Carlos Itsuo Yamamoto

Application of a long-period fibre grating-based transducer in the fuel industry

This work shows prospects of long-period fibre grating applications as transducers for fuel conformity analysis. The proposed long-period grating transducer was employed to assess the gasoline conformity in commercial gas stations. Grating responses were used to train and validate a radial base function topology of an artificial neural network. The obtained results show that fibre optic sensors supervised by artificial neural networks can integrate systems for smart sensing with high applicability in the petrochemical field. The radial base function had reached a correct classification probability of approximately 94%. The device applicability in the analysis of hydrated ethanol fuel was also investigated by measuring the concentration of ethanol in ethanol?water mixtures. The results showed that the developed transducer can be used to infer the ethanol?water concentration with a resolution of up to 0.23%.

Genotoxicity of Achillea millefolium essential oil in diploid cells of Aspergillus nidulans

The essential oil of Achillea millefolium is commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of several diseases and has been demonstrated previously to exert an in vitro antimicrobial activity against human pathogens. Current study investigates the genotoxic activity of A. millefolium oil. The oils major constituents are: chamazulene (42.15%), sabinene (19.72%), terpin‐4‐ol (5.22%), β‐caryophyllene (4.44%) and eucalyptol (3.10%), comprising 74.63% of the total. The oils genotoxic evaluation was performed at concentrations of 0.13 µL/mL, 0.19 µL/mL and 0.25 µL/mL with a heterozygous diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans, named A757//UT448, with green conidia. A statistically significant increasing number of yellow and white mitotic recombinants, per colony, of the diploid strain was reported after oil treatment with 0.19 µL/mL and 0.25 µL/mL concentrations. The genotoxicity of the oil was associated with the induction of mitotic non‐disjunction or crossing‐over by oil. Copyright

Gaseous emissions from a heavy-duty engine equipped with SCR aftertreatment system and fuelled with diesel and biodiesel: Assessment of pollutant dispersion and health risk

The changes in the composition of fuels in combination with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emission control systems bring new insights into the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants. The major goal of our study was to quantify NOx, NO, NO2, NH3 and N2O emissions from a four-cylinder diesel engine operated with diesel and a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel. Exhaust fume samples were collected from bench dynamometer tests using a heavy-duty diesel engine equipped with SCR. The target gases were quantified by means of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The use of biodiesel blend presented lower concentrations in the exhaust fumes than using ultra-low sulfur diesel. NOx and NO concentrations were 68% to 93% lower in all experiments using SCR, when compared to no exhaust aftertreatment. All fuels increased NH3 and N2O emission due to SCR, a precursor secondary aerosol, and major greenhouse gas, respectively. An AERMOD dispersion model analysis was performed on each compound results for the City of Curitiba, assumed to have a bus fleet equipped with diesel engines and SCR system, in winter and summer seasons. The health risks of the target gases were assessed using the Risk Assessment Information System For 1-h exposure of NH3, considering the use of low sulfur diesel in buses equipped with SCR, the results indicated low risk to develop a chronic non-cancer disease. The NOx and NO emissions were the lowest when SCR was used; however, it yielded the highest NH3 concentration. The current results have paramount importance, mainly for countries that have not yet adopted the Euro V emission standards like China, India, Australia, or Russia, as well as those already adopting it. These findings are equally important for government agencies to alert the need of improvements in aftertreatment technologies to reduce pollutants emissions.

Healthy environment — indoor air quality of Brazilian elementary schools nearby petrochemical industry

The mitigation of pollution released to the environment originating from the industrial sector has been the aim of all policy-makers and its importance is evident if the adverse health effects on the world population are considered. Although this concern is controversial, petroleum refinery has been linked to some adverse health effects for people living nearby. Apart from home, school is the most important indoor environment for children and there is increasing concern about the school environment and its impact on health, also in developing countries where the prevalence of pollution is higher. As most of the children spend more than 40% of their time in schools, it is critical to evaluate the pollution level in such environment. In the metropolitan region of Curitiba, South Brazil, five schools nearby industries and highways with high density traffic, were selected to characterize the aerosol and gaseous compounds indoor and outdoor of the classrooms, during 2009-2011. Size segregated aerosol samples were collected for analyses of bulk and single particle elemental profiles. They were analyzed by electron probe X-ray micro-analysis (EPXMA), and by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), to investigate the elemental composition of individual particles and bulk samples. The concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); NO2; SO2; acetic acid; and formic acid were assessed indoor and outdoor using passive diffusion tubes. BTEX were analyzed by GC-MS and other collected gasses by ion chromatography. Individual exposition of BTEX was assessed by personal passive diffusion tubes. Results are interpreted separately and as a whole with the specific aim of identifying compounds that could affect the health of the scholars. In view of the chemical composition and size distribution of the aerosol particles, local deposition efficiencies in the childrens respiratory systems were calculated, revealing the deposition of particles at extrathoracic, tracheobronchial and pulmonary levels.

Effectiveness of selective catalytic reduction systems on reducing gaseous emissions from an engine using diesel and biodiesel blends.

