Academic literature on the topic 'Marine processing co-products'

Abstract. Biomass burning (BB) plumes were measured at the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station during the 2006 Precursors to Particles campaign, when emissions from a fire on nearby Robbins Island impacted the station. Measurements made included non methane organic compounds (NMOCs) (PTR-MS), particle number size distribution, condensation nuclei (CN) > 3 nm, black carbon (BC) concentration, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number, ozone (O3), methane (CH4), carbon monixide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), halocarbons and meteorology. During the first plume strike event (BB1), a four hour enhancement of CO (max ~ 2100 ppb), BC (~ 1400 ng m−3) and particles > 3 nm (~ 13 000 cm−3) with dominant particle mode of 120 nm were observed overnight. Dilution of the plume resulted in a drop in the dominant particle mode to 50 nm, and then growth to 80 nm over 5 h. This was accompanied by an increase in O3, suggesting that photochemical processing of air and condensation of low volatility oxidation products may be driving particle growth. The ability of particles > 80 nm (CN80) to act as CCN at 0.5 % supersaturation was investigated. The ΔCCN / ΔCN80 ratio was lowest during the fresh BB plume (56 %), higher during the particle growth event (77 %) and higher still (104 %) in background marine air. Particle size distributions indicate that changes to particle chemical composition, rather than particle size, are driving these changes. Hourly average CCN during both BB events were between 2000–5000 CCN cm−3, which were enhanced above typical background levels by a factor of 6–34, highlighting the dramatic impact BB plumes can have on CCN number in clean marine regions. During the 29 h of the second plume strike event (BB2) CO, BC and a range of NMOCs including acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) were clearly enhanced and some enhancements in O3 were observed (ΔO3 / ΔCO 0.001–0.074). A shortlived increase in NMOCs by a factor of 10 corresponded with a large CO enhancement, an increase of the NMOC / CO emission ratio (ER) by a factor of 2–4 and a halving of the BC / CO ratio. Rainfall on Robbins Island was observed by radar during this period which likely resulted in a lower fire combustion efficiency, and higher emission of compounds associated with smouldering. This highlights the importance of relatively minor meterological events on BB emissions. Emission factors (EF) were derived for a range of trace gases, some never before reported for Australian conditions, (including hydrogen, phenol and toluene) using a calculated ER to CO and a published CO EF. The EF derived for most species are comparable to other temperate Australian studies but lower than Northern Hemisphere temperate studies. This work demonstrates the substantial impact that BB plumes have on the composition of marine air, and the significant changes that can occur as the plume is diluted and interacts with other emission sources. We also provide new trace gas and particle EF for temperate southern Australia.

Abstract. Growing ship traffic in Atlantic Canada strengthens the local economy but also plays an important role in greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions in this coastal environment. A mobile open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR; acronyms defined in Appendix A) spectrometer was set up in Halifax Harbour (Nova Scotia, Canada), an intermediate harbour integrated into the downtown core, to measure trace gas concentrations in the vicinity of marine vessels, in some cases with direct or near-direct marine combustion plume intercepts. This is the first application of the OP-FTIR measurement technique to real-time, spectroscopic measurements of CO2, CO, O3, NO2, NH3, CH3OH, HCHO, CH4 and N2O in the vicinity of harbour emissions originating from a variety of marine vessels, and the first measurement of shipping emissions in the ambient environment along the eastern seaboard of North America outside of the Gulf Coast. The spectrometer, its active mid-IR source and its detector were located on shore while the passive retroreflector was on a nearby island, yielding a 455 m open path over the ocean (910 m two-way). Atmospheric absorption spectra were recorded during day, night, sunny, cloudy and substantially foggy or precipitating conditions, with a temporal resolution of 1 min or better. A weather station was co-located with the retroreflector to aid in the processing of absorption spectra and the interpretation of results, while a webcam recorded images of the harbour once per minute. Trace gas concentrations were retrieved from spectra by the MALT non-linear least squares iterative fitting routine. During field measurements (7 days in July–August 2016; 12 days in January 2017) AIS information on nearby ship activity was manually collected from a commercial website and used to calculate emission rates of shipping combustion products (CO2, CO, NOx, HC, SO2), which were then linked to measured concentration variations using ship position and wind information. During periods of low wind speed we observed extended (∼9 h) emission accumulations combined with near-complete O3 titration, both in winter and in summer. Our results compare well with a NAPS monitoring station ∼1 km away, pointing to the extended spatial scale of this effect, commonly found in much larger European shipping channels. We calculated total marine sector emissions in Halifax Harbour based on a complete AIS dataset of ship activity during the cruise ship season (May–October 2015) and the remainder of the year (November 2015–April 2016) and found trace gas emissions (tonnes) to be 2.8 % higher on average during the cruise ship season, when passenger ship emissions were found to contribute 18 % of emitted CO2, CO, NOx, SO2 and HC (0.5 % in the off season due to occasional cruise ships arriving, even in April). Similarly, calculated particulate emissions are 4.1 % higher during the cruise ship season, when passenger ship emissions contribute 18 % of the emitted particulate matter (PM) (0.5 % in the off season). Tugs were found to make the biggest contribution to harbour emissions of trace gases in both cruise ship season (23 % NOx, 24 % SO2) and the off season (26 % of both SO2 and NOx), followed by container ships (25 % NOx and SO2 in the off season, 21 % NOx and SO2 in cruise ship season). In the cruise ship season cruise ships were observed to be in third place regarding trace gas emissions, whilst tankers were in third place in the off season, with both being responsible for 18 % of the calculated emissions. While the concentrations of all regulated trace gases measured by OP-FTIR as well as the nearby in situ NAPS sensors were well below maximum hourly permissible levels at all times during the 19-day measurement period, we find that AIS-based shipping emissions of NOx over the course of 1 year are 4.2 times greater than those of a nearby 500 MW stationary source emitter and greater than or comparable to all vehicle NOx emissions in the city. Our findings highlight the need to accurately represent emissions from the shipping and marine sectors at intermediate ports integrated into urban environments. Emissions can be represented as pseudo-stationary and/or pseudo-line sources.

