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Heliyon Nov 2023Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn, n = 1-8) as an oxygenated fuel are a promising alternative fuel with a high oxygen concentration, a low C:H ratio, and no C-C...
Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn, n = 1-8) as an oxygenated fuel are a promising alternative fuel with a high oxygen concentration, a low C:H ratio, and no C-C bonds in their chemical structure. This could lead to smoke-free combustion. In this study, we chose to focus on PODE1 because of its lower cetane number, which makes it more suitable for use in spark ignition (SI) engines. However, its lower boiling point and octane number remain challenges. A low boiling point may lead to high vapour pressure and require storage and handling comparable to gaseous fuels. We investigated the effect of adding PODE1 to gasoline-ethanol blends (E10) on fuel properties, including distillation curve, octane number, phase stability, C/O/H ratio, heat of combustion, kinematic viscosity, and density. Our results showed that the blended fuels of E10 and PODE1 are stable up to 10 % PODE1, and there was no phase separation. Additionally, up to 10 % PODE1 additive had no significant side effect on the fuel properties of E10, particularly boiling point and octane number. Thus, work offers creative points by proposing a new candidate for additive fuel to gasoline-ethanol blends, which contributes to reducing the soot emission of GDI engines.
PubMed: 38034680
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22364 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2023The application of industrial robots is considered a significant factor affecting environmental pollution. Selecting industrial wastewater discharge, industrial SO...
The application of industrial robots is considered a significant factor affecting environmental pollution. Selecting industrial wastewater discharge, industrial SO emissions and industrial soot emissions as the evaluation indicators of environmental pollution, this paper uses the panel data model and mediation effect model to empirically examine the impact of industrial robots on environmental pollution and its mechanisms. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Industrial robots can significantly reduce environmental pollution. (2) Industrial robots can reduce environmental pollution by improving the level of green technology innovation and optimizing the structure of employment skills. (3) With the increase in emissions of industrial wastewater, industrial SO, and industrial dust, the impacts generated by industrial robots are exhibiting trends of a "W" shape, gradual intensification, and progressive weakening. (4) Regarding regional heterogeneity, industrial robots in the eastern region have the greatest negative impact on environmental pollution, followed by the central region, and the western region has the least negative impact on environmental pollution. Regarding time heterogeneity, the emission reduction effect of industrial robots after 2013 is greater than that before 2013. Based on the above conclusions, this paper suggests that the Chinese government and enterprises should increase investment in the robot industry. Using industrial robots to drive innovation in green technology and optimize employment skill structures, reducing environmental pollution.
PubMed: 38008867
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47380-6 -
Chemosphere Jan 2024Waste collection services are uncommon in rural areas of low-resource countries, causing waste accumulation and subsequent dumping and burning of garbage. Air pollution...
Waste collection services are uncommon in rural areas of low-resource countries, causing waste accumulation and subsequent dumping and burning of garbage. Air pollution from household garbage burning, including plastics, has been observed in Jalapa, Guatemala in addition to household air pollution (HAP) from cooking. Adolescent girls often help with these cooking and household tasks, but little is known about their exposures. We characterized 24-h exposures to HAP and household garbage burning in adolescent girls by measuring fine particulate matter (PM), black carbon (BC), urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenol A (BPA), and phthalates. We recruited 60 girls between 13 and 17 years of age who helped with cooking activities and lived with participants of the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) trial. We recruited n = 30 girls each from the control (wood-burning stove) and intervention (liquefied petroleum gas stove) arms. We also measured real-time kitchen concentrations of BC in 20 homes (33%). PM and BC were measured in n = 21 control and n = 20 intervention participants. Median concentrations of personal PM and BC and kitchen BC were lower (p < 0.05) in the intervention arm by 87%, 80%, and 85%, respectively. PAH metabolite concentrations were lower (p < 0.001) for all nine metabolites in intervention (n = 26) compared to control participants (n = 29). Urinary BPA concentrations were 66% higher in participants who reported using cosmetics (p = 0.02), and phthalate concentrations were 63% higher in participants who had reported using hair products during the sample period (p = 0.05). Our results suggest that gas stoves can reduce HAP exposures among adolescents who are not primary cooks at home. Biomarkers of plastic exposure were not associated with intervention status, but some were elevated compared to age- and sex-matched participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Topics: Female; Humans; Adolescent; Nutrition Surveys; Air Pollution, Indoor; Guatemala; Air Pollution; Particulate Matter; Soot; Cooking; Biomarkers; Rural Population
PubMed: 37981014
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140705 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023BaAMnO (BM-A) and BaAMnCuO (BMC-A) (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ce, La) perovskite-type mixed oxides were synthesised, characterised, and used for soot oxidation in simulated...
