Computing Pollution

Computing Pollution Computers are being used in applications that gauge the pollution in the air and water and other areas of the earth environment. These applications are useful in determining the source of the pollution and in assisting in informing researchers what might be done to reduce such pollution. Air Pollution Emission One such application in computing pollution is described in the work of Emad, Sayed, and Kassem (nd)[footnoteRef:1] who report that smoke is one common source of air pollution.

Specifically stated is that the "rising process of smoke depends on atmospheric ambient, meteorological conditions, emission parameters, such as the atmospheric stratification, initial emission momentum and temperature, wind direction and speed as well as turbulent behaviors, and so on." (Emad, Sayed, and Kassem, nd, p.1) The smoke dilution process and scope are of great interest to environmentalists since regional air quality is affected critically by dispersion of pollutants.

Reported as a key tool in screenings of vehicular exhaust emissions (VEESs) is that of 'line source emission modeling' as it assists in the management and control of such emissions in the urban environment. (Emad, Sayed, and Kassem, nd, paraphrased) [1: Emad, AA., Sayed, M.E., and Kassem K.O. (nd) Computer Simulation for Dispersion of Air Pollution Released from a Line Source According to Gaussian Model. Canadian Journal on Computing in Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Engineering & Medicine Vol. 1, No. 3, April 2010. Online available at: http://ampublisher.com/April%202010/CMNSEM-1004-013.pdf.

] II. IPython Parallel Computing The work of Hemann and Granger (nd) entitled "Parallel Computing with IPython: An Application to Air Pollution Modeling" reports that IPython has two main components which are those of: (1) an enhanced interactive Python shell; and (2) a framework for interactive parallel computing.[footnoteRef:2] [2: Hemann, J. And Granger, B. (nd ) Parallel Computing with IPython: An Application to Air Pollution Modeling. Available online at: http://conference.scipy.org/scipy2010/slides/josh_hemann_airpollution_acrobat.pdf] IPython is used for air pollution modeling.

It is stated that receptor models make the provision of scientific support "…for current ambient air quality standards and for implementation of those standards by identifying and quantifying contributions for source appointment." (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cited in: Hemann and Granger, nd, p.17) The ability to measure air quality data sets has resulted in the improvement of the same due to the ability to measure air quality and to stratify particle size during sampling. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cited in: Hemann and Granger, nd, paraphrased) III.

Watershed Pollution Another report entitled "High Performance Computing Application to Address Non-Point Source Pollution at a Watershed Level" reports a tool that is used for evaluating the performance of 'Best Management Practices' that serve to "provide optimal solutions for maximum pollution reduction and minimum increase in net costs'. (Maringanti and Chaubey, nd, p.1)[footnoteRef:3] One specific tool utilized is the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) which is used for: [3: Maringanti, Chetan and Chaubey, Indrajeet (nd ) High Performance Computing Application to Address Non-Point Source Pollution at a Watershed Level.

Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Purdue University. Online available at: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ecohydrology/Chetan/ASABE2009.pdf] (1) hydrologic and water quality modeling; (2) to simulate stream flow; (3) agricultural management practices; (4) dynamic land use; and (5) climate change. (Maringanti and Chaubey, nd, p.1)[footnoteRef:4] [4: Ibid] IV.

Microscopic Robots and Water Pollution It was recently reported by the University of Southern California School of Engineering that it has received funds in the amount of $1.5 million in the form of a research grant which will be used to create "swarms of microscopic robots to monitor potentially dangerous microorganisms in the ocean." (Daily University Science News, 2002)[footnoteRef:5] Due to urban runoff combined with sewage spills and blooms of harmful algae off heavily polluted coastal areas" there is an increasing importance to have the ability to not only sense but to identify specific ocean microorganisms.

It is stated that the project serves to span the fields of "nanotechnology, robotics, computer science and marine biology" (Daily University Science News, 2002, p.1)[footnoteRef:6] however the project is focused on developing small robotic sensors and the software needed to control those sensors.

First built by the University of Southern California researchers will be small robots with the ability to "move, sense and communicate while tethered in a tank of water in the laboratory" and the project will progress to "building and controlling increasingly large numbers of smaller freely moving robots." (Daily University Science News, 2002)[footnoteRef:7] The final stage of the project involves the creation of robots the size of the microorganisms that will ultimately be monitored by this project.

(Daily University Science News, 2002, paraphrased)[footnoteRef:8] [5: Swarms of Tiny Robots to Monitor Water Pollution (2002) Daily University Science News. UNISCI online available at: http://www.unisci.com/stories/20021/0114026.htm] [6: Ibid] [7: Ibid, p.1] [8: Ibid] IV. E-Pollution Applications Another computing pollution application is reported in the work of Hooker, Gaver, Steed, and Bowers (2007)[footnoteRef:9] in which reported is the design and construction of a 'Pollution eSign" which is stated to be an electronic street sign that serves to communicate the local air quality information by "automatically bluejacking passing devices." (p.

1)[footnoteRef:10] Bluejacking is defined as "…the act of using Bluetooth to send unsolicited messages to other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as cell phones and PDAs." (Hooker, Gaver, Steed and Bowers, 2007, p. 1)[footnoteRef:11] The Pollution eSign is reported to have been developed as part of an Environmental e-Science project between 2002 and 2004.

The Pollution e-Sign was tested in three public places and indications were that the e-Sign not only served to communicate how "mixed physical-electronic artifacts…might be engaged with i9n the future…[as] part of the overall texture of the urban environment." (Hooker, Gaver, Steed and Bowers, 2007, p. 4)[footnoteRef:12] [9: Hooker, Ben, Gaver, William W., Steed, A. And Bowers, J. (2007) The Pollution.