Environmental Research, Engineering and Management最新文献

{"title":"Investigation of Groundwater Potential Using Remote Sensing and Hydro-geophysical Techniques: A Case Study of the Telidjene Basin (Eastern Algeria)","authors":"Amel Hibi, L. Gouaidia, O. Guefaifia","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29560","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29560","url":null,"abstract":"The present study aims to assess groundwater potential in the Telidjene Basin located in the semi-arid part of eastern Algeria, applying an innovative approach combining both remote sensing and hydrogeophysics methods. A re-interpretation of geophysical data and vertical electrical sounding (VES) measurements were applied and calibrated with the borehole data to map the deep structures that may control the presence of groundwater and identify the geological and hydrogeological setting. Morphometric factors affecting recharge were mapped using several types of remote sensing data (SRTM DEM, Landsat-8). Thematic maps were overlaid using the multicriteria method and GIS to detect potential recharge areas. The results show that the main factors influencing recharge are fracturing and drainage density. Four potential recharge areas were identified over a 547 km2 area of the basin. 20% of the area falls in the weakest class, 32% in the weak class, 3% in the moderate, and 16% in the strongest. Furthermore, the study reveals that an alluvial aquifer with a thickness of up to 60m, spreading over the surface, along the Wadi Telijene and the alluvial soil, is deposited unconformably on Cretaceous terrain containing aquifer horizons of varying thickness and different electrical resistivities (10–150 Ωm), drawing an anticlinal structure with lithostratigraphy interrupted by a series of faults and spurs of Aptian and Triassic age. The south-western part of the basin has a high to moderate recharge and storage capacity. Its alluvial cover is directly fed by precipitation and fractured limestones deposited in a syncline outcropping on the edges forming an alluvial and carbonate bilayer aquifer. This study concluded that an integrated approach, involving recent, efficient, and inexpensive technology, such as remote sensing and conventional geophysical method, can be successfully used to identify groundwater potential in the study area.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85159167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of Shading Device and Semi-Circle Horizontal Light Pipe Transporter for High-Rise Office Building in Tropical Climate","authors":"C. Y. S. Heng","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29942","url":null,"abstract":"The blooming of a deep open plan in office buildings is accelerated due to economic profit reasons. This hinders the utilisation of daylight despite having abundance of daylight in tropical climate. Although a light pipe (LP) provides a means to illuminate the deep interior of the space, non-uniform daylight distribution still occurs due to the high illumination contrast across the room. The integration of a shading device (SD) in a room with an LP offers a solution to create a uniform daylight distribution. In this study, daylighting performances of 5 different types of an SD with different angles were analysed through a computer simulation software, namely Integrated Environment Solution Virtual Environment. The simulation was done using overcast and intermediate sky with sun conditions. The results showed that all SD cases improved the daylight uniformity across the room. A horizontal Venetian blind with an angle of +45o and −45o showed the best qualitative performance among all the cases. However, further shading and illumination are needed respectively to increase the potential daylight utilisation in an open plan office room. This study also concluded that a vertical Venetian blind did not provide a good daylight uniformity due to the vertical nature of the SD. A design recommendation guide for building designers is proposed at the end of this study to promote the integration of an SD and an LP in deep open plan high-rise office building.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74473152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmentally Sustainable Airline Waste Management: The Case of Finnair PLC","authors":"Glenn Baxter, P. Srisaeng, G. Wild","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29574","url":null,"abstract":"Airlines around the world are increasingly focusing on the environmentally sustainable management of wastes produced as a by-product of their operations. The objective of this work was to analyze Finnair’s non-hazardous waste (NHW) types and quantities, their NHW management strategies, and the methods used to mitigate the environmental impact of their NHW, over the period 2008 to 2019. To achieve these objectives, the study was underpinned by an in-depth mixed methods research design; this incorporated a quantitative longitudinal study and a qualitative document analysis. The results revealed that despite significant growth of their operations, Finnair’s annual NHWs have declined over the study period. Finnair’s annual NHWs decreased from 5,710 tonnes in 2008 to 4,212.01 tonnes in 2019. The primary waste disposal methods used by the airline are waste-to-energy recovery and waste recycling, both in-house and by external third-party service providers. Smaller quantities of wastes are composted. Since 2015, the company has had a policy of not disposing wastes to landfill.