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NASA NTRS2022

A New Machine Learning Based Analysis for Improving Satellite Retrieved Atmospheric Composition Data: OMI SO2 as an Example

Despite recent progress, satellite retrievals of anthropogenic SO2 still suffer from relatively low signal-tonoise ratios. In this study, we demonstrate a new machine learning data analysis method to improve the quality of satellite SO2 products. In the absence of large ground-truth datasets for SO2, we start from SO2 slant column densities (SCDs) retrieved from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) using a data-driven, physically based algorithm and calculate the ratio between the SCD and the root mean square (rms) of the fitting residuals for each pixel. To build the training data, we select presumably clean pixels with small SCD / rms ratios (SRRs) and set their target SCDs to zero. For polluted pixels with relatively large SRRs, we set the target to the original retrieved SCDs. We then train neural networks (NNs) to reproduce the target SCDs using predictors including SRRs for individual pixels, solar zenith, viewing zenith and phase angles, scene reflectivity, and O3 column amounts, as well as the monthly mean SRRs. For data analysis, we employ two NNs: (1) one trained daily to produce analyzed SO2 SCDs for polluted pixels each day and (2) the other trained once every month to produce analyzed SCDs for less polluted pixels for the entire month. Test results for 2005 show that our method can significantly reduce noise and artifacts over background regions. Over polluted areas, the monthly mean NN-analyzed and original SCDs generally agree to within ±15 %, indicating that our method can retain SO2 signals in the original retrievals except for large volcanic eruptions. This is further confirmed by running both the NN-analyzed and original SCDs through a topdown emission algorithm to estimate the annual SO2 emissions for ∼ 500 anthropogenic sources, with the two datasets yielding similar results. We also explore two alternative approaches to the NN-based analysis method. In one, we employ a simple linear interpolation model to analyze the original SCD retrievals. In the other, we develop a PCA–NN algorithm that uses OMI measured radiances, transformed and dimension-reduced with a principal component analysis (PCA) technique, as inputs to NNs for SO2 SCD retrievals. While the linear model and the PCA–NN algorithm can reduce retrieval noise, they both underestimate SO2 over polluted areas. Overall, the results presented here demonstrate that our new data analysis method can significantly improve the quality of existing OMI SO2 retrievals. The method can potentially be adapted for other sensors and/or species and enhance the value of satellite data in air quality research and applications.

Can Li↗

NASA NTRS2022

NASA's Next Generation of Atmospheric Data Science

The Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) and the Tropospheric Emission: Monitoring of Pollution(TEMPO) are NASA’s next-generation satellite missions for air quality monitoring. These missions will produce high-quality, high-resolution air quality data to support cross-displinary research. The MAIA mission is collaborating with health science researchers and epidemiologists to study the impacts of air quality on health outcomes. TEMPO aims to improve our understanding of tropospheric air pollution chemistry and our ability to make predictions about air quality and climate forcing. TEMPO will offer hourly measurements of tropospheric ozone, aerosols, and clouds focused on North America at high-spatial resolution, while MAIA will produce high-resolution measurements of speciated particulate matter targeting densely populated cities around the globe. Data from these missions will help improve our understanding of the sources, types, and interactions among the aerosols and trace gases that are polluting Earth’s atmosphere, as well as our understanding of the impact of air pollution on pollution on a wide range of important areas including human health, agriculture, weather, and climate change. The challenges of cross-disciplinary research, computationally expensive multi-variate analyses, and high-resolution data at both local and global scales are driving substantial changes across all of NASA’s Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). High resolution data at scales such these requires a new approach to data ingest, archive, and publication. Like other NASA DAACs, the Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC), the DAAC that will be responsible for publishing MAIA and TEMPO data products has historically archived and distributed data on premise. DAACs of the future will archive and distribute data in the cloud, enabling them to remake themselves as research-focused data centers that will support on-demand, data-intensive computations for highly accurate retrospective analyses and predictions. Under the new paradigm, data formats and metadata must support on-demand spatial and temporal sub-setting, as well as other data transformation services such as re-gridding and re-sampling. This presentation will discuss work being done to address data formatting and metadata requirements in this dynamic new environment. In addition to the changes in data stewardship practices at the ASDC, the increased focus on supporting scientific research is driving changes in the relationship between DAACs and researchers. While the ASDC will continue to provide first rate data management and stewardship, it is increasingly focused on serving as a partner not only to the science teams that gather and produce the data it publishes, but to the researchers that use that data.

