Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters最新文献

{"title":"Total Systems Cost: A Better Metric for Valuing Electricity in Supply Network Planning and Decision-Making","authors":"Stephanie Byrom, A. Boston, G. Bongers, P. Dargusch, A. Garnett, N. Bongers","doi":"10.3808/JEIL.202100056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/JEIL.202100056","url":null,"abstract":"Comparing the cost and value of electricity generation technologies is becoming more complex as electricity grids become more diverse. The changing generation mix, along with the need to maintain a competent grid, is resulting in previously acceptable cost comparison metrics being used outside of their limited range of applicability. In particular Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE), if used to evaluate options for a future, low carbon grid, could result in erroneous and misleading conclusions. Electricity generation facilities do not only provide energy, they also provide an array of additional services which are fundamental to maintaining a permanent and reliable electricity supply across the system, including reserve capacity, and voltage and frequency control. Indeed, some technology options pro- vide these services without generating any energy. These services, corresponding costs and operational implications need to be included in the evaluation of technologies in order to ensure the grids emerge transformed, resilient and genuinely sustainable. Total system cost and its derivative metrics are the most appropriate economic metrics for analysis and decision making in a future for low carbon grid.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133864169","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":"A Review of Numerical Models for Oil Penetration, Retention, and Attenuation on Shorelines","authors":"E. Taylor, E. Owens, Kenneth Lee, C. An, Z. Chen, Winslow Way East Bainbridge Island Wa Usa Occ Ltd., Ottawa On K A E Canada Oceans Canada","doi":"10.3808/JEIL.202100051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/JEIL.202100051","url":null,"abstract":"Oil spills that reach shorelines greatly increase risks to coastal resources. Understanding how long oil is likely to remain on a shoreline is important in deciding response priorities, areas to clean, and the degree of intervention recommended. Wave action, tides, and currents can relocate oil laterally along the beach, cause oil to penetrate vertically into the sediments, and remove oil from the shoreline. Physico-chemical processes transfer some hydrocarbons to the atmosphere and to the adjacent water column resulting in diminished oil on the shoreline. Oil dispersion, through formation of oil-particulate aggregates, and microbial degradation processes can break down a large fraction of the residual oil remaining on and within shorelines. A comprehensive review of the scientific literature reveals that although there are many models that describe and predict oil transport, behavior, and fate in the sea, few numerical models have been developed for oil stranded on shorelines. Canada’s Multi-Partner Research Initiative Program aims to develop a model-based “Decision Support Tool” that can predict the rates of oil loss that can be achieved from natural attenuation processes and the application of active spill response strategies. This model is built on the understanding of factors controlling: penetration, holding capacity, retention, and the residual capacity (persistence) of oil stranded on shorelines derived from the results of case histories, laboratory, meso-scale tests and field trials. Output from the model is intended to support spill response decision-making by allowing spill responders and the public to visualize the results achieved by natural attenuation versus remedial strategies.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121331336","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":"A Practical Model of the Natural Attenuation of Oil on Shorelines for Decision Support","authors":"E. Owens, E. Taylor, G. Sergy, Kenneth Lee, C. An, Z. Chen, Edmonton Ab T J G Canada S Environmental, Ottawa On K A E Canada Oceans Canada","doi":"10.3808/JEIL.202100053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/JEIL.202100053","url":null,"abstract":"Oil stranded on shorelines naturally weathers and attenuates at rates that are a function of the character of the oil on the shoreline (type and volume), the character of the shoreline materials, and the environmental setting (physical and biological). Some light crude oils and refined products have a very short half-life and may persist for only hours or days. However, if stranded oil is not exposed to light, oxygen or physical shore-zone processes, such as in asphalt pavements or if buried by marine or river sediments, it may take long time periods to fully degrade, or in a few extreme cases may not degrade at all. This review assesses the current state-of-knowledge of the natural weathering and attenuation of oil on shorelines as this relates to decisions regarding a shoreline treatment program. This