The aim of this investigation was to quantify organic and inorganic gas emissions from a four-cylinder diesel engine equipped with a urea selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. Using a bench dynamometer, the emissions from the following mixtures were evaluated using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer: low-sulfur diesel (LSD), ultralow-sulfur diesel (ULSD), and a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20). For all studied fuels, the use of the SCR system yielded statistically significant (p < 0.05) lower NOx emissions. In the case of the LSD and ULSD fuels, the SCR system also significantly reduced emissions of compounds with high photochemical ozone creation potential, such as formaldehyde. However, for all tested fuels, the SCR system produced significantly (p < 0.05) higher emissions of N2O. In the case of LSD, the NH3 emissions were elevated, and in the case of ULSD and B20 fuels, the non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) and total hydrocarbon of diesel (HCD) emissions were significantly higher.

Adsorption of glycerol, monoglycerides and diglycerides present in biodiesel produced from soybean oil.

The most common methods currently used for the removal of waste glycerol, monoglycerides and diglycerides remaining after phase separation during biodiesel production involve wet processes. These procedures are not environmentally viable because they require large volumes of water and thus generate significant quantities of effluent. In this study, adsorption was employed to replace this purification step. Some commercial activated carbons were tested along with adsorbents chemically modified with HNO3. A kinetics study was conducted at 30°C and adsorption isotherms were obtained at 20°C, 30°C and 40°C. The results indicated that the adsorption of glycerol increased with the use of chemically-modified activated carbon, showing that pH has a strong influence on glycerol adsorption. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model provided the best fit with the experimental data for the monoglycerides while the pseudo-second-order model showed a better fit for the glycerol and diglycerides. The Freundlich model had the best fit with experimental data on the adsorption equilibrium for all temperatures. The thermodynamic study indicated that the adsorption process is endothermic and thus adsorption is favoured by increasing the temperature. The adsorption process using chemically-modified activated carbon was therefore very effective for the removal of waste glycerol resulting from biodiesel production, which is of considerable significance given the legal limits imposed.

Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend.

Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP(ESR)) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP(ESR) results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100cm(-1) and 1600cm(-1) indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation.

Biochemical responses in freshwater fish after exposure to water-soluble fraction of gasoline.

The water-soluble fraction of gasoline (WSFG) is a complex mixture of mono-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of WSFG diluted 1.5% on freshwater fish. Astyanax altiparanae were exposed to the WSFG for 96 h, under a semi-static system, with renewal of 25% of the gasoline test solution every 24 h. In addition, a decay of the contamination (DC) was carried out. During DC, the fish was exposed to the WSFG for 8 d, followed by another 7 d with renewal of 25% of volume aquaria with clean water every 24 h. For depuration, fish were transferred to aquaria with clean water, and in addition, 25% of the water was replaced every 24 h. The liver and kidney biotransformation, antioxidant defenses and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were evaluated. In the liver, the WSFG 1.5% caused reduction of glutathione S-transferase (GST) after 96 h and DC. In the kidney, only in depuration an increased GST activity was observed, and after DC a higher LPO levels. An increase of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity occurred at 96 h in both tissues; however, in the liver was also observed during the depuration. In WSFG 96 h, the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the kidney increased. As biomarkers of neurotoxicity, the brain and muscle acetylcholinesterase activities were measured, but the WSFG 1.5% did not change them. Therefore, this study brought forth more data about WSFG effects on freshwater fish after lower concentrations exposure and a DC, simulating an environmental contamination.

Synthesis of new colloidal formations during the strengthening of different activated hydrated metallurgical slags

Abstract This paper reports on a comparison of experimental researches on the hydration hardening of different types of dumped ferrous slag (DFS) (blast furnace, open hearth, electric steel and converter), non-activated and activated with small (2%) additions of Portland cement or lime. Activation was found to accelerate the strengthening processes in the early stages of hydration resulting from the growth of colloidal sol–gel new formations in a more alkaline environment. Over time, these formations became denser and transformed into stone-like amorphous materials with a uniaxial strength of up to 47.6 MPa at 1 year of age. All these types of slag can, therefore, be used in different applications, for example, like traditional binders, such as Portland cement, to different ceramic goods, new construction materials, etc. But till now the results of this research were used only for the preparing of binder materials for natural soils strengthening as road bases in Russia. Highways whose roadbeds were built with these DFS as binder materials have shown excellent performance indices in different parts of Russia, including Siberia and northern regions.

Risk assessment and spatial chemical variability of PM collected at selected bus stations

The chemical characterization of particulate matter inside and outside of confined bus shelters has been discerned for the first time. Transit patrons are at risk due to the close vicinity of densely trafficked areas resulting in elevated pollution footprints. Incomplete combustion processes, as well as exhaust and wear and tear emissions from public and personal transportation vehicles, are key contributors to degraded urban air quality and are often implicated as causal to various diseases in humans. Urban planning, therefore, includes efficient public transport systems to mitigate the effect. The bus rapid transit system was inaugurated in Curitiba to ensure dedicated traffic lanes, major bus interchanges and semi-confined bus stops called “tube stations”. To assess the chemical risk that the passengers are exposed to, an investigation of the aerosol inside and outside five of these tube stations was launched. Electron probe X-ray micro-analysis and X-ray fluorescence were used to determine the elemental composition of individual and of bulk particle samples. An aethalometer quantified the black carbon. Elemental concentrations inside the shelters were in general higher than outside, especially for traffic-related elements. The lead concentration exceeded the NAAS standard at times, although the average was below the guideline. The biogenic, organic and soot clusters showed the highest abundance for the city centre sites. The overall carcinogenic risk could be classed as moderate, and the risk was significant at two sites during one of the sampling campaigns. The non-carcinogenic risk is well below the significant value.