Beth Huffer↗

DOE OSTI2016

The ARM Climate Research Facility in the Amazon Basin. Final Report

The Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) Experiment was carried out in the environs of Manaus, Brazil, in the central region of the Amazon basin during two years from 1 January 2014 through 31 December 2015. The experiment focused on the complex interactions among vegetation, atmospheric chemistry, and aerosol production on the one hand and their connections to aerosols, clouds, and precipitation on the other. The objective was to understand and quantify these linked processes, first under natural conditions to obtain a baseline and second when altered by the effects of human activities. To this end, the pollution plume from the Manaus metropolis, superimposed on the background conditions of the central Amazon basin, served as a natural laboratory. The present paper, as Introduction to the GoAmazon2014/5 Special Issue, presents the context and motivation of the GoAmazon2014/5 Experiment. The nine research sites, including the characteristics and instrumentation of each site, are presented. The sites range from time point zero (T0) upwind of the pollution, to T1 in the midst of the pollution, to T2 just downwind of the pollution, to T3 furthest downwind of the pollution (70 km). In addition to the ground sites, a low-altitude G-159 Gulfstream I (G1) observed the atmospheric boundary layer and low clouds, and a high-altitude Gulfstream G550 (HALO) operated in the free troposphere. During the two-year experiment, two Intensive Operating Periods (IOP1 and IOP2) also took place that included additional specialized research instrumentation at the ground sites as well as flights of the two aircraft. GoAmazon2014/5 IOP1 was carried out from 1 February to 31 March 2014 in the wet season. GoAmazon2014/5 IOP2 was conducted from 15 August to 15 October 2014 in the dry season. The G1 aircraft flew during both IOP1 and IOP2, and the HALO aircraft flew during IOP2. In the context of the Amazon basin, the two IOPs also correspond to the clean and biomass burning seasons, respectively. The Manaus plume is present year round, and it is transported by prevailing northeasterly and easterly winds in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. This Introduction also organizes information relevant to many papers in the Special Issue. Information is provided on the vehicle fleet, power plants, and industrial activities of Manaus. The mesoscale and synoptic meteorology relevant to the two IOPs is presented. Regional and long-range transport of emissions for the two IOPs is discussed based on satellite observations across South America and Africa. Fire locations throughout the airshed are detailed. In conjunction with the context and motivation of GoAmazon2014/5, as presented herein in this Introduction, research articles published in this Special Issue are anticipated in the near future to describe the detailed results and findings of GoAmazon2014/5.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Rethinking Occupancy - Based Ventilation Controls

Traditionally, occupancy-based ventilation controls have only ventilated when occupants are present – usually based on measurements of CO2 and/or humidity. These indictors may be fine for pollutants released directly by occupants, such as bioeffluents, or by their activities, such as cooking and cleaning. However, they do not account for pollutants not associated with occupancy, such as formaldehyde from building materials and furnishings. In this study we examined how occupancy-based ventilation controls could account for these other pollutants using the relative exposure approach for variable ventilation. A real-time control was used for exhaust and balanced fans, three occupancy schedules and two different pollutant emission assumptions using the REGCAP ventilation and residential energy simulation program. The simulations were performed for a prototype high performance home compliant with U.S. Department of Energy Building America Zero Energy Ready program requirements in the 15 climate zones defined by the U.S. DOE. Median ventilation energy savings were between zero and 26% of ventilation-related energy use depending on the occupancy schedule, climate, fan type and emission assumptions. Occupancy-based control savings increased for balanced ventilation fans, reduced emissions during unoccupied periods, and longer unoccupied times. Accounting for pollutant emissions during unoccupied times significantly reduces the energy savings for occupancy-based controls.

