Ahuja Food, Energy, and Water

The Chemistry Connection
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-0-12-800374-9
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 478 Seiten

How will chemists of the future balance competing concerns of environmental stewardship and innovative, cost-effective product development? For chemists to accept the idea that environmental quality and economic prosperity can be intertwined, the concept of the food-energy-water nexus must first be integrated into underlying thought processes. Food, Energy and Water: The Chemistry Connection provides today's scientists with the background information necessary to fully understand the inextricable link between food, energy and water and how this conceptual framework should form the basis for all contemporary research and development in chemistry in particular, and the sciences in general. - Presents a clear, quantitative explanation of the link between food, energy, and water - Provides information not currently available in chemistry curricula or synthesized in existing resources - Examines the challenges of the food-energy-water nexus from a chemistry perspective within a multi-disciplinary domain - Includes the latest research on critical topics such as fracking, water use conflicts, and sustainability in food production cycles

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ahuja, Satinder

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Food, Energy, and Water;4
3;Copyright;5
4;Contents;6
5;List of Contributors;14
6;Preface;16
7;1 - Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water;18
7.1;Overview: Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water;19
7.2;Foundations of Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in the United States;26
7.3;Mass Transport and Chemistry at the Air–Water Interface of Atmospheric Dispersoids;27
7.4;Complete ß-Lactam Antibiotic Activity Removal from Wastewaters;27
7.5;Treatment of Mine-Impacted Water with Biochemical Reactors;28
7.6;Water–Energy–Food: Our Existence Will Require Natural Gas;28
7.7;The Role of Water in Unconventional In Situ Energy Resource Extraction;29
7.8;Water Management in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development;30
7.9;Water Management in the Oil Sands;31
7.10;Coal Use as a Cause of Water Quality Impairment;32
7.11;Biodiesel from Plant Oils;33
7.12;Solar PV Technology;33
7.13;Contaminated Irrigation Water and the Associated Human Health Risks;33
7.14;Analysis of Dietary Supplements with a Hand-held X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer;34
7.15;Water Scarcity: Are We at the Brink?;35
7.16;Water Scarcity: Global Challenges for Agriculture;36
7.17;The Need for Water Reuse;36
7.18;Conclusions;37
7.19;References;37
8;2 - Foundations of Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in the United States;38
8.1;Introduction;38
8.2;Prelude to Organized Water Quality Monitoring in the United States;39
8.3;Water Quality Technology and Scientific Advances, 1890–1929;42
8.4;Interpretation of Water Quality Data and Information, 1890–1929;50
8.5;Water Quality Investigations, 1890–1929;54
8.6;Water Quality Technology and Scientific Advances, 1930–1975;63
8.7;Interpretation of Water Quality Data and Information, 1930–1975;77
8.8;Water Quality Investigations, 1930–1975;83
8.9;Conclusions;95
8.10;Acknowledgments;95
8.11;References;96
9;3 - Mass Transport and Chemistry at the Air–Water Interface of Atmospheric Dispersoids;110
9.1;Introduction;110
9.2;A Mass Transport, Kinetic Model Framework for Aqueous Processing;114
9.3;Equilibrium Partition Constants (KWA and KIA);119
9.4;Laboratory Reaction Rate Constants (Bulk and Surface Reactions);121
9.5;Field Data in Support of Air–Water Interface Reactions;122
9.6;Conclusions;125
9.7;Acknowledgments;126
9.8;References;126
10;4 - Complete ß-Lactam Antiobiotic Activity Removal from Wastewaters: Hydroxyl Radical-Mediated Oxidation Efficiencies;130
10.1;Introduction;130
10.2;Experimental;133
10.3;Results and Discussion;135
10.4;Conclusions;142
10.5;Acknowledgments;142
10.6;References;142
11;5 - Mine-Impacted Water and Biochemical Reactors;146
11.1;Introduction;147
11.2;Applicability of BCRs for Mine-Impacted Water;148
11.3;Mechanisms in BCRs;151
11.4;The Evolution of BCR Design;154
11.5;Treatment Goals;156
11.6;Media Composition;156
11.7;Sulfate Reduction Rate;160
11.8;Hydraulics;166
11.9;Design Process;167
