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The overall objective of this project was to evaluate the impact of key constituents captured from power plant air streams (principally arsenic and selenium) on the disposal and utilization of coal combustion products (CCPs). Specific objectives of the project were: (1) to develop a comprehensive database of field leachate concentrations at a wide range of CCP management sites, including speciation of arsenic and selenium, and low-detection limit analyses for mercury; (2) to perform detailed evaluations of the release and attenuation of arsenic species at three CCP sites; and (3) to perform detailed evaluations of the release and attenuation of selenium species at three CCP sites. Each of these objectives was accomplished using a combination of field sampling and laboratory analysis and experimentation. All of the methods used and results obtained are contained in this report. For ease of use, the report is subdivided into three parts. Volume 1 contains methods and results for the field leachate characterization. Volume 2 contains methods and results for arsenic adsorption. Volume 3 contains methods and results for selenium adsorption.

<abstract> <p>As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to advance, there is a growing emphasis on sustainability, particularly in the area of effectively managing the lifecycle of EV batteries. In this study, an efficient and novel optimization model was proposed for designing a circular supply chain network for EV batteries. In doing so, a comprehensive, bi-objective, mixed-integer linear programming model was employed. It is worth noting that the current model outlined in this paper involved both forward and reverse flows, illustrating the process of converting used batteries into their constituent materials or repurposing them for various applications. In line with the circular economy concept, the current model also minimized the total costs and carbon emission to develop an inclusive optimization framework. The LP-metric method was applied to solve the presented bi-objective optimization model. We simulated six problems with different sizes using data and experts' knowledge of a lithium-ion battery manufacturing industry in Canada, and evaluated the performance of the proposed model by simulated data. The results of the sensitivity analysis process of the objective functions coefficients showed that there was a balance between the two objective functions, and the costs should be increased to achieve lower emissions. In addition, the demand sensitivity analysis revealed that the increase in demand directly affects the increase in costs and emissions.</p> </abstract>

This report examines the results from the eleventh and twelfth years (2002 and 2003) of the Kootenay Lake fertilization experiment. Experimental fertilization has occurred with an adaptive management approach since 1992 in order to restore productivity lost as a result of upstream dams. One of the main objectives of the experiment is to restore kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations, which are a main food source for Gerrard rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Kootenay Lake is located between the Selkirk and Purcell mountains in southeastern British Columbia. It has an area of 395 km2, a maximum depth of 150 m, a mean depth of 94 m, and a water renewal time of approximately two years. The quantity of agricultural grade liquid fertilizer (10-34-0, ammonium polyphosphate and 28-0-0, urea ammonium nitrate) added to Kootenay Lake in 2002 and 2003 was similar to that added from 1992 to 1996. After four years of decreased fertilizer loading (1997 to 2000), results indicated that kokanee populations had declined, and the decision was made to increase the loads again in 2001. The total load of fertilizer in 2002 was 47.1 tonnes of phosphorus and 206.7 tonnes of nitrogen. The total fertilizer load in 2003 was 47.1 tonnes of phosphorus and 240.8 tonnes of nitrogen. Additional nitrogen was added in 2003 to compensate for nitrogen depletion in the epilimnion. The fertilizer was applied to a 10 km stretch in the North Arm from 3 km south of Lardeau to 3 km south of Schroeder Creek. The maximum surface water temperature in 2002, measured on July 22, was 22 C in the North Arm and 21.3 C in the South Arm. In 2003, the maxima were recorded on August 5 at 20.6 C in the North Arm and on September 2 at 19.7 C in the South Arm. The maximum water temperature in the West Arm was 18.7 C on September 2, 2003. Kootenay Lake had oxygen-saturated water throughout the sampling season with values ranging from about 11-16 mg/L in 2002 and 2003. In both years, Secchi depth followed the expected pattern for an oligo-mesotrophic lake of decreasing in May, June, and early July, concurrent with the spring phytoplankton bloom, and clearing again as the summer progressed. Total phosphorus (TP) ranged from 2-11 {micro}g/L in 2002 and 2-21 {micro}g/L in 2003. With average TP values generally in the range of 3-10 {micro}g/L, Kootenay Lake is considered to be an oligotrophic to oligo-mesotrophic lake. Total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) followed the same seasonal trends as TP in 2002 and 2003 and ranged from 2-7 {micro}g/L in 2002 and from 2-10 {micro}g/L in 2003. Total nitrogen (TN) ranged from 90-380 {micro}g/L in 2002 and 100-210 {micro}g/L in 2003. During both the 2002 and 2003 sampling seasons, TN showed an overall decline in concentration with mid-summer and fall increases at some stations, which is consistent with previous years results. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations showed a more pronounced declining trend over the sampling season compared with TN, corresponding to nitrate (the dominant component of DIN) being used by phytoplankton during summer stratification. DIN ranged from 7-176 {micro}g/L in 2002 and from 8-147 {micro}g/L in 2003. During 2003, discrete depth sampling occurred, and a more detailed look at the nitrate concentrations in the epilimnion was undertaken. There was a seasonal decline in nitrate concentrations, which supports the principle of increasing the nitrogen loading and the nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P) ratio during the fertilizer application period. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations in Kootenay Lake were in the range of 1.4-5.1 {micro}g/L in 2002 and 0.5-4.9 {micro}g/L in 2003. Over the sampling season, Chl a at North Arm stations generally increased in spring corresponding with the phytoplankton bloom, decreased during the summer, and increased again in the fall with mixing of the water column. The trend was similar, but less pronounced, at South Arm stations in these years, and spring Chl a concentrations were lower. During 2002, total algal biomass averaged during June, July and August was lower in the North Arm than the South Arm. This was the first time this occurred since the commencement of the North Arm fertilization experiment. Results in 2002 indicated Kootenay lake continues to be a diatom dominated lake (80 to 89% of the total average biomass). The overall trend observed throughout the 2003 sampling season was one of a slight decline in algal biomass from the North Arm stations towards those in the South Arm. Kootenay Lake continued to be a diatom-dominated lake (76-83% of total average biomass). Synedra spp. and some Asterionella, as in the previous three years, dominated the early biomass increase in 2003, but the peak biomass in July was largely due to Tabellaria.

