Evaluation of heat treatment schedules for emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Myers, Scott W; Fraser, Ivich; Mastro, Victor C

2009-12-01

The thermotolerance of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), was evaluated by subjecting larvae and prepupae to a number of time-temperature regimes. Three independent experiments were conducted during 2006 and 2007 by heating emerald ash borer infested firewood in laboratory ovens. Heat treatments were established based on the internal wood temperature. Treatments ranged from 45 to 65 degrees C for 30 and 60 min, and the ability of larvae to pupate and emerge as adults was used to evaluate the success of each treatment. A fourth experiment was conducted to examine heat treatments on exposed prepupae removed from logs and subjected to ambient temperatures of 50, 55, and 60 degrees C for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min. Results from the firewood experiments were consistent in the first experiment. Emergence data showed emerald ash borer larvae were capable of surviving a temperatures-time combination up to 60 degrees C for 30 min in wood. The 65 degrees C for 30 min treatment was, however, effective in preventing emerald ash borer emergence on both dates. Conversely, in the second experiment using saturated steam heat, complete mortality was achieved at 50 and 55 degrees C for both 30 and 60 min. Results from the prepupae experiment showed emerald ash borer survivorship in temperature-time combinations up to 55 degrees C for 30 min, and at 50 degrees C for 60 min; 60 degrees C for 15 min and longer was effective in preventing pupation in exposed prepupae. Overall results suggest that emerald ash borer survival is variable depending on heating conditions, and an internal wood temperature of 60 degrees C for 60 min should be considered the minimum for safe treatment for firewood.

Occurrence of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and biotic factors affecting its immature stages in the Russian Far East.

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Duan, Jian J; Yurchenko, Galina; Fuester, Roger

2012-04-01

Field surveys were conducted from 2008 to 2011 in the Khabarovsk and Vladivostok regions of Russia to investigate the occurrence of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, and mortality factors affecting its immature stages. We found emerald ash borer infesting both introduced North American green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) and native oriental ashes (F. mandshurica Rupr. and F. rhynchophylla Hance) in both regions. Emerald ash borer densities (larvae/m(2) of phloem area) were markedly higher on green ash (11.3-76.7 in the Khabarovsk area and 77-245 in the Vladivostok area) than on artificially stressed Manchurian ash (2.2) or Oriental ash (10-59). Mortality of emerald ash borer larvae caused by different biotic factors (woodpecker predation, host plant resistance and/or undetermined diseases, and parasitism) varied with date, site, and ash species. In general, predation of emerald ash borer larvae by woodpeckers was low. While low rates (3-27%) of emerald ash borer larval mortality were caused by undetermined biotic factors on green ash between 2009 and 2011, higher rates (26-95%) of emerald ash borer larval mortality were caused by putative plant resistance in Oriental ash species in both regions. Little (emerald ash borer larvae was observed in Khabarovsk; however, three hymenopteran parasitoids (Spathius sp., Atanycolus nigriventris Vojnovskaja-Krieger, and Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang) were observed attacking third - fourth instars of emerald ash borer in the Vladivostok area, parasitizing 0-8.3% of emerald ash borer larvae infesting Oriental ash trees and 7.3-62.7% of those on green ash trees (primarily by Spathius sp.) in two of the three study sites. Relevance of these findings to the classical biological control of emerald ash borer in newly invaded regions is discussed.

Modeling emerald ash borer dispersal using percolation theory: estimating the rate of range expansion in a fragmented landscape

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Robin A. J. Taylor; Daniel A. Herms; Louis R. Iverson

2008-01-01

The dispersal of organisms is rarely random, although diffusion processes can be useful models for movement in approximately homogeneous environments. However, the environments through which all organisms disperse are far from uniform at all scales. The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is obligate on ash (Fraxinus spp...

Emerald ash borer biocontrol in ash saplings: the potential for early stage recovery of North American ash

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In many parts of North America, ash stands have been reduced by the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) invasion to a few surviving mature trees and young basal sprouts, saplings, and seedlings. Without a seed bank, ash tree recovery will require survival and maturation of these younger cohorts...

Progress on biological control of emerald ash borer

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Leah S. Bauer; Houping Liu; Juli Gould

2008-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, a buprestid native to northeastern Asia, was determined as the cause of ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in areas of southern Michigan and Ontario, Canada, in 2002. Infestations have been found since in Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia....

Effectiveness of differing trap types for the detection of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Marshall, Jordan M; Storer, Andrew J; Fraser, Ivich; Beachy, Jessica A; Mastro, Victor C

2009-08-01

The early detection of populations of a forest pest is important to begin initial control efforts, minimizing the risk of further spread and impact. Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) is an introduced pestiferous insect of ash (Fraxinus spp. L.) in North America. The effectiveness of trapping techniques, including girdled trap trees with sticky bands and purple prism traps, was tested in areas with low- and high-density populations of emerald ash borer. At both densities, large girdled trap trees (>30 cm diameter at breast height [dbh], 1.37 m in height) captured a higher rate of adult beetles per day than smaller trees. However, the odds of detecting emerald ash borer increased as the dbh of the tree increased by 1 cm for trap trees 15-25 cm dbh. Ash species used for the traps differed in the number of larvae per cubic centimeter of phloem. Emerald ash borer larvae were more likely to be detected below, compared with above, the crown base of the trap tree. While larval densities within a trap tree were related to the species of ash, adult capture rates were not. These results provide support for focusing state and regional detection programs on the detection of emerald ash borer adults. If bark peeling for larvae is incorporated into these programs, peeling efforts focused below the crown base may increase likelihood of identifying new infestations while reducing labor costs. Associating traps with larger trees ( approximately 25 cm dbh) may increase the odds of detecting low-density populations of emerald ash borer, possibly reducing the time between infestation establishment and implementing management strategies.

The Role of Biocontrol of Emerald Ash Borer in Protecting Ash Regeneration after Invasion

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Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive Asian beetle that is destroying ash in forests over much of eastern North America because of the high susceptibility of our native ash and a lack of effective natural enemies. To increase mortality of EAB larvae and eggs, the USDA (FS, ARS and APHIS) is carryin...

Measuring the impact of biotic factors on populations of immature emerald ash borers (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Duan, Jian J; Ulyshen, Michael D; Bauer, Leah S; Gould, Juli; Van Driesche, Roy

2010-10-01

Cohorts of emerald ash borer larvae, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, were experimentally established in July of 2008 on healthy green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) trees in two wooded plots at each of three sites near Lansing, MI, by caging gravid emerald ash borer females or placing laboratory-reared eggs on trunks (0.5-2 m above the ground) of selected trees. One plot at each site was randomly chosen for release of two introduced larval parasitoids, Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), whereas the other served as the control. Stage-specific mortality factors and rates were measured for all experimentally established cohorts and for associated wild (i.e., naturally occurring) emerald ash borer immature stages via destructive sampling of 2.5 m (above the ground) trunk sections of cohort-bearing trees in the spring and fall of 2009. Host tree defense was the most important mortality factor, causing 32.0 to 41.1% mortality in the experimental cohorts and 17.5 to 21.5% in wild emerald ash borer stages by spring 2009, and 16.1 to 29% for the remaining experimental cohorts, and 9.9 to 11.8% for wild immature emerald ash borer stages by fall 2009. Woodpecker predation was the second most important factor, inflicting no mortality in the experimental cohorts but causing 5.0 to 5.6% mortality to associated wild emerald ash borer stages by spring 2009 and 9.2 to 12.8% and 3.2 to 17.7%, respectively, for experimental cohorts and wild emerald ash borer stages by fall 2009. Mortality from disease in both the experimental and wild cohorts was low (emerald ash borer stages were parasitized by T. planipennisi. While there were no significant differences in mortality rates because of parasitism between parasitoid-release and control plots, T. planipennisi was detected in each of the three release sites by the end of the study but was not detected in the experimental cohorts or associated wild larvae in any of the

Emerald ash borer infestation rates in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

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Eric L. Smith; Andrew J. Storer; Bryan K. Roosien

2009-01-01

The goal of this study was to obtain an estimate of the infestation rate of ash trees with emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis, Fairmaire; Coleoptera; Buprestidae), across its primary infestation zone of...

Development of novel ash hybrids to introgress resistance to emerald ash borer into north American ash species

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Jennifer L. Koch; David W. Carey; Mary E. Mason

2008-01-01

Currently, there is no evidence that any of the native North American ash species have any resistance to the emerald ash borer (EAB). This means that the entire ash resource of the eastern United States and Canada is at risk of loss due to EAB. In contrast, outbreaks of EAB in Asian ash species are rare and appear to be isolated responses to stress (Bauer et al. 2005,...

Emerald ash borer genetics: an update

Science.gov (United States)

Alicia M. Bray; Leah S. Bauer; Robert A. Haack; Therese Poland; James J. Smith

2008-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, samples were collected from introduced sites in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ontario, Canada, as well as native sites in China, Japan, and South Korea with the help of a network of collaborators. The beetles were analyzed using DNA sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome...

Breeding strategies for the development of emerald ash borer - resistant North American ash

Science.gov (United States)

Jennifer L. Koch; David W. Carey; Kathleen S. Knight; Therese Poland; Daniel A. Herms; Mary E. Mason

2012-01-01

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus plannipennis; EAB) is a phloem-feeding beetle that is endemic to Asia. It was discovered in North America in 2002, found almost simultaneously near Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Adult beetles feed on ash (Fraxinus spp.) foliage, but larval feeding on phloem, cambium, and...

Attraction of the emerald ash borer to ash trees stressed by girdling, herbicide treatment, or wounding

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah McCullough; Therese Poland; David. Cappaert

2009-01-01

New infestations of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive pest native to Asia, are difficult to detect until densities build and symptoms appear on affected ash (Fraxinus spp). We compared the attraction of A. planipennis to ash trees stressed by girdling (bark and phloem removed...

Prospects for long-term ash survival in the core emerald ash borer mortality zone

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan M. Marshall; Andrew J. Storer; Roger Mech; Steven A. Katovich

2011-01-01

Attacking all North American ash species (Fraxinus spp.), emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has caused significant mortality within its introduced range. For other forest pests, host bark plays an important role in infestation density and oviposition behavior. The objectives of this study were to (1) locate...

Indirect effects of emerald ash borer-induced ash mortality and canopy gap formation on epigaeic beetles.

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Gandhi, Kamal J K; Smith, Annemarie; Hartzler, Diane M; Herms, Daniel A

2014-06-01

Exotic herbivorous insects have drastically and irreversibly altered forest structure and composition of North American forests. For example, emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) from Asia has caused wide-scale mortality of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in eastern United States and Canada. We studied the effects of forest changes resulting from emerald ash borer invasion on epigaeic or ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) along a gradient of ash dieback and gap sizes in southeastern Michigan. Ground beetles were sampled in hydric, mesic, and xeric habitats in which black (Fraxinus nigra Marshall), green (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall), and white (Fraxinus americana L.) ash were the most common species, respectively. During 2006-2007, we trapped 2,545 adult ground beetles comprising 52 species. There was a negative correlation between percent ash tree mortality in 2006 and catches of all beetles. Catches of Agonum melanarium Dejean (in 2006) and Pterostichus mutus (Say) (in 2006-2007) were negatively correlated with tree mortality and gap size, respectively. However, catches of Pterostichus corvinus Dejean were positively correlated with gap size in 2006. As ash mortality and average gap size increased from 2006 to 2007, catches of all beetles as well as P. mutus and Pterostichus stygicus (Say) increased (1.3-3.9 times), while species diversity decreased, especially in mesic and xeric stands. Cluster analysis revealed that beetle assemblages in hydric and mesic stand diverged (25 and 40%, respectively) in their composition from 2006 to 2007, and that hydric stands had the most unique beetle assemblages. Overall, epigaeic beetle assemblages were altered in ash stands impacted by emerald ash borer; however, these impacts may dissipate as canopy gaps close.

Field host range testing of Spathius agrili, a parasitoid of emerald ash borer: evaluating nontarget impacts

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John S. Strazanac; Juli R. Gould; Robert A. Haack; Ivich Fraser

2008-01-01

The introduction of the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilis planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), into the Midwest from Asia has had a devastating affect on ash (Fraxinus spp.). As the emerald ash borer's ability to spread became better understood and its distribution in the Midwest increased, biocontrol became an increasingly...

Genetic transformation of Fraxinus spp. for resistance to the emerald ash borer

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Paula M. Pijut; Rochelle R. Beasley; Kaitlin J. Palla

2010-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera; Buprestidae) is a wood-boring beetle that poses substantial risk to the ash resource in North America. Ash species native to the United States and known to be susceptible to EAB are Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash), F. americana (white ash...

The overwintering physiology of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis fairmaire (coleoptera: buprestidae).

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Crosthwaite, Jill C; Sobek, Stephanie; Lyons, D Barry; Bernards, Mark A; Sinclair, Brent J

2011-01-01

Ability to survive cold is an important factor in determining northern range limits of insects. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive beetle introduced from Asia that is causing extensive damage to ash trees in North America, but little is known about its cold tolerance. Herein, the cold tolerance strategy and mechanisms involved in the cold tolerance of the emerald ash borer were investigated, and seasonal changes in these mechanisms monitored. The majority of emerald ash borers survive winter as freeze-intolerant prepupae. In winter, A. planipennis prepupae have low supercooling points (approximately -30°C), which they achieve by accumulating high concentrations of glycerol (approximately 4M) in their body fluids and by the synthesis of antifreeze agents. Cuticular waxes reduce inoculation from external ice. This is the first comprehensive study of seasonal changes in cold tolerance in a buprestid beetle. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slowing ash mortality: a potential strategy to slam emerald ash borer in outlier sites

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Deborah G. McCullough; Nathan W. Siegert; John Bedford

2009-01-01

Several isolated outlier populations of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) were discovered in 2008 and additional outliers will likely be found as detection surveys and public outreach activities...

Factors affecting the survival of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees infested by emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

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Kathleen S. Knight; John P. Brown; Robert P. Long

2013-01-01

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) (EAB), an Asian woodboring beetle accidentally introduced in North America, has killed millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees and is spreading rapidly. This study examined the effects of tree- and site-level factors on the mortality of ash trees in stands infested by EAB in OH, USA. Our data...

Use of unwounded ash trees for the detection of emerald ash borer adults: EAB landing behavior

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Jordan M. Marshall; Melissa J. Porter; Andrew J. Storer

2011-01-01

Incorporation of multiple trapping techniques and sites within a survey program is essential to adequately identify the range of emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) infestation. Within natural forests, EAB lands on stick band traps wrapped around girdled ash trees at a rate similar to that on unwounded ash trees. The objective of...

Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis SDS-502 on adult emerald ash borer

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Leah S. Bauer; Diana K. Londo& #241; o

2011-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, an intermittent pest of ash (Fraxinus) trees in northeastern Asia, was discovered in Michigan and Ontario in 2002. In North America, infestations of EAB are now known in 13 states and 2 provinces.

Optimization of visual trapping methodology for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis

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Joseph A. Francese; Damon J. Crook; Ivich Fraser; David R. Lance; Alan J. Sawyer; Victor C. Mastro

2009-01-01

As the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), spreads throughout the range of North American ash species, better tools are needed for the detection and delimitation of new infestations...

Monitoring ash (Fraxinus spp.) decline and emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) symptoms in infested areas

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Kathleen S. Knight; Britton P. Flash; Rachel H. Kappler; Joel A. Throckmorton; Bernadette Grafton; Charles E. Flower

2014-01-01

Emerald ash borer (A. planipennis) (EAB) has had a devastating effect on ash (Fraxinus) species since its introduction to North America and has resulted in altered ecological processes across the area of infestation. Monitoring is an important tool for understanding and managing the impact of this threat, and the use of common...

Progress and future directions in research on the emerald ash borer

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Therese M. Poland

2014-01-01

When the emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered near Detroit, Michigan in July 2002, very little was known about it other than the fact that it was killing large numbers of ash trees throughout a widespread area in southeast Michigan (Poland and McCullough 2006). Ash mortality in the area had been noted for a few years, but was attributed to ash decline until damage...

Interactive influence of leaf age, light intensity, and girdling on green ash foliar chemistry and emerald ash borer development.

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Chen, Yigen; Poland, Therese M

2009-07-01

Biotic and abiotic environmental factors affect plant nutritional quality and defensive compounds that confer plant resistance to herbivory. Influence of leaf age, light availability, and girdling on foliar nutrition and defense of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh) was examined in this study. Longevity of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), adults reared on green ash foliage subjected to these factors was assayed. Mature leaves generally were more nutritious with greater amino acids and a greater ratio of protein to non-structural carbohydrate (P:C) than young leaves, in particular when trees were grown in shade. On the other hand, mature leaves had lower amounts of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors, and total phenolics compared to young leaves. Lower defense of mature leaves alone, or along with higher nutritional quality may lead to increased survival and longevity of emerald ash borer feeding on mature leaves. Sunlight reduced amino acids and P:C ratio, irrespective of leaf age and girdling, and elevated total protein of young foliage, but not protein of mature leaves. Sunlight also dramatically increased all investigated defensive compounds of young, but not mature leaves. Girdling reduced green ash foliar nutrition, especially, of young leaves grown in shade and of mature leaves grown in sun. However emerald ash borer performance did not differ when fed leaves from trees grown in sun or shade, or from girdled or control trees. One explanation is that emerald ash borer reared on lower nutritional quality food may compensate for nutrient deficiency by increasing its consumption rate. The strong interactions among leaf age, light intensity, and girdling on nutrition and defense highlight the need for caution when interpreting data without considering possible interactions.

Review of ecosystem level impacts of emerald ash borer on black ash wetlands: What does the future hold?

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Randall K. Kolka; Anthony W. D' Amato; Joseph W. Wagenbrenner; Robert A. Slesak; Thomas G. Pypker; Melissa B. Youngquist; Alexis R. Grinde; Brian J. Palik

2018-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is rapidly spreading throughout eastern North America and devastating ecosystems where ash is a component tree. This rapid and sustained loss of ash trees has already resulted in ecological impacts on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and is projected to be even more severe as EAB invades black ash-dominated wetlands of the western...

Strategic removal of host trees in isolated, satellite infestations of emerald ash borer can reduce population growth

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Samuel J. Fahrner; Mark Abrahamson; Robert C. Venette; Brian H. Aukema

2017-01-01

Emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle causing significant mortality of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America and western Russia. The invasive range has expanded to more than half of the states in the United States since the initial detection in Michigan, USA in 2002. Emerald ash borer is typically managed with a combination of techniques...

Outlook for ash in your forest: results of emerald ash borer research and implications for management

Science.gov (United States)

Kathleen S. Knight

2014-01-01

Since its accidental introduction near Detroit, Michigan, in the mid-1990s, emerald ash borer (EAB) has rapidly spread through much of the U.S. and adjacent Canada, leaving millions of dead ash trees in Midwestern states (4,11). Unfortunately, EAB attacks trees as small as an inch in stem diameter and it attacks all five ash species native to the region - white, green...

Cost of potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S

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Kent F. Kovacs; Robert G. Haight; Andrew M. Liebhold; Deborah G. McCullough; Rodrigo J. Mercader; Nathan W. Siegert

2010-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), a phloem-feeding beetle native to Asia, was discovered near Detroit, MI, and Windsor, ON, in 2002. As of March 2009, isolated populations of EAB have been detected in nine additional states and Quebec. EAB is a highly invasive forest pest that has the potential to spread and kill native ash...

Three-year progression of emerald ash borer-induced decline and mortality in southeastern Michigan

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Kamal J.K. Gandhi; Annemarie Smith; Robert P. Long; Robin A.J. Taylor; Daniel A. Herms

2008-01-01

We monitored the progression of ash (Fraxinus spp.) decline and mortality due to emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, in 38 forest stands in the upper Huron River watershed region of southeastern Michigan from 2004-2007. Black ash (F. nigra), green ash (F. pennsylvanica), and white ash...

The relationship between trees and human health: evidence from the spread of the emerald ash borer.

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan, Geoffrey H; Butry, David T; Michael, Yvonne L; Prestemon, Jeffrey P; Liebhold, Andrew M; Gatziolis, Demetrios; Mao, Megan Y

2013-02-01

Several recent studies have identified a relationship between the natural environment and improved health outcomes. However, for practical reasons, most have been observational, cross-sectional studies. A natural experiment, which provides stronger evidence of causality, was used to test whether a major change to the natural environment-the loss of 100 million trees to the emerald ash borer, an invasive forest pest-has influenced mortality related to cardiovascular and lower-respiratory diseases. Two fixed-effects regression models were used to estimate the relationship between emerald ash borer presence and county-level mortality from 1990 to 2007 in 15 U.S. states, while controlling for a wide range of demographic covariates. Data were collected from 1990 to 2007, and the analyses were conducted in 2011 and 2012. There was an increase in mortality related to cardiovascular and lower-respiratory-tract illness in counties infested with the emerald ash borer. The magnitude of this effect was greater as infestation progressed and in counties with above-average median household income. Across the 15 states in the study area, the borer was associated with an additional 6113 deaths related to illness of the lower respiratory system, and 15,080 cardiovascular-related deaths. Results suggest that loss of trees to the emerald ash borer increased mortality related to cardiovascular and lower-respiratory-tract illness. This finding adds to the growing evidence that the natural environment provides major public health benefits. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Laboratory Evaluation of the Toxicity of Systemic Insecticides to Emerald Ash Borer Larvae.

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Poland, Therese M; Ciaramitaro, Tina M; McCullough, Deborah G

2016-04-01

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive phloem-feeding insect native to Asia, threatens at least 16 North American ash (Fraxinus) species and has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in landscapes and forests. We conducted laboratory bioassays to assess the relative efficacy of systemic insecticides to control emerald ash borer larvae in winter 2009 and 2010. Second- and third-instar larvae were reared on artificial diet treated with varying doses of emamectin benzoate (TREE-äge, Arborjet, Inc., Woburn, MA), imidacloprid (Imicide, J. J Mauget Co., Arcadia, CA), dinotefuran (Safari, Valent Professional Products, Walnut Creek, CA), and azadirachtin (TreeAzin, BioForest Technologies, Inc., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Azasol, Arborjet, Inc., Woburn, MA). All of the insecticides were toxic to emerald ash borer larvae, but lethal concentrations needed to kill 50% of the larvae (LC50), standardized by larval weight, varied with insecticide and time. On the earliest date with a significant fit of the probit model, LC50 values were 0.024 ppm/g at day 29 for TREE-äge, 0.015 ppm/g at day 63 for Imicide, 0.030 ppm/g at day 46 for Safari, 0.025 ppm/g at day 24 for TreeAzin, and 0.027 ppm/g at day 27 for Azasol. The median lethal time to kill 50% (LT50) of the tested larvae also varied with insecticide product and dose, and was longer for Imicide and Safari than for TREE-äge or the azadirachtin products. Insecticide efficacy in the field will depend on adult and larval mortality as well as leaf and phloem insecticide residues.

Distribution of trunk-injected 14C-imidacloprid in ash trees and effects on emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) adults

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David Mota-Sánchez; Bert M. Cregg; Deborah G. McCullough; Therese M. Poland; Robert M. Hollingworth

2009-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a destructive exotic pest of North American ash (Fraxinus sp.) trees. Trunk injection of imidacloprid is commonly used to protect landscape ash trees from A. planipennis damage. Efficacy can vary and little is known about the...

Role of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) larval vibrations in host-quality assessment by Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).

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Ulyshen, Michael D; Mankin, Richard W; Chen, Yigen; Duan, Jian J; Poland, Therese M; Bauer, Leah S

2011-02-01

The biological control agent Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious larval endoparasitoid of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive cambium-feeding species responsible for recent, widespread mortality of ash (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. T. planipennisi is known to prefer late-instar emerald ash borer, but the cues used to assess host size by this species and most other parasitoids of concealed hosts remain unknown. We sought to test whether vibrations produced by feeding emerald ash borer vary with larval size and whether there are any correlations between these cues and T. planipennisi progeny number (i.e., brood size) and sex ratio. The amplitudes and rates of 3-30-ms vibrational impulses produced by emerald ash borer larvae of various sizes were measured in the laboratory before presenting the larvae to T. planipennisi. Impulse-rate did not vary with emerald ash borer size, but vibration amplitude was significantly higher for large larvae than for small larvae. T. planipennisi produced a significantly higher proportion of female offspring from large hosts than small hosts and was shown in previous work to produce more offspring overall from large hosts. There were no significant correlations, however, between the T. planipennisi progeny data and the emerald ash borer sound data. Because vibration amplitude varied significantly with host size, however, we are unable to entirely reject the hypothesis that T. planipennisi and possibly other parasitoids of concealed hosts use vibrational cues to assess host quality, particularly given the low explanatory potential of other external cues. Internal chemical cues also may be important.

The relationship between the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) and ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree decline: Using visual canopy condition assessments and leaf isotope measurements to assess pest damage

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Charles E. Flower; Kathleen S. Knight; Joanne Rebbeck; Miquel A. Gonzalez-Meler

2013-01-01

Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America are being severely impacted by the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) which was inadvertently introduced to the US in the 1990s from Asia. The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a phloem boring beetle which relies exclusively on ash trees to complete its life cycle. Larvae...

Emerald ash borer dispersal in Maryland: go forth young pest

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Chris Sargent; Dick Bean; Michael Raupp; Alan J. Sawyer

2009-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an exotic invasive pest from Asia, was introduced into Maryland in April 2003 via infested nursery stock shipped from Michigan to a nursery in southern...

Population biology of emerald ash borer and its natural enemies in China

Science.gov (United States)

Houping Liu; Leah S. Bauer; Tonghai Zhao; Ruitong Gao

2008-01-01

Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), also known as emerald ash borer (EAB), was first discovered in Michigan and Ontario, Canada, in 2002 following investigations of declining and dying ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Agrilus planipennis has also spread to Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia,...

Progress and challenges of protecting North American ash trees from the emerald ash borer using biological control

Science.gov (United States)

Jian Duan; Leah Bauer; Roy van Driesche; Juli. Gould

2018-01-01

After emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, was discovered in the United States, a classical biological control program was initiated against this destructive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). This biocontrol program began in 2007 after federal regulatory agencies and the state of Michigan approved release of...

Water table response to harvesting and simulated emerald ash borer mortality in black ash wetlands in Minnesota, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Robert A. Slesak; Christian F. Lenhart; Kenneth N. Brooks; Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik

2014-01-01

Black ash wetlands are seriously threatened because of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB). Wetland hydrology is likely to be modified following ash mortality, but the magnitude of hydrological impact following loss via EAB and alternative mitigation harvests is not clear. Our objective was to assess the water table response to simulated EAB and harvesting to...

Dispersal of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, in newly-colonized sites

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Rodrigo J. Mercader; Andrew M. Siegert; Andrew M. Liebhold; Deborah G. McCullough

2009-01-01

Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is an invasive forest insect pest threatening more than 8 billion ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in North America. Development of effective survey methods and strategies to slow the spread of A. planipennis requires an understanding of dispersal...

Methods to Improve Survival and Growth of Planted Alternative Species Seedlings in Black Ash Ecosystems Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas Bolton; Joseph Shannon; Joshua Davis; Matthew Grinsven; Nam Noh; Shon Schooler; Randall Kolka; Thomas Pypker; Joseph Wagenbrenner

2018-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to spread across North America, infesting native ash trees and changing the forested landscape. Black ash wetland forests are severely affected by EAB. As black ash wetland forests provide integral ecosystem services, alternative approaches to maintain forest cover on the landscape are needed. We implemented simulated EAB infestations...

Effects of the emerald ash borer invasion on the community composition of arthropods associated with ash tree boles

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Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire is an invasive non-native wood-boring beetle that has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America, and threatens to extirpate the ecological services provided by the genus. Identifying the arthropod community assoc...

Monitoring the establishment and abundance of introduced parasitoids of emerald ash borer larvae in Maryland, U.S.A

Science.gov (United States)

Classical biological control can be an important tool for managing invasive species such as emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. Emerald ash borer is now widespread throughout the United States, and was first detected in Maryland in 2003. The biological control program to manage emera...

Can ash communities and their dependent species be partially protected through biological control of emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Ash trees were once relatively free of serious, major diseases and insect pests in North America until the arrival of the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, which was first detected in North America in Michigan in 2002 and has been detected in 32 U.S. states and two Canadian pro...

Detection of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, at low population density

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Melissa J. Porter; Michael D. Hyslop; Andrew J. Storer

2011-01-01

The exotic emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), was first discovered in North America in Detroit, MI, in 2002. This beetle has killed millions of ash trees in several states in the United States and in Canada, and populations of this insect continue to be detected. EAB is difficult to detect when it invades new...

Lethal trap trees: a potential option for emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) management

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Deborah G McCullough; Therese M. Poland; Phillip A. Lewis

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Economic and ecological impacts of ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality resulting from emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) invasion are severe in forested, residential and urban areas. Management options include girdling ash trees to attract ovipositing adult beetles and then destroying infested trees...

Comparison of emerald ash borer preference for ash of different species, sun exposure, age, and stress treatments in relation to foliar volatiles and nutrition

Science.gov (United States)

Therese M. Poland; Deepa S. Pureswaran; Yigen Chen

2009-01-01

We investigated the host selection behavior and feeding preference of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on six different species of ash including Manchurian ash (F...

76 FR 1338 - Emerald Ash Borer; Quarantined Areas; Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-10

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 301 [Docket No. APHIS-2008-0072] Emerald Ash Borer; Quarantined Areas; Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri..., Japan, Mongolia, the Russian Far East, Taiwan, and Canada, eventually kills healthy ash trees after it...

Invasion genetics of emerald ash borer in North America

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Alicia M. Bray; Leah S. Bauer; Robert A. Haack; Therese Poland; James J. Smith

2006-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB) was first detected in Michigan and Canada in 2002. Efforts to eradicate this destructive pest by federal and state regulatory agencies continue. Knowledge of EAB genetics will be useful in understanding the invasion dynamics of the beetle and to help identify geographic localities of potential biocontrol agents.

Intraspecific variation in Fraxinus pennsylvanica responses to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

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J.L. Koch; D.W. Carey; M.E. Mason; T.M. Poland; K.S. Knight

2015-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) is a bark and wood boring beetle native to east Asia that was first discovered in North America in 2002. Since then, entire stands of highly susceptible green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) have been killed within a few years of infestation. We have identified a...

Improving detection tools for the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): comparison of prism and multifunnel traps at varying population densities.

Science.gov (United States)

Francese, Joseph A; Rietz, Michael L; Crook, Damon J; Fraser, Ivich; Lance, David R; Mastro, Victor C

2013-12-01

The current emerald ash borer survey trap used in the United States is a prism trap constructed from a stock purple corrugated plastic. In recent years, several colors (particularly shades of green and purple) have been shown to be more attractive to the emerald ash borer than this stock color. Our goal was to determine if plastics produced with these colors and incorporated into prism traps can improve and serve as a new alternative to plastics already in use for the emerald ash borer survey. The plastics were tested in moderate to heavily infested areas in Michigan in two initial studies to test their effectiveness at catching the emerald ash borer. Because results from studies performed in heavily infested sites may not always correspond with what is found along the edges of the infestation, we compared trap catch and detection rates (recording at least one catch on a trap over the course of the entire trapping season) of several trap types and colors at sites outside the core of the currently known emerald ash borer infestation in a nine-state detection tool comparison study. Two of the new plastics, a (Sabic) purple and a medium-dark (Sabic) green were incorporated into prism traps and tested alongside a standard purple prism trap and a green multifunnel trap. In areas with lower emerald ash borer density, the new purple (Sabic) corrugated plastic caught more beetles than the current purple prism trap, as well as more than the medium-dark green (Sabic) prism and green multifunnel traps. Sabic purple traps in the detection tools comparison study recorded a detection rate of 86% compared with 73, 66, and 58% for the standard purple, Sabic green, and green multifunnel traps, respectively. These detection rates were reduced to 80, 63, 55, and 46%, respectively, at low emerald ash borer density sites.

Evaluation of recovery and monitoring methods for parasitoids released against Emerald Ash Borer

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The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, EAB) is an invasive insect pest, and the target of an extensive biological control campaign designed to mitigate EAB driven ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) mortality. Since 2007, environmental releases of three species of hymenopteran parasitoids of EA...

Effects of rearing conditions on reproduction of Spathius agrili (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Gould, Juli R; Ayer, Tracy; Fraser, Ivich

2011-04-01

Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) can be successfully reared on emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), larvae feeding in chambers drilled in small ash twigs that are wrapped with floral tape. Females maintained in groups with males for one week can receive enough sperm for production of female progeny throughout their lives. Volatiles released by emerald ash borer adults feeding on ash foliage increased parasitoid fecundity over ash foliage alone or no stimulus. The temperature at which the parasitoids were reared ranged from 20 to 25 degrees C in a daily cycle; however, raising the daily maximum temperature to 28 degrees C did not affect parasitoid longevity or fecundity. Adult females lived between 12 and 127 d, with an average of 60.8 +/- 4.5 d. Males lived slightly longer, with an average of 66 +/- 4.5 d. The first clutch of eggs was laid when the female was between 2 and 42 d old, with the average preoviposition period lasting 11.4 +/- 1.4 or 19.5 +/- 2.0 d in 2007 and 2009 trials, respectively. A higher proportion of the emerald ash borer larvae were feeding and thus attractive to parasitoids in the 2009 trial, and female S. agrili laid an average of 9.5 +/- 1.0 clutches containing 5.4 +/- 0.2 eggs, for an average of 51.2 eggs per female. Approximately three quarters of the progeny were female. The number of eggs per clutch was significantly greater when deposited on larger emerald ash borer larvae, further highlighting the need for quality larvae in rearing. Chilling S. agrili pupae at 10 degrees C to stockpile them for summer release was not successful; chilling resulted in lower survival and lower fecundity of emerging progeny. Female S. agrili proved capable of attacking emerald ash borer larvae through even the thickest bark of an ash tree that was 30-cm diameter at breast height. Even emerald ash borer larvae that were creating overwintering chambers in the outer sapwood of the tree were successfully

Patterns among the ashes: Exploring the relationship between landscape pattern and the emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Susan J. Crocker; Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Greg C. Liknes

2010-01-01

Landscape metrics, including host abundance and population density, were calculated using forest inventory and land cover data to assess the relationship between landscape pattern and the presence or absence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire). The Random Forests classification algorithm in the R statistical environment was...

Factors that influence emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) adult longevity and oviposition under laboratory conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Melody A. Keena; Juli Gould; Leah S. Bauer

2009-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is a nonnative insect from Asia that threatens ash trees in the urban and natural forests of North America. Research on this invasive insect and rearing parasitoids for...

SLAM: A multi-agency pilot project to SL.ow A.sh M.ortality caused by emerald ash borer in outlier sites

Science.gov (United States)

Therese M. Poland; Deborah G. McCullough

2010-01-01

Since its discovery in southeast Michigan in 2002, the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), has continued to spread and kill ash (Fraxinus) trees at an alarming rate. As of February 2010, EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in Michigan, at least 12 additional U.S. states, and the...

Recent development and advances in survey and detection tools for emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Therese M. ​Poland; Deborah G. McCullough; Taylor Scarr; Joseph Francese; Damon Crook; Michael Domingue; Harold Thistle; Brian Strom; Laura Blackburn; Daniel A. Herms; Krista Ryall; Patrick. Tobin

2016-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees since it was discovered near Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario in 2002 (www.emeraldashborer. info 2016) and continues to spread in North America. Canadian and U.S. federal, provincial, and state regulatory agencies have used artificial traps...

An assessment of the relationship between emerald ash borer presence and landscape pattern

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Susan J. Crocker; Dacia M. Meneguzzo

2009-01-01

Six years after its 2002 detection near Detroit, MI, the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has spread hundreds of miles across the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Human-assisted transportation of infested ash materials is the primary mechanism of EAB dispersal over long distances. Natural spread...

Using Dutch elm disease-tolerant elm to restore floodplains impacted by emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Kathleen S. Knight; James M. Slavicek; Rachel Kappler; Elizabeth Pisarczyk; Bernadette Wiggin; Karen. Menard

2012-01-01

American elm (Ulmus Americana L.) was a dominant species in floodplains and swamps of the Midwest before Dutch elm disease (DED) (Ophiostoma ulmi and O.novo-ulmi) reduced its populations. In many areas, ash (Fraxinus spp.) became dominant in these ecosystems. Emerald ash borer (EAB) (...

Short-Term Responses of Ground Beetles to Forest Changes Caused by Early Stages of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)-Induced Ash Mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Kayla I; Herms, Daniel A

2016-04-22

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an invasive wood-boring beetle native to Asia, has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees since its accidental introduction into North America, resulting in widespread formation of canopy gaps and accumulations of coarse woody debris (CWD) in forests. The objective was to quantify effects of canopy gaps and CWD caused by early stages of emerald ash borer-induced ash mortality, and their interaction on ground beetle assemblages. The impact of canopy gaps and CWD varied, as gaps affected beetle assemblages in 2011, while effects of CWD were only observed in 2012. Gaps decreased beetle activity-abundance, and marginally decreased richness, driving changes in species composition, but evenness and diversity were unaffected. Effects of the CWD treatment alone were minimal, but CWD interacted with the canopy treatment, resulting in an increase in activity-abundance of ground beetles in canopy gaps without CWD, and a marginal increase in species richness in canopy gaps with CWD. Although there were some initial changes in species composition, these were ephemeral, suggesting that ground beetle assemblages may be resilient to disturbance caused by emerald ash borer. This study contributes to our understanding of the cascading ecological impacts of biological invasions on forest ecosystems. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of ambient temperature on egg and larval development of the invasive emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): implications for laboratory rearing.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Jian J; Watt, Tim; Taylor, Phil; Larson, Kristi; Lelito, Jonathan P

2013-10-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive beetle from Asia causing large scale ash (Fraxinus) mortality in North America, has been extremely difficult to rear in the laboratory because of its long life cycle and cryptic nature of immature stages. This lack of effective laboratory-rearing methods has not only hindered research into its biology and ecology, but also mass production of natural enemies for biological control of this invasive pest. Using sticks from the alternate host plant, Fraxinus uhdei (Wenzig) Lingelsh, we characterized the stage-specific development time and growth rate of both emerald ash borer eggs and larvae at different constant temperatures (12-35 degrees C) for the purpose of developing effective laboratory-rearing methods. Results from our study showed that the median time for egg hatching decreased from 20 d at 20 degrees C to 7 d at 35 degrees C, while no emerald ash borer eggs hatched at 12 degrees C. The developmental time for 50% of emerald ash borer larvae advancing to third, fourth, and J-larval stages at 20 degrees C were 8.3, 9.1, and 12.3 wk, respectively, approximately two times longer than at 30 degrees C for the corresponding instars or stages. In contrast to 30 degrees C, however, the development times of emerald ash borer larvae advancing to later instars (from oviposition) were significantly increased at 35 degrees C, indicating adverse effects of this high temperature. The optimal range of ambient temperature to rear emerald ash borer larvae should be between 25-30 degrees C; however, faster rate of egg and larval development should be expected as temperature increases within this range.

Influence of host age on critical fitness parameters of Spathius galinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a new parasitoid of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Watt, Timothy J; Duan, Jian J

2014-08-01

Spathius galinae Belokobylskij and Strazenac (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a recently discovered gregarious idiobiont larval ectoparasitoid currently being evaluated for biological control against the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in the United States. To aid in the development of laboratory rearing protocols, we assessed the influence of various emerald ash borer stages on critical fitness parameters of S. galinae. We exposed gravid S. galinae females to emerald ash borer host larvae of various ages (3.5, 5, 7, and 10 wk post egg oviposition) that were reared naturally in tropical (evergreen) ash (Fraxinus uhdei (Wenzig) Lingelsh) logs, or to field-collected, late-stage emerald ash borers (nonfeeding J-shaped larvae termed "J-larvae," prepupae, and pupae) that were artificially inserted into green ash logs. When exposed to larvae in tropical ash logs, S. galinae attacked 5 and 7 wk hosts more frequently (68-76%) than 3.5 wk (23%) and 10 wk (12%) hosts. Subsample dissections of the these logs revealed that 3.5, 5, 7 and 10 wk host logs contained mostly second, third, fourth, and J-larvae, respectively, that had already bored into the sapwood for diapause. No J-larvae were attacked by S. galinae when naturally reared in tropical ash logs. When parasitized by S. galinae, 7 and 10 wk hosts produced the largest broods (approximately 6.7 offspring per parasitized host), and the progenies that emerged from these logs had larger anatomical measurements and more female-biased sex ratios. When exposed to emerald ash borer J-larvae, prepupae, or pupae artificially inserted into green ash logs, S. galinae attacked 53% ofJ-larvae, but did not attack any prepupae or pupae. We conclude that large (fourth instar) emerald ash borer larvae should be used to rear S. galinae.

Effects of cutting time, stump height, and herbicide application on ash (Fraxinus spp.) stump sprouting and colonization by emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Science.gov (United States)

Toby R. Petrice; Robert A. Haack

2011-01-01

Efforts to eradicate or slow the spread of emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire [Coleoptera: Buprestidae]) include cutting infested and nearby uninfested ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. However, ash trees readily sprout after they have been cut, providing potential host material for EAB. In 2004-2005, we conducted...

Sap flow of black ash in wetland forests of northern Minnesota, USA: Hydrologic implications of tree mortality due to emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew C. Telander; Robert A. Slesak; Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik; Kenneth N. Brooks; Christian F. Lenhart

2015-01-01

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) mortality caused by the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) is of concern to land managers in the upper Great Lakes region, given the large areas of ash-dominated forest and potential alteration of wetland hydrology following loss of this foundation tree species. The importance of changes in evapotranspiration (ET) following...

Reconstructing the temporal and spatial dynamics of emerald ash borer adults through dendrochronological analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Nathan W. Siegert; Deborah G. McCullough; Andrew M. Liebhold; Frank W. Telewski

2007-01-01

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; Coleoptera: Buprestidae) was identified in June 2002 as the cause of widespread ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in southeastern lower Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. Localized outlier populations have since been discovered across much of lower Michigan and in areas of Indiana, Ohio and...

Evaluation of firewood bagging and vacuum treatment for regulatory control of emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Therese M. Poland; Tina M. Kuhn; Chen Zhangjing; Andrea Diss-Torrance; Erin L. Clark

2008-01-01

Since its discovery in Detroit, Michigan, in 2002, the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), has caused extensive mortality of ash (Fraxinus spp.) as it has spread across southeast Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada (Haack et al. 2002, Poland and McCullough 2006). In addition to this core...

Dendrochronological reconstruction of the epicenter and early spread of emerald ash borer in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Nathan W. Siegert; Deborah G. McCullough; Andrew M. Liebhold; Frank W. Telewski

2014-01-01

Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis was identified in 2002 as the cause of extensive ash (Fraxinus spp.) decline and mortality in Detroit, Michigan, and has since killed millions of ash trees in the US and Canada. When discovered, it was not clear how long it had been present or at what location the invading colony started....

Emerald Ash Borer Microbial Control with the Entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana GHA formulated as Botanigard®

Science.gov (United States)

Houping Lui; Leah S. Bauer

2008-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a sporadic wood-boring pest native to northeastern Asia, was found attacking ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in southeastern Michigan in 2002. Despite regulatory efforts to quarantine and eradicate EAB, this invasive beetle has continued to spread...

Emerald ash borer in North America: a research and regulatory challenge

Science.gov (United States)

David Cappaert; Deborah G. McCullough; Therese M. Poland; Nathan W. Siegert

2005-01-01

The saga of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmare (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in North America began on 25 June 2002, when five entomologists representing Michigan State University (MSU), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS)...

Imidacloprid concentration effects on adult emerald ash borer: a greenhouse study

Science.gov (United States)

David Cappaert; Deborah G. McCullough; Therese M. Poland; Phil Lewis; John Molongoski

2008-01-01

Imidacloprid is the active ingredient of many widely used products applied to control the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, in valuable urban trees. Systemic treatment with imidacloprid is typically made in the spring to reduce the number of larvae that would otherwise be generated by oviposition during the summer. Substantial...

Temporal dynamics of woodpecker predation on the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Woodpeckers (Picidae) are among the most prevalent natural enemies attacking the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, in North America, but there can be considerable variation in the levels of EAB predation on ash trees (Oleaceae: Fraxinus) within and between sites as wel...

To treat or not to treat: Diminishing effectiveness of emamectin benzoate tree injections in ash trees heavily infested by emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Charles E. Flower; Jennifer E. Dalton; Kathleen S. Knight; Marie Brikha; Miquel A. Gonzalez-Meler

2015-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB), a non-native invasive tree-boring beetle, is the primary agent behind thewidespread mortality of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in both natural forests and urban areas of North Amer-ica. While a variety of insecticide options have been adopted for protection against EAB attacks, little hasbeen reported on the success of...

Development of a web-based tool for projecting costs of managing emerald ash borer in municipal forests

Science.gov (United States)

Clifford S. Sadof

2009-01-01

City managers faced with the invasion of emerald ash borer into their urban forests need to plan for the invasion in order to obtain the resources they need to protect the public from harm caused by dying ash trees. Currently, city...

Biological control of emerald ash borer in North America: current progress and potential for success

Science.gov (United States)

Jian J. Duan; Leah S. Bauer; Juli R. Gould; Jonathan P. Lelito

2012-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis), a buprestid native to north-east Asia, was first discovered in North America near Detroit in 2002. EAB has since spread to at least 15 U.S. States and two Canadian provinces, threatening the existence of native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). A classical biocontrol program was initiated...

Emerald ash borer impacts on visual preferences for urban forest recreation settings

Science.gov (United States)

Arne Arnberger; Ingrid E. Schneider; Martin Ebenberger; Renate Eder; Robert C. Venette; Stephanie A. Snyder; Paul H. Gobster; Ami Choi; Stuart Cottrell

2017-01-01

Extensive outbreaks of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis; EAB), an invasive forest insect, are having serious impacts on the cultural ecosystem services of urban forests in the United States and other countries. Limited experience with how such outbreaks might affect recreational opportunities prompted this investigation of visitors to a...

