MAKING BRIQUETTES FROM WASTE OF COCONUT SHELL AND PEANUT SHELL

<p><strong>Aims</strong><strong>:</strong> This study aimed to increase the utilization of biomass-derived from the waste of coconut and peanut shells by making them as briquettes, as an alternative to fuel. The scarcity of petroleum because of its increasingly limited existence encourages all parties to take part in the development and discovery of new alternative energies. This is expected to overcome one of the most important of the many problems facing this country. The method used in this research is to start with a literature study of materials from various sources about the benefits and manufacturing of briquettes from biomass waste as an alternative energy source to be further tested for quality. This involves a heat test, water content test, ash content test and determination of the flying matter. <strong>Results</strong><strong>:</strong> The test results showed that natural gas emissions were below threshold, namely 0-30 ppm CO, 0-3.6 ppm H₂S, and undetectable NO_x. After evaluation, the results showed that with the addition of 30% of the biomass, the ignition time was reduced and the remaining unburned briquettes or bottom ash was reduced by 68.68%. <strong>Conclusion, significance, and impact of study:</strong><strong> </strong>The results help the community and the parties involved related to appropriate bio briquettes technology. It also eventually becomes one of the solutions to assist the government in solving problems related to alternative fuels to petroleum.</p>

Noble gases and carbon isotopes in natural gas samples from seismic active areas of southern Apennines (Italy)

&lt;p&gt;In seismic active areas, the primary composition of natural gas emissions can be modified upon migration to the surface and storage in crustal reservoirs as the result of secondary chemical processes at shallow levels that can change the pristine composition of the fluids creating misunderstanding in the evaluation of the contributions due to different sources. Noble gases are among the most powerful indicators of such natural processes.&amp;#160; In particular, Helium (hereafter He) is a reliable geochemical tracer for discriminating the crustal and mantle components in the outgassing gases due to the different origin of its two isotopes (&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;He has a primordial origin, whereas &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He is continuously produced by radioactive &amp;#945;-decay of &lt;sup&gt;235,238&lt;/sup&gt;U and &lt;sup&gt;232&lt;/sup&gt;Th).&amp;#160; Therefore, the &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;He/&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He ratio is considered one of the most efficient geochemical tracers, whose variations can be directly ascribed to magmatic/crustal dynamics and therefore it is of primary importance in volcanic and seismic forecasting. In this study, we report chemical and isotopic (helium and carbon) data of gases and water emitted from three areas characterized by a high seismic hazard and located within the southern Apennines seismogenic belt. Through two fieldwork campaigns in 2019-2020, about 15 sites were inspected. Carbon dioxide is the main component in most of investigated sites (&gt; 90 vol.%), except for Pozzo Tramutola, that is CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;-dominated. He and N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations are significantly variable (from 6 to 260 ppm and from 0.22 to 12.78 vol%, respectively). In agreement to previous investigations (Italiano et al., 2001; Caracausi and Paternoster, 2015), the sites in the Matese area are characterised by typical metamorphic [MOU1]&amp;#160;N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; values and low content of He and Ar and seem to be the result of mixing processes between crustal and/or metamorphic and atmospheric or ASW end-member. The sampled fluids have &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;He/&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He ratios from 0.02 to 2.92 Ra with corresponding He/Ne ratios in the range of 0.353-508.10. These &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He/&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;Ne ratios are much higher than the same ratio in the atmosphere (He/Ne=0.318; Ozima-Podosek, 2002) supporting that atmospheric He component in the sampled fluids is negligible for most sites. In general, we recognized that &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;He/&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He ratios indicate mixing between radiogenic and mantle end-members and Mefite site has highest mantle values that are close to the ratio at Mt Vesuvio and Pleghreian volcanic systems (&lt; 60 from the study area). The &lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;Ar/&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;Ar ratios show a small range from values close to atmosphere up to &lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;Ar/&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;Ar = 325. We also investigated the carbon species and their isotopes. To investigate the genetic origins of the methane we have used web-based machine learning tool that determines the origin of natural gases (Snodgrass-Milkov, 2020) and the results shown that methane is mainly thermogenic even if we also recognized an abiotic component in a few of sites. This study will provide data for the reconstruction of a basic model for interpreting the relationships between outgassing and tectonics, and further for interpreting possible seismic-induced variation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ozima &amp; Podosek. 2002. Noble Gas Geochemistry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tsunogai &amp; Wakita. 1995. Science&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Snodgrass and Milkov, 2020. Comput. Geosci&lt;/p&gt;

Relative flux measurements of biogenic and natural gas-derived methane for seven U.S. cities

Using the Purdue University Airborne Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, we measured concentrations of methane and ethane emanating from seven U.S. cities (New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Washington, D.C./Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Richmond, VA, and Indianapolis, IN), in order to determine (with a median 95% CI of roughly 7%) the fraction of methane emissions attributable to natural gas (Thermogenic Methane Emission Ratio [TMER]), for both summer and winter months. New methodology is introduced to compute inflow concentrations and to accurately define the spatial domain of the sampling region, using upwind measurements coupled with Lagrangian trajectory modeling. We show discrepancies in inventory-estimated TMER from cities when the sample domain is defined using political boundaries versus urban centers encircled by the flight track and highlight this as a potential source of error common to top-down studies. We found that methane emissions of natural gas were greater than winter biogenic emissions for all cities except Richmond, where multiple landfills dominate. Biogenic emissions increased in summer, but natural gas remained important or dominant (20%–80%). National inventories should be updated to reflect the dominance of natural gas emissions for urban environments and to account for seasonal increases in biogenic methane in summer.

Bioremediation of diesel oil in marine environment

Natural gas emissions from oil spill ensue changes to microbial consortia in oceans which might cause ecotoxicological impacts on marine life. Gas flaring, a technique in the clean-up of oil spill, is a major source of greenhouse gas emission and possess high risk of fire hazard. It is of utmost importance to avoid flaring and resort to cleaner techniques such as bioremediation. The study focuses on bioremediation of marine oil spill by indigenous bacterial consortia using beeswax as a biostimulant which supplements the limiting nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate. The experimental study was conducted by adding diesel oil in marine water with beeswax for bioremediation. The vital parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, diesel range organics, total microbial count, nitrate and phosphate contents were measured at intervals of 5 days. The indigenous bacteria utilized oil as carbon source and beeswax as nutrient source for growth and metabolism. The results showed 87% removal of oil content in treatment sample while only 59% reduction was achieved in the corresponding control sample. Evaporation of oil results in formation of aerosols and black carbon which can lead to climate change. The study proves that bioremediation of marine oil spill is an environmentally benign clean-up technique for oil spill which can reduce carbon emission.