This study aims to advance the recycling of mercury-containing waste and promote sustainable development within the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry. Our innovative system integrates pre-treatment technology (spraying potassium permanganate and demisting and dust removal) with efficient non-thermal plasma oxidation, resulting in excellent treatment efficiency, low cost, and simple operation. With a processing capacity of 3000 m3/h, the concentration of mercury emissions in flue gas can achieve the target of <0.01 mg/m3, boasting a removal efficiency exceeding 98%, which satisfies the standard “Emission standard of air pollutants for industrial kiln and furnace” (GB 9078-1996). Our results can provide technical support for the comprehensive purification of mercury-containing flue gas during the resource recovery process from mercury-containing waste. The application of our system can contribute to reducing mercury emissions in the PVC industry, lowering occupational exposure risks f... [more]

A machine is described as an assembly that has a drive system installed or is planned to have a drive system installed and that is constituted of linked elements or components, at least one of which moves, that are connected for a particular application (ISO12100). Different types of risks are present in machines, and exposure to them can cause harm or even death. When risk has been adequately reduced, machinery safety considers a machine’s ability to complete its intended duty throughout its life cycle. A literature review was carried out using “safety of machinery” as a keyword, which produced an analysis of 29 papers published from 2008 to 2024. The papers were examined through bibliometric analysis of the year of publication, country, citation statistics, and study of the keywords. These studies were classified into accident analysis papers, papers focused on the normative, papers that addressed risk assessment tools, and papers that conducted quantitative research. In addition, a... [more]

This paper presents the preparation and characterization of bentonite coated with hydroxide double lamellar Mg/Al-bentonite and Zn/Al-bentonite as a potential adsorbent material. The coating process involved co-precipitation of mixed metal nitrate solution (Mg-Al) or (Zn-Al), followed by immersion of bentonite (B-Na+) dispersion. The structures and morphologies of the coated bentonites were characterized using XRD, FTIR, BET, and SEM analysis. The results of the BET analysis indicate that Mg/Al-bentonite and Zn/Al-bentonite have larger surface areas and pore volumes compared to bentonite alone. Specifically, the surface area of Mg/Al-bentonite is 209.25 m2/g with a pore volume of 0.423 cm3/g, while Zn/Al-bentonite has a surface area of 175.95 m2/g and a pore volume of 0.313 cm3/g. In contrast, the surface area and pore volume of bentonite alone are 110.43 m2/g and 0.132 cm3/g, respectively. The Mg/Al-bentonite reaches 85% uptake within 3 h (equivalent to 724.20 mg/g at 25 °C and pH 7),... [more]

This article is devoted to the study of decision-making problems of hydrotreating process control in the production of high-quality gasoline under conditions of scarcity and fuzziness of the initial information, ultimately developing an approach to solve them. A systematic method is proposed that makes it possible to develop a package of mathematical models of a complex of interconnected units of chemical-technological systems based on available information of various types. Using the proposed system method, a package of models of the main interconnected units in which the hydrotreating process took place was developed. A decision-making problem was formulated to control the hydrotreating process in a fuzzy environment based on the developed system of models. By modifying the Pareto principle of optimality for fuzzy conditions, a heuristic method for solving the given decision-making problem was developed to control the hydrotreating process in a fuzzy environment. The novelty of the p... [more]

Exposure to environmental pollution due to the contamination of soil, surface and groundwater, and air poses potential health risks to biotic and abiotic ecosystems [...]

Biosand reactors (BSRs), alternatively known as slow or biological sand filters, are passive systems that are used to remove contaminants from domestic wastewater, industrial wastewater and drinking water. This review focuses specifically on their application for remediation of industrial effluent and sewage-containing municipal and household effluent. The relationships between the physicochemical characteristics of the sand grains (size, size distribution, shape, chemical composition) and the hydraulic conductivity of the sand employed in BSFs are critically discussed in relationship to the achievable loading rates and hydraulic retention times. The modes of operation and influence of the functional microbial biomass as well as biodegradable and recalcitrant particulates on these parameters is comprehensively reviewed. Finally, the bioremediation of sewage-based and industrial wastewater is examined. This includes an account of the biotic and abiotic removal mechanisms and the limitat... [more]

