Search Results (190)

This study evaluated the inhibitory efficacy of sulphur dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, copper sulphate pentahydrate, chlorine-based formulations, a chlorine-free formulation, ethanol, and acetic acid against Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium expansum. An in vitro inhibition test was employed to investigate the inhibitory properties. The results demonstrated different sensitivities of filamentous fungi to the inhibitors. All tested substances displayed fungicidal properties. Sulphur dioxide (40% NH₄HSO₃ solution) inhibited growth at a 4% v/v concentration. No minimum effective concentration was established for H₂O₂; only a 30% w/v solution inhibited P. expansum. CuSO₄·5H₂O completely inhibited fungal growth at 5% w/v solution, with 2.5% w/v also proving effective. For the chlorine-based product, 40% w/v solution (48 g∙L⁻¹ active chlorine) had the most substantial effect, though it only slowed growth, and NaClO solution completely inhibited growth at 2.35 g NaClO per 100 g of product (50% w/v solution). FungiSAN demonstrated fungicidal effects; however, the recommended dose was insufficient for complete inhibition. Ethanol exhibited the lowest efficacy, while the inhibitory threshold for CH₃COOH was found to be a 5% v/v solution. The findings of this study may serve as a basis for informed decision-making when selecting the most suitable product, depending on specific application conditions. Full article

The main advantage of using biomass for energy generation is the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. For a fast reduction effect, it is important to use biomass characterised by an annual growth cycle. These may be fallen leaves. The fuel properties of the leaves can change during the growth period. These changes can result from both the natural growth process and environmental factors—particulate matter adsorption. The main objective was to determine changes in the characteristics of leaves and needles during the growth period (from May to October). Furthermore, to determine the effect of adsorbed particulate matter, the washing process was carried out. Studies were carried out for three tree species: Norway maple, horse chestnut and European larch. Proximate and ultimate analysis was performed and mercury content was determined. During the growth period, beneficial changes were observed: an increase in carbon content and a decrease in hydrogen and sulphur content. The unfavourable change was a significant increase in ash content, which caused a decrease in calorific value. The increase in ash content was caused by adsorbed particulate matter. They were mostly absorbed by the tissues of the needle and leaves and could not be removed by washing the surface. Full article

The study at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice highlights critical interactions between indoor air quality, visitor dynamics, and microclimatic conditions, offering insights into preventive conservation of modern artworks. By analyzing pollutants such as ammonia, formaldehyde, and organic acids, alongside visitor density and environmental data, the research identified key patterns and risks. Through three seasonal monitoring campaigns, the concentrations of SO₂ (sulphur dioxide), NO (nitric oxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), NO_x (nitrogen oxides), HONO (nitrous acid), HNO₃ (nitric acid), O₃ (ozone), NH₃ (ammonia), CH₃COOH (acetic acid), HCOOH (formic acid), and HCHO (formaldehyde) were determined using passive samplers, as well as temperature and relative humidity data loggers. In addition, two specific short-term monitoring campaigns focused on NH₃ were performed to evaluate the influence of visitor presence on indoor concentrations of the above compounds and environmental parameters. NH₃ and HCHO concentrations spiked during high visitor occupancy, with NH₃ levels doubling in crowded periods. Short-term NH₃ campaigns confirmed a direct correlation between visitor numbers and the above indoor concentrations, likely due to human emissions (e.g., sweat, breath) and off-gassing from materials. The indoor/outdoor ratios indicated that several pollutants originated from indoor sources, with ammonia and acetic acid showing the highest indoor concentrations. By measuring the number of visitors and microclimate parameters (temperature and humidity) every 3 s, we were able to precisely estimate the causality and the temporal shift between these quantities, both at small time scale (a few minute delay between peaks) and at medium time scale (daily average conditions due to the continuous inflow and outflow of visitors). Full article