Walker, Iain↗

DOE OSTI2025

A Framework for Assessing Economic and Environmental Trade-offs of Internalized Emission Costs in ERCOT Grid Planning

The power grid is on the cusp of a massive transition driven by three major areas: 1) the growth in demand for electricity, 2) efforts to decarbonize the United States economy, and 3) a desire to mitigate social disparities from the impact of electricity generation on local populations. However, most studies of the electricity sector do not include equity impacts in their models. This study seeks to do so by developing a comprehensive and generalizable model tailored to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, designed to incorporate the equity impacts of electricity generation in a decarbonized and resilient framework. To integrate equity into our research, we incorporate environmental externalities into our capacity expansion model of ERCOT. Specifically, we factor in intermediate-level local marginal damages of precursor pollutants (NH3, NOx, primary PM2.5, SO2, and VOC) and global pollutant CO2 into the cost of generating electricity. We do this by taking into account county population, county ambient pollution concentration, and generator emission rates. Leveraging open-source modeling tools, such as PowerGenome, pyGRETA, and GenX we construct a county-level model to account for these costs. We integrate these marginal damages into the variable operations and maintenance costs of generators, for both existing and potential future builds. This study’s findings suggest that the value of a dynamic social cost of carbon (SSC) will cover criteria pollutant marginal damages within the ERCOT grid and solar and wind is expected to increase out to 2035. Key metrics evaluated within this research include fuel mix distribution across technologies, transmission and grid infrastructure costs, CO2 emissions, local pollutants marginal damages, and the variation in generation capacity built by the model. These results and framework can be used to support grid decisions that explicitly include distributional and procedural equity within a decarbonized and sustainable grid framework.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2017

Environmental impact of electricity relocation: A quasi-natural experiment from interregional electricity transmission

Pollutants such as sulfur would concentrate in the source regions and thus the localized impacts are more obvious. Local balance of electricity by transporting coal has resulted in dense concentration of coal-fired power plants in load centers and caused severe environmental problems. Electricity relocation through interregional transmission is another choice for energy transportation to achieve electricity balance across regions and pollution mitigation. Using interregional electricity transmission (IRET) lines in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper assesses the environmental impact of electricity relocation. In the assessment, the grid organization of “province as executor” in China is considered because it affects the sphere of IRET's influence on pollution mitigation. Here we show the environmental benefits of electricity relocation. We find that, electricity relocation through interregional transmission leads to the growth rate of sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emission decreasing 7% in landing areas and Sichuan province benefits most from electricity relocation. It is interesting that there is no significant increase of SO{sub 2} emission growth rate in sending areas compared to counterfactuals if there had no IRET due to more integration of clean energy and improved emission efficiency in sending areas. Placebo study and robustness check show that the results are quite convincing. Therefore, IRET provides an appealing choice for China's environmental control in eastern region, and it is not necessarily at the cost of pollution in western region. The methodology can be applied to assess the environmental impacts of other program or policy elsewhere. - Highlights: •Proposing a model to assess the environmental impact of electricity relocation •Interregional electricity transmission in China provides a quasi-natural experiment. •Grid organization of “province as executor” is considered that affects sphere of IRET. •Providing insight about environmental necessity of IRET using China as a case study •The model can be used to assess environmental impacts of other program or policy.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Latitudinal exposure to DDTs, HCB, PCBs, PBDEs and DP in giant petrels (Macronectes spp.) across the Southern Ocean