Thermal constraints on the emerald ash borer invasion of North America

Science.gov (United States)

DeSantis, R.; Moser, W. K.; Gormanson, D. D.; Bartlett, M. G.

2012-12-01

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; EAB), a non-native invasive beetle, has caused substantial damage to green (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), white (Fraxinus americana L.), and black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.), the major ash species of North America. In the absence of effective methods for controlling or eradicating the beetle, EAB continues to spread unimpeded across North America. Evidence indicates the mortality rate for EAB-infested trees near the epicenter of the infestation in southeast Michigan exceeds 99 percent for the major ash species. One possible climatic limitation on the spread of the infestation is suggested by recent work indicating that beetles cannot survive exposure to temperatures below -35.3 degrees Celsius. We considered whether this thermal constraint will limit the spread and distribution of EAB in North America. Historical climatic data for the United States and Canada were employed along with thermal models of the conditions beneath likely winter snowpack and beneath tree bark to predict the potential geographic distribution of the invasion. Results suggested the thermal mortality constraint will not lead to the protection of ash stands across most of North America. However, recent work indicates the majority of beetles cannot survive exposure to temperatures below -30 degrees Celsius. Along with our results, this suggests thermal constraints near the northern and western edges of the ranges of ash might limit EAB survival to some extent, thereby reducing the EAB population, the likelihood of EAB infestation, and subsequent ash mortality.

Parasitoids attacking emerald ash borers in western Pennsylvania and their potential use in biological control

Science.gov (United States)

J.J. Duan; R.W. Fuester; J. Wildonger; P.B. Taylor; S. Barth; S-E. Spichiger

2009-01-01

Current biological control programs against the emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) have primarily focused on the introduction and releases of exotic parasitoids from China, home of the pest origin....

Effects of trap type, placement and ash distribution on emerald ash borer captures in a low density site

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah G. McCullough; Nathan W. Siegert; Therese M. Poland; Steven J. Pierce; Su Zie. Ahn

2011-01-01

Effective methods for early detection of newly established, low density emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) infestations are critically needed in North America. We assessed adult A. planipennis captures on four types of traps in a 16-ha site in central Michigan. The site was divided into 16 blocks, each comprised of...

Role of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) larval vibrations in host-quality assessments by Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Michael D. Ulyshen; Richard W. Mankin; Yigen Chen; Jian J. Duan; Therese M. Poland; Leah S. Bauer

2011-01-01

The biological control agent Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious larval endoparasitoid of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive cambium-feeding species responsible for recent, widespread mortality of ash (Fraxinus spp.) in...

Evaluating the economic costs and benefits of slowing the spread of emerald ash borer in Ohio and Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Jonathan Bossenbroek; Audra Croskey; David Finnoff; Louis Iverson; Shana M. McDermott; Anantha Prasad; Charles Sims; Davis. Sydnor

2015-01-01

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis; EAB) is poised to wipe out native ashes (Fraxinus spp.) in North America with expected catastrophic losses to ash tree forestry (MacFarlane and Meyer 2005). EAB was first discovered in Detroit in 2002. Most scientists hypothesize that it entered the United States through solid wood...

Can Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), emerge from logs two summers after infested trees are cut?

Science.gov (United States)

Toby R. Petrice; Robert A. Haack

2007-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a serious invasive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Much of EAB's range expansion has been attributed to human-assisted movement of infested items such as ash logs and firewood. It is unclear the amount of time that logs cut...

Tree Stress and Mortality from Emerald Ash Borer Does Not Systematically Alter Short-Term Soil Carbon Flux in a Mixed Northeastern U.S. Forest

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Jaclyn Hatala Matthes

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Invasive insect pests are a common disturbance in temperate forests, but their effects on belowground processes in these ecosystems are poorly understood. This study examined how aboveground disturbance might impact short-term soil carbon flux in a forest impacted by emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire in central New Hampshire, USA. We anticipated changes to soil moisture and temperature resulting from tree mortality caused by emerald ash borer, with subsequent effects on rates of soil respiration and methane oxidation. We measured carbon dioxide emissions and methane uptake beneath trees before, during, and after infestation by emerald ash borer. In our study, emerald ash borer damage to nearby trees did not alter soil microclimate nor soil carbon fluxes. While surprising, the lack of change in soil microclimate conditions may have been a result of the sandy, well-drained soil in our study area and the diffuse spatial distribution of canopy ash trees and subsequent canopy light gaps after tree mortality. Overall, our results indicate that short-term changes in soil carbon flux following insect disturbances may be minimal, particularly in forests with well-drained soils and a mixed-species canopy.

Biotic and Abiotic Drivers of Sap Flux in Mature Green Ash Trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) Experiencing Varying Levels of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Infestation

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Charles E. Flower; Douglas J. Lynch; Kathleen S. Knight; Miquel A.  Gonzalez-Meler

2018-01-01

While the relationship between abiotic drivers of sap flux are well established, the role of biotic disturbances on sap flux remain understudied. The invasion of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, EAB) into North America in the 1990s represents a significant threat to ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), which are a...

The Biology and Ecology of the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis, in China

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Wang, Xiao-Yi; Yang, Zhong-Qi; Gould, Juli R.; Zhang, Yi-Nan; Liu, Gui-Jun; Liu, EnShan

2010-01-01

The biology, ecology, and life cycle of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), were studied using regular inspection in the forest and observations in the laboratory. Results indicated that A. planipennis are mostly univoltine in Tianjin, China. They overwintered individually as mature larvae in shallow chambers excavated in the outer sapwood. In late July, some full-grown larvae began to build overwintering chambers, and all larvae entered the sapwood for dormancy by early November. A. planipennis pupated in the overwintering chamber from early April to mid May the following year, and the average pupal duration was about 20 days. In late April, some newly eclosed adults could be found in the pupal cells, but they had not yet emerged from the tree. Adults began to emerge in early May, with peak flight occurring in mid May. The average longevity of adults was about 21 days and the adult stage lasted through early July. The adults fed on ash foliage as a source of nutrition. Mating was usually conducted and completed on the leaf or trunk surfaces of ash trees. Oviposition began in mid May and eggs hatched on average in 15.7 days. The first instar larvae appeared in early June. The larval stage lasted about 300 days to complete an entire generation. The emerald ash borer had four larval instars on velvet ash, Fraxinus velutina (Scrophulariales: Oleaceae). The major natural control factors of A. planipennis were also investigated, and preliminary suggestions for its integrated management are proposed. PMID:20879922

Influence of trap color and host volatiles on capture of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Crook, Damon J; Khrimian, Ashot; Cossé, Allard; Fraser, Ivich; Mastro, Victor C

2012-04-01

Field trapping assays were conducted in 2009 and 2010 throughout western Michigan, to evaluate lures for adult emerald ash borer, A. planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Several ash tree volatiles were tested on purple prism traps in 2009, and a dark green prism trap in 2010. In 2009, six bark oil distillate lure treatments were tested against manuka oil lures (used in 2008 by USDA APHIS PPQ emerald ash borer cooperative program). Purple traps baited with 80/20 (manuka/phoebe oil) significantly increased beetle catch compared with traps baited with manuka oil alone. In 2010 we monitored emerald ash borer attraction to dark green traps baited with six lure combinations of 80/20 (manuka/phoebe), manuka oil, and (3Z)-hexenol. Traps baited with manuka oil and (3Z)-hexenol caught significantly more male and total count insects than traps baited with manuka oil alone. Traps baited with manuka oil and (3Z)-hexenol did not catch more beetles when compared with traps baited with (3Z)-hexenol alone. When compared with unbaited green traps our results show that (3Z)-hexenol improved male catch significantly in only one of three field experiments using dark green traps. Dark green traps caught a high number of A. planipennis when unbaited while (3Z)-hexenol was seen to have a minimal (nonsignificant) trap catch effect at several different release rates. We hypothesize that the previously reported kairomonal attractancy of (3Z)-hexenol (for males) on light green traps is not as obvious here because of improved male attractancy to the darker green trap.

Developing rearing methods for Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a larval endoparasitoid of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

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Jian J. Duan; Mike Ulyshen; Leah Bauer; Ivich. Fraser

2011-01-01

Tetrastichus planipennisi Yong, a gregarious koinobiont endoparasitoid, is one of three hymenopteran parasitoids being released in the U.S. for biological control of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmair, EAB), an invasive beetle from Asia causing mortality of the ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North...

Illustrated guide to the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire and related species (Coleoptera, Buprestidae)

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The 33 species of Agrilus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) hypothesized to be most closely related to Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (the emerald ash borer), are described and illustrated. Morphology (adults and immatures), biology, distribution, detailed taxonomic history and systematics are presented fo...

Feeding and Development of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Cultivated Olive, Olea europaea.

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Cipollini, Don; Rigsby, Chad M; Peterson, Donnie L

2017-08-01

We examined the suitability of cultivated olive, Olea europaea L., as a host for emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. In a bioassay using cut stems from a field-grown olive tree (cv. 'Manzanilla') we found that 45% of larvae that had emerged from eggs used to inoculate stems, were recovered alive, many as larvae or prepupae, during periodic debarking of a subset of stems. Three intact stems that 19 larvae successfully entered were exposed to a simulated overwintering treatment. Four live adults emerged afterwards, and an additional pupa and several prepupae were discovered after debarking these stems. Cultivated olive joins white fringetree as one of the two species outside of the genus Fraxinus capable of supporting the development of emerald ash borer from neonate to adult. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Microsatellite population genetics of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire): comparisons between Asian and North American populations

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Carson C. Keever; Christal Nieman; Larissa Ramsay; Carol E. Ritland; Leah S. Bauer; D. Barry Lyons; Jenny S. Cory

2013-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera; Buprestidae), is an invasive wood-boring beetle native to northeast Asia. This species was first detected in Michigan USA in 2002, and is a significant threat to native and ornamental ash tree species (Fraxinus spp.) throughout North America. We...

Planning for and implementing an emerald ash borer-induced forest restoration program in municipal woodlands in Oakville, Ontario

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Peter A. Williams; Candace. Karandiuk

2017-01-01

Oakville is an urban municipality with 846 ha of woodland. Management priorities are to maintain forest health, environmental health, and safety; wood production is a minor objective. The town developed a comprehensive strategy to plan for emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis) induced ash mortality and forest restoration. Oakville has begun...

Heat treatment of Firewood for Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire): Case Studies

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Xiping Wang; Richard D. Bergman; Brian K. Brashaw; Scott W. Myers

2014-01-01

The movement of firewood within emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (EAB)-infested states and into adjoining areas has been a contributor to its spread throughout the United States and Canada. In an effort to prevent further human-aided spread of EAB and to facilitate interstate commerce, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and cooperating...

Emerald ash borer invasion of North America: history, biology, ecology, impacts, and management.

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Herms, Daniel A; McCullough, Deborah G

2014-01-01

Since its accidental introduction from Asia, emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), has killed millions of ash trees in North America. As it continues to spread, it could functionally extirpate ash with devastating economic and ecological impacts. Little was known about EAB when it was first discovered in North America in 2002, but substantial advances in understanding of EAB biology, ecology, and management have occurred since. Ash species indigenous to China are generally resistant to EAB and may eventually provide resistance genes for introgression into North American species. EAB is characterized by stratified dispersal resulting from natural and human-assisted spread, and substantial effort has been devoted to the development of survey methods. Early eradication efforts were abandoned largely because of the difficulty of detecting and delineating infestations. Current management is focused on biological control, insecticide protection of high-value trees, and integrated efforts to slow ash mortality.

Emerald Ash Borer Threat Reveals Ecohydrologic Feedbacks in Northern U.S. Black Ash Wetlands

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Diamond, J.; Mclaughlin, D. L.; Slesak, R.

2016-12-01

Hydrology is a primary driver of wetland structure and process that can be modified by abiotic and biotic feedbacks, leading to self-organization of wetland systems. Large-scale disturbance to these feedbacks, such as loss of vegetation, can thus be expected to impact wetland hydrology. The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive beetle that is expected to cause widespread-loss of ash trees throughout the northern U.S. and Canada. To predict ecosystem response to this threat of vegetation loss, we ask if and how Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra), a ubiquitous facultative-wetland ash species, actively controls wetland hydrology to determine if Black Ash creates favorable hydrologic regimes for growth (i.e., evidence for ecohydrologic feedbacks). We do this by taking advantage of plot-level tree removal experiments in Black Ash-dominated (75-100% basal area) wetlands in the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota. The monospecies dominance in these systems minimizes variation associated with species-specific effects, allowing for clearer interpretation of results regarding ecohydrologic feedbacks. Here, we present an analysis of six years of water table and soil moisture time series in experimental plots with the following treatments: 1) clear cut, 2) girdling, 3) group-selection thinning, and 4) control. We also present evapotranspiration (ET) time series estimates for each experimental plot using analysis of diel water level variation. Results show elevated water tables in treatment plots relative to control plots for all treatments for several years after treatments were applied, with differences as great as 50 cm. Some recovery of water table to pre-treatment levels was observed over time, but only the group-selection thinning treatment showed near-complete recovery to pre-treatment levels, and clear-cut treatments indicate sustained elevated water tables over five years. Differences among treatments are directly attributed to variably reduced ET relative to controls. Results also

Progress and gaps in understanding mechanisms of ash tree resistance to emerald ash borer, a model for wood-boring insects that kill angiosperms.

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Villari, Caterina; Herms, Daniel A; Whitehill, Justin G A; Cipollini, Don; Bonello, Pierluigi

2016-01-01

We review the literature on host resistance of ash to emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis), an invasive species that causes widespread mortality of ash. Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica), which coevolved with EAB, is more resistant than evolutionarily naïve North American and European congeners. Manchurian ash was less preferred for adult feeding and oviposition than susceptible hosts, more resistant to larval feeding, had higher constitutive concentrations of bark lignans, coumarins, proline, tyramine and defensive proteins, and was characterized by faster oxidation of phenolics. Consistent with EAB being a secondary colonizer of coevolved hosts, drought stress decreased the resistance of Manchurian ash, but had no effect on constitutive bark phenolics, suggesting that they do not contribute to increased susceptibility in response to drought stress. The induced resistance of North American species to EAB in response to the exogenous application of methyl jasmonate was associated with increased bark concentrations of verbascoside, lignin and/or trypsin inhibitors, which decreased larval survival and/or growth in bioassays. This finding suggests that these inherently susceptible species possess latent defenses that are not induced naturally by larval colonization, perhaps because they fail to recognize larval cues or respond quickly enough. Finally, we propose future research directions that would address some critical knowledge gaps. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Influence of Mortality Factors and Host Resistance on the Population Dynamics of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Urban Forests.

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Macquarrie, Chris J K; Scharbach, Roger

2015-02-01

The success of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in North America is hypothesized to be due to both the lack of significant natural enemies permitting easy establishment and a population of trees that lack the ability to defend themselves, which allows populations to grow unchecked. Since its discovery in 2002, a number of studies have examined mortality factors of the insect in forests, but none have examined the role of natural enemies and other mortality agents in the urban forest. This is significant because it is in the urban forest where the emerald ash borer has had the most significant economic impacts. We studied populations in urban forests in three municipalities in Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2012 using life tables and stage-specific survivorship to analyze data from a split-rearing manipulative experiment. We found that there was little overall mortality caused by natural enemies; most mortality we did observe was caused by disease. Stage-specific survivorship was lowest in small and large larvae, supporting previous observations of high mortality in these two stages. We also used our data to test the hypothesis that mortality and density in emerald ash borer are linked. Our results support the prediction of a negative relationship between mortality and density. However, the relationship varies between insects developing in the crown and those in the trunk of the tree. This relationship was significant because when incorporated with previous findings, it suggests a mechanism and hypothesis to explain the outbreak dynamics of the emerald ash borer. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Monitoring the establishment and flight phenology of parasitoids of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Michigan by using sentinel eggs and larvae

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Kristopher J. Abell; Leah S. Bauer; Deborah L. Miller; Jian J. Duan; Roy G. Van Driesche

2016-01-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is an important invasive pest of ash (Fraxinus) trees in North America. Two larval parasitoid species, Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera:...

Efficacy of multifunnel traps for capturing emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): effect of color, glue, and other trap coatings.

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Francese, Joseph A; Fraser, Ivich; Lance, David R; Mastro, Victor C

2011-06-01

Tens of thousands of adhesive-coated purple prism traps are deployed annually in the United States to survey for the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). A reusable, more user-friendly trap is desired by program managers, surveyors, and researchers. Field assays were conducted in southeastern Michigan to ascertain the feasibility of using nonsticky traps as survey and detection tools for emerald ash borer. Three nonsticky trap designs, including multifunnel (Lindgren), modified intercept panel, and drainpipe (all painted purple) were compared with the standard purple prism trap; no statistical differences in capture of emerald ash borer adults were detected between the multifunnel design and the prism. In subsequent color comparison assays, both green- and purple-painted multifunnel traps (and later, plastic versions of these colors) performed as well or better than the prism traps. Multifunnel traps coated with spray-on adhesive caught more beetles than untreated traps. The increased catch, however, occurred in the traps' collection cups and not on the trap surface. In a separate assay, there was no significant difference detected between glue-coated traps and Rain-X (normally a glass treatment)-coated traps, but both caught significantly more A. planipennis adults than untreated traps.

Effects of water availability on emerald ash borer larval performance and phloem phenolics of Manchurian and black ash.

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Chakraborty, Sourav; Whitehill, Justin G A; Hill, Amy L; Opiyo, Stephen O; Cipollini, Don; Herms, Daniel A; Bonello, Pierluigi

2014-04-01

The invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) beetle is a significant threat to the survival of North American ash. In previous work, we identified putative biochemical and molecular markers of constitutive EAB resistance in Manchurian ash, an Asian species co-evolved with EAB. Here, we employed high-throughput high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-MS) to characterize the induced response of soluble phloem phenolics to EAB attack in resistant Manchurian and susceptible black ash under conditions of either normal or low water availability, and the effects of water availability on larval performance. Total larval mass per tree was lower in Manchurian than in black ash. Low water increased larval numbers and mean larval mass overall, but more so in Manchurian ash. Low water did not affect levels of phenolics in either host species, but six phenolics decreased in response to EAB. In both ashes, pinoresinol A was induced by EAB, especially in Manchurian ash. Pinoresinol A and pinoresinol B were negatively correlated with each other in both species. The higher accumulation of pinoresinol A in Manchurian ash after attack may help explain the resistance of this species to EAB, but none of the responses measured here could explain increased larval performance in trees subjected to low water availability. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluating the use of plastic bags to prevent escape of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from firewood

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Therese M. Poland; Tina M. Ciaramitaro; Deepa S. Pureswaran; Andrea Diss-Torrance

2008-01-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a highly destructive exotic pest of ash (Fraxinus) in North America. Human movement of infested logs, primarily pieces of firewood, is a major pathway for long distance spread of the beetle. Firewood may be confiscated at campgrounds, rest-areas, and...

Natural enemies implicated in the regulation of an invasive pest: a life table analysis of the population dynamics of the emerald ash Borer

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The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is a serious invasive forest pest that has killed tens of millions of ash (Fraxinus) trees in the United States and Canada. By caging EAB adults on trunks of healthy ash trees, we established three generations of experimental cohorts from ...

Canopy treatment influences growth of replacement tree species in Fraxinus nigra forests threatened by the emerald ash borer in Minnesota, USA

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Christopher E. Looney; Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik; Robert A. Slesak

2017-01-01

Fraxinus nigra Marsh. (black ash), a dominant tree species of wetland forests in northern Minnesota, USA, is imperiled by the invasive insect emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888). Regeneration of associated tree species is generally low in F. nigra forests and could be impacted...

Reproductive and developmental biology of the emerald ash borer parasitoid Spathius galinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as affected by temperature

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Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is an invasive pest of serious concern in North America. To complement ongoing biological control efforts, Spathius galinae Belokobylskij and Strazenac (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a recently-described specialist parasitoid of ...

Biology and life history of Atanycolus cappaerti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a north american larval parasitoid attacking the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

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Atanycolus cappaerti Marsh and Strazanac is a native North American parasitoid that has been found to parasitize the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, a serious invasive pests of North American ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). To facilitate the development of potential augmentative biocon...

Building Double-decker Traps for Early Detection of Emerald Ash Borer.

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McCullough, Deborah G; Poland, Therese M

2017-10-04

Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), the most destructive forest insect to have invaded North America, has killed hundreds of millions of forest and landscape ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. Several artificial trap designs to attract and capture EAB beetles have been developed to detect, delineate, and monitor infestations. Double-decker (DD) traps consist of two corrugated plastic prisms, one green and one purple, attached to a 3 m tall polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe supported by a t-post. The green prism at the top of the PVC pipe is baited with cis-3-hexenol, a compound produced by ash foliage. Surfaces of both prisms are coated with sticky insect glue to capture adult EAB beetles. Double-decker traps should be placed near ash trees but in open areas, exposed to sun. Double-decker trap construction and placement are presented here, along with a summary of field experiments demonstrating the efficacy of DD traps in capturing EAB beetles. In a recent study in sites with relatively low EAB densities, double-decker traps captured significantly more EAB than green or purple prism traps or green funnel traps, all of which are designed to be suspended from a branch in the canopy of ash trees. A greater percentage of double decker traps were positive, i.e., captured at least one EAB, than the prism traps or funnel traps that were hung in ash tree canopies.

Review of Ecosystem Level Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer on Black Ash Wetlands: What Does the Future Hold?

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Randall K. Kolka

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The emerald ash borer (EAB is rapidly spreading throughout eastern North America and devastating ecosystems where ash is a component tree. This rapid and sustained loss of ash trees has already resulted in ecological impacts on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and is projected to be even more severe as EAB invades black ash-dominated wetlands of the western Great Lakes region. Using two companion studies that are simulating short- and long-term EAB infestations and what is known from the literature, we synthesize our current limited understanding and predict anticipated future impacts of EAB on black ash wetlands. A key response to the die-back of mature black ash will be higher water tables and the potential for flooding and resulting changes to both the vegetation and animal communities. Although seedling planting studies have shown some possible replacement species, little is known about how the removal of black ash from the canopy will affect non-ash species growth and regeneration. Because black ash litter is relatively high in nitrogen, it is expected that there will be important changes in nutrient and carbon cycling and subsequent rates of productivity and decomposition. Changes in hydrology and nutrient and carbon cycling will have cascading effects on the biological community which have been scarcely studied. Research to address these important gaps is currently underway and should lead to alternatives to mitigate the effects of EAB on black ash wetland forests and develop management options pre- and post-EAB invasion.

Exploratory survey for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and its natural enemies in China.

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Houping Liu; Leah S. Bauer; Ruitong Gao; Tonghai Zhao; Toby R. Petrice; Robert A. Haack

2003-01-01

An exploratory survey for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, and its natural enemies was conducted in China during October and November 2003. We examined 29 field plots in six provinces. We visually inspected living Fraxinus chinensis, F. mandshurica, F. pennsylvanica, F. rhynchophylla, and F. velutina...

Biology, life history, and laboratory rearing of Atanycolus cappaerti (Hymenoptera:Braconidae), a larval parasitoid of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

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Atanycolus cappaerti Marsh and Strazanac is a native North American parasitoid that has been found to parasitize the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, which has killed millions of ash trees since it was first detected in Michigan. A native parasitoid like A. cappaerti...

Overstory treatment and planting season affect survival of replacement tree species in emerald ash borer threatened Fraxinus nigra forests in Minnesota, USA

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Christopher E. Looney; Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik; Robert A. Slesak

2015-01-01

Fraxinus nigra Marsh. (black ash) wetland forests in northern Minnesota, USA, are threatened by the invasive insect, emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (EAB)). A potential management option is promoting regeneration of tree species that are not EAB hosts to maintain ecosystem functions. Using an operational-scale...

Towards the development of an autocontamination trap system to manage populations of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) with the native entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana.

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Lyons, D Barry; Iavallée, Robert; Kyei-Poku, George; Van Frankenhuyzen, Kees; Johny, Shajahan; Guertin, Claude; Francese, Joseph A; Jones, Gene C; Blais, Martine

2012-12-01

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is an invasive species from Asia that was discovered in North America Canada, in 2002. Herein, we describe studies to develop an autocontamination trapping system to disseminate Beauveria bassiana to control beetle populations. The standard trap for emerald ash borer in Canada is a light green prism trap covered in an insect adhesive and baited with (Z)-3-hexenol. We compared of green multifunnel traps, green intercept panel traps (both with and without fluon coating) and green prism traps for capturing emerald ash borer in a green ash plantation. The coated green multifunnel traps captured significantly more males and more females than any other trap design. We examined the efficacy of two native B. bassiana isolates, INRS-CFL and L49-1AA. In a field experiment the INRS-CFL isolate attached to multifunnel traps in autocontamination chambers retained its pathogenicity to emerald ash borer adults for up to 43 d of outdoor exposure. Conidia germination of the INRS-CFL isolate was >69% after outdoor exposure in the traps for up to 57 d. The L49-1AA isolate was not pathogenic in simulated trap exposures and the germination rate was extremely low (<5.3%). Mean (+/- SEM) conidia loads on ash borer adults after being autocontaminated in the laboratory using pouches that had been exposed in traps out of doors for 29 d were 579,200 (+/- 86,181) and 2,400 (+/- 681) for the INRS-CFL and the LA9-1AA isolates, respectively. We also examined the fungal dissemination process under field conditions using the L49-1AA isolate in a green ash plantation. Beetles were lured to baited green multifunnel traps with attached autocontamination chambers. Beetles acquired fungal conidia from cultures growing on pouches in the chambers and were recaptured on Pestick-coated traps. In total, 2,532 beetles were captured of which 165 (6.5%) had fungal growth that resembled B. bassiana. Of these 25 beetles were positive for

Variation in the Volatile Profiles of Black and Manchurian Ash in Relation to Emerald Ash Borer Oviposition Preferences.

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Rigsby, Chad M; McCartney, Nathaniel B; Herms, Daniel A; Tumlinson, James H; Cipollini, Don

2017-08-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis) is a devastating pest of ash (Fraxinus spp.) in its invaded range in North America. Its coevolved Asian hosts are more resistant and less preferred for oviposition than susceptible North American species. We compared EAB oviposition preferences and bark and canopy volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions of resistant Manchurian ash and susceptible black ash, and examined relationships between VOC profiles and oviposition. In the field, black ash was highly preferred for oviposition while no eggs were laid on Manchurian ash, and we found clear differences in the VOC profiles of Manchurian and black ash. We detected 78 compounds emitted from these species, including 16 compounds that elicited EAB antennal activity in prior studies. Four compounds were unique to black and 11 to Manchurian ash. Emission rates of 14 canopy and 19 bark volatiles varied among the two species, including four previously reported as antennally active. Specifically, 7-epi-sesquithujene (bark) emissions were greater from black ash, while β-caryophyllene (canopy), linalool (bark), and α-cubebene (bark) were emitted at higher rates by Manchurian ash. No relationships were found between the emission rate of any single compound or group of compounds (e.g. monoterpenes) suggesting that preference may be based on complex profile combinations. This is the first study to directly compare VOCs of black and Manchurian ash as well as the first to examine bark- and canopy-specific VOCs. The unique bark and canopy VOC profiles of these two species implicates potentially important variation in VOCs between a closely related resistant and susceptible species that provides a foundation for future studies of host preferences of EAB.

Progress and Challenges of Protecting North American Ash Trees from the Emerald Ash Borer Using Biological Control

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Jian J. Duan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available After emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, was discovered in the United States, a classical biological control program was initiated against this destructive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.. This biocontrol program began in 2007 after federal regulatory agencies and the state of Michigan approved release of three EAB parasitoid species from China: Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Eulophidae, Spathius agrili Yang (Braconidae, and Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Encyrtidae. A fourth EAB parasitoid, Spathius galinae Belokobylskij (Braconidae from Russia, was approved for release in 2015. We review the rationale and ecological premises of the EAB biocontrol program, and then report on progress in North American ash recovery in southern Michigan, where the parasitoids were first released. We also identify challenges to conserving native Fraxinus using biocontrol in the aftermath of the EAB invasion, and provide suggestions for program improvements as EAB spreads throughout North America. We conclude that more work is needed to: (1 evaluate the establishment and impact of biocontrol agents in different climate zones; (2 determine the combined effect of EAB biocontrol and host plant resistance or tolerance on the regeneration of North American ash species; and (3 expand foreign exploration for EAB natural enemies throughout Asia.

Developing rearing methods for Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a larval endoparasitoid of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

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Philip Taylor; Jian J. Duan; Roger. Fuester

2011-01-01

Classical biological control efforts against emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in North America primarily have focused on introduction and releases of exotic parasitoid species collected from northern parts of China. Recently, field surveys in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Ontario also indicate that some existing parasitoids...

78 FR 54619 - Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Importation of Emerald...

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2013-09-05

...] Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Importation of Emerald Ash... for the importation of emerald ash borer host material from Canada to prevent the introduction and spread of emerald ash borer in the United States. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on...

Methods to Improve Survival and Growth of Planted Alternative Species Seedlings in Black Ash Ecosystems Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer

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Nicholas Bolton

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Emerald ash borer (EAB continues to spread across North America, infesting native ash trees and changing the forested landscape. Black ash wetland forests are severely affected by EAB. As black ash wetland forests provide integral ecosystem services, alternative approaches to maintain forest cover on the landscape are needed. We implemented simulated EAB infestations in depressional black ash wetlands in the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan to mimic the short-term and long-term effects of EAB. These wetlands were planted with 10 alternative tree species in 2013. Based on initial results in the Michigan sites, a riparian corridor in the Superior Municipal Forest in Wisconsin was planted with three alternative tree species in 2015. Results across both locations indicate that silver maple (Acer saccharinum L., red maple (Acer rubrum L., American elm (Ulmus americana L., and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L. are viable alternative species to plant in black ash-dominated wetlands. Additionally, selectively planting on natural or created hummocks resulted in two times greater survival than in adjacent lowland sites, and this suggests that planting should be implemented with microsite selection or creation as a primary control. Regional landowners and forest managers can use these results to help mitigate the canopy and structure losses from EAB and maintain forest cover and hydrologic function in black ash-dominated wetlands after infestation.

Monitoring the establishment and flight phenology of egg and larval parasitoids of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Michigan, USA using sentinel eggs and larvae

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Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an important invasive pest of ash (Fraxinus) trees in North America. Two larval parasitoids, Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang and Spathius agrili Yang, and one egg parasitoid, Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang, were introduced into the United Sta...

Microbial control of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) with Beauveria bassiana strain GHA: Greenhouse and field trials

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Houping Liu; Leah S. Bauer

2008-01-01

In 2003-2004, the lethal and sublethal effects of Beauveria bassiana strain GHA on emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) adults and larvae were evaluated using topical spray and fungal band treatments in the greenhouse and field. B. bassiana strain GHA was moderately effective against...

A new species of genus Oobius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from the Russian Far East that parasitizes eggs of Emerald Ash Borer

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A new egg parasitoid of the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is described from the Vladivostok, Russia, Oobius primorskyensis Yao & Duan n. sp. Both morphological characters and analysis of DNA sequence divergence suggest that this species is different from t...

The influence of satellite populations of emerald ash borer on projected economic damage in U.S. communities, 2010-2020

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Kent F. Kovacs; Rodrigo J. Mercader; Robert G. Haight; Nathan W. Siegert; Deborah G. McCullough; Andrew M. Liebhold

2011-01-01

The invasion spread of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is characterized by the formation of satellite populations that expand and coalesce with the continuously invading population front. As of January 2010, satellite infestations have been detected in 13 states and two Canadian provinces. Understanding...

THE EARLY DETECTION OF THE EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB USING MULTI-SOURCE REMOTELY SENSED DATA

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B. Hu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to exploit the synergy of hyperspectral imagery, Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR and high spatial resolution data and their synergy in the early detection of the EAB (Emerald Ash Borer presence in trees within urban areas and to develop a framework to combine information extracted from multiple data sources. To achieve these, an object-oriented framework was developed to combine information derived from available data sets to characterize ash trees. Within this framework, an advanced individual tree delineation method was developed to delineate individual trees using the combined high-spatial resolution worldview-3 imagery was used together with LiDAR data. Individual trees were then classified to ash and non-ash trees using spectral and spatial information. In order to characterize the health state of individual ash trees, leaves from ash trees with various health states were sampled and measured using a field spectrometer. Based on the field measurements, the best indices that sensitive to leaf chlorophyll content were selected. The developed framework and methods were tested using worldview-3, airborne LiDAR data over the Keele campus of York University Toronto Canada. Satisfactory results in terms of individual tree crown delineation, ash tree identification and characterization of the health state of individual ash trees. Quantitative evaluations is being carried out.

The Early Detection of the Emerald Ash Borer (eab) Using Multi-Source Remotely Sensed Data

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Hu, B.; Naveed, F.; Tasneem, F.; Xing, C.

2018-04-01

The objectives of this study were to exploit the synergy of hyperspectral imagery, Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) and high spatial resolution data and their synergy in the early detection of the EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) presence in trees within urban areas and to develop a framework to combine information extracted from multiple data sources. To achieve these, an object-oriented framework was developed to combine information derived from available data sets to characterize ash trees. Within this framework, an advanced individual tree delineation method was developed to delineate individual trees using the combined high-spatial resolution worldview-3 imagery was used together with LiDAR data. Individual trees were then classified to ash and non-ash trees using spectral and spatial information. In order to characterize the health state of individual ash trees, leaves from ash trees with various health states were sampled and measured using a field spectrometer. Based on the field measurements, the best indices that sensitive to leaf chlorophyll content were selected. The developed framework and methods were tested using worldview-3, airborne LiDAR data over the Keele campus of York University Toronto Canada. Satisfactory results in terms of individual tree crown delineation, ash tree identification and characterization of the health state of individual ash trees. Quantitative evaluations is being carried out.

Lethal trap trees: a potential option for emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) management.

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McCullough, Deborah G; Poland, Therese M; Lewis, Phillip A

2016-05-01

Economic and ecological impacts of ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality resulting from emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) invasion are severe in forested, residential and urban areas. Management options include girdling ash trees to attract ovipositing adult beetles and then destroying infested trees before larvae develop or protecting ash with a highly effective, systemic emamectin benzoate insecticide. Injecting this insecticide and then girdling injected trees a few weeks later could effectively create lethal trap trees, similar to a bait-and-kill tactic, if girdling does not interfere with insecticide translocation. We compared EAB larval densities on girdled trees, trees injected with the emamectin benzoate insecticide, trees injected with the insecticide and then girdled 18-21 days later and untreated controls at multiple sites. Pretreatment larval densities did not differ among treatments. Current-year larval densities were higher on girdled and control trees than on any trees treated with insecticide at all sites. Foliar residue analysis and adult EAB bioassays showed that girdling trees after insecticide injections did not reduce insecticide translocation. Girdling ash trees to attract adult EAB did not reduce efficacy of emamectin benzoate trunk injections applied ≥ 18 days earlier and could potentially be used in integrated management programs to slow EAB population growth. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Physiological responses of emerald ash borer larvae to feeding on different ash species reveal putative resistance mechanisms and insect counter-adaptations.

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Rigsby, C M; Showalter, D N; Herms, D A; Koch, J L; Bonello, P; Cipollini, D

2015-07-01

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an Asian wood-boring beetle, has devastated ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in North American forests and landscapes since its discovery there in 2002. In this study, we collected living larvae from EAB-resistant Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandschurica), and susceptible white (Fraxinus americana) and green (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) ash hosts, and quantified the activity and production of selected detoxification, digestive, and antioxidant enzymes. We hypothesized that differences in larval physiology could be used to infer resistance mechanisms of ash. We found no differences in cytochrome P450, glutathione-S-transferase, carboxylesterase, sulfotransferase, and tryptic BApNAase activities between larvae feeding on different hosts. Despite this, Manchurian ash-fed larvae produced a single isozyme of low electrophoretic mobility that was not produced in white or green ash-fed larvae. Additionally, larvae feeding on white and green ash produced two serine protease isozymes of high electrophoretic mobility that were not observed in Manchurian ash-fed larvae. We also found lower activity of β-glucosidase and higher activities of monoamine oxidase, ortho-quinone reductase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase in Manchurian ash-fed larvae compared to larvae that had fed on susceptible ash. A single isozyme was detected for both catalase and superoxide dismutase in all larval groups. The activities of the quinone-protective and antioxidant enzymes are consistent with the resistance phenotype of the host species, with the highest activities measured in larvae feeding on resistant Manchurian ash. We conclude that larvae feeding on Manchurian ash could be under quinone and oxidative stress, suggesting these may be potential mechanisms of resistance of Manchurian ash to EAB larvae, and that quinone-protective and antioxidant enzymes are important counter-adaptations of larvae for dealing with these resistance

Establishment and abundance of Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Michigan: potential for success in classical biocontrol of the invasive emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Duan, Jian J; Bauer, Leah S; Abell, Kristopher J; Lelito, Jonathan P; Van Driesche, Roy

2013-06-01

Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang is a gregarious larval endoparasitoid native to China and has been introduced to the United States since 2007 for classical biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an exotic beetle responsible for widespread ash mortality. Between 2007-2010, T. planipennisi adults (3,311-4,597 females and approximately 1,500 males per site) were released into each of six forest sites in three counties (Ingham, Gratiot, and Shiawassee) of southern Michigan. By the fall of 2012, the proportion of sampled trees with one or more broods of T. planipennisi increased to 92 and 83% in the parasitoid-release and control plots, respectively, from 33 and 4% in the first year after parasitoid releases (2009 fall for Ingham county sites and 2010 for other sites). Similarly, the mean number of T. planipennisi broods observed from sampled trees increased from less than one brood per tree in the first year after parasitoid releases to 2.46 (at control plots) to 3.08 (at release plots) broods by the fall of 2012. The rates of emerald ash borer larval parasitism by T. planipennisi also increased from 1.2% in the first year after parasitoid releases to 21.2% in the parasitoid-release plots, and from 0.2 to 12.8% for the control plots by the fall of 2012. These results demonstrate that T. planipennisi is established in southern Michigan and that its populations are increasing and expanding. This suggests that T. planipennisi will likely play a critical role in suppressing emerald ash borer populations in Michigan.

Long-term monitoring of the introduced emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) egg parasitoid, oobius agrili (Hymenoptera: Encyridae), in Michigan, USA and evaluation of a newly developed monitoring technique

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Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a serious invasive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. The egg parasitoid Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was introduced as a biological control agent of this pest in Michiga...

A new species of oobius trjapitzin (hymenoptera:encyrtidae) from the russian far east that parasitizes eggs of emerald ash borer (coleoptera:buprestidae)

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A new egg parasitoid of the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from the Russian Far East, Oobius primorskyensis Yao et Duan is described. Both morphological characters and analysis of DNA sequence divergence suggest that this species is different from the previ...

Seven-Year Evaluation of Insecticide Tools for Emerald Ash Borer in Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Lamiales: Oleaceae) Trees.

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Bick, Emily N; Forbes, Nora J; Haugen, Christopher; Jones, Grant; Bernick, Shawn; Miller, Fredric

2018-04-02

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire; Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is decimating ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Combatting EAB includes the use of insecticides; however, reported insecticide efficacy varies among published studies. This study assessed the effects of season of application, insecticide active ingredient, and insecticide application rate on green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) (Lamiales: Oleaceae) canopy decline caused by EAB over a 5- to 7-yr interval. Data suggested that spring treatments were generally more effective in reducing canopy decline than fall treatments, but this difference was not statistically significant. Lowest rates of decline (<5% over 5 yr) were observed in trees treated with imidacloprid injected annually in the soil during spring (at the higher of two tested application rates; 1.12 g/cm diameter at 1.3 m height) and emamectin benzoate injected biennially into the stem. All tested insecticides (dinotefuran, emamectin benzoate, and imidacloprid) under all tested conditions significantly reduced the rate of increase of dieback.

Efficacy of Soil-Applied Neonicotinoid Insecticides for Long-term Protection Against Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Smitley, David R; Herms, Daniel A; Davis, Terrance W

2015-10-01

Protection of green ash trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) from the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, by soil applications of neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin, and dinotefuran) was tested at five locations between 2005 and 2013. Application rate and spring versus fall application dates were evaluated in tests with neighborhood street trees and in one plantation of 65 ash trees. Insecticide treatments of ash trees at all five sites were initiated as the leading edge of the EAB invasion began to kill the first ash trees at each location. Trees were treated and evaluated at each site for 4 to 7 yr. Spring applications of imidacloprid were more efficacious than fall applications. Application rates of 0.8 g a.i./cm dbh or greater per year gave a higher level of protection and were more consistent than rates of 0.56 g a.i./cm dbh per year or less. The number of years between the first observation of canopy loss due to EAB and death of most of the control trees varied from three to seven years among test sites, depending on how many non-treated ash trees were nearby. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evaluating a new method for monitoring the field establishment and parasitism of Oobius agrili, an egg parasitoid of the emerald ash borer

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Oobius agrili is a solitary egg parasitoid of emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, and can be responsible for 50-60% of EAB egg mortality in its native range. O. agrili has been released for biological control of EAB in the US since 2007; however, current methods to monitor its establishme...

Natural enemies and their impacts on emerald ash borer populations in its native range, with new records of parasitism by two species of beetles

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To investigate the natural enemies of the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and their role in regulating the pest population dynamics, we conducted field surveys at multiple forest sites with variable host densities in the pest’s native range (north an...

Ashes to ashes: Large Fraxinus germplasm collections and their fates

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Kim C. Steiner; Paul. Lupo

2010-01-01

As the emerald ash borer (EAB) threatens the survival of our ash species, measures should be taken to preserve their genetic variability in the event that we discover a way to restore populations destroyed by the beetle. As it happens, large germplasm collections exist for our most important and widely distributed eastern species of the genus, white ash (...

A Biologically Active Analog of the Sex Pheromone of the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis.

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Silk, P J; Ryall, K; Mayo, P; MaGee, D I; Leclair, G; Fidgen, J; Lavallee, R; Price, J; McConaghy, J

2015-03-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) (EAB), is an invasive species causing unprecedented levels of mortality to ash trees in its introduced range. The female-produced sex pheromone of EAB has been shown to contain the macrocyclic lactone (3Z)-dodecen-12-olide. This compound and its geometrical isomer, (3E)-dodecen-12-olide, have been demonstrated previously to be EAG active and, in combination with a host-derived green leaf volatile, (3Z)-hexenol, to be attractive to male EAB in green prism traps deployed in the ash tree canopy. In the current study, we show that the saturated analog, dodecan-12-olide, is similarly active, eliciting an antennal response and significant attraction of EAB in both olfactometer and trapping bioassays in green traps with (3Z)-hexenol. Conformational modeling of the three lactones reveals that their energies and shapes are very similar, suggesting they might share a common receptor in EAB antennae. These findings provide new insight into the pheromone ecology of this species, highlighting the apparent plasticity in response of adults to the pheromone and its analog. Both of the unsaturated isomers are costly to synthesize, involving multistep, low-yielding processes. The saturated analog can be made cheaply, in high yield, and on large scale via Mitsunobu esterification of a saturated ω-hydroxy acid or more simply by Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of commercially available cyclododecanone. The analog can thus provide an inexpensive option as a lure for detection surveys as well as for possible mitigation purposes, such as mating disruption.

Stream Water, Carbon and Total Nitrogen Load Responses to a Simulated Emerald Ash Borer Infestation in Black Ash Dominated Headwater Wetlands

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Van Grinsven, M. J.; Shannon, J.; Noh, N. J.; Kane, E. S.; Bolton, N. W.; Davis, J.; Wagenbrenner, J.; Sebestyen, S. D.; Kolka, R.; Pypker, T. G.

2017-12-01

The rapid and extensive expansion of emerald ash borer (EAB) is considered an important ecological and economic disturbance, and will likely affect critical ecosystem services associated with black ash wetlands. It is unknown how EAB-induced disturbance in wetlands dominated with black ash will impact stream water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) export dynamics. We hypothesized that loads of water, DOC and TDN exported from black ash wetlands would be elevated following an EAB-induced disturbance. Stream water, DOC and TDN loads exiting two black ash wetlands in headwater watersheds in Michigan were quantified over a four-year period, and were combined with wetland soil temperature and soil decomposition rate monitoring to better understand the biogeochemical implications of an EAB-induced disturbance. After a two-year baseline monitoring period, an EAB disturbance was simulated by felling (ash-cut) all black ash trees with diameters greater than 2.5-cm in one wetland. When compared to the unaltered control, stream water DOC and TDN concentrations exiting the ash-cut wetland were significantly larger by 39% and 38%, respectively during the post-treatment study period. The significantly elevated DOC and TDN concentrations were likely associated with the higher soil temperatures and increased rates of soil decomposition detected in the ash-cut site during the post-treatment period. No significant mean daily stream discharge differences were detected between treatments during the pre-treatment period, however the 0.46 mm d-1 mean daily stream discharge exiting the ash-cut wetland was significantly smaller than the 1.07 mm d-1 exiting the unaltered control during the post-treatment study period. The significantly smaller daily stream discharge in the ash-cut site likely contributed to the fact no significant differences between treatments for either mean daily DOC loads or TDN loads were detected during the post-treatment period

Simulated Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer on Throughfall and Stemflow Inputs of Water and Nitrogen in Black Ash Wetlands in Northern Michigan

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Pypker, T. G.; Davis, J.; Van Grinsven, M. J.; Bolton, N. W.; Shannon, J.; Kolka, R. K.; Nelson, J.; Wagenbrenner, J. W.

