abstract: ABSTRACT In recent years, the total amount of air pollutant emissions in China was reduced year by year, but pollution is still very serious, especially in some big cities where the environmental pollution has worsened in the last 20 years. The "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution" ( LPCAP) was established in 1987. With the development of industrialization and air pollution changes, it had been revised twice in 1995 and 2000.The third revision of the law began in 2009 which was included in the "Eleventh five-year National People's Congress Standing legislative plan" and the State Council's 2009 legislative program. At present, the third revision of the LPCAP is in progress and MEP has completed the manuscript of the revised draft of the law. The purpose of this study is to explore the current situation of China's air pollution, as well as history of LPCAP, analysis of amendments in atmospheric legislation and the achievements of the LPCAP. Combined with China current situation, the research exposed some urgent problems of the Chinese atmospheric legislation which are related to: fã The issues of the regional Total Emission Control (TEC) policy and division. fã The issues of allocation of pollutant emission allowances and trade policy fã The issues of improving the pollution emission permit system. fã The issues of the mobile source emissions management. fã The issues of fuel management. fã The issues of the guarantee measures of the implementation of the LPCAP. In addition, the study compares the LPCAP with the U.S. CAA to offer some solutions for the third revised law and tries to find a fundamental solution for the flaws of China's existing Atmospheric Pollution Prevention legal system to be more Operable. As a result, the gap in air quality in China and the developed countries of the world will be narrowed and China will be better positioned for sustainable development. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.Tech Environmental Social Science 2012

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Swirl burners are widely used in industry. Recent environmental concerns, particularly on emissions from combustion processes, have introduced the requirement to modify these processes to reduce emissions whilst at the same time maintaining combustion efficiency. This thesis presents details of experimental and computational studies into the flowfield structures of swirl burners. Previous investigators have concentrated on the time-average flows, but it has become apparent that these are insufficient to enable pollutant emissions to be accurately predicted. Knowledge of the time-temperature and species history is needed to obtain better predictions. Pivotal to this is a detailed determination of the time-dependent structure of the flow. In this study, series of experiments were carried out at different inlet configurations and conditions. The flowrate and swirl number were varied as well as the injection mode, inlet length and exit geometry. The burner flow was characterised by measuring axial, tangential and radial velocities using a Laser Doppler Anemometer. A Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling package, FLUENT was used to produce two and three-dimensional computational models to predict the flowfield structures of the burners in isothermal and combustion cases. Four turbulence models were evaluated in the prediction: the k-e Model, the Algebraic Stress Model (ASM), the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) and the Re-normalisation Group Model (RNG). Constant velocity scaling of the 100 and 500 kW burner was examined in both experimental and computational studies. The experimental results show that the flowfield structures in both burners are nonaxisymmetric and develop three-dimensional time-dependent coherent structures in the flow. The experimental results have been compared with the computational model predictions. The comparisons reveal very good agreement between the time average measurement and the predictive values, especially downstream of the burner exit. This work was extended to investigate the following novel phenomena: a). The computational prediction of the flowfield structure was extended to include different inlet boundary conditions with both the RSM and the RNG turbulence models. The model was also extended to investigate the time-dependent flows. b). The influence of varying the inlet and exit geometries and conditions on the flow patterns and the reverse flow zone was examined in detail. A 500 kW swirl burner with scroll inlet was designed and characterized with time-dependent flows to simulate the Precessing Vortex Core. This investigation showed very good agreement with experimental velocity data with less constrained boundary conditions that had previously obtained. The time-dependent simulation was limited by the computer speed and processing capability but identified that such analysis is possible when computer power allows and has the potential to model the flow in greater detail yielding more accurate data on pollution emissions.

This thesis describes the evaluation of the first commercially available Hewlett Packard gas chromatograph - microwave induced plasma - atomic emission detector (GC-MIP-AED) for application to qualitative and quantitative analysis. The technique was applied to a range of environmentally significant samples. A general introduction to the development of the technique and its suitability for environmental applications is discussed and a number of typical applications are reviewed. A fundamental study of the capabilities of the GC-MIP-AED was undertaken. It became apparent that the manufacturers pre-programmed recipes for the different elemental channels required optimising to eliminate ghost emission signals from other sources such as carbon molecular emission. After the optimisation of these elemental recipes for C, S, N, O, Pb and Cl had been achieved the ability of the instrument to perform multielement heteroatom profiling of a range of pollutants with a high degree of selectivity was established. Samples included oils, leaded and unleaded petrols, and coal pyrolyzates. A critical assessment of the instruments capabilities with respect to these applications and other operational issues is also described. The instruments ability to perform quantitative analysis was then studied highlighting a number of problem areas, such as, variable repeatability and limits of detection, relating to the automatic injection facilities. When the appropriate injection liner and injection technique were used, the limit of detection on all the elemental channels monitored was greatly improved. The study was then extended to utilise the GC-MIP-AED for the multielemental analysis of organomercury, organolead and organotin compounds. The instrumental conditions were optimised for each element individually with respect to instrumental operating parameters, repeatability, limit of detection, linearity of response, and also the chosen extraction and derivatisation technique. All parameters were then optimised for the analysis of organomercury, organolead and organotin compounds within a single chromatographic injection for environmental applications including sediment, fish tissue and water samples. The overall objective of this thesis was to identify and evaluate the multielement capabilities of the analytical technique for qualitative and quantitative application to samples of environmental relevance, in particular simultaneous multielement organometallic speciation.