Irish beef farms have experienced poor viability longitudinally, with industry and policy actors citing ‘crisis’ levels in 2013. A crucial differentiator between the beef sector and the dairy sector, which has higher farm incomes, is well-developed infrastructure of farmer-owned dairy processing and marketing co-operatives. To address the lack of representative farmer organisations and power imbalances in the beef supply chain, in 2016 the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) legislated for the establishment of beef Producer Organisations (POs), facilitating beef producers to collectively strengthen their market positioning. While PO legislation is a significant development in potentially enabling supply chain integration of farmers, how the legislation is operationalised by Irish beef industry stakeholders will ultimately shape the nature and breadth of engagement with the PO model and, consequently, the impact of the legislation. In a context where there is little or no prior experience of such organisations in the beef sector, this paper presents an analysis of current stakeholder views in relation to the establishment of POs. Research involved a desk based review of the submissions made during the consultation period for the beef PO legislation and interviews with key informants in the Irish beef industry. We analysed Irish stakeholders’ views through the lens of lessons learned from the existing literature on how POs operate internationally. Results indicate some stakeholders’ perceptions of the need for a nationally coordinated approach in the establishment of an Association of POs, which concurs with the literature. However, stakeholders have not emphasised the benefits of Interbranch Organisations (IBOs), which involve vertical collaboration with other chain actors such as processors and retailers, an approach that has proven successful internationally. Nor have Irish stakeholders identified the potential of differentiating or premiumising beef products, which, according to international evidence, is necessary for improving profitability and farm-level incomes. Stakeholders identified the main threats to the future success of POs in Ireland as members’ lack of commitment and processors’ lack of willingness to engage with POs.

