Urinary mercury in adults in Poland living near a chloralkali plant

We conducted a study within the framework of the interdisciplinary European Mercury Emission from Chloralkali Plants (EMECAP) project to assess exposure to mercury (Hg) and the contribution of Hg emissions from a mercury cell chloralkali plant to urinary mercury (U-Hg) in adults living near the plant. We collected data from questionnaires and first morning urine samples from 75 subjects living near the Tarnow plant in Poland and 100 subjects living in a reference area. Median U-Hg was 0.32 mug/g creatinine (microg/gC) and 0.20 microg/gC, respectively. The median U-Hg was also higher in the amalgam-free subjects living near the plant (0.26 microg/gC) than in the reference group (0.18 microg/gC), but no such association was found in a multivariate analysis. There was a statistically significant positive association between U-Hg and number of teeth with amalgams, a negative association with age and a tendency towards higher U-Hg in female subjects. In the amalgam-free subjects there were statistically significant effects of female sex and fish consumption, and a negative association with age. The additional long-term average air Hg concentration from the plant, based on EMECAP environmental measurements and modelling, was estimated to be 1-3.5 ng/m(3) for the residential study area and should have a very small effect on U-Hg. The other Hg emission sources such as coal combustion facilities located nearby should be taken into account in assessing the overall impact of air Hg on U-Hg in this area.     

Norway Was Never So Poor!

Provision of public services is generally associated with a prosperous society. Norway is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, renowned for its social provision. Paradoxically, though, as Edward Robbins, Christian Hermansen Cordua and Barbara E Ascher highlight in this article, the general perception that Norway has never been so poor is misguided, as is the government's current justification for withdrawing investment due to a lack of funds. For the period of greatest support for social housing corresponded to a period of austerity and slow recovery, immediately after the war, rather than that of greatest prosperity after the discovery of North Sea oil in Norwegian waters in the late 1960s.     

PVC and sustainability

PVC has been under intense and hostile attack for a number of years, primarily because of its association with chlorine chemistry. It has been argued by some that because of this association it is inherently unsustainable, although much of this argument has been emotionally driven rather than based upon scientific scrutiny. Yet the presence of chlorine imparts a range of unique technical features in PVC that set it apart from many other polymers. A number of these features are well known and documented, and perhaps this uniqueness makes it a fascinating polymer to study in terms of its potential for sustainability. It is durable in use and difficult to break down. This persistence has made it a target by some campaigners, yet this could arguably be one of its greatest strengths from a sustainability perspective. The following report assesses—on a scientific basis—what sustainability means to the PVC industry and the necessary steps that would be needed to deliver a truly sustainable polymer. The evaluation model presented is based on The Natural Step (TNS) framework. The TNS framework is a robust and science-based set of tools that define sustainability in unambiguous and workable terms and helps organisations engage with the practicalities of sustainable development. In particular, the study includes a case history of a sustainable development process leading up to this evaluation involving a number of leading UK retailers.     

Methanol-to-olefins process technology: current status and future prospects

The methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) and methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process are 2 epochal technological discoveries in the synfuels arena, first introduced by Mobil Oil Corporation, some 50?years after the Fischer-Tropsch process. Apart from the technological breakthroughs, the MTG and MTO processes have also provided a rich tableau for scientific research and pursuits. In this report, we will first provide anecdotal information pertaining to the discovery and development of these 2 processes. We will then focus on how the MTO process has evolved into a stand-alone technology in its own right for the 2 value-added products, ethylene, and propylene. Currently, UOP/Hydro is the world’s leading commercial technology supplier/licensor, for the MTO process, with Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) and Sinopec, as its close competitors. It appears that the MTO technology is now primed for future advancements and expansions. Two recent MTO production sites put in place with UOP/Norsk technology licensors, became operational recently, both in China: The newest is a 0.8?MM MTPA venture, licensed and operated by Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical Company, and the 0.3?MM MTPA Wison China Clean Energy venture started in 2013, licensed and operated by Wison Energy.