11.10;Settling and Aeration;169
11.11;Start-up;169
11.12;Operation;170
11.13;Conclusions;171
11.14;References;172
12;6 - Water—Energy—Food: Our Existence Will Require Natural Gas;178
12.1;The Problem and the Opportunity;178
12.2;The Existing and Forecast Continuance of Energy and Water Interdependence;179
12.3;Natural Gas Reserves and Water Dependence;181
12.4;The Future of Energy, Water and Food—A Positive Outlook with Natural Gas;188
12.5;Creating the Next Generation of Efficiency and Connectivity with Energy, Water, and Food Through the Development of Data Ut ...;196
12.6;Conclusions;197
12.7;References;198
12.8;Relevant Websites;199
13;7 - The Role of Water in Unconventional In Situ Energy Resource Extraction Technologies;200
13.1;Introduction;201
13.2;Water Issues and In Situ Oil Shale Retorting;203
13.3;The Role of Water in Hydraulic Fracturing and Oil and Gas Resource Development;206
13.4;Water for Uranium ISR Mining in the United States;211
13.5;Beneficial Agricultural Reuse of Produced Waters;220
13.6;Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges;225
13.7;Conclusions;227
13.8;Disclaimer;227
13.9;Acknowledgments;227
13.10;References;228
14;8 - Water Management in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development—The Issues and Their Optimization;234
14.1;Introduction;235
14.2;Hydraulic Fracturing—A Key Enabler of Unconventional Gas Production;236
14.3;Fracture Fluid Systems;237
14.4;Nonaqueous Fluid Systems;240
14.5;Understanding Flowback Water;245
14.6;Contemporary Flowback Management;247
14.7;Target Contaminants to Be Removed Before Recycling and Their Handling;248
14.8;Decision-Making Process for Managing Flowback Water;250
14.9;System Dynamics Approach to Flowback Management;251
14.10;Analysis and Discussion;252
14.11;Conclusions;255
14.12;References;255
15;9 - Water Management in the Oil Sands;260
15.1;Introduction;260
15.2;Alberta Oil Sands;261
15.3;Thermal In Situ Oil Production Methods;263
15.4;Government Regulations for Water Conservation;268
15.5;Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Efficiency;270
15.6;Conclusions;276
15.7;References;276
16;10 - Coal Use as a Cause of Water Quality Impairment;278
16.1;Introduction;278
16.2;Coal Production Impacts on Water;279
16.3;Coal Combustion Impacts on Water;280
16.4;Coal Waste Impacts on Water;284
16.5;Alternative Uses of Coal Ash;289
16.6;Conclusions;289
16.7;References;290
17;11 - Biodiesel from Plant Oils;294
17.1;Introduction;295
17.2;Plants Catalog;296
17.3;Production of Biofuels;308
17.4;Properties of Biofuels;315
17.5;Applications of Biofuels;319
17.6;Conclusions;321
17.7;References;321
18;12 - Introduction to Solar Photovoltaic Technology;326
18.1;Introduction;327
18.2;Solar Cell Technologies;335
18.3;Various Losses in Solar Cells;360
18.4;Comparative Analysis of Various PV Technologies;361
18.5;Solar PV Systems for Water Pumping;361
18.6;Conclusions;365
18.7;References;365
19;13 - Contaminated Irrigation Water and the Associated Public Health Risks;366
19.1;Introduction;367
19.2;The Current and Future Water Situation—It Is All in the Water;368
19.3;Agricultural Water Contamination—Contaminants, Sources, and Health Effects;371
19.4;Human Health Risk;378
19.5;Wastewater Use in Agriculture;387
19.6;Recommendations—Risk Analysis;390
19.7;Conclusions;391
19.8;References;391
20;14 - Analysis of Dietary Supplements with a Hand-held XRF Analyzer;400
20.1;Introduction;400
20.2;Experimental Methods;401
20.3;Results and Discussion;403
20.4;Conclusions;405
20.5;Acknowledgments;406
20.6;References;406
21;15 - Beyond the Brink;408
21.1;Water Strategy Principles for 2050;409
21.2;Holistic Environmental Planning Process and Solutions for 2050;410
21.3;Conclusions;411
22;16 - Water Scarcity: Global Challenges for Agriculture;412
22.1;Introduction;412
22.2;Where Are the Crisis Spots Throughout the World?;413
22.3;Irrigated Agriculture: Water Sources and Conservation Methods;416
22.4;Water Resource Management: The Case of the San Francisco Bay Area Delta, California, USA;425
22.5;Boosting Our Freshwater Resources;427
22.6;Diverting Water Resources for Energy Production;435
22.7;Promoting Transboundary Cooperation;441
22.8;Conclusions;444
22.9;References;445
23;17 - The Need for Water Reuse;448
23.1;Introduction;449
23.2;Water and Food;449
23.3;Water and Energy;452
23.4;Global Climate Change;453
23.5;Energy;453
23.6;Water and Energy Interactions;457