2014-12-01

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (EAB)) is an invasive insect that effectively kills ash trees (genus: Fraxinus) greater than 2.5 cm in diameter, resulting in near-complete stand mortality within 3-4 years. Black ash wetlands occupy approximately 270,000 ha in Michigan, and have 40 to 90% of the basal area occupied by black ash (F. nigra Marshall); hence the loss of black ash may result in dramatic changes in the canopy hydrology and nutrient deposition. We assessed the impact of a simulated EAB invasion on throughfall and stemflow quantity and nitrogen (N) content in 9 uninfected black ash wetlands located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Within the 9 stands, 3 stands were left untreated ('Control'), 3 stands had all the black ash trees manually girdled ('Girdled') and 3 had all the black ash trees felled by chainsaw ('Clearcut'). We measured the quantity and inorganic-N content of throughfall using an array of randomly placed collectors (n = 16 per site). Stemflow was monitored at 2 sites (n = 12 trees) on the 3 most common tree species (black ash, yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) and red maple (Acer rubra L.)). Preliminary results indicate that relative to the Control, average monthly throughfall was 25% and 1% greater in the Clearcut and Girdled sites, respectively. While the loss of the ash trees resulted in greater throughfall inputs in the Clearcut sites, water table heights did not significantly change as a result of the treatments. Stemflow from live black ash trees was lower than from the yellow birch and red maple trees. As a result, we predict stemflow will increase over time as species with smoother bark and less upright branching begin replacing the black ash. Hence, the change in tree species may result in a greater concentration of inorganic-N inputs to the base of the trees, thereby altering the distribution of inorganic-N inputs into the wetland. Our preliminary results show no significant change in the total

Evaluation of double-decker traps for emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Poland, Therese M; McCullough, Deborah G; Anulewicz, Andrea C

2011-04-01

Improved detection tools are needed for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive forest insect from Asia that has killed millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in North America since its discovery in Michigan in 2002. We evaluated attraction of adult A. planipennis to artificial traps incorporating visual (e.g., height, color, silhouette) and olfactory cues (e.g., host volatiles) at field sites in Michigan. We developed a double-decker trap consisting of a 3-m-tall polyvinyl pipe with two purple prisms attached near the top. In 2006, we compared A. planipennis attraction to double-decker traps baited with various combinations of manuka oil (containing sesquiterpenes present in ash bark), a blend of four ash leaf volatiles (leaf blend), and a rough texture to simulate bark. Significantly more A. planipennis were captured per trap when traps without the rough texture were baited with the leaf blend and manuka oil lures than on traps with texture and manuka oil but no leaf blend. In 2007, we also tested single prism traps set 1.5 m above ground and tower traps, similar to double-decker traps but 6 m tall. Double-decker traps baited with the leaf blend and manuka oil, with or without the addition of ash leaf and bark extracts, captured significantly more A. planipennis than similarly baited single prism traps, tower traps, or unbaited double-decker traps. A baited double-decker trap captured A. planipennis at a field site that was not previously known to be infested, representing the first detection event using artificial traps and lures. In 2008, we compared purple or green double-decker traps, single prisms suspended 3-5 m above ground in the ash canopy (canopy traps), and large flat purple traps (billboard traps). Significantly more A. planipennis were captured in purple versus green traps, baited traps versus unbaited traps, and double-decker versus canopy traps, whereas billboard traps were intermediate. At sites

Glutathione-S-transferase profiles in the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis.

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Rajarapu, Swapna Priya; Mittapalli, Omprakash

2013-05-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire is a recently discovered invasive insect pest of ash, Fraxinus spp. in North America. Glutathione-S-transferases (GST) are a multifunctional superfamily of enzymes which function in conjugating toxic compounds to less toxic and excretable forms. In this study, we report the molecular characterization and expression patterns of different classes of GST genes in different tissues and developmental stages plus their specific activity. Multiple sequence alignment of all six A. planipennis GSTs (ApGST-E1, ApGST-E2, ApGST-E3, ApGST-O1, ApGST-S1 and ApGST-μ1) revealed conserved features of insect GSTs and a phylogenetic analysis grouped the GSTs within the epsilon, sigma, omega and microsomal classes of GSTs. Real time quantitative PCR was used to study field collected samples. In larval tissues high mRNA levels for ApGST-E1, ApGST-E3 and ApGST-O1 were obtained in the midgut and Malpighian tubules. On the other hand, ApGST-E2 and ApGST-S1 showed high mRNA levels in fat body and ApGST-μ1 showed constitutive levels in all the tissues assayed. During development, mRNA levels for ApGST-E2 were observed to be the highest in feeding instars, ApGST-S1 in prepupal instars; while the others showed constitutive patterns in all the developmental stages examined. At the enzyme level, total GST activity was similar in all the tissues and developmental stages assayed. Results obtained suggest that A. planipennis is potentially primed with GST-driven detoxification to metabolize ash allelochemicals. To our knowledge this study represents the first report of GSTs in A. planipennis and also in the family of wood boring beetles. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of host plant and larval density on intraspecific competition in larvae of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Duan, Jian J; Larson, Kristi; Watt, Tim; Gould, Juli; Lelito, Jonathan P

2013-12-01

Competition for food, mates, and space among different individuals of the same insect species can affect density-dependent regulation of insect abundance or population dynamics. The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a serious invasive pest of North American ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees, with its larvae feeding in serpentine galleries between the interface of sapwood and phloem tissues of ash trees. Using artificial infestation of freshly cut logs of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) and tropical ash (Fraxinus uhdei [Wenzig] Lingelsh) with a series of egg densities, we evaluated the mechanism and outcome of intraspecific competition in larvae of A. planipennis in relation to larval density and host plant species. Results from our study showed that as the egg densities on each log (1.5-6.5 cm in diameter and 22-25 cm in length) increased from 200 to 1,600 eggs per square meter of surface area, larval survivorship declined from ≍68 to 10% for the green ash logs, and 86 to 55% for tropical ash logs. Accordingly, larval mortality resulting from cannibalism, starvation, or both, significantly increased as egg density increased, and the biomass of surviving larvae significantly decreased on both ash species. When larval density was adjusted to the same level, however, larval mortality from intraspecific competition was significantly higher and mean biomasses of surviving larvae was significantly lower in green ash than in tropical ash. The role of intraspecific competition of A. planipennis larvae in density-dependent regulation of its natural population dynamics is discussed.

Core RNAi machinery and gene knockdown in the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).

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Zhao, Chaoyang; Alvarez Gonzales, Miguel A; Poland, Therese M; Mittapalli, Omprakash

2015-01-01

The RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been widely used in insect functional genomics research and provides an alternative approach for insect pest management. To understand whether the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive and destructive coleopteran insect pest of ash tree (Fraxinus spp.), possesses a strong RNAi machinery that is capable of degrading target mRNA as a response to exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induction, we identified three RNAi pathway core component genes, Dicer-2, Argonaute-2 and R2D2, from the A. planipennis genome sequence. Characterization of these core components revealed that they contain conserved domains essential for the proteins to function in the RNAi pathway. Phylogenetic analyses showed that they are closely related to homologs derived from other coleopteran species. We also delivered the dsRNA fragment of AplaScrB-2, a β-fructofuranosidase-encoding gene horizontally acquired by A. planipennis as we reported previously, into A. planipennis adults through microinjection. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis on the dsRNA-treated beetles demonstrated a significantly decreased gene expression level of AplaScrB-2 appearing on day 2 and lasting until at least day 6. This study is the first record of RNAi applied in A. planipennis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of male and female emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) responses to phoebe oil and (Z)-3-hexanol lures in light green prism traps

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Gary G. Grant; Therese M. Poland; Tina Ciaramitaro; D. Barry Lyons; Gene C. Jones

2011-01-01

We conducted trapping experiments for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Michigan, USA, and Ontario, Canada, to compare unbaited light green sticky prism traps with traps baited with phoebe oil, (Z)-3-hexenol (Z3-6:OH), or blends of other green leaf volatiles (GLVs) with Z3-6:OH. Traps were placed in the...

Differences in the reproductive biology and diapause of two congeneric species of egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera:Encyrtidae) from northeast Asia: implications for biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer

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Oobius primorskyensis Yao and Duan and Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) constitute a cryptic species complex of egg parasitoids attacking the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis (Coleotpera: Buprestidae) in their native range of northeast Asia. While O. primorskyensis is c...

Proceedings of symposium on ash in North America

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Charles H. Michler; Matthew D., eds. Ginzel

2010-01-01

Includes 5 papers and 30 abstracts covering topics related to the biology and ecology of the ash species, ash utilization and management, emerald ash borer, and other threats to ash, and genetics and conservation of ash species. A paper titled "Population-level variation of Fraxinus americana L. is influenced by climate...

Density of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Adults and Larvae at Three Stages of the Invasion Wave.

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Burr, Stephen J; McCullough, Deborah G; Poland, Therese M

2018-02-08

Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive phloem-feeding buprestid, has killed hundreds of millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in the United States and two Canadian provinces. We evaluated EAB persistence in post-invasion sites and compared EAB adult captures and larval densities in 24 forested sites across an east-west gradient in southern Michigan representing the Core (post-invasion), Crest (high EAB populations), and Cusp (recently infested areas) of the EAB invasion wave. Condition of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh) trees were recorded in fixed radius plots and linear transects in each site. Ash mortality was highest in Core sites in the southeast, moderate in Crest sites in central southern Michigan, and low in Cusp sites in the southwest. Traps and trap trees in Crest sites accounted for 75 and 60% of all EAB beetles captured in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Populations of EAB were present in all Core sites and traps in these sites captured 13% of all beetles each year. Beetle captures and larval densities at Cusp sites roughly doubled between 2010 and 2011, reflecting the increasing EAB populations. Sticky bands on girdled trees captured the highest density of EAB beetles per m2 of area, while baited double-decker traps had the highest detection rates and captured the most beetles. Larval densities were higher on girdled ash than on similar ungirdled trees and small planted trees. Woodpecker predation and a native larval parasitoid were present in all three invasion regions but had minor effects on ash survival and EAB densities. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Early detection of emerald ash borer infestation using multisourced data: a case study in the town of Oakville, Ontario, Canada

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Zhang, Kongwen; Hu, Baoxin; Robinson, Justin

2014-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB) poses a significant economic and environmental threat to ash trees in southern Ontario, Canada, and the northern states of the USA. It is critical that effective technologies are urgently developed to detect, monitor, and control the spread of EAB. This paper presents a methodology using multisourced data to predict potential infestations of EAB in the town of Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The information combined in this study includes remotely sensed data, such as high spatial resolution aerial imagery, commercial ground and airborne hyperspectral data, and Google Earth imagery, in addition to nonremotely sensed data, such as archived paper maps and documents. This wide range of data provides extensive information that can be used for early detection of EAB, yet their effective employment and use remain a significant challenge. A prediction function was developed to estimate the EAB infestation states of individual ash trees using three major attributes: leaf chlorophyll content, tree crown spatial pattern, and prior knowledge. Comparison between these predicted values and a ground-based survey demonstrated an overall accuracy of 62.5%, with 22.5% omission and 18.5% commission errors.

Quantifying the impact of woodpecker predation on population dynamics of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis.

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David E Jennings

Full Text Available The emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive beetle that has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp. since it was accidentally introduced to North America in the 1990s. Understanding how predators such as woodpeckers (Picidae affect the population dynamics of EAB should enable us to more effectively manage the spread of this beetle, and toward this end we combined two experimental approaches to elucidate the relative importance of woodpecker predation on EAB populations. First, we examined wild populations of EAB in ash trees in New York, with each tree having a section screened to exclude woodpeckers. Second, we established experimental cohorts of EAB in ash trees in Maryland, and the cohorts on half of these trees were caged to exclude woodpeckers. The following spring these trees were debarked and the fates of the EAB larvae were determined. We found that trees from which woodpeckers were excluded consistently had significantly lower levels of predation, and that woodpecker predation comprised a greater source of mortality at sites with a more established wild infestation of EAB. Additionally, there was a considerable difference between New York and Maryland in the effect that woodpecker predation had on EAB population growth, suggesting that predation alone may not be a substantial factor in controlling EAB. In our experimental cohorts we also observed that trees from which woodpeckers were excluded had a significantly higher level of parasitism. The lower level of parasitism on EAB larvae found when exposed to woodpeckers has implications for EAB biological control, suggesting that it might be prudent to exclude woodpeckers from trees when attempting to establish parasitoid populations. Future studies may include utilizing EAB larval cohorts with a range of densities to explore the functional response of woodpeckers.

Quantifying the impact of woodpecker predation on population dynamics of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).

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Jennings, David E; Gould, Juli R; Vandenberg, John D; Duan, Jian J; Shrewsbury, Paula M

2013-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive beetle that has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) since it was accidentally introduced to North America in the 1990s. Understanding how predators such as woodpeckers (Picidae) affect the population dynamics of EAB should enable us to more effectively manage the spread of this beetle, and toward this end we combined two experimental approaches to elucidate the relative importance of woodpecker predation on EAB populations. First, we examined wild populations of EAB in ash trees in New York, with each tree having a section screened to exclude woodpeckers. Second, we established experimental cohorts of EAB in ash trees in Maryland, and the cohorts on half of these trees were caged to exclude woodpeckers. The following spring these trees were debarked and the fates of the EAB larvae were determined. We found that trees from which woodpeckers were excluded consistently had significantly lower levels of predation, and that woodpecker predation comprised a greater source of mortality at sites with a more established wild infestation of EAB. Additionally, there was a considerable difference between New York and Maryland in the effect that woodpecker predation had on EAB population growth, suggesting that predation alone may not be a substantial factor in controlling EAB. In our experimental cohorts we also observed that trees from which woodpeckers were excluded had a significantly higher level of parasitism. The lower level of parasitism on EAB larvae found when exposed to woodpeckers has implications for EAB biological control, suggesting that it might be prudent to exclude woodpeckers from trees when attempting to establish parasitoid populations. Future studies may include utilizing EAB larval cohorts with a range of densities to explore the functional response of woodpeckers.

The potential for host switching via ecological fitting in the emerald ash borer-host plant system.

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Cipollini, Don; Peterson, Donnie L

2018-02-27

The traits used by phytophagous insects to find and utilize their ancestral hosts can lead to host range expansions, generally to closely related hosts that share visual and chemical features with ancestral hosts. Host range expansions often result from ecological fitting, which is the process whereby organisms colonize and persist in novel environments, use novel resources, or form novel associations with other species because of the suites of traits that they carry at the time they encounter the novel environment. Our objective in this review is to discuss the potential and constraints on host switching via ecological fitting in emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, an ecologically and economically important invasive wood boring beetle. Once thought of as an ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree specialist, recent studies have revealed a broader potential host range than was expected for this insect. We discuss the demonstrated host-use capabilities of this beetle, as well as the potential for and barriers to the adoption of additional hosts by this beetle. We place our observations in the context of biochemical mechanisms that mediate the interaction of these beetles with their host plants and discuss whether evolutionary host shifts are a possible outcome of the interaction of this insect with novel hosts.

Water Level Controls on Sap Flux of Canopy Species in Black Ash Wetlands

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Joseph Shannon; Matthew Van Grinsven; Joshua Davis; Nicholas Bolton; Nam Noh; Thomas Pypker; Randall Kolka

2018-01-01

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.) exhibits canopy dominance in regularly inundated wetlands, suggesting advantageous adaptation. Black ash mortality due to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) will alter canopy composition and site hydrology. Retention of these forested wetlands requires understanding black ash...

Hypocotyl derived in vitro regeneration of pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda)

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Micah E. Stevens; Paula M. Pijut

2012-01-01

Pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda (Bush) Bush) is at risk for extirpation by an exotic insect, the emerald ash borer (EAB). Pumpkin ash is limited to wetland areas of the Eastern United States, and has been listed as an endangered species because of EAB activity. Pumpkin ash provides many benefits to the ecosystem, and its wood is used in the...

Identification of odor-processing genes in the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis.

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Mamidala, Praveen; Wijeratne, Asela J; Wijeratne, Saranga; Poland, Therese; Qazi, Sohail S; Doucet, Daniel; Cusson, Michel; Beliveau, Catherine; Mittapalli, Omprakash

2013-01-01

Insects rely on olfaction to locate food, mates, and suitable oviposition sites for successful completion of their life cycle. Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (emerald ash borer) is a serious invasive insect pest that has killed tens of millions of North American ash (Fraxinus spp) trees and threatens the very existence of the genus Fraxinus. Adult A. planipennis are attracted to host volatiles and conspecifics; however, to date no molecular knowledge exists on olfaction in A. planipennis. Hence, we undertook an antennae-specific transcriptomic study to identify the repertoire of odor processing genes involved in A. planipennis olfaction. We acquired 139,085 Roche/454 GS FLX transcriptomic reads that were assembled into 30,615 high quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs), including 3,249 isotigs and 27,366 non-isotigs (contigs and singletons). Intriguingly, the majority of the A. planipennis antennal transcripts (59.72%) did not show similarity with sequences deposited in the non-redundant database of GenBank, potentially representing novel genes. Functional annotation and KEGG analysis revealed pathways associated with signaling and detoxification. Several odor processing genes (9 odorant binding proteins, 2 odorant receptors, 1 sensory neuron membrane protein and 134 odorant/xenobiotic degradation enzymes, including cytochrome P450s, glutathione-S-transferases; esterases, etc.) putatively involved in olfaction processes were identified. Quantitative PCR of candidate genes in male and female A. planipennis in different developmental stages revealed developmental- and sex-biased expression patterns. The antennal ESTs derived from A. planipennis constitute a rich molecular resource for the identification of genes potentially involved in the olfaction process of A. planipennis. These findings should help in understanding the processing of antennally-active compounds (e.g. 7-epi-sesquithujene) previously identified in this serious invasive pest.

Evaluation of reference genes for expression studies in ash (Fraxinus spp.)

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Loren Rivera-Vega; Praveen Mamidala; Jennifer L. Koch; Mary E. Mason; Omprakash. Mittapalli

2012-01-01

Ash (Fraxinus spp.) is a dominant tree species in North America, in both managed and natural landscapes. However, due to the rapid invasion by the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an exotic invasive insect pest, millions of North American ash trees have been killed. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTq-PCR...

A contact sex pheromone component of the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Silk, Peter J; Ryall, Krista; Barry Lyons, D; Sweeney, Jon; Wu, Junping

2009-05-01

Analyses of the elytral hydrocarbons from male and female emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, that were freshly emerged vs. sexually mature (>10 days old) revealed a female-specific compound, 9-methyl-pentacosane (9-Me-C(25)), only present in sexually mature females. This material was synthesized by the Wittig reaction of 2-decanone with (n-hexadecyl)-triphenylphosphonium bromide followed by catalytic reduction to yield racemic 9-Me C(25), which matched the natural compound by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (retention time and EI mass spectrum). In field bioassays with freeze-killed sexually mature A. planipennis females, feral males spent significantly more time in contact and attempting copulation with unwashed females than with females that had been washed in n-hexane to remove the cuticular lipids. Hexane-washed females to which 9-Me-C(25) had been reapplied elicited similar contact time and percentage of time attempting copulation as unwashed females, indicating that 9-methyl-pentacosane is a contact sex pheromone component of A. planipennis. This is the first contact sex pheromone identified in the Buprestidae.

Evaluation of log submergence to control EAB and preserve black ash for native American basketry

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Therese M. Poland; Damon J. Crook; Tina M. Ciaramitaro

2011-01-01

Many Native American cultures use black ash, Fraxinus nigra, for basket-making because its ring-porous wood allows the annual layers of xylem to be easily separated. The emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis) is threatening North America's ash resource including black ash, and a centuries-old native art form. Native...

High spatial resolution spectral unmixing for mapping ash species across a complex urban environment

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Jennifer Pontius; Ryan P. Hanavan; Richard A. Hallett; Bruce D. Cook; Lawrence A. Corp

2017-01-01

Ash (Fraxinus L.) species are currently threatened by the emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) across a growing area in the eastern US. Accurate mapping of ash species is required to monitor the host resource, predict EAB spread and better understand the short- and long-term effects of EAB on the ash resource...

A molecular tool for detection and tracking of a potential indigenous Beauveria bassiana strain for managing emerald ash borer populations in Canada.

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Johny, Shajahan; Kyei-Poku, George

2014-10-01

Emerald ash borer is an invasive species from Asia. Beauveria bassiana strain L49-1AA is being tested for the control of emerald ash borer in Canada, using an autocontamination trapping system. We have developed a simplified allele discrimination polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to screen B. bassiana strain, L49-1AA from other Beauveria species by targeting the inter-strain genetic differences in 5' end of EF1-α gene of the genus Beauveria. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, T→C was identified only in L49-1AA and was used to develop a simplified allele discrimination polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on a modified allelic inhibition of displacement activity (AIDA) approach for distinguishing B. bassiana L49-1AA from all background Beauveria isolates. The SNP site was employed to design inner primers but with a deliberate mismatch introduced at the 3' antepenultimate from the mutation site in order to maximize specificity and detection efficiency. Amplification was specific to L49-1AA without cross-reaction with DNA from other Beauveria strains. In addition, the designed primers were also tested against environmental samples in L49-1AA released plots and observed to be highly efficient in detecting and discriminating the target strain, L49-1AA from both pure and crude DNA samples. This new method can potentially allow for more discriminatory tracking and monitoring of released L49-1AA in our autocontamination and dissemination projects for managing EAB populations. Additionally, the modified-AIDA format has potential as a tool for simultaneously identifying and differentiating closely related Beauveria species, strains/isolates as well as general classification of other pathogens or organisms. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tissue-Specific Transcriptomics of the Exotic Invasive Insect Pest Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

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Mittapalli, Omprakash; Bai, Xiaodong; Bonello, Pierluigi; Herms, Daniel A.

2010-01-01

Background The insect midgut and fat body represent major tissue interfaces that deal with several important physiological functions including digestion, detoxification and immune response. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), is an exotic invasive insect pest that has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) primarily in the Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada. However, despite its high impact status little knowledge exists for A. planipennis at the molecular level. Methodology and Principal Findings Newer-generation Roche-454 pyrosequencing was used to obtain 126,185 reads for the midgut and 240,848 reads for the fat body, which were assembled into 25,173 and 37,661 high quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for the midgut and the fat body of A. planipennis larvae, respectively. Among these ESTs, 36% of the midgut and 38% of the fat body sequences showed similarity to proteins in the GenBank nr database. A high number of the midgut sequences contained chitin-binding peritrophin (248)and trypsin (98) domains; while the fat body sequences showed high occurrence of cytochrome P450s (85) and protein kinase (123) domains. Further, the midgut transcriptome of A. planipennis revealed putative microbial transcripts encoding for cell-wall degrading enzymes such as polygalacturonases and endoglucanases. A significant number of SNPs (137 in midgut and 347 in fat body) and microsatellite loci (317 in midgut and 571 in fat body) were predicted in the A. planipennis transcripts. An initial assessment of cytochrome P450s belonging to various CYP clades revealed distinct expression patterns at the tissue level. Conclusions and Significance To our knowledge this study is one of the first to illuminate tissue-specific gene expression in an invasive insect of high ecological and economic consequence. These findings will lay the foundation for future gene expression and functional studies in A. planipennis. PMID:21060843

Biology, life history, and laboratory rearing of Spathius galinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval parasitoid of the invasive emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

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Duan, Jian J; Watt, Timothy J; Larson, Kristi

2014-06-01

Spathius galinae Belokobylskij & Strazanac is a recently described parasitoid of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, in the Russian Far East, and is currently being considered for biocontrol introduction in the United States. Using A. planipennis larvae reared with freshly cut ash (Fraxinus spp.) sticks, we investigated the biology, life cycle, and rearing of S. galinae in the laboratory under normal rearing conditions (25 +/- 1 degrees C, 65 +/- 10% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 16:8 [L:D] h). Our study showed that S. galinae took approximately 1 mo (29 d) to complete a single generation (from egg to adult) under the laboratory rearing conditions. After eclosion from eggs, larvae of S. galinae molted four times to reach the fifth instar, which then spun cocoons for pupation and development to adults. Adult female wasps had a median survival time of 7 wk with fecundity peaking 3 wk after emergence when reared in groups (of five females and five males) and 2 wk in single pairs. Throughout the life span, a single female S. galinae produced a mean (+/- SE) of 31 (+/- 3.0) progeny when reared in groups, and a mean (+/- SE) of 47 (+/- 5.3) progeny when reared in single pairs. Results from our study also showed that S. galinae could be effectively reared with A. planipennis larvae reared in both green (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) and tropical [Fraxinus uhdei (Wenzig) Lingelsh] ash sticks. However, the abortion (unemergence) rate of S. galinae progeny was much higher (20%) when reared with host larvae in green ash sticks than that (2.1%) in tropical ash sticks.

Fine-scale features on bioreplicated decoys of the emerald ash borer provide necessary visual verisimilitude

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Domingue, Michael J.; Pulsifer, Drew P.; Narkhede, Mahesh S.; Engel, Leland G.; Martín-Palma, Raúl J.; Kumar, Jayant; Baker, Thomas C.; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

2014-03-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive tree-killing pest in North America. Like other buprestid beetles, it has an iridescent coloring, produced by a periodically layered cuticle whose reflectance peaks at 540 nm wavelength. The males perform a visually mediated ritualistic mating flight directly onto females poised on sunlit leaves. We attempted to evoke this behavior using artificial visual decoys of three types. To fabricate decoys of the first type, a polymer sheet coated with a Bragg-stack reflector was loosely stamped by a bioreplicating die. For decoys of the second type, a polymer sheet coated with a Bragg-stack reflector was heavily stamped by the same die and then painted green. Every decoy of these two types had an underlying black absorber layer. Decoys of the third type were produced by a rapid prototyping machine and painted green. Fine-scale features were absent on the third type. Experiments were performed in an American ash forest infested with EAB, and a European oak forest home to a similar pest, the two-spotted oak borer (TSOB), Agrilus biguttatus. When pinned to leaves, dead EAB females, dead TSOB females, and bioreplicated decoys of both types often evoked the complete ritualized flight behavior. Males also initiated approaches to the rapidly prototyped decoy, but would divert elsewhere without making contact. The attraction of the bioreplicated decoys was also demonstrated by providing a high dc voltage across the decoys that stunned and killed approaching beetles. Thus, true bioreplication with fine-scale features is necessary to fully evoke ritualized visual responses in insects, and provides an opportunity for developing insecttrapping technologies.

Development of RNAi method for screening candidate genes to control emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis.

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Rodrigues, Thais B; Rieske, Lynne K; J Duan, Jian; Mogilicherla, Kanakachari; Palli, Subba R

2017-08-07

The ingestion of double-strand RNAs (dsRNA) targeting essential genes in an insect could cause mortality. Based on this principle, a new generation of insect control methods using RNA interference (RNAi) are being developed. In this work, we developed a bioassay for oral delivery of dsRNA to an invasive forest and urban tree pest, the emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis). EAB feeds and develops beneath the bark, killing trees rapidly. This behavior, coupled with the lack of a reliable artificial diet for rearing larvae and adults, make them difficult to study. We found that dsRNA is transported and processed to siRNAs by EAB larvae within 72 h after ingestion. Also, feeding neonate larvae with IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) or COP (COPI coatomer, β subunit) dsRNA silenced their target genes and caused mortality. Both an increase in the concentration of dsRNA fed and sequential feeding of two different dsRNAs increased mortality. Here we provide evidence for successful RNAi in EAB, and demonstrate the development of a rapid and effective bioassay for oral delivery of dsRNA to screen additional genes.

A technique for mapping urban ash trees using object-based image analysis

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Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Susan J. Crocker; Greg C. Liknes

2010-01-01

Ash trees are an important resource in the State of Minnesota and a common fixture lining the streets of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In 2009, the emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive pest of ash, was discovered in the city of St. Paul. To properly respond to the new-found threat, decisionmakers would benefit from detailed, spatially explicit information on the...

Quantifying change in riparian ash forests following the introduction of EAB in Michigan and Indiana

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Susan J. Crocker; Dacia M. Meneguzzo

2012-01-01

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; Coleoptera: Buprestidae; EAB) is an introduced beetle that kills ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. While most EAB-related ash mortality has been documented in urban areas, the effects of EAB in forested settings, particularly in riparian forests, are not well known. This study utilizes...

Update on exotic ash collection for hybrid breeding and survey for EAB-resistance in native North American species

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Mary E. Mason; Daniel A. Herms; David W. Carey; Kathleen S. Knight; Nurul I. Faridi; Jennifer. Koch

2011-01-01

Contrary to the high levels of devastation observed on North American ash species infested with emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), reports from Asia indicate that EAB-induced destruction of Asian ash species is limited to stressed trees. This indicates that Asian ash species have co-evolved resistance, or at least a high degree...

Climate change poses additional threat to the future of ash resources in the eastern United States

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Anantha Prasad; Louis Iverson; Stephen Matthews; Matthew Peters

2010-01-01

It is becoming increasingly clear that climate change has the potential to alter the distribution of plant species all over the world. In the United States, ash (Fraxinus spp.) is encountering the double threat of short-term emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation, which could decimate ash throughout the country, and longer term perturbations due to...

Environmental safety to decomposer invertebrates of azadirachtin (neem) as a systemic insecticide in trees to control emerald ash borer.

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Kreutzweiser, David; Thompson, Dean; Grimalt, Susana; Chartrand, Derek; Good, Kevin; Scarr, Taylor

2011-09-01

The non-target effects of an azadirachtin-based systemic insecticide used for control of wood-boring insect pests in trees were assessed on litter-dwelling earthworms, leaf-shredding aquatic insects, and microbial communities in terrestrial and aquatic microcosms. The insecticide was injected into the trunks of ash trees at a rate of 0.2 gazadirachtin cm(-1) tree diameter in early summer. At the time of senescence, foliar concentrations in most (65%) leaves where at or below detection (azadirachtin) and the average concentration among leaves overall at senescence was 0.19 mg kg(-1). Leaves from the azadirachtin-treated trees at senescence were added to microcosms and responses by test organisms were compared to those in microcosms containing leaves from non-treated ash trees (controls). No significant reductions were detected among earthworm survival, leaf consumption rates, growth rates, or cocoon production, aquatic insect survival and leaf consumption rates, and among terrestrial and aquatic microbial decomposition of leaf material in comparison to controls. In a further set of microcosm tests containing leaves from intentional high-dose trees, the only significant, adverse effect detected was a reduction in microbial decomposition of leaf material, and only at the highest test concentration (∼6 mg kg(-1)). Results indicated no significant adverse effects on litter-dwelling earthworms or leaf-shredding aquatic insects at concentrations up to at least 30 × the expected field concentrations at operational rates, and at 6 × expected field concentrations for adverse effects on microbial decomposition. We conclude that when azadirachtin is used as a systemic insecticide in trees for control of insect pests such as the invasive wood-boring beetle, emerald ash borer, resultant foliar concentrations in senescent leaf material are likely to pose little risk of harm to decomposer invertebrates. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving detection tools for emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): comparison of multifunnel traps, prism traps, and lure types at varying population densities.

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Crook, Damon J; Francese, Joseph A; Rietz, Michael L; Lance, David R; Hull-Sanders, Helen M; Mastro, Victor C; Silk, Peter J; Ryall, Krista L

2014-08-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a serious invasive pest of North American ash (Fraxinus spp.) that has caused devastating mortality since it was first identified in North America in 2002. In 2012, we conducted field trapping assays that tested the efficacy of purple prism and fluon-coated green multifunnel (Lindgren funnel) traps. Traps were baited with combinations of several lures that were previously shown to be attractive to A. planipennis: manuka oil--a sesquiterpene-rich oil, (3Z)-hexenol--a green leaf volatile, or (3Z)-dodecen-12-olide [= (3Z)-lactone], a sex pheromone. Eighty-nine blocks (trap lines) were tested throughout nine states along the outer edges of the currently known A. planipennis infestation in North America. Trap catch was highest on fluon-coated green multifunnel traps, and trap detections at sites with low A. planipennis population density ranged from 72 to 76% for all trap and lure types tested. (3Z)-hexenol and (3Z)-lactone baited traps functioned as well as (3Z)-hexenol and manuka oil-baited traps. Independent of the lure used, detection rates on green fluon-coated multifunnel traps were comparable with glued purple prism traps in areas with low A. planipennis population densities.

10 Risk to Ash from Emerald Ash Borer: Can Biological Control Prevent the Loss of Ash Stands

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Ash trees were once relatively free of serious, major diseases and insect pests in North America until the arrival of EAB, which was first detected in North America in Michigan in 2002. As of February 2014, EAB had been detected in 22 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, killing millions of ash ...

Biotic mortality factors affecting emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) are highly dependent on life stage and host tree crown condition.

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Jennings, D E; Duan, J J; Shrewsbury, P M

2015-10-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is a serious invasive forest pest in North America responsible for killing tens to hundreds of millions of ash trees since it was accidentally introduced in the 1990 s. Although host-plant resistance and natural enemies are known to be important sources of mortality for EAB in Asia, less is known about the importance of different sources of mortality at recently colonized sites in the invaded range of EAB, and how these relate to host tree crown condition. To further our understanding of EAB population dynamics, we used a large-scale field experiment and life-table analyses to quantify the fates of EAB larvae and the relative importance of different biotic mortality factors at 12 recently colonized sites in Maryland. We found that the fates of larvae were highly dependent on EAB life stage and host tree crown condition. In relatively healthy trees (i.e., with a low EAB infestation) and for early instars, host tree resistance was the most important mortality factor. Conversely, in more unhealthy trees (i.e., with a moderate to high EAB infestation) and for later instars, parasitism and predation were the major sources of mortality. Life-table analyses also indicated how the lack of sufficient levels of host tree resistance and natural enemies contribute to rapid population growth of EAB at recently colonized sites. Our findings provide further evidence of the mechanisms by which EAB has been able to successfully establish and spread in North America.

Effects of Adult Feeding and Overwintering Conditions on Energy Reserves and Flight Performance of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Tussey, Dylan A; Aukema, Brian H; Charvoz, Anthony M; Venette, Robert C

2018-04-02

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive beetle from Asia, spreads through human-mediated movement and active flight. The effects of adult feeding and overwintering conditions on A. planipennis energy reserves (e.g., lipid, glycogen, and sugars) and flight are poorly understood. We conjectured that the potential energetic demands associated with the production of cryoprotectants might affect dispersal capacity and partially explain slower spread of A. planipennis in Minnesota than in the other states. Two studies sought to measure the effects of adult feeding on lipid content and flight capacity. Adult A. planipennis were fed shamel ash, Fraxinus uhdei Wenzig, leaves for 0-20 d after emergence, and half were flown on a custom flight mill for 24 h, before being frozen for comparative lipid analysis with a control group. The second study compared the effects of adult feeding on energy reserves and flight capacity of A. planipennis that were originally from St. Paul, Minnesota but overwintered in infested logs placed in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (low winter temperature, -34°C) or St. Paul, Minnesota (-26.3°C). Live adults consumed foliage at a constant rate, but lipid content (percentage of fresh mass) did not change with increases in feeding or flight. Adult glycogen content declined with flight and increased only slightly with feeding. Overwintering location affected survival rates but not energy reserves or flight capacity. These results suggest that the flight capacity of A. planipennis is largely determined before emergence, with no differences in energy reserves after cryoprotectant investment.

Evidence of Ash Tree (Fraxinus spp.) Specific Associations with Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Functional Capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Michael P. Ricketts; Charles E. Flower; Kathleen S. Knight; Miquel A. Gonzalez-Meler

2018-01-01

The spread of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) across North America has had enormous impacts on temperate forest ecosystems. The selective removal of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) has resulted in abnormally large inputs of coarse woody debris and altered forest tree community composition, ultimately affecting a variety of ecosystem processes. The...

Identification of highly effective target genes for RNAi-mediated control of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Thais B; Duan, Jian J; Palli, Subba R; Rieske, Lynne K

2018-03-22

Recent study has shown that RNA interference (RNAi) is efficient in emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, and that ingestion of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting specific genes causes gene silencing and mortality in neonates. Here, we report on the identification of highly effective target genes for RNAi-mediated control of EAB. We screened 13 candidate genes in neonate larvae and selected the most effective target genes for further investigation, including their effect on EAB adults and on a non-target organism, Tribolium castaneum. The two most efficient target genes selected, hsp (heat shock 70-kDa protein cognate 3) and shi (shibire), caused up to 90% mortality of larvae and adults. In EAB eggs, larvae, and adults, the hsp is expressed at higher levels when compared to that of shi. Ingestion of dsHSP and dsSHI caused mortality in both neonate larvae and adults. Administration of a mixture of both dsRNAs worked better than either dsRNA by itself. In contrast, injection of EAB.dsHSP and EAB.dsSHI did not cause mortality in T. castaneum. Thus, the two genes identified cause high mortality in the EAB with no apparent phenotype effects in a non-target organism, the red flour beetle, and could be used in RNAi-mediated control of this invasive pest.

Growth of emerald single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bukin, G.V.; Godovikov, A.A.; Klyakin, V.A.; Sobolev, V.S.

1986-01-01

In addition to its use for jewelry, emerald can also be used in low-noise microwave amplifiers. The authors discuss flux crystallization of emerald and note that when emerald is grown by this method, it is desirable to use solvents which dissolve emerald with minimum deviations from congruence but at the same time with sufficient high efficiency. Emerald synthesis and crystal growth from slowly cooled solutions is discussed as another possibility. The techniques are examined. Vapor synthesis and growht of beryl crystals re reviewed and the authors experimentally study the seeded CVD crystallization of beryl from BeO, Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 oxides, by using complex compounds as carrier agents. The color of crystals of emerald and other varieties of beryl is detemined by slelective light absorption in teh visible part of the spectrum and depends on the density and structural positions of chromphore ions: chromium, iron, vanadium, nickel, manganese and cobalt

Transcriptome Analysis of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis: De Novo Assembly, Functional Annotation and Comparative Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Jun; Ladd, Tim; Doucet, Daniel; Cusson, Michel; vanFrankenhuyzen, Kees; Mittapalli, Omprakash; Krell, Peter J; Quan, Guoxing

2015-01-01

The Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive phloem-feeding insect pest of ash trees. Since its initial discovery near the Detroit, US- Windsor, Canada area in 2002, the spread of EAB has had strong negative economic, social and environmental impacts in both countries. Several transcriptomes from specific tissues including midgut, fat body and antenna have recently been generated. However, the relatively low sequence depth, gene coverage and completeness limited the usefulness of these EAB databases. High-throughput deep RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to obtain 473.9 million pairs of 100 bp length paired-end reads from various life stages and tissues. These reads were assembled into 88,907 contigs using the Trinity strategy and integrated into 38,160 unigenes after redundant sequences were removed. We annotated 11,229 unigenes by searching against the public nr, Swiss-Prot and COG. The EAB transcriptome assembly was compared with 13 other sequenced insect species, resulting in the prediction of 536 unigenes that are Coleoptera-specific. Differential gene expression revealed that 290 unigenes are expressed during larval molting and 3,911 unigenes during metamorphosis from larvae to pupae, respectively (FDR2). In addition, 1,167 differentially expressed unigenes were identified from larval and adult midguts, 435 unigenes were up-regulated in larval midgut and 732 unigenes were up-regulated in adult midgut. Most of the genes involved in RNA interference (RNAi) pathways were identified, which implies the existence of a system RNAi in EAB. This study provides one of the most fundamental and comprehensive transcriptome resources available for EAB to date. Identification of the tissue- stage- or species- specific unigenes will benefit the further study of gene functions during growth and metamorphosis processes in EAB and other pest insects.

The Early Detection of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Using Advanced Geospacial Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, B.; Li, J.; Wang, J.; Hall, B.

2014-11-01

The objectives of this study were to exploit Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) and very high spatial resolution (VHR) data and their synergy with hyperspectral imagery in the early detection of the EAB presence in trees within urban areas and to develop a framework to combine information extracted from multiple data sources. To achieve these, an object-oriented framework was developed to combine information derived from available data sets to characterize ash trees. Within this framework, individual trees were first extracted and then classified into different species based on their spectral information derived from hyperspectral imagery, spatial information from VHR imagery, and for each ash tree its health state and EAB infestation stage were determined based on hyperspectral imagery. The developed framework and methods were demonstrated to be effective according to the results obtained on two study sites in the city of Toronto, Ontario Canada. The individual tree delineation method provided satisfactory results with an overall accuracy of 78 % and 19 % commission and 23 % omission errors when used on the combined very high-spatial resolution imagery and LiDAR data. In terms of the identification of ash trees, given sufficient representative training data, our classification model was able to predict tree species with above 75 % overall accuracy, and mis-classification occurred mainly between ash and maple trees. The hypothesis that a strong correlation exists between general tree stress and EAB infestation was confirmed. Vegetation indices sensitive to leaf chlorophyll content derived from hyperspectral imagery can be used to predict the EAB infestation levels for each ash tree.

Using a cellular model to explore human-facilitated spread of risk of EAB in Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Anantha Prasad; Louis Iverson; Matthew Peters; Steve. Matthews

2011-01-01

The Emerald Ash Borer has made inroads to Minnesota in the past two years, killing ash trees. We use our spatially explicit cell based model called EAB-SHIFT to calculate the risk of infestation owing to flight characteristics and short distance movement of the insect (insect flight model, IFM), and the human facilitated agents like roads, campgrounds etc. (insect ride...

Comparison of trap types and colors for capturing emerald ash borer adults at different population densities.

Science.gov (United States)

Poland, Therese M; Mccullough, Deborah G

2014-02-01

Results of numerous trials to evaluate artificial trap designs and lures for detection of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, the emerald ash borer, have yielded inconsistent results, possibly because of different A. planipennis population densities in the field sites. In 2010 and 2011, we compared 1) green canopy traps, 2) purple canopy traps, 3) green double-decker traps, and 4) purple double-decker traps in sites representing a range of A. planipennis infestation levels. Traps were baited with cis-3-hexenol in both years, plus an 80:20 mixture of Manuka and Phoebe oil (2010) or Manuka oil alone (2011). Condition of trees bearing canopy traps, A. planipennis infestation level of trees in the vicinity of traps, and number of A. planipennis captured per trap differed among sites in both years. Overall in both years, more females, males, and beetles of both sexes were captured on double-decker traps than canopy traps, and more beetles of both sexes (2010) or females (2011) were captured on purple traps than green traps. In 2010, detection rates were higher for purple (100%) and green double-decker traps (100%) than for purple (82%) or green canopy traps (64%) at sites with very low to low A. planipennis infestation levels. Captures of A. planipennis on canopy traps consistently increased with the infestation level of the canopy trap-bearing trees. Differences among trap types were most pronounced at sites with low A. planipennis densities, where more beetles were captured on purple double-decker traps than on green canopy traps in both years.

Risk to ash from emerald ash borer: can biological control prevent the loss of ash stands?

Science.gov (United States)

Jian J. Duan; Roy G. Van Driesche; Leah S. Bauer; Daniel M. Kashian; Daniel A. Herms

2015-01-01

Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) are an important components of both natural forests and urban plantings in the United States and Canada (Federal Register, 2003; Nowak et al., 2003). There are approximately 16 species of Fraxinus native to North America (Harlow et al., 1996; USGS, 2014), each adapted to different ecological niches across...

Medical radiation physics training EMERALD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabakov, S.; Roberts, C.; Lamm, I.L.; Milano, F.; Lewis, C.; Smith, D.; Litchev, A.; Jonsson, B.A.; Ljungberg, M.; Strand, S.E.; Jonsson, L.; Riccardi, L.; Benini, A.; Silva, G. da; Teixeira, N.; Pascoal, A.; Noel, A.; Smith, P.; Musilek, L.; Sheahan, N.

2001-01-01

Training of young medical physicists is an essential part of the framework of measures for Radiological Protection of Patients. The paper describes the Medical Radiation Physics Training Scheme EMERALD, developed by an European Project Consortium. EMERALD Training covers the Physics of X-ray Diagnostic Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy. Each of these 3 modules covers 4 months training period. The EMERALD training materials are 3 Workbooks with tasks and a Teachers' Guide (total volume approx 700 pages) and 3 CD-ROMs with image database. (author)

Volcanic ash modeling with the NMMB-MONARCH-ASH model: quantification of offline modeling errors

Science.gov (United States)

Marti, Alejandro; Folch, Arnau

2018-03-01

Volcanic ash modeling systems are used to simulate the atmospheric dispersion of volcanic ash and to generate forecasts that quantify the impacts from volcanic eruptions on infrastructures, air quality, aviation, and climate. The efficiency of response and mitigation actions is directly associated with the accuracy of the volcanic ash cloud detection and modeling systems. Operational forecasts build on offline coupled modeling systems in which meteorological variables are updated at the specified coupling intervals. Despite the concerns from other communities regarding the accuracy of this strategy, the quantification of the systematic errors and shortcomings associated with the offline modeling systems has received no attention. This paper employs the NMMB-MONARCH-ASH model to quantify these errors by employing different quantitative and categorical evaluation scores. The skills of the offline coupling strategy are compared against those from an online forecast considered to be the best estimate of the true outcome. Case studies are considered for a synthetic eruption with constant eruption source parameters and for two historical events, which suitably illustrate the severe aviation disruptive effects of European (2010 Eyjafjallajökull) and South American (2011 Cordón Caulle) volcanic eruptions. Evaluation scores indicate that systematic errors due to the offline modeling are of the same order of magnitude as those associated with the source term uncertainties. In particular, traditional offline forecasts employed in operational model setups can result in significant uncertainties, failing to reproduce, in the worst cases, up to 45-70 % of the ash cloud of an online forecast. These inconsistencies are anticipated to be even more relevant in scenarios in which the meteorological conditions change rapidly in time. The outcome of this paper encourages operational groups responsible for real-time advisories for aviation to consider employing computationally

How fast will trees die? A transition matrix model of ash decline in forest stands infested by emerald ash borer

Science.gov (United States)

Kathleen S. Knight; Robert P. Long; Joanne Rebbeck; Annemarie Smith; Kamal Gandhi; Daniel A. Herms

2008-01-01

We recorded Fraxinus spp. tree health and other forest stand characteristics for 68 plots in 21 EAB-infested forest stands in Michigan and Ohio in 2005 and 2007. Fraxinus spp. were a dominant component of these stands, with more than 900 ash trees (including Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Fraxinus profunda...