knowledge is critical for the creation of simulation models for natural attenuation. The Shoreline Response Program-Decision Support Tool, currently under development, considers the various translocation (transport) pathways of oil on shorelines into the atmosphere or the marine environment and the attenuation processes that lead to the final transformation of stranded petroleum hydrocarbons into non-hydrocarbon materials. This ultimate transformation to a non-hydrocarbon is only achieved during chemical attenuation processes associated with biodegradation or photodegradation acting on exposed oil surfaces. Understanding the processes that act on the stranded oil and the rates by which oil is transformed into non-hydrocarbon materials is crucial in the decision process on whether to let Nature take its course or to intervene to remove the oil and/or accelerate the weathering and attenuation processes. This review evaluates the current state-of-understanding regarding the initial behavior and ultimate fate of oil on shorelines, identifies knowledge gaps regarding the behavior and ultimate fate of oil on shorelines, and recommends topics for further investigation and future research.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"21 9","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131790808","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":"An Analysis of Selected Oil Spill Case Studies on the Shorelines of Canada","authors":"Q. Feng, C. An, Y. Cao, Z. Chen, E. Owens, E. Taylor, Z. Wang, E. Saad","doi":"10.3808/JEIL.202100052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/JEIL.202100052","url":null,"abstract":"After an oil spill, oil may wash ashore and there is only a short window of opportunity to respond. Analysis of historical incident data is valuable to guide future responses and cleanup practices. This study summarized the oil spill accidents that impacted the Canadian shoreline and analyzed the related information including location, incident characteristics, and shoreline treatment. Major spills due to tanker accidents in Canadian marine waters fortunately have been infrequent. Most of the accidents have happened on Canada’s Pacific coast, accounting for 52% of the total accidents recorded. The Atlantic coast accounted for 39% and the remaining accidents happened in the Arctic region. Regarding spilled volume, 55% of the accidents spilled oil volumes smaller than 100 m3. Spilled volumes between 100 ~ 1000 m3 represent 30% of the incidents and 15% had spilled volume greater than 1000 m3. Bunker C fuel and diesel were the main types of the spilled oil, accounting for 33% of the spills, respectively. Within the oil spill accidents impacting Canadian shore- lines, marine vessel accidents were the major sources accounting for 70% of the spill accidents. In terms of the shoreline treatment, the commonly employed treatments were manual, vacuum, mechanical, and sorbent removal. The dataset highlighted the significance of a more comprehensive record for response phase details and environmental effects monitoring.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122187771","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":"A Review of Response Options to Accelerate the Recovery of Oiled Shorelines","authors":"E. Owens, E. Taylor, G. Sergy, C. An, Z. Chen, Kenneth Lee, Edmonton Ab T J G Canada S Environmental, Ottawa On K A E Canada Oceans Canada","doi":"10.3808/JEIL.202100049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/JEIL.202100049","url":null,"abstract":"The rate at which oil on shorelines weathers and attenuates is a function of the character of the oil on the shoreline (type and volume), the character of the shoreline materials, and the environmental setting (physical and biological). Some light crude oils or products have a very short half-life and may persist for only hours or days whereas other oils may persist for months to years. The objective of this review is to summarize how and why the different commonly used and available response options can contribute to accelerating shoreline recovery and to explain the potential consequences of these actions. Globally, the most widely used shoreline treatment activity is simple physical removal by manual or mechanical cleanup methods with off-site disposal. The explanation for this situation lies in the fact that this method is typically quick, easy, and requires no special skill sets or dedicated equipment. The second most widely used treatment method is low-pressure flushing or washing. A concern with this option is that typically little or no oil is recovered, unless the oil loading on the shore is very high and, although some of the oil may be broken down and dispersed in the water column and then biodegraded, if the method generates oil residue-sediment aggregates these may be negatively buoyant when the sediments are granular (> 1 mm) or coarser. Many guides and manuals describe the mechanics and implementation of these and other treatment methods; this review evaluates the state-of-the art with respect to currently available and widely applicable treatment options to accelerate oiled shore- line recovery. This knowledge is intended to support the creation of a science-based Shoreline Response Program (SRP) Decision Support Tool that is under development as part the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Multi-Partner Research Initiative (MPRI) program. The primary benefit of this tool is to enhance the quality of strategic planning regarding shoreline response intervention and non-intervention decisions related, in part, to Alternative Response Technologies for shoreline treatment.