Studies on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Antarctic wildlife are scarce, and usually limited to a single locality. As a result, wildlife exposure to POPs across the Southern Ocean is poorly understood. In this study, we report the differential exposure of the major southern ocean scavengers, the giant petrels, to POPs across a wide latitudinal gradient. Selected POPs (PCBs, HCB, DDTs, PBDEs) and related compounds, such as Dechlorane Plus (DP), were analyzed in plasma of southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) breeding on Livingston (62°S 61°W, Antarctica), Marion (46°S 37°E, sub-Antarctic), and Gough (40°S 10°W, cool temperate) islands. Northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli) from Marion Island were also studied. Stable isotope ratios of C and N (δ{sup 13}C and δ{sup 15}N) were used as dietary tracers of the marine habitat and trophic level, respectively. Breeding locality was a major factor explaining petrel exposure to POPs compared with species and sex. Significant relationships between δ{sup 13}C values and POP burdens, at both inter- and intra-population levels, support latitudinal variations in feeding grounds as a key factor in explaining petrel pollutant burdens. Overall, pollutant levels in giant petrels decreased significantly with latitude, but the relative abundance (%) of the more volatile POPs increased towards Antarctica. DP was found at negligible levels compared with legacy POPs in Antarctic seabirds. Spatial POP patterns found in giant petrels match those predicted by global distribution models, and reinforce the hypothesis of atmospheric long-range transport as the main source of POPs in Antarctica. Our results confirm that wildlife movements out of the polar region markedly increase their exposure to POPs. Therefore, strategies for Antarctic wildlife conservation should consider spatial heterogeneity in exposure to marine pollution. Of particular relevance is the need to clarify the exposure of Antarctic predators to emerging contaminants that are not yet globally regulated. - Highlights: • Latitude of petrels' foraging areas explains their exposure to legacy and emerging POPs. • Spatial patterns of POPs in giant petrels across the Southern Ocean are congener-dependent. • Overall POP burdens in giant petrels decrease southwards across the Southern Ocean. • Latitudinal patterns of POP in giant petrels agree with global distribution models. • POP patterns in giant petrels suggest long-range transport as their main source.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2017

Atmospheric dust deposition on soils around an abandoned fluorite mine (Hammam Zriba, NE Tunisia)

The present study focuses on the eolian dispersion and dust deposition, of major and trace elements in soils in a semi-arid climate, around an old fluorite (CaF{sub 2}) and barite (BaSO{sub 4}) mine, located in Hammam Zriba in Northern Tunisia. Ore deposits from this site contain a high amount of metal sulphides constituting heavy metal pollution in the surrounding environment. Samples of waste from the surface of mine tailings and agricultural topsoil samples in the vicinity of the mine were collected. The soil samples and a control sample from unpolluted area, were taken in the direction of prevailing northwest and west winds. Chemical analysis of these solids was performed using both X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. To determine the transfer from mine wastes to the soils, soluble fraction was performed by inductively coupled plasma and ionic chromatography. The fine grained size fraction of the un-restored tailings, still contained significant levels of barium, strontium, sulphur, fluorine, zinc and lead with mean percentages (wt%) of 30 (calculated as BaO), 13 (as SrO), 10 (as SO{sub 3}), 4 (F), 2 (Zn) and 1.2 (Pb). Also, high concentrations of cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) were found with an averages of 36, 24 and 1.2 mg kg{sup −1}, respectively. As a result of the eolian erosion of the tailings and their subsequent wind transport, the concentrations of Ba, Sr, S, F, Zn and Pb were extremely high in the soils near to the tailings dumps, with 5%, 4%, 7%, 1%, 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively. Concentration of major pollutants decreases with distance, but they were high even in the farthest samples. Same spatial distribution was observed for Cd, As and Hg. While, the other elements follow different spatial patterns. The leaching test revealed that most elements in the mining wastes, except for the anions, had a low solubility despite their high bulk concentrations. According the 2003/33/CE Decision Threshold, some of these tailings samples were considered as hazardous. Furthermore, other waste samples, considered non hazardous, were not inert. In contrast, the SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, Ba, Pb and Sb leachable contents measured in most of the soil samples were relatively high, exceeding the inert threshold for landfill disposal of wastes. - Highlights: • Tailings dumps and associated windblown materials contain high contaminants load. • Eolian dust arising from dumps dispersed pollutants and contaminated soils. • Contents of mining-related elements exceeded allowable concentrations by guideline. • The majority of harmful pollutants, except anions, have low leachable potential.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Green spaces are not all the same for the provision of air purification and climate regulation services: The case of urban parks