Although microalgae exploitation is very promising, process sustainability is undermined by biomass production and harvesting. Among the various bottlenecks of the production process, particular attention should be paid to the water footprint. Indeed, a huge volume of water is required in microalgae production. Water reuse can support both the water footprint and medium cost reduction, saving water and unconverted substrates. The present study reports preliminary results regarding the utilization of a water reuse strategy for two Chlorophyta microalgae under batch conditions. Growth parameters and chlorophyll content are monitored and the optimal amount of reused medium is assessed. The results show that 70% of the medium can be reused with no loss of specific growth rate and chlorophyll fraction for Pseudococcomyxa simplex in three consecutive batch cultivations. By contrast, a significant decline in Chlorella vulgaris growth was observed after the first cultivation in reused medium,... [more]

Pollen transmission of Camellia oleifera is affected by climate and environment, and the quality of natural pollination is not high, which seriously affects the yield of Camellia oleifera. Artificial pollination is an effective way to solve the low fruit setting rate of natural pollination, but the problem to be solved urgently in artificial pollination is the collection of a large amount of pollen. At present, there is no mechanized equipment for Camellia oleifera flower bud collection, so developing an efficient pollen collection device has become a key problem that restricts the high-quality development of Camellia oleifera. In this paper, on the basis of measuring the tensile force, the shearing force, and the torsional moment required to remove Camellia Oleifera flower bud from the branch, which are 8.968 N, 13.94 N, and 0.0178 N·m, respectively, three types of Camellia oleifera flower bud collecting actuators were designed. According to the results of parameter design, feasibilit... [more]

Solid−liquid two-phase flowmeters are widely used in critical sectors, such as petrochemicals, energy, manufacturing, the environment, and various other fields. They are indispensable devices for measuring flow. Currently, research has primarily focused on gas−liquid two-phase flow within the flowmeter, giving limited attention to the impact of solid phases. In practical applications, crude oil frequently contains solid particles and other impurities, leading to equipment deformation and a subsequent reduction in measuring accuracy. This paper investigates how particle dynamic parameters affect the erosion evolution characteristics of flowmeters operating in solid−liquid two-phase conditions, employing the dynamic boundary erosion prediction method. The results indicate that the erosion range and peak erosion position on the overcurrent wall of the solid−liquid two-phase flowmeter vary with different particle dynamic parameters. Erosion mainly occurs at the contraction section of the s... [more]

Sustainability as a concept is present in most aspects of our everyday life, and industry is no exception. Likewise, there is no doubt that the necessity to produce goods in a sustainable way and to ensure that products are sustainable is gaining more and more attention from producers, customers, governments, and various organizations. Understandably, there are several ways to increase the sustainable development of industrial production. One effective tool is simulation, which can have a significant impact on improving environmental, economic, and social sustainability. This paper explores the role of simulation as a powerful scientific and engineering solution in advancing sustainability within industrial ecosystems. Its main scope is to map the existing literature on the usage of simulation as a supportive tool for achieving this goal. For this purpose, a bibliometric analysis was conducted, allowing for tailored insights into the use of simulation in sustainable production.

In the original publication [...]

The precise control of a greenhouse environment is vital in production. Currently, environmental control in traditional greenhouse production relies on experience, making it challenging to accurately control it, leading to environmental stress, resource waste, and pollution. Hence, this paper proposes a decision-making greenhouse environment control strategy that employs an existing monitoring system and intelligent algorithms to enhance greenhouse productivity and reduce costs. Specifically, a model library is created based on machine learning algorithms, and an intelligent optimization algorithm is designed based on the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (NSGA-3) and an expert experience knowledge base. Then, optimal environmental decision-making solutions under different greenhouse environments are obtained by adjusting the greenhouse environmental parameters. Our method’s effectiveness is verified through a simulated fertilization plan that was simulated for a real greenho... [more]

Further exploitation of the residual oil underground in post-polymer flooded reservoirs is attractive and challenging. Microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a promising strategy to enhance the recovery of residual oil in post-polymer flooded reservoirs. Identifying and selectively activating indigenous microorganisms with oil displacement capabilities is an urgent requirement in the current design of efficient microbial-enhanced oil recovery technologies. This study combines high-throughput sequencing with functional network analysis to identify the core functional microbes within the reservoirs. Concurrently, it devises targeted activation strategies tailored to oligotrophic conditions through an analysis of environmental factor influences. The feasibility of these strategies is then validated through physical simulation experiments. With nutrient stimulation, the overall diversity of microorganisms decreases while the abundance of functional microorganisms increases. The core dis... [more]

