Oil spills in the Barents Sea: The results of multiyear monitoring with synthetic aperture radar.

This paper presents the results of multiyear satellite monitoring of oil pollution in the Barents Sea conducted in 2015-2020. Monitoring was based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B satellites. During monitoring, more than 26,000 SAR images were collected and analyzed for oil pollution in the form of oil spills. A geographic information system (GIS) and a conventional interactive technique were used to efficiently analyze a substantial number of SAR images covering the Barents Sea. Our approach employed online geoportal based on GIS technology with a large volume of additional information (oceanographic, physical-geographical, and industrial) about the marine basin, including those for offshore oil and gas infrastructure. As a result, multiyear oil spill distribution map was generated and analyzed, and the most oil-polluted regions of the sea and natural seeps were identified. The analysis focused on the general characteristics of the spatial and temporal distribution and the main sources of oil pollution of the Barents Sea. Sources of oil spills with areas ranging from 0.5 to 90 km2 were interpreted based on data from the automatic ship identification systems used to monitor shipping and fishing. Based on the monitoring results, the general level of oil pollution in the Barents Sea is established, statistics were calculated, and risk zones identified. The most polluted marine areas are in the southern part of the sea, where maritime shipping continuous; moderate levels of pollution appear in the fishing zones in the central part of the sea. Finally, the study results show that overall oil pollution in the Barents Sea is still relatively low compared to other marginal and inland seas of Europe.

Geographic Information Systems based approach for assessing the locational feasibility for biomethane production from landfill gas and injection in pipelines in Brazil / Abordagem baseada em sistemas de informação geográfica para avaliação da viabilidade locacional da produção de biometano a partir de gás de aterro sanitário e injeção em dutos no Brasil

ABSTRACT Biomethane can readily replace fossil fuels including natural gas, which has similar physical and chemical properties. In Brazil, municipal solid waste is predominantly disposed of in landfills. Landfill gas is mostly employed for electricity generation, but still at low levels when compared to the existing potential. Production of biomethane from landfill gas may be an alternative to exploit the existing potential, but Brazil's pipeline network is rather limited and concentrated along the country's coast. In this context, the research sought to identify the locational viability of using landfill gas to produce biomethane and injecting it into pipelines, considering the available potential and its proximity to Brazil's existing pipeline network. The QGis software was used to integrate the information. Territorial arrangements with a biomethane production capacity of more than 15,000 Nm3 day−1 and located up to 50 km from the pipeline network were considered feasible. The research estimated a potential production equivalent to 3,407,027 Nm3 day−1 of biomethane from landfills in Brazil. This potential corresponds to 6% of country's natural gas consumption in 2019 and is almost 32 times greater than current production of biomethane from all substrates used with this purpose in that year. The results indicate the suitability of using geographic information systems to identify regions that can benefit from the production of biomethane from landfill gas using the existing natural gas pipelines as an alternative to the electricity generation and provides relevant subsidies to the formulation of more efficient public policies in both the sanitation and energy sectors.

RESUMO O biometano pode substituir facilmente os combustíveis fósseis, incluindo o gás natural, que possui propriedades físicas e químicas similares. No Brasil, os resíduos sólidos urbanos são descartados predominantemente em aterros sanitários. O gás dos aterros sanitários é empregado principalmente na geração de eletricidade, mas ainda em níveis baixos quando comparado ao potencial existente. A produção de biometano a partir do gás de aterro pode ser uma alternativa para explorar o potencial existente, mas a rede de gasodutos do Brasil é bastante limitada e concentrada ao longo da costa do país. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa buscou identificar a viabilidade locacional do uso de gás de aterro sanitário para produzir biometano e injetá-lo em dutos, considerando o potencial disponível e sua proximidade com a rede de dutos existente no Brasil. O software QGis foi utilizado para integrar as informações. Foram considerados viáveis arranjos territoriais com uma capacidade de produção de biometano maior que 15.000 Nm3 dia−1 e localizados a até 50 km da rede de gasodutos. A pesquisa estimou uma produção potencial equivalente a 3.407.027 Nm3 dia−1 de biometano a partir de aterros sanitários no Brasil. Esse potencial corresponde a 6% do consumo de gás natural do país em 2019 e é quase 32 vezes maior que a produção de biometano de todos os substratos utilizados com essa finalidade naquele ano. Os resultados indicam a adequação do uso de sistemas de informação geográfica para identificar regiões que podem se beneficiar da produção de biometano a partir de gás de aterro sanitário, utilizando os gasodutos de gás natural existentes como alternativa à geração de eletricidade e fornece subsídios relevantes para a formulação de políticas públicas mais eficientes, tanto no setor de saneamento quanto no de energia.

A Geographic Information System-Based Indicator of Waste Risk to Investigate the Health Impact of Landfills and Uncontrolled Dumping Sites.

Uncontrolled and poor waste management practices are widespread. The global health impact of hazardous waste exposure is controversial, but the excess of some diseases appears to be consistent. The Geographic Information System (GIS, ESRI Inc., Rome, Italy) method used to estimate the waste risk exposure, in an area with many illegal waste dumps and burning sites, is described. A GIS geodatabase (ESRI ArcGIS format) of waste sites' data was built. A municipal GIS-based indicator of waste risk (Municipal Risk Index: MRI) has been computed, based on type and quantity of waste, typology of waste disposal, known or potential environmental contamination by waste and population living near waste sites. 2767 waste sites were present in an area 426 km2 large. 38% of the population lived near one or more waste sites (100 m). Illegal/uncontrolled waste dumps, including waste burning areas, constituted about 90% of all sites. The 38 investigated municipalities were categorized into 4 classes of MRI. The GIS approach identified a widespread impact of waste sites and the municipalities likely to be most exposed. The highest score of the MRI included the municipalities with the most illegal hazardous waste dumps and burning sites. The GIS-geodatabase provided information to contrast and to prosecute illegal waste trafficking and mismanagements.