I thought I had a bit of an understanding of green chemistry when I started taking this course. I definitely think that the more I learn, I realize that I really knew very little in the first place. I would describe green chemistry as the study of how to lessen the environmental impact of industrial and chemical processes. Replacing materials with green-friendly alternatives and making reactions as efficient as possible is something that green chemistry is all about.
One principle of green chemistry is about finding safer solvents, and I learned a lot about this, particularly during writing blogs. So many materials that have been traditionally the go-to things that were sought after are so bad for our environment. Another problem with that is that they are also in short supply, and we have the potential to create new resources that will not damage the environment to replace them. So many green alternatives are also far more cost-efficient than their counterparts. Another principle that ties into this is the one that involves the search for renewable feedstocks. I also have a much better understanding of the prevention principle too. That one is all about reducing waste from being produced than figuring out what to do with it after it has already been created.
Some things that will stick with me are the real-life applications of this that are really beneficial. I still remember the example about ibuprofen that was discussed early on in the course, and how green chemists were able to greatly reduce the amount of waste obtained during the production process.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Renewable Feedstock
Finding alternatives for traditional, nonrenewable feedstocks has become more necessary recently. Traditionally, a great deal of the feedstocks used were petroleum-based, and this has posed a problem because it is a resource that is not in unlimited supply. Finding possible alternative, renewable feedstocks provide many benefits. It could end the dependence upon foreign oil, and if we are able to find something that we can produce in this country, it could be a serious boost to the economy if we were able to create an entire new industry out of this.
One example of a renewable feedstock that has become very popular over the past few years is corn. Corn is used in ethanol, which is an alternative fuel. Ethanol is more efficient than gasoline, cheaper to produce, and can be used in any engine. All of these make it something that should become much more popular in upcoming years. Ethanol also does not have the potential to cause health problems like gasoline does, and has even been endorsed by the American Lung Association as a green alternative to gasoline. Awareness of such problems with nonrenewable resources should also be spread because as much progress as has been made on green issues in the past few years, public awareness of exactly how much of a problem we have is still a bit lacking.
One example of a renewable feedstock that has become very popular over the past few years is corn. Corn is used in ethanol, which is an alternative fuel. Ethanol is more efficient than gasoline, cheaper to produce, and can be used in any engine. All of these make it something that should become much more popular in upcoming years. Ethanol also does not have the potential to cause health problems like gasoline does, and has even been endorsed by the American Lung Association as a green alternative to gasoline. Awareness of such problems with nonrenewable resources should also be spread because as much progress as has been made on green issues in the past few years, public awareness of exactly how much of a problem we have is still a bit lacking.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Cogeneration Plant
UNH became the first university in the country to use landfill gas as a primary fuel source in 2009. This project was completed after 4 years of work, and got the school national recognition. The system sounds really complicated, but I was able to piece it together.
This was known as a "landfill gas to energy project," and that's a pretty easy way of summing it up. The energy comes from methane gas from a landfill that has been purified and brought to the school through the use of many wells and collection pipes. This system enables UNH Durham to obtain about 85% of its energy through this source, a tremendous number by any standards because it's a fairly large school.
The cogeneration plant project costed about $49 million to make, but UNH has found ways to recoup this financial loss. It is going to sell the renewable energy certificates, and sell power that was not needed for the campus back to the power grid. Some of this money will be used to further research environmentally-friendly practices for the university.
This was known as a "landfill gas to energy project," and that's a pretty easy way of summing it up. The energy comes from methane gas from a landfill that has been purified and brought to the school through the use of many wells and collection pipes. This system enables UNH Durham to obtain about 85% of its energy through this source, a tremendous number by any standards because it's a fairly large school.
The cogeneration plant project costed about $49 million to make, but UNH has found ways to recoup this financial loss. It is going to sell the renewable energy certificates, and sell power that was not needed for the campus back to the power grid. Some of this money will be used to further research environmentally-friendly practices for the university.
Agriculture vs. Sustainability
I work at a restaurant that is has been growing as a name that serves sustainable fish, and so it is something I find myself encountering quite a bit. I was always happy to just absorb whatever people around me at work had to say about it, but today I decided to research it a bit and form some opinions myself. Words like "farm-raised" and "wild-caught" are thrown around a lot, and there is a lot of hype about both of these options.
Wild-caught fish generally has a much better reputation because there are some (this may not be the nicest way to say it) pretty nasty fish farms out there. I have heard and read many things about fish in farms being fed things that are potentially toxic, not being given enough space, and generally living in conditions that do not mimic the wild as much as the owners of these farms would like you to think. However, there are some farms that are starting to pop up, mostly in the UK, that are not entirely horrible for the environment. They have different standards of circulating the water, and they also tend to rotate the fish through three tanks, which is preferable to keeping them in the same tank all the time.
On the other hand, wild-caught fish, when the fish is something that is appropriate to catch and is not on any type of endangered list, generally has a much better reputation. There are many reasons for this. Farms that raise fish can try and mimic natural conditions, but there is just nothing like the real thing. Also, it is difficult to regulate a man-made environment. Even though farms sometimes have more than one type of fish, this can also lead to one type taking over the rest because of an ill-regulated environment.
The Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Guide is widely recognized at providing the public with up-to-date descriptions of which fish are the best to eat. They have a system that represents the sustainability of a fish choice. Their "green light" is the best choice, the "yellow light" is a good alternative, and a "red light" is something that is not sustainable, or in danger of being overfished, and so it should not be used. They update this guide every six months and it is very user-friendly, so much so that they even have an iPhone app!
Wild-caught fish generally has a much better reputation because there are some (this may not be the nicest way to say it) pretty nasty fish farms out there. I have heard and read many things about fish in farms being fed things that are potentially toxic, not being given enough space, and generally living in conditions that do not mimic the wild as much as the owners of these farms would like you to think. However, there are some farms that are starting to pop up, mostly in the UK, that are not entirely horrible for the environment. They have different standards of circulating the water, and they also tend to rotate the fish through three tanks, which is preferable to keeping them in the same tank all the time.
On the other hand, wild-caught fish, when the fish is something that is appropriate to catch and is not on any type of endangered list, generally has a much better reputation. There are many reasons for this. Farms that raise fish can try and mimic natural conditions, but there is just nothing like the real thing. Also, it is difficult to regulate a man-made environment. Even though farms sometimes have more than one type of fish, this can also lead to one type taking over the rest because of an ill-regulated environment.
The Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Guide is widely recognized at providing the public with up-to-date descriptions of which fish are the best to eat. They have a system that represents the sustainability of a fish choice. Their "green light" is the best choice, the "yellow light" is a good alternative, and a "red light" is something that is not sustainable, or in danger of being overfished, and so it should not be used. They update this guide every six months and it is very user-friendly, so much so that they even have an iPhone app!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Biological Interaction
According to most previously conducted research, microbial Fe (III) reduction has been caused by the interaction of NO3-. This interaction has not been thoroughly studied in experiments that were conducted using solid-phase iron oxide materials, specifically, as a source. In an experiment studying such an interaction, a bacterium called Shewanella putrefaciens 200 was grown in an environment that mimicked groundwater conditions. There was an iron-creating oxidous material called goethite in this environment as well, and this was supposed to function as the solid-phase iron oxide material.
During this experiment, the NO3- reduced the growth of the surface goethite more than it reduced the growth of other substances that served similar purposes in other such experiments, namely aqueous or mircocrystalline materials. Also, the presence of the goethite reduced the decrease in quantity of the NO3-. This experiment displays a different microbial interaction than has been typically studied when doing experiments of this nature.
D. Craig Cooper et al, Chemical and Biological Interactions during Nitrate and Goethite Reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens 200, American Society for Microbiology: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 5 March 2003.
During this experiment, the NO3- reduced the growth of the surface goethite more than it reduced the growth of other substances that served similar purposes in other such experiments, namely aqueous or mircocrystalline materials. Also, the presence of the goethite reduced the decrease in quantity of the NO3-. This experiment displays a different microbial interaction than has been typically studied when doing experiments of this nature.
D. Craig Cooper et al, Chemical and Biological Interactions during Nitrate and Goethite Reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens 200, American Society for Microbiology: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 5 March 2003.
Air Pollutant
According to the EPA website, lead is one of the most common air pollutants. The major source of pollution caused by lead in the environment used to come from auto fuel emissions, but new regulation has ceased this. Instead, lead comes mostly now from the manufacturing industry, where it is mostly used in making metals.
The Clean Air Act was instated in 1990, and this forced each state to come up with a multi-point plan as to how they would maintain air quality standards by combating lead pollution in the environment. Because of this legislation, many programs have been created that combat this pollution in different ways. States are required to come up with a system to measure pollution, a plan to rectify or control excessive levels, and then another program to ensure that the plans have been put in place and are functioning appropriately. Having this multi-faceted program enables states to ensure that their plans are working properly and to make necessary changes.
In addition to the above, each state is required to submit their plan to the EPA, which must approve it. The EPA has the authority to decline any plan and require states to make changes to it in order for it to function properly. States are also required to make information on pollutant levels in their areas public information so that citizens can look at them at will.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Water and Green Solvents
The first "green solvent," was developed by a team of chemists from the University of Buffalo, the University of Texas, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Colorado. It was a microemulsion, and it was made of water, an alternative form of carbon dioxide, and a flourinated surfactant. A flourinated surfactant is composed of multiple flourine atoms, and is used to lower the surface tension of water. This particular surfactant was one that is typically used as a blood substitute.
This solvent was unique because it was composed of water as well as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also a naturally preferable solvent, since it is not dangerous and is in abundantly available. However, water and proteins cannot be dissolved in carbon dioxide alone, which created the need for the other ingredients listed above.
This solvent was unique because it was composed of water as well as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also a naturally preferable solvent, since it is not dangerous and is in abundantly available. However, water and proteins cannot be dissolved in carbon dioxide alone, which created the need for the other ingredients listed above.
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