Table of contents

PREFACE

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2018 9th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology which was held in Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech during 20-22 June, 2018. ICEST 2018 was dedicated to issues related to Environmental Science and Technology.

I, Prof. Roberto San Jose, from Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain, held the keynote speech with title "A health impact assessment of traffic restrictions during Madrid NO₂ episode". Prof. Ing. Milan Holicky from Klokner Institute, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic had a keynote speech with title "Operational Procedures for Estimating Fractiles of Random Variables in Engineering and Science". Prof. Barry Jones from California Polytechnic State University, USA, held the keynote speech with title "The Failure to Deliver Infrastructure Projects on Time and to Budget – do we have the right tools and contract strategies". Prof. Bedřich Moldan from Charles University, Czech Republic performed the keynote speech with title "Impleentation of environmental science and technology: Opportunities and barriers".

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

The reuse of solid waste can contribute to reducing Earth's resource depletion, directly through use in the original production processes or by valorisation in alternative applications. In the present work, ten solid wastes were evaluated as candidates for filling material in constructed wetlands (CWs). For that purpose, physical characterization, leaching and adsorption tests were conducted. Limestone fragments and brick fragments resulting from construction activities, coal slags resulting from power plants, snail shells resulting from the food and catering industry, and cork granulates resulting from the cork industry have potential for use as CW fillers. These five materials have adequate physical properties and some capacity to adsorb phosphorous and organic compounds from wastewater. On the other hand, crushed eggshells resulting from egg farms, dealcoholized grape pomaces resulting from alcohol distilleries, olive seeds waste from olive-oil mills, and pine bark fragments and wood pellets resulting from forestry cleaning activities, wood mills and pulp mills did not demonstrate sufficient potential to be used as CW fillers, either because they have very low adsorption capacities or leach compounds in contact with water, or because they have less adequate physical properties. None of the tested solid wastes showed the ability to adsorb nitrogen compounds. Although the five selected materials do not present a special capability for adsorption of nitrogen, phosphorous and organic compounds, they can all be valued as CW fillers, representing a way to reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills.

Domestic garbage is mainly treated by sanitary landfill.The main characteristics of landfill leachate produced in the sanitary landfill process are high concentration of COD and BOD, high ammonia nitrogen content, high levels of refractory organics, heavy metal ions, poor biodegradability, unstable water quality, difficult handling and so on. If the treatment is not carried out, the environment will be severely damaged. According to the needs of the project, this paper proposes a set of short-term landfill leachate treatment process, which involves ozone oxidation, internal electrolytic oxidation technology, coagulation precipitation, deep oxidation of the chain reaction, microwave field catalytic oxidation, adsorption and other treatment processes. Eliminating the biochemical process, the entire process flow is relatively short, and the processing efficiency is high. And the use of PLC-based control system to achieve automatic control of landfill leachate treatment. Since the leachate water quality has a wide range of variation, the PID control method based on BP neural network adaptive control strategy is adopted to achieve on-line adjustment of PID control parameters. The final effluent water quality can meet the emission standards.

One of the first decisions to improve the urban air quality during an air pollution episode is to apply traffic parking and access restrictions to try to decrease the amount of private vehicles driving in the city but their the effectiveness of the decisions must be evaluated before taking them. The health impact assessment tool of this work can help to the decision makers because it examines the citizen's health impacts of the applied measurements. The modelling system has been applied for a NO2 episode in Madrid city during December, 2016. The core of the system is the EMIMO-WRF/Chem air quality modeling system that simulates the air quality concentrations every grid cell of 1 km by 1 km and traffic emissions are calculated using data from a microscopic traffic model. The pollutant concentrations are inputs to the health impact module, which uses concentration–response functions. Two simulations were designed: "REAL" including traffic restrictions and "BAU" representing what would happen if no action were taken. The differences between the two simulations (BAU-REAL) give us the contribution of traffic restriction measures to improve the citizen's health. The results show that the measures taken in this specific case were not sufficiently effective compared to the effort to reduce traffic.

With the development of globalization, regional integration, industrialization and urbanization, the problem of water environment treatment in China has become more complex, more serious and contradictory. In order to solve the water environment problem fundamentally, the source of pollution should be cut off from the source. Non-point pollution has become one of the main sources of pollution in the basin, so blocking and treating the non-point pollution is also a test for environmental practitioners. The paper introduces the treatment technology of the non-point source pollution and the endogenous pollution from many aspects. At the same time, the paper also expounds the condition of usage and the range of application.

