Search Results (84)

With the increasing demand for hazardous materials (hazmat) from enterprises, port chemical industrial parks face growing risks in hazardous material transportation. By using internal road network information of parks, this study investigates the hazmat vehicle routing problem (HVRP) under different road conditions, with a bi-objective of minimizing total transportation risk and cost. The two main innovations are as follows. First, according to the grid-like road conditions in parks, the research scope of transportation segments of hazmat vehicles is divided into straight segments and curved segments. Second, the potential affected area of an accident is defined as a type of geometric shape associated with a series of factors refined from transportation situations. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed two-stage ant colony optimization (TSACO) algorithm is verified through one instance using field data from a real port chemical industry park, and twelve instances from the classical capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) resource. Full article

The rapid clustering of Chemical Industrial Parks (CIPs) has escalated the risk of cascading disasters (e.g., toxic leaks and explosions), underscoring the need for resilient emergency logistics systems. However, traditional two-stage optimization models often yield suboptimal outcomes due to decoupled facility location and routing decisions. To address this issue, we propose a unified mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model that integrates site selection and routing decisions in a single framework. The model accounts for multi-source supply allocation, enforces minimum safety distance constraints, and incorporates heterogeneous economic factors (e.g., regional land costs) to ensure risk-aware, cost-efficient planning. Two deployment scenarios are considered: (1) incremental augmentation of an existing emergency network and (2) full network reconstruction after a systemic failure. Simulations on a regional CIP cluster (2400 × 2400 km) were conducted to validate the model. The integrated approach reduced facility and operational costs by 9.77% (USD 13.68 million saved) in the incremental scenario and achieved a 15.10% (USD 21.13 million saved) total cost reduction over decoupled planning in the reconstruction scenario while maintaining an 8 km minimum safety distance. This integrated approach can enhance cost-effectiveness and strengthen the resilience of high-risk industrial emergency response networks. Overall, the proposed modeling framework, which integrates spatial constraints, time-sensitive supply mechanisms, and disruption risk considerations, is not only tailored for hazardous chemical zones but also exhibits strong potential for adaptation to a variety of high-risk scenarios, such as natural disasters, industrial accidents, or critical infrastructure failures. Full article

Reverse osmosis (RO) concentrated water can be effectively treated with catalytic ozone oxidation technology, an effective advanced oxidation process. In order to provide a thorough reference for the safe treatment and reuse of RO concentrated water, this paper examines the properties of RO concentrated water, such as its high salt content, high levels of organic pollutants, and low biochemistry. It also examines the mechanism of its role in treating RO concentrated water and combs through its applications in municipal, petrochemical, coal chemical, industrial parks, and other industries. The study demonstrates that ozone oxidation technology can efficiently eliminate the organic matter that is difficult to break down in RO concentrated water and lower treatment energy consumption; however, issues with free radical inhibitor interference, catalyst recovery, and stability still affect its use. Future research into multi-technology synergistic processes, the development of stable and effective non-homogeneous catalysts, and the promotion of their use at the “zero discharge” scale for industrial wastewater are all imperative. Full article

Chemical leakage accidents in chemical industrial parks pose significant threats to personnel safety, particularly during evacuation processes, where individual behavior and evacuation strategies have a considerable impact on overall efficiency. This study takes a leakage incident at an alkylation unit as a case study. First, ALOHA5.4.7 software was used to simulate the influence of meteorological conditions across different seasons on the dispersion range of toxic gases, thereby generating an annual comprehensive risk zone distribution map. Subsequently, different evacuation scenarios were constructed in Pathfinder2024.1.0605, with the integration of trigger mechanisms to simulate individual behaviors during evacuation, such as variations in risk perception and peer influence. Furthermore, this study expanded the conventional application scope of Pathfinder—typically limited to small-scale building evacuations—by successfully adapting it for large-scale evacuation simulations in chemical industrial parks. The feasibility of such simulations was thereby demonstrated, highlighting the software’s potential. According to the simulation results, exit configuration, shelter placement, and individual behavior modeling significantly affect the total evacuation time. This study provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance for emergency response planning in chemical industrial parks. Full article

