The majority of xylenes dedicated to petrochemicals use are used to produce PX which is, among the different isomers of the mixed xylenes, the most produced one to be consumed in the polyester chain, mainly in the production of fiber. In the scope of the p-xylene separation by Simulated Moving Bed Technology (SMB) it is important to improve the existing tools to study the different aspects that...

The health impact on populations residing in industrially contaminated sites (CSs) is recognized as a public health concern especially in relation to more vulnerable population subgroups. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of congenital anomalies (CAs) in Italian CSs. Thirteen CSs covered by regional CA registries were investigated in an ecological study. The observed/expected ratio...

Petroleum products are highly complex chemical mixtures consisting predominantly of hydrocarbons. Their composition varies with source and intended use of the product. Virtually all are blended products that come into contact with man in a wide range of circumstances. Their toxicity for man is generally low and the use of additives rarely affects the toxicity of the final product. Because produ...

Large amounts of global sources of remote natural reserves gas are identified along with the main objective to allow energy contained in to be moved economically to the market. The current options that are adopted to export natural gas are basically two:1. To liquefy the gas and ship it as LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). 2. To convert it to bulk petrochemicals in particular methanol or ammonia and...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the hypothesis that hydrocarbon exposure is a risk factor for chronic pancreatitis. METHODS 102 cases of chronic pancreatitis and 204 age and sex matched referents were interviewed about their occupational histories, alcohol and cigarette consumption, and diet. Exposure to hydrocarbons was inferred from interview responses by four assessors who were blind to disease ...

Since the inauguration of the government-led five year economic plans in the 1960s, Korea has achieved remarkable economic development. Korea’s economic strategy, known as ‘The Miracle on the Han River’, focused on heavy and chemical industries such as ship building and petrochemicals and was based on resource intensive urbanization. This rapid urban development caused a series of problems, suc...

The chemotaxonomic significance of ergastic substances that are aligned systematically to the Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae group and their prospective applications, such as the use of its starch for food, health and industrial uses, were assessed in the present study employing species from four genera: Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae), Chenopodium, Atriplex and Suaeda (Chenopodiaceae). Alkaloids, fat...

This paper investigates the common movements of commodity sectors in China as well as the economic underpinnings of the comovements. We employ a Bayesian dynamic latent factor model to disentangle the common and idiosyncratic sector-specific factors of the prices of a group of China's commodity sectors: petrochemicals, grains, energy, non-ferrous metals, oils & fats, and softs. The results indi...

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are fused-ring hydrocarbon compounds that are highly recalcitrant under normal conditions due to their structural complexity and strong molecular bonds. These groups of petrochemicals are mainly found in petroleum-refining plants, accidental oil spills and pipe leakages, and rainwater run-off from roadway. Improperly managed and disposed PAHs can cause en...