The contamination of the water bodies by diesel oil (DO) and its water-soluble fraction (WSF) represents one of the most challenging tasks in the management of polluted water streams. This paper contains data related to the synthesis and characteristics of the plum stone biochar material (PmS-B), which was made from waste plum stones (PmS), along with its possible application in the sorption of the WSF of DO from contaminated water. Techniques applied in sample characterisation and comparisons were: Elemental Organic Analysis (EOA), Scanning Electron Microscopy−Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), pH (pHsus) and point of zero charge (pHpzc). In order to increase the overall efficiency of the removal process, sorption and bioremediation were subsequently combined. Firstly, PmS-B was used as a sorbent of WSF, and then the remaining solution was additionally treated with a specific consortium of microorganisms. After the first tre... [more]

The presented review is focused on a brief overview of the scientific works on the use of sheep wool outside the textile industry that were published in recent years. The focus of the information is the on construction industry, which is a significant consumer of heat- and sound-insulating materials. With its properties, sheep wool can compete very well with insulators made from non-renewable resources. Other building elements can also be combined with wool, as long as they are used in appropriate conditions. Due to its chemical and physical structure, wool is extremely suitable for the adsorption removal of pollutants from the living and working environment, in native or modified form. Wool can also be used in recycling processes. However, each application must be preceded by an investigation of the optimal conditions of the given process, which offers researchers inspiration and interesting topics for research.

Carbon sequestration through CO2 injection into a formation is an effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, a one-dimensional long reactor was constructed to simulate the CO2 injection process under various sediment temperatures, pressures, and flow rates. The formation of CO2 hydrate and the resulting blockages were investigated in detail through a series of indoor experiments. Due to the increasing driving force for CO2 hydrate formation, reducing sediment temperature and increasing sediment pressure can cause hydrate blockage to form near the injection end, leading to an increase in CO2 injection pressure and a reduction in the storage range. Furthermore, CO2 injection rate has a substantial impact on the pattern of hydrate blockage. A lower injection rate facilitates full contact between CO2 gas and pore water, which helps to increase the formation and blockage degree of CO2 hydrates, thereby decreasing the amount of CO2 injection. The experimental in... [more]

The implementation of CO2 huff-n-puff in unconventional oil reservoirs represents a green development technology that integrates oil recovery and carbon storage, emphasizing both efficiency and environmental protection. A rational well selection method is crucial for the success of CO2 huff-n-puff development. This paper initially identifies eight parameters that influence the effectiveness of CO2 huff-n-puff development and conducts a systematic analysis of the impact of each factor on development effectiveness. A set of factors for well selection decisions is established with seven successful CO2 huff-n-puff cases. Subsequently, the influencing factors are classified into positive, inverse, and moderate indicators. By using an exponential formulation, a method for calculating membership degrees is calculated to accurately represent the nonlinearity of each parameter’s influence on development, resulting in a dimensionless fuzzy matrix. Furthermore, with the oil exchange ratio serving... [more]

An accurate wind shear model is an important prerequisite in extrapolating the wind resource from lower heights to the increasing hub height of wind turbines. Based on the 1-year dataset (collected in 2014) consisting of 15-minute intervals collected at heights of 2, 10, 50, 100, and 150 m on an anemometer tower in northern China, the present study focuses on the time-varying relationship between the wind shear coefficient (WSC) and atmospheric stability and proposes a wind shear model considering atmospheric stability. Through the relationship between Monin−Obukhov (M-O) length and gradient Richardson number, the M-O length is directly calculated by wind data, and the WSC is calculated by combining the Panofsky and Dutton (PD) models, which enhances the engineering practicability of the model. Then, the performance of the model is quantified and compared with two alternative methods: the use of annual average WSC and the use of stability change WSC extrapolation. The analysis demonstr... [more]

In this paper, the possibility of combining electrocoagulation (EC), ultrasound, and the addition of zeolite for wastewater treatment was investigated for the first time. The following combinations of hybrid processes were tested: electrocoagulation with zeolite (ECZ), simultaneous electrocoagulation with zeolite and ultrasound (ECZ+US), and two-stage electrocoagulation with zeolite and ultrasound (US+Z - EC), carried out with three different electrode materials. The results show that the simultaneous assistance of ultrasound in the ECZ leads to a lower increase in pH, while the temperature increase is higher. Regarding the COD, the assistance of ultrasound is only useful for Zn electrodes in the two-stage US+Z - EC, while the reduction in voltage consumption occurs for Fe and Al electrodes. Ultrasonic assistance caused more damage to the anodes, but anode consumption was reduced for Al and Zn electrodes. The total amount of zeolite that can be recovered is between 55−97%, and recovery... [more]