This thesis describes an investigation into the effect of piston design on hydrocarbon emissions from an spark ignited engine. The experimental investigation tested a series of three piston configurations against a standard design based on production dimensions. These tests examined the effect of top and 2nd land crevice volumes and absorption and desorption from lubricant on the cylinder liner as sources of hydrocarbon emissions. The operational conditions were steady state for all engine parameters. The work was performed on a modern four cylinder 16 valve engine with multi point fuel injection. Two fuels were used, a reference unleaded petrol and trimethyle pentane. The results have shown that significant reductions in hydrocarbon emissions can be achieved by certain design changes. Reducing the top land height from 6mm to 2.8mm reduced emissions by up to 25% and creating a smoother surface on the cylinder liner wall reduced emissions by up to 28%. A method of assessing residual lubricant on the cylinder walls was developed from surface finish measurement and showed that the smoother surface finish would retain less oil and reduce the amount of fuel absorbed by the oil. The 2nd land volume was a secondary source having an effect at low speed low load conditions. The hydrocarbon species were investigated with gas chromatography, the concentrations of these species were observed to change with each design, but not necessarily proportional to the total hydrocarbon emissions. A model was developed to allow the prediction of changes to hydrocarbon emissions by altering various piston design parameters. In addition to modelling mixture flow into piston crevice volumes and absorption of fuel by lubricant on cylinder walls a basic combustion analysis allowed the prediction of combustion gas temperatures and the end point of combustion. In-cylinder oxidation could then be approximated. Results from this model gave good agreement with experimental results and was then used to assess the optimum piston design to reduce hydrocarbon emissions. This research has demonstrated that component design and specification can be used to reduce hydrocarbon emissions from a spark ignited engine. The most significant parameters have been identified and methods of measurement developed. After considering current material and design constraints the dimensions for a low hydrocarbon emission piston was modelled and predicted 30% reduction in emissions.

106f. / Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-04-03T15:25:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE FINAL DOC.pdf: 4610258 bytes, checksum: 3ecdb7656f48c692cf6c27ab84dec013 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Hilda Fonseca(anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-04-23T15:52:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE FINAL DOC.pdf: 4610258 bytes, checksum: 3ecdb7656f48c692cf6c27ab84dec013 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-04-23T15:52:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE FINAL DOC.pdf: 4610258 bytes, checksum: 3ecdb7656f48c692cf6c27ab84dec013 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / CNPQ / Atualmente, um dos maiores problemas mundiais é a poluição atmosférica, oriunda essencialmente de fontes antrópicas. Os grandes impactos ambientais, como a degradação da qualidade do ar, são resultados dos processos de desenvolvimento urbano e industrial. O material particulado (MP) tem sido alvo de vários estudos devido aos efeitos nocivos causados ao meio ambiente e a saúde humana. O arsênio, um metalóide que apresenta características tanto de metal como de não-metal, é considerado altamente tóxico. A associação do arsênio ao material particulado pode provocar sérios danos à saúde da população. Os níveis de toxicidade do arsênio são dependentes de sua forma química. As espécies inorgânicas de arsênio, arsenito (AsIII) e arseniato (AsV), são também consideradas agentes carcinogênicos. O Recôncavo Baiano é uma região que apresenta grande importância ambiental, social e econômica para o estado da Bahia. Nesta área encontram-se portos, terminais marítimos e diversos pólos industriais que são as principais fontes de emissão de poluentes para o meio ambiente. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a concentração do arsênio presentes tanto nas partículas finas, quanto nas partículas grossas do material particulado atmosférico do Recôncavo Baiano, para avaliar as contribuições deste poluente à saúde da população exposta. A determinação de arsênio em material particulado, utilizando a digestão, com HNO3, e a técnica de espectrometria de fluorescência atômica acoplada à geração de hidreto (HG-AFS), mostrou-se eficiente para a matriz estudada com limite de detecção e quantificação de 0,3 ng m-3 e 1 ng m-3, respectivamente. As concentrações médias de arsênio, obtidas no material particulado em algumas regiões do Recôncavo Baiano, estavam em torno de 30 ng m-3, valor cinco vezes maior que o recomendado pela União Européia (6 ng m-3). O arsênio presente no material particulado encontra-se substancialmente nas partículas finas. Alertando para os riscos de exposição da população, nos municípios onde foram feitas as amostragens. Os resultados apresentados neste trabalho são indicativos da necessidade de se atualizar os padrões de qualidade do ar para o Brasil, incluindo outros poluentes como o arsênio / Salvador