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124954797","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":"Collided with COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Yangtze flood is exceptionally severe.","authors":"Feng Wang, G. Huang, Yurui Fan","doi":"10.1002/essoar.10504388.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10504388.1","url":null,"abstract":"During June to July, 2020, persistent heavy precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) is resulting in extensive flooding, with over 158 fatalities and tremendous economic losses. This year’s disastrous flooding extreme is exceptionally different from those of other years. It contains over 1000-year return period events (for 30-day cumulative precipitation) as observed in Anhui, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces. The mean precipitation is 308 mm in July 2020, being 54 mm higher than that of July 1998, when serious floods affected the entire Basin causing tremendous socio-economic consequences. Compared with 1998, the short-term (e.g., 1 day) precipitation in YRB did not show significant increases, while the long-term (e.g., 30 days) cumulative precipitation increases significantly. The highest observed 30-day cumulative precipitation is 1221 mm (in Anhui Province) in 2020, while the highest one in 1998 was 1028 mm (in Jiangxi Province). We thus find that this persistent heavy precipitation is the main cause of flooding in 2020. At the same time, TGR may mitigate up 43% of upstream flood, although the main contributors to this year’s YRB flood are in the middle and lower reaches. Affected by COVID-19, the number of people at risk in the threatened area are increased, and their capacities to mitigate the dual impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and flooding are hindered since (a) the flooding-caused mitigations may limit people’s ability to prevent from virus spreading, and (b) the pandemic is retaining a large amount of migrant workers being within YRB and subject to flooding impacts. Overall, our main discovery is that, although the short-term precipitation in YRB did not increase significantly in 2020, the cumulative one increased significantly in 2020.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115815087","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":"Environmental Pollution in Pearl River Delta, China: Status and Potential Effects","authors":"F. Wang, R. Hao","doi":"10.3808/jeil.202000033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/jeil.202000033","url":null,"abstract":"Rapid economic growth in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, south China, has resulted in severe pollution of the natural eco-environment since the reform and opening up. Of various sources for eco-environmental deterioration, the negative impact of environmental pollutants is a global concern. Large amounts of research on environmental pollution in the PRD have been accumulated, which allows us to conduct a fairly comprehensive assessment of the environment state of the PRD. This review examines environmental pollutions (e.g., heavy metals, organics) mainly in water, air, and soil. The general information of these pollutions on current levels, possible causes, and potential effects in PRD were reviewed. The study found that heavy metals had an increasing trend in PRD in recent decades, especially for Cr. The sediments in coastal wetlands were significantly contaminated by Cd, Zn, and Ni. The levels of DDTs in various environmental media are of great concern. The discharge of industrial effluents and domestic sewage seemed to cause nutrient and heavy metal pollution in environmental media. Atmospheric emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants have caused profound environmental and health implications. Growing public concern over the potential accumulation of heavy metals in soils could be owing to rapid urban and industrial development.