The feasibility of an adsorbent material like biochar (BC) depends on its regeneration capacity and its ability to achieve high removal efficiencies on real wastewater (WW) effluents. In this study, the regeneration capacity of the Pinus patula BC previously used in the removal of Indigo Carmine from water was evaluated. The regeneration technique that resulted in the highest desorption efficiency was a thermo-chemical method that consisted of heating the spent BC in a stove at 160 °C for 45 min followed by regeneration with ethanol (C2H6O) at a concentration of 75% for 6 h. Through this regeneration method, it was found that Pinus patula BC could be used in seven consecutive adsorption−desorption cycles. The feasibility of this BC was also assessed by evaluating the adsorbent’s efficiency in real textile WW. Under optimal operational conditions (solution pH = 3, BC dose = 13.5 g/L, and BC particle size = 300−450 µm), the highest removal efficiencies in terms of colour and dissolved or... [more]

Textiles are often used to protect people from cold environments. While most garments are designed for temperatures not far below 0 °C, very cold regions on the earth near the poles or on mountains necessitate special clothing. The same is true for homeless people who have few possibilities to warm up or workers in cooling chambers and other cold environments. Passive insulating clothing, however, can only retain body heat. Active heating, on the other hand, necessitates energy, e.g., by batteries, which are usually relatively heavy and have to be recharged regularly. This review gives an overview of energy-self-sufficient textile solutions for cold environments, including energy harvesting by textile-based or textile-integrated solar cells; piezoelectric sensors in shoes and other possibilities; energy storage in supercapacitors or batteries; and heating by electric energy or phase-change materials.

A series of experiments has been conducted to investigate the tribological properties of a TiN film sliding against GCr15 steel balls in ambient air, low vacuum and high vacuum environments. Various friction loads and sliding velocities were also applied. The TiN film displays a steady-state friction stage after the running-in stage in all the above environments, while the durations of running-in stages are different. The steady-state friction coefficients of the TiN film were around 0.56 in ambient air and 0.3 in the high vacuum environment (1 × 10−5 mbar). In the low vacuum (1 × 10−2 mbar) environment, a low friction coefficient (around 0.19) was attained for all the friction tests on TiN film, irrespective of the applied load and sliding velocity. In the meantime, it was noticed that the applied loads and the sliding velocities would change the duration of the running-in stage before reaching the low friction coefficient. It is revealed by the analysis of wear tracks that the metal... [more]

Many studies have used fractal theory to characterize pore structure distribution heterogeneity through mercury intake curves. However, there is relatively little research on the fractal model calculation of mercury removal curves. In this study, a high-pressure mercury intrusion test is used to describe the pore and fracture distribution heterogeneity (PFDH). The fractal physical meaning of the mercury removal curve was determined by calculating the change in the curve’s fractal dimension value. The results are as follows. (1) According to mercury removal efficiency and porosity, samples can be divided into types A (mercury removal efficiency above 35%) and B (mercury removal efficiency below 35%). In general, type A sample belongs to micro-pore-developed types, and type B samples belong to the macro-pore-developed type. (2) The Menger model (M) represents the complexity of a specific surface area, while the Sierpinski model (S) represents the roughness of the pore volume. Among all t... [more]

Due to the impact of global warming and climate change, more and more people are starting to have a clearer understanding and vigilance about greenhouse gases. To prevent further deterioration of the global environment, this study examines the coefficients of performance of 21 currently available refrigerants with very low global-warming potential and zero ozone-depleting potential under evaporation temperatures of 10, −20, −40, and −60 °C and condensation temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C, respectively. It is found that the use of pure refrigerant in a two-stage refrigeration system to replace the single-stage refrigeration system, in addition to mixing it into an appropriate mixture, can effectively improve the performance coefficient of the refrigeration system. For single-stage vapor compression refrigeration systems, R1234ze(Z), R601, and R1233zd(E) have the best refrigeration performances among the environmentally friendly refrigerants studied, while R441A performs the worst for... [more]

With the ongoing amendment of the EU legislation on the treatment of urban wastewater, stricter requirements for the removal of pollutants are expected, which calls for the need for innovative wastewater treatment technologies. Biological systems are still the first choice. A survey of typical bioreactors applied in wastewater treatment is presented. The wastewater treatment objective, biochemical environment, and microbial growth are selected as the main criteria for the classification of these bioreactors. Hydraulic and kinetic aspects are considered, along with the advantages and drawbacks of these bioreactors regarding the selection of the appropriate type of reactor; as well, details regarding the operation of reactors are mentioned. The aim of this paper is to provide operators and designers with a brief overview of the selected traditional and advanced processes, reactors, and technologies for nutrient removal from municipal wastewater. The possibilities and limitations in compl... [more]