Air pollution is the world’s greatest environmental health risk. Pollutants that pose large health concerns are particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and sulphur dioxide (SO₂). These compounds (especially PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) contribute to the onset of diseases, such as respiratory diseases (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or lung cancer) and cardiovascular diseases. Abatement interventions are implemented to reduce air pollution and thereby the risk of these diseases. This systematic review examined the published scientific evidence on the cost-effectiveness of strategies aimed at reducing or controlling air pollution and assessed the reporting quality of included studies. It employed rigorous data extraction and quality scoring procedures to ensure the reliability and validity of our findings. Overall, there is substantial evidence supporting the cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing air pollution. Seventy-four studies and four policy reports were included in this review. Predominantly, cost–benefit analyses have been reported (n = 40), reflecting the multisectoral impacts and associated costs of air pollution. Only four cost–utility analyses were found, indicating the need for more research within this domain. Additionally, eight articles reported one or more non-economic results. Thirty-nine studies focused on particulate matter (PM), and eleven focused on nitrogen oxides (NOx). The quality assessment yielded moderate results. The heterogeneity of studies and moderate quality of reporting make it difficult to compare results and draw definitive conclusions. Full article

The accelerated urbanisation that is occurring in many regions of the world is resulting in a corresponding increase in the volume of sewage sludge. This sludge is then stored in specialised landfills, the area of which is increasing annually. One of the methods of utilising this sludge is through its combustion in power plants, where it serves to generate heat. However, due to the low calorific value of sewage sludge, it is recommended to combust it in conjunction with high-calorific fuel. To improve energy efficiency of sewage residue biomass utilisation by co-combustion with coal, it is necessary to determine the main combustion parameters and mass fraction in the mixture. The objective of this study is to estimate the primary parameters of combustion of sewage sludge and coal by employing the synchronous thermal analysis method, in addition to determining the concentrations of gaseous substances formed during the combustion process. A comprehensive technical and elemental analysis of the fuels was conducted, and their thermal properties were thoroughly determined. The inorganic residue from sewage sludge combustion was analysed by scanning electron microscopy for the content of trace elements and basic oxides. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of fuels was conducted in an oxidising medium, utilising a 6 mg suspension with a heating rate of 20 °C/min. The profiles of TG, DTG, and DSC curves were then utilised to determine the ignition and burnout temperatures, maximum mass loss rate, combustion index, and synergistic effects. The mixture of coal with 25% sewage sludge was found to have the most energy-efficient performance compared to other mixtures, with a 3% reduction in ignition temperature compared to coal. Concentrations of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulphur oxides were also determined. Full article

The complex dynamics between oxygen exposure, sulphur dioxide use, and wine quality are of the utmost importance in modern winemaking. While SO₂ acts as an effective antiseptic and antioxidant, its excessive use raises health concerns, prompting stricter regulations (Council Regulation EC No. 1493/1999; Commission Regulation EC No. 1622/2000) and increasing interest in natural alternatives. In this context, Bioma SA developed plant-based additives derived from vineyard by-products rich in phenolic compounds to replace SO₂ in vinification. This study has evaluated the impact of these additives on the inorganic elemental composition of Sangiovese wines, comparing traditional sulphite-based vinification with the Bioma-based alternative. Using triple quadrupole ICP-MS, 23 elements were quantified and analysed via ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA). The results revealed significant effects of the vinification protocol and ageing method on key elements such as Mn, Rb, Sr, Ni, and As. Importantly, all toxic elements, Pb (≤5.9 µg/L), Cd (≤0.3 µg/L), and As (≤12.1 µg/L), remained well below EU safety thresholds. PCA further highlighted distinct elemental profiles between traditional and Bioma wines. These findings confirm that Bioma additives enable the production of wines with reduced sulphur content and compliant elemental safety, supporting their potential as sustainable, health-conscious alternatives in modern oenology. Full article

