Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are a category of persistent, non-degradable pollutants that are widespread in the environment and in humans. They have attracted considerable attention due to their high bioaccumulation, multiple toxicities, long-term stability, and, in particular, their effects on human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need for highly efficient technologies and systematic mechanisms for the degradation of PFOS and PFOA. Therefore, we summarize four mainstream technologies for the degradation of PFOS and PFOA in water and their research progress in this review, namely adsorption, advanced oxidation processes, microbial treatment, and membrane separation. Among them, adsorption technology is the earliest and relatively mature, the advanced oxidation process has relatively high treatment efficiency, there are deep and broad development prospects for microbial treatment in the future, and membrane separation technology can recycle ra... [more]

Proper working conditions must be one of the employers’ main concerns in any type of company but particularly in work locations where the employees are chronically exposed to hazardous compounds, like factories and production lines. Regarding this challenge, the present research addresses the mapping of a car factory painting line to possibly toxic volatile organic compounds emitted by all the coatings and chemicals used during the work shifts for the future evaluation of employees’ exposure. For the first time, a Gas Chromatography−Ion Mobility Spectrometry device was employed for the in situ detection of volatile organic compounds in an automotive factory. A total of 26 analytes were detected at nine different locations, of which 15 VOCs were accurately identified. Pure chemical-grade substances were used for the development of the VOC database. Although quantitative analysis was not the goal of this study, a calibration model was presented to one analyte for exemplificative purposes... [more]

The volatility and uncertainty introduced by increasingly integrated renewable energy pose challenges to the reliable and stable operation of the power system. To mitigate the operation risks, a two-stage optimal preventive control model that incorporates transient stability constraints and considers uncertainties from multiple resources is proposed. First, the uncertainties of different re-sources are modeled, with which the non-sequential Monte Carlo sampling method is used to correspondingly generate the scenarios. Thereafter, a two-stage control model that balances operational safety and economy and realizes preventive control and emergency control is built. The operation schedule from the preventive control stage aims to minimize the transient stability probability and operation costs. If any faults destabilize the system, the emergency control stage will be activated immediately to help the system recover stability with minimal control costs. To expedite the solving of the two-st... [more]

The paper presents a novel charging load prediction model for electric vehicles that takes into account traffic conditions and ambient temperature, which are often overlooked in conventional EV load prediction models. Additionally, the paper investigates the impact of disordered charging on distribution networks. Firstly, the paper creates a traffic road network topology and speed-flow model to accurately simulate the driving status of EVs on real road networks. Next, we calculate the electric vehicle power consumption per unit kilometer by considering the effects of temperature and vehicle speed on electricity consumption. Then, we combine the vehicle’s main parameters to create a single electric vehicle charging model, use the Monte Carlo method to simulate electric vehicle travel behavior and charging, and obtain the spatial and temporal distribution of total charging load. Finally, the actual traffic road network and typical distribution network in northern China are used to analyz... [more]

The ocean economy plays a critical role in global economic growth, yet it confronts substantial environmental risks. This study employs topic modeling of South Korean news articles to analyze the evolving trends of environmental risks and sustainability in ocean economy. A dataset comprising 50,213 articles from 2008 to 2022 is examined, revealing prevalent environmental concerns that have persisted over the years. The findings demonstrate an increasing emphasis on sustainability and marine environmental issues, as evidenced by prominent keywords related to construction, safety, plastic pollution, and ecosystem conservation. Through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) in topic modeling, 10 distinct themes are identified, encompassing sustainable fisheries management, accident and disaster response, polar environment, carbon neutrality, microplastic pollution, habitat ecosystems, cruise tourism development, nuclear power plant pollution, and infectious diseases. The outcomes highlight the... [more]

In recent years, cellular communication systems have continued to develop in the direction of intelligence. The demand for cellular networks is increasing as they meet the public’s pursuit of a better life. Accurate prediction of cellular network traffic can help operators avoid wasting resources and improve management efficiency. Traditional prediction methods can no longer perfectly cope with the highly complex spatiotemporal relationships of the current cellular networks, and prediction methods based on deep learning are constantly growing. In this paper, a spatial-temporal parallel prediction model based on graph convolution combined with long and short-term memory networks (STP-GLN) is proposed to effectively capture spatial-temporal characteristics and to obtain accurate prediction results. STP-GLN is mainly composed of a spatial module and temporal module. Among them, the spatial module designs dynamic graph data based on the principle of spatial distance and spatial correlation... [more]