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76205839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges for Indoor Air Quality Management","authors":"E. Admin, V. Kaunelienė","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.30289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.30289","url":null,"abstract":"We live indoors. In the developed countries, people spent80-90% of time in buildings. Therefore, among the environmentalfactors, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a significant,if not the most significant, factor affecting human health.Scientific evidence has indicated that indoor air can bemore seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even thelargest and most industrialized cities. Indoor air pollutioncauses long- and short-term health problems and, dependingon the severity, can even make staying indoorsvery uncomfortable. Management of IAQ is a complicatedtask due to complexity of pollution sources and alimited number of measures applicable such as reducingcontaminants at the source, improving ventilation, and,when relevant, purifying the indoor air","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79166203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Renewable Energy in Lithuania: Experience, State and Trends","authors":"Giedrius Gecevičius, Ž. Kavaliauskas","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29902","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.29902","url":null,"abstract":"In recent decades, the growing number of citizens and improving life quality have increased energy consumption in the world and Europe, as well as in Lithuania. Despite the fact that an increasing number of countries are focusing on the development of renewable energy, most of the energy is produced by using fossil fuels. As a result, climate change is being felt more than ever before. One of the ways to mitigate climate change is the development of renewable energy sources in the world, Europe and Lithuania. Last year, Lithuania produced 5,142 TWh of electricity, which accounted for 47% of the country’s total electricity consumption, and 22.2% of all electricity consumption was generated using renewable energy sources. According to the Lithuanian National Energy Independence Strategy, 70% of electricity will have to be produced in Lithuania by 2030, reaching 100% by 2050. However, electricity imports and resulting energy dependence are still a major challenge in Lithuania. To address the ambitious goals of eliminating energy dependence and developing climate-neutral technologies, the last decade has seen the focus on the development of renewable energy, and wind energy in particular. Forecasts for the future suggest that by the middle of the century, the country will be producing electricity mainly from renewable sources including onshore and offshore wind energy, large- and small-scale solar energy, and bioenergy systems.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79631565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainability of Rice Business in Flood-Prone Areas","authors":"M. Isa, M. Wajdi, Mabruroh Mabruroh, Siti Fatimah Nur Hayati, N. Kamarulzaman","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.28096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.4.28096","url":null,"abstract":"Rice issues are strategically important given that food sovereignty is one of the government’s strategic plans. The supply chain of rice is a complex system involving many interacting stakeholders. This study aims to analyse the rice supply chain in flood-prone areas, the level of rice business vulnerability to flooding, and the institutional competitiveness in the rice supply chain to improve food security. This study applied a mixed-method approach. The population of this research was business operators in the rice supply chain in the flood-prone areas of Klaten Regency, Indonesia. This study utilized primary data, which were collected using the method of direct interviews with business actors, supported by a list of questions and focus group discussions. The analytical tools used in this study were supply chain analysis, business vulnerability index, and stakeholder analysis. The results show that the rice supply chain consisted of farmers and rice fellers, collectors, rice mills, wholesalers, retailers and, finally, consumers. The vulnerability of companies in the rice supply chain was in the category of moderate. Stakeholders in the rice supply chain had diverse objectives, where the two most substantial goals were building reputation and earning income. Rice mill, Department of Agriculture, Food Security and Fisheries, and community are the main stakeholders in realizing food security because they have high interests and influence. The implication is that these three stakeholders must be the main actors in the development of regional food security.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"215 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83617065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sugar Industry Waste for Bioelectricity Generation","authors":"S. Rojas Flores, R. Nazario-Naveda, Santiago M. Betines, M. De La Cruz-Noriega, L. Cabanillas-Chirinos, F. Valdiviezo-Dominguez","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.29355","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.29355","url":null,"abstract":"Microbial fuel cells are presented as the promise of technology to generate electricity by using organic waste. In this research, molasses waste from Laredo Agroindustrial Company was used as fuel, as well as graphite and zinc electrodes, managing to build low-cost cells. It was possible to generate voltage and current peaks of 0.389 ± 0.021 V and 1.179 ± 0.079 mA, respectively. The cells showed that acid pH levels and conductivity values were around 100 mS/cm during the period of the highest bioelectricity generation. The maximum power density was 3.76 ± 0.62 W/cm2 for a current density of 247.55 mA/cm2, showing a peak voltage of 0.459 ± 0.52 V. The yeasts showed a logarithmic phase up to day 25 reflecting an increase in cell growth. Microbial fuel cells are projected to be the most viable solution for organic waste and clean energy generation problems.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91379099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On Implementation of Plants in the Indoor Environment in Intelligent Buildings","authors":"O. Franek, Č. Jarský","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.28928","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.28928","url":null,"abstract":"The article deals with the research of the influence of plants on the potential energy savings in the field of ventilation of intelligent buildings. It is known that selected plants can effectively reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide even in the indoor environment of buildings in poor lighting conditions. The paper presents a theoretical simulation method that shows the potential of selected plants to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the indoor environment and thus reduce the requirement for the amount of supplied air in intelligent buildings which are air-conditioned based on the current and required concentration of carbon dioxide. The results of the research are very influential; in terms of overall percentage savings, plants have the most significant effect in buildings with lower indoor air quality (IDA4+), while they have a less significant effect in areas with high air quality according to carbon dioxide concentration (IDA2, IDA3). Research with the help of computer simulation shows that the implementation of 1 m2 of living green plants, depending on the quality class of the IDA indoor environment, can bring savings on the amount of supplied air in the range of 0.058 % to 1.997 % for a typical office for 4 people.