The Zijin heap bioleaching plant was operated at the end of 2005. Concerns about the potential risk of environmental pollution from heap bioleaching plant arise due to the proximity to the Ting River. In this study, a physicochemical analysis, a geo-accumulation index and a high throughput sequencing technology were applied to determine heavy metals, assess the extent of heavy metal pollution, and research the effect of the heap bioleaching plant on the microbes, respectively. Results showed that the heap bioleaching plant had significant influence on the distribution of S, Pb and Cu and no significant influence on the distribution of As, Fe and Cr. Most of the water samples reached the third class standard of the People's Republic of China for surface water and individual water samples were above the fifth class standard of the People's Republic of China for surface water (GB3838-2002) because of As. The heap bioleaching plant had some effect on the microbial biomass, diversity and the microbial composition. However, the effect on the microbial biomass and diversity were not significant.

In this paper, the fraction distribution of Cr contaminated wastewater were treated by Leersia hexandra Swartz constructed wetlands. The results showed that with the Cr-contaminated wastewater enter the wetland, the wastewaters transformed to different forms respectively, and residuals fraction mainly were existed in the matrix and in plant bodies. The residuals present in all zones turned up at first and then decreased; the reducible fraction showed a gradual decreased in the wetland; and the weak acid extractable did not change much. The fraction of Cr in L. hexandra roots increased first and then decreased in different zone, of which the most obvious changes were in weak acid extractable fraction. The fraction of weak acid extractable and residue in the stems of L. hexandra increased first and then decreased in different zone, while the ethanol fraction decreased gradually. Residue fraction and ethanol fraction in different zone gradually decreased in the L. hexandra leaves, while the weak acid extractable showed the first increase and then decrease.

There are many factors that influence the quality of marine water. In order to make the evaluation process more efficient and accurate, based on the normal distribution principle and Bias formula, this article establishes the seawater quality evaluation model by Bayesian method. Taking the evaluation of water quality of a sea area in Qingdao as an example, the measured data of eight water quality monitoring points are selected. The results of the evaluation are compared with the grey relational analysis. It shows that the results of the two methods are the same, which are the I type of water quality. So the Bayesian method based on normal distribution is applicable to the evaluation of marine water quality and the Bayesian method has the characteristic of more integrated, suitable for both large and small samples, simple calculation and easily to be used widely.

The spatial-temporal evolution of drought and flood events and their occurrence frequency in northern Henan Province, China are quantitatively analyzed during 1961~2015, based on temperature and precipitation data, by using Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and indicators of drought and flood. The results show that there are significant differences in the periodicity and fluctuation of SPEI value at different time scales in the north of Henan Province during the study period. Firstly, at monthly scale, the monthly frequency of drought in the northern part of Henan Province shows a decreasing trend, but that of flood shows an increasing trend. Secondly, at seasonal scale, Autumn droughts have the highest occurrence frequency, followed by Summer droughts and Winter droughts. But for flood events, Summer floods have the highest frequency. Finally, as to the inter-annual variability of droughts and floods, serious droughts are occurred in northern Henan Province in the 1980s, 2000s and 2011-2015, but serious floods occur in the 1960s and 1970s.

Insect pest is a major problem of lotus flower production for local markets and export. Lotus growers inappropriately use high quantity of toxic insecticides to control insect pest. Insecticides are applied all over the lotus farming and the chemical substances are not limited to lotus flowers but they leach down to the water reservoir affects fish and other nontarget living organisms in water and the environment. Therefore, the survey of insecticides usage and related information for lotus-fish farming in 3 different provinces: Chachoengsao, Suphanburi and Nakhonpathom was conducted. The result showed most growers had an elementary school certificate while the rest held a secondary school certificate. The important insect pest of lotus are thrips (Frankliniella schultzei) and common cutworm (Spodoptera litura). Lotus growers preferred organophosphate insecticides the most, followed by the avermectin group. Most growers from Chachoengsao(89.9%), Nakhonpathom(84.1%) and Suphanburi(77.4%) had insecticide application regularly. Decontamination of insecticidal residue on lotus flowers after harvest could be done by using flower dipping in water before distribution. Concerning over fish culture in lotus-fish farming, growers used the insecticide that had least effect on fish. However, the chemical application might cause the slow growth of fish. None of fish kill occurred due to insecticide application for insect control in lotus-fish farming. Repeated exposure to insecticide during application causes health problems to the growers.