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"105 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122257594","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":"Perspective on Site Selection of Small Modular Reactors","authors":"X. Y. Zhang, G. Huang, L. Liu, J. P. Chen, B. Luo, Y. Fu, X. Zheng, D. Han, Y. Liu","doi":"10.3808/jeil.202000026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/jeil.202000026","url":null,"abstract":"As an emerging means of energy supply, small modular reactors (SMRs) are considered as a promising option for relieving environmental pressure caused by increasing fossil fuel consumption. Since SMRs are at an early stage of development, in-depth analysis on the necessity and feasibility of their deployment is essential. The site selection of SMRs, which is a multifaceted process and should be guided by a clearly established set of criteria, is a crucial step. To propose comprehensive recommendations for SMR site selection, a review is provided in this study. The review involves development process, technical characteristics and potential applications of SMRs, research status of SMR site selection, and criteria for site selection of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Different considerations of siting criteria between SMRs and NPPs are analyzed. Based on the review and analyses, perspectives and targeted suggestions on SMR site selection are provided.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127680696","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":"Modeling Air Dispersion of Pollutants Emitted from the Daura Oil Refinery, Baghdad- Iraq using the CALPUFF Modeling System","authors":"R. M. Shubbar, D. I. Lee, H. A. Gzar, A. Rood","doi":"10.3808/jeil.201900014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/jeil.201900014","url":null,"abstract":"The CALPUFF atmospheric transport model was used to estimate ambient air concentrations of SO2, CO, NO2, and PM2.5, in a 256 km2 region surrounding the Daura oil refinery in Baghdad, Iraq during a six month period in the summer for 2013 and the winter of 2014. The CALPUFF modeling system includes a meteorological processor (CALMET), a Lagrangian puff atmospheric transport model (CALPUFF), and a post processor (CALPOST). Source term and meteorological data, including surface and upper air observations, were pre-processed and formatted for CALMET and CALPUFF using FORTRAN programs. Monthly emission rates and stack parameters for twelve stack sources were included in the model. Winds out of the northwest predominated, followed by winds out of the north and the west. The urban regions with the highest pollutant concentrations in the study domain were the Daura Express Highway located south and southeast of the facility, and the refinery employee residences located west of the facility. These areas were closest to the Daura oil refinery. Predicted pollutant concentrations showed that SO2 and CO were higher than NO2 and PM2.5, for the study period because emission rates of SO2 and CO were greater than NO2 and PM2.5. Monthly dispersion patterns were similar among the pollutants and exhibit plumes in the predominant wind direction. Winter generally had the highest predicted pollutant concentrations compared to the summer months.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122057833","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":"Automation of Forest Fire Danger Index from the Near Real Time Satellite Datasets","authors":"K. Babu, A. Roy","doi":"10.3808/jeil.201900015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3808/jeil.201900015","url":null,"abstract":"Forest fire is a major ecological disaster, which has economic, social and environmental impacts on humans and also causes the loss of biodiversity. Forest officials issue the warnings to the public on the basis of fire danger index classes. There is no fire danger index for the country India due to the sparsely distributed meteorological stations. In this study, we have made an attempt to integrate both the Static and Dynamic fire danger indices and also used the near real time data sets that can be available for download through Earthdata website after one hour of the satellite overpass and also automated the entire procedure. SFDI is a constant over the study area, computed from the MODIS Land cover type yearly L3 global 500 m SIN grid (MCD12Q1) and ASTER GDEM datasets. In this study, DFDI has been calculated from the Near Real Time (NRT) Level 2 MODIS Terra Land Surface Temperature datasets (MOD11_L2) and MODIS TERRA NRT surface reflectance dataset MOD09. Dynamic danger index has been developed from three parameters i.e. Potential surface temperature, Perpendicular Moisture Index and Modified Normalized Difference Fire Index (MNDFI). Finally, The Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) has been developed from the static and dynamic fire danger indices by the additive model and the overall accuracy was ranging from 86% to 95% and AUC values ranging from 0.81 to 0.91 during the major fire episode of 2016. Thus, the FFDI has been useful to assess the fire danger accurately over the study area and can be useful anywhere, where the meteorological stations are un-available. The procedure of calculating the DFDI and FFDI has been automated in R studio environment in near real time and therefore, the fire danger maps can be disseminated to fire officials in near real time for the quick actions to suppress the fire activities.","PeriodicalId":143718,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics Letters","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133478713","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}