The hydrogen fuel quality is critical to the efficiency and longevity of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), with ISO 14687:2019 grade D establishing stringent impurity limits. This study compared two different sampling techniques for assessing the hydrogen fuel quality, focusing on the National Physical Laboratory hydrogen direct sampling apparatus (NPL DirSAM) from a 35 MPa heavy-duty (HD) dispenser and qualitizer sampling from a 70 MPa light-duty (LD) nozzle, both of which were deployed on the same day at a local hydrogen refuelling station (HRS). The collected samples were analysed as per the ISO 14687:2019 contaminants using the NPL H₂-quality laboratory. The NPL DirSAM was able to sample an HD HRS, demonstrating the ability to realise such sampling on an HD nozzle. The comparison of the LD (H₂ Qualitizer sampling) and HD (NPL DirSAM) devices showed good agreement but significant variation, especially for sulphur compounds, non-methane hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide. These variations may be related to the HRS difference between the LD and HD devices (e.g., flow path, refuelling conditions and precooling for light duty versus no precooling for heavy duty). Further study of HD and LD H₂ fuel at HRSs is needed for a better understanding. Full article

A project to assess air pollution at the National Archeological Museum in Naples was carried out. The main goal of the project was to develop and test a reliable yet simple monitoring system to be adopted at the same time in several exposition rooms. Nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen chloride, nitrous acid, and sulphur dioxide were the chemical species addressed by the technique. Monitoring was simultaneously performed in five rooms, and pollutant concentrations were determined using two passive samplers. The sampling time was approximately one month per period. In addition to passive samplers, environmental data loggers were used to obtain temperature and relative humidity data. Results show high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide inside rooms, which were consistent with those found in outdoor environments and are close to the values calculated considering the air exchange rates, estimated through time gradients of ambient temperature. The minimum values were recorded in a basement room that had a low ventilation rate. The conversion of nitrogen dioxide to real surfaces produces nitric acid and nitrous acid. Large amounts of nitrous acid, up to 15 µg/m³, were found in exposition rooms, with maximum values in the basement room, where the air exchange rate is limited, and the surface-to-volume ratio is the highest among the monitored rooms. Data analysis demonstrated that the system could discriminate between nitrous acid and nitrogen dioxide. The results show that, for the first time, passive samplers can overcome the problem of mutual interference between nitrogen-containing species. Nitrates and nitrites found in the alkaline passive sampler were generally found not to be interfered by nitrogen dioxide. Nitric acid was also found in the gas phase, likely generated by dissociation of ammonium nitrate in particulate matter. Hydrogen chloride and sulphur dioxide were present at few µg/m³. Nitrous acid is the most relevant acidic species found indoors. The presence of pollutants was discussed in terms of the reliability of the analytical procedure and its significance for indoor air pollution. Full article

A Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) method has been optimized and validated for the determination of eight volatile sulphur compounds in wine distillates: diethyl sulphide (DES), dimethyl disulphide (DMDS), diethyl disulphide (DEDS), 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde (TC), dibutyl sulphide (DBS), dipropyl disulphide (DPDS), dipropyl sulphide (DPS), and dimethyl trisulphide (DMTS). After optimization by 2⁴ factorial design, the SBSE-GC-MS extraction conditions were as follows: a polydimethylsiloxane twister (10 mm × 0.5 mm), 35 °C as the extraction temperature, 10 mL as the sample volume, 7% (v/v) as the alcoholic grade, 47 min as the extraction time, 10% (w/v) of NaCl, and 1% (w/v) of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). Under optimal conditions, adequate analytical figures of merit were obtained for eight of the ten compounds initially considered, with low quantification and detection limits and relative standard deviations for inter-twister and inter-day repeatability values ranging from 7.5 to 21.8% and from 7.2 to 27.5%, respectively. The methodology was applied to 34 wine distillates (continuous column distillation and distillation in pot still) elaborated for the production of Brandy de Jerez: 15 aged distillates aged for different periods of time in American oak wood and 19 non-aged distillates. The most significant volatile sulphur compounds were DBS, DMDS, and DPS. The Cluster Analysis (CA) on the volatile sulphur compounds grouped the samples according to the use of sulphur dioxide. In general, lower amounts of volatile sulphur compounds were found in the aged samples, although the high standard deviations obtained highlight that their contents depend on multiple factors related to the elaboration process. Full article