Although the risks of microplastics (MPs) and plasticizers have received attention, plastic chemical parks, as an important source of them, lack adequate research. A river in eastern China that connects to Hangzhou Bay and receives wastewater from the plastics industry was targeted for investigation. The highest concentrations of MPs in water and sediment samples were found at the effluent (2250 ± 469 items/L and 3245 ± 430 items/kg, respectively). The WWTP effluent significantly increased the concentrations of MPs in the downstream water and sediments, which were 2.77 and 2.57 times higher than those in the upstream water, respectively. It was estimated that 2.24 × 10¹³ MPs entered the environment annually through wastewater discharge. The di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) concentration was the highest at the effluent (32.6 ± 7.9 μg/L in water and 2.7 ± 3.4 μg/g in sediment), and the downstream DEHP concentrations were 3.37 and 2.41 times higher than those in the upstream water and sediment, respectively. All three risk assessment models showed that the WWTP discharge outlet had the highest risk of MPs. DEHP in 87.5% of sediment samples posed a medium risk to algae. Full article

Industrial parks are well-known as a critical intervention point for global carbon emission reductions due to the high carbon emissions emitted. Conducting carbon accounting research in these parks can provide more precise foundational data for carbon reduction initiatives, promoting low-carbon industrial park development. However, industrial parks, positioned as non-independent accounting units between provincial and industry levels, face severe challenges due to ambiguous boundaries, complex accounting entities, and data selection difficulties that significantly impact the carbon accounting accuracy. This study employed the IPCC emission factor method for industrial parks, taking its management structure as the accounting boundary. Additionally, we constructed a carbon accounting method and representation system by considering the carbon emission flow path and integrating the correlation between pollutant and carbon emissions. By categorizing carbon emissions into five groups, this study obtained emissions from fuel combustion (E1), industrial processes (E2), purchased/sold electricity (E3), purchased/sold heat (E4), and carbon-sequestering products (E5). Between 2016 and 2021, the industrial park’s carbon emissions fell from 15.0783 to 6.7152 million tons, while the intensity dropped from 4.86 to 1.91 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per CNY 10,000. The park achieved dual control targets for the total carbon emissions and intensity, with E2 being the main reduction source (70% of total). Meanwhile, total atmospheric pollutants decreased from 9466.19 to 1736.70 tons, with C25 and C26 industries contributing over 99%. In particular, C26 achieved significant reductions in nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), aiding pollution mitigation. A strong positive correlation was found between pollutants and carbon emissions, especially in C26, SO₂ (0.77), and NO_x (0.89), suggesting NO_x as a more suitable carbon emission indicator during chemical production. These findings offer a theoretical framework for using pollutant monitoring to characterize carbon emissions and support decision-making for sustainable industrial development. Full article

To characterize the temporal variation in and source contribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a polymer industrial park, a two-year offline monitoring campaign (2018–2019) at Shangyu Industrial Park in the Yangtze River Delta was conducted. The study quantified the VOCs composition, seasonal variation, and ozone formation potential (OFP), with source apportionment performed using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. During the observation period, the average concentration of total VOCs in 2019 was 286.1 ppb, showing a 22.6% reduction compared to that in 2018. Seasonal analysis revealed decreases in the total VOCs concentration by 41.8%, 38.4%, and 6.1% during spring, summer and winter, respectively, while an increase of 13.8% was observed in autumn, primarily attributed to industrial restructuring in the second half of 2019. Notable reductions were observed in specific VOCs components: oxygen-containing volatile organic compounds (OVOCs), alkane, halogenated hydrocarbon, alkene, and alkyne decreased by 34.5%, 27.9%, 26.3%, 24.6%, and 20.4%, respectively. The average OFP in 2019 was 2402.0 μg/m³, representing a 1.8% reduction from 2018. Contributions to total OFP from alkane, OVOCs, alkyne, and alkene decreased by 32.9%, 26.0%, 20.7%, and 15.0%, respectively, while halogenated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons increased by 50.1% and 7.0%. PMF analysis identified four major VOCs sources: industrial production (44.9%), biomass combustion (17.8%), vehicle exhaust (11.0%), and solvent usage (26.3%). From 2018 to 2019, contributions from vehicle exhaust and solvent usage increased by 4.8% and 5.9%, respectively, while industrial production and biomass combustion decreased by 10.5% and 0.3%. Full article

In response to the pressing need for long-range, non-contact detection in hazardous gas leakage monitoring within chemical industrial parks, this study proposes a gas detection algorithm based on an infrared radiation physical model that utilizes dual-band infrared radiation background reconstruction. The proposed method addresses the issues of the existing detection methods’ lack of physical model support. First, appropriate filter wavelength ranges are selected based on the absorption spectral characteristics of the target gas. Subsequently, a physical model incorporating atmospheric attenuation, background radiation, and gas absorption properties is established based on gas radiative transfer theory. The non-absorption band data are then employed to reconstruct the theoretical background radiation of the absorption band. Furthermore, leveraging the synergistic observation advantages of a dual-band infrared imaging system, gas morphology identification is achieved by inverting the difference between the theoretical background and the actual measured values in the absorption band. Experimental results demonstrate that this method enables gas morphology detection through background reconstruction without requiring pre-collected gas-free background images. By implementing dual-band infrared radiation background reconstruction, this study achieves effective gas detection, providing a reliable technical approach for real-time monitoring and early warning of industrial gas leaks. The proposed algorithm enhances detection capabilities, offering significant potential for applications in industrial safety and environmental monitoring. Full article