The Hanna Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) study area consists of the SW1/4 of Section 29 and the E1/2SE1/4 of Section 30 in Township 22 North, Range 81 West, Wyoming. Regionally, this is located in the coal-bearing Hanna Syncline of the Hanna Basin in southeast Wyoming. The structure of the site is characterized by beds dipping gently to the northeast. An east-west fault graben complex interrupts this basic trend in the center of the area. The target coal bed of the UCG experiments was the Hanna No. 1 coal in the Hanna Formation. Sedimentary rocks comprising the Hanna Formation consist of a sequence of nonmarine shales, sandstones, coals and conglomerates. The overburden of the Hanna No. 1 coal bed at the Hanna UCG site was divided into four broad local stratigraphic units. Analytical studies were made on overburden and coal samples taken from cores to determine their mineralogical composition. Textural and mineralogical characteristics of sandstones from local stratigraphic units A, B, and C were analyzed and compared. Petrographic analyses were done on the coal including oxides, forms of sulfur, pyrite types, maceral composition, and coal rank. Semi-quantitative spectrographic and analytic geochemical analyses were done on the overburden and coal and relativemore » element concentrations were compared. Trends within each stratigraphic unit were also presented and related to depositional environments. The spectrographic analysis was also done by lithotype. 34 references, 60 figures, 18 tables.« less

Improvements to flat plate solar collectors for heating and cooling of buildings were investigated through two parallel studies. The first study, which deals with the free convective heat loss from V-corrugated absorber plate to a plane glass cover, has shown that, for the same average spacing, the free convective heat loss is greater for a V-corrugated absorber plate than for a plane absorber plate. However, provided the average spacing is large enough, the amount of increase is slight. The second study, which deals with the free convective heat loss in a honeycomb solar collector in which the honeycomb consists of a set of horizontal partitions, or slits, has shown that provided the solar collector is tilted to near vertical, such a honeycomb gives equivalent or superior free convective loss suppression than does a square-celled honeycomb having the same amount of material. Correlation equations for the free convective heat loss are given for both studies.

Genomes of fungi relevant to energy and environment are in focus of the JGI Fungal Genomic Program. One of its projects, the Genomics Encyclopedia of Fungi, targets fungi related to plant health (symbionts and pathogens) and biorefinery processes (cellulose degradation and sugar fermentation) by means of genome sequencing and analysis. New chapters of the Encyclopedia can be opened with user proposals to the JGI Community Science Program (CSP). Another JGI project, the 1000 fungal genomes, explores fungal diversity on genome level at scale and is open for users to nominate new species for sequencing. Over 400 fungal genomes have been sequenced by JGI to date and released through MycoCosm (www.jgi.doe.gov/fungi), a fungal web-portal, which integrates sequence and functional data with genome analysis tools for user community. Sequence analysis supported by functional genomics will lead to developing parts list for complex systems ranging from ecosystems of biofuel crops to biorefineries. Recent examples of such ‘parts’ suggested by comparative genomics and functional analysis in these areas are presented here.

This report provides a critical review of existing literature and modeling tools related to life-cycle assessment (LCA) applied to pavements. The review finds that pavement LCA is an expanding but still limited research topic in the literature, and that the existing body of work exhibits methodological deficiencies and incompatibilities that serve as barriers to the widespread utilization of LCA by pavement engineers and policy makers. This review identifies five key issues in the current body of work: inconsistent functional units, improper system boundaries, imbalanced data for asphalt and cement, use of limited inventory and impact assessment categories, and poor overall utility. This review also identifies common data and modeling gaps in pavement LCAs that should be addressed in future work. These gaps include: the use phase (rolling resistance, albedo, carbonation, lighting, leachate, and tire wear and emissions), asphalt fumes, feedstock energy of bitumen, traffic delay, the maintenance phase, and the end-of-life phase. This review concludes with a comprehensive list of recommendations for future research, which shed light on where improvements in knowledge can be made that will benefit the accuracy and comprehensiveness of pavement LCAs moving forward.

A non-uniform grid-based coordinated routing design in wireless sensor networks is presented. The conditions leading to network partition and analysis of energy consumption that prolongs the network lifetime are studied. We implement routing in heavily populated sensor networks. By maintaining constant values for parameters such as path loss exponent, receiver sensitivity and transmit power, and varying between uniform and non-uniform grids, we observe energy consumption patterns for each of the grid structures, and infer from the network lifetime the better suited grids for uniformly and randomly deployed sensor nodes.