New method for greenhouse gas predictions

New Concordia research uses dynamic mathematical model to estimate gas emission

2013-03-05

(Press-News.org) This press release is available in French.

Montreal, March 5, 2013 – Pulp and paper producers are among Canada's most important industries and also one of the largest producers of wastewater. Estimating the greenhouse gas emissions in this wastewater has become a priority for the industry.

Until now, greenhouse gas emission estimates have been limited by the mathematical models used to predict them. Researchers at Concordia University have recently developed a new dynamic method to better predict the emission content of these gases. Their findings, published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, have implications not only for the pulp and paper industry, but also for any business wishing to reduce its carbon footprint.

"Currently used steady-state models are able to give an overall prediction but dynamic models can estimate the variation in greenhouse gas emissions in response to changes in the wastewater management system. Dynamic models are therefore more accurate and provide more information," says Laleh Yerushalmi, an adjunct professor at Concordia's Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering and study co-author.

Knowledge can lead to improved emission control The study compared steady-state and dynamic mathematical modelling predictions with actual values of greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater systems. Both models gave accurate results of overall gas emissions. However, only the dynamic model was able to estimate changes in emissions in response to a changing environment. The dynamic model could also be used to predict other outputs, such as energy consumption and generation.

"With dynamic modeling, we can better understand the behaviour of the treatment plant over time," says senior author Fariborz Haghighat, professor in Concordia's Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Concordia Research Chair in Energy and Environment. "With this knowledge, we can then recommend a strategy to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas and also improve energy efficiency."

"Models such as this are used to simulate the behaviour of a particular management system either in the early stages of system design or in later development to incorporate changes," adds Yerushalmi. "We want to make sure that we use the most accurate method possible and the dynamic model is best predictor yet."

### About the study: Application of dynamic models to estimate greenhouse gas emission by wastewater treatment plants of the pulp and paper industry was authored by Omid Ashrafi, Laleh Yerushalmi and Fariborz Haghighat of Concordia University.

Related links: Cited Environmental Science and Pollution Research: http://www.springer.com/environment/journal/11356 Concordia Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering: http://www.bcee.concordia.ca/ Fariborz Haghighat: Research @ Concordia: http://www.concordia.ca/explore/#!/profile/82/ Media contact: Cléa DesjardinsSenior Advisor, External Communications Concordia University Tel: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068 Cell: 514-909-2999
e-mail: clea.desjardins@concordia.ca Web: concordia.ca/media-relations Twitter: twitter.com/CleaDesjardins

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Novel storage mechanism allows command, control of memory

2013-03-05

HOUSTON -- (March 4, 2013) – Introductions at a party seemingly go in one ear and out the other. However, if you meet someone two or three times during the party, you are more likely to remember his or her name. Your brain has taken a short-term memory – the introduction – and converted it into a long-term one. The molecular key to this activity is mTORC2 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2), according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (http://www.bcm.edu) in an article that appeared online in the journal Nature Neuroscience (http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nn.3351.html). "Memory ...

Walking away from back pain

2013-03-05

Lower back pain is a common complaint, and treatment often requires many hours of physical therapy over multiple weekly clinic visits — a costly commitment. Now Dr. Michal Katz-Leurer of Tel Aviv University's Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine says that a simple aerobic walking program is as effective in alleviating lower back pain as muscle strengthening programs that require specialized equipment in rehabilitation clinics. The program includes walking two to three times a week for a period of 20 to 40 minutes, Dr. Katz-Leurer ...

Research leads to better understanding of peripheral neuropathy

2013-03-05

One in 25,000 people worldwide is affected by neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a condition where the loss of a tumour suppressor called Merlin results in multiple tumours in the brain and nervous system. Sufferers may experience 20 to 30 tumours at any one time and such numbers often lead to hearing loss, disability and eventually death. Those with NF2 may also experience peripheral neuropathy, which is when the nerves carrying messages to and from the brain and spinal column to the rest of the body do not work. Peripheral neuropathy leads to further complications for ...