Highlights: • Air purification and climate regulation were quantified in an urban green space. • Different vegetation types shown different capacities to provide these services. • Original woodland presented the higher ecosystem services provision. • Vegetation structure, composition and management matter to services provision. • Nature-based solutions in urban areas can optimize local climate and air quality. The growing human population concentrated in urban areas lead to the increase of road traffic and artificial areas, consequently enhancing air pollution and urban heat island effects, among others. These environmental changes affect citizen's health, causing a high number of premature deaths, with considerable social and economic costs. Nature-based solutions are essential to ameliorate those impacts in urban areas. While the mere presence of urban green spaces is pointed as an overarching solution, the relative importance of specific vegetation structure, composition and management to improve the ecosystem services of air purification and climate regulation are overlooked. This avoids the establishment of optimized planning and management procedures for urban green spaces with high spatial resolution and detail. Our aim was to understand the relative contribution of vegetation structure, composition and management for the provision of ecosystem services of air purification and climate regulation in urban green spaces, in particular the case of urban parks. This work was done in a large urban park with different types of vegetation surrounded by urban areas. As indicators of microclimatic effects and of air pollution levels we selected different metrics: lichen diversity and pollutants accumulation in lichens. Among lichen diversity, functional traits related to nutrient and water requirements were used as surrogates of the capacity of vegetation to filter air pollution and to regulate climate, and provide air purification and climate regulation ecosystem services, respectively. This was also obtained with very high spatial resolution which allows detailed spatial planning for optimization of ecosystem services. We found that vegetation type characterized by a more complex structure (trees, shrubs and herbaceous layers) and by the absence of management (pruning, irrigation and fertilization) had a higher capacity to provide the ecosystems services of air purification and climate regulation. By contrast, lawns, which have a less complex structure and are highly managed, were associated to a lower capacity to provide these services. Tree plantations showed an intermediate effect between the other two types of vegetation. Thus, vegetation structure, composition and management are important to optimize green spaces capacity to purify air and regulate climate. Taking this into account green spaces can be managed at high spatial resolutions to optimize these ecosystem services in urban areas and contribute to improve human well-being.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Associations of long-term fine particulate matter exposure with prevalent hypertension and increased blood pressure in older Americans

Highlights: • Studies of air pollution and hypertension have reported mixed results. • Few studies have examined systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure components. • Increased long-term particulate matter exposure was found to be associated with increased odds of prevalent hypertension. • Significant associations between air pollution and systolic and pulse pressures were also identified. Hypertension is a highly prevalent cardiovascular risk factor. It is possible that air pollution, also an established cardiovascular risk factor, may contribute to cardiovascular disease through increasing blood pressure. Previous studies evaluating associations between air pollution and blood pressure have had mixed results.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Evaluation of NOx emissions of a retrofitted Euro 5 passenger car for the Horizon prize “Engine retrofit”

