Introduction:
The aim of this essay is to examine how bio-hydrogen production treatment technology will have a vital impact and changes on the lives of Hong Kong people. In the past three decades, scientists have tried hard to think of different sewage treatment methods which could facilitate improving the quality of water and producing renewable energy source (Fang and Liu 2001). In order to achieve this, bio-hydrogen production of sewage has been developed in the past few years. This essay begins by explaining the principle of this new kind of sewage treatment method and how it is designed to replace the old one in the coming 50 years. The second part of this essay concentrates on some of the consequences in which bio-hydrogen production contributes to the life style of Hong Kong people, focusing particularly on its applications and crucial role in providing extra important energy source, hydrogen. Finally, it will conclude by discussing whether this method could ever replace the old one and bring greatest advantages to us.
Background science
Living in this well- developed and modern city, people in Hong Kong have a great demand in better quality of water. Hence, a well- organized sewage treating system is very important. Practically, the sewage is purified by different microorganisms to break down the organic pollutants. It is because they are omnipresent, highly effective and easily be controlled. Starting in the late 1980s, methanogenic sewage treatment became the major type of sewage treatment method (Horan. 1990). It is operated through anaerobic respiration of several different kinds of bacteria and Archaea to break down organic substances in sewage and produce methane gas as major product (Fang and Liu 2001). Althou...
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...Biological Waste treatment. The Cromwell Press; 2001. 78- 84 p
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The Energy Efficiency Office Electrical &Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). Hong Kong Energy End- use Data. [Internet] 2011: 5-10p.: [cited 2011 Oct 4]. Available from: http://www.emsd.gov.hk
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, DST increases overall energy consumption by “approximately 1 percent” (Kotchen) and rises to 2-4 percent in the fall. The use of air conditioning, television, lighting, and other appliances causes the residential energy demand to
The existence of Cyanobacteria is of vital importance to all life on planet earth. The process by which the amospehere of planet earth changed, from its early atmosphere to what it is present day is due to the process of photosynthesis, which is originated in a Cyanobacterium. Oxygenic photosynthesis is what made Cyanobacteria unique among the early organisms on planet earth whereby it used Carbon dioxide from the atmospehere and water as an electron donor to produce carbohydrates, releasing oxygen as a byproduct. In comparison, other early organisms on planet earth produced energy via
...hemical energy from cyanobacteria (the only bacteria that can perform photosynthesis) 2.4 billion years ago (Wernergreen). The first chloroplast came into being about one billion years ago when a single-celled protist and a cyanobacterium came together through endosymbiosis, and this first photosynthesizing eukaryotic lineage was the ancestor of land plants, green algae, and red algae. Cyanobacteria and algae endosymbionts have spread photosynthetic capabilities in such a broad range (Wernergreen). In other words, heterotrophic prokaryote cells had taken in autotrophic photosynthetic bacteria cells. The ingested cell continued to provide glucose and oxygen by photosynthesis. The host cell protected as well as provided carbon dioxide and nitrogen for the engulfed cell and overtime both cells lost the aptitude to survive without each other (Weber and Osteryoung).
Stephenson, R., & Blackburn, J. J. (1998). The Industrial Wastewater Systems Handbook. New York: Lewis Publishers.
“Photosynthesis (literally, “synthesis from light”) is a metabolic process by which the energy of sunlight is captured and used to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into carbohydrates (which is represented as a six-carbon sugar, C6H12O6) and oxygen gas (O2)” (BioPortal, n.d., p. 190).
So you turn off lights when you leave a room, use CFL light bulbs throughout the house instead of incandescent, and keep the temperature indoors a little cooler in winter and higher in summer. Wondering why your energy bills remain so high? The answer might be flying out your windows and walls without you realizing it. According to the Department of Energy, a professional energy audit can identify exactly where your energy dollars are used -- and easily help the average homeowner save anywhere from 5 to 30 percent on utility bills. Even a preliminary DIY energy audit, focusing on two key areas, will assist you in significantly cutting back on your normal energy usage.
There are several types of treatment methods present but biological treatment methods have gained much traction in the recent years due to their low operation costs, comparatively benign effects on the environment and their ease of handling and maintenance. Biological wastewater treatment methods can be subcategorized into dispersed growth systems and attached growth systems. Biofilms fall under the latter category (Sehar & Naz, 2016)
The bacteria and wastewater is mixed in an aeration tank and therefore the contaminants are removed by action of sorption and series of breakdown by the bacteria.
Chloroplasts in the plant and algae cells of eukaryotes, trap light energy in a green plastid know as chlorophyll and uses it to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. This process is called photosynthesis. Some prokaryotes have complex infoldings of the plasma membrane, such as mesosomes. In this case, chlorophylls and enzymes are embedded to form thylakoids. These photosynthetic membranes are only present in the photosynthetic bacteria of
Fantes, Francisco. Solar Hydrogen Energy: Mining the Oceans for the Holy Grail. Harvard Science Review, winter 2002.
The variability of process technologies used range from chemical and biological to electrolytic, photolytic and thermo-chemical. Each of these mentioned technologies are in a different stage of development, and each offer unique prospects, remunerations, benefits and challenges. Local availability of feedstock, the development of the technology, market applications, uses and demand, policy issues, and costs will all influence the choice and effectiveness of the various options for hydrogen production. The figure below shows an overview of the various feed stocks and process technologies (R&D Priorities and Gaps, 2006).
Household energy conservation is a very practical and realistic approach to conserving energy within our society. US households consume a tremendous amount of natural gas as well as electric energy. It has been calculated that the amount of energy consumed within the US increased exponentially from about 1850 to 1975. If energy continued to increase at this rate, we would be experiencing severe energy shortages in our current society. Luckily, steps towards conservation, including various energy regulations, have curbed that growth somewhat, brining the predicted 160 Qbtu/yr for the year 2000 down to around 93.8 Qbtu/yr by the year 1996. However, household energy usage is still a major issue as households consume about 38% of the total consumed energy and contribute greatly to natural gas consumption and issues such as global warming. Therefore, it is important that people understand how we use energy in the household and what steps can be taken to conserve that energy.
According to Fatta et al. (2005), “concerns for human health and the environment are the most important constraints in the reuse of [treated] wastewater.” It is frequently the case that sewage treatment plants in Arab counties do not operate satisfactorily and, in most cases, treated wastewater discharges exceed the legal and/or hygienically acceptable maxima. This is attributed to the lack of adequately trained staff with the technical skills to operate these plants, as well as the lack of an adequate budget for plant maintenance and operation.
Hydrogen would be one of the easiest sources of renewable energy to incorporate into our current energy infrastructure. Since hydrogen is a gas of normal temperature, it is possible to have it be used as a fuel in vehicles similar to current ones. For example, Hydrogen could be introduced into the vehicle as a gas, stored...
middle of paper ... ... g the Energy Revolution." Foreign Affairs. Nov/Dec 2010: 111. SIRS Issues Researcher.