Transcriptomic signatures of ash (Fraxinus spp. phloem.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaodong Bai

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Ash (Fraxinus spp. is a dominant tree species throughout urban and forested landscapes of North America (NA. The rapid invasion of NA by emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis, a wood-boring beetle endemic to Eastern Asia, has resulted in the death of millions of ash trees and threatens billions more. Larvae feed primarily on phloem tissue, which girdles and kills the tree. While NA ash species including black (F. nigra, green (F. pennsylvannica and white (F. americana are highly susceptible, the Asian species Manchurian ash (F. mandshurica is resistant to A. planipennis perhaps due to their co-evolutionary history. Little is known about the molecular genetics of ash. Hence, we undertook a functional genomics approach to identify the repertoire of genes expressed in ash phloem.Using 454 pyrosequencing we obtained 58,673 high quality ash sequences from pooled phloem samples of green, white, black, blue and Manchurian ash. Intriguingly, 45% of the deduced proteins were not significantly similar to any sequences in the GenBank non-redundant database. KEGG analysis of the ash sequences revealed a high occurrence of defense related genes. Expression analysis of early regulators potentially involved in plant defense (i.e. transcription factors, calcium dependent protein kinases and a lipoxygenase 3 revealed higher mRNA levels in resistant ash compared to susceptible ash species. Lastly, we predicted a total of 1,272 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 980 microsatellite loci, among which seven microsatellite loci showed polymorphism between different ash species.The current transcriptomic data provide an invaluable resource for understanding the genetic make-up of ash phloem, the target tissue of A. planipennis. These data along with future functional studies could lead to the identification/characterization of defense genes involved in resistance of ash to A. planipennis, and in future ash breeding programs for marker development.

Optimization of multifunnel traps for emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): influence of size, trap coating, and color.

Science.gov (United States)

Francese, Joseph A; Rietz, Michael L; Mastro, Victor C

2013-12-01

Field assays were conducted in southeastern and south-central Michigan in 2011 and 2012 to optimize green and purple multifunnel (Lindgren funnel) traps for use as a survey tool for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. Larger sized (12- and 16-unit) multifunnel traps caught more beetles than their smaller-sized (4- and 8-unit) counterparts. Green traps coated with untinted (white) fluon caught almost four times as many adult A. planipennis as Rain-X and tinted (green) fluon-coated traps and almost 33 times more beetles than untreated control traps. Purple multifunnel traps generally caught much lower numbers of A. planipennis adults than green traps, and trap catch on them was not affected by differences in the type of coating applied. However, trap coating was necessary as untreated control purple traps caught significantly less beetles than traps treated with Rain-X and untinted or tinted (purple) fluon. Proportions of male beetles captured were generally much higher on green traps than on purple traps, but sex ratios were not affected by trap coating. In 2012, a new shade of purple plastic, based on a better color match to an attractive purple paint than the previously used purple, was used for trapping assays. When multifunnel traps were treated with fluon, green traps caught more A. planipennis adults than both shades of purple and a prism trap that was manufactured based on the same color match. Trap catch was not affected by diluting the fluon concentration applied to traps to 50% (1:1 mixture in water). At 10%, trap catch was significantly lowered.

Characterization of emerald from Gujar Kili, Swat, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, A.A.; Akram, M.; Khattak, N.U.; Khan, H.A.

1997-01-01

The green gem variety of beryl family having Cr as colouring agent is known as emerald. Thirteen emerald occurrences are known from northern Pakistan. These occurrences are in Mohamand Agency, Bajuar Agency, Swat District, Indus Kohistan and Gilgit which are located exclusively in the metamorphosed ophiolitic melange of the Indus Suture Zone. The ophiolitic rocks of this suture are the source of Cr which colours the beryl to make it emerald. Studies have been carried out for the characterisation of emerald from one locality, Gujar Kili in Swat district, using petrographic, XRD, XRF and fission track techniques. The Gujar Kili emerald is of green to deep green colour good quality gemstone and contains inclusions in some cases. In general, the Gujar Kili emerald has high Mg, Fe, Cr, V and Al values as compared to average composition of natural emeralds of Swat District. Two mineralogical phases, namely beryl and chrysoberyl have been identified in the four Gujar Kili samples analysed by us. The XRD data for the beryl and chrysoberyl is also presented. The Cr which colours the beryl to make it emerald, does not substitute any element in the beryl structure, rather it is present as an impurity in the crystal matrix. A new etchant to reveal fission tracks in a very short time is also being reported in this paper. (author)

Trace element fingerprinting of emeralds by PIXE/PIGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xinpei; MacArthur, J.D.; Roeder, P.L.; Mariano, A.N.

1993-01-01

Gemologists consider the mineral beryl, beryllium aluminium silicate, to be the gem, emerald, when it contains sufficient chromium, >0.1%, to colour it a strong green. Emeralds usually contain other trace elements. To investigate the feasibility of distinguishing an emerald's country of origin through its trace content, the trace elements in emeralds and a few beryls from sixteen locations have been determined with a single nondestructive measurement using PIXE and PIGE. From the database established with this limited number of samples, distinguishing trace element patterns were found. (orig.)

Biology and Behavior of Spathius agrili, a Parasitoid of the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis, in China

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhong-Qi; Wang, Xiao-Yi; Gould, Juli R.; Reardon, Richard C.; Zhang, Yi-Nan; Liu, Gui-Jun; Liu, En-Shan

2010-01-01

Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and is a recently described species. Both pest and parasitoid are native to China. In Tianjin City, China, S. agrili typically exhibited 3–4 generations per year, overwintering as a prepupa in a cocoon inside the host gallery. The multiple generations of S. agrili overlapped with its host, as did the emergence dates of the overwintering generation. From a single host, 1–18 S. agrili successfully developed to the adult stage (average 8.4), but in all cases the host was killed. The sex ratio (female: male) of the parasitoid adults emerging from field-collected cocoons was 2:1, whereas the sex ratio of parasitoids reared from field collected eggs and larvae was greater than 3:1. On average, adult females lived 29.1 d, and males lived 23.6 d when fed with 20% honey solution, significantly longer than without a nutritional supplement. Sexual reproduction is the normal mode of reproduction, but in the laboratory females did reproduce parthenogenetically, producing only males. The average fecundity was 23.3 eggs per female in the laboratory. S. agrili developed through five larval instars, and the larvae fed gregariously on the host hemolymph. The generation time from egg to adult wasp was 27–28 d at 22–26°C. Natural parasitism rates were as high as 60%, and in October they reached over 90% in some stands. This study showed that S. agrili is a promising agent for biocontrol of A. planipennis. PMID:20569125

Wide color gamut display with white and emerald backlighting.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Lvyin; Lei, Zhichun

2018-02-20

This paper proposes a wide color gamut approach that uses white and emerald lighting units as the backlight of the liquid crystal display. The white and emerald backlights are controlled by the image to be displayed. The mixing ratio of the white and the emerald lighting is analyzed so that the maximal color gamut coverage ratio can be achieved. Experimental results prove the effectiveness of the wide color gamut approach using white and emerald backlights.

Heat sterilization of ash (Fraxinus spp.) firewood : heat-treating options, temperature monitoring and thermal verification

Science.gov (United States)

Xiping Wang; Richard Bergman; T. Mace

2010-01-01

Because of the potential risk associated with moving emerald ash borer (EAB)-infested firewood, the interstate movement of all hardwood firewood in the USA is currently restricted under the Federal quarantine. Communities and firewood producers are now faced with decisions on how to treat their firewood for interstate commerce. The new US Federal regulations for heat...

Action Learning Drives the Emerald Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Nalborczyk, Sarah; Sandelands, Luke

2012-01-01

This account examines the action learning process adopted by Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., embedded in the organization through the in-company Emerald Academy. In case study format, the paper emphasizes that in order to align learning with organizational objectives joined up thinking and practice is needed beyond the learning and development…

Incidence of Infestation and Larval Success of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) on White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), Chinese Fringetree (Chionanthus retusus), and Devilwood (Osmanthus americanus).

Science.gov (United States)

Cipollini, Don; Rigsby, Chad M

2015-10-01

We compared the incidence of infestation by emerald ash borer (EAB) and lilac borer on white fringetree to that of its Asian congener, Chinese fringetree, Chionanthus retusus, and a North American relative, devilwood, Osmanthus americanus. We also conducted laboratory bioassays to determine the suitability of these hosts for EAB larvae. At Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati, Ohio, 9 of 28 white fringetrees examined were infested by EAB. Most of the white fringetrees had lilac borer infestation, and most of the trees infested by EAB also had lilac borer infestation. None of the 11 Chinese fringetrees examined were infested by either EAB or lilac borer. Each of the five devilwood individuals examined was infested by lilac borer, but not EAB. At The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, 7 of 16 white fringetrees examined were infested by EAB, while none of the seven Chinese fringetrees examined were infested by either insect. A 40-d bioassay confirmed that white fringetree was an acceptable host, producing fourth-instar larvae that were smaller than those produced on a highly susceptible cultivar of green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica. No larvae survived on Chinese fringetree, and neonates were largely incapable of feeding on it. Two larvae survived on devilwood, reaching the second instar and excavating extensive galleries. Future work should be aimed at biotic and abiotic factors influencing the susceptibility of white fringetree, as well as further examination of close relatives for their vulnerability to EAB. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gemmology, geology and origin of the Sandawana emerald deposits, Zimbabwe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwaan, J.C.

2006-01-01

As one of the most valuable gemstones, emeralds are known to occur in several countries of the world, such as Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe. The emerald deposits at Sandawana, Zimbabwe, are described, the emeralds from this deposit characterised and

Crystal growth of emerald by flux method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Mikio; Narita, Eiichi; Okabe, Taijiro; Morishita, Toshihiko.

1979-01-01

Emerald crystals have been formed in two binary fluxes of Li 2 O-MoO 2 and Li 2 O-V 2 O 5 using the slow cooling method and the temperature gradient method under various conditions. In the flux of Li 2 O-MoO 3 carried out in the range of 2 -- 5 of molar ratios (MoO 3 /Li 2 O), emerald was crystallized in the temperature range from 750 to 950 0 C, and the suitable crystallization conditions were found to be the molar ratio of 3 -- 4 and the temperature about 900 0 C. In the flux of Li 2 O-V 2 O 5 carried out in the range of 1.7 -- 5 of molar ratios (V 2 O 5 /Li 2 O), emerald was crystallized in the temperature range from 900 to 1150 0 . The suitable crystals were obtained at the molar ratio of 3 and the temperature range of 1000 -- 1100 0 C. The crystallization temperature rised with an increase in the molar ratio of the both fluxes. The emeralds grown in two binary fluxes were transparent green, having the density of 2.68, the refractive index of 1.56, and the two distinct bands in the visible spectrum at 430 and 600nm. The emerald grown in Li 2 O-V 2 O 5 flux was more bluish green than that grown in Li 2 O-MoO 3 flux. The size of the spontaneously nucleated emerald grown in the former flux was larger than the latter, when crystallized by the slow cooling method. As for the solubility of beryl in the two fluxes, Li 2 O-V 2 O 5 flux was superior to Li 2 O-MoO 3 flux whose small solubility of SiO 2 caused an experimental problem to the temperature gradient method. The suitability of the two fluxes for the crystal growth of emerald by the flux method was discussed from the view point of various properties of above-mentioned two fluxes. (author)

Structure analysis on synthetic emerald crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Pei-Lun; Lee, Jiann-Shing; Huang, Eugene; Liao, Ju-Hsiou

2013-05-01

Single crystals of emerald synthesized by means of the flux method were adopted for crystallographic analyses. Emerald crystals with a wide range of Cr3+-doping content up to 3.16 wt% Cr2O3 were examined by X-ray single crystal diffraction refinement method. The crystal structures of the emerald crystals were refined to R 1 (all data) of 0.019-0.024 and w R 2 (all data) of 0.061-0.073. When Cr3+ substitutes for Al3+, the main adjustment takes place in the Al-octahedron and Be-tetrahedron. The effect of substitution of Cr3+ for Al3+ in the beryl structure results in progressively lengthening of the Al-O distance, while the length of the other bonds remains nearly unchanged. The substitution of Cr3+ for Al3+ may have caused the expansion of a axis, while keeping the c axis unchanged in the emerald lattice. As a consequence, the Al-O-Si and Al-O-Be bonding angles are found to decrease, while the angle of Si-O-Be increases as the Al-O distance increases during the Cr replacement.

Volcanic Ash Data Assimilation System for Atmospheric Transport Model

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, K.; Shimbori, T.; Sato, E.; Tokumoto, T.; Hayashi, Y.; Hashimoto, A.

2017-12-01

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has two operations for volcanic ash forecasts, which are Volcanic Ash Fall Forecast (VAFF) and Volcanic Ash Advisory (VAA). In these operations, the forecasts are calculated by atmospheric transport models including the advection process, the turbulent diffusion process, the gravitational fall process and the deposition process (wet/dry). The initial distribution of volcanic ash in the models is the most important but uncertain factor. In operations, the model of Suzuki (1983) with many empirical assumptions is adopted to the initial distribution. This adversely affects the reconstruction of actual eruption plumes.We are developing a volcanic ash data assimilation system using weather radars and meteorological satellite observation, in order to improve the initial distribution of the atmospheric transport models. Our data assimilation system is based on the three-dimensional variational data assimilation method (3D-Var). Analysis variables are ash concentration and size distribution parameters which are mutually independent. The radar observation is expected to provide three-dimensional parameters such as ash concentration and parameters of ash particle size distribution. On the other hand, the satellite observation is anticipated to provide two-dimensional parameters of ash clouds such as mass loading, top height and particle effective radius. In this study, we estimate the thickness of ash clouds using vertical wind shear of JMA numerical weather prediction, and apply for the volcanic ash data assimilation system.

The origin of emeralds embedded in archaeological artefacts in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albina Kržič

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Roman gold jewellery, which was excavated in Ptuj (Poetovio and consists of a necklace, earrings and a braceletwith embedded emeralds, is part of the Slovenian archaeological artefacts collections. Crystallographic characteristics,inclusions, luminous phenomena and geological characteristics were determined in order to establish theorigin of the emeralds. Chemical composition of the emeralds was determined non-destructively using the methodsof proton-induced X-rays and gamma rays (PIXE/PIGE. The results were compared with reference emeraldsfrom Habachtal in Austria and with green beryls from the Ural Mts. Literature data for emeralds from Egypt andmodern-day Afghanistan area were used to interpret the results. Specifically, these sites were known for emeraldsbeing mined for jewellery in Roman times. It was assumed that emeralds from archaeological artefacts originatedfrom Habachtal in Austria, given that this site was the nearest to the place where found. But the emeralds fromthe necklace and earrings in fact came from Egyptian deposits. The origin of emeralds from the bracelet could nothave been determined absolutely reliably due to the lack of comparative materials; they may originate from a site inmodern-day Afghanistan or from Egypt, but certainly not from the same site as the previously mentioned emeraldsin the necklace and earrings.

Biology and Life History of Balcha indica, an Ectoparasitoid Attacking the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis, in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Jian J.; Taylor, Philip B.; Fuester, Roger W.

2011-01-01

Balcha indica Mani and Kaul (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is a solitary ectoparasitoid attacking larvae, prepupae, and pupae of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae). Its fecundity, oviposition rate, longevity, and development time were determined in the laboratory under standard rearing conditions (25 ± 2° C, 65 ± 10% relative humidity, and 14:10 L:D). Adults lived a mean of 59 days with a maximum of 117 days. Lifetime adult fecundity averaged 36 eggs with a maximum 94 eggs per female. The egg stage lasted for a maximum of four days with ∼ 50% eggs hatched within two days. The development time of the first instars lasted for a maximum of nine days; 50% of the first instars completed their development (i.e., molted to the next instar) within five days. Instars of the intermediate and final stage larvae (after molting of the first instars occurred) could not be distinguished until they reached the pupal stage, and 50% of those larvae pupated ∼ 62 days after adult oviposition. Under the standard rearing conditions, 50% of B. indica took ∼ 83 days to complete the life cycle (from egg to adult emergence) ranging from 47 to 129 days. These results suggest that B. indica may not have more than two generations in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of United States, where normal growing seasons—with average temperature above 25° C—are normally less than six months (May–October). Because of the long life span and oviposition period of adults, however, B. indica is likely to have overlapping generations. PMID:22233385

77 FR 35903 - Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-15

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety... Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. [[Page 35904

The emerald ash borer: a new exotic pest in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Robert A. Haack; Eduard Jendak; Liu Houping; Keneth R. Marchant; Toby R. Petrice; Therese M. Poland; Hui Ye

2002-01-01

Yet another new exotic forest pest has been discovered in North America, and this time the infestation is centered in Michigan and Ontario. In May and June 2002, adults of an unidentified buprestid beetle were collected from ash (Fraxinus) trees in the Detroit area of southeastern Michigan.

77 FR 44463 - Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-30

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety zone is... Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety...

77 FR 57063 - Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-17

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety... NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North...

77 FR 64906 - Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-24

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety... NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North...

Evidence of Ash Tree (Fraxinus spp. Specific Associations with Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Functional Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael P. Ricketts

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The spread of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB across North America has had enormous impacts on temperate forest ecosystems. The selective removal of ash trees (Fraxinus spp. has resulted in abnormally large inputs of coarse woody debris and altered forest tree community composition, ultimately affecting a variety of ecosystem processes. The goal of this study was to determine if the presence of ash trees influences soil bacterial communities and/or functions to better understand the impacts of EAB on forest successional dynamics and biogeochemical cycling. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of soil DNA collected from ash and non-ash plots in central Ohio during the early stages of EAB infestation, we found that bacterial communities in plots with ash differed from those without ash. These differences were largely driven by Acidobacteria, which had a greater relative abundance in non-ash plots. Functional genes required for sulfur cycling, phosphorus cycling, and carbohydrate metabolism (specifically those which breakdown complex sugars to glucose were estimated to be more abundant in non-ash plots, while nitrogen cycling gene abundance did not differ. This ash-soil microbiome association implies that EAB-induced ash decline may promote belowground successional shifts, altering carbon and nutrient cycling and changing soil properties beyond the effects of litter additions caused by ash mortality.

Distributed Space System Technology Demonstrations with the Emerald Nanosatellite

Science.gov (United States)

Twiggs, Robert

2002-01-01

A viewgraph presentation of Distributed Space System Technologies utilizing the Emerald Nanosatellite is shown. The topics include: 1) Structure Assembly; 2) Emerald Mission; 3) Payload and Mission Operations; 4) System and Subsystem Description; and 5) Safety Integration and Testing.

Trace element finger printing of emeralds by PIXE and PIGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xinpei; Palmer, G.R.; MacArthur, J.D.

1990-01-01

The concentrations of 18 major- and minor-elements in 12 Emeralds from different mines and two synthetic ones are measured with proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and γ-ray emission (PIGE). The concentration and distribution of 18 elements are used to establish the characteristic finger print pattern of each Emerald. With the help of cluster analysis of SYSTAT statistical package for IBMPC, these finger prints are analysed, from which a quantitative description of the dissimilarities between Emeralds can be given

EMERALD: Coping with the Explosion of Seismic Data

Science.gov (United States)

West, J. D.; Fouch, M. J.; Arrowsmith, R.

2009-12-01

The geosciences are currently generating an unparalleled quantity of new public broadband seismic data with the establishment of large-scale seismic arrays such as the EarthScope USArray, which are enabling new and transformative scientific discoveries of the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s interior. Much of this explosion of data is a direct result of the formation of the IRIS consortium, which has enabled an unparalleled level of open exchange of seismic instrumentation, data, and methods. The production of these massive volumes of data has generated new and serious data management challenges for the seismological community. A significant challenge is the maintenance and updating of seismic metadata, which includes information such as station location, sensor orientation, instrument response, and clock timing data. This key information changes at unknown intervals, and the changes are not generally communicated to data users who have already downloaded and processed data. Another basic challenge is the ability to handle massive seismic datasets when waveform file volumes exceed the fundamental limitations of a computer’s operating system. A third, long-standing challenge is the difficulty of exchanging seismic processing codes between researchers; each scientist typically develops his or her own unique directory structure and file naming convention, requiring that codes developed by another researcher be rewritten before they can be used. To address these challenges, we are developing EMERALD (Explore, Manage, Edit, Reduce, & Analyze Large Datasets). The overarching goal of the EMERALD project is to enable more efficient and effective use of seismic datasets ranging from just a few hundred to millions of waveforms with a complete database-driven system, leading to higher quality seismic datasets for scientific analysis and enabling faster, more efficient scientific research. We will present a preliminary (beta) version of EMERALD, an integrated

Rb/Sr establishes an age of 61 to 67 Ma for Colombian emeralds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ordonez, F Romero; Kawashita, Koji; Schultz-Guttler, R

2001-01-01

The age of emeralds is related to the environment within which they form and can be dated by geochronological methods of which the rubidium-strontium (Rb-Sr) method (Faure, 1986) is the best to date the emeralds and its host rocks (Vidal et al., 1992). Isotopic studies done by Vidal et al. (1992) established two different geochronological environments for dating emeralds depending on their ages: emeralds from Precambrian rocks in Brazil, Madagascar and Zambia with high radiogenic strontium enrichment due to the older ages and high Rb contents and emeralds hosted by younger rocks in Colombia, Paquistan and Afganistan generally, with low 87 Rb/ 86 Sr range and low radiogenic Sr enrichment, and low content of Rb (au)

Emerald Express '95: Analysis Report

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Newett, Sandra

1996-01-01

The purpose of Emerald Express was to bring together senior representatives from military, relief, political, and diplomatic communities to address issues that arise during Humanitarian Assistance and Peace Operations (HA/POs...

Features of phenacite mineralization from the Ural emerald mines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. P. Popov

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The authors consider the problems of development of phenacite mineralization at the Ural Emerald Mines, which is rather well developed and described in the Mariinsky (Malyshevsky and Sretensky (Sverdlovsk emerald-beryllium deposits. Phenacite is widespread in many beryllium deposits, but crystals of jewelry quality, with such large sizes as at the Emerald Mines, form rarely. Despite the prescription of the discovery (1833, and because of the rare occurrence of jewelry quality of crystals, and the presence of more expensive and valuable stones – emeralds and alexandrites – in deposits of the Emerald mines, phenacite remains almost unknown in the precious stones market, and especially abroad. Phenacite mineralization mostly occurs in the micaceous veins represented by gray and greenish-gray phlogopite. Distribution of phenacite in the micaceous veins is extremely uneven. Mineralization is typically nesting. High content of phenacite appears in the micaceous veins, mineral composition of which is mostly phlogopite, veins and concretions of beryllium-containing margarite (B-margarite and chlorite. Content of phenacite is low in the micaceous veins that include phlogopite, plagioclase, beryl, fluorite, smoky quartz. At the Sretensky deposit is located a vein that refers to a new type of ore bodies of the chrysoberyl-phenacite composition lying in ultrabasic rocks. Unlike emerald-bearing micaceous veins that have a northwestern spread, the chrysoberyl-phenacite ore bodies are oriented in the near-latitudinal direction and have a northern incidence at an angle of 75°–80°. The most common form of phenacite crystals on the Emerald Mines is rhombohedral and short columned. Crystals have a large number of faces. The usual shapes are a hexagonal prism and rhombohedrons. Twin crystals are common, druses, columnar aggregates, and spherulites are characteristic. Phenacite can be colorless or slightly colored in wine yellow, sometimes pinkish, light

Gut microbiota of an invasive subcortical beetle, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, across various life stages

Science.gov (United States)

Archana Vasanthakumar; Jo Handelsman; Patrick D. Schloss; Leah S. Bauer; Kenneth F. Raffa

2008-01-01

We characterized gut microbial communities in the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive phloem-feeding and wood-boring beetle that has caused extensive mortality to urban and forest ash trees. Analyses included both 16S rRNA gene-based and culture-based approaches. We estimated that the emerald ash borer gut harbors 44, 71,...

μ-SRXRF characterization of Brazilian emeralds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curado, J F; Radtke, M; Buzamcn, G; Reinnolz, U; Riesemeier, H; Guttler, R A S; Kizzutto, M A

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study is to characterize emeralds from different mines of Brazil by using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence Microanalysis (μ-SRXRF). The advantage of this technique is that we can analyze a homogeneous, inclusion free area of the stone with the microbeam to distinguish the elemental fingerprint according to the provenance of the emerald. A total of 47 samples belonging to 5 different Brazilian mines were studied in this work and 28 elements were identified. By means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) it is possible to build different groups according to the provenance of the stones, which allows to assign samples of unknown origin to the according mine.

μ-SRXRF characterization of Brazilian emeralds

Science.gov (United States)

Curado, J. F.; Radtke, M.; Buzanich, G.; Reinholz, U.; Riesemeier, H.; Guttler, R. A. S.; Rizzutto, M. A.

2014-04-01

The aim of the present study is to characterize emeralds from different mines of Brazil by using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence Microanalysis (μ-SRXRF). The advantage of this technique is that we can analyze a homogeneous, inclusion free area of the stone with the microbeam to distinguish the elemental fingerprint according to the provenance of the emerald. A total of 47 samples belonging to 5 different Brazilian mines were studied in this work and 28 elements were identified. By means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) it is possible to build different groups according to the provenance of the stones, which allows to assign samples of unknown origin to the according mine.

Optical spectroscopy and high pressure on emeralds: synthetic and natural

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Alejo, M. A.; Hernández-Alcántara, J. M.; Flores Jiménez, C.; Calderón, T.; Murrieta S., H.; Camarillo García, E.

2011-09-01

Emerald, natural and synthetic, are the subject of study by means of optical spectroscopy techniques. Particularly, natural emeralds have been considered as a gemstone in jewelry not being so the synthetic ones. But, in general, the properties of these are very good for applications, for instance as a laser system, due to the impurities control. In this work a comparison between natural and synthetic emeralds is done. Chromium ions are the main responsible of the characteristic fascinating green color of these gemstones, entering in the crystals in octahedral sites. Absorption at room temperature show up two broad bands in the visible region and two narrow bands called the R-lines. That spectrum corresponds to trivalent chromium ions in an octahedral site, as it happens in ruby and alexandrite. On other hand, photoemission arises in the range 640-850 nm. at room temperature . It is shown that the luminescence spectra changes as the temperature is lowered. The effect on the main peak of luminescence when high pressure is applied on small samples of emerald shows as a linear function.

EMERALD: A Flexible Framework for Managing Seismic Data

Science.gov (United States)

West, J. D.; Fouch, M. J.; Arrowsmith, R.

2010-12-01

The seismological community is challenged by the vast quantity of new broadband seismic data provided by large-scale seismic arrays such as EarthScope’s USArray. While this bonanza of new data enables transformative scientific studies of the Earth’s interior, it also illuminates limitations in the methods used to prepare and preprocess those data. At a recent seismic data processing focus group workshop, many participants expressed the need for better systems to minimize the time and tedium spent on data preparation in order to increase the efficiency of scientific research. Another challenge related to data from all large-scale transportable seismic experiments is that there currently exists no system for discovering and tracking changes in station metadata. This critical information, such as station location, sensor orientation, instrument response, and clock timing data, may change over the life of an experiment and/or be subject to post-experiment correction. Yet nearly all researchers utilize metadata acquired with the downloaded data, even though subsequent metadata updates might alter or invalidate results produced with older metadata. A third long-standing issue for the seismic community is the lack of easily exchangeable seismic processing codes. This problem stems directly from the storage of seismic data as individual time series files, and the history of each researcher developing his or her preferred data file naming convention and directory organization. Because most processing codes rely on the underlying data organization structure, such codes are not easily exchanged between investigators. To address these issues, we are developing EMERALD (Explore, Manage, Edit, Reduce, & Analyze Large Datasets). The goal of the EMERALD project is to provide seismic researchers with a unified, user-friendly, extensible system for managing seismic event data, thereby increasing the efficiency of scientific enquiry. EMERALD stores seismic data and metadata in a

Guía de uso de la base de datos Emerald

OpenAIRE

Biblioteca de la Universidad de Málaga

2014-01-01

Guía de uso de la base de datos Emerald. Recoge publicaciones de diferentes áreas temáticas: Economía, Ciencias Sociales, Ingeniería, Biblioteconomía, etc. Guía de uso de la base de datos Emerald en PDF.

Pressure–Temperature–Fluid Constraints for the Poona Emerald Deposits, Western Australia: Fluid Inclusion and Stable Isotope Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Marshall

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Emerald from the deposits at Poona shows micrometre-scale chemical, optical, and cathodoluminescence zonation. This zonation, combined with fluid inclusion and isotope studies, indicates early emerald precipitation from a single-phase saline fluid of approximately 12 weight percent NaCl equivalent, over the temperature range of 335–525 °C and pressures ranging from 70 to 400 MPa. The large range in pressure and temperature likely reflects some post entrapment changes and re-equilibration of oxygen isotopes. Secondary emerald-hosted fluid inclusions indicate subsequent emerald precipitation from higher salinity fluids. Likewise, the δ18O-δD of channel fluids extracted from Poona emerald is consistent with multiple origins yielding both igneous and metamorphic signatures. The combined multiple generations of emerald precipitation, different fluid compositions, and the presence of both metamorphic and igneous fluids trapped in emerald, likely indicate a protracted history of emerald precipitation at Poona conforming to both an igneous and a metamorphic origin at various times during regional lower amphibolite to greenschist facies metamorphism over the period ~2710–2660 Ma.

Ash accumulation effects using bench marked 0-D model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, S.C.; Guo, J.P.; Miley, G.H.

1990-01-01

Ash accumulation is a key issue relative to our ability to achieve D- 3 He ARIES III burn conditions. 1-1/2-d transport simulations using the BALDUR code have been used to examine the correlation between the global ash particle confinement time and the edge exhaust (or recycling) efficiency. This provides a way to benchmark the widely used 0-D model. The burn conditions for an ARIES-III plasma with various ash edge recycling coefficients are examined

Modeling and Prediction of Coal Ash Fusion Temperature based on BP Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miao Suzhen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Coal ash is the residual generated from combustion of coal. The ash fusion temperature (AFT of coal gives detail information on the suitability of a coal source for gasification procedures, and specifically to which extent ash agglomeration or clinkering is likely to occur within the gasifier. To investigate the contribution of oxides in coal ash to AFT, data of coal ash chemical compositions and Softening Temperature (ST in different regions of China were collected in this work and a BP neural network model was established by XD-APC PLATFORM. In the BP model, the inputs were the ash compositions and the output was the ST. In addition, the ash fusion temperature prediction model was obtained by industrial data and the model was generalized by different industrial data. Compared to empirical formulas, the BP neural network obtained better results. By different tests, the best result and the best configurations for the model were obtained: hidden layer nodes of the BP network was setted as three, the component contents (SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO were used as inputs and ST was used as output of the model.

Improving volcanic ash predictions with the HYSPLIT dispersion model by assimilating MODIS satellite retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Tianfeng; Crawford, Alice; Stunder, Barbara; Pavolonis, Michael J.; Draxler, Roland; Stein, Ariel

2017-02-01

Currently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) runs the HYSPLIT dispersion model with a unit mass release rate to predict the transport and dispersion of volcanic ash. The model predictions provide information for the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC) to issue advisories to meteorological watch offices, area control centers, flight information centers, and others. This research aims to provide quantitative forecasts of ash distributions generated by objectively and optimally estimating the volcanic ash source strengths, vertical distribution, and temporal variations using an observation-modeling inversion technique. In this top-down approach, a cost functional is defined to quantify the differences between the model predictions and the satellite measurements of column-integrated ash concentrations weighted by the model and observation uncertainties. Minimizing this cost functional by adjusting the sources provides the volcanic ash emission estimates. As an example, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite retrievals of the 2008 Kasatochi volcanic ash clouds are used to test the HYSPLIT volcanic ash inverse system. Because the satellite retrievals include the ash cloud top height but not the bottom height, there are different model diagnostic choices for comparing the model results with the observed mass loadings. Three options are presented and tested. Although the emission estimates vary significantly with different options, the subsequent model predictions with the different release estimates all show decent skill when evaluated against the unassimilated satellite observations at later times. Among the three options, integrating over three model layers yields slightly better results than integrating from the surface up to the observed volcanic ash cloud top or using a single model layer. Inverse tests also show that including the ash-free region to constrain the model is not

Executive summary - Assessing the response of Emerald Lake, an alpine watershed in Sequoia National Park, California, to acidification during snowmelt using a simple hydrochemical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooper, R.P.; West, C.T.; Peters, N.E.

1990-01-01

A simple process-oriented model, called the Alpine Lake Forecaster (ALF), was constructed using data collected from the Integrated Watershed Study of Emerald Lake, Sequoia National Park, California. ALF is able to capture the basic solute patterns during snowmelt in this alpine catchment where groundwater is a minor contributor to streamflow. It includes an empirical representation of primary mineral weathering as the only alkalinity generating mechanism. During a heavy snow year, such as the one used for calibrating the model, the model accurately simulated the surface water chemical change in response to the initial ionic pulse from the snowpack and to the dilution that occurs at peak snowmelt. Because the model does not consider cation exchange, it over-predicts the acidification during the initial period of snowmelt, and therefore is a conservative predictor. However, the minimum alkalinity observed in the main inflows to Emerald Lake and in the lake outflow is accurately simulated by the model. The representation of the lake as simply a missing volume with no additional chemical reactions is supported by the observation. The model predicts a change of 2 to 5 microequiv/L in the minimum alkalinity of the lake outflow during snowmelt if the deposition would have to increase between two and 18 times the current load-alkalinity of the lake; the precise increase depends on hydrologic conditions and on the pattern of solute release from the snowpack. An acidic rainstorm that exhausted the alkalinity of the lake was observed during summer 1984 after the lake had stratified, and is the likely cause of the acidification of Emerald Lake

Advanced One-Dimensional Entrained-Flow Gasifier Model Considering Melting Phenomenon of Ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinsu Kim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A one-dimensional model is developed to represent the ash-melting phenomenon, which was not considered in the previous one-dimensional (1-D entrained-flow gasifier model. We include sensible heat of slag and the fusion heat of ash in the heat balance equation. To consider the melting of ash, we propose an algorithm that calculates the energy balance for three scenarios based on temperature. We also use the composition and the thermal properties of anorthite mineral to express ash. gPROMS for differential equations is used to solve this algorithm in a simulation; the results include coal conversion, gas composition, and temperature profile. Based on the Texaco pilot plant gasifier, we validate our model. Our results show good agreement with previous experimental data. We conclude that the sensible heat of slag and the fusion heat of ash must be included in the entrained flow gasifier model.

From Boston to the Balkans: Olmsted’s Emerald Legacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Luke

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article explores the legacy of landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted on modern cultural tourism policies. The author explains the involvement of Olmsted in the founding of Yosemite National Park, and describes the influence of this experience on his later work on the Emerald Necklace parks project in Boston. This became a model for natural and cultural corridors worldwide, including those in the Balkans and Turkey.

A Bayesian method to rank different model forecasts of the same volcanic ash cloud: Chapter 24

Science.gov (United States)

Denlinger, Roger P.; Webley, P.; Mastin, Larry G.; Schwaiger, Hans F.

2012-01-01

Volcanic eruptions often spew fine ash high into the atmosphere, where it is carried downwind, forming long ash clouds that disrupt air traffic and pose a hazard to air travel. To mitigate such hazards, the community studying ash hazards must assess risk of ash ingestion for any flight path and provide robust and accurate forecasts of volcanic ash dispersal. We provide a quantitative and objective method to evaluate the efficacy of ash dispersal estimates from different models, using Bayes theorem to assess the predictions that each model makes about ash dispersal. We incorporate model and measurement uncertainty and produce a posterior probability for model input parameters. The integral of the posterior over all possible combinations of model inputs determines the evidence for each model and is used to compare models. We compare two different types of transport models, an Eulerian model (Ash3d) and a Langrangian model (PUFF), as applied to the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland. The evidence for each model benefits from common physical characteristics of ash dispersal from an eruption column and provides a measure of how well each model forecasts cloud transport. Given the complexity of the wind fields, we find that the differences between these models depend upon the differences in the way the models disperse ash into the wind from the source plume. With continued observation, the accuracy of the estimates made by each model increases, increasing the efficacy of each model’s ability to simulate ash dispersal.

Chemical and boron isotopic composition of tourmaline from the Mariinsky emerald deposit, Central Urals, Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Baksheev, Ivan A.; Trumbull, Robert B.; Popov, Mikhail P.; Erokhin, Yuri V.; Kudryavtseva, Olesya E.; Yapaskurt, Vasily O.; Khiller, Vera V.; Vovna, Galina M.; Kiselev, Vladimir I.

2018-04-01

Tourmaline is abundant at the Mariinsky schist-hosted emerald deposit in the Central Urals, Russia, both in emerald-bearing phlogopite veins (type 1) and later, emerald-free pockets, lenses, and veinlets cutting the phlogopite veins (type 2). The Ca content in tourmaline is influenced by the host rocks (ultramafic and mafic rocks), associated minerals, and minerals crystallized before tourmaline (amphibole, fluorite, margarite). The Na concentration in tourmaline depends on the presence or absence of paragonite, and the association with micas also strongly influences the contents of Li, Zn, Ni, and Co in tourmaline. Type 1 tourmalines associated with phlogopite are relatively depleted in these elements, whereas type 2 tourmalines associated with margarite or paragonite are enriched. Some differences in isomorphic substitutions along with the trace element composition (Zn, V, Sr, Co, REE) may have value in exploration of emerald-bearing and emerald-free veins in schist-hosted emerald deposits. The δ11B values in tourmaline of all types fall in a narrow total range from -11.3 to -8.4‰. These values, combined with a mineralization temperature of 420-360 °C, yield an estimated δ11B fluid composition of -7.4 to -6.8‰ suggesting a mixed source of boron, likely dominated from the granitic rocks surrounding the emerald belt. The narrow range of B-isotope compositions in tourmaline from throughout the Mariinsky deposit suggests a well-mixed hydrothermal system.

Pressure-temperature-fluid constraints for the Emmaville-Torrington emerald deposit, New South Wales, Australia: Fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies

Science.gov (United States)

Loughrey, Lara; Marshall, Dan; Jones, Peter; Millsteed, Paul; Main, Arthur

2012-06-01

The Emmaville-Torrington emeralds were first discovered in 1890 in quartz veins hosted within a Permian metasedimentary sequence, consisting of meta-siltstones, slates and quartzites intruded by pegmatite and aplite veins from the Moule Granite. The emerald deposit genesis is consistent with a typical granite-related emerald vein system. Emeralds from these veins display colour zonation alternating between emerald and clear beryl. Two fluid inclusion types are identified: three-phase (brine+vapour+halite) and two-phase (vapour+liquid) fluid inclusions. Fluid inclusion studies indicate the emeralds were precipitated from saline fluids ranging from approximately 33 mass percent NaCl equivalent. Formational pressures and temperatures of 350 to 400 °C and approximately 150 to 250 bars were derived from fluid inclusion and petrographic studies that also indicate emerald and beryl precipitation respectively from the liquid and vapour portions of a two-phase (boiling) system. The distinct colour zonations observed in the emerald from these deposits is the first recorded emerald locality which shows evidence of colour variation as a function of boiling. The primary three-phase and primary two-phase FITs are consistent with alternating chromium-rich `striped' colour banding. Alternating emerald zones with colourless beryl are due to chromium and vanadium partitioning in the liquid portion of the boiling system. The chemical variations observed at Emmaville-Torrington are similar to other colour zoned emeralds from other localities worldwide likely precipitated from a boiling system as well.

Effects of Cr 3+ impurity concentration on the crystallography of synthetic emerald crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Pei-Lun; Huang, Eugene; Lee, Jan-Shing; Yu, Shu-Cheng

2011-06-01

Flux method has been adopted for the synthesis of emerald crystals using PbO-V 2O 5 as a flux in order to study the crystallography of the synthetic crystals. In general, the hue of green color of emerald deepens with the addition of Cr 3+. The molar volume of the synthesized crystals was found to increase with the incorporation of Cr 2O 3 dopant. The substitution of Cr 3+ for Al 3+ in the octahedral sites of beryl results in the expansion of a-axis, while c-axis remains nearly unchanged. The maximum Cr 2O 3-content allowed in the crystal lattice of emerald has been found to be about 3.5 wt%. When the doping Cr 2O 3-content exceeds 3.5 wt%, a significant anomaly in lattice parameters starts to take place, accompanying the precipitation of an unknown phase in the emerald matrix.

PIXE/PIGE characterisation of emeralds using an external micro-beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.; Poirot, J.-P.; Querre, G.; Salomon, J.; Zwaan, J.C.

2000-01-01

A large collection of emeralds of various occurrences has been analysed by PIXE/PIGE in view to establish a compositional database. Major elements (Be, Si, Al) and trace elements (Li, F, Na, Mg, Ca, Rb, Cs and transition metals) are determined using an external 3 MeV proton micro-beam. Elemental micro-mapping permits to select the useful provenance tracers. This database was applied to infer the origin of several ancient emeralds set on historical jewels

Early Reading Programs in High-Poverty Schools: Emerald Elementary Beats the Odds.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Charles; Adler, Martha A.

This report describes the early reading program in Emerald Elementary School, located in a Midwest urban fringe district. From 1996 through 1998, Emerald's students performed well above the district average or near the state average on reading achievement. During this period, the school had at least half of its students eligible for free or…

Development of an ash particle deposition model considering build-up and removal mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strandstroem, Kjell; Mueller, Christian; Hupa, Mikko [Aabo Akademi Process Chemistry Centre, Biskopsgatan 8, FI-20500 Aabo (Finland)

2007-12-15

Slagging and fouling on heat exchanger surfaces in power boilers fired with fossil fuels and fuel mixtures has a significant influence on boiler efficiency and availability. Mathematical modelling is since long considered a suitable method to assist boiler operators to determine optimized operating conditions for an existing furnace. The ultimate goal in ash deposition prediction is hereby the determination of the total amount of material deposited and hence the determination of the total reduction in efficiency. Depending on the fuels fired the total deposited mass is a combination of ash particle deposition and ash particle erosion due to non-sticky particles. The novel ash particle deposition model presented in this work considers deposition of sticky ash particles, cleansing of deposit by non-sticky sand particles and sticking of sand due to contact with sticky ash. The steady-state modelling results for the total amount of ash deposited on the deposition probe of an entrained flow reactor presented in this work agree well with the experimental data. Only at very high fractions of sand added as non-sticky material, a significant influence of the sand on the overall mass deposited was found. Since the model considers sticking of non-sticking sand due to contact with sticky ash, the fraction of sand deposited on the probe was especially studied. Using a correction factor to consider the influence of operating time on the steady-state simulations led to good agreement between simulations and experimental data. (author)

Development of an ash particle deposition model considering build-up and removal mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kjell Strandstroem; Christian Muellera; Mikko Hupa [Abo Akademi Process Chemistry Centre, Abo (Finland)

2007-12-15

Slagging and fouling on heat exchanger surfaces in power boilers fired with fossil fuels and fuel mixtures has a significant influence on boiler efficiency and availability. Mathematical modelling has long been considered a suitable method to assist boiler operators to determine optimized operating conditions for an existing furnace. The ultimate goal in ash deposition prediction is hereby the determination of the total amount of material deposited and hence the determination of the total reduction in efficiency. Depending on the fuels fired the total deposited mass is a combination of ash particle deposition and ash particle erosion due to non-sticky particles. The novel ash particle deposition model presented in this work considers deposition of sticky ash particles, cleansing of deposit by non-sticky sand particles and sticking of sand due to contact with sticky ash. The steady-state modelling results for the total amount of ash deposited on the deposition probe of an entrained flow reactor presented in this work agree well with the experimental data. Only at very high fractions of sand added as non-sticky material, a significant influence of the sand on the overall mass deposited was found. Since the model considers sticking of non-sticking sand due to contact with sticky ash, the fraction of sand deposited on the probe was especially studied. Using a correction factor to consider the influence of operating time on the steady-state simulations led to good agreement between simulations and experimental data. 12 refs., 10 figs.

Holocene glacier fluctuations inferred from lacustrine sediment, Emerald Lake, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

LaBrecque, Taylor S.; Kaufman, Darrell S.

2016-01-01

Physical and biological characteristics of lacustrine sediment from Emerald Lake were used to reconstruct the Holocene glacier history of Grewingk Glacier, southern Alaska. Emerald Lake is an ice-marginal threshold lake, receiving glaciofluvial sediment when Grewingk Glacier overtops the topographic divide that separates it from the lake. Sub-bottom acoustical profiles were used to locate core sites to maximize both the length and resolution of the sedimentary sequence recovered in the 4-m-long cores. The age model for the composite sequence is based on 13 14C ages and a 210Pb profile. A sharp transition from the basal inorganic mud to organic-rich mud at 11.4 ± 0.2 ka marks the initial retreat of Grewingk Glacier below the divide of Emerald Lake. The overlaying organic-rich mud is interrupted by stony mud that records a re-advance between 10.7 ± 0.2 and 9.8 ± 0.2 ka. The glacier did not spill meltwater into the lake again until the Little Ice Age, consistent with previously documented Little Ice Ages advances on the Kenai Peninsula. The retreat of Grewingk Glacier at 11.4 ka took place as temperature increased following the Younger Dryas, and the subsequent re-advance corresponds with a climate reversal beginning around 11 ka across southern Alaska.

Deposition behaviour of model biofuel ash in mixtures with quartz sand. Part 1: Experimental data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mischa Theis; Christian Mueller; Bengt-Johan Skrifvars; Mikko Hupa; Honghi Tran [Aabo Akademi Process Chemistry Centre, Aabo (Finland). Combustion and Materials Chemistry

2006-10-15

Model biofuel ash of well-defined size and melting properties was fed into an entrained flow reactor (EFR) to simulate the deposition behaviour of commercially applied biofuel mixtures in large-scale boilers. The aim was to obtain consistent experimental data that can be used for validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based deposition models. The results showed that while up to 80 wt% of the feed was lost to the EFR wall, the composition of the model ash particles collected at the reactor exit did not change. When model ashes were fed into the reactor individually, the ash particles were found to be sticky when they contained more than 15 wt% molten phase. When model ashes were fed in mixtures with silica sand, it was found that only a small amount of sand particles was captured in the deposits; the majority rebounded upon impact. The presence of sand in the feed mixture reduced the deposit buildup by more than could be expected from linear interpolation between the model ash and the sand. The results suggested that sand addition to model ash may prevent deposit buildup through erosion. 22 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

Application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to the identification of emeralds from different synthetic processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrosì, G.; Tempesta, G.; Scandale, E.; Legnaioli, S.; Lorenzetti, G.; Pagnotta, S.; Palleschi, V.; Mangone, A.; Lezzerini, M.