Landfill leachate involves high concentrations of organic compounds, ammonia nitrogen, heavy metals and other complex components. Hence, it is very difficult to treat using conventional biological processes alone. This research is a preliminary literature review on using MBR + NF/RO combination process to achieve purification of landfill leachate in China. MBR + NF/RO process is a combination of biological and physico-chemical technology, including MBR system, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis devices. The study found that, the benefit of a complementary combination of MBR and NF/RO process with respect to removal of ammonia nitrogen, trace organic and heavy metal ions appears quite intuitive. And this promising treatment has developed rapidly in China in last few decades. In this paper, representative project examples in China were selected for review. Mechanism and influencing factors of MBR + NF/RO process in China in the past decades will be reviewed and recommendations will be given for the future development of Chinese MBR + NF/RO process.

Primary studies have been carried out on titanium dioxide powder, and revealed the efficient photocatalytic property of this material. More techniques have been developed to deposit the titanium dioxide particles onto a substrate, thus preserving from any further filtration after a water treatment. White cement has been used, as both a binder and a substrate, to deposit onto it titanium dioxide powder and to carry out the photodegradation of the tartrazine in an aqueous solution. The experiment has been conducted into a photocatalytic reactor designed and registered as a prototype patent. The complete photodegradation of the tartrazine molecule occurs with the same way as observed with the titanium dioxide powder in the aqueous solution of tartrazine. The same catalytic material of the titania-coated cement has been submitted for a series of the photocatalytic degradation tests of the tartrazine molecule and remained still active and comparable to those observed during the first reaction tests.

This study evaluated the combined effect of six processing factors on Zn, Cd removal and sulfate reducing by sulfate reducing bacteria in a high concentration Zn-fed fixed bed bioreactor. Statistically valid Plackett Burman design of experiments was employed to carry out this study. The results obtained showed a high removal of Zn (99.63%), Cd (99.73%) at a maximum influent Zn concentration of 320 mg/L. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of Zn and Cd removal revealed that the effect due to glycerol dosage and reflux ratio were highly significant (P value < 0.05). To establish the role of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in the metal removal process, the characteristics of microbial community in fixed bed bioreactor was analyzed by High-throughput Sequencing during the steady operational process. The results obtained shows that the percentage of the dominant sulfate reducing bacteria in the sludge, such as Desulfovibrio, could reach 45.7%. Qualitative EDS analysis of the precipitate was performed. The results revealed that the precipitates as ZnS were confirmed by the EDS spectrum with strong peaks of zinc and sulfur.

Mercury adsorption of silver containing silica-based nanocomposites was evaluated. Maximum adsorption capacity of 0.4 mmol g⁻¹ was achieved at silver loading of 0.5 mmol g⁻¹. Nevertheless, if to calculate in respect to silver content the mercury adsorption capacity was generally elevated along with decreasing silver nanoparticle diameter. It has been demonstrated that silver particle diameters and loading should collectively be taken into consideration in designing the optimal mercury removal process. Further recommendations have been proposed with the aim of increasing the mercury removal efficiency using silver nanoparticles deposited on the surface of silica with lover silver loading, while achieving similar or even higher efficiencies due to observed hyperstoichiometry effect.

In the present work Ukrainian clinoptilolite was modified with Ag and applied for the removal of iodide from aqueous solutions. The effect of three different modifications was studied, one resulting in an Ag⁺ ion exchanged form, and two resulting in zeolites decorated with silver oxide and zero valent metallic nanoparticles. The results indicated the strong potential affinity of the Ag-modified zeolite materials towards iodide.

Solvent extraction of molybdenum (VI) from alkali roasted and water leaching of ferro-molybdenum slag by using TOA and TBP as extractants was investigated. In this study, ferro-molybdenum slags contain about 1 wt% Mo. Before Mo solvent extraction, Mo slags were roasted by sodium hydroxide under 6:1 NaOH–slag mass ratio and 600°C for 2hr produced 99.5% molybdenum leaching efficiency by hot water. And leave impurity metal like Fe, Mg and Ca ions in leaching Raffinate. In solvent experiments, the organic phase is composed of TOA as extractant, TBP as modifier and kerosene as diluent. The effect of solvent extraction efficiency on different parameters such as pH and TOA/TBP concentrations. The result indicated the process was an effective method to separate molybdenum ions from high-impurity ferro-molybdenum slag.

