To examine the effects of China’s national policies of energy conservation and emission control during 2005– 2010, inter-annual emission trends of gaseous pollutants, primary aerosols, and CO2 are estimated with a bottom-up framework. The control measures led to improved energy efficiency and/or increased penetration of emission control devices at power plants and other important industrial sou...

Here we show that combustion sources, including waste incinerators, metallurgical processes, power-heating systems and so on, are also important emitters of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to the atmosphere. Geometric mean PBDE concentrations in the stack flue gases of the combustion sources ranged from 8.07 to 469 ng/Nm3. The sinter plants (24.7 mg/h), electric arc furnaces (EAFs) (11.3...

Carbon dioxide sequestration by aquatic micro algae appears to be the most promising, environmental friendly and cost effective means of reducing carbon dioxide emission in the energy sector. Carbon sequestering–capturing and storing carbon emitted from the global energy system by such photo-bioreactors could be a major tool for reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions. Such carbon sequestration tech...

The aim is to show that the fuel economy and emissions reduction in the power systems consisting mainly of thermal power plants are not proportional with the electricity production of wind turbines. Participation of thermal power plants in the compensation of fluctuating production of windmills eliminates major part of the expected positive effect of wind energy. A method for calculation of rea...

High-temperature processes, such as coal and oil combustion in electric power stations and industrial plants, roasting and smelting of ores in non-ferrous metal smelters, melting operations in ferrous foundries, refuse incineration, and kiln operations in cement plants, emit several pollutants, especially those being easily volatile. Among the volatile pollutants are As, Cd, Pb and Hg. In this ...

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemical that has the potential for long-range transport in the environment. Its use in a wide variety of consumer products and industrial processes makes a detailed characterization of its emissions sources very challenging. These varied emissions sources all contribute to PFOS' existence within nearly all environment...

In recent years, global warming has been a major issue due to continuous growth of greenhouse gas emissions from different sources. It has been estimated that the global average temperature will rise between 1.4 –5.8 °C by the year 2100 (Williams, 2002). The contributors to greenhouse effects are carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). The contr...

The 491 U.S. coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated industrial source of mercury emissions nationwide, annually emitting about 48 tons of mercury—a toxic element that poses health threats, including neurological disorders in children. In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that mercury emissions from these sources should be regulated, but the agency has not s...