Narrow Results

The Tachibana-wan coal-fired power station was constructed on land that was reclaimed using the soil that came from cutting through half of a small island while balancing the amount of soil. The power station has been generating for three years. When the electric utility provider projected the power station, it must have conducted an environmental impact assessment, and studied the environmental preservation measures. Moreover, after the power generation began, an environmental investigation was done as a follow up survey to study the environmental impact by the power station based on its construction and use. To study the environmental impact with smoke, the environmental density of sulfur dioxide around the power station was investigated. It fell below the environmental standards at all the environmental measurement points during this investigation. Moreover, a big difference was not seen before and after the beginning of the power generation and the change in these data was in the normal range. As a result of the environmental impact assessment, the contribution density of the power station was near the quantitative limit and a low value. To study the environmental impact with warm wastewater, the water temperature in the bay was investigated. A big difference was not generally seen before and after the beginning of the power generation though the water temperature slowly rose at the discharge point of the warm wastewater but the change of these data was in the normal range. As for the environmental impact, a clear judgment was difficult only from the environmental investigation. It is necessary to set a new environmental indicator to judge the environmental impact. Moreover, as for a new environmental assessment system, it is necessary to introduce a strategic environmental assessment.

What determines the environmental regulatory regime of a country or region? This paper addresses the question in detail, using the US and its widely varying environmental policies as the case study. What factors lead some US states to pass strict environmental regulations, while others are content with the baseline standards required at the national level? This work outlines the state environmental choice as a trade-off between the desires of consumers (who want better environmental quality) and of producers (who want less restrictive environmental standards). A rational state legislator maximises her chances of being re-elected by balancing these two competing forces when setting environmental policy.

I test this model by directly analysing the state decision to adopt more restrictive sulfur dioxide regulations than those required by the federal government under the Environmental Protection Agency's "National Ambient Air Quality Standards" program. The statistical results suggest that legislators weigh the relative influence of consumer and producer groups when setting sulfur dioxide standards, in addition to accounting for meteorological influences that affect the cost of compliance with stricter environmental regulations. Limited evidence is also provided to support an inverted-U shaped relationship between income levels and environmental regulations.

This paper quantifies the magnitude of multiple potential causes of coal-fired power plant retirements since 1997. The paper finds that although the low natural gas prices from fracking have increased retirements, the foremost cause of retirements has been the tightening of criteria air pollutant regulations. These pollution regulations encouraged significant mitigation investments to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and small particulate emissions. But the regulations also induced higher coal plant retirement rates which then reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Even accounting for the resulting increase in emissions from new natural gas plants, the regulations eliminated over a billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In this example, strict mitigation to protect domestic public health has led to sizable global co-benefits.

In the past few decades, precipitation across North America and Europe has become increasingly more acidic having an immense effect on the ecosystem. Any rain below the natural pH level is considered acid rain. Acid rain primarily occurs when extraneous sulfur dioxide is released into the atmosphere and mixes with the air; nitric oxide, typically from burning of fossil fuels, is a secondary cause. First being discovered in the mid-20th century, the phenomena has had detrimental effects on lakes, rivers, soils, plants, and the overall environments that cannot neutralize water. This chapter thoroughly covers the history, causes, and environmental effects of acid rain.

Urbanization is often associated with natural resource exploitation, largely characterized by fossil fuel combustion for energy generation. Increasing demand for energy releases acidic gases into the atmosphere, thus increasing the acidity of natural rain with debilitating consequences to the environment and public health. Therefore, this chapter aims to simplify the complex interactions guiding acid rain formation and its projected impacts on the ecosystem, and to reveal the urgent need for mitigation measures particularly by acid rain–stricken developing countries.

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a toxic chemical produced during the burning of fossil fuels. It has been widely used in a variety of industrial processes for centuries due to its excellent performance as a reducing agent, refrigerating agent, bleaching agent and as an antioxidant. Consequently, it is a major atmospheric pollutant and has significant impact on the environment as well as human health. SO₂ is largely responsible for decreased air quality as well as acid rain. Methods of sulfur dioxide emission mitigation are described including various flue gas desulfurization (FGD) methods, liquid petroleum product desulfurization and various methods of fluidized bed incineration.

Environmental regulations have turned their focus on controlling and mitigating air emissions that contribute to abundant air pollution. The primary pollutants found in air emissions from stack discharges are NO_x, SO_x, particulates and smog. With continued federal action by the EPA, coupled with action from state and local regulatory agencies, mitigation of air pollution containing harmful pollutants can be achieved to a certain scale. This chapter will focus on the harmful effects of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), considered the most harmful intentionally discharged air pollutant to the environment. Due to its impact in the form of acid rain and, on a larger scale, ozone depletion, SO₂ mitigation is a high priority. Additionally, methods and equipment used as well as being developed for use will be discussed for their ability to effectively treat stack discharges and mitigate SO₂ pollution.

A cataluminescence (CTL) based method for simultaneously identifying and determining formaldehyde (HCHO) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) in air was proposed. The experimental conditions meeting the algebraic sum rule of the CTL intensities of HCHO and SO2 were sought. They are two analysis wavelengths of 460 nm and 580 nm, the surface temperature of sensing materials of 280°C and the flow rate of air of 130 mL/min. The limits of detection of this method were 0.08 mg/m³ for HCHO and 0.6 mg/m³ for SO₂. Common coexistence matters, such as acetaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, did not disturb the determination.

To explore the better SO₂ absorbent, two imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IBILs) including imidazole lactate and imidazole acetate were synthesized, and their absorption performance were investigated at ambient temperature and atmosphere pressure, respectively. The results show that the absorption capacity of imidazole lactate and imidazole acetate is 1.8mol/mol (IL) and 1.6mol/mol (IL) respectively, and it took about 20min to reach the absorption equilibrium. After the cycle of absorption and desorption was repeated for 4 times, the absorption capacity decreased to some degree. The FT-IR spectra and 1H NMR analysis of the SO₂-free ILs and SO₂-absorbed ILs indicated that SO₂ could attack the basic position (N-H) of imidazole ring and lead to the formation of N-S bond and some intermediate — organic acid of non-ionic liquid compounds which makes the loss of ionic liquids and the decrease of absorption capacity.