Air pollution is becoming an increasing problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Every year, it claims the lives of more than 712,000 people, which is more than the number of lives claimed by unsafe water and malnutrition. However, there is a lack of data on the topic in this region. I therefore designed my study to contribute to the small but growing literature on air pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa. My study looks at the relationship between local seasonal variations and air pollution levels. I am focusing on fine particles (PM2.5) because of their impacts on public health. My study revealed that average air pollution levels in Gabon meet the World Health Organization standards (WHO). However, daily variations suggest PM2.5 levels that exceed the recommended levels, which can be harmful to human health. I therefore recommend addressing pollution sources as a way of reducing overall pollution levels in the country.

Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) and coal dust samples were characterised using Raman microscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS), Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and Scanning electron Microscopy. The sp2/sp3 carbon bonding ratios for DPM and coal dust were determined as 6.1 and 0.7, respectively, from XPS. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was successfully implemented as a tool for distinguishing between the very similar DPM and coal dust Raman spectra, with over 99% of the variance contained in the first principal component. DPM and coal dust mixtures with known compositions were produced. Raman instrumental parameters were systematically optimised by varying the objective lenses, acquisition times and laser powers, to improve spectral and obtain the most reproducible integrated spectral areas. A rotation stage was developed and employed to spin the specimens during analysis, resulting in a larger sampling area. This resulted in a more representative sampling regime for the heterogeneous specimens and a considerable improvement in the reproducibility of integrated spectral areas. The error in the integrated spectral areas of 10 replicate spectra of different mixtures ranged from 5-22% before implementation of the rotating stage and was notably reduced to 2 -6% due to the action of spinning. Raman spectra of mixtures were used to construct a Partial Least Squares (PLS) model. The R2 values for the DPM and coal dust were 0.865 and 0.763, respectively. The differential bum-off of volatile organics during the Raman analysis due to localised heating from the laser hindered the ability to gain highly reproducible spectra and thus markedly affected the PLS model. A method development stage aimed at improving the R2 values was applied to the samples. This involved heat-treating the specimens to 625°C in an inert nitrogen atmosphere, before the Raman analysis. The resultant PLS model, after heat-treatment, dramatically improved the R2 values such that the DPM and coal dust were 0.974 and 0.907, respectively. This model was used to predict the composition of a test sample with known amounts of DPM and coal dust. The concentrations predicted by the model were 166 ± 3.9pg for the DPM and 68 ± 7.8jxg for the coal dust. The model slightly overestimated the amount of DPM present in the sample but gave a large underestimation of the coal dust content. The diagnostics of the model were investigated and recommendations for the improvement of future models were given.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T11:52:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-06-24Bitstream added on 2015-03-03T12:07:19Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000804644.pdf: 504735 bytes, checksum: 5ebd6206c6308e23b11f44d84659ffca (MD5) / A constatação de que os níveis de poluição do ar são suficientes para causar danos à saúde. Este estudo analisou os efeitos da exposição a poluição atmosférica nas internações hospitalares por doenças cardiovasculares e respiratórias no município de Taubaté - SP, Brazil. Realizou-se um estudo de base ecológica de série temporal com dados relativos à saúde (internações por doenças cardiovasculares e respiratórias) e de poluentes do ar (CO, O3, NOx e PM2.5, obtidos de bancos de dados públicos. Estabeleceram-se as variáveis e estimou-se o risco segundo a exposição aos diferentes poluentes do ar utilizando-se a ferramenta do modelo CATT-BRAMS. Os valores dos riscos relativos para as internações utilizando o modelo linear generalizado de regressão de Poison. Assim, apresentaram-se evidências da associação dos efeitos da exposição aos contaminantes atmosféricos, representada pelas internações hospitalares por doenças cardiovasculares e respiratórias. Os resultados encontrados neste estudo poderão nortear políticas públicas em saúde / The finding that current levels of air pollution are sufficient to cause damage to health. This study examined the effects of exposure to air pollution on hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Taubaté - SP, Brazil. We conducted a study of ecological basis of time series data on health (hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases) and air pollutants (CO, O3, NOx and PM2,5), obtained from public databases. Settled the variables and estimated the risk according to exposure to different air pollutants using the template tool CATT-BRAMS. The values of the relative risk for hospitalizations using generalized linear Poisson regression model. Thus, if presented evidence for the association of the effects of exposure to air contaminants, represented by hospital admission for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The results of this study can guide public health policies