[en] This paper analyzes the energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions reductions potential of the U.S. pulp and paper industry, one of the largest energy users in the U.S. manufacturing sector. We examined over 45 commercially available state-of-the-art technologies and measures. The measures were characterized, and then ordered on the basis of cost-effectiveness. The report indicates that there still exists significant potential for energy savings and carbon dioxide emissions reduction in this industry. The cost-effective potential for energy efficiency improvement is defined as having a simple pay-back period of three years or less. Not including increased recycling the study identifies a cost-effective savings potential of 16% of the primary energy use in 1994. Including increased recycling leads to a higher potential for energy savings, i.e. a range of cost-effective savings between 16% and 24% of primary energy use. Future work is needed to further elaborate on key energy efficiency measures identified in the report including barriers and opportunities for increased recycling of waste paper

[en] For this study, we identified about 175 emerging energy-efficient technologies in industry, of which we characterized 54 in detail. While many profiles of individual emerging technologies are available, few reports have attempted to impose a standardized approach to the evaluation of the technologies. This study provides a way to review technologies in an independent manner, based on information on energy savings, economic, non-energy benefits, major market barriers, likelihood of success, and suggested next steps to accelerate deployment of each of the analyzed technologies. There are many interesting lessons to be learned from further investigation of technologies identified in our preliminary screening analysis. The detailed assessments of the 54 technologies are useful to evaluate claims made by developers, as well as to evaluate market potentials for the United States or specific regions. In this report we show that many new technologies are ready to enter the market place, or are currently under development, demonstrating that the United States is not running out of technologies to improve energy efficiency and economic and environmental performance, and will not run out in the future. The study shows that many of the technologies have important non-energy benefits, ranging from reduced environmental impact to improved productivity. Several technologies have reduced capital costs compared to the current technology used by those industries. Non-energy benefits such as these are frequently a motivating factor in bringing technologies such as these to market. Further evaluation of the profiled technologies is still needed. In particular, further quantifying the non-energy benefits based on the experience from technology users in the field is important. Interactive effects and inter-technology competition have not been accounted for and ideally should be included in any type of integrated technology scenario, for it may help to better evaluate market opportunities

[en] During the past three years, working with more than 150 organizations representing public and private stakeholders, EPRI has developed the Electricity Technology Roadmap. The Roadmap identifies several major strategic challenges that must be successfully addressed to ensure a sustainable future in which electricity continues to play an important role in economic growth. Articulation of these anticipated trends and challenges requires a detailed understanding of the role and importance of reliable electricity in different sectors of the economy. This report is intended to contribute to that understanding by analyzing key aspects of trends in the economic value of electricity reliability in the U.S. economy. We first present a review of recent literature on electricity reliability costs. Next, we describe three distinct end-use approaches for tracking trends in reliability needs: (1) an analysis of the electricity-use requirements of office equipment in different commercial sectors; (2) an examination of the use of aggregate statistical indicators of industrial electricity use and economic activity to identify high reliability-requirement customer market segments; and (3) a case study of cleanrooms, which is a cross-cutting market segment known to have high reliability requirements. Finally, we present insurance industry perspectives on electricity reliability as an example of a financial tool for addressing customers' reliability needs

[en] Photocatalysis is an efficient and promising method to purify water. Numerous studies have been dedicated to demonstrate its efficiency on several hazardous compounds, derived from various industries. However, even if the degradation of such products has been extensively studied, obtaining information on their photodegradation pathway is still challenging, leading to concerns about the innocuousness of the treated water. In this study, the authors use ZnO nanowires (ZnO NWs), to photodegrade a solution of the commonly used organic dye methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, followed simultaneously by UV-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Combining these two methods real-time information on the photodegradation efficiency and degradation mechanism are given. The HPLC-MS analysis allows us to confidently identify three reaction intermediates of the MB degradation: Azure A, B and C, as well as spot three other compounds, with uncertain formulas, leading to the presented hypothesis on the beginning of the MB degradation pathway. While the UV-visible analysis shows a total degradation of MB after 2 h of photodegradation, the HPLC-MS analysis indicates that some MB remain in the solution. Its quantity is calculated to be 14 µg L${}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->1}$, which is harmless to humans. (© 2021 Wiley‐VCH GmbH)