It is widely recognised that air pollutants including sulphur dioxide (SO₂), respirable suspended particulates (PM10), nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃), as well as weather conditions such as temperature (Temp) and relative humidity (RH), are major causes of respiratory illnesses. To quantify the unknown and highly nonlinear relationships between these factors and respiratory illness, and the cumulative effect from exposure to symptoms, in this paper, we propose a semiparametric index model with constraints to capture the cumulative effect additively and the nonlinearity nonparametrically. As a case study, the model is applied to a dataset from the Hong Kong SAR. As the data period includes the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic in 2003, we further construct a growth curve model to account for the extra impact of public health measures. The results show that the effects of SO₂, NO₂, and PM10 decay quickly, while the other pollutants have a period of stable accumulation (18–38 days for O₃, 2–30 days for NOx, 1–13 days for RH, and 4–12 days for temperature). The results also show that the proposed model has a better fitting performance than previous models and hence has potential applications in health monitoring programs. Full article

The air quality in Mosul was adversely affected both directly and indirectly during and after the conflict phase, spanning from the occupation to the liberation of the city from ISIS (2014–2017). Direct impacts included the ignition of oil fields and sulphur deposits, as well as the use of military weapons and their propellants. Indirectly, the air quality was also compromised by various other factors negatively affecting the quality due to excessive emission levels of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and other toxic gases. Six important locations in the city of Mosul were selected, and the concentrations of the parameters PM2.5, PM10, formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), NO₂ and SO₂ were determined at monthly intervals during the year 2022. The sites were selected both according to their proximity and their specific distance from the direct conflict zone. The aim was to assess the present pollutant levels based on WHO guidelines and to compare the results with previous pre-war studies to understand the long-term war impact on air quality. The results showed that the annual average values of PM2.5, PM10 and NO₂ were above the WHO limits at all locations throughout the year. In contrast, the annual average values of TVOC, HCHO and SO₂ were within the limits in the hot months but exceeded them in the cold months (December to March), which can be attributed to the use of heating material in winter. Two sites revealed higher pollution levels than the others, which can be attributed to their proximity to the devastated areas (conflict zones), high traffic density and a high density of power generators. These factors were further exacerbated by post-war migration from the destroyed and unsafe areas. Thus, in addition to the short-term effects of burning oil fields and sulphur deposits, as well as airborne weapon emissions, the increase in traffic, the use of decentralized power generators, and the higher demand for heating oil, progressive desertification due to deforestation and the destruction of extensive green areas, as well as increasing and unaddressed environmental violations in general, can be held responsible for declining air quality in the urban area. This work should be considered as preliminary work to emphasise the urgent need for conventional air quality monitoring to consolidate air quality data and monitor the effectiveness of different approaches to mitigate war-related air quality deterioration. Possible approaches include the implementation of air purification technologies, the preservation of existing ecosystems, the replacement of fossil energy sources with renewable energy options, proactive and sustainable urban planning and enforcing strict air quality regulations and policies to control and reduce pollution levels. Full article

Rapid industrialization and the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels have generated an impact that is affecting the climate worldwide. Among the substances that are causing climate change are several gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), among others. Particularly, carbon dioxide is one of the substances that has attracted the most attention from researchers, as it is responsible for more than three quarters of greenhouse gases. Because of this, many efforts have been directed towards the capture of CO₂, its separation, adsorption and transformation into products that are less harmful to the environment or that even have added value in the industry. For this purpose, the use of different types of macrocycles has been explored mainly in the last 5 years. This review seeks to present the advances that have occurred in recent years in the capture and transformation of CO₂ by different methods, to finally focus on the capture and transformation through macrocycle systems such as azacompounds, heterometallic macrocycles, calixpyrrols, modified cyclodextrins and metallic porphyrins, among others. Full article