23.7;Solutions Must Be Sustainable;459
23.8;What Are We Doing About the Problem?;460
23.9;Avoiding Disastrous Side Effects: The Impact of Arsenic-Contaminated Groundwater on Food;461
23.10;Conclusions;462
23.11;References;462
24;Index;466

Leseproben

1 Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water
Satinder Ahuja     Ahuja Consulting, Calabash, NC, USA Abstract
Food, energy, and water are interconnected in many interesting ways. This chapter explores these connections from various perspectives. Keywords
Availability; Energy; Environmental Impact; Food; Irrigation; Nexus; Reclamation; Remediation; Source; Sustainability; Water Chapter Outline Overview: Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water 2 Water 2 Water Availability and Scarcity 3 Water Reclamation 3 Water Quality 4 Food 4 Impact of Contaminated Water on Food 5 Food and Biofuels 6 Energy 7 Renewable Sources of Energy 8 Foundations of Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in the United States 9 Mass Transport and Chemistry at the Air–Water Interface of Atmospheric Dispersoids 10 Complete ß-Lactam Antibiotic Activity Removal from Wastewaters 10 Treatment of Mine-Impacted Water with Biochemical Reactors 11 Water–Energy–Food: Our Existence Will Require Natural Gas 11 The Role of Water in Unconventional in Situ Energy Resource Extraction 12 Water Management in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development 13 Water Management in the Oil Sands 14 Coal Use as a Cause of Water Quality Impairment 15 Biodiesel from Plant Oils 16 Solar PV Technology 16 Contaminated Irrigation Water and the Associated Human Health Risks 16 Analysis of Dietary Supplements with a Hand-held X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer 17 Water Scarcity: Are We at the Brink? 18 Water Scarcity: Global Challenges for Agriculture 19 The Need for Water Reuse 19 Conclusions 20 References 20 Overview: Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water
If you were to ask a layman which is the most important resource among food, energy, and water, the answer is likely to be “food.” As a matter of fact, humans can survive longer without food and energy than without water. However, humans depend on the Sun as the primary source of energy that assures our survival on this planet. Furthermore, the civilized world is highly dependent on energy for comfortable living and mobility. This suggests that energy is a very important requirement. The fact is we need all of them and their interrelationship is discussed below.1 Chemistry connects all of these resources. All of them are briefly discussed individually in the order of their relative importance to human beings (assuming the Sun will keep shining on us for a long time), and their relationship with the other resources is shown. We know that water is the most essential requirement for human survival, after air.2–9 And we need food to assure our survival in the long run. To produce clean water and to raise food crops, we need energy. In turn, energy can be produced from food, e.g., corn is used for producing ethanol. And water is frequently used to produce energy. The nexus of food, energy, and water is depicted in Figure 1; at the nexus, all three are in harmony and our sustainability is assured. This book explores the role that food, energy, and water play in maintaining our lives and lifestyles; and it focuses on the environmental nexus of food, energy, and water. Studies related to this are covered at some length. The book discusses how these three fundamental resources interact with each other for our mutual benefits and how these interactions can be handled to benefit humanity. It explores these areas and discusses ways to improve our utilization of these resources, with minimum damage to our environment. Water
Water availability and quality must be maintained to assure life on Earth. Sustainability demands that we use water judiciously and reclaim contaminated water, as only 0.06% of freshwater is readily available to us even though Earth is a water planet. A number of inorganic and organic compounds, from arsenic to zinc, can pollute our groundwater.2 For example, even remote regions like the Arctic Sea contain mercury. The ice holds a large amount of methyl mercury that may enter the ecosystem at increasing rates as ice melts because of climate change. Various issues relating to water are discussed below.