This study employs a plasma-coupled calcium peroxide (CaO₂) system to degrade tetracycline (TC) and remove phosphorus from emergency wastewater in a chemical industry park. The plasma/CaO₂ system achieves optimal performance when the CaO₂ dosage reaches 0.13 g/L. Higher degradation efficiencies of TC were observed at increased discharge voltages, frequencies, and under weakly acidic and weakly alkaline conditions. Variations in discharge voltage and frequency have no significant impact on the phosphorus removal efficiency, but weakly alkaline conditions favor phosphorus removal. The reactive species (·OH, ¹O₂, O₂·⁻) within the plasma/CaO₂ system were identified, and their roles were elucidated using radical scavengers. Subsequently, the degradation process was characterized by measuring changes in total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and ammonia nitrogen during the reaction, along with three-dimensional fluorescence analysis and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Eight intermediate products were identified through LC-MS, and two degradation pathways were clarified based on density functional theory. The toxicity analysis of the intermediate products demonstrated that the plasma/CaO₂ system is an efficient, feasible, and environmentally friendly method for the synchronous removal of organic pollutants and phosphorus from emergency wastewater in a chemical industry park. Full article

Sludge is a semi-solid waste generated during the process of wastewater treatment. Due to the addition of polymerized ferric chloride in the flocculation process, the sludge produced by the sewage treatment plant in Liaocheng Jiaming Industrial Park contains a high content of iron oxide. In this paper, chemical analysis and particle size analysis of local sludge and sludge ash were conducted. In order to assess the potential of substituting cement as cementitious material with different dosages of sludge or sludge ash with high iron oxide content, setting time, compressive strength, microscopic analysis using microscopic testing (XRD, TG/DTG, SEM) and a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) were analyzed. These procedures determined the physical properties, compressive strength, hydration products, microstructure, and heavy metal contaminants of cement slurries replaced by local sludge or sludge ash with different dosages of high iron oxide content. The results show that less than 5% of local sludge or sludge ash can be incorporated into cement slurry as an alternative cementitious material for solid waste disposal. Full article

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic organic compounds that were widely used in industrial applications throughout the 20th century. Due to their chemical stability, resistance to degradation and ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify through food chains, PCBs pose long-term environmental and health risks. Due to these characteristics, PCBs have been globally regulated as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), despite being banned from production in most countries decades ago. This study investigates temporal trends in PCB contamination in urban soils of Bucharest over a 20-year period (2002–2022), focusing on six principal congeners (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) sampled from 13 locations, including roadsides and urban parks. Gas chromatography and spatial analysis using inverse distance weighting (IDW) revealed a marked reduction in Σ6PCB concentrations, declining from 0.0159 mg/kg in 2002 to 0.0065 mg/kg in 2022, with statistically significant differences confirmed by Kruskal–Wallis analysis (p < 0.05). This decline is primarily attributed to reduced emissions, source control measures, and natural attenuation. However, the persistence of PCBs in localized hotspots is influenced by secondary dispersion mechanisms, such as atmospheric deposition and surface runoff, which redistribute contaminants rather than eliminate them. Health risk assessments via ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation routes confirmed negligible carcinogenic risk for both adults and children. Although measurable progress has been achieved, the persistence of localized contamination underscores the need for targeted remediation strategies and sustained environmental monitoring to protect vulnerable urban areas from recontamination. Full article