Highlights: • Many studies report diesel vehicles emitting more than 4 times the type approval NO{sub x} in real driving conditions. • One solution is retrofitting them, but there is no legislative background for passenger cars. • The Horizon 2020 prize for the “Engine Retrofit for Clean Air” aims at reducing the pollution in cities. • A Euro 5 retrofitted vehicle showed significant reductions over test cycles, but small at the cold start phases. • In some high speed conditions NH{sub 3} and N{sub 2}O were measured. The Horizon 2020 prize for the “Engine Retrofit for Clean Air” aims at reducing the pollution in cities by spurring the development of retrofit technology for diesel engines. A Euro 5 passenger car was retrofitted with an under-floor SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) for NO{sub x} catalyst in combination with a solid ammonia based dosing system as the NO{sub x} reductant. The vehicle was tested both on the road and on the chassis dynamometer under various test cycles and ambient temperatures. The NO{sub x} emissions were reduced by 350–1100 mg/km (60–85%) in the laboratory depending on the test cycle and engine conditions (cold or hot start), except at type approval conditions. The reduction for cold start urban cycles was < 75 mg/km (< 15%). The on road and laboratory tests were inline. In some high speed conditions significant increase of ammonia (NH{sub 3}) and nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) were measured. No effect was seen on other pollutants (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particles). The results of the present study show that retrofitting high emitting vehicles can significantly reduce vehicle NO{sub x} emissions and ultimately pollution in cities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

Occupational exposure in the fluorescent lamp recycling sector in France

Highlights: • Chemical risks were assessed in the five fluorescent lamp recycling facilities. • The main hazardous agents are mercury vapors and dust containing lead and yttrium. • Exposure and pollutant levels were correlated with steps and processes. • All the stages and processes are concerned by worrying levels of pollutants. • We suggest recommendations to reduce chemical risk. - Abstract: The fluorescent lamp recycling sector is growing considerably in Europe due to increasingly strict regulations aimed at inciting the consumption of low energy light bulbs and their end-of-life management. Chemical risks were assessed in fluorescent lamp recycling facilities by field measurement surveys in France, highlighting that occupational exposure and pollutant levels in the working environment were correlated with the main recycling steps and processes. The mean levels of worker exposure are 4.4 mg/m{sup 3}, 15.4 μg/m{sup 3}, 14.0 μg/m{sup 3}, 247.6 μg/m{sup 3}, respectively, for total inhalable dust, mercury, lead and yttrium. The mean levels of airborne pollutants are 3.1 mg/m{sup 3}, 9.0 μg/m{sup 3}, 9.0 μg/m{sup 3}, 219.2 μg/m{sup 3}, respectively, for total inhalable dust, mercury, lead and yttrium. The ranges are very wide. Surface samples from employees’ skin and granulometric analysis were also carried out. The overview shows that all the stages and processes involved in lamp recycling are concerned by the risk of hazardous substances penetrating into the bodies of employees, although exposure of the latter varies depending on the processes and tasks they perform. The conclusion of this study strongly recommends the development of a new generation of processes in parallel with more information sharing and regulatory measures.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

Sperm quality and environment: A retrospective, cohort study in a Northern province of Italy

Background: Several studies proposed a relationship between environmental factors and semen quality, as well as the negative effect of air pollution on spermatogenesis and gonadal function. No specific studies evaluated the environmental influence on semen quality in a specific geographical area. Aim: to evaluate the environmental influence on male sperm parameters in a Northern Italian population referred for semen analysis in the National Health System. The objective of the study is the assessment of the relationship of both air pollution and environmental parameters with quality-related sperm variables, during the coldest months of the year when air is usually most polluted, due to low ventilation and poor rainfall. Study design: A retrospective, observational, cohort study was carried out in the province of Modena, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Methods: Semen analyses (n=406), environmental temperature, air humidity and air particulate matter (PM) measurements from the 1st of November 2014 to the 19th of February 2015 were acquired to the first database. Since spermatogenesis lasts over two months, a second, wider database was arranged, evaluating environmental exposure in the 3 months before semen collection (from August 1st 2014). All data included in the database were registered by geo-coding the residential address of the patients and the site of registration of environmental factors. The geo-codification of parameters was performed using Fusion Tables of Google available at (https://www.google.com/fusiontables/data? dsrcid=implicit), considering the exact time of measurement. Results: Average air temperature was inversely related to sperm concentration and to total sperm number (p<0.001). Semen volume was inversely related only to the minimum (p<0.001) and not to maximum recorded temperature (p=0.110). Air humidity was not related to sperm quantity and quality. PM{sub 2.5} was directly related to total sperm number (p<0.001). PM{sub 10} was directly related to both semen volume (0<0.001), and typical forms (p<0.001), inversely related to atypical forms (p<0.001), but related neither to sperm concentration (p=0.430) nor to sperm motility. The extended analyses considering environmental parameters in the 3 months before semen collection, confirmed the relationship between air temperature and sperm quantity, whereas no influence was found between PM and sperm quality. Conclusion: An influence of environmental temperature on semen quantity is suggested, without a clear effect of air pollution, as assessed through PM{sub 10} levels, on sperm parameter variations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Application of advanced oxidation processes and toxicity assessment of transformation products