2014-01-01

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy can provide a useful contribution in mineralogical field in which the quantitative chemical analyses (including the evaluation of light elements) can play a key role in the studies on the origin of the emeralds. In particular, the chemical analyses permit to determine those trace elements, known as fingerprints, that can be useful to study their provenance. This technique, not requiring sample preparation results particularly suitable for gemstones, that obviously must be studied in a non-destructive way. In this paper, the LIBS technique was applied to distinguish synthetic emeralds grown by Biron hydrothermal method from those grown by Chatham flux method. The analyses performed by collinear double-pulse LIBS give a signal enhancement useful for the quantitative chemical analyses while guaranteeing a minimal sample damage. In this way it was obtained a considerable improvement on the detection limit of the trace elements, whose determination is essential for determining the origin of emerald gemstone. The trace elements V, Cr, and Fe and their relative amounts allowed the correct attribution of the manufacturer. Two different methods for quantitative analyses were used for this study: the standard Calibration-Free LIBS (CF-LIBS) method and its recent evolution, the One Point Calibration LIBS (OPC-LIBS). This is the first approach to the evaluation of the emerald origin by means of the LIBS technique. - Highlights: • A LIBS method for discrimination between synthetic emeralds is presented. • Only one standard of known composition is needed for the analysis. • A set of two kind of synthetic emeralds has been analyzed. • The cromophoric elements Cr, V and Fe amounts have been used to determine the origin of emerald gemstone

Application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to the identification of emeralds from different synthetic processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agrosì, G. [Department of Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, University of Bari, Bari (Italy); Tempesta, G., E-mail: gioacchino.tempesta@uniba.it [Department of Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, University of Bari, Bari (Italy); Scandale, E. [Department of Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, University of Bari, Bari (Italy); Legnaioli, S.; Lorenzetti, G.; Pagnotta, S.; Palleschi, V. [Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds, CNR, Pisa (Italy); Mangone, A. [Department of Chemistry, University of Bari, Bari (Italy); Lezzerini, M. [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa (Italy)

2014-12-01

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy can provide a useful contribution in mineralogical field in which the quantitative chemical analyses (including the evaluation of light elements) can play a key role in the studies on the origin of the emeralds. In particular, the chemical analyses permit to determine those trace elements, known as fingerprints, that can be useful to study their provenance. This technique, not requiring sample preparation results particularly suitable for gemstones, that obviously must be studied in a non-destructive way. In this paper, the LIBS technique was applied to distinguish synthetic emeralds grown by Biron hydrothermal method from those grown by Chatham flux method. The analyses performed by collinear double-pulse LIBS give a signal enhancement useful for the quantitative chemical analyses while guaranteeing a minimal sample damage. In this way it was obtained a considerable improvement on the detection limit of the trace elements, whose determination is essential for determining the origin of emerald gemstone. The trace elements V, Cr, and Fe and their relative amounts allowed the correct attribution of the manufacturer. Two different methods for quantitative analyses were used for this study: the standard Calibration-Free LIBS (CF-LIBS) method and its recent evolution, the One Point Calibration LIBS (OPC-LIBS). This is the first approach to the evaluation of the emerald origin by means of the LIBS technique. - Highlights: • A LIBS method for discrimination between synthetic emeralds is presented. • Only one standard of known composition is needed for the analysis. • A set of two kind of synthetic emeralds has been analyzed. • The cromophoric elements Cr, V and Fe amounts have been used to determine the origin of emerald gemstone.

77 FR 15600 - Special Local Regulation; Emerald Coast Super Boat Grand Prix; Saint Andrew Bay; Panama City, FL

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-16

...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Emerald Coast Super Boat Grand Prix; Saint Andrew Bay; Panama City, FL... navigable waters during the Emerald Coast Super Boat Grand Prix high speed boat races. Entry into... needed to safeguard persons and vessels from safety hazards associated with the Emerald Coast Super Boat...

MAFALDA: An early warning modeling tool to forecast volcanic ash dispersal and deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Barsotti, S.; Nannipieri, L.; Neri, A.

2008-12-01

Forecasting the dispersal of ash from explosive volcanoes is a scientific challenge to modern volcanology. It also represents a fundamental step in mitigating the potential impact of volcanic ash on urban areas and transport routes near explosive volcanoes. To this end we developed a Web-based early warning modeling tool named MAFALDA (Modeling and Forecasting Ash Loading and Dispersal in the Atmosphere) able to quantitatively forecast ash concentrations in the air and on the ground. The main features of MAFALDA are the usage of (1) a dispersal model, named VOL-CALPUFF, that couples the column ascent phase with the ash cloud transport and (2) high-resolution weather forecasting data, the capability to run and merge multiple scenarios, and the Web-based structure of the procedure that makes it suitable as an early warning tool. MAFALDA produces plots for a detailed analysis of ash cloud dynamics and ground deposition, as well as synthetic 2-D maps of areas potentially affected by dangerous concentrations of ash. A first application of MAFALDA to the long-lasting weak plumes produced at Mt. Etna (Italy) is presented. A similar tool can be useful to civil protection authorities and volcanic observatories in reducing the impact of the eruptive events. MAFALDA can be accessed at http://mafalda.pi.ingv.it.

Stochastic Modelling of the Hydraulic Anisotropy of Ash Impoundment Sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Slávik, Ivan

2017-12-01

In the case reported here the impoundments of a 400 MW coal heated power plant with an annual production of about 1.5 million tons of fuel ash are of the cross-valley type, operated by the simple and cheap „upstream method”. The aim of the research was to determine overall and local values of the permeability in horizontal as well as in vertical direction and the anisotropy of the thin-layered sedimented ash. The coal ashes are hydraulically transported through pipelines in form of a slurry and periodically floated on the beach of the impoundment. The ashes are deposited in the form of a thin-layered sediment, with random alternation of layers with a coarser or finer granularity. The ash impoundment sediment is anthropogenic sediment with horizontally laminated texture. Therefore, the sediment is anisotropic from the viewpoint of water seepage. The knowledge of the permeability and the seepage anisotropy of the sediment is a basic requirement for the design of an appropriate dewatering system. The seepage anisotropy of the ash sediment has been checked by means of stochastic modelling, based on the correlation between the effective grain diameter and the coefficient of permeability of the ash: the effective grain diameter and the thickness of individual layers have been proposed to be random events.

Pilot implementation of training modules of the EMERALD program in Brazil; Implementacao piloto de modulos de treinamento do programa EMERALD no Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Paulo R.; Yoshimura, Elisabeth M.; Okuno, Emico; Nersissian, Denise Y. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Intituto de Fisica. Departamento de Energia Nuclear; Tabakov, Slavik [Dept. Medical Engineering and Physics, King' s College, London (United Kingdom); Terini, Ricardo A., E-mail: pcosta@if.usp.br [Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo (PUCSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Fisica

2014-04-15

A research cooperation program was established between the Institute of Physics of the University of Sao Paulo and the King's College of London to conduct the translation to Portuguese language, adaptation and update of the X-Ray Diagnostic Radiology training module of the Emerald Program (www.emerald2.eu/cd/Emerald2/). The Emerald Program teaching material in X-Ray Diagnostic Radiology is divided in ten topics covering the basics of Diagnostic Radiology, Quality Control and Radiation Protection. The referred work, besides the translation of the texts into Portuguese, comprised the review of the previously produced material. During the review process, it was decided to update some of the training tasks and add more information related to current topics, such as digital X-ray imaging modalities, multislice computed tomography and tomosynthesis. These new additions will also be available in English. The translated or written texts have been submitted to a cross-reviewing process by the co-authors in order to standardize the language. Moreover, national radiological protection recommendations were included to assist the users of the teaching material with the Brazilian rules of radiation safety and quality control in X-ray medical applications. Part of the material was submitted to a validation and also to a practical assessment process by means of a critical analysis by experts in Medical Physics education during a workshop held in Sao Paulo in March 2014. Finally, a pilot implementation has been organized in order to do the last adjustments before making the material available to other users in Portuguese language. Further assessment and feedback procedures were planned in both London and Sao Paulo, aiming to evaluate and disseminate the final product. (author)

Effects of Temperature and Photoperiod on the Reproductive Biology and Diapause of Oobius agrili (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), an Egg Parasitoid of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Hoban, J; Duan, J J; Hough-Goldstein, J

2016-04-25

Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a solitary egg parasitoid of the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and has been introduced to the United States for classical biological control. We characterized the weekly survivorship, fecundity, and diapause patterns of both diapaused and nondiapaused populations of O. agrili under four different temperature-photophase combinations: 30°C (warm) and 20°C (cold) temperatures with both long-day (16 h) and short-day (8 h) photophase. Results of this study showed that regardless of the length of photophase, parental parasitoids of both diapaused and nondiapaused O. agrili survived significantly longer at 20°C than at 30°C. Both populations also laid their eggs faster at 30°C compared with those at 20°C. Higher proportions of the progeny produced by both populations of O. agrili were induced into diapause by short-day (8 h) photophase, regardless of rearing temperature. In addition, the diapaused parasitoids in the short-day photophase treatment at both warm and cold temperatures produced increasing proportions of diapaused progeny over time, whereas no significant differences were observed in the proportions of diapaused progeny by the nondiapaused parasitoids over different sampling times. These findings suggest that O. agrili should be continuously reared under warm temperature and long-day photoperiod (to avoid diapause for increased reproduction). In addition, we recommend that diapaused adults be used for field releases in early summer when temperatures are still relatively low (∼20°C) and host eggs are available so that they can produce multiple generations prior to overwintering. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

76 FR 5679 - Emerald Ash Borer; Addition of Quarantined Areas in Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-02

... potentially affected industries deal in ash products. List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 301 Agricultural... interim rule that amended 7 CFR part 301 and that was published at 75 FR 29189 on May 25, 2010. Done in...

VIDENTE 1.1: a graphical user interface and decision support system for stochastic modelling of water table fluctuations at a single location; includes documentation of the programs KALMAX, KALTFN, SSD and EMERALD and introductions to stochastic modelling; 2nd rev. ed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bierkens, M.F.P.; Bron, W.A.; Knotters, M.

2002-01-01

A description is given of the program VIDENTE. VIDENTE contains a decision support system to choose between different models for stochastic modelling of water-table depths and a graphical user interface to facilitate operating and running four implemented models: KALMAX, KALTFN, SSD and EMERALD. In

Use of the extraction residue of emeralds in a formulation mass of ceramic tiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalcante, R. F.; Nascimento, R.M.; Paskocimas, C.A.; Dutra, R.P.S.

2012-01-01

Companies involved in mining and beneficiation of emerald represent an important area of industrial development in Brazil, with a significant contribution to world production of this ore. As a result, large volumes of waste generated and emerald are constantly abandoned in the environment, contributing negatively to their preservation. On the other hand the interest in the use of mining waste as an additive in production of ceramic materials has grown among researchers in recent years. The ceramic industry is constantly seeking to expand the market for the sector and trying to improve product quality and increase the variety of applications. The technology of obtaining ceramic coating that uses waste from mining is still a largely unexplored market. Thus, the purpose of this study was to characterize the waste generated from mining emerald as well as to evaluate its potential use as raw material for production melting of ceramic tiles. Ceramic mixtures were prepared from raw materials characterized by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Five compositions were prepared using the waste codes of emeralds from 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. Samples were prepared by pressing, sintered at 1000, 1100 and 1200 deg C and characterized to establish their mineralogical composition, water absorption, linear shrinkage and modulus of rupture. The results showed that the residue of emeralds studied can be embedded in the mass of ceramic tiles up to 20% in replacement of feldspar without compromising the end product properties. (author)

Modeling of reactive chemical transport of leachates from a utility fly-ash disposal site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apps, J.A.; Zhu, M.; Kitanidis, P.K.; Freyberg, D.L.; Ronan, A.D.; Itakagi, S.

1991-04-01

Fly ash from fossil-fuel power plants is commonly slurried and pumped to disposal sites. The utility industry is interested in finding out whether any hazardous constituents might leach from the accumulated fly ash and contaminate ground and surface waters. To evaluate the significance of this problem, a representative site was selected for modeling. FASTCHEM, a computer code developed for the Electric Power Research Institute, was utilized for the simulation of the transport and fate of the fly-ash leachate. The chemical evolution of the leachate was modeled as it migrated along streamtubes defined by the flow model. The modeling predicts that most of the leachate seeps through the dam confining the ash pond. With the exception of ferrous, manganous, sulfate and small amounts of nickel ions, all other dissolved constituents are predicted to discharge at environmentally acceptable concentrations

MODIS volcanic ash retrievals vs FALL3D transport model: a quantitative comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Corradini, S.; Merucci, L.; Folch, A.

2010-12-01

Satellite retrievals and transport models represents the key tools to monitor the volcanic clouds evolution. Because of the harming effects of fine ash particles on aircrafts, the real-time tracking and forecasting of volcanic clouds is key for aviation safety. Together with the security reasons also the economical consequences of a disruption of airports must be taken into account. The airport closures due to the recent Icelandic Eyjafjöll eruption caused millions of passengers to be stranded not only in Europe, but across the world. IATA (the International Air Transport Association) estimates that the worldwide airline industry has lost a total of about 2.5 billion of Euro during the disruption. Both security and economical issues require reliable and robust ash cloud retrievals and trajectory forecasting. The intercomparison between remote sensing and modeling is required to assure precise and reliable volcanic ash products. In this work we perform a quantitative comparison between Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrievals of volcanic ash cloud mass and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) with the FALL3D ash dispersal model. MODIS, aboard the NASA-Terra and NASA-Aqua polar satellites, is a multispectral instrument with 36 spectral bands operating in the VIS-TIR spectral range and spatial resolution varying between 250 and 1000 m at nadir. The MODIS channels centered around 11 and 12 micron have been used for the ash retrievals through the Brightness Temperature Difference algorithm and MODTRAN simulations. FALL3D is a 3-D time-dependent Eulerian model for the transport and deposition of volcanic particles that outputs, among other variables, cloud column mass and AOD. Three MODIS images collected the October 28, 29 and 30 on Mt. Etna volcano during the 2002 eruption have been considered as test cases. The results show a general good agreement between the retrieved and the modeled volcanic clouds in the first 300 km from the vents. Even if the

The relation between pre-eruptive bubble size distribution, ash particle morphology, and their internal density: Implications to volcanic ash transport and dispersion models

Science.gov (United States)

Proussevitch, Alexander

2014-05-01

Parameterization of volcanic ash transport and dispersion (VATD) models strongly depends on particle morphology and their internal properties. Shape of ash particles affects terminal fall velocities (TFV) and, mostly, dispersion. Internal density combined with particle size has a very strong impact on TFV and ultimately on the rate of ash cloud thinning and particle sedimentation on the ground. Unlike other parameters, internal particle density cannot be measured directly because of the micron scale sizes of fine ash particles, but we demonstrate that it varies greatly depending on the particle size. Small simple type ash particles (fragments of bubble walls, 5-20 micron size) do not contain whole large magmatic bubbles inside and their internal density is almost the same as that of volcanic glass matrix. On the other side, the larger compound type ash particles (>40 microns for silicic fine ashes) always contain some bubbles or the whole spectra of bubble size distribution (BSD), i.e. bubbles of all sizes, bringing their internal density down as compared to simple ash. So, density of the larger ash particles is a function of the void fraction inside them (magmatic bubbles) which, in turn, is controlled by BSD. Volcanic ash is a product of the fragmentation of magmatic foam formed by pre-eruptive bubble population and characterized by BSD. The latter can now be measured from bubble imprints on ash particle surfaces using stereo-scanning electron microscopy (SSEM) and BubbleMaker software developed at UNH, or using traditional high-resolution X-Ray tomography. In this work we present the mathematical and statistical formulation for this problem connecting internal ash density with particle size and BSD, and demonstrate how the TFV of the ash population is affected by variation of particle density.

VIDENTE: a graphical user interface and decision support system for stochastic modelling of water table fluctuations at a single location; includes documentation of the programs KALMAX, KALTFN, SSD and EMERALD and introductions to stochastic modellin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bierkens, M.F.P.; Bron, W.A.

2000-01-01

The VIDENTE program contains a decision support system (DSS) to choose between different models for stochastic modelling of water-table depths, and a graphical user interface to facilitate operating and running four implemented models: KALMAX, KALTFN,SSDS and EMERALD. In self-contained parts each of

GPU Computing Gems Emerald Edition

CERN Document Server

Hwu, Wen-mei W

2011-01-01

".the perfect companion to Programming Massively Parallel Processors by Hwu & Kirk." -Nicolas Pinto, Research Scientist at Harvard & MIT, NVIDIA Fellow 2009-2010 Graphics processing units (GPUs) can do much more than render graphics. Scientists and researchers increasingly look to GPUs to improve the efficiency and performance of computationally-intensive experiments across a range of disciplines. GPU Computing Gems: Emerald Edition brings their techniques to you, showcasing GPU-based solutions including: Black hole simulations with CUDA GPU-accelerated computation and interactive display of

Predicting the co-melting temperatures of municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash and sewage sludge ash using grey model and neural network.

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Tzu-Yi; Lin, Kae-Long; Shie, Je-Lung; Chang, Tien-Chin; Chen, Bor-Yann

2011-03-01

A grey model (GM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) were employed to predict co-melting temperature of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash and sewage sludge ash (SSA) during formation of modified slag. The results indicated that in the aspect of model prediction, the mean absolute percentage error (MAPEs) were between 1.69 and 13.20% when adopting seven different GM (1, N) models. The MAPE were 1.59 and 1.31% when GM (1, 1) and rolling grey model (RGM (1, 1)) were adopted. The MAPEs fell within the range of 0.04 and 0.50% using different types of ANN. In GMs, the MAPE of 1.31% was found to be the lowest when using RGM (1, 1) to predict co-melting temperature. This value was higher than those of ANN2-1 to ANN8-1 by 1.27, 1.25, 1.24, 1.18, 1.16, 1.14 and 0.81%, respectively. GM only required a small amount of data (at least four data). Therefore, GM could be applied successfully in predicting the co-melting temperature of MSWI fly ash and SSA when no sufficient information is available. It also indicates that both the composition of MSWI fly ash and SSA could be applied on the prediction of co-melting temperature.

Determination of time- and height-resolved volcanic ash emissions and their use for quantitative ash dispersion modeling: the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Stohl

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The April–May, 2010 volcanic eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland caused significant economic and social disruption in Europe whilst state of the art measurements and ash dispersion forecasts were heavily criticized by the aviation industry. Here we demonstrate for the first time that large improvements can be made in quantitative predictions of the fate of volcanic ash emissions, by using an inversion scheme that couples a priori source information and the output of a Lagrangian dispersion model with satellite data to estimate the volcanic ash source strength as a function of altitude and time. From the inversion, we obtain a total fine ash emission of the eruption of 8.3 ± 4.2 Tg for particles in the size range of 2.8–28 μm diameter. We evaluate the results of our model results with a posteriori ash emissions using independent ground-based, airborne and space-borne measurements both in case studies and statistically. Subsequently, we estimate the area over Europe affected by volcanic ash above certain concentration thresholds relevant for the aviation industry. We find that during three episodes in April and May, volcanic ash concentrations at some altitude in the atmosphere exceeded the limits for the "Normal" flying zone in up to 14 % (6–16 %, 2 % (1–3 % and 7 % (4–11 %, respectively, of the European area. For a limit of 2 mg m⁻³ only two episodes with fractions of 1.5 % (0.2–2.8 % and 0.9 % (0.1–1.6 % occurred, while the current "No-Fly" zone criterion of 4 mg m⁻³ was rarely exceeded. Our results have important ramifications for determining air space closures and for real-time quantitative estimations of ash concentrations. Furthermore, the general nature of our method yields better constraints on the distribution and fate of volcanic ash in the Earth system.

Geochemical modeling and assessment of leaching from carbonated municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Chen, Qi; Jamro, Imtiaz Ali; Li, Rundong; Li, Yanlong; Li, Shaobai; Luan, Jingde

2016-06-01

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ashes are characterized by high calcium oxide (CaO) content. Carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption by MSWI fly ash was discussed based on thermogravimetry (TG)/differential thermal analysis (DTA), minerology analysis, and adapting the Stenoir equation. TG/DTA analysis showed that the weight gain of the fly ash below 440 °C was as high as 5.70 %. An adapted Stenoir equation for MSWI fly ash was discussed. The chloride in MSWI fly ash has a major impact on CO2 adsorption by MSWI fly ash or air pollution control (APC) residues. Geochemical modeling of the critical trace elements copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and antimony (Sb) before and after carbonation was performed using a thermodynamic equilibrium model for solubility and a surface complexation model for metal sorption. Leaching of critical trace elements was generally found to be strongly dependent on the degree of carbonation attained, and their solubility appeared to be controlled by several minerals. Adsorption on ferrum (Fe) and aluminum (Al) colloids was also responsible for removal of the trace elements Cd, Pb, and Sb. We used Hakanson's potential ecological risk index (HPERI) to evaluate the risk of trace element leaching in general. The results demonstrate that the ecological risk showed a V-shaped dependency on pH; the optimum pH of the carbonated fly ash was found to be 10.3-11, resulting from the optimum carbonation (liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio = 0.25, carbonation duration = ∼30-48 h). The dataset and modeling results presented here provide a contribution to assessing the leaching behavior of MSWI fly ash under a wide range of conditions.

Cross amplification of 15 SSR markers in the genus Fraxinus

Science.gov (United States)

Andrea G. Noakes; Teodora Best; Margaret E. Stanton; Jennifer Koch; Jeanne Romero-Severson

2014-01-01

Ash (Fraxinus, Oleaceae) species occur on most continents, within a wide range of forest tree communities. Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), introduced into the U.S. from Asia in the late twentieth century, has caused widespread mortality, primarily in green ash, Fraxinus...

Sulfur retention by ash during coal combustion. Part I. A model of char particle combustion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BORISLAV GRUBOR

2003-02-01

Full Text Available A model for the combustion of porous char particles as a basis for modeling the process of sulfur retention by ash during coal combustion is developed in this paper. The model belongs to the microscopic intrinsic models and describes the dynamic behavior of a porous char particle during comustion, taking into account temporal and spatial changes of all important physical properties of the char particle and various combustion parameters. The parametric analysis of the enhanced model shows that the model represents a good basis for the development of a model for the process of sulfur retention by ash during coal combustion. The model enables the prediction of the values of all parameters necessary for the introduction of reactions between sulfur compounds and mineral components in ash, primarily calcium oxide.

Ash cloud aviation advisories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T.J.; Ellis, J.S. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Schalk, W.W.; Nasstrom, J.S. [EG and G, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (United States)

1992-06-25

During the recent (12--22 June 1991) Mount Pinatubo volcano eruptions, the US Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC) requested assistance of the US Department of Energy`s Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) in creating volcanic ash cloud aviation advisories for the region of the Philippine Islands. Through application of its three-dimensional material transport and diffusion models using AFGWC meteorological analysis and forecast wind fields ARAC developed extensive analysis and 12-hourly forecast ash cloud position advisories extending to 48 hours for a period of five days. The advisories consisted of ``relative`` ash cloud concentrations in ten layers (surface-5,000 feet, 5,000--10,000 feet and every 10,000 feet to 90,000 feet). The ash was represented as a log-normal size distribution of 10--200 {mu}m diameter solid particles. Size-dependent ``ashfall`` was simulated over time as the eruption clouds dispersed. Except for an internal experimental attempt to model one of the Mount Redoubt, Alaska, eruptions (12/89), ARAC had no prior experience in modeling volcanic eruption ash hazards. For the cataclysmic eruption of 15--16 June, the complex three-dimensional atmospheric structure of the region produced dramatically divergent ash cloud patterns. The large eruptions (> 7--10 km) produced ash plume clouds with strong westward transport over the South China Sea, Southeast Asia, India and beyond. The low-level eruptions (< 7 km) and quasi-steady-state venting produced a plume which generally dispersed to the north and east throughout the support period. Modeling the sequence of eruptions presented a unique challenge. Although the initial approach proved viable, further refinement is necessary and possible. A distinct need exists to quantify eruptions consistently such that ``relative`` ash concentrations relate to specific aviation hazard categories.

Pilot implementation of training modules of the EMERALD program in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Paulo R.; Yoshimura, Elisabeth M.; Okuno, Emico; Nersissian, Denise Y.; Terini, Ricardo A.

2014-01-01

A research cooperation program was established between the Institute of Physics of the University of Sao Paulo and the King's College of London to conduct the translation to Portuguese language, adaptation and update of the X-Ray Diagnostic Radiology training module of the Emerald Program (www.emerald2.eu/cd/Emerald2/). The Emerald Program teaching material in X-Ray Diagnostic Radiology is divided in ten topics covering the basics of Diagnostic Radiology, Quality Control and Radiation Protection. The referred work, besides the translation of the texts into Portuguese, comprised the review of the previously produced material. During the review process, it was decided to update some of the training tasks and add more information related to current topics, such as digital X-ray imaging modalities, multislice computed tomography and tomosynthesis. These new additions will also be available in English. The translated or written texts have been submitted to a cross-reviewing process by the co-authors in order to standardize the language. Moreover, national radiological protection recommendations were included to assist the users of the teaching material with the Brazilian rules of radiation safety and quality control in X-ray medical applications. Part of the material was submitted to a validation and also to a practical assessment process by means of a critical analysis by experts in Medical Physics education during a workshop held in Sao Paulo in March 2014. Finally, a pilot implementation has been organized in order to do the last adjustments before making the material available to other users in Portuguese language. Further assessment and feedback procedures were planned in both London and Sao Paulo, aiming to evaluate and disseminate the final product. (author)

FALL3D: A computational model for transport and deposition of volcanic ash

Science.gov (United States)

Folch, A.; Costa, A.; Macedonio, G.

2009-06-01

FALL3D is a 3-D time-dependent Eulerian model for the transport and deposition of volcanic ashes and lapilli. The model solves the advection-diffusion-sedimentation (ADS) equation on a structured terrain-following grid using a second-order finite differences (FD) explicit scheme. Different parameterizations for the eddy diffusivity tensor and for the particle terminal settling velocities can be used. The code, written in FORTRAN 90, is available in both serial and parallel versions for Windows and Unix/Linux/Mac X operating systems (OS). A series of pre- and post-process utility programs and OS-dependent scripts to launch them are also included in the FALL3D distribution package. Although the model has been designed to forecast volcanic ash concentration in the atmosphere and ash loading at ground, it can also be used to model the transport of any kind of airborne solid particles. The model inputs are meteorological data, topography, grain-size distribution, shape and density of particles, and mass rate of particle injected into the atmosphere. Optionally, FALL3D can be coupled with the output of the meteorological processor CALMET, a diagnostic model which generates 3-D time-dependent zero-divergence wind fields from mesoscale forecasts incorporating local terrain effects. The FALL3D model can be a tool for short-term ash deposition forecasting and for volcanic fallout hazard assessment. As an example, an application to the 22 July 1998 Etna eruption is also presented.

Natural infections of Beauveria bassiana in Agrilus planipennis populations in Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Louela A. Castrillo; Leah S. Bauer; Houping Liu; Michael H. Griggs; John D. Vandenberg

2009-01-01

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), is an invasive pest from Asia posing a serious threat to ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Beetles have a 1- or 2...

Using XAFS, EDAX and AFM in comparative study of various natural and synthetic emeralds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parikh, P.; Saini, N.L.; Dalela, S.; Bhardwaj, D.M.; Fernandes, S.; Gupta, R.P.; Garg, K.B.

2003-01-01

We have performed XAFS, EDAX and AFM studies on some natural and synthetic emeralds. While the XAFS results yield information on changes in the valence of the Cr ion and the n-n distance the AFM is used to determine the areal atomic density on surface of the crystals. It is a pilot study to explore if the three techniques can offer a possible way of distinguishing between the natural and synthetic emeralds and the results are promising

EMERALD - Vocational training in medical radiation physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, C.A.; Tabakov, S.D.; Roberts, V.C.

2000-01-01

EMERALD (European MEdiation RAdiation Learning Development) is a project funded by the European Union under the Leonardo da Vinci programme. It involves a collaboration between Universities and Hospitals from the UK, Sweden, Italy and Portugal. The aim of the EMERALD project is to develop and deliver three common transnational vocational training modules in Medical Radiation Physics in the specific areas of Diagnostic Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy. These modules are intended to be used in the training programme for young professionals involved in medical radiation physics. Each module is developed from a series of competencies. The competencies are acquired by undertaking practical tasks described in a workbook given to each trainee. Once the task has been completed the trainee discusses the results and observations with his supervisor to ensure that the appropriate competency has been achieved. In addition to the workbook, each trainee receives a CD-ROM containing a series of images to help describe each task. The workbooks for each subject area have been completed and students from Sweden have undertaken Diagnostic Radiology training in the United Kingdom using this approach. The project is now entering the next phase; to develop a multimedia version of the workbook. (author)

Forest Health Management and Detection of Invasive Forest Insects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaelyn Finley

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this review paper are to provide an overview of issues related to forest health and forest entomology, explain existing methods for forest insect pest detection, and provide background information on a case study of emerald ash borer. Early detection of potentially invasive insect species is a key aspect of preventing these species from causing damage. Invasion management efforts are typically more feasible and efficient if they are applied as early as possible. Two proposed approaches for detection are highlighted and include dendroentomology and near infrared spectroscopy (NIR. Dendroentomology utilizes tree ring principles to identify the years of outbreak and the dynamics of past insect herbivory on trees. NIR has been successfully used for assessing various forest health concerns (primarily hyperspectral imaging and decay in trees. Emerald ash borer (EAB (Agrilus planipennis, is a non-native beetle responsible for widespread mortality of several North American ash species (Fraxinus sp.. Current non-destructive methods for early detection of EAB in specific trees are limited, which restricts the effectiveness of management efforts. Ongoing research efforts are focused on developing methods for early detection of emerald ash borer.

Azadirachtin: an effective systemic insecticide for control of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, Nicole; Helson, Blair; Thompson, Dean; Otis, Gard; McFarlane, John; Buscarini, Teresa; Meating, Joe

2010-06-01

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive pest discovered in North America in 2002, is now well established and threatens ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees throughout the continent. Experiments were conducted to 1) examine the efficacy of an alternative natural pesticide, azadirachtin, to control emerald ash borer, and 2) determine foliar uptake and dissipation patterns after systemic injections of azadirachtin into trunks of small (2.2 cm diameter at breast height [dbh]), uninfested green ash trees. We found no evidence of mortality of adult beetles. In contrast, fewer larvae completed their development at dose levels > or = 1.7 mg (AI)/cm dbh and development ceased beyond the second instar at dose levels > or = 13.6 mg (AI)/cm dbh. Substantial concentrations (11.2 microg/g dry mass [SD = 7.55]) of azadirachtin were present in leaves within 7 d of treatment. After rapid initial uptake, concentrations in leaves declined logarithmically during the 55 d after injection. A similar pattern was observed in a separate experiment that examined the uptake and translocation of azadirachtin in larger green ash trees (22 cm dbh) treated with 250 mg (AI) /cm dbh with the EcoJect injection system. In another experiment, recently infested plantation green ash trees treated with doses > or = 40 mg (AI)/cm dbh had significant reductions in adult emergence approximately 1 yr postinjection. Given the inhibition of larval development, reduction of adult emergence, and the occurrence of foliar residues at biologically active concentrations, we conclude that azadirachtin is effective in protecting ash trees from emerald ash borer.

Optimizing Conservation Strategies for a Threatened Tree Species: In Situ Conservation of White Ash (Fraxinus americana L. Genetic Diversity through Insecticide Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles E. Flower

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Forest resources face numerous threats that require costly management. Hence, there is an increasing need for data-informed strategies to guide conservation practices. The introduction of the emerald ash borer to North America has caused rapid declines in ash populations (Fraxinus spp. L.. Natural resource managers are faced with a choice of either allowing ash trees to die, risking forest degradation and reduced functional resilience, or investing in conserving trees to preserve ecosystem structure and standing genetic diversity. The information needed to guide these decisions is not always readily available. Therefore, to address this concern, we used eight microsatellites to genotype 352 white ash trees (Fraxinus americana L. across 17 populations in the Allegheny National Forest; a subset of individuals sampled are part of an insecticide treatment regimen. Genetic diversity (number of alleles and He was equivalent in treated and untreated trees, with little evidence of differentiation or inbreeding, suggesting current insecticidal treatment is conserving local, neutral genetic diversity. Using simulations, we demonstrated that best practice is treating more populations rather than more trees in fewer populations. Furthermore, through genetic screening, conservation practitioners can select highly diverse and unique populations to maximize diversity and reduce expenditures (by up to 21%. These findings will help practitioners develop cost-effective strategies to conserve genetic diversity.

Reference dataset of volcanic ash physicochemical and optical properties for atmospheric measurement retrievals and transport modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Andreas; Durant, Adam; Sytchkova, Anna; Diplas, Spyros; Bonadonna, Costanza; Scarnato, Barbara; Krüger, Kirstin; Kylling, Arve; Kristiansen, Nina; Stohl, Andreas

2016-04-01

Explosive volcanic eruptions emit up to 50 wt.% (total erupted mass) of fine ash particles (estimates of the volcanic source term and the nature of the constituent volcanic ash properties. Consequently, it is important to include a quantitative assessment of measurement uncertainties of ash properties to provide realistic ash forecast uncertainty. Currently, information on volcanic ash physicochemical and optical properties is derived from a small number of somewhat dated publications. In this study, we provide a reference dataset for physical (size distribution and shape), chemical (bulk vs. surface chemistry) and optical properties (complex refractive index in the UV-vis-NIR range) of a representative selection of volcanic ash samples from 10 different volcanic eruptions covering the full variability in silica content (40-75 wt.% SiO2). Through the combination of empirical analytical methods (e.g., image analysis, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and UV/Vis/NIR/FTIR Spectroscopy) and theoretical models (e.g., Bruggeman effective medium approach), it was possible to fully capture the natural variability of ash physicochemical and optical characteristics. The dataset will be applied in atmospheric measurement retrievals and atmospheric transport modelling to determine the sensitivity to uncertainty in ash particle characteristics.

EAB induced tree mortality impacts ecosystem respiration and tree water use in an experimental forest

Science.gov (United States)

Charles E. Flower; Douglas J. Lynch; Kathleen S. Knight; Miquel A. Gonzales-Meler

2011-01-01

The invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, EAB) has been spreading across the forest landscape of the Midwest resulting in the rapid decline of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Ash trees represent a dominant riparian species in temperate deciduous forests of the Eastern United States (USDA FIA Database). Prior...

Model-based aviation advice on distal volcanic ash clouds by assimilating aircraft in situ measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Fu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The forecast accuracy of distal volcanic ash clouds is important for providing valid aviation advice during volcanic ash eruption. However, because the distal part of volcanic ash plume is far from the volcano, the influence of eruption information on this part becomes rather indirect and uncertain, resulting in inaccurate volcanic ash forecasts in these distal areas. In our approach, we use real-life aircraft in situ observations, measured in the northwestern part of Germany during the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption, in an ensemble-based data assimilation system combined with a volcanic ash transport model to investigate the potential improvement on the forecast accuracy with regard to the distal volcanic ash plume. We show that the error of the analyzed volcanic ash state can be significantly reduced through assimilating real-life in situ measurements. After a continuous assimilation, it is shown that the aviation advice for Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg can be significantly improved. We suggest that with suitable aircrafts measuring once per day across the distal volcanic ash plume, the description and prediction of volcanic ash clouds in these areas can be greatly improved.

Performance evaluation of the Abbott CELL-DYN Emerald for use as a bench-top analyzer in a research setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Khoo, T-L; Xiros, N; Guan, F; Orellana, D; Holst, J; Joshua, D E; Rasko, J E J

2013-08-01

The CELL-DYN Emerald is a compact bench-top hematology analyzer that can be used for a three-part white cell differential analysis. To determine its utility for analysis of human and mouse samples, we evaluated this machine against the larger CELL-DYN Sapphire and Sysmex XT2000iV hematology analyzers. 120 human (normal and abnormal) and 30 mouse (normal and abnormal) samples were analyzed on both the CELL-DYN Emerald and CELL-DYN Sapphire or Sysmex XT2000iV analyzers. For mouse samples, the CELL-DYN Emerald analyzer required manual recalibration based on the histogram populations. Analysis of the CELL-DYN Emerald showed excellent precision, within accepted ranges (white cell count CV% = 2.09%; hemoglobin CV% = 1.68%; platelets CV% = 4.13%). Linearity was excellent (R² ≥ 0.99), carryover was minimal (laboratories or as a backup system in larger laboratories. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Melting and Sintering of Ashes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Lone Aslaug

1997-01-01

-1300°C, and a trend of higher fusion temperatures with increasing contents of Al-silicates and quartz was found.c) Fly ashes, bottom ashes and deposits from coal/straw co-firing were all found to consist mainly of metal-alumina and alumina-silicates. These ashes all melt in the temperature range 1000......The thesis contains an experimental study of the fusion and sintering of ashes collected during straw and coal/straw co-firing.A laboratory technique for quantitative determination of ash fusion has been developed based on Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA). By means of this method the fraction......, the biggest deviations being found for salt rich (i.e. straw derived) ashes.A simple model assuming proportionality between fly ash fusion and deposit formation was found to be capable of ranking deposition rates for the different straw derived fly ashes, whereas for the fly ashes from coal/straw co-firing...

The operational eEMEP model version 10.4 for volcanic SO2 and ash forecasting

Science.gov (United States)

Steensen, Birthe M.; Schulz, Michael; Wind, Peter; Valdebenito, Álvaro M.; Fagerli, Hilde

2017-05-01

This paper presents a new version of the EMEP MSC-W model called eEMEP developed for transportation and dispersion of volcanic emissions, both gases and ash. EMEP MSC-W is usually applied to study problems with air pollution and aerosol transport and requires some adaptation to treat volcanic eruption sources and effluent dispersion. The operational set-up of model simulations in case of a volcanic eruption is described. Important choices have to be made to achieve CPU efficiency so that emergency situations can be tackled in time, answering relevant questions of ash advisory authorities. An efficient model needs to balance the complexity of the model and resolution. We have investigated here a meteorological uncertainty component of the volcanic cloud forecast by using a consistent ensemble meteorological dataset (GLAMEPS forecast) at three resolutions for the case of SO2 emissions from the 2014 Barðarbunga eruption. The low resolution (40 × 40 km) ensemble members show larger agreement in plume position and intensity, suggesting that the ensemble here does not give much added value. To compare the dispersion at different resolutions, we compute the area where the column load of the volcanic tracer, here SO2, is above a certain threshold, varied for testing purposes between 0.25 and 50 Dobson units. The increased numerical diffusion causes a larger area (+34 %) to be covered by the volcanic tracer in the low resolution simulations than in the high resolution ones. The higher resolution (10 × 10 km) ensemble members show higher column loads farther away from the volcanic eruption site in narrower clouds. Cloud positions are more varied between the high resolution members, and the cloud forms resemble the observed clouds more than the low resolution ones. For a volcanic emergency case this means that to obtain quickly results of the transport of volcanic emissions, an individual simulation with our low resolution is sufficient; however, to forecast peak

Laboratory and field response of the emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), to selected regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Crook, Damon J; Francese, Joseph A; Zylstra, Kelley E; Fraser, Ivich; Sawyer, Alan J; Bartels, David W; Lance, David R; Mastro, Victor C

2009-12-01

Retinal sensitivity of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) was examined with an aim to improve trap efficacy for the beetle. Electroretinogram (ERG) recordings from dark-adapted compound eyes of male and female were measured at different wavelengths across the spectrum ranging from 300 to 700 nm. The spectral sensitivity curves revealed peaks in the UV (340 nm), the violet/purple (420-430 nm), blue (460 nm), and green (540-560 nm) regions of the spectrum. Females were sensitive to red regions of the spectrum (640-670 nm), whereas males were not. A spectrophotometer was used to measure the wavelength and reflectance for ash foliage, purple corrugated plastic traps, as well as the elytra and abdomen of adult A. planipennis. Traps were painted using colors based on ERG and spectrophotometer measurements and compared with purple corrugated plastic traps currently used by the USDA-APHIS-PPQ-EAB National Survey. In a field assay conducted along the edges of several A. planipennis-infested ash stands, there were no significant differences in trap catch among green, red, or purple treatments. Dark blue traps caught significantly fewer A. planipennis than red, light green, or dark purple traps. In a second assay where purple and green treatments were placed in the mid canopy of ash trees (approximately 13 m in height), trap catch was significantly higher on green treatments. We hypothesize that when placed in the mid-canopy, green traps constitute a foliage-type stimulus that elicits food-seeking and/or host seeking behavior by A. planipennis.

Assessing the response of Emerald Lake, an alpine watershed in Sequoia National Park, California, to acidification during snowmelt by using a simple hydrochemical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooper, R.P.; West, C.T.; Peters, N.E.

1990-01-01

A sparsely parameterized hydrochemical model has been developed by using data from Emerald Lake watershed, which is a 120-ha alpine catchment in Sequoia National Park, California. Greater than 90% of the precipitation to this watershed is snow; hence, snowmelt is the dominant hydrologic event. A model which uses a single alkalinity-generating mechanism, primary mineral weathering, was able to capture the pattern of solute concentrations in surface waters during snowmelt. An empirical representation of the weathering reaction, which is based on rock weathering stoichiometry and which uses discharge as a measure of residence time, was included in the model. Results of the model indicate that current deposition levels would have to be increased between three-fold and eight-fold to exhaust the alkalinity of the lake during snowmelt if their is a mild acidic pulse in the stream at the beginning of snowmelt as was observed during the study period. The acidic pulse in the inflow stream at the onset of snowmelt was less pronounced than acidic pulses observed in the meltwater draining the snowpack at a point using snow lysimeters or in the laboratory. Sulfate concentrations in the stream water were the most constant; chloride and nitrate concentrations increased slightly at the beginning of snowmelt. Additional field work is required to resolve whether an acidic meltwater pulse occurs over a large area as well as at a point or whether, due to physical and chemical processes within the snowpack, the acidic meltwater pulse is attenuated at the catchment scale. The modest data requirements of the model permit its applications to other alpine watersheds that are much less intensively studied than Emerald Lake watershed

Analytical model for erosion behaviour of impacted fly-ash particles ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Mathematical model; erosion rate; boiler components; fly ash ... sion, together with the processes of blocking, fouling and corrosion, shortens the service-life of boiler ..... Jun Y D, Tabakoff W 1994 Numerical simulation of a dilute particulate flow ...

Survival and phenology of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) reared on a newly developed artificial diet free of host material

Science.gov (United States)

Melody A. Keena; Hannah Nadel; Juli. Gould

2015-01-01

The final phase in the development of an artificial diet that contains no ash host material and the phenology of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Bupresidae) on that diet are documented. A diet containing powdered ash phloem exists, but host material introduces potential variability and contamination, and the cost and...

Lunar ash flows - Isothermal approximation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, S. I.; Hsieh, T.; O'Keefe, J. A.

1972-01-01

Suggestion of the ash flow mechanism as one of the major processes required to account for some features of lunar soil. First the observational background and the gardening hypothesis are reviewed, and the shortcomings of the gardening hypothesis are shown. Then a general description of the lunar ash flow is given, and a simple mathematical model of the isothermal lunar ash flow is worked out with numerical examples to show the differences between the lunar and the terrestrial ash flow. The important parameters of the ash flow process are isolated and analyzed. It appears that the lunar surface layer in the maria is not a residual mantle rock (regolith) but a series of ash flows due, at least in part, to great meteorite impacts. The possibility of a volcanic contribution is not excluded. Some further analytic research on lunar ash flows is recommended.

A robust method to forecast volcanic ash clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Denlinger, Roger P.; Pavolonis, Mike; Sieglaff, Justin

2012-01-01

Ash clouds emanating from volcanic eruption columns often form trails of ash extending thousands of kilometers through the Earth's atmosphere, disrupting air traffic and posing a significant hazard to air travel. To mitigate such hazards, the community charged with reducing flight risk must accurately assess risk of ash ingestion for any flight path and provide robust forecasts of volcanic ash dispersal. In response to this need, a number of different transport models have been developed for this purpose and applied to recent eruptions, providing a means to assess uncertainty in forecasts. Here we provide a framework for optimal forecasts and their uncertainties given any model and any observational data. This involves random sampling of the probability distributions of input (source) parameters to a transport model and iteratively running the model with different inputs, each time assessing the predictions that the model makes about ash dispersal by direct comparison with satellite data. The results of these comparisons are embodied in a likelihood function whose maximum corresponds to the minimum misfit between model output and observations. Bayes theorem is then used to determine a normalized posterior probability distribution and from that a forecast of future uncertainty in ash dispersal. The nature of ash clouds in heterogeneous wind fields creates a strong maximum likelihood estimate in which most of the probability is localized to narrow ranges of model source parameters. This property is used here to accelerate probability assessment, producing a method to rapidly generate a prediction of future ash concentrations and their distribution based upon assimilation of satellite data as well as model and data uncertainties. Applying this method to the recent eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland, we show that the 3 and 6 h forecasts of ash cloud location probability encompassed the location of observed satellite-determined ash cloud loads, providing an

Characterization of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) isolates associated with Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) populations in Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Louela A. Castrillo; Leah S. Bauer; Houping Liu; Michael H. Griggs; John D. Vandenberg

2010-01-01

Earlier research in Michigan on fungal entomopathogens of the emerald ash borer (EAB), a major invasive pest of ash trees, resulted in the isolation of Beauveria bassiana from late-instar larvae and pre-pupae. In the present study, some of these isolates were characterized and compared to ash bark- and soil-derived isolates to determine their...

Volcanic ash dosage calculator: A proof-of-concept tool to support aviation stakeholders during ash events

Science.gov (United States)

Dacre, H.; Prata, A.; Shine, K. P.; Irvine, E.