Figure 1 Nexus (*) of food, energy, and water. Water Availability and Scarcity Water shortages are being experienced all over the world including the United States (see Water Scarcity: Are We at the Brink?). California is facing severe drought and various states have had disagreements relating to the supply of water. Internationally, water shortages in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are well known. In the Middle East, Iran is facing a water shortage potentially so serious that officials are making contingency plans for rationing in the greater Teheran area, home to 22 million, and also in other major cities around the country. According to figures compiled by the local environmental office, only 5% of the water remains in Lake Urmia. Other lakes and major rivers have also been drying up, leading to disputes over water rights. Water has been identified as a national security issue and we need cooperative efforts locally, nationally, and internationally to address water shortages. Cooperation in the Middle East In a rare display of regional cooperation, representatives of Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement to build a Red Sea and Dead Sea water project that is meant to benefit all three parties. The project addresses two problems: the acute shortage of clean freshwater in the region, especially in Jordan, and the rapid contraction of the Dead Sea. A new desalination plant is to be built in Aqaba, Jordan, to convert salt water from the Red Sea into freshwater for use in southern Israel and southern Jordan—each would get 8 billion–13 billion gallons a year. The process produces about the same amount of brine as a waste product; the brine would be piped more than 100 miles to help replenish the already very saline Dead Sea. Water Reclamation We need to maintain water quality by monitoring water resources for various known and unknown contaminants rigorously and regularly from point and nonpoint source pollution.8 However, it is important to note that water reclamation is necessary because of limited water availability. Wastewater can originate from many places: households, industries, commercial developments, road runoff, etc. As diverse as the sources of wastewater are, so too are their potential constituents. The following facts explain how some emerging contaminants have an impact on our water quality: About 12,500 tons of antimicrobials and antibiotics are administered to healthy animals on US farms each year. A 2002 US Geological Survey (USGS) found pharmaceuticals (hormones and other drugs) in 80% of streams sampled in 30 states of the United States. The composition of wastewater affects not only the treatment processes applied but also their source recovery opportunities. Understanding wastewater constituents and their abundance at different stages is a first step in recognizing appropriate opportunities for pretreatment. Wastewater contains pollutants/contaminants that have to be removed and/or reduced before the water is directed to a surface water source (river, ocean, bay, lake, etc.) or to groundwater (see reference 8 and volume 3 of reference 7). These books cover the entire gamut of natural and engineered processes that are employed to achieve the goal of making the treated wastewater amenable to disposal without any adverse effect on human health and the environment or reuse by humans for drinking. Wastewater and Biofuel Production Biofuels (also see Biodiesel from Plant Oils) can be produced from algae that grow best in polluted waters, such as that contaminated by sewage. The USGS points out that 195 billion gallons of water per day is used for thermoelectric power plant cooling, and about 96% of saline water withdrawals are for thermoelectric power use. Such water presents a disposal problem, which can be easily solved by using wastewater for biofuel production. Water Quality The amount of testing necessary for reclaimed water should relate to how it is going to be recycled. For example, if it is recycled into a surface water supply, its quality after purification should match or exceed the requirements of the surface water to which it is being added. Similar rules may be followed for mixing with groundwater. Recycled wastewater for drinking must meet potable water requirements, with the added assurance by ultratrace analysis that no toxic contaminants are present.9 Food
Water is necessary to raise various vegetables, fruits, cereals, animals, and their products that we use for food and to make beverages (see Table 1). Water consumption that is related to water-guzzling crops such as alfalfa deserves special attention, as the water embedded in the alfalfa that the US exported to China in 2012, could supply the annual water needs of roughly 500,000 families in the US. It now costs twice as much...