Abhishek Bhat

Particulate characteristics and emission rates during the injection of class B biosolids into an agricultural field

A field study was conducted during the summer of 2009 to collect airborne particulate matter emitted during the agricultural activities. The activities surrounding the injection application of class B biosolids were targeted for the sampling. The sampling was carried out before (pre-application), during (application), and after (post-application) the application. This study characterized the particulate emissions deposited on the aerosols spectrometer. The effect of different biosolids related activities was significant on the mass concentration, the number concentration, and the size distribution. The mass concentration of fine (PM(2.5)) and ultrafine (PM(1.0)) was highest during the pre-application. The mass concentration of thoracic fraction (PM(2.5-10)) increased significantly during the application. A bimodal size distribution was observed throughout the sampling. Nuclei mode formation was predominant during the pre-application and the post-application, whereas the accumulation mode was distinctive during the application. The number concentration of ultrafine particles was highest during the entire sampling period. The application of biosolids resulted into a higher number of coarse particle emission. It was also observed that the ultrafine and fine particles traveled longer downwind distances. The emission rates were determined for pre-application, application, and post-application activities.

Development and Evaluation of a Dispersion Model to Predict Downwind Concentrations of Particulate Emissions from Land Application of Class B Biosolids in Unstable Conditions

The term, biosolids, is generally used to refer to those waste products that have been stabilized by treatment of the sewage sludge for beneficial reuse through appropriate management (Davis, 2002). The agronomic and environmental benefits from the organic material and fertilizing elements contained in the biosolids are essential for maintaining soil fertility. This has been a major reason for the application of biosolids on the agricultural fields. These biosolids reused for land application on agricultural fields has potential benefits. Davis (2002) in his study described the following benefits: 1. The land application of biosolids is mainly used to improve the soil quality. The organic matter from the soil can be built. Water retention, soil stabilization, and reduced soil erosion are some of the other benefits. 2. Applied biosolids can partially or completely substitute commercial fertilizer. These biosolids contain nutrients present in conventional fertilizer including nitrogen, phosphate, and other additive elements. 3. The application of biosolids or reuse of biosolids reduces the quantity of waste required to be disposed in landfills. This reduces the pollution due to landfills, leachates, etc. The process of land application of biosolids on agricultural land has been carried out for generations. The agricultural activities related to the land application of biosolids aerosolize particulate matter. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) regulates particulate matter as a “criteria pollutant”. The particulate matter emitted during various agricultural activities impact air quality. The particulate matter generated from agricultural activities includes dust from the fields and dust generated from agricultural activities. The particulate matter emitted from the agricultural activities can contain bioaerosols, endotoxins, and pathogens. The airborne particles consisting of or originating from the microorganism are called bioaerosols. Bioaerosols containing pathogenic bacteria and harmful microorganisms accompanied with handling and the application process could harm the public health and environment. Modeling transport and dispersion of the

A Review of Recent Patents on Green Products

Abstract: The manufacturing of any product consumes energy and natural resources and produces multi-media pollution problems. The increasing regulations and better scientific understanding of the manufacturing processes have convinced industry to prevent pollution. Public and corporate interest is increasing, at an alarming rate, on how to apply the concepts of sustainable development to solve pollution problems from manufacturing. This interest has led to inventions and development of sustainable products that contain recycling material, reduced waste, conserved energy, used less packing. All these products are also biodegradable. These products, when compared to traditional products in use, are more socially, economically, and environmentally viable in the long run. They are known as “Green Products.” This article describes the green products as an environmental strategy that focuses on invention, design, and application of new products. A review of patents issued and filed over the last ten years indicate that the number of inventions related to green products are constantly increasing and a significant amount of work is taking place in pharmaceutical and related industries. Included is a discussion of different patents on green products, from different industrial sectors, that have been approved in recent years. The future trends in this area are also discussed.