Chelidonium majus L. is a species with a wide medicinal use, commonly found in anthropogenically degraded habitats, forest edges, and urban parks. This study aimed to determine the chemical composition of the leaves, stems, and roots of Ch. majus and the soil in its rhizosphere in terms of the content of the main elements (Fe, Ca, P, Mg, Al, Na, K, S), trace elements and rare earth minerals (Ti, Mo, Ag, U, Au, Th, Sb, Bi, V, La, B, W, Sc, Tl, Se, Te, Ga, Cs, Ge, Hf, Nb, Rb, Sn, Ta, Zr, Y, Ce, In, Be, and Li), and their comparison in the parts analyzed. The study was conducted in five urban parks in southern Poland in a historically industrialized area. The results showed that Ca has the highest content among the macroelements. Its leaf content ranges from 24,700 to 40,700 mg·kg⁻¹, while in soil, it ranges from 6500 to 15,000 mg·kg⁻¹. In leaves, low values of Al (100–500 mg·kg⁻¹) and Na (100 mg·kg⁻¹) were found in comparison to the other elements tested, while high values of Al (5100–9800 mg·kg⁻¹) were found in soils. Among the macroelements in the Ch. majus stems, K showed the highest concentration (>100,000 mg·kg⁻¹), while the Ca content was 3–4 times lower in the stems than in the leaves. Rhizomes of Ch. majus accumulate the most K and Ca, in the range of 22,800–29,900 mg·kg⁻¹ and 5400–8900 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. Fe and Al in all locations have higher values in the soil than in the tissues. In turn, the content of Ca, P, Mg, K, and S is higher in plants than in the soil. Determining the elemental content of medicinal plants is important information, as the plant draws these elements from the soil, and, at higher levels of toxicity, it may indicate that the plant should not be taken from this habitat for medicinal purposes. Full article

The residual emerging pollutants in secondary effluent from a chemical industry park contain potential risks for natural waters. Herein, the cobalt ferrite/peracetic acid system was employed to destroy aniline, a typical emerging pollutant, with a reaction rate of 0.0147 min⁻¹ at pH 7.0. Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) served as the predominant reactive species for aniline degradation, with superoxide radicals (O₂⁻) and organic radicals (R-O) acting in secondary roles. The valence transition between Co(II) and Co(III) on the CoFe₂O₄ surface played a determining role in the reaction progression. The presence of anions and humic acids with low concentrations had minimal impact on aniline removal. Additionally, the CoFe₂O₄ catalyst demonstrated excellent recyclability, maintaining a pollutant removal rate above 93% over five consecutive cycles. Lastly, the CoFe₂O₄/PAA system demonstrates effective treatment of typical pollutants, including phenolic compounds, pesticides, antibiotics, and dyes, achieving removal rates of 77.48% to 99.99%. Furthermore, it significantly enhances water quality in the treatment of actual secondary effluent, offering a novel theoretical foundation and practical insights for applying this catalytic system in wastewater treatment. Full article

Emergency resource scheduling is a critical facet of disaster management, particularly within the complex environments of chemical parks. A model with multiple disaster sites, multiple rescue sites, and multiple emergency resources was constructed considering the problem of resource scheduling in chemical parks during disasters. The optimization objectives include minimizing the emergency rescuing time and the total scheduling expense. An improved bacterial foraging optimization (IBFO) algorithm was proposed to satisfy these two objectives simultaneously. This algorithm leverages the symmetry inherent in the structure of resource scheduling problems, particularly in balancing the trade-off between local exploitation and global search. The loop structure was enhanced, information interaction between bacteria was incorporated to provide better guidance in the chemotaxis operator, and the migration operator was reconstructed to strengthen the local exploitation in potential optima areas while maintaining global searching capability. The symmetrical nature of the problem allows for more efficient optimization by better exploiting patterns within the solution space. The experimental results show that the IBFO algorithm demonstrates improved convergence accuracy and faster convergence speed compared with the original bacterial foraging optimization, particle swarm optimization, and genetic algorithm. These findings confirm that the IBFO algorithm effectively solves the emergency resource scheduling problem in chemical industry parks by utilizing symmetries to enhance performance. Full article

The rapid development of the global chemical industry has led to widespread groundwater contamination, with frequent pollution incidents posing severe threats to water safety. However, there has been insufficient assessment of the health risks posed by chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination in groundwater around chemical industrial parks. This study evaluates the chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination in groundwater at a chemical park and conducts a multi-pathway health risk assessment, identifying the key risk pollutants. In addition, sensitivity analysis of the primary exposure pathways was performed using the Monte Carlo method. The results indicate severe exceedance of pollutant concentrations with widespread diffusion. Carcinogenic risks were mainly driven by vinyl chloride, whose oral cancer slope factor was significantly higher than that of other substances, while non-carcinogenic risks were dominated by trichloro-ethylene, which had the lowest reference dose. Both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks through the drinking water pathway accounted for approximately 90% of the total risk, whereas the risk contribution from dermal contact was negligible. Although boiling water can partially reduce the risks, its effect on high-concentration pollutants is limited. Additionally, sensitivity analysis showed that pollutant concentration was the primary influencing factor for risk values, followed by exposure duration. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for effectively formulating pollution control measures and ensuring the drinking water safety of nearby residents. Full article