Flow pattern monitoring of gas−liquid−solid mixed flow has great significance to enhance the quality and efficiency of material mixing, and the material transport mechanism and dynamic control strategy are faced with significant challenges. To solve these problems, a computational fluid mechanics and discrete element method (CFD-DEM) coupling modeling and solving approach based on soft sphere and porous models is presented to explore material transport mechanisms. The user-defined function (UDF) is adopted to perform data communication, and the porosity of the porous model is calculated to achieve the bidirectional calculation of Eulerian fluid and Lagrange particle phases. Material transport processes of gas−liquid−solid mixed flows are discussed to explore material transport mechanisms of particle flow and the flow pattern evolution laws under the inflation control are obtained. The results show that the particles are not evenly distributed under the synergistic action of impeller ro... [more]

Green extraction techniques are more and more relevant due to major sustainable goals set by the United Nations. Greener extraction processes are being designed through the use of unconventional extraction techniques and green solvents, resulting in less hazardous processes which, consequently, reduces environmental impacts. This is also in line with the main principles of green chemistry. Additionally, greener extraction techniques intend to solve different drawbacks that are often related to conventional extraction techniques such as the high environmental impact. Biorefineries are a major player in developing greener extraction processes. These facilities take full advantage of several biomass sources, such as food waste, microalgae, and lignocellulosic biomass, in order to create high-value products, energy, alternative fuels, and bioactive compounds. Herein, a state-of-the-art review is presented, focused on presenting the greenest and least hazardous extraction processes that hav... [more]

This study focuses on the specific topic of assessing the negative visual impacts associated with renewable energy infrastructure that may prevent their wider deployment in energy mix. The main objective of the paper is to quantify the perception of the visual impact of renewable energy infrastructure and to estimate potential changes in the visitation of a location after the construction of power plants. The research was conducted using a questionnaire survey in which 449 respondents evaluated edited photographic materials of seven locations with a fictitious power plant. The collected data served as input for the statistical testing of eight defined hypotheses using the U-Mann−Whitney test. The results confirmed trends regarding the influence of age, educational level, and power plant proximity on the overall acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure. Landscape-forming factors affecting the acceptance rate of power plants were also defined at the local level.

Temporary plugging and diversion fracturing (TPDF) is a common method to increase production and efficiency in shale gas reservoirs, but the growth law of diversion fractures and the temporary plugging mechanism are still unclear, which restricts the further optimization of temporary plugging fracturing schemes. Therefore, in this study, a series of simulation experiments of TPDF in a horizontal well with multi-clusters were carried out for the Longmaxi Shale outcrop by using a large true triaxial fracturing system. The laboratory method of “inner-fracture + inner-segment” TPDF with multiple clusters of perforation in horizontal wells was proposed, and the fracture initiation law and control factors, including the number of clusters and the method of perforating, were investigated. The experimental results show that the peak pressures of inner-fracture temporary plugging (IFTP) and inner-segment temporary plugging (ISTP) stages are higher, and the number of diversion fractures and the... [more]

The progress of the textile industry has led to a severe increase in the discharge of colored effluents, polluted with dyes and metal ions (non-biodegradable, carcinogenic to humans and environmental hazards). The implementation of effective methodologies and materials for the treatment of wastewater has become an urgent requirement. The present work describes the application of two samples of mineral materials—Ghidirim diatomite and modified diatomite—as adsorbents for the removal of dyes—Acid Blue 350, Methylene Blue, Basic Red 2—and of metal ions—copper, zinc, and lead—from aqueous solutions. In order to determine the optimal working conditions by which to ensure maximum removal efficiency, the influence of the nature and amount of the sorbent, the initial concentration of pollutant, and the temperature were studied. Working under normal conditions (room temperature, solution pH) efficiencies greater than 80% were obtained for the removal of dyes and metal ions. The adsorption fitte... [more]

During the multistage fracturing in shale oil and gas wells with tieback and liner, one of the major challenges is the wellbore temperature variation due to the high-rate fracturing. In such a case, the axial shrinkage trend of the casing string could be caused due to the sudden drop in temperature, but the actual axial length of the casing string would not change due to the cement constraints. Therefore, this could lead to cementation damage between the casing and cement due to excessive load from the casing string. A wellbore seal that is out of control often leads to irreversible consequences, even well abandonment. In order to study the mechanism of casing deformation in shale oil and gas wells with tieback and liner quantitatively, in this paper, take LS1 well (a typical shale oil and gas well with tieback and liner, and casing deformation is caused) for example, the transient changes of temperature and pressure in the whole wellbore during multistage fracturing are studied. Moreo... [more]

Increasing production of poultry litter, and its associated problems, stimulates the need for generating useful energy in an environmentally friendly and efficient energy system, such as the use of shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHE) in a fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) system. A holistic approach which involves the integration of the First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT) and Second Law of Thermodynamics (SLT) is required for conducting effective assessment of an energy system. In this study, the STHE designed by the CAESECT research group, which was integrated into the lab-scale FBC, was investigated to determine the maximum available work performed by the system and account for the exergy loss due to irreversibility. The effects of varying operating parameters and configuration of the space heaters connected to the STHE for space heating purposes were investigated in order to improve the thermal efficiency of the poultry litter-to-energy conversion process. Exergy and energy analysis pe... [more]