Abstract. The global nitrogen (N) cycle at the beginning of the 21st century has been shown to be strongly influenced by the inputs of reactive nitrogen (Nr) from human activities, estimated to be 193 Tg N yr−1 in 2010 which is approximately equal to the sum of biological N fixation in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. According to current trajectories, changes in climate and land use during the 21st century will increase both biological and anthropogenic fixation, bringing the total to approximately 600 Tg N yr−1 by around 2100. The fraction contributed directly by human activities is unlikely to increase substantially if increases in nitrogen use efficiency in agriculture are achieved and control measures on combustion related emissions implemented. Some N cycling processes emerge as particularly sensitive to climate change. One of the largest responses to climate in the processing of Nr is the emission to the atmosphere of NH3, which is estimated to increase from 65 Tg N yr−1 in 2008 to 93 Tg N yr−1 in 2100 assuming a change in surface temperature of 5 °C even in the absence of increased anthropogenic activity. With changes in emissions in response to increased demand for animal products the combined effect would be to increase NH3 emissions to 132 Tg N yr−1. Another major change is the effect of changes in aerosol composition combined with changes in temperature. Inorganic aerosols over the polluted regions especially in Europe and North America were dominated by (NH4)2SO4 in the 1970s to 1980s, and large reductions in emissions of SO2 have removed most of the SO42- from the atmosphere in these regions. Inorganic aerosols from anthropogenic emissions are now dominated by NH4NO3, a volatile aerosol which contributes substantially to PM10 and human health effects globally as well as eutrophication and climate effects. The volatility of NH4NO3 and rapid dry deposition of the vapour phase dissociation products, HNO3 and NH3, is estimated to be reducing the transport distances, deposition footprints and inter-country exchange of Nr in these regions. There have been important policy initiatives on components of the global N cycle. For the most part they have been regional or country-based and have delivered substantial reductions of inputs of Nr to sensitive soils, waters and the atmosphere. However, considering the magnitude of global Nr use, potential future increases, and the very large leakage of Nr in many forms to soils, waters and the atmosphere, there is a very long way to go before evidence for recovery from the effects of Nr deposition on sensitive ecosystems, or a decline in N2O emissions to the global atmosphere are likely to be detected. Such changes would require substantial improvements in nitrogen use efficiency across the global economy combined with optimisation of transport and food consumption patterns. This would allow reductions in Nr use, inputs to the atmosphere and deposition to sensitive ecosystems. Such changes would offer substantial economic and environmental co-benefits which could help motivate the necessary actions.

Abstract. The global nitrogen (N) cycle at the beginning of the 21st century has been shown to be strongly influenced by the inputs of reactive nitrogen (Nr) from human activities, including combustion-related NOx, industrial and agricultural N fixation, estimated to be 220 Tg N yr−1 in 2010, which is approximately equal to the sum of biological N fixation in unmanaged terrestrial and marine ecosystems. According to current projections, changes in climate and land use during the 21st century will increase both biological and anthropogenic fixation, bringing the total to approximately 600 Tg N yr−1 by around 2100. The fraction contributed directly by human activities is unlikely to increase substantially if increases in nitrogen use efficiency in agriculture are achieved and control measures on combustion-related emissions implemented. Some N-cycling processes emerge as particularly sensitive to climate change. One of the largest responses to climate in the processing of Nr is the emission to the atmosphere of NH3, which is estimated to increase from 65 Tg N yr−1 in 2008 to 93 Tg N yr−1 in 2100 assuming a change in global surface temperature of 5 °C in the absence of increased anthropogenic activity. With changes in emissions in response to increased demand for animal products the combined effect would be to increase NH3 emissions to 135 Tg N yr−1. Another major change is the effect of climate changes on aerosol composition and specifically the increased sublimation of NH4NO3 close to the ground to form HNO3 and NH3 in a warmer climate, which deposit more rapidly to terrestrial surfaces than aerosols. Inorganic aerosols over the polluted regions especially in Europe and North America were dominated by (NH4)2SO4 in the 1970s to 1980s, and large reductions in emissions of SO2 have removed most of the SO42− from the atmosphere in these regions. Inorganic aerosols from anthropogenic emissions are now dominated by NH4NO3, a volatile aerosol which contributes substantially to PM10 and human health effects globally as well as eutrophication and climate effects. The volatility of NH4NO3 and rapid dry deposition of the vapour phase dissociation products, HNO3 and NH3, is estimated to be reducing the transport distances, deposition footprints and inter-country exchange of Nr in these regions. There have been important policy initiatives on components of the global N cycle. These have been regional or country-based and have delivered substantial reductions of inputs of Nr to sensitive soils, waters and the atmosphere. To date there have been no attempts to develop a global strategy to regulate human inputs to the nitrogen cycle. However, considering the magnitude of global Nr use, potential future increases, and the very large leakage of Nr in many forms to soils, waters and the atmosphere, international action is required. Current legislation will not deliver the scale of reductions globally for recovery from the effects of Nr deposition on sensitive ecosystems, or a decline in N2O emissions to the global atmosphere. Such changes would require substantial improvements in nitrogen use efficiency across the global economy combined with optimization of transport and food consumption patterns. This would allow reductions in Nr use, inputs to the atmosphere and deposition to sensitive ecosystems. Such changes would offer substantial economic and environmental co-benefits which could help motivate the necessary actions.