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76594354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding Drivers of Renewable Energy Firm’s Performance","authors":"Fatbardha Morina, Uğur Ergün, Eglantina Hysa","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.29230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.29230","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study is to identify the drivers of profitability for renewable energy companies in the European Union (EU) during the period of 2004–2018. Specifically, the study investigates the effect of firm-specific, country-specific, and macroeconomic factors on the profitability of the listed renewable energy companies that have their headquarters in the EU. The profitability is measured as return on assets (ROA) and Tobin’s q. Factors that affect profitability are divided into three groups such as firm-specific, country-specific, and macroeconomic factors, and to provide consistent and unbiased results, distinct methods are used. The ordinary least square (OLS) and random effect Generalized Least Squares (GLS) model are employed first. Also, the two-step system generalized method of moments estimation is used to validate the hypotheses. The empirical findings show that firm-specific factors are more dominant in explaining profitability rather than macroeconomic factors. The dynamic models show that profit persists over the years. Also, it is revealed that firm size has a positive effect on profitability in all models. The hypothesis that firms’ growth enhances profitability is evident in the short run, but in the long run, it is insignificant. The leverage has a positive effect on Tobin’s q. In addition, the study finds that tradable green certificate schemes enhance long-term profitability (Tobin’s q). The financial crises discourage the financial performance of renewable energy firms. The study has implications for managers and policymakers that should give importance to firm-specific factors and country-specific factors to promote the profitability of renewable energy companies in order to be sustainable by reducing energy import dependency and ensure energy for the future generation. Special attention should be given to support schemes toward renewable energy to be more effective and enhance firm profitability. The contribution of this paper is that it is the first study that examines the drivers of profitability for renewable energy companies by accounting for firm-specific, country-specific and macroeconomic factors. The study includes a long-time period by using advanced panel data techniques. To add robustness, alternative measures of profitability are used.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74553688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental Studies on Effects of Selected Species of Fungi on Aerobic Composting of Sugar Pressmud","authors":"A. Byakodi, B. Babu","doi":"10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.24734","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.77.3.24734","url":null,"abstract":"Pressmud is one of the most highly complex organic by-products generated from sugar industry. Due to its complex nature, disposal of the pressmud is difficult without affecting the surrounding environment. Pressmud has a high potential of converting itself into a good quality organic manure with proper management, through the aerobic composting process. This study is a part of major research work which focuses on recycling of nutrients and safe disposal of two of the most complex by-products: sugar pressmud and distillery spent wash through the aerobic composting process. The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of a commercially available microbial consortium on aerobic composting of pressmud. The selected microbial consortium includes four species of fungi: Phaenerochaete, Trichoderma Virdea, Aspergillus Niger, Pleurotus. These are capable of degrading complex organic matter with lignocellulosic characteristics. Five composting mixtures were prepared for this study, with four composting mixtures of individual species of fungus and the fifth composting mixture with all four fungi species. Aerobic composting was carried out in PVC reactors with 7 kg of pressmud as a base material, 1 % (w/w) of optimum dosage for microbial consortium and 5% (w/w) of digested cow dung. The study was carried in the pre-monsoon season over a period of 50 days. Aeration was provided with mixing of the contents at every three days interval, and also, water was added to maintain the moisture content in the optimum range. Representative samples were collected and analyzed for various physic-chemical parameters. Further, these results were compared with the standards prescribed by Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, to assess the nutrient content of the prepared compost. The prepared compost from CM-V showed a pH of 7.62, EC of 3.67 dS/m, TOC of 17.64 %, TKN of 2.24 %, phosphorus of 4.93 %, potassium of 1.11 %, iron of 72.20 mg/kg and C/N ratio of 7.86. Hence, it can be concluded that CM-V has satisfactory overall nutrient content in most of the parameters. But further studies are to be conducted in a large scale to assess the evolution of heat during the composting process and its effects on duration of composting.","PeriodicalId":11703,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research, Engineering and Management","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82704638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}