Highlights: • Review comprises information about Advanced Oxidation Process. • Various types of biocatalyst are included in this review. • Various types of micropollutants in wastewater & drinking water are complied. • Toxicity of transformed products is also present. • Analytical techniques for identification of pollutants/transformed products in wastewater/drinking water are also included. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are the techniques employed for oxidation of various organic contaminants in polluted water with the objective of making it suitable for human consumption like household and drinking purpose. AOPs use potent chemical oxidants to bring down the contaminant level in the water. In addition to this function, these processes are also capable to kills microbes (as disinfectant) and remove odor as well as improve taste of the drinking water. The non-photochemical AOPs methods include generation of hydroxyl radical in absence of light either by ozonation or through Fenton reaction. The photochemical AOPs methods use UV light along with H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, O{sub 3} and/or Fe{sup +2} to generate reactive hydroxyl radical. Non-photochemical method is the commonly used whereas, photochemical method is used when conventional O{sub 3} and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} cannot completely oxidize organic pollutants. However, the choice of AOPs methods is depended upon the type of contaminant to be removed. AOPs cause loss of biological activity of the pollutant present in drinking water without generation of any toxicity. Conventional ozonation and AOPs can inactivate estrogenic compounds, antiviral compounds, antibiotics, and herbicides. However, the study of different AOPs methods for the treatment of drinking water has shown that oxidation of parent compound can also lead to the generation of a degradation/transformation product having biological activity/chemical toxicity similar to or different from the parent compound. Furthermore, an increased toxicity can also occur in AOPs treated drinking water. This review discusses various methods of AOPs, their merits, its application in drinking water treatment, the related issue of the evolution of toxicity in AOPs treated drinking water, biocatalyst, and analytical methods for identification of pollutants /transformed products and provides future directions to address such an issue.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Enhanced photocatalytic properties of the 3D flower-like Mg-Al layered double hydroxides decorated with Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} under visible light illumination

Highlights: • 3D flower-like Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite was prepared. • The nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities on different organic pollutants. • The mechanism of the enhanced activity were investigated. - Abstract: A facile anion-exchange precipitation method was employed to synthesize 3D flower-like Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite photocatalyst. Results showed that Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on the petals of the flower-like Mg-Al LDH. The obtained nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities on different organic pollutants (cationic and anionic dyes, phenol) under visible light illumination. The high photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the special structure which accomplishes the wide-distribution of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoparticles on the surfaces of the 3D flower-like nanocomposites. Therefore, it can provide much more active sites for the degradation of organic pollutant. Then the photocatalytic mechanism was also verified by reactive species trapping experiments in detail. The work would pave a facile way to prepare LDHs based hierarchical photocatalysts with high activity for the degradation of wide range organic pollutants under visible light irradiation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Controlled synthesis of silkworm cocoon-like α-Fe2O3 and its adsorptive properties for organic dyes and Cr(VI)

