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Material Flow

Material Flow. Carol Timson 4/12/2004. Overview. Biogeochemical Systems Mass Balance Ecosystem Closed Loop Anthroposystem Open System Material Flow Transfer Matrices Track flow of contaminants throughout the World 4 Environmental Spheres - all spheres are interdependent

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Material Flow

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  1. Material Flow Carol Timson 4/12/2004

  2. Overview • Biogeochemical Systems • Mass Balance • Ecosystem • Closed Loop • Anthroposystem • Open System • Material Flow Transfer Matrices • Track flow of contaminants throughout the World • 4 Environmental Spheres - all spheres are interdependent • Biosphere-pump • Atmosphere-transporter • Lithosphere-storage compartment • Hydrosphere-transporter (rivers) & storage (oceans)

  3. mout min Internal Change Biogeochemical Systems • The study of how living systems influence, and are controlled by, the geology and chemistry of the earth • Fundamental principles to analyze flow of materials through air, land, and water • Mass balance - describes the state of a system NET CHANGE = INPUT + OUTPUT + INTERNAL CHANGE

  4. Ecosystem • The sun is the energy source • Plants use the sun to produce food • Animals are the consumers • The decomposers (recyclers) are the fungi and bacteria. The ecosystem is capable of recycling most of the waste products is produces. http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchangel/current/lectures/kling/ecosystem/ecosystem.html

  5. Antroposystem Open Loop System • Fossil Fuels are the energy for the system • Producers include manufacturing and farming • Consumers are humans • Decomposing (recycling) is very minor • Includes recycling of material and wastewater treatment by-products are disposed into the physical environment

  6. Material Flow • Humans and biota are responsible for redistribution of chemicals on Earth. • In an ecosystem much of the material is transferred directly from the producers to the recyclers, this is not the case in the anthroposystem as it would be pointless to produce material and immediately recycle it.

  7. Matter is transferred from producer to consumer. The transfer is a one-to-many relationship that can be quantified by the transfer matrix. In case of fuel producers (mining) and consumers (combustion), the transfer is described by the surface transfer matrix sij Pollution is transferred from the consumer (emitter) to the environmental receptor (pollutant is emitted) i = producer j = consumer k = receptor Material Flow Transfer Matrices

  8. Concentration of mercury in coal cappalachian=0.20 cinterior=0.10 cgulfcoast=0.22 crockymountains=0.09 cgreatplains=0.12 http://capita.wustl.edu/capita/capitareports/Mercury/_Toc12781822

  9. Production of Mercury from Coal Pi [millions Mg/yr] Estimated for 1999 Pappalachian=600 Pinterior=150 Pgulfcoast=650 Prockymountain=1000 Pgreatplains=50 http://capita.wustl.edu/capita/capitareports/Mercury/_Toc12781822

  10. Matrix Example Mi -mass contaminant that is mobilized by each producer ci-concentration of the contaminant sulfur in coal Pi-raw material production rate sij-transfer of coal sulfur from producer to consumer Uij-amount of matter originating at the producer and used at the consumer. Mi=ciPi Uij=sijMi

  11. Mercury Mobilization Trend of mercury mobilized in coal. High (75%) and low (50%) estimates of mercury atmospheric emissions are also shown to be around 25% to 50% retention. http://capita.wustl.edu/capita/capitareports/Mercury/_Toc12781822

  12. Matrix Example ajk is the atmospheric transfer I need help understanding the ajk part of this matrix.

  13. http://capita.wustl.edu/capita/capitareports/Mercury/_Toc12781822http://capita.wustl.edu/capita/capitareports/Mercury/_Toc12781822

  14. Four Environmental SpheresMaterials in the environment are distributed in 4 environmental compartments (spheres), materials flow between and within each compartment. • Biosphere • The pump, allows matter to flow through nature • thin shell of organic matter on the earth’s surface • Atmosphere • Transport-conveyor compartment • Large capability for redistributing matter • Lithosphere • solid shell of inorganic material at the earth’s surface • Hydrosphere • can be seen as two compartments: rivers are transporters and oceans are storage

  15. Mercury traveling through the Spheres • Released by anthropogenic sources into • land • air • soil • Mercury in Atmosphere mixes with cloud water and is deposited on the land and in water sources • On land it is stored in the soil and also deposited into water sources from runoff • Mercury is re-emitted into the atmosphere from the ocean through evasion

  16. Mercury • Mercury in the soil is also taken up by plants and these plants are consumed by animals. • Mercury can get into freshwater systems through direct deposition, runoff, or through groundwater flow in the upper soil layers • Mercury in water in ingested by water animals also. www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpglt3/reports/volume3.pdf

  17. Mercury Transport • Approximately one third of total mercury emissions are thought to cycle from oceans to the atmosphere and back again to the ocean. • The reservoir holding time is approximately 6 months to 2 years • Hg(0) emitted transforms to Hg(II) in cloud water. • Hg(0) has an average residence time in the atmosphere of about 1 year. • Hg(II) is deposited by dry or wet deposition process. • Atmospheric residence time of hours to months www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpglt3/reports/volume3.pdf

  18. Conclusion • Ecosystem makes use of all material • The anthroposystem differs from the ecosystem in the fact that they do not recycle as much • Sustainable development can be achieved if humans can operate more like the ecosystem by becoming more efficient. • Either use less material, recycle more, or place material where it is not harmful to the environment

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