Marine fish oil is the richest source of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3PUFAs), particularly rich in EPA and DHA, with many health benefits. Lutein and curcumin are two bioactive compounds that prevent age-related macular degeneration and provide anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory functions. Directly adding fish oil (FO), lutein, and curcumin to meat during processing can produce products rich in DHA/ EPA, lutein, and curcumin and help improve human health without changing consumers' dietary habits. However, FO, lutein, and curcumin are unstable under processing and storage conditions and can cause undesirable quality issues such as lipid oxidation and fishy odor to the meat products. Encapsulation is a common strategy to overcome these challenges, and essential oils (EO) extracted from spices can mask fishy odor and inhibit lipid oxidation during encapsulating, processing, and storage. Thus, the FO and EOs were co-encapsulated first, and then lutein and curcumin were incorporated into the encapsulate to provide more functions to the final products. All the encapsulated FO-EO powders were stable at room temperature during the first ten days of storage, but GO produced the best protective effect among the EOs. Adding lutein or curcumin to the garlic EO-FO co-encapsulate significantly increased the MDA content in the encapsulation powders after ten days of storage. Similar results were also observed in the rosemary EO-FO group. The increased MDA content in the lutein- or curcumin-added FO-EO encapsulates might be due to the long dissolving time of the lutein or curcumin in the FO, which allowed prolonged air contacts to the fish oil. The encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of the final products increased significantly when rosemary and garlic EOs, lutein, and curcumin were used, but pepper black EO resulted in a decrease in the EE, probably due to the differences in the polarities of the essential oils.

This review paper describes techniques proposed for applying microwave-induced plasma gasification (MIPG) for cleaning rivers, lakes and oceans of synthetic and organic waste pollutants by converting the waste materials into energy and useful raw materials. Rivers close to urban centers tend to get filled with man-made waste materials, such as plastics and paper, gradually forming floating masses that further trap biological materials and animals. In addition, sewage from residences and industries, as well as rainwater runoff pour into rivers and lakes carrying solid wastes into the water bodies. As a result, the water surfaces get covered with a stagnant, thick layer of synthetic and biological refuse which kill the fish, harm animals and birds, and breed disease-carrying vectors. Such destruction of water bodies is especially common in developing countries which lack the technology or the means to clean up the rivers. A terrible consequence of plastic and synthetic waste being dumped irresponsibly into the oceans is the presence of several large floating masses of garbage in the worlds’ oceans, formed by the action of gyres, or circulating ocean currents. In the Pacific Ocean, there are numerous debris fields that have been labeled the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These patches contain whole plastic litters as well as smaller pieces of plastic, called microplastics, which are tiny fragments that were broken down by the action of waves. These waste products are ingested by animals, birds and fishes, causing death or harm. Some of the waste get washed ashore on beaches along with dead marine life. The best solution for eliminating all of the above waste management problems is by the application of MIPG systems to convert solid waste materials and contaminated water into syngas, organic fuels and raw materials. MIPG is the most efficient form of plasma gasification, which is able to process the most widest range of waste materials, while consuming only about a quarter of the energy released from the feedstock. MIPG systems can be scaled in size, power rating and waste-treatment capacity to match financial needs and waste processing requirements. MIPG systems can be set up in urban locations and on the shores of the waterbody, to filter and remove debris and contaminants and clean the water, while generating electric power to feed into the grid, and fuel or raw materials for industrial use. For eliminating the pelagic debris fields, the proposed design is to have ships fitted with waste collector and filtration systems that feeds the collected waste materials into a MIPG reactor, which converts the carbonaceous materials into syngas (H2 + CO). Some of the syngas made will be used to produce the electric power needed for running the plasma generator and onboard systems, while the remainder can be converted into methanol and other useful products through the Fischer-Tropsch process. This paper qualitatively describes the implementation schemes for the above processes, wherein MIPG technology will be used to clean up major waste problems affecting the earth’s water bodies and to convert the waste into energy and raw materials in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, while reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and the release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

The USDA Caribbean Climate Hub and the State and Private Forestry Program of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry of the US Forest Service, held a workshop on November 21, 2017 where more than 80 people gathered to identify the opportunities and resources necessary to take advantage of the wood from fallen trees in Puerto Rico after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Due to the economic and cultural value of tropical timber species, economic activities can be created from the available posthurricane plant waste. Millions of fallen trees and branches can be processed to produce compost, mulch, coal and biofuels, or raw material for artisans and construction. There is also economic value in the handling of wood materials, the sale of tools and equipment for transporting and processing, and the sale of valuable wood products. In addition, many wood products store carbon indefinitely, mitigating the increase of CO² in the atmosphere. The main need identified during the discussion was the need to act quickly to avoid the burning and disposal of wood materials in landfills across the country.