Under the background of contemporary global design and all-sided sustainable development, traditional architectural design methods and the autonomy of architecture are being challenged. Energy and thermodynamics now provides a more complete perspective on the future based on archeology and science. Before attempting to find a city paradigm for Singapore, a tropical island nation facing an energy crisis, this article, from the perspective of natural learning, examines the ecosystem of tropical rainforests, conducting the prototype analysis with four aspects, climate and microclimate, vertical structure, energy flow and ecological community. Correspondingly, four important strategies that run throughout the thermodynamic urban paradigm design are summarized: climate adaptation, self-organization, community system and regeneration succession. Afterwards to plus the further design from four different levels: region, city, architecture and experience, this article is to explore new thermodynamic urban paradigm.

Under the circumstance of rapid development, the contradiction and balance between energy consumption, carbon emission and urban living environment are increasingly become one of the problems to be solved in contemporary China. Housing has demonstrated tremendous potential to play a major role in the reduction of carbon emission, to gain a balance between reducing carbon emission and meeting increasing demand. Good daylighting is irreplaceable in improving the quality of housing and meeting the daily physiological and psychological needs of the residents. Thus, it is necessary and insightful to evaluate daylighting of housing from the perspective of carbon emission reduction. In this paper, three design control factors of window height, window/wall ratio and aspect ratio of window are studied. Several preliminary design optimization strategies based on residential lighting in Shanghai are proposed.

On the basis of panel data from 30 provinces during 2005-2014, the index system of regional green innovation performance is built from efficiency and output two dimensions based on dual theory. The evaluation of regional green innovation performance is using PPE-Malmquist-LWN model synthetically and the empirical analysis is used to study on factors of regional green innovation performance. The results indicate that regional green innovation performance shows an M type trend, and in east is higher than that in west. On the whole, FDI, ODI, environmental regulation of lag 1 have positive effects on regional green innovation performance, but internal and externa l market needs, intellectual property protection, market institutions have negative effect. In eastern region, FDI, external market needs, market institutions have negative effect, but environmental regulation of lag 1 has positive effects. In central region, internal market needs has negative effect, but ODI and environmental regulation of lag 1 have positive effects. In western region, internal market needs and intellectual property protection have negative effect, but FDI, ODI and external market needs have positive effects.

The concept for Stable Urban Mobility, included in the European Commission's Green Papter titled "Towards a New Urban Mobility Culture", consists of encouraging the combination of different types of public transport with different types of individual transport. The new concept for urban mobility also suggests reaching common goals for economic prosperity and recognizing the right to mobility by managing the quality of life and protecting the environment. The Green Paper states the following: "Encouraging walking, cycling and constructing the appropriate infrastructure" which makes it clear that bicycle transport and its related infrastructure are an inseparable part of stable urban mobility. However, the city of Sofia presently does not have a developed bicycle infrastructure. Incorporating bicycle traffic within the city's transport framework is not only necessary, it has to become a part of the priorities of the city's transport system. The purpose of the report is to substantiate the necessity for the development of bicycle transport in Sofia and to indicate the guidelines for its future development. The more stably built an urban transport system is and the more corresponding it is to citizens' needs and to the problems of modern urbanized environments, the higher the guarantees are for the city's stable development in society's favor.

Alcohols are renewable and sustainable second generation biofuels which are derived from various biomass feedstock sources. These fuels with similar properties to mineral diesel can be used as a blend or additive to improve the combustion characteristics and pollutant emissions in the automotive engines. However, different fuel properties characterize different combustion phasing parameters for the specific engine operation and test condition. This paper presents the preliminary results of coefficient of variations of IMEP (COVIMEP) and P_max (COVP_max) for a diesel engine fuelled with mineral diesel (B0) and DE10 blend at full load both engine speeds of 1100 rpm and 2300 rpm. The influence of ethanol content in a blend of diesel on the cyclic combustion variations is explained in the calculation values of the coefficient of cyclic variation (COV). The experimental results showed the DE10 fuelling exhibited larger cyclic variations than mineral diesel (B0) at the same test conditions, owing to the reduction of combustion temperature during combustion phasing and lower reactivity of ethanol.

In this study, an absorption refrigeration cycle with the working fluid of water-lithium bromide is considered. The needful energy for generator is supplied by the steam at 100°C and in one atmospheric pressure. The exergy analysis is conducted on the whole cycle and it is calculated based on the first and the second laws of thermodynamics. Various components are compared in terms of thermodynamic efficiency. Finally the coefficient of the mentioned cycle is obtained. According to the simulation results, the highest rate of exergy destruction is in the absorber, and it is equal to 35.87 % of the destruction and the main cause of this irreversibility is heat transfer with the high-temperature difference. To improve this, we should increase heat exchange and then reduce the temperature difference. For the system performance improvement, particular attention should be paid to this part to reduce the outlet exergy.