With the rapid development of industrial automation and intelligence, the consumption of resources and the environmental impact of production processes cannot today be ignored. Today, natural gas, as a commonly used energy source, produces significantly lower emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from combustion than coal and oil, and can be further purified to remove the small amount of impurities it contains, such as sulphur compounds. Therefore, purified natural gas (hereinafter referred to as purified gas), as a clean energy source, plays an important role in realising sustainable development. At the same time, It becomes more and more important to dispatch purified gas resources reasonably and accurately, and the paramount factor is that the load of purified gas needs to be predicted accurately. Therefore, this paper proposes a Transformer–GRU-based hourly prediction model for purified gas. The model uses the Transformer model for data fusion and feature extraction, and then combines the time series processing capability of the Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU) model to capture long-term dependencies and short-term dynamic changes in time series data. In this paper, the purified gas load data of Chongqing Municipality in 2020 was first preprocessed, and then divided into daily and hourly load datasets according to the measurement step. Meanwhile, considering the influence of temperature factor, the experimental dataset is subdivided according to whether it includes temperature data or not, and then the Transformer–GRU model was built for prediction, respectively. The results show that, compared with the Dual-Stage Attention-Based Recurrent Neural Network (DA-RNN) and the Transformer and GRU models alone, the Transformer–GRU model exhibits good performance in terms of the coefficient of determination, the average absolute percentage error, and mean square error, which can well meet the requirement of hourly prediction accuracy and has greater application value. Full article

This paper presents an analysis of the energy potential of grape stalk biomass from PIWI varieties, namely ‘Seyval Blanc’, ‘Muscaris’, ‘Hibernal’, and ‘Regent’, during the combustion process. Biometric, technical, and elemental analyses of the grape stalk biomass were conducted. We evaluated the mass, length, and width of the stalks and their contribution to the total cluster mass. The higher and lower heating values, moisture content, volatile compounds, ash, fixed carbon content, and elemental composition were analysed. Emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, sulphur, and particulates were also measured. A significant influence of the cultivar on the assessed biometric and technical parameters was found. ‘Muscaris’ exhibited the highest calorific value (HHV 16.44 MJ·kg⁻¹) and the lowest ash content (9.99%). The highest carbon content (45.51%) was recorded for ‘Seyval Blanc’, and the highest hydrogen content (6.74%) for ‘Muscaris’. Nitrogen oxide emissions were the lowest for ‘Seyval Blanc’, making it more environmentally friendly. The biomass of grape stalks from PIWI varieties, particularly ‘Muscaris’ and ‘Seyval Blanc’, shows high energy potential and can be effectively utilised as a renewable energy source. Our results could be summarised as ‘sustainable energy production and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from grape stalks’. Full article

This study focuses on assessing the indoor air quality in a storage room (SR) belonging to Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan (MUST), covering pollutants originating from outdoor sources and emissions from historical plastic objects made from cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose nitrate (CN), and urea–formaldehyde (UF) stored in metal cabinets. The concentrations of SO₂ (sulphur dioxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), NOx (nitrogen oxides), HONO (nitrous acid), HNO₃ (nitric acid), O₃ (ozone), NH₃ (ammonia), CH₃COOH (acetic acid), and HCOOH (formic acid) were determined. The concentrations of SO₂, O₃, and NOx measured inside the metal cabinets were consistently lower compared to the other sampling sites. This result was expected due to their reactivity and the lack of internal sources. The SR and metal cabinets showed similar concentrations of NO and NO₂, except for CA, where a high NO concentration was detected. The interaction between the CA surfaces and NO₂ altered the distribution of NO and NO₂, leading to a significant increase in NO. The presence of HNO₃ potentially led to the formation of ammonium nitrate, as confirmed by ER-FTIR measurements. High levels of HONO and HNO₃ in CN and NH₃ in the UF indicate object deterioration, while elevated concentrations of CH₃COOH in CA and HCOOH in the SR suggest specific degradation pathways for cellulose acetate and other organic materials, respectively. These results could direct conservators towards the most appropriate practical actions. Full article