2017-12-01

The volcanic ash clouds produced by Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in April/May 2010 resulted in `no fly zones' which paralysed European aircraft activity and cost the airline industry an estimated £1.1 billion. In response to the crisis, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in collaboration with Rolls Royce, produced the `safe-to-fly' chart. As ash concentrations are the primary output of dispersion model forecasts, the chart was designed to illustrate how engine damage progresses as a function of ash concentration. Concentration thresholds were subsequently derived based on previous ash encounters. Research scientists and aircraft manufactures have since recognised the importance of volcanic ash dosages; the accumulated concentration over time. Dosages are an improvement to concentrations as they can be used to identify pernicious situations where ash concentrations are acceptably low but the exposure time is long enough to cause damage to aircraft engines. Here we present a proof-of-concept volcanic ash dosage calculator; an innovative, web-based research tool, developed in close collaboration with operators and regulators, which utilises interactive data visualisation to communicate the uncertainty inherent in dispersion model simulations and subsequent dosage calculations. To calculate dosages, we use NAME (Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment) to simulate several Icelandic eruption scenarios, which result in tephra dispersal across the North Atlantic, UK and Europe. Ash encounters are simulated based on flight-optimal routes derived from aircraft routing software. Key outputs of the calculator include: the along-flight dosage, exposure time and peak concentration. The design of the tool allows users to explore the key areas of uncertainty in the dosage calculation and to visualise how this changes as the planned flight path is varied. We expect that this research will result in better informed decisions from key stakeholders during

Characterization of the emerald of Santa Terezinha de Goias by spectroscopy, fluorescence and X-ray difraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lariucci, C.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this work is to characterize the emerald of Santa Terezinha de Goias-GO, according to their physical properties (refractive index and specific gravity); spectrographic (infrared, ultraviolet and visible absorption); electron paramagnetic resonance; chemical analysis; crystal structure and specially by the recognition of their mineral inclusions. The results of the refractive index measure for the emerald of Santa Terezinha de Goias-GO are n e (1.575-1.585) and n o (1.590-1.9600) and the birrefringence = 0.012; the specific gravity is between the highest of the world (2.745 (4) Mg. m -3 ). The near infrared and infrared absorption, show the presence, in the structural channels of the emerald, of gas carbonic and free water interacting with an ion (Fe and/or Na) in these channels. The ultraviolet and visible absorption spectra accused the presence of Cr 3+ replacing Al 3+ and Fe 3+ in the channels of the structure. The study of electron paramagnetic resonance confirmed these last results [pt

Strengthening mental health systems in low- and middle-income countries: the Emerald programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Semrau, Maya; Evans-Lacko, Sara; Alem, Atalay; Ayuso-Mateos, Jose Luis; Chisholm, Dan; Gureje, Oye; Hanlon, Charlotte; Jordans, Mark; Kigozi, Fred; Lempp, Heidi; Lund, Crick; Petersen, Inge; Shidhaye, Rahul; Thornicroft, Graham

2015-04-10

There is a large treatment gap for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with the majority of people with mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders receiving no or inadequate care. Health system factors are known to play a crucial role in determining the coverage and effectiveness of health service interventions, but the study of mental health systems in LMICs has been neglected. The 'Emerging mental health systems in LMICs' (Emerald) programme aims to improve outcomes of people with MNS disorders in six LMICs (Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda) by generating evidence and capacity to enhance health system performance in delivering mental health care. A mixed-methods approach is being applied to generate evidence on: adequate, fair, and sustainable resourcing for mental health (health system inputs); integrated provision of mental health services (health system processes); and improved coverage and goal attainment in mental health (health system outputs). Emerald has a strong focus on capacity-building of researchers, policymakers, and planners, and on increasing service user and caregiver involvement to support mental health systems strengthening. Emerald also addresses stigma and discrimination as one of the key barriers for access to and successful delivery of mental health services.

Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and plant regeneration of the hardwood tree species Fraxinus profunda

Science.gov (United States)

Micah E. Stevens; Paula M. Pijut

2014-01-01

Using mature hypocotyls as the initial explants, an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation system was successfully developed for pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda). This transformation protocol is an invaluable tool to combat the highly aggressive, non-native emerald ash borer (EAB), which has the potential to...

Susceptibility of two hymenopteran parasitoids of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales)

Science.gov (United States)

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, native to Asia, is killing ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in eastern North America. Integrated pest management using biological control is the only viable long-term approach for controlling the spread of EAB outside of host resistance. Three hymen...

The emerald deposits of ultramafic rocks of Capoeirana and Belmont, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abreu Machado, G.; Schorscher, H.

1998-01-01

The emerald deposits of Capoeirana and Belmont, State of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, occur vithin an area comprising a deeply weathered Archean Metavulcano-Sedimentary Sequence (SVS) in tectonic contact with the Borrachudos Metagranitoids (GB) and Fluorite bearing Foliated Metagranitoids (MGF). The SVS is formed by intercalation s of ultramafic schists and amphibolites, basic to intermediate amphibolites, vulcanoclastic, metapelitic and calcsilicate schists and gneisses, banded iron formation and metacherts. The metaultramafic rocks include minor chromitite cumulates and occur at the base of the SVS. When metasomatized in the shear zones adjoining GB and MGF they host emerald mineralizations. (author)

Contemporary Irish identity on the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAtackney, Laura; Ryzewski, Krysta; Cherry, John F

2014-01-01

In recent decades, the island of Montserrat has been noticeably repositioning itself within the Caribbean as a place with a unique Irish heritage. Using the tag-line ‘the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean’, there has been an explicit attempt to evoke images of a verdant, green island with a long Irish...

Modeling of air pollution from the power plant ash dumps

Science.gov (United States)

Aleksic, Nenad M.; Balać, Nedeljko

A simple model of air pollution from power plant ash dumps is presented, with emission rates calculated from the Bagnold formula and transport simulated by the ATDL type model. Moisture effects are accounted for by assumption that there is no pollution on rain days. Annual mean daily sedimentation rates, calculated for the area around the 'Nikola Tesla' power plants near Belgrade for 1987, show reasonably good agreement with observations.

Experimental and modeling of the electrodialytic and dialytic treatment of a fly ash containing Cd, Cu and Pb

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lima, A.T.; Ribeiro, A.B.; Rodriguez-Maroto, J.M.

2010-01-01

A one-dimensional model is developed for simulating the electrodialytic and dialytic treatment of a fly ash containing cadmium, copper and lead. Two experimental systems have been used, a column of ash and a stirred ash suspension. The movement of Cd, Cu and Pb has been modeled taking into account...... takes into account that OH- generated on the cathode, during the electrodialytic remediation, is periodically neutralized by the addition of nitric acid in the cathode compartment. The anion and cation-exchange membranes are simply represented as ionic filters that preclude the transport of the cations...

The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection. Teaching with Historic Places.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Lisa; Snow, Pamela

In 1870, Boston, Massachusetts, was an overcrowded, noisy, and dirty city. Concerned with the health and happiness of Bostonians restricted to these unhealthy surroundings, the city hired Frederick Law Olmsted to design a park system. The series of parks he designed over the next several years is known as the Emerald Necklace. From lovely…

Susceptibility of two hymenopteran parasitoids of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales)

Science.gov (United States)

Kimberly M Dean; John D. Vandenberg; Michael H. Griggs; Leah S. Bauer; Melissa K. Fierke

2012-01-01

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, native to Asia, is killing ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) across 15 states and southeastern Canada. Integrated pest management using biological control is the only viable long-term approach for controlling the spread of EAB outside of host resistance. Three hymenopteran parasitoids...

Modelling of landfill gas adsorption with bottom ash for utilization of renewable energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miao, Chen

2011-10-06

Energy crisis, environment pollution and climate change are the serious challenges to people worldwide. In the 21st century, human being is trend to research new technology of renewable energy, so as to slow down global warming and develop society in an environmentally sustainable method. Landfill gas, produced by biodegradable municipal solid waste in landfill, is a renewable energy source. In this work, landfill gas utilization for energy generation is introduced. Landfill gas is able to produce hydrogen by steam reforming reactions. There is a steam reformer equipment in the fuel cells system. A sewage plant of Cologne in Germany has run the Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells power station with biogas for more than 50,000 hours successfully. Landfill gas thus may be used as fuel for electricity generation via fuel cells system. For the purpose of explaining the possibility of landfill gas utilization via fuel cells, the thermodynamics of landfill gas steam reforming are discussed by simulations. In practice, the methane-riched gas can be obtained by landfill gas purification and upgrading. This work investigate a new method for upgrading-landfill gas adsorption with bottom ash experimentally. Bottom ash is a by-product of municipal solid waste incineration, some of its physical and chemical properties are analysed in this work. The landfill gas adsorption experimental data show bottom ash can be used as a potential adsorbent for landfill gas adsorption to remove CO{sub 2}. In addition, the alkalinity of bottom ash eluate can be reduced in these adsorption processes. Therefore, the interactions between landfill gas and bottom ash can be explained by series reactions accordingly. Furthermore, a conceptual model involving landfill gas adsorption with bottom ash is developed. In this thesis, the parameters of landfill gas adsorption equilibrium equations can be obtained by fitting experimental data. On the other hand, these functions can be deduced with theoretical approach

Particle dispersion at road building using fly ash - model review, investigation of influence of humidity content for dust emission and fly ash particle characterisation; Partikelspriding vid byggnation av vaeg med aska - modelloeversikt, undersoekning av fuktighetsgradens betydelse foer damning och karaktaerisering av partiklar fraan flygaska

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafsson, Mats; Wik, Ola; Frogner-Kockum, Paul

2009-03-15

Ashes from incineration may have very good properties, such as building materials in roads. This use assumes that the ashes do not have serious environmental and health effects. Since ash might generate large amounts of dust in handling the issue on the extent of dusting and dust properties has proved to be important to assess the risks of environmental impacts during use. Inhalable particles in the ambient air are a problem that has attracted much attention and is regarded as one of the most serious health related air pollutants. The present project has aimed to: describe appropriate models for calculating the emission and dispersion of dust in the air during the construction of ash containing roads, evaluate a new method to examine the importance of moisture for dusting from fly ash and investigate the properties of fly ash, making it possible to identify ash in samples of airborne particles. The target audience is ash manufacturers, contractors and consultants with a need for knowledge of ash dusting. Project modules have included: a literature review to identify appropriate modelling tools to describe the emission and dispersion of dust from road building with ash a method study in which a piece of equipment called Duster, have been evaluated for assessing the significance of the ash humidity to dusting, and an electron microscope study where morphology and composition of some ashes, cement and Merit have been studied to find ways to identify ash particles in dust samples. The results show that there is a lack of overall model tools that can describe the emissions from all the management operations of ashes at road building and that existing models sometimes lack key variables. Also, because of high silt content of ashes, some models are deemed inferior compared to when used for ordinary mineral material. Furthermore, attempts with the Duster shows that the method works, but with limited precision, and that dusting from the ash samples was reduced significantly

Is tree loss associated with cardiovascular-disease risk in the Women's Health Initiative? A natural experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Geoffrey H. Donovan; Yvonne L. Michael; Demetrios Gatziolis; Jeffrey P. Prestemon; Eric A. Whitsel

2015-01-01

Data from the Women's Health Initiative were used to quantify the relationship between the loss of trees to an invasive forest pest—the emerald ash borer—and cardiovascular disease. We estimated semi- parametric Cox proportional hazards model of time to cardiovascular disease, adjusting for confounders. We defined the incidence of cardiovascular disease as acute...

Evaluation of non-invasive trunk sprays and trunk-injected emamectic benzoate

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah G. McCullough; D.L. Cappaert; T.M. Poland; A.C. Anulewicz; P. Lewis; J. Molongoski

2008-01-01

In 2007, we continued to evaluate two neo-nicotinoid insecticides, imidacloprid and dinotefuron, applied as non-invasive trunk sprays to control emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. Neo-nicotinoid products are widely used to protect landscape ash trees because they are relatively safe for humans and non-target species. These...

Emerald Ash Borer Pest Alert, (English version)El barrenador del fresno, el barrenador verde esmeralda del fresno o (Spanish version)

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah McCullough; Steven Katovich

2008-01-01

A beetle from Asia, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), was identified in July 2002 as the cause of widespread ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree decline and mortality in southeastern Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Larval feeding in the tissue between the bark and sapwood disrupts transport of nutrients and...

Modeling of air pollution from the power plant ash dumps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aleksic, N M; Balac, N [Institute of Meteorology, Belgrade (Yugoslavia). College of Physics

1991-01-01

A simple model of air pollution from power plant ash dumps is presented, with emission rates calculated from the Bagnold formula and transport simulated by the ATDL (Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Laboratory) type model. Moisture effects are accounted for by assumption that there is no pollution on rain days. Annual mean daily sedimentation rates, calculated for the area around the Nikola Tesla power plants near Belgrade for 1987, show reasonably good agreement with observations. 3 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Engineering Behavior and Characteristics of Wood Ash and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Grau

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Biomasses are organic materials that are derived from any living or recently-living structure. Plenty of biomasses are produced nationwide. Biomasses are mostly combusted and usually discarded or disposed of without treatment as biomass ashes, which include wood and sugarcane bagasse ashes. Thus, recycling or treatment of biomass ashes leads to utilizing the natural materials as an economical and environmental alternative. This study is intended to provide an environmental solution for uncontrolled disposal of biomass ashes by way of recycling the biomass ash and replacing the soils in geotechnical engineering projects. Therefore, in this study, characteristic tests of wood and sugarcane bagasse ashes that are considered the most common biomass ashes are conducted. The test of chemical compositions of biomass ashes is conducted using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM, and heavy metal analysis is also conducted. Engineering behaviors including hydraulic conductivity, constrained modulus and shear modulus are examined. Also, coal fly ash Class C is used in this study for comparison with biomass ashes, and Ottawa 20/30 sands containing biomass ashes are examined to identify the soil replacement effect of biomass ashes. The results show that the particle sizes of biomass ashes are halfway between coal fly ash Class C and Ottawa 20/30 sand, and biomass ashes consist of a heterogeneous mixture of different particle sizes and shapes. Also, all heavy metal concentrations were found to be below the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA maximum limit. Hydraulic conductivity values of Ottawa 20/30 sand decrease significantly when replacing them with only 1%–2% of biomass ashes. While both the constrained modulus and shear modulus of biomass ashes are lower than Ottawa 20/30 sand, those of mixtures containing up to 10% biomass ashes are little affected by replacing the soils with biomass ashes.

Future directions in EAB-affected forests

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah G. McCullough; Roy Van Driesche; Therese M. Poland

2015-01-01

The ability of natural enemies to slow emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), population growth in a given area will play a major role in determining whether many native ash species can persist as functional components of forest ecosystems. Population growth of EAB, like that of any other organism, is...

Microbial control of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) with Beauveria bassiana strain GHA: field applications

Science.gov (United States)

Houping Liu; Leah S. Bauer

2008-01-01

The effects of Beauveria bassiana strain GHA, applied as BotaniGard ES, on newly colonised and well-established populations of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) were evaluated in the field using foliar and trunk sprays in Michigan in 2004-2005. Results from field trials at a newly colonised white ash...

Age of the emerald mineralization from the Itabira-Nova Era District, Minas Gerais, Brazil, based on LA-ICP-MS geochronology of cogenetic titanite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna Jordt-Evangelista

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: In the Itabira-Nova Era Emerald District, southeast Brazil, gemological emerald is extracted from underground mines found in schist-type deposits at the contact zone of the Archean Metavolcanosedimentary Sequence of the Guanhães Complex and Paleoproterozoic anorogenic granites of the Borrachudos Suite. Schist-type deposits are commonly generated by reactions enhanced by deformation and heat during regional metamorphism. The age of the mineralization in the region has been a matter of debate for decades: Ages ranging from the Archean to the Neoproterozoic are mentioned in the literature. In the mineralized zone from the Piteiras mine fluorine-aluminum-bearing titanite is found in metamafic rocks. The fluorine content was probably derived from the Borrachudos granites and pegmatites like the beryllium for emerald, thus both minerals could have been generated during the same event. U-Pb titanite geochronology via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS was performed on a thin section of a phlogopite-plagioclase-hornblende schist from the Piteiras mine. The determined age of 576 ± 7 Ma is also the probable age for emerald generation during the Brasiliano cycle, which was the only tectonometamorphic event postdating the intrusion of the granites. This event provided heat and fluids necessary for reactions between the Be- and the Cr-bearing rocks, thus enabling the formation of emeralds.

Meteorological Controls on Local and Regional Volcanic Ash Dispersal.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulidis, Alexandros P; Phillips, Jeremy C; Renfrew, Ian A; Barclay, Jenni; Hogg, Andrew; Jenkins, Susanna F; Robertson, Richard; Pyle, David M

2018-05-02

Volcanic ash has the capacity to impact human health, livestock, crops and infrastructure, including international air traffic. For recent major eruptions, information on the volcanic ash plume has been combined with relatively coarse-resolution meteorological model output to provide simulations of regional ash dispersal, with reasonable success on the scale of hundreds of kilometres. However, to predict and mitigate these impacts locally, significant improvements in modelling capability are required. Here, we present results from a dynamic meteorological-ash-dispersion model configured with sufficient resolution to represent local topographic and convectively-forced flows. We focus on an archetypal volcanic setting, Soufrière, St Vincent, and use the exceptional historical records of the 1902 and 1979 eruptions to challenge our simulations. We find that the evolution and characteristics of ash deposition on St Vincent and nearby islands can be accurately simulated when the wind shear associated with the trade wind inversion and topographically-forced flows are represented. The wind shear plays a primary role and topographic flows a secondary role on ash distribution on local to regional scales. We propose a new explanation for the downwind ash deposition maxima, commonly observed in volcanic eruptions, as resulting from the detailed forcing of mesoscale meteorology on the ash plume.

National volcanic ash operations plan for aviation

Science.gov (United States)

,; ,

2007-01-01

International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) International Airways Volcano Watch. This plan defines agency responsibilities, provides a comprehensive description of an interagency standard for volcanic ash products and their formats, describes the agency backup procedures for operational products, and outlines the actions to be taken by each agency following an occurrence of a volcanic eruption that subsequently affects and impacts aviation services. Since our most recent International Conference on Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety, volcanic ash-related product and service activities have grown considerably along with partnerships and alliances throughout the aviation community. In January 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environment Prediction began running the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model in place of the Volcanic Ash Forecast Transport and Dispersion (VAFTAD) model, upgrading support to the volcanic ash advisory community. Today, improvements to the HYSPLIT model are ongoing based on recommendations by the OFCM-sponsored Joint Action Group for the Selection and Evaluation of Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion Models and the Joint Action Group for Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion Modeling (Research and Development Plan). Two international workshops on volcanic ash have already taken place, noticeable improvements and innovations in education, training, and outreach have been made, and federal and public education and training programs on volcanic ash-related products, services, and procedures iv continue to evolve. For example, in partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and other academic institutions, volcanic ash hazard and mitigation training has been incorporated into aviation meteorology courses. As an essential next step, our volcanic ash-related efforts in the near term will be centered on the development of an interagency implementation plan to

Atmospheric fate and transport of fine volcanic ash: Does particle shape matter?

Science.gov (United States)

White, C. M.; Allard, M. P.; Klewicki, J.; Proussevitch, A. A.; Mulukutla, G.; Genareau, K.; Sahagian, D. L.

2013-12-01

Volcanic ash presents hazards to infrastructure, agriculture, and human and animal health. In particular, given the economic importance of intercontinental aviation, understanding how long ash is suspended in the atmosphere, and how far it is transported has taken on greater importance. Airborne ash abrades the exteriors of aircraft, enters modern jet engines and melts while coating interior engine parts causing damage and potential failure. The time fine ash stays in the atmosphere depends on its terminal velocity. Existing models of ash terminal velocities are based on smooth, quasi-spherical particles characterized by Stokes velocity. Ash particles, however, violate the various assumptions upon which Stokes flow and associated models are based. Ash particles are non-spherical and can have complex surface and internal structure. This suggests that particle shape may be one reason that models fail to accurately predict removal rates of fine particles from volcanic ash clouds. The present research seeks to better parameterize predictive models for ash particle terminal velocities, diffusivity, and dispersion in the atmospheric boundary layer. The fundamental hypothesis being tested is that particle shape irreducibly impacts the fate and transport properties of fine volcanic ash. Pilot studies, incorporating modeling and experiments, are being conducted to test this hypothesis. Specifically, a statistical model has been developed that can account for actual volcanic ash size distributions, complex ash particle geometry, and geometry variability. Experimental results are used to systematically validate and improve the model. The experiments are being conducted at the Flow Physics Facility (FPF) at UNH. Terminal velocities and dispersion properties of fine ash are characterized using still air drop experiments in an unconstrained open space using a homogenized mix of source particles. Dispersion and sedimentation dynamics are quantified using particle image

Ash Utilisation 2012. Ashes in a Sustainable Society. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-11-01

Conference themes: Risk assessment, Fly ash- Road construction, Recycling and Greenhouse gases, Storage of ashes, Fertilizer, Metal Mining, Support and Barriers, Construction Material, Civil Engineering, and MSWI bottom ash.

Ultrasonic coal-wash for de-ashing and de-sulfurization. Experimental investigation and mechanistic modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ambedkar, B. [Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai (India). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2012-07-01

This study focuses on the physical aspects of ultrasonic de-ashing and de-sulfurization, such as cavitation, streaming and their combined effects. Ambedkar Balraj proposes an ultrasound-assisted coal particle breakage mechanism and explores aqueous and solvent-based ultrasonic techniques for de-ashing and de-sulfurization. Ambedkar designs a Taguchi L-27 fractional-factorial matrix to assess the individual effects of key process variables. In this volume he also describes process optimization and scale-up strategies. The author provides a mechanism-based model for ultrasonic reagent-based coal de-sulfurization, proposes a flow diagram for ultrasonic methods of high-throughput coal-wash and discusses the benefits of ultrasonic coal-wash. Coal will continue to be a major fuel source for the foreseeable future and this study helps improve its use by minimising ash and sulfur impurities.

Improved prediction and tracking of volcanic ash clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Mastin, Larry G.; Webley, Peter

2009-01-01

During the past 30??years, more than 100 airplanes have inadvertently flown through clouds of volcanic ash from erupting volcanoes. Such encounters have caused millions of dollars in damage to the aircraft and have endangered the lives of tens of thousands of passengers. In a few severe cases, total engine failure resulted when ash was ingested into turbines and coating turbine blades. These incidents have prompted the establishment of cooperative efforts by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the volcanological community to provide rapid notification of eruptive activity, and to monitor and forecast the trajectories of ash clouds so that they can be avoided by air traffic. Ash-cloud properties such as plume height, ash concentration, and three-dimensional ash distribution have been monitored through non-conventional remote sensing techniques that are under active development. Forecasting the trajectories of ash clouds has required the development of volcanic ash transport and dispersion models that can calculate the path of an ash cloud over the scale of a continent or a hemisphere. Volcanological inputs to these models, such as plume height, mass eruption rate, eruption duration, ash distribution with altitude, and grain-size distribution, must be assigned in real time during an event, often with limited observations. Databases and protocols are currently being developed that allow for rapid assignment of such source parameters. In this paper, we summarize how an interdisciplinary working group on eruption source parameters has been instigating research to improve upon the current understanding of volcanic ash cloud characterization and predictions. Improved predictions of ash cloud movement and air fall will aid in making better hazard assessments for aviation and for public health and air quality. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

A new model for including the effect of fly ash on biochemical methane potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Gertner, Pablo; Huiliñir, César; Pinto-Villegas, Paula; Castillo, Alejandra; Montalvo, Silvio; Guerrero, Lorna

2017-10-01

The modelling of the effect of trace elements on anaerobic digestion, and specifically the effect of fly ash, has been scarcely studied. Thus, the present work was aimed at the development of a new function that allows accumulated methane models to predict the effect of FA on the volume of methane accumulation. For this, purpose five fly ash concentrations (10, 25, 50, 250 and 500mg/L) using raw and pre-treated sewage sludge were used to calibrate the new function, while three fly ash concentrations were used (40, 150 and 350mg/L) for validation. Three models for accumulated methane volume (the modified Gompertz equation, the logistic function, and the transfer function) were evaluated. The results showed that methane production increased in the presence of FA when the sewage sludge was not pre-treated, while with pretreated sludge there is inhibition of methane production at FA concentrations higher than 50mg/L. In the calibration of the proposed function, it fits well with the experimental data under all the conditions, including the inhibition and stimulating zones, with the values of the parameters of the methane production models falling in the range of those reported in the literature. For validation experiments, the model succeeded in representing the behavior of new experiments in both the stimulating and inhibiting zones, with NRMSE and R 2 ranging from 0.3577 to 0.03714 and 0.2209 to 0.9911, respectively. Thus, the proposed model is robust and valid for the studied conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring connections between trees and human health

Science.gov (United States)

Geoffrey Donovan; Marie. Oliver

2014-01-01

Humans have intuitively understood the value of trees to their physical and mental health since the beginning of recorded time. A scientist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station wondered if such a link could be scientifically validated. His research team took advantage of an infestation of emerald ash borer, an invasive pest that kills ash trees, to conduct a...

Improving volcanic ash forecasts with ensemble-based data assimilation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fu, Guangliang

2017-01-01

The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption had serious consequences to civil aviation. This has initiated a lot of research on volcanic ash forecasting in recent years. For forecasting the volcanic ash transport after eruption onset, a volcanic ash transport and diffusion model (VATDM) needs to be

Biomass ash utilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bristol, D.R.; Noel, D.J.; O`Brien, B. [HYDRA-CO Operations, Inc., Syracuse, NY (United States); Parker, B. [US Energy Corp., Fort Fairfield, ME (United States)

1993-12-31

This paper demonstrates that with careful analysis of ash from multiple biomass and waste wood fired power plants that most of the ash can serve a useful purpose. Some applications require higher levels of consistency than others. Examples of ash spreading for agricultural purposes as a lime supplement for soil enhancement in Maine and North Carolina, as well as a roadbase material in Maine are discussed. Use of ash as a horticultural additive is explored, as well as in composting as a filtering media and as cover material for landfills. The ash utilization is evaluated in a framework of environmental responsibility, regulations, handling and cost. Depending on the chemical and physical properties of the biomass derived fly ash and bottom ash, it can be used in one or more applications. Developing a program that utilizes ash produced in biomass facilities is environmentally and socially sound and can be financially attractive.

On some molybdenum occurrences associated with emerald deposits in the Gravelotte area, Eastern Transvaal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, J.E.J.

1980-04-01

Sporadic molybdenite is found associated with emerald mineralization at the contact of intrusive granite and Archaean basic rocks. The most important occurrence is at Cobra quarry. However, a general investigation and several analyses show that it has probably no economic significance

Real-Time Estimation of Volcanic ASH/SO2 Cloud Height from Combined Uv/ir Satellite Observations and Numerical Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Vicente, Gilberto A.

An efficient iterative method has been developed to estimate the vertical profile of SO2 and ash clouds from volcanic eruptions by comparing near real-time satellite observations with numerical modeling outputs. The approach uses UV based SO2 concentration and IR based ash cloud images, the volcanic ash transport model PUFF and wind speed, height and directional information to find the best match between the simulated and the observed displays. The method is computationally fast and is being implemented for operational use at the NOAA Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs) in Washington, DC, USA, to support the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) effort to detect, track and measure volcanic ash cloud heights for air traffic safety and management. The presentation will show the methodology, results, statistical analysis and SO2 and Aerosol Index input products derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard the NASA EOS/Aura research satellite and from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) instrument in the MetOp-A. The volcanic ash products are derived from AVHRR instruments in the NOAA POES-16, 17, 18, 19 as well as MetOp-A. The presentation will also show how a VAAC volcanic ash analyst interacts with the system providing initial condition inputs such as location and time of the volcanic eruption, followed by the automatic real-time tracking of all the satellite data available, subsequent activation of the iterative approach and the data/product delivery process in numerical and graphical format for operational applications.

Residual Ash Formation during Suspension-Firing of Biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damø, Anne Juul; Jappe Frandsen, Flemming; Jensen, Peter Arendt

2014-01-01

Through 50+ years, high quality research has been conducted in order to characterize ash and deposit formation in utility boilers fired with coal, biomass and waste fractions. The basic mechanism of fly ash formation in suspension fired coal boilers is well described, documented and may even...... be modeled relatively precisely. Concerning fly ash formation from biomass or waste fractions, the situation is not nearly as good. Lots of data are available from campaigns where different ash fractions, including sometimes also in-situ ash, have been collected and analyzed chemically and for particle size...... distribution. Thus, there is a good flair of the chemistry of fly ash formed in plants fired with biomass or waste fractions, either alone, or in conjunction with coal. But data on dedicated studies of the physical size development of fly ash, are almost non-existing for biomasses and waste fractions...

Antimony leaching from MSWI bottom ash: modelling of the effect of pH and carbonation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornelis, Geert; Van Gerven, Tom; Vandecasteele, Carlo

2012-02-01

Development of treatment methods to reduce Sb leaching from municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash, such as accelerated carbonation, is being complicated by insufficient understanding of Sb geochemistry. The leaching of antimonate (Sb(V)) and antimonite (Sb(III)) in MSWI bottom was studied as a function of pH and degree of carbonation. While total (Sb(V)+Sb(III)) leaching was lowest (1.2 mg kg(-1)) at the natural pH (i.e. 10.6) of uncarbonated bottom ash, HPLC-ICP-MS analysis showed that acidification and carbonation increased Sb(V) leaching, but decreased Sb(III) leaching, probably because Sb(III)(OH)(4)(-) became less stable. PHREEQC geochemical modelling suggested that Sb(V) concentrations approached equilibrium with the romeites, i.e. calcium antimonates, Ca(1.13)Sb(2)(OH)(0.26)·0.74H(2)O at pH=10.6 and Ca[Sb(OH)(6)](2) at pH=8. It is hypothesised that not interaction with ettringite but dissolution of romeite controls antimonate leaching in the pH range 8-11 in MSWI bottom ash, because while Ca is preferentially leached from romeite, the mineral structures containing more Ca at higher pH are less soluble. A model was proposed where acidification and carbonation both lead to lower Ca(2+) and/or hydroxyl concentration, which removes Ca(2+) and hydroxyls from the romeite structure and leads to comparably higher Sb(V) concentration in equilibrium with romeite. Sb solubility depends on pH and Ca(2+) availability in this model, which has implications for bottom ash valorisation and risk assessment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerald oil field on production in North Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Midland and Scottish Energy Ltd. (MSE) has placed Emerald oil field on stream in the U.K. North Sea with a floating production unit. Initial production, from two satellite wells, will be used to commission facilities. Three water injection wells have been unplugged and are ready for start-up. MSE will place a central cluster of wells-five producers and one water injector-on stream during the next few weeks. Production will build to an expected 25,000 b/d from 35 million bbl of reserves. Field development has undergone an unusually large number of setbacks and changes

Chemical classification and geotermometry of chlorites from the cretaceous Santa Rosa and Lutitas de Macanal formations, eastern emerald belt, eastern cordillera, Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva Arias, Alejandro; Mantilla Figueroa, Luis Carlos; Terraza Melo, Roberto

2010-01-01

The study of the chemical composition of chlorites from the Santa Rosa and Lutitas de Macanal formations in the eastern emerald belt (eastern cordillera), are used to estimate the formation temperature of these minerals and the associated hydrothermal fluids. The chlorites were analyzed using the classification proposed by hey (1954), foster (1962), and Bailey (1980); and the formation temperature is calculated from empirical geothermometers from kranidiotis and Maclean (1987), Cathelineau (1988), Jowett (1991) and Xie et al. (1997). Chlorites in hydrothermally altered rocks associated with emerald mineralization of the Santa Rosa formation is classified as clinochlore and formed at temperatures of 354 Celsius degrade; this temperature is consistent with the fluid inclusions in emeralds of the same formation. Chlorites in veins from Lutitas de Macanal Formation are classified as chamosites and formed at lower temperatures between 210 to 225 Celsius degrade

Silica from Ash

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

management, polymer composites and chemical process design. Figure 1 Difference in color of the ash ... The selection of ash is important as the quality of ash determines the total amount as well as quality of silica recoverable Ash which has undergone maximum extent of combustion is highly desirable as it contains ...

False deformation temperatures for ash fusibility associated with the conditions for ash preparation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wall, T.F.; Gupta, S.K.; Gupta, R.P.; Sanders, R.H.; Creelman, R.A.; Bryant, G.W. [University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW (Australia). Cooperative Research Centre for Black Coal Utilization, Dept. of Chemical Engineering

1999-07-01

A study was made to investigate the fusibility behaviour of coal ashes of high ash fusion temperatures. Coals and ashes formed in the boiler were sampled in several Australian power stations, with laboratory ashes being prepared from the coals. The laboratory ashes gave lower values for the deformation temperature (DT) than the combustion ashes when the ash had low levels of basic oxide components. Thermo-mechanical analysis, quantitative X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to establish the mechanisms responsible for the difference. Laboratory ash is finer than combustion ash and it includes unreacted minerals (such as quartz, kaolinite and illite) and anhydrite (CaSO{sub 4}). Fusion events which appear to be characteristic of reacting illite, at temperatures from 900 to 1200{degree}C, were observed for the laboratory ashes, these being associated with the formation of melt phase and substantial shrinkage. The combustion ashes did not contain this mineral and their fusion events were observed at temperatures exceeding 1300{degree}C. The low DTs of coal ashes with low levels of basic oxides are therefore a characteristic of laboratory ash rather than that found in practical combustion systems. These low temperatures are not expected to be associated with slagging in pulverised coal fired systems. 10 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

Mapping ash properties using principal components analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Paulo; Brevik, Eric; Cerda, Artemi; Ubeda, Xavier; Novara, Agata; Francos, Marcos; Rodrigo-Comino, Jesus; Bogunovic, Igor; Khaledian, Yones

2017-04-01

In post-fire environments ash has important benefits for soils, such as protection and source of nutrients, crucial for vegetation recuperation (Jordan et al., 2016; Pereira et al., 2015a; 2016a,b). The thickness and distribution of ash are fundamental aspects for soil protection (Cerdà and Doerr, 2008; Pereira et al., 2015b) and the severity at which was produced is important for the type and amount of elements that is released in soil solution (Bodi et al., 2014). Ash is very mobile material, and it is important were it will be deposited. Until the first rainfalls are is very mobile. After it, bind in the soil surface and is harder to erode. Mapping ash properties in the immediate period after fire is complex, since it is constantly moving (Pereira et al., 2015b). However, is an important task, since according the amount and type of ash produced we can identify the degree of soil protection and the nutrients that will be dissolved. The objective of this work is to apply to map ash properties (CaCO3, pH, and select extractable elements) using a principal component analysis (PCA) in the immediate period after the fire. Four days after the fire we established a grid in a 9x27 m area and took ash samples every 3 meters for a total of 40 sampling points (Pereira et al., 2017). The PCA identified 5 different factors. Factor 1 identified high loadings in electrical conductivity, calcium, and magnesium and negative with aluminum and iron, while Factor 3 had high positive loadings in total phosphorous and silica. Factor 3 showed high positive loadings in sodium and potassium, factor 4 high negative loadings in CaCO3 and pH, and factor 5 high loadings in sodium and potassium. The experimental variograms of the extracted factors showed that the Gaussian model was the most precise to model factor 1, the linear to model factor 2 and the wave hole effect to model factor 3, 4 and 5. The maps produced confirm the patternd observed in the experimental variograms. Factor 1 and 2

Cementing Efficiency of Low Calcium Fly Ash in Fly Ash Concretes

OpenAIRE

T. D. Gunneswara Rao; Mudimby Andal

2014-01-01

Research on the utilization of fly ash will no longer refer the fly ash as a waste material of thermal power plants. Use of fly ash in concrete making, makes the concrete economical as well as durable. The fly ash is being added to the concrete in three ways namely, as partial replacement to cement, as partial replacement to fine aggregates and as admixture. Addition of fly ash to the concrete in any one of the form mentioned above, makes the concrete more workable and durable than the conven...

Radioactivity of wood ash

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rantavaara, A.; Moring, M.

2000-01-01

STUK (Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority) has investigated natural and artificial radioactivity in wood ash and radiation exposure from radionuclides in ash since 1996. The aim was to consider both handling of ash and different ways of using ash. In all 87 ash samples were collected from 22 plants using entirely or partially wood for their energy production in 1996-1997. The sites studied represented mostly chemical forest industry, sawmills or district heat production. Most plants used fluidised bed combustion technique. Samples of both fly ash and bottom ash were studied. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in samples of, e.g., dried fly ash from fuel containing more than 80% wood were determined. The means ranged from 2000 to less than 50 Bq kg -1 , in decreasing order: 137 Cs, 40 K, 90 Sr, 210 Pb, 226 Ra, 232 Th, 134 Cs, 235 U. In bott radionuclide contents decreased in the same order as in fly ash, but were smaller, and 210 Pb was hardly detectable. The NH 4 Ac extractable fractions of activities for isotopes of alkaline elements (K, Cs) in bottom ash were lower than in fly ash, whereas solubility of heavier isotopes was low. Safety requirements defined by STUK in ST-guide 12.2 for handling of peat ash were fulfilled at each of the sites. Use of ash for land-filling and construction of streets was minimal during the sampling period. Increasing this type of ash use had often needed further investigations, as description of the use of additional materials that attenuate radiation. Fertilisation of forests with wood ash adds slightly to the external irradiation in forests, but will mostly decrease doses received through use of timber, berries, mushrooms and game meat. (orig.)

The 15 September 1991 pyroclastic flows at Unzen Volcano (Japan): a flow model for associated ash-cloud surges

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, Toshitsugu; Nakada, Setsuya

1999-04-01

Large-scale collapse of a dacite dome in the late afternoon of 15 September 1991 generated a series of pyroclastic-flow events at Unzen Volcano. Pyroclastic flows with a volume of 1×10 6 m 3 (as DRE) descended the northeastern slope of the volcano, changing their courses to the southeast due to topographic control. After they exited a narrow gorge, an ash-cloud surge rushed straight ahead, detaching the main body of the flow that turned and followed the topographic lows to the east. The surge swept the Kita-Kamikoba area, which had been devastated by the previous pyroclastic-flow events, and transported a car as far as 120 m. Following detachment, the surge lost its force after it moved several hundred meters, but maintained a high temperature. The deposits consist of a bottom layer of better-sorted ash (unit 1), a thick layer of block and ash (unit 2), and a thin top layer of fall-out ash (unit 3). Unit 2 overlies unit 1 with an erosional contact. The upper part of unit 2 grades into better-sorted ash. At distal block-and-ash flow deposits, the bottom part of unit 2 also consists of better-sorted ash, and the contact with the unit 1 deposits becomes ambiguous. Video footage of cascading pyroclastic flows during the 1991-1995 eruption, traveling over surfaces without any topographic barriers, revealed that lobes of ash cloud protruded intermittently from the moving head and sides, and that these lobes surged ahead on the ground surface. This fact, together with the inspection by helicopter shortly after the events, suggests that the protruded lobes consisted of better-sorted ash, and resulted in the deposits of unit 1. The highest ash-cloud plume at the Oshigadani valley exit, and the thickest deposition of fall-out ash over Kita-Kamikoba and Ohnokoba, indicate that abundant ash was also produced when the flow passed through a narrow gorge. In the model presented here, the ash clouds from the pyroclastic flows were composed of a basal turbulent current of high

Multiphase flow modelling of volcanic ash particle settling in water using adaptive unstructured meshes

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, C. T.; Collins, G. S.; Piggott, M. D.; Kramer, S. C.; Wilson, C. R. G.

2013-02-01

Small-scale experiments of volcanic ash particle settling in water have demonstrated that ash particles can either settle slowly and individually, or rapidly and collectively as a gravitationally unstable ash-laden plume. This has important implications for the emplacement of tephra deposits on the seabed. Numerical modelling has the potential to extend the results of laboratory experiments to larger scales and explore the conditions under which plumes may form and persist, but many existing models are computationally restricted by the fixed mesh approaches that they employ. In contrast, this paper presents a new multiphase flow model that uses an adaptive unstructured mesh approach. As a simulation progresses, the mesh is optimized to focus numerical resolution in areas important to the dynamics and decrease it where it is not needed, thereby potentially reducing computational requirements. Model verification is performed using the method of manufactured solutions, which shows the correct solution convergence rates. Model validation and application considers 2-D simulations of plume formation in a water tank which replicate published laboratory experiments. The numerically predicted settling velocities for both individual particles and plumes, as well as instability behaviour, agree well with experimental data and observations. Plume settling is clearly hindered by the presence of a salinity gradient, and its influence must therefore be taken into account when considering particles in bodies of saline water. Furthermore, individual particles settle in the laminar flow regime while plume settling is shown (by plume Reynolds numbers greater than unity) to be in the turbulent flow regime, which has a significant impact on entrainment and settling rates. Mesh adaptivity maintains solution accuracy while providing a substantial reduction in computational requirements when compared to the same simulation performed using a fixed mesh, highlighting the benefits of an

Dynamic evaluation of municipal solid waste ash leachate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theis, T.L.; Gardner, K.H.

1992-01-01

The incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) produces ashes which are concentrated in many inorganic species. The release of toxic elements from the ash to the aqueous environment is of concern as present methods of ash disposal consist primarily of landfilling. It was the goal of this paper to achieve an understanding of the mechanisms by which elements are transported from the solid ash phase to the aqueous phase. Twelve ash samples were collected from six different incinerators with varying designs and capacities. The leaching experiments were conducted using small (mini) dynamic columns to investigate the variation of leachate chemical characteristics with time. In analyzing the data, a multicomponent chemical equilibrium model was used to determine chemical speciation and component activities. Auxiliary experiments included an array of physical measurements, and aqueous batch leach tests

The aggregation efficiency of very fine volcanic ash

Science.gov (United States)

Del Bello, E.; Taddeucci, J.; Scarlato, P.

2013-12-01

Explosive volcanic eruptions can discharge large amounts of very small sized pyroclasts (under 0.090 mm) into the atmosphere that may cause problems to people, infrastructures and environment. The transport and deposition of fine ash are ruled by aggregation that causes premature settling of fine ash and, as consequence, significantly reduces the concentration of airborne material over long distances. Parameterizing the aggregation potential of fine ash is then needed to provide accurate modelling of ash transport and deposition from volcanic plumes. Here we present the first results of laboratory experiments investigating the aggregation efficiency of very fine volcanic particles. Previous laboratory experiments have shown that collision kinetic and relative humidity provide the strongest effect on aggregation behaviour but were only limited to particles with size > 0.125 mm. In our work, we focus on natural volcanic ash at ambient humidity with particles size aggregation potential. Two types of ash were used in our experiments: fresh ash, collected during fall-out from a recent plume-forming eruption at Sakurajima (Japan -July 2013) and old ash, collected from fall-out tephra deposits at Campi Flegrei (Italy, ca. 10 ka), to account for the different chemical composition and morphoscopic effects of altered ash on aggregation efficiency. Total samples were hand sieved to obtain three classes with unimodal grain size distributions (sieved from the top of a transparent tank where a fan, placed at the bottom, allows turbulent dispersion of particles. Collision and sticking of particles on a vertical glass slide were filmed with a high speed cameras at 6000 fps. Our lenses arrangement provide high image resolution allowing to capture particles down to 0.005 mm in diameter. Video sequences of particles motion and collision were then processed with image analysis and particle tracking tools to determine i) the particle number density and ii) the grain size distribution

Modeling potential Emerald Ash Borer spread through GIS/cell-based/gravity models with data bolstered by web-based inputs

Science.gov (United States)

Louis R. Iverson; Anantha M. Prasad; Davis Sydnor; Jonathan Bossenbroek; Mark W. Schwartz; Mark W. Schwartz

2006-01-01

We model the susceptibility and potential spread of the organism across the eastern United States and especially through Michigan and Ohio using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. We are also developing a cell-based model for the potential spread of the organism. We have developed a web-based tool for public agencies and private individuals to enter the...

Fly ash carbon passivation

Science.gov (United States)

La Count, Robert B; Baltrus, John P; Kern, Douglas G

2013-05-14

A thermal method to passivate the carbon and/or other components in fly ash significantly decreases adsorption. The passivated carbon remains in the fly ash. Heating the fly ash to about 500 and 800 degrees C. under inert gas conditions sharply decreases the amount of surfactant adsorbed by the fly ash recovered after thermal treatment despite the fact that the carbon content remains in the fly ash. Using oxygen and inert gas mixtures, the present invention shows that a thermal treatment to about 500 degrees C. also sharply decreases the surfactant adsorption of the recovered fly ash even though most of the carbon remains intact. Also, thermal treatment to about 800 degrees C. under these same oxidative conditions shows a sharp decrease in surfactant adsorption of the recovered fly ash due to the fact that the carbon has been removed. This experiment simulates the various "carbon burnout" methods and is not a claim in this method. The present invention provides a thermal method of deactivating high carbon fly ash toward adsorption of AEAs while retaining the fly ash carbon. The fly ash can be used, for example, as a partial Portland cement replacement in air-entrained concrete, in conductive and other concretes, and for other applications.

A simple semi-empirical approach to model thickness of ash-deposits for different eruption scenarios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. O. González-Mellado

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The impact of ash-fall on people, buildings, crops, water resources, and infrastructure depends on several factors such as the thickness of the deposits, grain size distribution and others. Preparedness against tephra falls over large regions around an active volcano requires an understanding of all processes controlling those factors, and a working model capable of predicting at least some of them. However, the complexity of tephra dispersion and sedimentation makes the search of an integral solution an almost unapproachable problem in the absence of highly efficient computing facilities due to the large number of equations and unknown parameters that control the process. An alternative attempt is made here to address the problem of modeling the thickness of ash deposits as a primary impact factor that can be easily communicated to the public and decision-makers. We develop a semi-empirical inversion model to estimate the thickness of non-compacted deposits produced by an explosive eruption around a volcano in the distance range 4–150 km from the eruptive source.