BaAMnO (BM-A) and BaAMnCuO (BMC-A) (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ce, La) perovskite-type mixed oxides were synthesised, characterised, and used for soot oxidation in simulated Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine exhaust conditions. The samples have been obtained by the sol-gel method in an aqueous medium and deeply characterised. The characterization results indicate that the partial substitution of Ba by A metal in BaMnO (BM) and BaMnCuO (BMC) perovskites: (i) favours the hexagonal structure of perovskite; (ii) improves the reducibility and the oxygen desorption during Temperature-Programmed Desorption (O-TPD) tests and, consequently, the oxygen mobility; (iii) mantains the amount of oxygen vacancies and of Mn(IV) and Mn(III) oxidation states, being Mn(IV) the main one; and (iv) for BaAMnCuO (BMC-A) series, copper is partially incorporated into the structure. The soot conversion data reveal that BaLaMnCuO (BMC-La) is the most active catalyst in an inert (100% He) reaction atmosphere, as it presents the highest amount of copper on the surface, and that BaCeMnO (BM-Ce) is the best one if a low amount of O (1% O in He) is present, as it combines the highest emission of oxygen with the good redox properties of Ce(IV)/Ce(III) and Mn(IV)/Mn(III) pairs.
PubMed: 37959494
DOI: 10.3390/ma16216899 -
Heliyon Nov 2023Biodiesel has several environmental benefits, such as biodegradability, renewability and lower soot emissions. However, biodiesel has undesirable properties such as...
Biodiesel has several environmental benefits, such as biodegradability, renewability and lower soot emissions. However, biodiesel has undesirable properties such as higher viscosity and density and low calorific value compared to petroleum diesel, resulting in high Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), reduced Brake Power (BP) and increased NO emissions creating an environmental concerns in biodiesel development. This study investigated the effects of synthesizing transesterification catalysts (CaO and NaOH) with Citric Acid (CA) on the quality of biodiesel and biodiesel blends produced from Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia ). The quality of biodiesel and blends was determined based on fuel properties, engine performance and emission composition characteristics. The tests were performed on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, Compression Ignition (CI) diesel engine at five loads at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. The results showed that synthesizing the catalysts with CA significantly affected the fatty acid profile of the biodiesel compared to physical fuel properties. B100 (pure BSFL biodiesel) exhibited higher BSFC by 10.57-13.97 % and lower BP by 4.21-7.83 % than diesel fuel. However, the Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) of biodiesel was higher than that of diesel fuel by 0.82-4.34 % at maximum load. Synthesizing catalysts with CA improved the viscosity of biodiesel by 0.93-2.81 % and effectively reduced NO, HC and Smoke opacity by 2.23-3.16 %, 4.95-5.83 % and 20.51-41.15 %, respectively.
PubMed: 37954294
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21354 -
Nature Communications Nov 2023The quest for efficient non-Pt/Pd catalysts has proved to be a formidable challenge for auto-exhaust purification. Herein, we present an approach to construct a robust...
The quest for efficient non-Pt/Pd catalysts has proved to be a formidable challenge for auto-exhaust purification. Herein, we present an approach to construct a robust catalyst by embedding single-atom Ru sites onto the surface of CeO through a gas bubbling-assisted membrane deposition method. The formed single-atom Ru sites, which occupy surface lattice sites of CeO, can improve activation efficiency for NO and O. Remarkably, the Ru/CeO catalyst exhibits exceptional catalytic performance and stability during auto-exhaust carbon particle oxidation (soot), rivaling commercial Pt-based catalysts. The turnover frequency (0.218 h) is a nine-fold increase relative to the Ru nanoparticle catalyst. We further show that the strong interfacial charge transfer within the atomically dispersed Ru active site greatly enhances the rate-determining step of NO oxidation, resulting in a substantial reduction of the apparent activation energy during soot oxidation. The single-atom Ru catalyst represents a step toward reducing dependence on Pt/Pd-based catalysts.
PubMed: 37932256
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42935-7 -
Journal of Neuroinflammation Nov 2023Inflammation during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Increased gestational inflammation can be a result of an...
