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https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/occasional_papers/2007/RAND_OP172.pdf
Subversion and
Insurgency
William Rosenau
Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited
Source: Umea University
SWEDEN, NOV 2, 2018 — A large number of antimicrobial substances are found in sludge and water in Swedish sewage treatment plants. Several of them pass through the treatment plants and are released into the aquatic environment. However, with new technologies like ozone and activated carbon, emissions can be significantly reduced. This is shown by Marcus Östman in his dissertation, which he will defend at Umeå University on Wednesday, November 7.
Antimicrobial substances are used to fight bacteria, both in the form of antibiotics, but also as disinfectants and preservatives in cosmetics, etc. It is likely that antibiotics and other antimicrobials in the environment can contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. For reasons of caution, it is therefore important to reduce the levels as much as possible.
Marcus Östman shows in the dissertation that many antimicrobial substances are very common in sewage treatment plants and also at high levels. Highest concentrations are found in the sludge, especially of substances known as quaternary ammonium compounds. Treated wastewater effluents contains generally lower levels, but large amounts are still released in total.
At present, there is no legislation to regulate the emissions of these substances from sewage treatment plants. However, new technology is evaluated to address the problem, and in the thesis, Sweden’s first full scale ozone treatment plant in Knivsta, as well as an activated carbon test plant, are evaluated.
“The ozone increases the removal efficiency, but it is first with activated carbon that results become very good for the compounds studied. Developing sewage treatment plants with improved advanced tertiary treatment, which has now begun, could reduce emissions to the environment of substances that are currently difficult to remove, such as antibiotics and many other drugs,” says Marcus Östman.
For most water utilities, walking from meter-to-meter in support of monthly or quarterly billing is a thing of the past. Even mobile reads, which drive greater efficiencies, aren’t enough to meet increasing demands to improve customer service, reduce non-revenue water, aid conservation initiatives, and share meter data across other departments.
If your water utility is looking to do more, while staying open to the growing possibilities of deploying a Smart Water AMI Network, consider the benefits of Network-as-a-Service (NaaS). Your utility can save significant time, labor, and money—and instead focus on core water needs.
As a managed network service, NaaS provides for greater operational efficiency, reduces AMI infrastructure costs, helps manage technology migration, and positions your utility to leverage a Smart Water Network for additional IoT/M2M applications.
This white paper is sponsored by Neptune Technology Group.
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5349877/
Several of the important health and environmental risks associated with a reference geothermal industry that produces 21,000 MW/sub e/ for 30 y (equivalent to 20 x 10/sup 18/ J) are assessed. The analyses of health effects focus on the risks associated with exposure to hydrogen sulfide, particulate sulfate, benzene, mercury, and radon in air and arsenic in water. Results indicate that emissions of hydrogen sulfide are likely to cause odor-related problems in geothermal resources areas, assuming that no pollution controls are employed. For individuals living within an 80 km radius of the geothermal resources, chronic exposure to particulate sulfate could result in between 0 to 95 premature deaths per 10/sup 18/ J of electricity generated. The mean population risk of leukemia from the inhalation of benzene was calculated to be 3 x 10/sup -2/ cases per 10/sup 18/ J. Exposure to elemental mercury in the atmosphere could produce between 0 and 8.2 cases of tremors per 10/sup 18/ J of electricity. Inhalation of radon and its short-lived daughters poses a mean population risk of 4.2 x 10/sup -1/ lung cancers per 10/sup 18/ J. Analysis of skin cancer risk from the ingestion of surface water contaminated with geothermally derived arsenic more »
https://orkustofnun.is/gogn/unu-gtp-report/UNU-GTP-2010-13.pdf
ABSTRACT
The emission of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) during geothermal development is a
significant environmental aspect that must be considered in an environmental
management plan. Wells TR-18 and TR-18A are part of the expansion of the
Berlín geothermal power plant in El Salvador. H2S emissions were estimated for
these two wells during well discharge, and calculated to be 7.1 and 42.8 g/s,
respectively. Maximum H2S concentrations in the air were also determined in the
nearby Bob Graham community using a dispersion model (SCREEN3). Four cases
were evaluated: nominal flow, 35% of the nominal flow, nominal flow with 90%
removal efficiency, and nominal flow with double stack height. Estimated
maximum concentrations in the air in the community were 54.9 and 174.2 (μg/m3
24-hour averaged) during TR-18 and TR-18A well discharges, respectively. These
estimated concentrations exceeded USEPA-California (43 μg/m3
1-hour averaged)
and Icelandic (50 μg/m3
24-hour averaged) regulations.
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/GES/Thesis/EmileMeder.pdf
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONEMENTAL SCIENCE
UNDERGRADUATE DIVISION IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN GLOBAL
ENVIRONEMNTAL SCIENCE
Hydrogen sulfide: When air levels reach .1ppmv, the onset of headaches, nausea and sinus congestion could occur. Any levels above .1ppmv could result in respiratory paralysis or eye damage. Hydrogen sulfide monitors detect air concentrations to delineate safe levels.
EXCERPT:
Claims have been made that some geothermal plants cause seismic activity and related property damage which may result in claims or litigation that could be costly and distract management from operations and negatively impact our financial condition.
There are approximately two-dozen geothermal plants operating within a fifty-square-mile region in the area of Anderson Springs, in Northern California, and there is general agreement that the operation of these plants causes a generally low level of seismic activity. Some residents in the Anderson Springs area have asserted property damage claims against those plant operators. There are significant issues whether the plant operators are liable, and to date no court has found in favor of such claimants. While we do not believe the area of the Raft River and Neal Hot Springs projects or our intended operation of a power plant will present the same geological or seismic risks, there can be no assurance that we would not be subject to similar claims and litigation. Any claims or litigation could be costly and time consuming to defend and distract management from operations which may adversely impact our operations and financial condition.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/epa-a-little-bit-of-radiation-might-be-good-for-you