The model was elaborated from the analysis of the geometric distribution of deposit thickness of 14 world-wide well-documented eruptions. The model was initially developed to depict deposits of potential eruptions of Popocatépetl and Colima volcanoes in México, but it can be applied to any volcano. It has been designed to provide planners and Civil Protection authorities of an accurate perception of the ash-fall deposit thickness that may be expected for different eruption scenarios. The model needs to be fed with a few easy-to-obtain parameters, namely, height of the eruptive column, duration of the explosive phase, and wind speed and direction, and its simplicity allows it to run in any platform, including a personal computers and even a notebook. The results may be represented as tables, two dimensional thickness-distance plots, or isopach maps using any available

Fusion characterization of biomass ash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Teng [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, 100190 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Fan, Chuigang; Hao, Lifang [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Li, Songgeng, E-mail: sgli@ipe.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Song, Wenli [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Lin, Weigang [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2016-08-20

Highlights: • A novel method is proposed to analyze fusion characteristics of biomass ash. • T{sub m} can represent the severe melting temperature of biomass ash. • Compared with AFT, TMA is the better choice to analyze the fusion characteristics of biomass ash. - Abstract: The ash fusion characteristics are important parameters for thermochemical utilization of biomass. In this research, a method for measuring the fusion characteristics of biomass ash by Thermo-mechanical Analyzer, TMA, is described. The typical TMA shrinking ratio curve can be divided into two stages, which are closely related to ash melting behaviors. Several characteristics temperatures based on the TMA curves are used to assess the ash fusion characteristics. A new characteristics temperature, T{sub m}, is proposed to represent the severe melting temperature of biomass ash. The fusion characteristics of six types of biomass ash have been measured by TMA. Compared with standard ash fusibility temperatures (AFT) test, TMA is more suitable for measuring the fusion characteristics of biomass ash. The glassy molten areas of the ash samples are sticky and mainly consist of K-Ca-silicates.

Variational data assimilation of satellite observations to estimate volcanic ash emissions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, S.

2017-01-01

Volcanic eruptions release a large amount of volcanic ash, which can pose hazard to human and animal health, land transportation, and aviation safety. Volcanic Ash Transport and Dispersion (VATD) models are critical tools to provide advisory information and timely volcanic ash forecasts. Due to the

Trace elements in coal ash

Science.gov (United States)

Deonarine, Amrika; Kolker, Allan; Doughten, Michael W.

2015-01-01

Coal ash is a residual waste product primarily produced by coal combustion for electric power generation. Coal ash includes fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization products (at powerplants equipped with flue-gas desulfurization systems). Fly ash, the most common form of coal ash, is used in a range of products, especially construction materials. A new Environmental Protection Agency ruling upholds designation of coal ash as a non-hazardous waste under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, allowing for the continued beneficial use of coal ash and also designating procedures and requirements for its storage.

Mercury release from fly ashes and hydrated fly ash cement pastes

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Wen; Zhang, Chao-yang; Kong, Xiang-ming; Zhuo, Yu-qun; Zhu, Zhen-wu

2018-04-01

The large-scale usage of fly ash in cement and concrete introduces mercury (Hg) into concrete structures and a risk of secondary emission of Hg from the structures during long-term service was evaluated. Three fly ashes were collected from coal-fired power plants and three blend cements were prepared by mixing Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with the same amount of fly ash. The releasing behaviors of Hg0 from the fly ash and the powdered hydrated cement pastes (HCP) were measured by a self-developed Hg measurement system, where an air-blowing part and Hg collection part were involved. The Hg release of fly ashes at room temperature varied from 25.84 to 39.69 ng/g fly ash during 90-days period of air-blowing experiment. In contrast, the Hg release of the HCPs were in a range of 8.51-18.48 ng/g HCP. It is found that the Hg release ratios of HCPs were almost the same as those of the pure fly ashes, suggesting that the hydration products of the HCP have little immobilization effect on Hg0. Increasing temperature and moisture content markedly promote the Hg release.

Fly ash aggregates. Vliegaskunstgrind

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-03-01

A study has been carried out into artificial aggregates made from fly ash, 'fly ash aggregates'. Attention has been drawn to the production of fly ash aggregates in the Netherlands as a way to obviate the need of disposal of fly ash. Typical process steps for the manufacturing of fly ash aggregates are the agglomeration and the bonding of fly ash particles. Agglomeration techniques are subdivided into agitation and compaction, bonding methods into sintering, hydrothermal and 'cold' bonding. In sintering no bonding agent is used. The fly ash particles are more or less welded together. Sintering in general is performed at a temperature higher than 900 deg C. In hydrothermal processes lime reacts with fly ash to a crystalline hydrate at temperatures between 100 and 250 deg C at saturated steam pressure. As a lime source not only lime as such, but also portland cement can be used. Cold bonding processes rely on reaction of fly ash with lime or cement at temperatures between 0 and 100 deg C. The pozzolanic properties of fly ash are used. Where cement is applied, this bonding agent itself contributes also to the strength development of the artificial aggregate. Besides the use of lime and cement, several processes are known which make use of lime containing wastes such as spray dry absorption desulfurization residues or fluid bed coal combustion residues. (In Dutch)

Hydration of fly ash cement and microstructure of fly ash cement pastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiyuan, H.

1981-01-01

The strength development and hydration of fly ash cement and the influence of addition of gypsum on those were studied at normal and elevated temperatures. It was found that an addition of a proper amount of gypsum to fly ash cement could accelerate the pozzolanic reaction between CH and fly ash, and as a result, increase the strength of fly ash cement pastes after 28 days.

Glass-ceramic from mixtures of bottom ash and fly ash.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Dinh Hieu; Wang, Kuen-Sheng; Chen, Jung-Hsing; Nam, Bui Xuan; Bac, Bui Hoang

2012-12-01

Along with the gradually increasing yield of the residues, appropriate management and treatment of the residues have become an urgent environmental protection problem. This work investigated the preparation of a glass-ceramic from a mixture of bottom ash and fly ash by petrurgic method. The nucleation and crystallization kinetics of the new glass-ceramic can be obtained by melting the mixture of 80% bottom ash and 20% fly ash at 950 °C, which was then cooled in the furnace for 1h. Major minerals forming in the glass-ceramics mainly are gehlenite (Ca(2)Al(2)SiO(7)) & akermanite (Ca(2)MgSiO(7)) and wollastonite (CaSiO(3)). In addition, regarding chemical/mechanical properties, the chemical resistance showing durability, and the leaching concentration of heavy metals confirmed the possibility of engineering and construction applications of the most superior glass-ceramic product. Finally, petrurgic method of a mixture of bottom ash and fly ash at 950 °C represents a simple, inexpensive, and energy saving method compared with the conventional heat treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ash dust co-centration in the vicinity of the ash disposal site depending on the size of the pond (“Water Mirror”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoran Gršić

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Thermal power plants Nikola Tesla “A” and “B” are large sources of ash from their ashes/slag deposit sites. Total sizes of ashes/slag depots are 600ha and 382ha, with active cassettes having dimensions ∼200 ha and ∼130 ha. The active cassettes of the disposal sites are covered by rather large waste ponds, the sizes of vary depending on the working condition of a sluice system and on meteorological conditions. Modeling of ash lifting was attempted using results from the dust lifting research. The relation between sizes of ponds and air dust concentration in the vicinity of ash disposal sites was analyzed. As expected, greater sizes of dried disposal site surfaces in combination with stronger winds gave greater dust emission and greater air dust concentration.

Advances in Monitoring, Modelling and Forecasting Volcanic Ash Plumes over the Past 5 Years and the Impact on Preparedness from the London VAAC Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, D. S.; Lisk, I.

2015-12-01

Hosted and run by the Met Office, the London VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre) is responsible for issuing advisories on the location and likely dispersion of ash clouds originating from volcanoes in the North East Atlantic, primarily from Iceland. These advisories and additional guidance products are used by the civil aviation community to make decisions on airspace flight management. London VAAC has specialist forecasters who use a combination of volcano source data, satellite-based, ground-based and aircraft observations, weather forecast models and dispersion models. Since the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, which resulted in the decision by many northern European countries to impose significant restrictions on the use of their airspace, London VAAC has been active in further developing its volcanic ash monitoring, modelling and forecasting capabilities, collaborating with research organisations, industry, other VAACs, Meteorological Services and the Volcano Observatory in Iceland. It has been necessary to advance operational capabilities to address evolving requirements, including for more quantitative assessments of volcanic ash in the atmosphere. Here we summarise advances in monitoring, modelling and forecasting of volcanic ash plumes over the past 5 years from the London VAAC perspective, and the realization of science into operations. We also highlight the importance of collaborative activities, such as the 'VAAC Best Practice' Workshop, where information is exchanged between all nine VAACs worldwide on the operational practices in monitoring and forecasting volcanic ash, with the aim of working toward a more harmonized service for decision makers in the aviation community. We conclude on an evaluation of how better we are prepared for the next significant ash-rich Icelandic eruption, and the challenges still remaining.

Fusion characterization of biomass ash

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ma, Teng; Fan, Chuigang; Hao, Lifang

2016-01-01

The ash fusion characteristics are important parameters for thermochemical utilization of biomass. In this research, a method for measuring the fusion characteristics of biomass ash by Thermo-mechanical Analyzer, TMA, is described. The typical TMA shrinking ratio curve can be divided into two...... stages, which are closely related to ash melting behaviors. Several characteristics temperatures based on the TMA curves are used to assess the ash fusion characteristics. A new characteristics temperature, Tm, is proposed to represent the severe melting temperature of biomass ash. The fusion...... characteristics of six types of biomass ash have been measured by TMA. Compared with standard ash fusibility temperatures (AFT) test, TMA is more suitable for measuring the fusion characteristics of biomass ash. The glassy molten areas of the ash samples are sticky and mainly consist of K-Ca-silicates....

Arsenic, chromium and mercury removal using mussel shell ash or a sludge/ashes waste mixture.

Science.gov (United States)

Seco-Reigosa, Natalia; Peña-Rodríguez, Susana; Nóvoa-Muñoz, Juan Carlos; Arias-Estévez, Manuel; Fernández-Sanjurjo, María J; Alvarez-Rodríguez, Esperanza; Núñez-Delgado, Avelino

2013-04-01

Different batches of valued mussel shell and waste mussel shell ash are characterised. Shell ash has pH > 12 and high electrical conductivities (between 16.01 and 27.27 dS m(-1)), while calcined shell shows pH values up to 10.7 and electrical conductivities between 1.19 and 3.55 dS m(-1). X-ray fluorescence, nitric acid digestion and water extractions show higher concentrations in shell ash for most parameters. Calcite is the dominant crystalline compound in this ash (95.6%), followed by aragonite. Adsorption/desorption trials were performed for mussel shell ash and for a waste mixture including shell ash, sewage sludge and wood ash, showing the following percentage adsorptions: Hg(II) >94%, As(V) >96% and Cr(VI) between 11 and 30% for shell ash; Hg(II) >98%, As(V) >88% and Cr(VI) between 30 and 88% for the waste mixture. Hg and As desorption was ash and the waste mixture, while Cr desorption was between 92 and 45% for shell ash, and between 19 and 0% for the mixture. In view of that, mussel shell ash and the mixture including shell ash, sewage sludge and wood ash could be useful for Hg(II) and As(V) removal.

Photoinduced electron transfer and persistent spectral hole-burning in natural emerald.

Science.gov (United States)

Riesen, Hans

2011-06-02

Wavelength-selective excited-state lifetime measurements and absorption, luminescence, and hole-burning spectra of a natural African emerald crystal are reported. The (2)E excited-state lifetime displays an extreme wavelength dependence, varying from 190 to 37 μs within 1.8 nm of the R(1)-line. Overall, the excited state is strongly quenched, in comparison to laboratory-created emerald (τ=1.3 ms), with an average quenching rate of ∼6 × 10(3) s(-1) at 2.5 K. This quenching is attributed to photoinduced electron transfer caused by a relatively high concentration of Fe(2+) ions. The forward electron-transfer rate, k(f), from the nearest possible Fe(2+) sites at around 5 Å is estimated to be ∼20 × 10(3) s(-1) at 2.5 K. The photoreductive quenching of the excited Cr(3+) ions by Fe(2+) is followed by rapid electron back-transfer in the ground state upon deactivation. The exchange interaction based quenching can be modeled by assuming a random quencher distribution within the possible Fe(2+) sites with the forward electron-transfer rate, k(f), given as a function of acceptor-donor separation R by exp[(R(f)-R)/a(f)]; R(f) and a(f) values of 13.5 and 2.7 Å are obtained at 2.5 K. The electron transfer/back-transfer reorganizes the local crystal lattice, occasionally leading to a minor variation of the short-range structure around the Cr(3+) ions. This provides a mechanism for spectral hole-burning for which a moderately high quantum efficiency of about ∼0.005% is observed. Spectral holes are subject to spontaneous hole-filling and spectral diffusion, and both effects can be quantified within the standard two-level systems for non-photochemical hole-burning. Importantly, the absorbance increases on both sides of broad spectral holes, and isosbestic points are observed, in accord with the expected distribution of the "photoproduct" in a non-photochemical hole-burning process. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Properties and Leachability of Self-Compacting Concrete Incorporated with Fly Ash and Bottom Ash

Science.gov (United States)

Kadir, Aeslina Abdul; Ikhmal Haqeem Hassan, Mohd; Jamaluddin, Norwati; Bakri Abdullah, Mohd Mustafa Al

2016-06-01

The process of combustion in coal-fired power plant generates ashes, namely fly ash and bottom ash. Besides, coal ash produced from coal combustion contains heavy metals within their compositions. These metals are toxic to the environment as well as to human health. Fortunately, treatment methods are available for these ashes, and the use of fly ash and bottom ash in the concrete mix is one of the few. Therefore, an experimental program was carried out to study the properties and determine the leachability of selfcompacting concrete incorporated with fly ash and bottom ash. For experimental study, self-compacting concrete was produced with fly ash as a replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement and bottom ash as a replacement for sand with the ratios of 10%, 20%, and 30% respectively. The fresh properties tests conducted were slump flow, t500, sieve segregation and J-ring. Meanwhile for the hardened properties, density, compressive strength and water absorption test were performed. The samples were then crushed to be extracted using Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure and heavy metals content within the samples were identified accordingly using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The results demonstrated that both fresh and hardened properties were qualified to categorize as self-compacting concrete. Improvements in compressive strength were observed, and densities for all the samples were identified as a normal weight concrete with ranges between 2000 kg/m3 to 2600 kg/m3. Other than that, it was found that incorporation up to 30% of the ashes was safe as the leached heavy metals concentration did not exceed the regulatory levels, except for arsenic. In conclusion, this study will serve as a reference which suggests that fly ash and bottom ash are widely applicable in concrete technology, and its incorporation in self-compacting concrete constitutes a potential means of adding value to appropriate mix and design.

Effect of ash components on the ignition and burnout of high ash coals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, B.; Yan, R.; Zheng, C.G. [Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China). National Laboratory of Coal Combustion

1998-11-01

The effect of the ash components on the ignition and burnout of four Chinese high ash coals were studied by thermogravimetric analysis. To investigate the influence of the ash components, comparative experiments were carried out with original, deashed and impregnated coals. Eleven types of ash components, such as SiO{sub 2}, CaCO{sub 3}, MgO, Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2}, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, FeS{sub 2}, NH{sub 4}Fe(SO{sub 4}){sub 2}{center_dot}12H{sub 2}O and FeSO{sub 4},(NH{sub 4}){center_dot}6H{sub 2}O were used in the present study. It was found that most of the ash components have negative effects. The strong influence of some ash components suggests that the combustion characteristics of high ash coal may be determined by the ash composition. 5 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Shedding of ash deposits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zbogar, Ana; Frandsen, Flemming; Jensen, Peter Arendt

2009-01-01

Ash deposits formed during fuel thermal conversion and located on furnace walls and on convective pass tubes, may seriously inhibit the transfer of heat to the working fluid and hence reduce the overall process efficiency. Combustion of biomass causes formation of large quantities of troublesome...... ash deposits which contain significant concentrations of alkali, and earth-alkali metals. The specific composition of biomass deposits give different characteristics as compared to coal ash deposits, i.e. different physical significance of the deposition mechanisms, lower melting temperatures, etc....... Low melting temperatures make straw ashes especially troublesome, since their stickiness is higher at lower temperatures, compared to coal ashes. Increased stickiness will eventually lead to a higher collection efficiency of incoming ash particles, meaning that the deposit may grow even faster...

Pengaruh Kombinasi Fly Ash dan Bottom Ash sebagai Bahan Substitusi pada Campuran Beton terhadap Sifat Mekanis

OpenAIRE

Yahya, Tengku Tantoni; Kurniawandy, Alex; Djauhari, Zulfikar

2017-01-01

Fly ash and bottom ash were waste that generated from the power plant burning coal process. Fly ash and bottom ash has the potential to be developed as a basic ingredient in concrete composites. This research aimed to obtain the properties of fresh concrete and hard concrete of the combined effect of fly ash and bottom ash as a substitute ingredient in composite concrete. This research has examined the influence of a combination of waste fly ash and bottom ash to the compressive strength of a...

Investigation on Leaching Behaviour of Fly Ash and Bottom Ash Replacement in Self-Compacting Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Kadir, Aeslina Abdul; Ikhmal Haqeem Hassan, Mohd; Bakri Abdullah, Mohd Mustafa Al

2016-06-01

Fly ash and bottom ash are some of the waste generated by coal-fired power plants, which contains large quantities of toxic and heavy metals. In recent years, many researchers have been interested in studying on the properties of self-compacting concrete incorporated with fly ash and bottom ash but there was very limited research from the combination of fly ash and bottom ash towards the environmental needs. Therefore, this research was focused on investigating the leachability of heavy metals of SCC incorporated with fly ash and bottom ash by using Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure and Static Leaching Test. The samples obtained from the coal-fired power plant located at Peninsula, Malaysia. In this study, the potential heavy metals leached out from SCC that is produced with fly ash as a replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement and bottom ash as a substitute for sand with the ratios from 10% to 30% respectively were designated and cast. There are eight heavy metals of concern such as As, Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn and Fe. The results indicated that most of the heavy metals leached below the permissible limits from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization limit for drinking water. As a conclusion, the minimum leaching of the heavy metals from the incorporation of fly ash and bottom ash in self-compacting concrete was found in 20% of fly ash and 20% of bottom ash replacement. The results also indicate that this incorporation could minimize the potential of environmental problems.

75 FR 51107 - Notice of Proposed Supplementary Rules for Public Lands in Routt County, CO: Emerald Mountain...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-18

... destination recreation-tourism market strategy. The strategy targets Steamboat Springs area visitors... concerns regarding traditional or religious cultural properties in the Emerald Mountain Special Recreation Management Area. These supplementary rules would not affect Indian land, resources, or religious rights...

Processed bottom ash for replacing fine aggregate in making high-volume fly ash concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoni

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Bottom ash is a coal plant by-product that is abundant and underutilized. There is the potential use of bottom ash as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete mixtures; however, the problems of water absorption and uniformity of quality of the material need to be overcome first. In this study, bottom ash was treated by sieve separation and pounding to smaller particle size for use as a sand substitute. The physical and chemical characteristics of bottom ash were tested after treatment including water absorption, sieve analysis, and fineness modulus. Highvolume fly ash (HVFA mortar specimens were made and the compressive strength and flowability test using bottom ash after treatment are compared with that of the sand specimen. Low water to cementitious ratio was used to ensure higher strength from the cementitious paste and superplasticizer demand was determined for each treatment. The result showed that bottom ash can be used as fine aggregate replacement material. Sieve separation of the bottom ash could produce 75% of the compressive strength compared with the control sand specimen, whereas pounded bottom ash could have up to 96% of the compressive strength of the control specimen. A 28-day compressive strength of 45 MPa was achievable with 100% replacement of fine aggregate with bottom ash.

Reuse of Coconut Shell, Rice Husk, and Coal Ash Blends in Geopolymer Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Walmiki Samadhi, Tjokorde; Wulandari, Winny; Prasetyo, Muhammad Iqbal; Rizki Fernando, Muhammad

2017-10-01

Mixtures of biomass and coal ashes are likely to be produced in increasing volume as biomass-based energy production is gaining importance in Indonesia. This work highlights the reuse of coconut shell ash (CSA), rice husk ash (RHA), and coal fly ash (FA) for geopolymer synthesis by an activator solution containing concentrated KOH and Na2SiO3. Ash blend compositions are varied according to a simplex-centroid mixture experimental design. Activator to ash mass ratios are varied from 0.8 to 2.0, the higher value being applied for ash compositions with higher Si/Al ratio. The impact of ash blend composition on early strength is adequately modeled by an incomplete quadratic mixture model. Overall, the ashes can produce geopolymer mortars with an early strength exceeding the Indonesian SNI 15-2049-2004 standard minimum value of 2.0 MPa. Good workability of the geopolymer is indicated by their initial setting times which are longer than the minimum value of 45 mins. Geopolymers composed predominantly of RHA composition exhibit poor strength and excessive setting time. FTIR spectroscopy confirms the geopolymerization of the ashes by the shift of the Si-O-Si/Al asymmetric stretching vibrational mode. Overall, these results point to the feasibility of geopolymerization as a reuse pathway for biomass combustion waste.

Use of feces to attract insects by a Glittering-bellied Emerald, Chlorostilbon lucidus (Shaw, 1812 (Apodiformes: Trochilidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio André Facco Jacomassa

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study describes the occurrence of a female Glittering-bellied Emerald, Chlorostilbon lucidus, using feces to attract insects to the nesting site for predation. This is the first report of a hummingbird using feces to attract insects.

Use of the extraction residue of emeralds in a formulation mass of ceramic tiles; Utilizacao do residuo da extracao de esmeraldas em uma formulacao de massa de revestimento ceramico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavalcante, R. F., E-mail: ronaldofcavalcante@gmail.com [Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica - PPgEM - UFRN, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Lagoa Nova, RN (Brazil); Nascimento, R.M.; Paskocimas, C.A., E-mail: rmaribondo@ufrnet.br, E-mail: paskocimas_ca@hotmail.com [Departamento de Engenharia Materiais - DEMAT - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Lagoa Nova, RN (Brazil); Dutra, R.P.S., E-mail: ricardodutra@ct.ufpb.br [Departamento de Engenharia Materiais - DEMAT - UFPB - Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife (Brazil)

2012-04-15

Companies involved in mining and beneficiation of emerald represent an important area of industrial development in Brazil, with a significant contribution to world production of this ore. As a result, large volumes of waste generated and emerald are constantly abandoned in the environment, contributing negatively to their preservation. On the other hand the interest in the use of mining waste as an additive in production of ceramic materials has grown among researchers in recent years. The ceramic industry is constantly seeking to expand the market for the sector and trying to improve product quality and increase the variety of applications. The technology of obtaining ceramic coating that uses waste from mining is still a largely unexplored market. Thus, the purpose of this study was to characterize the waste generated from mining emerald as well as to evaluate its potential use as raw material for production melting of ceramic tiles. Ceramic mixtures were prepared from raw materials characterized by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Five compositions were prepared using the waste codes of emeralds from 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. Samples were prepared by pressing, sintered at 1000, 1100 and 1200 deg C and characterized to establish their mineralogical composition, water absorption, linear shrinkage and modulus of rupture. The results showed that the residue of emeralds studied can be embedded in the mass of ceramic tiles up to 20% in replacement of feldspar without compromising the end product properties. (author)

Study of the use waste resulting from the mining of emerald for the production refractory ceramic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esteves, P.J.C.; Coelho, R.E.; Cruz, R.M.S.; Cavalcanti, R.F.

2009-01-01

Full text: The great impact caused by excess mineral waste in ambient of the emerald exploration, in determined locals of Brazil, where are deposited, it has caused inconvenience to their various people residents. The jungles, rivers and lakes are directly harmed by the aggressions imposed by neglect in the destination of such waste. Considering the importance of the issue outlined to the goal of this work, this paper can back report a study for utilizing emerald waste, focused the possibility manufacture for obtained refractory ceramic. The results show that the specimens prepared by the ball milling, cold pressing and sintering method had better high temperature properties, due to a higher mica volume percent and finer crystallite size. Specimens it was characterized by X-ray diffractometer and fluorescence. Test was realized in the materials, submitted in high temperature was observed good thermal stability, the processed ceramics could be recommended for the adequate applications. (author)

Ash fusion temperatures and the transformations of coal ash particles to slag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, S.K.; Wall, T.F.; Creelman, R.A.; Gupta, R.P. [University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW (Australia). CRC for Black Coal Utilisation

1998-07-01

A mechanistic study is detailed in which coal ash is heated with its shrinkage measured continuously up to a temperature of 1600{degree}C. The temperature corresponding to the rapid rate of shrinkage correspond to the formation of eutectics identified on phase diagrams. Samples were therefore heated to these temperatures, cooled rapidly and examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to identify the associated chemical and physical changes. The progressive changes in the range of chemical composition (from SEM), the extent of undissolved ash particles and porosity were then quantified and related to homogenisation, viscosity and ash fusion mechanisms. Alternate ash fusion temperatures based on different levels of shrinkage have also been suggested to characterise the ash deposition tendency of the coals. 13 refs., 9 figs.

An attempt to evaluate some regression models used for radiometric ash determination in the brown coal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karamuz, S.; Urbanski, P.; Antoniak, W.; Wagner, D.

1984-01-01

Five different regression models for determination of the ash as well as iron and calcium contents in brown coal using fluorescence and scattering of X-rays have been evaluated. Calculations were done using experimental results obtained from the natural brown coal samples to which appropriate quantities of iron, calcium and silicon oxides were added. The secondary radiation was excited by Pu-238 source and detected by X-ray argone filled proportional counter. The investigation has shown the superiority of the multiparametric models over the radiometric ash determination in the pit-coal applying aluminium filter for the correction of the influence of iron content on the intensity of scattered radiation. Standard error of estimation for the best algorithm is about three time smaler than that for algorithm simulating application of the aluminium filter. Statistical parameters of the considered algorithm were reviewed and discussed. (author)

Climate variation alters the synchrony of host–parasitoid interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Although some research has examined how parasitoids will respond to colder temperatures or experimental warming, we know relatively little about how increased variation in temperature could affect interactions between parasitoids and their hosts. Using a study system consisting of emerald ash borer...

Delineation of a volcanic ash body using electrical resistivity profiling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Jianghai; Ludvigson, Greg; Miller, Richard D; Mayer, Lindsay; Haj, Adel

2010-01-01

Four lines of electrical resistivity profiling (ERP) were performed to define the extent of a shallow Quaternary volcanic ash deposit being mined in the United States. Inversion results of ERP proved suitable for defining the thickness and lateral extent of the volcanic ash deposit at this testing site. These interpretations were confirmed by shallow borehole drilling. The model sensitivity information indicates that inverted models possess sufficient resolving power down to a depth of 7 m and are fairly consistent in terms of horizontal resolution along the four ERP lines. The bottom of most of the volcanic ash deposit in the study area is less than 7 m in depth. Based on synthesis of the ERP and drill information, the limits of the mineable ash bed resources were clearly defined. Moreover, by integrating the ERP results with a minimal number of optimally placed borings, the volume of the volcanic ash deposit was established at a lesser cost, and with greater accuracy than would be possible with a traditionally designed grid drilling programme

76 FR 62827 - Notice of Final Supplementary Rules for Public Lands in Routt County, CO: Emerald Mountain...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-11

... Management Zones. Zone 1 is managed under a destination recreation-tourism market strategy. The strategy... religious cultural properties in the Emerald Mountain SRMA. These supplementary rules would not affect Indian land, resources, or religious rights. Executive Order 13211, Actions Concerning Regulations That...

Water Adsorption Isotherms on Fly Ash from Several Sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Navea, Juan G; Richmond, Emily; Stortini, Talia; Greenspan, Jillian

2017-10-03

In this study, horizontal attenuated total reflection (HATR) Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was combined with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gravimetry to investigate the adsorption isotherms of water on fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion in power plants. Because of composition variability with the source region, water uptake was studied at room temperature as a function of relative humidity (RH) on fly ash from several regions: United States, India, The Netherlands, and Germany. The FT-IR spectra show water features growth as a function of RH, with water absorbing on the particle surface in both an ordered (ice-like) and a disordered (liquid-like) structure. The QCM data was modeled using the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) adsorption isotherm model. The BET model was found to describe the data well over the entire range of RH, showing that water uptake on fly ash takes place mostly on the surface of the particle, even for poorly combusted samples. In addition, the source region and power-plant efficiency play important roles in the water uptake and ice nucleation (IN) ability of fly ash. The difference in the observed water uptake and IN behavior between the four samples and mullite (3Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 ), the aluminosilicate main component of fly ash, is attributed to differences in composition and the density of OH binding sites on the surface of each sample. A discussion is presented on the RH required to reach monolayer coverage on each sample as well as a comparison between surface sites of fly ash samples and enthalpies of adsorption of water between the samples and mullite.

Model-based aviation advice on distal volcanic ash clouds by assimilating aircraft in situ measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fu, G.; Heemink, A.; Lu, S.; Segers, A.; Weber, K.; Lin, H.X.

2016-01-01

The forecast accuracy of distal volcanic ash clouds is important for providing valid aviation advice during volcanic ash eruption. However, because the distal part of volcanic ash plume is far from the volcano, the influence of eruption information on this part becomes rather indirect and uncertain,

Cast-concrete products made with FBC ash and wet-collected coal-ash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naik, T.R.; Kraus, R.N.; Chun, Y.M.; Botha, F.D. [University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States)

2005-12-01

Cast-concrete hollow blocks, solid blocks, and paving stones were produced at a manufacturing plant by replacing up to 45% (by mass) of portland cement with fluidized bed combustion (FBC) coal ash and up to 9% of natural aggregates with wet-collected, low-lime, coarse coal-ash (WA). Cast-concrete product specimens of all three types exceeded the compressive strength requirements of ASTM from early ages, with the exception of one paving-stone mixture, which fell short of the requirement by less than 10%. The cast-concrete products made by replacing up to 40% of cement with FBC ash were equivalent in strength (89-113% of control) to the products without ash. The abrasion resistance of paving stones was equivalent for up to 34% FBC ash content. Partial replacement of aggregates with WA decreased strength of the products. The resistance of hollow blocks and paving stones to freezing and thawing decreased appreciably with increasing ash contents. The cast-concrete products could be used indoors in regions where freezing and thawing is a concern, and outdoors in a moderate climate.

Influence of ammonia on leaching behaviors of incineration fly ash and its geochemical modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Astrup, Thomas Fruergaard; Guan, Zhen Zhen; Chen, De Zhen

2013-01-01

Incineration fly ash could be contaminated with NH3 that was slipped from the ammonia-based selective non-catalytic reduction(SNCR) process and from evaporation of municipal solid wastes' leachate involved in the wastes. This research was conducted to investigate the impacts of ammonia on leaching....... It was proved that at pH>9, the leaching of DOC increased significantly in the presence of high concentrations of ammonia (≥1357 mg·L-1), but there was little effect when the ammonia level in eluates was not higher than 537 mg·L-1. At pH12, for Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn, their leaching species were predominantly...... by precipitation/dissolution and surface complexation/precipitation processes; Visual MINTEQ modeling could well describe the leaching behaviors of Al, Cu, Pb and Zn from incineration fly ash....

Can ash clog soil pores?

Science.gov (United States)

Stoof, Cathelijne; Stoof, Cathelijne; Gevaert, Anouk; Gevaert, Anouk; Baver, Christine; Baver, Christine; Hassanpour, Bahareh; Hassanpour, Bahareh; Morales, Veronica; Morales, Veronica; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Wei; Martin, Deborah; Martin, Deborah; Steenhuis, Tammo; Steenhuis, Tammo

2015-04-01

Wildfire can greatly increase a landscape's vulnerability to flooding and erosion events, and ash is thought to play a large role in controlling runoff and erosion processes after wildfire. Although ash can store rainfall and thereby reduce runoff and erosion for a limited period after wildfires, it has also been hypothesized to clog soil pores and reduce infiltration. Several researchers have attributed the commonly observed increase in runoff and erosion after fire to the potential pore-clogging effect of ash. Evidence is however incomplete, as to date, research has solely focused on identifying the presence of ash in the soil, with the actual flow processes associated with the infiltration and pore-clogging of ash remaining a major unknown. In several laboratory experiments, we tested the hypothesis that ash causes pore clogging to the point that infiltration is hampered and ponding occurs. We first visualized and quantified pore-scale infiltration of water and ash in sand of a range of textures and at various infiltration rates, using a digital bright field microscope capturing both photo and video. While these visualization experiments confirm field and lab observation of ash washing into soil pores, we did not observe any clogging of pores, and have not been able to create conditions for which this does occur. Additional electrochemical analysis and measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity indicate that pore clogging by ash is not plausible. Electrochemical analysis showed that ash and sand are both negatively charged, showing that attachment of ash to sand and any resulting clogging is unlikely. Ash also had quite high saturated conductivity, and systems where ash was mixed in or lying on top of sand had similarly high hydraulic conductivity. Based on these various experiments, we cannot confirm the hypothesis that pore clogging by ash contributes to the frequently observed increase in post-fire runoff, at least for the medium to coarse sands

Haruchlora maesi, a new emerald moth genus and species from Mesoamerica (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Geometrinae).

Science.gov (United States)

Viidalepp, Jaan; Lindt, Aare

2014-09-30

A new genus and species of Neotropical emerald geometrid moths, Haruchlora Viidalepp & Lindt, gen. nov., and Haruchlora maesi Viidalepp & Lindt, sp. nov. are described. The new genus differs from all other New World Geometrinae genera in having a bifid uncus, in characters of the pregenital segments of the male abdomen, and in the male genitalia. 

Formation, Sintering and Removal of Biomass Ash Deposits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laxminarayan, Yashasvi

conditions in laboratory-scale setups. Deposit formation was simulated in an Entrained Flow Reactor, to investigate the effect of operating conditions and ash chemistry on the rate of deposit formation. Experiments were performed using model biomass fly ash, prepared from mixtures of K2Si4O9, KCl, K2SO4, Ca....... Moreover, biomass ash deposits may cause severe corrosion of boiler surfaces. Therefore, reducing deposit formation and timely deposit removal are essential for optimal boiler operation. The formation, sintering and removal of boiler deposits has been investigated in this PhD project, by simulating boiler...... temperature increased the sticking probability of the fly ash particles/deposit surface, thereby increasing the rate of deposit formation. However, increasing flue gas velocity resulted in a decrease in the deposit formation rate, due to increased particle rebound. Furthermore, it was observed...

Changes in physiological responses of an Antarctic fish, the emerald rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii), following exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Ruma; Lokman, P Mark; Lamare, Miles D; Metcalf, Victoria J; Burritt, David J; Davison, William; Hageman, Kimberly J

2013-03-15

Although polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have the ability to undergo long-range atmospheric transport to remote ecosystems like Antarctica, a recent study found evidence for a local source within the Antarctic. PBDEs from sewage treatment outfalls of McMurdo Station and Scott Base on Ross Island have been attributed to the high concentrations measured in emerald rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii). The potential impact of PBDEs on Antarctic fish physiology is unknown and therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain a greater understanding of physiological responses of emerald rock cod for assessing changes in ecosystem quality. A PBDE mixture (ΣPBDE 8 congeners) was administered fortnightly over 42 days and physiological changes were observed throughout this period and for a further 14 days thereafter. Changes in liver composition, molecular level changes and enzyme activities of selected detoxification-mediated and antioxidant defence markers were measured. Changes in total lipid, lipid peroxide and protein carbonyl concentrations in emerald rock cod liver were consistent with increases in nucleus surface area in the PBDE-treated groups, suggesting alterations in cellular function. Changes in the activities of selected antioxidant enzymes indirectly indicated oxidative stress, possibly resulting in the changes in liver composition. Additionally, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity reached its peak faster than that of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), suggesting that during the early response to PBDE exposures there could be a greater involvement of GST-mediated detoxification. Thus, for at least the species examined here, protein carbonyl and lipid peroxides were useful and informative biomarkers for cellular level responses following PBDE-related exposure. Furthermore, our findings suggest that emerald rock cod exposed to PBDEs develop oxidative stress - a condition with potential consequences for fish growth, health and reproduction. Copyright �

Fluidised bed gasification of high-ash South African coals: An experimental and modelling study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Engelbrecht, AS

2011-11-01

Full Text Available model (CeSFaMB). The predictive capability of the model was analysed in terms of the degree of variation between experimental and simulated results for each test. The calibrated model was used to design a 15 MW fluidised bed coal gasifier...-scale BFBG are given in Figure 1 and Table 1. Process description Coal, air, oxygen and steam are the input streams to the process which produce the output streams: gas and char (ash). Coal is fed to the gasifier by means of a screw conveyor at a...

Ash study for biogas purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juarez V, R. I.

2016-01-01

This work evaluates the ashes generated from the wood and coal combustion process of the thermoelectric plant in Petacalco, Guerrero (Mexico) in order to determine its viability as a filter in the biogas purification process. The ash is constituted by particles of morphology and different chemical properties, so it required a characterization of the same by different analytical techniques: as was scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, in order to observe the microstructure and determine the elemental chemical composition of the particles. Prior to the analysis, a set of sieves was selected to classify as a function of particle size. Four different types of ashes were evaluated: one generated by the wood combustion (wood ash) and three more of the Petacalco thermoelectric generated by the coal combustion (wet fly ash, dry fly ash and dry bottom ash). (Author)

Firewood Alert

Science.gov (United States)

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry; PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

2006-01-01

Help stop the movement of exotic pests. Don't move Firewood! Exotic wood borers like emerald ash borer, Asian Long-horned beetle and Sirex wood wasp threaten Pennsylvania's forestland. Exotic wood boring insects can become established when infested firewood is transported to new areas.

Wildfire Ash: Chemical Composition, Ash-Soil Interactions and Environmental Impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Brook, Anna; Hamzi, Seham; Wittenberg, Lea

2015-04-01

gradient of layered ash with diverse physicochemical properties. The obtained post-burned soils were processed as following: 1. loss of mass (ML); 2. ash layers sampling - the produced ash layers were collected separately; 3. grinding; 4. color - the Munsell colour chart; 5. spectroscopy- each sample was analysed by two spectrometer, first is the Ocean Optics USB4000 (0.35-1.05 μm) portable system across visible and near infrared (VNIR) region using contact Halogen illumination, second is the Bruker Tensor II (2.35-25 μm) across mid infrared (MIR) region by Furrier transform IR (FTIR) system using the Pike EasiDiff diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) optical bench; 6. pH and electrical conductivity (EC) including total dissolve solids (TDS) and salinity (S) measurements. The result of high concentration of carbonates, oxides, and hydroxides of basic cations decreasing EC levels caused by high pH (>8) there the CaCO3 surfaces are negatively charged and variation of mineralogical composition introducing very detailed list of minerals (high concentration of Nickeline NiAs, Cuprite Cu2O, Rehodochrosite MnCO3 and Nitrolite Na2Al2Si3O102H2O in the top-layers and mixtures e.g. Kaolinite/Smectite (85% Kaol.) Al2Si2O5(OH)4+(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2nH2O and Mesolite + Hydroxyapophyllite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O308H2O + KCa4Si8O20(OH,F)8H2O between ash and post-burn top-soil layers. Bodí M.B., Muñoz-Santa I., Armero C., Doerr S.H., Mataix-Solera J., Cerdà A., 2013. Spatial and temporal variations of water repellency and probability of its occurrence in calcareous Mediterranean rangeland soils affected by fires. Catena, vol. 108, pp. 14-24. Certini G., Scalenghe R., Woods W.W., 2013. The impact of warfare on the soil environment. Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 127, pp. 1-15. Keesstra S.D., Temme A.J.A.M., Schoorl J.M., Visser S.M., 2014. Evaluating the hydrological component of new catchment-scale sediment delivery model LAPSUS-D. Geomorphology, vol. 212, pp. 97-107. Levin N., Levental

Regular Recycling of Wood Ash to Prevent Waste Production (RecAsh). Technical Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Lars E-mail: lars.t.andersson@skogsstyreslen.se

2007-03-15

At present, the extraction of harvest residues is predicted to increase in Sweden and Finland. As an effect of the intensified harvesting, the export of nutrients and acid buffering substances from the growth site is also increased. Wood ash could be used to compensate forest soils for such losses. Most wood fuel ash is today often deposited in landfills. If the wood ash is recycled, wood energy is produced without any significant waste production. Ash recycling would therefore contribute to decreasing the production of waste, and to maintaining the chemical quality of forest waters and biological productivity of forest soils in the long term. The project has developed, analysed and demonstrated two regular ash-recycling systems. It has also distributed knowledge gathered about motives for ash recycling as well as technical and administrative solutions through a range of media (handbooks, workshops, field demonstrations, reports, web page and information videos). Hopefully, the project will contribute to decreasing waste problems related to bio-energy production in the EU at large. The project has been organised as a separate structure at the beneficiary and divided in four geographically defined subprojects, one in Finland and three in Sweden (Central Sweden, Northern Sweden, and South-western Sweden). The work in each subproject has been lead by a subproject leader. Each subproject has organised a regional reference group. A project steering committee has been established consisting of senior officials from all concerned partners. The project had nine main tasks with the following main expected deliverables and output: 1. Development of two complete full-scale ash-recycling systems; 2. Production of handbooks of the ash recycling system; 3. Ash classification study to support national actions for recommendations; 4. Organise regional demonstrations of various technical options for ash treatment and spreading; 5. Organise national seminars and demonstrations of

COAL-FIRED UTILITY BOILERS: SOLVING ASH DEPOSITION PROBLEMS; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christopher J. Zygarlicke; Donald P. McCollor; Steven A. Benson; Jay R. Gunderson

2001-01-01

The accumulation of slagging and fouling ash deposits in utility boilers has been a source of aggravation for coal-fired boiler operators for over a century. Many new developments in analytical, modeling, and combustion testing methods in the past 20 years have made it possible to identify root causes of ash deposition. A concise and comprehensive guidelines document has been assembled for solving ash deposition as related to coal-fired utility boilers. While this report accurately captures the current state of knowledge in ash deposition, note that substantial research and development is under way to more completely understand and mitigate slagging and fouling. Thus, while comprehensive, this document carries the title ''interim,'' with the idea that future work will provide additional insight. Primary target audiences include utility operators and engineers who face plant inefficiencies and significant operational and maintenance costs that are associated with ash deposition problems. Pulverized and cyclone-fired coal boilers are addressed specifically, although many of the diagnostics and solutions apply to other boiler types. Logic diagrams, ash deposit types, and boiler symptoms of ash deposition are used to aid the user in identifying an ash deposition problem, diagnosing and verifying root causes, determining remedial measures to alleviate or eliminate the problem, and then monitoring the situation to verify that the problem has been solved. In addition to a step-by-step method for identifying and remediating ash deposition problems, this guideline document (Appendix A) provides descriptions of analytical techniques for diagnostic testing and gives extensive fundamental and practical literature references and addresses of organizations that can provide help in alleviating ash deposition problems

Electrodialytic removal of heavy metals from different fly ashes. Influence of heavy metal speciation in the ashes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Anne Juul; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Villumsen, Arne

2003-01-01

Electrodialytic Remediation has recently been suggested as a potential method for removal of heavy metals from fly ashes. In this work electrodialytic remediation of three different fly ashes, i.e. two municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ashes and one wood combustion fly ash was studied...... in lab scale, and the results were discussed in relation to the expected heavy metal speciation in the ashes. In initial leaching experiments the pH-dependent desorption characteristics of the heavy metals Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu were analogous in the two MSWI ashes, and thus it was expected......-moval efficiencies were observed, especially for Pb and Zn. Cd, the sole heavy metal of environmental concern in the wood ash, was found more tightly bonded in this ash than in the two MSWI ashes. It was suggested that complex Cd-silicates are likely phases in the wood ash whereas more soluble, condensed phases...

EMERALD, Radiation Release and Dose after PWR Accident for Design Analysis and Operation Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunot, W.K.; Fray, R.R.; Gillespie, S.G.

1988-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: The EMERALD program is designed for the calculation of radiation releases and exposures resulting from abnormal operation of a large pressurized water reactor (PWR). The approach used in EMERALD is similar to an analog simulation of a real system. Each component or volume in the plant which contains a radioactive material is represented by a subroutine which keeps track of the production, transfer, decay and absorption of radioactivity in that volume. During the course of the analysis of an accident, activity is transferred from subroutine to subroutine in the program as it would be transferred from place to place in the plant. For example, in the calculation of the doses resulting from a loss-of-coolant accident the program first calculates the activity built up in the fuel before the accident, then releases some of this activity to the containment volume. Some of this activity is then released to the atmosphere. The rates of transfer, leakage, production, cleanup, decay, and release are read in as input to the program. Subroutines are also included which calculate the on-site and off-site radiation exposures at various distances for individual isotopes and sums of isotopes. The program contains a library of physical data for the twenty-five isotopes of most interest in licensing calculations, and other isotopes can be added or substituted. Because of the flexible nature of the simulation approach, the EMERALD program can be used for most calculations involving the production and release of radioactive materials during abnormal operation of a PWR. These include design, operational, and licensing studies. 2 - Method of solution - Explicit solutions of first-order linear differential equations are included. In addition, a subroutine is provided which solves a set of simultaneous linear algebraic equations. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem - Maxima of: 25 isotopes, 7 time periods, 15 volumes or components, 10

Ash formation, deposition, corrosion, and erosion in conventional boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benson, S.A.; Jones, M.L. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States)

1995-12-01

The inorganic components (ash-forming species) associated with coals significantly affect boiler design, efficiency of operation, and lifetimes of boiler parts. During combustion in conventional pulverized fuel boilers, the inorganic components are transformed into inorganic gases, liquids, and solids. This partitioning depends upon the association of the inorganic components in the coal and combustion conditions. The inorganic components are associated as mineral grains and as organically associated elements, and these associations of inorganic components in the fuel directly influence their fate upon combustion. Combustion conditions, such as temperature and atmosphere, influence the volatility and the interaction of inorganic components during combustion and gas cooling, which influences the state and size composition distribution of the particulate and condensed ash species. The intermediate species are transported with the bulk gas flow through the combustion systems, during which time the gases and entrained ash are cooled. Deposition, corrosion, and erosion occur when the ash intermediate species are transported to the heat-transfer surface, react with the surface, accumulate, sinter, and develop strength. Research over the past decade has significantly advanced understanding of ash formation, deposition, corrosion, and erosion mechanisms. Many of the advances in understanding and predicting ash-related issues can be attributed to advanced analytical methods to determine the inorganic composition of fuels and the resulting ash materials. These new analytical techniques have been the key to elucidation of the mechanisms of ash formation and deposition. This information has been used to develop algorithms and computer models to predict the effects of ash on combustion system performance.