Today, there is an increasing interest in antioxidants, especially to prevent the known harmful effects of free radicals in human metabolism and their deterioration during processing and storage of fatty foods. In both cases, natural-source antioxidants are preferred over synthetic antioxidants. So, there has been a parallel increase in the use of assays to estimate antioxidant efficacy in human metabolism and food systems. Today, there are many bioanalytical methods that measure the antioxidant effect. Of these, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) removing assay is the most putative, popular, and commonly used method to determine antioxidant ability. In this review, a general approach to the DPPH radical scavenging assay has been taken. In this context, many studies, including attempts to adapt the DPPH radical scavenging method to different analytes, search for the highest antioxidant activity values, and optimize the method of measurement, have previously been performed. Theref... [more]

The evolution of the variance and entropy of granule size in the fluidized bed agglomeration process using two different aggregation kernels is examined. The first is a constant kernel (aggregation is independent of both time and granule size) and permits the most unconstrained agglomeration process that can occur where granules in any size class (up to a maximum size) can be formed at any point in time. This gives the fastest and largest increase in the variance and entropy of the resulting granule size distribution. The second kernel is a mechanistic kernel including a granule growth-limiting mechanism, in this case implemented by the consideration that not all collisions result in coalescence. This markedly changes the evolution of the variance and entropy of the distribution and reduces both significantly. Quantifying the entropy of the distribution provides another perspective on the change in the size distribution in an agglomeration process. It is shown that entropy can provide... [more]

Large-energy microseismic events, coal bursts, and other abnormal mine stress are often observed in spatial isolated island areas in the roof water-rich gob-side working face during mining operations. In view of this problem, numerical simulation and on-site microseismic monitoring are employed to study the advance abutment stress and strata fracture structure in the spatial island area formed by ‘roof drainage + goaf’ during mining and the method of eliminating the spatial island area. The results show that the lateral stress is distributed in a step-like pattern, and the drainage area and goaf are superimposed to form a high-stress space island area before the mining of the working face along the goaf. The distribution pattern of the advance abutment stress in the spatial island area changes from ‘C’ type to ‘S’ type during the mining process. The strata structure of the roof water-rich gob-side working face is either a single-peak arch or double-peak arch, and the arch peak correspo... [more]

Airfoil fin printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) have broad application prospects in the naval, aerospace, electric power, and petrochemical industries. The channel structure is a critical factor affecting their thermal-hydraulic characteristics. In this study, a novel PCHE channel structure with staggered NACA 0025 airfoil-shaped fins was proposed; accordingly, the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the novel channel structure using carbon dioxide as the working fluid at different fin heights under different operating conditions (trans-, near-, and far-critical) were investigated. The results indicated that the thermal-hydraulic performance of the PCHE under the trans-critical operating condition was better than that under the near-critical and far-critical operating conditions. Compared with conventional airfoil fin channels, the novel airfoil fin channel attained comparable comprehensive performance while reducing the fin volume by 50%, thus achieving a more lightweight PCHE de... [more]

Acerola is considered a superfruit, rich in vitamin C, phenolics, and carotenoids, and having a high antioxidant capacity. However, it is poor in oligosaccharides. Ultrasound technology can improve the bioavailability of several bioactive compounds, improving the nutritional content of several fruit juices. This work evaluated the use of ultrasound processing on acerola juice supplemented with fructooligosaccharides (FOS; 1% w/w) and its effects on the availability of vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolic content. The antioxidant capacity of the juice was correlated with its bioactive contents. The study evaluated the effects of important sonication parameters, such as ultrasonic power density, processing time, and processing temperature. The application of ultrasound was efficient in increasing the availability of some vitamins. As a result, ultrasound application increased the availability of vitamins B1, B3, B5, C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. This improvement increased the an... [more]

There is an increasing demand to improve the overall sustainability of the biopharmaceutical industry. A barrier to improvement has been the limited research undertaken in the area of environmental impact of key design decisions. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of buffer management strategy and technology selection on overall process efficiency using process mass intensity (PMI) as a metric for comparison. The environmental impact of buffer management has yet to be fully understood, despite buffers being one of the most resource-intensive aspects of biopharmaceutical manufacturing. A detailed process model was used to evaluate the impact of buffer management on a monoclonal antibody (MAB) process at the 2000 L scale. This was achieved by means of a non-replicated full factorial design composed of six variables: product titre, quantity of unique buffers, preparation frequency, single-use threshold and equipment cleaning duration with two lev... [more]