[en] Highlights: • Dioxin disrupts the development of the subintestinal venous plexus (SIVP). • The SIVP vascularizes the developing liver, kidney, gut, and pancreas. • Dioxin disrupts development of the superficial annular vessel (SAV) in the retina. • The observed vascular phenotypes are not secondary to changes in circulation. • Dioxin increases the expression of bmp4, a key mediator of SIVP morphogenesis. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) has endogenous functions in mammalian vascular development and is necessary for mediating the toxic effects of a number of environmental contaminants. Studies in mice have demonstrated that AHR is necessary for the formation of the renal, retinal, and hepatic vasculature. In fish, exposure to the prototypic AHR agonist 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces expression of the AHR biomarker cyp1a throughout the developing vasculature and produces vascular malformations in the head and heart. However, it is not known whether the vascular structures that are sensitive to loss of AHR function are also disrupted by aberrant AHR activation. Here, we report that TCDD-exposure in zebrafish disrupts development of 1) the subintestinal venous plexus (SIVP), which vascularizes the developing liver, kidney, gut, and pancreas, and 2) the superficial annular vessel (SAV), an essential component of the retinal vasculature. Furthermore, we determined that TCDD exposure increased the expression of bmp4, a key molecular mediator of SIVP morphogenesis. We hypothesize that the observed SIVP phenotypes contribute to one of the hallmarks of TCDD exposure in fish – the failure of the yolk sac to absorb. Together, our data describe novel TCDD-induced vascular phenotypes and provide molecular insight into critical factors producing the observed vascular malformations.

[en] This panel focused on Covid-19 looking at impacts, lessons learned and future challenges. Experts from Government, Non-Government and Commercial companies addressed these issues

[en] Background and purpose: DNA repair assays to identify radiosensitive patients have had limited clinical implementation due to long turn-around times or limited specificity. This study evaluates γ-H2AX-Irradiation Induced Foci (IRIF) kinetics as a more rapid surrogate for the ‘gold standard’ colony survival assay (CSA) using several known DNA repair disorders as reference models. Materials and methods: Radiosensitive cells of known and unknown etiology were studied. γ-H2AX-IRIFs were quantified over 24 h, and the curves were fitted by combining logarithmic growth and exponential decay functions. Fitted values that differed from radionormal controls were considered aberrant and compared to CSA results. Results: We observed 87% agreement of IRIF data with the CSA for the 14 samples tested. Analysis of γ-H2AX-IRIF kinetics for known repair disorders indicated similarities between an RNF168^−/− cell line and an RS cell of unknown etiology. These cell lines were further characterized by a reduction in BRCA1-IRIF formation and G2/M checkpoint activation. Conclusions: γ-H2AX-IRIF kinetics showed high concordance with the CSA in RS populations demonstrating its potential as a more rapid surrogate assay. This method provides a means to globally identify defective DNA repair pathways in RS cells of unknown etiology through comparison with known DNA repair defects.

[en] Highlights: • Oxidative potential of diesel PM was 21% higher than biodiesel PM (DTT assay). • No difference in ROS generated in vitro (diesel vs B20 PM) • Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr higher in diesel PM • Cu and WSOC associated with oxidative potential in diesel PM, not biodiesel PM • Results suggest PM emissions from B20 (nonroad engine) less harmful to human health. -- Abstract: Little is known regarding the oxidative potential of biodiesel particulate matter (PM) relative to diesel PM emitted from heavy duty diesel (HDD) nonroad engines generated in real-world occupational settings. The composition of biodiesel and diesel PM can include transition metals, polar, and nonpolar organic species which can increase oxidative potential via production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Elevated ROS can lead to oxidative stress and induce antioxidant defense, inflammation, and toxicity. This study characterized the chemical composition of PM (water soluble organic carbon and elemental metals) collected in a real-world occupational setting. ROS production in a human epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) treated with biodiesel and diesel PM extracts was compared to oxidative potential measured by an acellular dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The oxidative potential (DTT consumption rate) of diesel PM was 21% greater than biodiesel PM at the highest treatment concentration (60 μg/mL), yet the ROS generated in vitro were similar between fuel types. Average concentrations of Cu, Cr and Zn were higher in diesel PM compared to biodiesel PM. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between DTT consumption and Cu in diesel PM (r = 0.98), but not B20 PM. There was a strong correlation between WSOC content in diesel PM and ROS generated in vitro (r = 0.83), but no correlation between WSOC content in biodiesel PM and ROS. Taken together, the results indicate the influence of fuel type on the chemical composition and oxidative potential of PM generated by a nonroad HDD engine operated at a recycling center. While acknowledging the potential influence of other species of interest not measured (i.e., quinones), real-world petroleum diesel PM emissions had higher oxidative potential compared to biodiesel PM suggesting that biodiesel use may reduce risk to human health.