Food, Energy, and Water (eBook)

The Chemistry Connection

Satinder Ahuja (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF | EPUB

2015 | 1. Auflage
478 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-12-800374-9 (ISBN)

Infos

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

Inhalt

Front Cover 1
Food, Energy, and Water 4
Copyright 5
Contents 6
List of Contributors 14
Preface 16
1 - Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water 18
Overview: Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water 19
Foundations of Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in the United States 26
Mass Transport and Chemistry at the Air–Water Interface of Atmospheric Dispersoids 27
Complete ß-Lactam Antibiotic Activity Removal from Wastewaters 27
Treatment of Mine-Impacted Water with Biochemical Reactors 28
Water–Energy–Food: Our Existence Will Require Natural Gas 28
The Role of Water in Unconventional In Situ Energy Resource Extraction 29
Water Management in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development 30
Water Management in the Oil Sands 31
Coal Use as a Cause of Water Quality Impairment 32
Biodiesel from Plant Oils 33
Solar PV Technology 33
Contaminated Irrigation Water and the Associated Human Health Risks 33
Analysis of Dietary Supplements with a Hand-held X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer 34
Water Scarcity: Are We at the Brink? 35
Water Scarcity: Global Challenges for Agriculture 36
The Need for Water Reuse 36
Conclusions 37
References 37
2 - Foundations of Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in the United States 38
Introduction 38
Prelude to Organized Water Quality Monitoring in the United States 39
Water Quality Technology and Scientific Advances, 1890–1929 42
Interpretation of Water Quality Data and Information, 1890–1929 50
Water Quality Investigations, 1890–1929 54
Water Quality Technology and Scientific Advances, 1930–1975 63
Interpretation of Water Quality Data and Information, 1930–1975 77
Water Quality Investigations, 1930–1975 83
Conclusions 95
Acknowledgments 95
References 96
3 - Mass Transport and Chemistry at the Air–Water Interface of Atmospheric Dispersoids 110
Introduction 110
A Mass Transport, Kinetic Model Framework for Aqueous Processing 114
Equilibrium Partition Constants (KWA and KIA) 119
Laboratory Reaction Rate Constants (Bulk and Surface Reactions) 121
Field Data in Support of Air–Water Interface Reactions 122
Conclusions 125
Acknowledgments 126
References 126
4 - Complete ß-Lactam Antiobiotic Activity Removal from Wastewaters: Hydroxyl Radical-Mediated Oxidation Efficiencies 130
Introduction 130
Experimental 133
Results and Discussion 135
Conclusions 142
Acknowledgments 142
References 142
5 - Mine-Impacted Water and Biochemical Reactors 146
Introduction 147
Applicability of BCRs for Mine-Impacted Water 148
Mechanisms in BCRs 151
The Evolution of BCR Design 154
Treatment Goals 156
Media Composition 156
Sulfate Reduction Rate 160
Hydraulics 166
Design Process 167
Settling and Aeration 169
Start-up 169
Operation 170
Conclusions 171
References 172
6 - Water—Energy—Food: Our Existence Will Require Natural Gas 178
The Problem and the Opportunity 178
The Existing and Forecast Continuance of Energy and Water Interdependence 179
Natural Gas Reserves and Water Dependence 181
The Future of Energy, Water and Food—A Positive Outlook with Natural Gas 188
Creating the Next Generation of Efficiency and Connectivity with Energy, Water, and Food Through the Development of Data Ut ... 196
Conclusions 197
References 198
Relevant Websites 199
7 - The Role of Water in Unconventional In Situ Energy Resource Extraction Technologies 200
Introduction 201
Water Issues and In Situ Oil Shale Retorting 203
The Role of Water in Hydraulic Fracturing and Oil and Gas Resource Development 206
Water for Uranium ISR Mining in the United States 211
Beneficial Agricultural Reuse of Produced Waters 220
Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges 225
Conclusions 227
Disclaimer 227
Acknowledgments 227
References 228
8 - Water Management in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development—The Issues and Their Optimization 234
Introduction 235
Hydraulic Fracturing—A Key Enabler of Unconventional Gas Production 236
Fracture Fluid Systems 237
Nonaqueous Fluid Systems 240
Understanding Flowback Water 245
Contemporary Flowback Management 247
Target Contaminants to Be Removed Before Recycling and Their Handling 248
Decision-Making Process for Managing Flowback Water 250
System Dynamics Approach to Flowback Management 251
Analysis and Discussion 252
Conclusions 255
References 255
9 - Water Management in the Oil Sands 260
Introduction 260
Alberta Oil Sands 261
Thermal In Situ Oil Production Methods 263
Government Regulations for Water Conservation 268
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Efficiency 270
Conclusions 276
References 276
10 - Coal Use as a Cause of Water Quality Impairment 278
Introduction 278
Coal Production Impacts on Water 279
Coal Combustion Impacts on Water 280
Coal Waste Impacts on Water 284
Alternative Uses of Coal Ash 289
Conclusions 289
References 290
11 - Biodiesel from Plant Oils 294
Introduction 295
Plants Catalog 296
Production of Biofuels 308
Properties of Biofuels 315
Applications of Biofuels 319
Conclusions 321
References 321
12 - Introduction to Solar Photovoltaic Technology 326
Introduction 327
Solar Cell Technologies 335
Various Losses in Solar Cells 360
Comparative Analysis of Various PV Technologies 361
Solar PV Systems for Water Pumping 361
Conclusions 365
References 365
13 - Contaminated Irrigation Water and the Associated Public Health Risks 366
Introduction 367
The Current and Future Water Situation—It Is All in the Water 368
Agricultural Water Contamination—Contaminants, Sources, and Health Effects 371
Human Health Risk 378
Wastewater Use in Agriculture 387
Recommendations—Risk Analysis 390
Conclusions 391
References 391
14 - Analysis of Dietary Supplements with a Hand-held XRF Analyzer 400
Introduction 400
Experimental Methods 401
Results and Discussion 403
Conclusions 405
Acknowledgments 406
References 406
15 - Beyond the Brink 408
Water Strategy Principles for 2050 409
Holistic Environmental Planning Process and Solutions for 2050 410
Conclusions 411
16 - Water Scarcity: Global Challenges for Agriculture 412
Introduction 412
Where Are the Crisis Spots Throughout the World? 413
Irrigated Agriculture: Water Sources and Conservation Methods 416
Water Resource Management: The Case of the San Francisco Bay Area Delta, California, USA 425
Boosting Our Freshwater Resources 427
Diverting Water Resources for Energy Production 435
Promoting Transboundary Cooperation 441
Conclusions 444
References 445
17 - The Need for Water Reuse 448
Introduction 449
Water and Food 449
Water and Energy 452
Global Climate Change 453
Energy 453
Water and Energy Interactions 457
Solutions Must Be Sustainable 459
What Are We Doing About the Problem? 460
Avoiding Disastrous Side Effects: The Impact of Arsenic-Contaminated Groundwater on Food 461
Conclusions 462
References 462
Index 466

Textauszug

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 β-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...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 25.1.2015
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Ökologie / Naturschutz
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Chemie ► Analytische Chemie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Chemie ► Organische Chemie
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Umwelttechnik / Biotechnologie
• ISBN-10: 0-12-800374-X / 012800374X
• ISBN-13: 978-0-12-800374-9 / 9780128003749