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics (MPs) is a topic of great concern. Not only do MPs themselves represent potential toxicants for human health, they are never found alone in the environment and interact with and adsorb a variety of toxicologically significant pollutants. This review summarises recent work on interactions between MPs and heavy metals in the environment, with a special focus on arsenic, one of the most widespread and problematic water contaminants. Evidence for the adsorption of arsenic onto MP surfaces is given and the recent research into the consequences of this phenomenon for freshwater, marine, and soil environments presented. Finally, the lack of research into the significance of interactions between arsenic and MPs during drinking water treatment is highlighted. The performance of arsenic removal technologies is governed by a multitude of different factors, and with MPs detected in water sources all over the world, data on how these MPs impact the removal o... [more]

The end of the 20th century brought about drastic changes in the tropospheric ozone (O3) around the globe. It is, therefore, highly important to gain insight into O3 formation mechanisms and their key precursors in order to assist policymaking to combat O3 pollution. This article synthesizes a bibliometric analysis of O3 formation sensitivity from 1965 to 2022, reported in English language journals available in the Web of Science Core Collection. This study shows that constant expansion in the number of publications has occurred since 2008, with the highest number occurring in 2021. Most publications are from the United States of America (USA), with 406 papers (42.7%), followed by China with 128 papers (13.5%), and the United Kingdom (UK) with 87 papers (9.1%). Citation burst analysis and significant and highly cited research work analysis are used to discover and assess evolving research tendencies. The thematic evolution of author-supplied keywords indicates that the terms “volatile... [more]

The proper understanding of reservoir properties is an important step prior to forecasting fluid productions and deploying development strategies of a coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir. The assisted history matching (AHM) technique is a powerful technique that can derive reservoir properties based on production data, which however is usually rather time-consuming because hundreds or even thousands of numerical simulation runs are required before reasonable results can be obtained. This paper proposed the use of a newly developed algorithm, namely the Bayesian adaptive direct searching (BADS) algorithm, for assisting history matching of fractured vertical CBM wells to derive reservoir property values. The proposed method was applied on representative fractured vertical wells in the low-permeable CBM reservoirs in the Qinshui Basin, China. Results showed that the proposed method is capable of deriving reasonable estimates of key reservoir properties within a number of 50 numerical simulati... [more]

The accurate acquisition of downhole engineering parameters, such as real-time pressure and temperature measurements, plays a crucial role in mitigating drilling risks and preventing accidents. In this study, we present the design of a real-time data acquisition and transmission system for drilling operations. The system utilizes a near-bit measurement method to simultaneously measure downhole parameters, including mud pressure and temperature. By analyzing the pressure and temperature frequencies obtained from a quartz crystal pressure gauge and compensating for temperature effects, accurate pressure values are obtained. The resistance value of a PT1000 sensor is measured, and a second-order fitting is performed using laboratory scale coefficients to determine the temperature values. The data acquisition system employs an advanced microcontroller as the main control chip, along with an A/D conversion chip. Additionally, signal amplification, data storage modules, data transmission mod... [more]

In numerous subterranean projects, the impact of groundwater on the safety of the engineering undertaking is of paramount significance. Fractures, functioning as the primary channels for seepage within subterranean rock masses, necessitate the complex and challenging task of accurately characterizing seepage patterns and quantitatively investigating the effect of fissure parameters on fluid dynamics within the rock masses. This article presents a stochastic fissure model incorporated within a finite element framework, which captures the probabilistic distribution of fissures found in nature. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the distribution of pore water pressure and Darcy velocity fields. It unveils the permeation patterns of fissured rock masses and establishes a series of fissure models, quantitatively investigating the correlations between matrix permeability, water pressure, fissure density, fissure length, the length power law, fissure angle, the dispersion coefficient, fi... [more]

The growth and phase formation features, along with the influence of structure and morphology on the electronic, optical, and transport properties of Cr2GeC and Cr2-xMnxGeC MAX phase thin films synthesized by magnetron sputtering technique, were studied. It was found that the Cr:Ge:C atomic ratios most likely play the main role in the formation of a thin film of the MAX phase. A slight excess of carbon and manganese doping significantly improved the phase composition of the films. Cr2GeC films with a thicknesses exceeding 40 nm consisted of crystallites with well-developed facets, exhibiting metallic optical and transport properties. The hopping conduction observed in the Cr2-xMnxGeC film could be attributed to the columnar form of crystallites. Calculations based on a two-band model indicated high carrier concentrations N, P and mobility μ in the best-synthesized Cr2GeC film, suggesting transport properties close to single crystal material. The findings of this study can be utilized t... [more]