubricating oil vintage effects (fresh and aged) were evaluated on all vehicles. LD and MD vehicles were operated on a dynamometer over the California Unified Driving Cycle, while HD vehicles followed the Heavy Duty Urban DynamometerDriving Schedule. Regulated and unregulated emissions were measured. Chemical markers from the unregulated emissions measurements and a tracer were utilized to estimate the lubricant contribution to PM.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Burn parameters affect PAH emissions at conditions relevant for prescribed fires

Wildfire smoke is a health hazard as it contains carcinogenic volatile compounds and fine particulate matter. In particular, exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a major concern, since these compounds have been recognized as important contributors to the overall carcinogenic risk. In this work, gas and particle-phase PAH emissions from combustion of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) were quantified using time-of-flight mass spectrometry over a range of burn conditions representative of wildfires and prescribed fires, including fuel moisture, heat flux, and oxygen concentration. We found that changing the burn environment lead to a variability of up to 77% in phenanthrene/anthracene emissions. This could explain a large part of the variability in PAH emission factors from biomass combustion reported in the literature. Here, we found that optimal conditions for fuel moisture content of 20–30%, sample heat load of 60 - 70 kW m -2 , and oxygen concentrations of 5–15% can significantly reduce the emissions of heavy molar weight PAHs. Our analysis showed that the relative carcinogenic risk from PAH exposure can be reduced by more than 50% under optimal conditions. In light of the increasing use of prescribed fire for forest management, the relationship between emissions and burn conditions that we have established provides a guidance for assessing the expected health impact from prescription burns, and can inform strategies to reduce PAH emissions from prescribed fire activities.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2020

The 2020 plasma catalysis roadmap

Abstract Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various gas conversion applications, such as CO 2 conversion into value-added chemicals and fuels, CH 4 activation into hydrogen, higher hydrocarbons or oxygenates, and NH 3 synthesis. Other applications are already more established, such as for air pollution control, e.g. volatile organic compound remediation, particulate matter and NO x removal. In addition, plasma is also very promising for catalyst synthesis and treatment. Plasma catalysis clearly has benefits over ‘conventional’ catalysis, as outlined in the Introduction. However, a better insight into the underlying physical and chemical processes is crucial. This can be obtained by experiments applying diagnostics, studying both the chemical processes at the catalyst surface and the physicochemical mechanisms of plasma-catalyst interactions, as well as by computer modeling. The key challenge is to design cost-effective, highly active and stable catalysts tailored to the plasma environment. Therefore, insight from thermal catalysis as well as electro- and photocatalysis is crucial. All these aspects are covered in this Roadmap paper, written by specialists in their field, presenting the state-of-the-art, the current and future challenges, as well as the advances in science and technology needed to meet these challenges.

Bogaerts, Annemie (ORCID:0000000198756460)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Can we achieve atmospheric chemical environments in the laboratory? An integrated model-measurement approach to chamber SOA studies

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), atmospheric particulate matter formed from low-volatility products of volatile organic compound (VOC) oxidation, affects both air quality and climate. Current 3D models, however, cannot reproduce the observed variability in atmospheric organic aerosol. Because many SOA model descriptions are derived from environmental chamber experiments, our ability to represent atmospheric conditions in chambers directly affects our ability to assess the air quality and climate impacts of SOA. Here, we develop an approach that leverages global modeling and detailed mechanisms to design chamber experiments that mimic the atmospheric chemistry of organic peroxy radicals (RO 2 ), a key intermediate in VOC oxidation. Drawing on decades of laboratory experiments, we develop a framework for quantitatively describing RO 2 chemistry and show that no previous experimental approaches to studying SOA formation have accessed the relevant atmospheric RO 2 fate distribution. We show proof-of-concept experiments that demonstrate how SOA experiments can access a range of atmospheric chemical environments and propose several directions for future studies.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