FALL3D: A Computational Model for Trans-port and Deposition of Volcanic Ash

OpenAIRE

Folch, A.; Costa, A.; Macedonio, G.

2008-01-01

FALL3D is a 3-D time-dependent Eulerian model for the transport and deposition of 8 volcanic ash. The model solves the advection-diffusion-sedimentation (ADS) equa- 9 tion on a structured terrain-following grid using a second-order Finite Differences 10 (FD) explicit scheme. Different parameterizations for the eddy diffusivity tensor 11 and for the particle terminal settling velocities can be used. The code, written 12 in FORTRAN 90, is available in both serial and parallel ver...

Hail formation triggers rapid ash aggregation in volcanic plumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Eaton, Alexa R; Mastin, Larry G; Herzog, Michael; Schwaiger, Hans F; Schneider, David J; Wallace, Kristi L; Clarke, Amanda B

2015-08-03

During explosive eruptions, airborne particles collide and stick together, accelerating the fallout of volcanic ash and climate-forcing aerosols. This aggregation process remains a major source of uncertainty both in ash dispersal forecasting and interpretation of eruptions from the geological record. Here we illuminate the mechanisms and timescales of particle aggregation from a well-characterized 'wet' eruption. The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, incorporated water from the surface (in this case, a glacier), which is a common occurrence during explosive volcanism worldwide. Observations from C-band weather radar, fall deposits and numerical modelling demonstrate that hail-forming processes in the eruption plume triggered aggregation of ∼95% of the fine ash and stripped much of the erupted mass out of the atmosphere within 30 min. Based on these findings, we propose a mechanism of hail-like ash aggregation that contributes to the anomalously rapid fallout of fine ash and occurrence of concentrically layered aggregates in volcanic deposits.

First international ash marketing and technology conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-01-01

A total of 42 papers were presented in sessions with the following headings: production and disposal of ash - an international review; environmental, health, safety, and legal aspects of ash handling; marketing of ash; development of new uses for ash; cementitious use of ash; ash in manufactured products; and geotechnical uses of ash.

Microphysical Properties of Alaskan Volcanic Ash

Science.gov (United States)

Puthukkudy, A.; Espinosa, R.; Rocha Lima, A.; Remer, L.; Colarco, P. R.; Whelley, P.; Krotkov, N. A.; Young, K.; Dubovik, O.; Wallace, K.; Martins, J. V.

2017-12-01

Volcanic ash has the potential to cause a variety of severe problems for human health and the environment. Therefore, effective monitoring of the dispersion and fallout from volcanic ash clouds and characterization of the aerosol particle properties are essential. One way to acquire information from volcanic clouds is through satellite remote sensing: such images have greater coverage than ground-based observations and can present a "big picture" perspective. A challenge of remote sensing is that assumptions of certain properties of the target are often a pre-requisite for making accurate and quantitative retrievals. For example, detailed information about size distribution, sphericity, and optical properties of the constituent matter is needed or must be assumed. The same kind of information is also needed for atmospheric transport models to properly simulate the dispersion and fallout of volcanic ash. Presented here is a laboratory method to determine the microphysical and optical properties of volcanic ash samples collected from two Alaskan volcanoes with markedly different compositions. Our method uses a Polarized Imaging Nephelometer (PI-Neph) and a system that re-suspends the particles in an air flow. The PI-Neph measures angular light scattering and polarization of the re-suspended particles from 3o to 175o in scattering angle, with an angular resolution of 1o . Primary measurements include phase function and polarized phase function at three wavelengths (445nm, 532nm, and 661nm). Size distribution, sphericity, and complex refractive index are retrieved indirectly from the PI-Neph measurements using the GRASP (Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties) inversion algorithm. We report the results of this method applied to samples from the Mt. Okmok (2008) and Mt. Katmai (1912) volcanic eruptions. To our knowledge, this is the first time direct measurements of phase matrix elements of ash from Mt. Okmok and Mt. Katmai have been reported. Retrieved

Considerations on comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation planning of volcanic ash-fall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toshida, Kiyoshi

2010-01-01

Volcanic ash-fall is inevitable hazard throughout Japan, and causes wide range of effects due to its physical and chemical properties. Nuclear power plants in Japan face the necessity to assess the risk from volcanic ash-fall. Risk assessment of the volcanic ash-fall should include engineering solution and mitigation planning as well as the ash-fall hazard. This report points out the characteristics for reducing the various effects of volcanic ash-fall as follows. Large-scale eruptions produce prominent volcanic ash-falls that can approach power plants at a great distance. Aftermath hazards of ash-fall events, such as remobilization of fine ash particles and generation of lahars, require further assessments. The kind and extent of damages becomes greater whenever ash is wet. Wet ash requires separate assessments in contrast to dry ash. The mitigation and recovery measures at power plants involve quick cleanup operations of volcanic ash. Those operations should be prepared through comprehensive risk assessment, and by cooperation with authorities, during pre-eruption repose period. The comprehensive assessment for volcanic ash-fall hazards, however, has yet to be conducted. Development of risk communication method may result in increased implementation mitigation planning. Numerical analysis of the ash-fall hazards provides quantitative data on particle motions that can be used in the risk assessment. In order to implement the quantitative assessment method, the verification on the effect of ambient air condition to the altitude of volcanic ash cloud is necessary. We need to develop a three-dimensional model of volcanic ash cloud, and calculate motions of ash clouds under multiple conditions of ambient air. (author)

Determining ash content in flotation wastes by means of the MPOF optical ash meter. [Poland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, T; Sliwa, J

1982-03-01

The paper evaluates an experimental unit of the MPOF optical ash meter, developed by the EMAG Research and Production Center for Electrical Engineering and Mining Automation. The MPOF, which is being tested at the coal preparation plant of the 30 lecia PRL mine, is the first system for continuous determination of ash content in flotation tailings developed in Poland. A block scheme of the system is given. It consists of a measuring head and electronic system which processes data supplied by the measuring head and calculates ash content. System operation is based on the principle of determining ash content in a mixture of coal and mineral wastes by measuring mixture reflectivity. Determining ash content in the mixture is possible as reflectivity coefficients for coal and ash are constant. Performance of the MPOF optical ash meter is evaluated; the results are shown in a table and a scheme. Measurement accuracy is satisfactory.

Ash Properties of Alternative Biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Capablo, Joaquin; Jensen, Peter Arendt; Pedersen, Kim Hougaard

2009-01-01

analysis into three main groups depending upon their ash content of silica, alkali metal, and calcium and magnesium. To further detail the biomass classification, the relative molar ratio of Cl, S, and P to alkali were included. The study has led to knowledge on biomass fuel ash composition influence...... on ash transformation, ash deposit flux, and deposit chlorine content when biomass fuels are applied for suspension combustion....

Spatial models to predict ash pH and Electrical Conductivity distribution after a grassland fire in Lithuania

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Paulo; Cerda, Artemi; Misiūnė, Ieva

2015-04-01

Fire mineralizes the organic matter, increasing the pH level and the amount of dissolved ions (Pereira et al., 2014). The degree of mineralization depends among other factors on fire temperature, burned specie, moisture content, and contact time. The impact of wildland fires it is assessed using the fire severity, an index used in the absence of direct measures (e.g temperature), important to estimate the fire effects in the ecosystems. This impact is observed through the loss of soil organic matter, crown volume, twig diameter, ash colour, among others (Keeley et al., 2009). The effects of fire are highly variable, especially at short spatial scales (Pereira et al., in press), due the different fuel conditions (e.g. moisture, specie distribution, flammability, connectivity, arrangement, etc). This variability poses important challenges to identify the best spatial predictor and have the most accurate spatial visualization of the data. Considering this, the test of several interpolation methods it is assumed to be relevant to have the most reliable map. The aims of this work are I) study the ash pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) after a grassland fire according to ash colour and II) test several interpolation methods in order to identify the best spatial predictor of pH and EC distribution. The study area is located near Vilnius at 54.42° N and 25.26°E and 154 ma.s.l. After the fire it was designed a plot with a 27 x 9 m space grid. Samples were taken every 3 meters for a total of 40 (Pereira et al., 2013). Ash color was classified according to Úbeda et al. (2009). Ash pH and EC laboratory analysis were carried out according to Pereira et al. (2014). Previous to data comparison and modelling, normality and homogeneity were assessed with the Shapiro-wilk and Levene test. pH data respected the normality and homogeneity, while EC only followed the Gaussian distribution and the homogeneity criteria after a logarithmic transformation. Data spatial correlation was

488-1D Ash Basin closure cap help modeling- Microdrain® liner option

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyer, J. A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-08-03

At the request of Area Completion Engineering and in support of the 488-1D Ash Basin closure, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed hydrologic simulations of the revised 488-1D Ash Basin closure cap design using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. The revised design substitutes a MicroDrain Liner®—60-mil low-density polyethylene geomembrane structurally integrated with 130-mil drainage layer—for the previously planned drainage/barrier system—300-mil geosynthetic drainage layer (GDL), 300-mil geosynthetic clay liner (GCL), and 6-inch common fill soil layer. For a 25-year, 24-hour storm event, HELP model v3.07 was employed to (1) predict the peak maximum daily hydraulic head for the geomembrane layer, and (2) ensure that South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) requirements for the barrier layer (i.e., ≤ 12 inches hydraulic head on top of a barrier having a saturated hydraulic conductivity ≤ 1.0E-05 cm/s) will not be exceeded. A 25-year, 24-hour storm event at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is 6.1 inches rainfall (Weber 1998). HELP model v3.07 results based upon the new planned cap design suggest that the peak maximum daily hydraulic head on the geomembrane barrier layer will be 0.15 inches for a minimum slope equal to 3%, which is two orders of magnitude below the SCDHEC upper limit of 12 inches.

488-1D Ash basin closure cap help modeling-Microdrain® liner option

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyer, J. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-09-06

At the request of Area Completion Engineering and in support of the 488-1D Ash Basin closure, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed hydrologic simulations of the revised 488-1D Ash Basin closure cap design using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. The revised design substitutes a MicroDrain Liner®—50-mil linear low-density polyethylene geomembrane structurally integrated with 130-mil drainage layer—for the previously planned drainage/barrier system—300-mil geosynthetic drainage layer (GDL), 300-mil geosynthetic clay liner (GCL), and 6-inch common fill soil layer. For a 25-year, 24-hour storm event, HELP model v3.07 was employed to (1) predict the peak maximum daily hydraulic head for the geomembrane layer, and (2) ensure that South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) requirements for the barrier layer (i.e., ≤ 12 inches hydraulic head on top of a barrier having a saturated hydraulic conductivity ≤ 1.0E-05 cm/s) will not be exceeded. A 25-year, 24-hour storm event at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is 6.1 inches rainfall (Weber 1998). HELP model v3.07 results based upon the new planned cap design suggest that the peak maximum daily hydraulic head on the geomembrane barrier layer will be 0.179 inches for a minimum slope equal to 3%, which is approximately two orders of magnitude below the SCDHEC upper limit of 12 inches.

Numerical model for a watering plan to wash out organic matter from the municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash layer in closed system disposal facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Kazuei; Furuichi, Toru; Tanikawa, Noboru

2009-02-01

Bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) is a main type of waste that is landfilled in Japan. The long-term elution of organic matter from the MSWI bottom ash layers is a concern because maintenance and operational costs of leachate treatment facilities are high. In closed system disposal facilities (CSDFs), which have a roof to prevent rainfall from infiltrating into the waste layers, water must be supplied artificially and its quantity can be controlled. However, the quantity of water needed and how to apply it (the intensity, period and frequency) have not been clearly defined. In order to discuss an effective watering plan, this study proposes a new washout model to clarify a fundamental mechanism of total organic carbon (TOC) elution behavior from MSWI bottom ash layers. The washout model considers three phases: solid, immobile water and mobile water. The parameters, including two mass transfer coefficients of the solid-immobile water phases and immobile-mobile water phases, were determined by one-dimensional column experiments for about 2 years. The intensity, period and frequency of watering and other factors were discussed based on a numerical analysis using the above parameters. As a result, our washout model explained adequately the elution behavior of TOC from the MSWI bottom ash layer before carbonation occurred (pH approximately 8.3). The determined parameters and numerical analysis suggested that there is a possibility that the minimum amount of water needed for washing out TOC per unit weight of MSWI bottom ash layer could be determined, which depends on the two mass transfer coefficients and the depth of the MSWI bottom ash layer. Knowledge about the fundamental mechanism of the elution behavior of TOC from the MSWI bottom ash layer before carbonation occurs, clarified by this study, will help an effective watering plan in CSDFs.

Processed bottom ash for replacing fine aggregate in making high-volume fly ash concrete

OpenAIRE

Antoni; Sulistio Aldi Vincent; Wahjudi Samuel; Hardjito Djwantoro; Hardjito Djwantoro

2017-01-01

Bottom ash is a coal plant by-product that is abundant and underutilized. There is the potential use of bottom ash as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete mixtures; however, the problems of water absorption and uniformity of quality of the material need to be overcome first. In this study, bottom ash was treated by sieve separation and pounding to smaller particle size for use as a sand substitute. The physical and chemical characteristics of bottom ash were tested after treatment includi...

Assessing dynamics of ash content formation in coal at a working face in mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maidukov, G L; Lobkin, V M

1983-05-01

Factors which influence ash content in coal mined at a working face are analyzed: ash content in coal, stability of rock layers surrounding a coal seam, mechanical and physical properties of the direct roof. A mathematical model of ash content formation at a working face is described. On the basis of the model a computer program has been constructed. The program is used for calculating the mean value of ash content in coal and the standardized deviation. The program considers all causes of ash fluctuation in coal such as mining conditions, coal seam thickness, fluctuations in coal seam thickness, mechanical and physical properties of rocks surrounding a coal seam, particularly in the direct roof, mining systems, narrow or wide web shearer loaders, powered supports, hydraulic props, timber friction props with timber roof bars or with steel roof bars. A classification of rocks considering roof stability used by the program is described. A scheme of the program is given. Examples of using the program for forecasting ash content in coal and ash content fluctuations in Donbass mines are evaluated. (In Russian)

Characterization of metals released from coal fly ash during dredging at the Kingston ash recovery project.

Science.gov (United States)

Bednar, A J; Averett, D E; Seiter, J M; Lafferty, B; Jones, W T; Hayes, C A; Chappell, M A; Clarke, J U; Steevens, J A

2013-09-01

A storage-pond dike failure occurred on December 22, 2008 at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant resulting in the release of over 4million cubic meters (5million cubic yards) of fly ash. Approximately half of the released ash was deposited in the main channel of the Emory River, Tennessee, USA. Remediation efforts of the Emory River focused on hydraulic dredging, as well as mechanical excavation in targeted areas. However, agitation of the submerged fly ash during hydraulic dredging introduces river water into the fly ash material, which could promote dissolution and desorption of metals from the solid fly ash material. Furthermore, aeration of the dredge slurry could alter the redox state of metals in the fly ash material and thereby change their sorption, mobility, and toxicity properties. The research presented here focuses on the concentrations and speciation of metals during the fly ash recovery from the Emory River. Our results indicate that arsenite [As(III)] released from the fly ash material during dredging was slowly oxidized to arsenate [As(V)] in the slurry recovery system with subsequent removal through precipitation or sorption reactions with suspended fly ash material. Concentrations of other dissolved metals, including iron and manganese, also generally decreased in the ash recovery system prior to water discharge back to the river. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Solubility and transport of arsenic coal ash

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iturbe, R.; Cruickshank, C.; Vega, E.; Silva, A.E.

1996-01-01

An experimental method combined with a numerical model allows a comparison of two methods for the disposal of ash that contains arsenic, from the Rio Escondido coal-fired power plant. The calculation yields significant differences in aquifer migration times for the site. The wet disposal method gave 10 years time and the dry method gave 22 years. Experiments were performed on the rate of dissolution of the arsenic from ash samples; and these results indicate a first order kinetics reaction. 8 refs., 8 figs., 8 tabs

Prospects for ash pond reclamation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shyyam, A.K.; Shukla, K.S.; Agrawal, D. (National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd., New Delhi (India))

1993-01-01

A typical modern coal fired station in India burns 0.7 t/MWh of coal and consequently generates ash at 0.245 t/MWh. The physical nature of ash, low available concentrations of certain plant nutrients and the presence of phytotoxic trace elements render fly ash marginally adequate for plant growth. As fly ash itself was thought to be an inappropriate growth medium for plants, regulators decided that a soil cover is mandatory. There is ample data to suggest that the attributes of fly ash detrimental to plant growth can be ameliorated, allowing the establishment of vegetation directly on fly ash surfaces. The natural revegetation of fly ash disposal sites has been reported in the world. The natural vegetation pioneered by Cynodon at different stages of ecological succession and comprising of species such as [ital Calotropis gigantea], [ital Lippia nodiflora], [ital Ipomea, cornea], [ital Xanthium parviflorum] has been noted at one of the NTPC projects, in Badarpur Thermal Power Station. Since natural reclamation is a time-consuming process, experimental trials of growing some species over the temporary ash lagoon directly (without soil cover) were carried out at Ramagundam Super Thermal Power Project (RSTPP) of NTPC, in South India to achieve faster results than the natural process. 6 refs., 8 figs.

Radioisotope conveyor ash meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savelov, V.D.

1994-01-01

Radioisotope conveyor ash meter realizes persistent measuring of ashiness of coal and products of its enrichment on the belt conveyor without contact. The principle of ash meter acting is based on functional dependence of the gamma radiation flows backscattering intensity of radioisotope sources from the ash volume content in the controlled fuel. Facility consists from the ashiness transducer and the processing and control device

Bioleaching of trace metals from coal ash using local isolate from coal ash ponds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pangayao Denvert

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Bioleaching of chromium, copper, manganese and zinc from coal ash were investigated using isolates from coal ash ponds particularly Psuedomonas spp. Six (6 different coal ash ponds were examined however, after initial screening Psuedomonas spp. were only present in three (3 coal ash ponds. Among the three coal ash ponds, results showed that eight (8 putative Pseudomonas spp. isolates were present that were identified using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR. Using the eight putative Pseudomonas spp. for bioleaching at optimum conditions and 15 days, the pH value ranges from 8.26 to 8.84 which was basic in nature. Moreover, the maximum metal leached were 8.04% Cr, 12.05% Cu, 4.34% Mn and 10.63% Zn.

Uncertainty propagation analysis applied to volcanic ash dispersal at Mt. Etna by using a Lagrangian model

Science.gov (United States)

de'Michieli Vitturi, Mattia; Pardini, Federica; Spanu, Antonio; Neri, Augusto; Vittoria Salvetti, Maria

2015-04-01

Volcanic ash clouds represent a major hazard for populations living nearby volcanic centers producing a risk for humans and a potential threat to crops, ground infrastructures, and aviation traffic. Lagrangian particle dispersal models are commonly used for tracking ash particles emitted from volcanic plumes and transported under the action of atmospheric wind fields. In this work, we present the results of an uncertainty propagation analysis applied to volcanic ash dispersal from weak plumes with specific focus on the uncertainties related to the grain-size distribution of the mixture. To this aim, the Eulerian fully compressible mesoscale non-hydrostatic model WRF was used to generate the driving wind, representative of the atmospheric conditions occurring during the event of November 24, 2006 at Mt. Etna. Then, the Lagrangian particle model LPAC (de' Michieli Vitturi et al., JGR 2010) was used to simulate the transport of mass particles under the action of atmospheric conditions. The particle motion equations were derived by expressing the Lagrangian particle acceleration as the sum of the forces acting along its trajectory, with drag forces calculated as a function of particle diameter, density, shape and Reynolds number. The simulations were representative of weak plume events of Mt. Etna and aimed to quantify the effect on the dispersal process of the uncertainty in the particle sphericity and in the mean and variance of a log-normal distribution function describing the grain-size of ash particles released from the eruptive column. In order to analyze the sensitivity of particle dispersal to these uncertain parameters with a reasonable number of simulations, and therefore with affordable computational costs, response surfaces in the parameter space were built by using the generalized polynomial chaos technique. The uncertainty analysis allowed to quantify the most probable values, as well as their pdf, of the number of particles as well as of the mean and

Optimizing and Characterizing Geopolymers from Ternary Blend of Philippine Coal Fly Ash, Coal Bottom Ash and Rice Hull Ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Ernesto Kalaw

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Geopolymers are inorganic polymers formed from the alkaline activation of amorphous alumino-silicate materials resulting in a three-dimensional polymeric network. As a class of materials, it is seen to have the potential of replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC, which for more than a hundred years has been the binder of choice for structural and building applications. Geopolymers have emerged as a sustainable option vis-à-vis OPC for three reasons: (1 their technical properties are comparable if not better; (2 they can be produced from industrial wastes; and (3 within reasonable constraints, their production requires less energy and emits significantly less CO2. In the Philippines, the use of coal ash, as the alumina- and silica- rich geopolymer precursor, is being considered as one of the options for sustainable management of coal ash generation from coal-fired power plants. However, most geopolymer mixes (and the prevalent blended OPC use only coal fly ash. The coal bottom ash, having very few applications, remains relegated to dumpsites. Rice hull ash, from biomass-fired plants, is another silica-rich geopolymer precursor material from another significantly produced waste in the country with only minimal utilization. In this study, geopolymer samples were formed from the mixture of coal ash, using both coal fly ash (CFA and coal bottom ash (CBA, and rice hull ash (RHA. The raw materials used for the geopolymerization process were characterized using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF for elemental and X-ray diffraction (XRD for mineralogical composition. The raw materials’ thermal stability and loss on ignition (LOI were determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and reactivity via dissolution tests and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP analysis. The mechanical, thermal and microstructural properties of the geopolymers formed were analyzed using compression tests, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR

Optimizing and Characterizing Geopolymers from Ternary Blend of Philippine Coal Fly Ash, Coal Bottom Ash and Rice Hull Ash.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaw, Martin Ernesto; Culaba, Alvin; Hinode, Hirofumi; Kurniawan, Winarto; Gallardo, Susan; Promentilla, Michael Angelo

2016-07-15

Geopolymers are inorganic polymers formed from the alkaline activation of amorphous alumino-silicate materials resulting in a three-dimensional polymeric network. As a class of materials, it is seen to have the potential of replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which for more than a hundred years has been the binder of choice for structural and building applications. Geopolymers have emerged as a sustainable option vis-à-vis OPC for three reasons: (1) their technical properties are comparable if not better; (2) they can be produced from industrial wastes; and (3) within reasonable constraints, their production requires less energy and emits significantly less CO₂. In the Philippines, the use of coal ash, as the alumina- and silica- rich geopolymer precursor, is being considered as one of the options for sustainable management of coal ash generation from coal-fired power plants. However, most geopolymer mixes (and the prevalent blended OPC) use only coal fly ash. The coal bottom ash, having very few applications, remains relegated to dumpsites. Rice hull ash, from biomass-fired plants, is another silica-rich geopolymer precursor material from another significantly produced waste in the country with only minimal utilization. In this study, geopolymer samples were formed from the mixture of coal ash, using both coal fly ash (CFA) and coal bottom ash (CBA), and rice hull ash (RHA). The raw materials used for the geopolymerization process were characterized using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) for elemental and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineralogical composition. The raw materials' thermal stability and loss on ignition (LOI) were determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and reactivity via dissolution tests and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP) analysis. The mechanical, thermal and microstructural properties of the geopolymers formed were analyzed using compression tests, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning

Effects of the addition of oil shale ash and coal ash on physic-chemical properties of CPJ45 cement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nabih K.

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We focused our research on recycling industrial wastes, fly ash (F.A, bottom ash (B.A and oil shale ash (S.A in cement production. The study concerns physico-chemical characterization of these products and the influence of their addition on the mechanical proprieties of the CPJ45 cement. XRF allowed us to rank the three additives used according to their contents on major oxides. Coal ashes belong to the class F, and thus possess poozzolanic properties and oil shale ash belongs to the class C and possesses hydraulic and poozolanic properties. The crystalline phases constituting each ash were analysed by XRD. We observe in bottom ash the presence of quartz and mullite. The same crystals are found in fly ash with hematite and magnetite. Oil shale ash is composed of quartz, anhydrite, gehlenite, wollastonite and periclase. The microstructures of fly ash and bottom ash were studied using SEM. The bottom ash was composed respectively of fine particles that are generally irregularly shaped, their dimensions are between 5 and 28μm and of big particles(300 μm. The EDX analysis coupled with an electronic microscope provided some information about the major elements that constitute our samples. The dehydrations of anhydrous and three days hydrated cement were examined by DSC. For hydrated cements we noticed endothermic peaks related to the dehydration of CSH, CH and decomposition of carbonates. The study of the mechanical properties of CPJ45 cement by adding different proportions of fly ash, bottom ash and oil shale ash helped clarifying the percentage of ash that leaded to improve the 28 days mechanical strength. The results show that the cements studied have their maximum mechanical resistance with the addition at 7% of fly ash or 10% of oil shale ash.

Fly ash dynamics in soil-water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, S.; Fulekar, M.H.; Jayalakshmi, C.P.

1989-01-01

Studies regarding the effluents and coal ashes (or fly ash) resulting from coal burning are numerous, but their disposal and interactions with the soil and water systems and their detailed environmental impact assessment with concrete status reports on a global scale are scanty. Fly ash dynamics in soil and water systems are reviewed. After detailing the physical composition of fly ash, physicochemical changes in soil properties due to fly ash amendment are summarized. Areas covered include texture and bulk density, moisture retention, change in chemical equilibria, and effects of fly ash on soil microorganisms. Plant growth in amended soils is discussed, as well as plant uptake and accumulation of trace elements. In order to analyze the effect of fly ash on the physicochemical properties of water, several factors must be considered, including surface morphology of fly ash, pH of the ash sluice water, pH adjustments, leachability and solubility, and suspended ash and settling. The dynamics of fly ash in water systems is important due to pollution of groundwater resources from toxic components such as trace metals. Other factors summarized are bioaccumulation and biomagnification, human health effects of contaminants, and the impact of radionuclides in fly ash. Future research needs should focus on reduction of the environmental impact of fly ash and increasing utilization of fly ash as a soil amendment. 110 refs., 2 figs., 10 tabs

Spatial and temporal distribution of trunk-injected 14C-Imidacloprid in Fraxinus trees

Science.gov (United States)

Sara R. Tanis; Bert M. Cregg; David Mota-Sanchez; Deborah G. McCullough; Therese M. Poland

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Since the discovery of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (emerald ash borer) in 2002, researchers have tested several methods of chemical control. Soil drench or trunk injection products containing imidacloprid are commonly used to control adults. However, efficacy can be highly variable andmay be due to uneven translocation of systemic...

Attraction of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and other buprestids to sticky traps of various colors and shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Toby R. Petrice; Robert A. Haack; Therese M. Poland

2013-01-01

The family Buprestidae (Coleoptera) contains numerous economically significant species, including the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, first discovered in North America in 2002. Effective traps for monitoring spread and population densities of EAB and other buprestids are needed. Studies were conducted in 2008 to test different...

Gypsy moth IPM

Science.gov (United States)

Michael L. McManus; Andrew M. Liebhold

2009-01-01

Over the last 50 years, North American forests have been inundated by a multitude of alien pest invasions. Among these, noteworthy invaders include the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease. These species have greatly altered both the ecological and...

Development of a fluidized bed agglomeration modeling methodology to include particle-level heterogeneities in ash chemistry and granular physics

Science.gov (United States)

Khadilkar, Aditi B.

The utility of fluidized bed reactors for combustion and gasification can be enhanced if operational issues such as agglomeration are mitigated. The monetary and efficiency losses could be avoided through a mechanistic understanding of the agglomeration process and prediction of operational conditions that promote agglomeration. Pilot-scale experimentation prior to operation for each specific condition can be cumbersome and expensive. So the development of a mathematical model would aid predictions. With this motivation, the study comprised of the following model development stages- 1) development of an agglomeration modeling methodology based on binary particle collisions, 2) study of heterogeneities in ash chemical composition and gaseous atmosphere, 3) computation of a distribution of particle collision frequencies based on granular physics for a poly-disperse particle size distribution, 4) combining the ash chemistry and granular physics inputs to obtain agglomerate growth probabilities and 5) validation of the modeling methodology. The modeling methodology comprised of testing every binary particle collision in the system for sticking, based on the extent of dissipation of the particles' kinetic energy through viscous dissipation by slag-liquid (molten ash) covering the particles. In the modeling methodology developed in this study, thermodynamic equilibrium calculations are used to estimate the amount of slag-liquid in the system, and the changes in particle collision frequencies are accounted for by continuously tracking the number density of the various particle sizes. In this study, the heterogeneities in chemical composition of fuel ash were studied by separating the bulk fuel into particle classes that are rich in specific minerals. FactSage simulations were performed on two bituminous coals and an anthracite to understand the effect of particle-level heterogeneities on agglomeration. The mineral matter behavior of these constituent classes was studied

Fly ash quality and utilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barta, L.E.; Lachner, L.; Wenzel, G.B. [Inst. for Energy, Budapest (Hungary); Beer, M.J. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)

1995-12-01

The quality of fly ash is of considerable importance to fly ash utilizers. The fly ash puzzolanic activity is one of the most important properties that determines the role of fly ash as a binding agent in the cementing process. The puzzolanic activity, however is a function of fly ash particle size and chemical composition. These parameters are closely related to the process of fly ash formation in pulverized coal fired furnaces. In turn, it is essential to understand the transformation of mineral matter during coal combustion. Due to the particle-to-particle variation of coal properties and the random coalescence of mineral particles, the properties of fly ash particles e.g. size, SiO{sub 2} content, viscosity can change considerably from particle to particle. These variations can be described by the use of the probability theory. Since the mean values of these randomly changing parameters are not sufficient to describe the behavior of individual fly ash particles during the formation of concrete, therefore it is necessary to investigate the distribution of these variables. Examples of these variations were examined by the Computer Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy (CCSEM) for particle size and chemical composition for Texas lignite and Eagel Butte mineral matter and fly ash. The effect of combustion on the variations of these properties for both the fly ash and mineral matter were studied by using a laminar flow reactor. It is shown in our paper, that there are significant variations (about 40-50% around the mean values) of the above-listed properties for both coal samples. By comparing the particle size and chemical composition distributions of the mineral matter and fly ash, it was possible to conclude that for the Texas lignite mineral matter, the combustion did not effect significantly the distribution of these properties, however, for the Eagel Butte coal the combustion had a major impact on these mineral matter parameters.

Identifying glass compositions in fly ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine eAughenbaugh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, four Class F fly ashes were studied with a scanning electron microscope; the glassy phases were identified and their compositions quantified using point compositional analysis with k-means clustering and multispectral image analysis. The results showed that while the bulk oxide contents of the fly ashes were different, the four fly ashes had somewhat similar glassy phase compositions. Aluminosilicate glasses (AS, calcium aluminosilicate glasses (CAS, a mixed glass, and, in one case, a high iron glass were identified in the fly ashes. Quartz and iron crystalline phases were identified in each fly ash as well. The compositions of the three main glasses identified, AS, CAS, and mixed glass, were relatively similar in each ash. The amounts of each glass were varied by fly ash, with the highest calcium fly ash containing the most of calcium-containing glass. Some of the glasses were identified as intermixed in individual particles, particularly the calcium-containing glasses. Finally, the smallest particles in the fly ashes, with the most surface area available to react in alkaline solution, such as when mixed with portland cement or in alkali-activated fly ash, were not different in composition than the large particles, with each of the glasses represented. The method used in the study may be applied to a fly ash of interest for use as a cementing material in order to understand its potential for reactivity.

Study of a large rapid ashing apparatus and a rapid dry ashing method for biological samples and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Meisun; Wang Benli; Liu Wencang

1988-04-01

A large rapid-dry-ashing apparatus and a rapid ashing method for biological samples are described. The apparatus consists of specially made ashing furnace, gas supply system and temperature-programming control cabinet. The following adventages have been showed by ashing experiment with the above apparatus: (1) high speed of ashing and saving of electric energy; (2) The apparatus can ash a large amount of samples at a time; (3) The ashed sample is pure white (or spotless), loose and easily soluble with few content of residual char; (4) The fresh sample can also be ashed directly. The apparatus is suitable for ashing a large amount of the environmental samples containing low level radioactivity trace elements and the medical, food and agricultural research samples

Volcanic ash impacts on critical infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Thomas M.; Stewart, Carol; Sword-Daniels, Victoria; Leonard, Graham S.; Johnston, David M.; Cole, Jim W.; Wardman, Johnny; Wilson, Grant; Barnard, Scott T.

2012-01-01

Volcanic eruptions can produce a wide range of hazards. Although phenomena such as pyroclastic flows and surges, sector collapses, lahars and ballistic blocks are the most destructive and dangerous, volcanic ash is by far the most widely distributed eruption product. Although ash falls rarely endanger human life directly, threats to public health and disruption to critical infrastructure services, aviation and primary production can lead to significant societal impacts. Even relatively small eruptions can cause widespread disruption, damage and economic loss. Volcanic eruptions are, in general, infrequent and somewhat exotic occurrences, and consequently in many parts of the world, the management of critical infrastructure during volcanic crises can be improved with greater knowledge of the likely impacts. This article presents an overview of volcanic ash impacts on critical infrastructure, other than aviation and fuel supply, illustrated by findings from impact assessment reconnaissance trips carried out to a wide range of locations worldwide by our international research group and local collaborators. ‘Critical infrastructure’ includes those assets, frequently taken for granted, which are essential for the functioning of a society and economy. Electricity networks are very vulnerable to disruption from volcanic ash falls. This is particularly the case when fine ash is erupted because it has a greater tendency to adhere to line and substation insulators, where it can cause flashover (unintended electrical discharge) which can in turn cause widespread and disruptive outages. Weather conditions are a major determinant of flashover risk. Dry ash is not conductive, and heavy rain will wash ash from insulators, but light rain/mist will mobilise readily-soluble salts on the surface of the ash grains and lower the ash layer’s resistivity. Wet ash is also heavier than dry ash, increasing the risk of line breakage or tower/pole collapse. Particular issues for water

Thermal treatment of ashes[Fly Ash from Municipal Waste Incineration]; Termisk rening av askor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wikman, Karin; Berg, Magnus; Bjurstroem, Henrik [AaF-Energi och Miljoe AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Nordin, Anders [Umeaa Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Applied Physics and Electronics

2003-04-01

In this project descriptions of different processes for thermal treatment of ashes have been compiled. A technical and economic evaluation of the processes has been done to identify possibilities and problems. The focus in the project lays on treatment of fly ash from municipal waste incineration but the processes can also be used to treat other ashes. When the ash is heated in the thermal treatment reactor, with or without additives, the material is sintered or vitrified and at the same time volatile substances (Zn, Pb, Cd, Hg etc.) are separated. In general the separation is more effective in processes with reducing conditions compared to oxidizing conditions. Oxidizing processes have both worse separation capacity and require more energy. The oxidizing processes are mainly used to stabilize the ash through vitrification and they are in some cases developed for management of municipal sewage sludge and bottom ash. However, these processes are often not as complex as for example an electric arc melting furnace with reducing conditions. The research today aim to develop more effective electrical melting systems with reducing conditions such as plasma melting furnaces, electric resistance melting furnaces and low frequency induction furnaces. A central question in the evaluation of different thermal treatment processes for ash is how the residues from the treatment can be used. It is not certain that the vitrified material is stable enough to get a high economic value, but it can probably be used as construction material. How the remaining metals in the ash are bound is very important in a long-time perspective. Further studies with leaching tests are necessary to clarify this issue. The heavy metal concentrate from the processes contains impurities, such as chlorine, which makes it unprofitable to obtain the metals. Instead the heavy metal concentrate has to be land filled. However, the amount of material for land filling will be much smaller if only the heavy

CFD simulation of ash deposit formation in fixed bed biomass furnaces and boilers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Forstner, M.; Hofmeister, G.; Joeller, M.; Dahl, J.; Braun, M.; Kleditzsch, S.; Scharler, R.; Obernberger, I.

2006-01-01

In order to describe and predict the formation of ash deposits in biomass fired combustion plants, a mathematical model is being developed and implemented into the CFD code Fluent¿ as a post processing tool. At the present state of development the model covers the release of coarse ash particles and

Application of Coal Ash to Postmine Land for Prevention of Soil Erosion in Coal Mine in Indonesia: Utilization of Fly Ash and Bottom Ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinji Matsumoto

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The increase in the number of coal-fired power plants with the increase in coal production and its consumption has caused the problem of the treatment of a large amount of coal ash in Indonesia. In the past studies, coal ash was applied to postmine land with the aim of improving soil conditions for plant growth; however, heavy rain in the tropical climate may cause soil erosion with the change in soil conditions. This study presents the effects of application of coal ash to postmine land on soil erosion by performing the artificial rainfall test as well as physical testing. The results indicate that the risk of soil erosion can be reduced significantly by applying the coal ash which consists of more than 85% of sand to topsoil in the postmine land at the mixing ratio of over 30%. Additionally, they reveal that not only fine fractions but also microporous structures in coal ash enhance water retention capacity by retaining water in the structure, leading to the prevention of soil erosion. Thus, the risk of soil erosion can be reduced by applying coal ash to topsoil in consideration of soil composition and microporous structure of coal ash.

Wildland fire ash: future research directions

Science.gov (United States)

Bodí, Merche B.; Martins, Deborah A.; Cerdà, Artemi; Balfour, Victoria N.; Santin, Cristina; Doerr, Stefan H.; Pereira, Paulo; Mataix-Solera, Jorge

2014-05-01

properties in Atlantic forest ecosystems affected by wildfires. Land Degradation & Development, 23: 427- 439. DOI 10.1002/ldr.1078 Pereira, P., Úbeda, X., Martin, D., Mataix-Solera, J., Cerdà, A., Burguet, M. 2013a. Wildfire effects on extractable elements in ash from a Pinus pinaster forest in Portugal, Hydrological Processes, DOI: 10.1002/hyp.9907 Pereira, P., Cerda, A., Jordan, A., Bolutiene, V., Pranskevicius, M., Ubeda, X., Mataix-Solera, J. 2013b. Spatio-temporal vegetation recuperation after a grassland fire in Lithuania, Procedia Environmental Sciences, 19, 856-864. DOI:10.1016/j.proenv.2013.06.095. Pereira, P., Cerdà, A., Úbeda, X., Mataix-Solera, J. Martin, D., Jordan, A. and Burguet, M. 2013c. Spatial models for monitoring the spatio-temporal evolution of ashes after fire - a case study of a burnt grassland in Lithuania. Solid Earth, 4, 153-165. www.solid-earth.net/4/153/2013/ doi:10.5194/se-4-153-2013

Aircraft observations and model simulations of concentration and particle size distribution in the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash cloud

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. F. Dacre

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland emitted a cloud of ash into the atmosphere during April and May 2010. Over the UK the ash cloud was observed by the FAAM BAe-146 Atmospheric Research Aircraft which was equipped with in-situ probes measuring the concentration of volcanic ash carried by particles of varying sizes. The UK Met Office Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment (NAME has been used to simulate the evolution of the ash cloud emitted by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano during the period 4–18 May 2010. In the NAME simulations the processes controlling the evolution of the concentration and particle size distribution include sedimentation and deposition of particles, horizontal dispersion and vertical wind shear. For travel times between 24 and 72 h, a 1/t relationship describes the evolution of the concentration at the centre of the ash cloud and the particle size distribution remains fairly constant. Although NAME does not represent the effects of microphysical processes, it can capture the observed decrease in concentration with travel time in this period. This suggests that, for this eruption, microphysical processes play a small role in determining the evolution of the distal ash cloud. Quantitative comparison with observations shows that NAME can simulate the observed column-integrated mass if around 4% of the total emitted mass is assumed to be transported as far as the UK by small particles (< 30 μm diameter. NAME can also simulate the observed particle size distribution if a distal particle size distribution that contains a large fraction of < 10 μm diameter particles is used, consistent with the idea that phraetomagmatic volcanoes, such as Eyjafjallajökull, emit very fine particles.

Possibilities of utilizing power plant fly ashes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mezencevová Andrea

2003-09-01

Full Text Available The burning of fossil fuels in industrial power stations plays a significant role in the production of thermal and electrical energy. Modern thermal power plants are producing large amounts of solid waste, mainly fly ashes. The disposal of power plant waste is a large environmental problem at the present time. In this paper, possibilities of utilization of power plant fly ashes in industry, especially in civil engineering, are presented. The fly ash is a heterogeneous material with various physical, chemical and mineralogical properties, depending on the mineralogical composition of burned coal and on the used combustion technology. The utilization of fly ashes is determined of their properties. The fineness, specific surface area, particle shape, density, hardness, freeze-thaw resistance, etc. are decisive. The building trade is a branch of industry, which employs fly ash in large quantities for several decades.The best utilization of fluid fly ashes is mainly in the production of cement and concrete, due to the excellent pozzolanic and cementitious properties of this waste. In the concrete processing, the fly ash is utilized as a replacement of the fine aggregate (fine filler or a partial replacement for cement (active admixture. In addition to economic and ecological benefits, the use of fly ash in concrete improves its workability and durability, increases compressive and flexural strength, reduces segregation, bleeding, shrinkage, heat evolution and permeability and enhances sulfate resistance of concrete.The aim of current research is to search for new technologies for the fly ash utilization. The very interesting are biotechnological methods to recovery useful components of fly ashes and unconventional methods of modification of fly ash properties such as hydrothermal zeolitization and mechanochemical modification of its properties. Mechanochemistry deals with physico - chemical transformations and chemical reactions of solids induced by

Dispersal of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from discrete epicenters in two outlier sites

Science.gov (United States)

N.W. Siegert; D.G. McCullough; D.W. Williams; I. Fraser; T.M. Poland; S.J. Pierce

2010-01-01

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a phloem- feeding beetle native to Asia, has become one of the most destructive forest pests in North America. Since it was Þrst identified in 2002 in southeast Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, dozens of isolated A. planipennis populations have been...

Properties of ash generated during sewage sludge combustion: A multifaceted analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magdziarz, Aneta; Wilk, Małgorzata; Gajek, Marcin; Nowak-Woźny, Dorota; Kopia, Agnieszka; Kalemba-Rec, Izabela; Koziński, Janusz A.

2016-01-01

This paper presents chemical properties of sewage sludge ashes required for determining their thermal characteristics. A novel approach, linking selected advanced analytical techniques with FactSage modelling, was developed and applied to obtain new information on deposit formation mechanisms that contribute to fouling and slagging. The mineral matter and fusion temperatures were investigated using a variety of analytical techniques including XRF, ICP-MS, XRD, SEM-EDX and AFT. The slagging and fouling indices were calculated and the sintering properties were predicted. The studied ashes were rich in P_2O_5, CaO, SiO_2 and Fe_2O_3, but their concentrations slightly differed. Phase analyses suggested the existence of calcium and phosphorus as main phases. Thermal behaviour of ashes was studied focusing on the mass loss, temperature peaks and thermic effects with the increasing of temperature up to 1200 °C under air atmosphere. The changes in concentration of ash compounds contributed to differences in ash fusion temperatures. FactSage thermochemical equilibrium calculations were used to predict the amount of liquid slag and solid phases, giving information about slagging properties of ashes. The general conclusion based on experimental studies is that sewage sludge ashes cause the slagging and fouling hazard while they reveal low corrosive effect. - Highlights: • Characterisation of sewage sludge ashes were given. • Transformation of inorganic components was determined using XRD and FTIR. • The ash fusion behaviour of ashes was studied experimentally. • Empirical indices were calculated indicating slagging and fouling propensities. • Thermodynamic equilibrium calculation was used.

The Complex Refractive Index of Volcanic Ash Aerosol Retrieved From Spectral Mass Extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Benjamin E.; Peters, Daniel M.; McPheat, Robert; Grainger, R. G.

2018-01-01

The complex refractive indices of eight volcanic ash samples, chosen to have a representative range of SiO2 contents, were retrieved from simultaneous measurements of their spectral mass extinction coefficient and size distribution. The mass extinction coefficients, at 0.33-19 μm, were measured using two optical systems: a Fourier transform spectrometer in the infrared and two diffraction grating spectrometers covering visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. The particle size distribution was measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer and an optical particle counter; values for the effective radius of ash particles measured in this study varied from 0.574 to 1.16 μm. Verification retrievals on high-purity silica aerosol demonstrated that the Rayleigh continuous distribution of ellipsoids (CDEs) scattering model significantly outperformed Mie theory in retrieving the complex refractive index, when compared to literature values. Assuming the silica particles provided a good analogue of volcanic ash, the CDE scattering model was applied to retrieve the complex refractive index of the eight ash samples. The Lorentz formulation of the complex refractive index was used within the retrievals as a convenient way to ensure consistency with the Kramers-Kronig relation. The short-wavelength limit of the electric susceptibility was constrained by using independently measured reference values of the complex refractive index of the ash samples at a visible wavelength. The retrieved values of the complex refractive indices of the ash samples showed considerable variation, highlighting the importance of using accurate refractive index data in ash cloud radiative transfer models.

Measurement of natural activity in peat ashes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suomela, J.

1985-01-01

High proportions of radioactive materials in peat ashes may involve radiation hazards during handling and deposition of these waste materials. Measurements have been performed to determine the content of radioactive materials in ashes from peat burning. The activities in fly ash and ''solid'' ash in seven peat-fired power plants in Sweden are presented. The methods of analysing and measuring peat ashes for activity from different radionuclides are described. The activity levels in ash samples are given