Inflammation during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Increased gestational inflammation can be a result of an immune condition/disease, exposure to infection, and/or environmental factors. Epidemiology studies suggest that cases of NDD are on the rise. Similarly, rates of asthma are increasing, and the presence of maternal asthma during pregnancy increases the likelihood of a child being later diagnosed with NDD such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Particulate matter (PM), via air pollution, is an environmental factor known to worsen the symptoms of asthma, but also, PM has been associated with increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite the links between asthma and PM with neuropsychiatric disorders, there is a lack of laboratory models investigating combined prenatal exposure to asthma and PM on offspring neurodevelopment. Thus, we developed a novel mouse model that combines exposure to maternal allergic asthma (MAA) and ultrafine iron-soot (UIS), a common component of PM. In the current study, female BALB/c mice were sensitized for allergic asthma with ovalbumin (OVA) prior to pregnancy. Following mating and beginning on gestational day 2 (GD2), dams were exposed to either aerosolized OVA to induce allergic asthma or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 1 h. Following the 1-h exposure, pregnant females were then exposed to UIS with a size distribution of 55 to 169 nm at an average concentration of 176 ± 45 μg/m) (SD), or clean air for 4 h, over 8 exposure sessions. Offspring brains were collected at postnatal days (P)15 and (P)35. Cortices and hippocampal regions were then isolated and assessed for changes in cytokines using a Luminex bead-based multiplex assay. Analyses identified changes in many cytokines across treatment groups at both timepoints in the cortex, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and IL-17, which remained elevated from P15 to P35 in all treatment conditions compared to controls. There was a suppressive effect of the combined MAA plus UIS on the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Potentially shifting the cytokine balance towards more neuroinflammation. In the hippocampus at P15, elevations in cytokines were also identified across the treatment groups, namely IL-7. The combination of MAA and UIS exposure (MAA-UIS) during pregnancy resulted in an increase in microglia density in the hippocampus of offspring, as identified by IBA-1 staining. Together, these data indicate that exposure to MAA, UIS, and MAA-UIS result in changes in the neuroimmune environment of offspring that persist into adulthood.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Pregnancy; Mice; Child; Female; Particulate Matter; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Asthma; Cytokines; Inflammation
PubMed: 37919762
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02930-7 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Solar cells are pivotal in harnessing renewable energy for a greener and more sustainable energy landscape. Nonetheless, eco-friendly materials for solar cells have not...
Solar cells are pivotal in harnessing renewable energy for a greener and more sustainable energy landscape. Nonetheless, eco-friendly materials for solar cells have not been as extensive as conventional counterparts, highlighting a significant area for further investigation in advancing sustainable energy technologies. This study investigated natural dyes from cost-effective and environmentally friendly blueberries and mulberries. These dyes were utilized as alternative sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Alongside the natural dyes, a green approach was adopted for the DSSC design, encompassing TiO photoanodes, eco-friendly electrolytes, and green counter-electrodes created from graphite pencils and candle soot. Consequently, the best-optimized dye sensitizer was mulberry, with an output power of 13.79 µW and 0.122 µW for outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. This study underscored the feasibility of integrating DSSCs with sensitizers derived from readily available food ingredients, potentially expanding their applications in educational kits and technology development initiatives.
PubMed: 37896506
DOI: 10.3390/s23208412 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023The effect is studied of water-suspended soot microparticles on the actin cytoskeleton, apoptosis, and proliferation in the gill epithelium of pearl gourami. To this...
Degenerative and Regenerative Actin Cytoskeleton Rearrangements, Cell Death, and Paradoxical Proliferation in the Gills of Pearl Gourami () Exposed to Suspended Soot Microparticles.
The effect is studied of water-suspended soot microparticles on the actin cytoskeleton, apoptosis, and proliferation in the gill epithelium of pearl gourami. To this end, the fish are kept in aquariums with 0.005 g/L of soot for 5 and 14 days. Laser confocal microscopy is used to find that at the analyzed times of exposure to the pollutant zones appear in the gill epithelium, where the actin framework of adhesion belts dissociates and F-actin either forms clumps or concentrates perinuclearly. It is shown that the exposure to soot microparticles enhances apoptosis. On day 5, suppression of the proliferation of cells occurs, but the proliferation increases to the control values on day 14. Such a paradoxical increase in proliferation may be a compensatory process, maintaining the necessary level of gill function under the exposure to toxic soot. This process may occur until the gills' recovery reserve is exhausted. In general, soot microparticles cause profound changes in the actin cytoskeleton in gill cells, greatly enhance cell death, and influence cell proliferation as described. Together, these processes may cause gill dysfunction and affect the viability of fish.
Topics: Animals; Gills; Soot; Fishes; Actins; Cell Death; Actin Cytoskeleton; Cell Proliferation
PubMed: 37894826
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015146 -
IScience Nov 2023Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass burning emit large amounts of soot particles into the troposphere. The condensation process is considered to influence...
Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass burning emit large amounts of soot particles into the troposphere. The condensation process is considered to influence the size (D) and mixing state of soot particles, which affects their solar absorption efficiency and lifetimes. However, quantifying aging evolution of soot remains hampered in the real world because of complicated sources and observation technologies. In the Himalayas, we isolated soot sourced from transboundary transport of biomass burning and revealed soot aging mechanisms through microscopic observations. Most of coated soot particles stabilized one soot core under D < 400 nm, but 34.8% of them contained multi-soot cores (n ≥ 2) and n increased 3-9 times with increasing D. We established the soot mixing models to quantify transformation from condensation- to coagulation-dominant regime at D ≈ 400 nm. Studies provide essential references for adopting mixing rules and quantifying the optical absorption of soot in atmospheric models.
PubMed: 37876807
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108125