Highlights: • A hierarchical structured α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} is synthesized by using a simple hydrothermal method. • The as-synthesized α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} shows high adsorption capacities for CR, MO and Cr(VI) ions. The removal efficiency can reach up to 99.2%, 83.9% and 100% under the given conditions. • This kind of material realizes synergistic adsorption of organic and inorganic pollutants. And the adsorption efficiency can reach 94.7% for CR and 97.9% for Cr(VI) ions in a mixed solution. - Abstract: Industrial wastewater containing both organic and inorganic pollutants is being generated all the time. Efficient materials are highly needed to purify the polluted water. Thus, a hierarchical structured α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} with excellent adsorptive property has been synthesized by using a facile hydrothermal method. It can be prepared in macroscopic quantity. The as-synthesized α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} with silkworm cocoon-like morphology shows high efficiency in adsorbing Congo red (CR), Methyl orange (MO) and Cr(VI). The removal efficiency of CR, MO and Cr(VI) can reach 99.2%, 83.9% and 100% under appropriate conditions. Besides, this α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} shows high adsorptive ability for mixed CR and Cr(VI) in aqueous solution and the final removal rates can reach 94.7% and 97.9%, respectively. The adsorption kinetics fits well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results indicate that the product may find potential application in purification of wastewater containing both organic and inorganic pollutants.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Current understandings and perspectives on non-cancer health effects of benzene: A global concern

Objective: Benzene, as a volatile organic compound, is known as one of the main air pollutants in the environment. The aim of this review is to summarize all available evidences on non-cancerous health effects of benzene providing an overview of possible association of exposure to benzene with human chronic diseases, specially, in those regions of the world where benzene concentration is being poorly monitored. Methodology: A bibliographic search of scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scirus was conducted with key words of “benzene toxic health effects”, “environmental volatile organic compounds”, “diabetes mellitus and environmental pollutants”, “breast cancer and environmental pollution”, “prevalence of lung cancer”, and “diabetes prevalence”. More than 300 peer reviewed papers were examined. Experimental and epidemiologic studies reporting health effects of benzene and volatile organic compounds were included in the study. Results: Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that benzene exposure can lead to numerous non-cancerous health effects associated with functional aberration of vital systems in the body like reproductive, immune, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, and respiratory. Conclusion: Chronic diseases have become a health burden of global dimension with special emphasis in regions with poor monitoring over contents of benzene in petrochemicals. Benzene is a well known carcinogen of blood and its components, but the concern of benzene exposure is more than carcinogenicity of blood components and should be evaluated in both epidemiologic and experimental studies. Aspect of interactions and mechanism of toxicity in relation to human general health problems especially endocrine disturbances with particular reference to diabetes, breast and lung cancers should be followed up. - Highlights: • Benzene is a volatile organic compound and established blood carcinogen. • Exposure to benzene needs to be evaluated in related chronic diseases. • Cigarette smoke is the main source for indoor benzene exposure. • Health outcomes associated with air pollutants are poorly characterized due to lack of comprehensive monitoring system.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

Act as NARSTO Management Coordinator and Conduct Research In Support of NARSTO Activities

This grant funded the position of NARSTO Management Coordinator. NARSTO was a public-private partnership with members from government, utilities, industry, and academe in Canada, the United States and Mexico. NARSTO planed and coordinated independently sponsored projects and tasks designed to identify and resolve policy-relevant science questions related to a) Anthropogenic and biogenic air-pollution sources and emissions, b) The complex physical and chemical processes affecting the accumulation of pollutants in the troposphere (including greenhouse gases and aerosols), c) The potential of certain pollutants to react and generate oxidants and fine particles in the troposphere, d) The development, intercomparison, and application of atmospheric models, e) The development of monitoring studies and methodologies needed to assess emission control effectiveness for selected greenhouse gases and aerosols, air pollutants and their precursors, and f) The attainment of the national air-quality and climate-stabilization goals and standards established by each member Nation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