Analytical theory may bring improvements to lithium-ion batteries

2013-03-05

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Researchers have shown theoretically how to control or eliminate the formation of "dendrites" that cause lithium-ion batteries to fail, an advance that if realized would improve safety and might enable the batteries to be charged within a matter of minutes instead of hours. The dendrites are lithium deposits that form on electrode surfaces and may continue to grow until they cause an internal short circuit, which results in battery failure and possible fire. Researchers have created an analytical theory that shows how to design experiments to study ...

UT Southwestern scientists make mouse model of human cancer, demonstrate cure

2013-03-05

DALLAS – March 5, 2013 – UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists report the first successful blocking of tumor development in a genetic mouse model of an incurable human cancer. "To my knowledge, this is the first time that a mouse model of a genetically defined malignant human cancer has been generated in which the formation of the tumor from beginning to end can be monitored and in which blocking the pathway cures the mouse of the tumor," said Dr. Luis Parada, chair of the department of developmental biology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study published ...

News websites should target 'reward seekers,' MU researcher finds

2013-03-05

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- As newspaper sales continue to decline, many news organizations are searching for ways to improve readership and revenues from their online presences. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that news organizations should target readers with certain personality traits in order to optimize their online viewership. Paul Bolls, an associate professor of strategic communication at the MU School of Journalism and a 2011-2012 MU Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellow, has found that news consumers who have "reward-seeking" personalities are more likely ...

First single gene mutation shown to result in type 1 diabetes

2013-03-05

New York, NY, March 5, 2013 – A JDRF-funded study out of Switzerland has shown that a single gene called SIRT1 may be involved in the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases. The study, "Identification of a SIRT1 Mutation in a Family with Type 1 Diabetes," was published today in Cell Metabolism and represents the first demonstration of a monogenetic defect leading to the onset of T1D. The research began when Marc Donath, M.D., endocrinologist and researcher at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, discovered an interesting pattern of ...

Improper protein digestion in neurons identified as a cause of familial Parkinson's

2013-03-05

NEW YORK, NY (March 5, 2013) — Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), with collaborators at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinson's disease damage brain cells. The mutations block an intracellular system that normally prevents a protein called alpha-synuclein from reaching toxic levels in dopamine-producing neurons. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing this digestive system, or preventing its disruption, may prove valuable in the ...

New evidence that comets could have seeded life on Earth

2013-03-05

It's among the most ancient of questions: What are the origins of life on Earth? A new experiment simulating conditions in deep space reveals that the complex building blocks of life could have been created on icy interplanetary dust and then carried to Earth, jump-starting life. Chemists from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Hawaii, Manoa, showed that conditions in space are capable of creating complex dipeptides – linked pairs of amino acids – that are essential building blocks shared by all living things. The discovery opens the door ...

Affordable care alone may not be enough to help Latinos overcome cancer care barriers

2013-03-05

A combination of financial, cultural and communication barriers plays a role in preventing underserved Latino men with prostate cancer from accessing the care and treatment they need, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing. The study, "Barriers to Prostate Cancer Care: Affordable Care Is Not Enough," is published in the March issue of the peer-reviewed journal Qualitative Health Research. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Latino men. Additionally, Latino men are ...

SNU researchers develop innovative heating and cooling technology using ‘a single material’ to stay cool in summer and warm in winter without electricity

SNU researchers outline a roadmap for next-generation 2D semiconductor 'gate stack' technology

The fundamental traditional Chinese medicine constitution theory serves as a crucial basis for the development and application of food and medicine homology products

Outfoxed: New research reveals Australia’s rapid red fox invasion

SwRI’s Dr. Chris Thomas named AIAA Associate Fellow

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) funding for research on academic advising experiences of Division I Black/African American student-athletes at minority serving institutions

Johri developing artificial intelligence literacy among undergraduate engineering and technology students

Boston Children’s receives a $35 million donation to accelerate development of therapeutic options for children with brain disorders through the Rosamund Stone Zander and Hansjoerg Wyss Translational

New method for greenhouse gas predictions

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: