Reducing phosphorus loading of surface water using iron-coated sand

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenenberg, J.E.; Chardon, W.J.; Koopmans, G.F.

2013-01-01

Phosphorus losses from agricultural soils is an important source of P in surface waters leading to surface water quality impairment. In addition to reducing P inputs, mitigation measures are needed to reduce P enrichment of surface waters. Because drainage of agricultural land by pipe drainage is an

Evaluation of plastic materials for range shifting, range compensation, and solid-phantom dosimetry in carbon-ion radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanematsu, Nobuyuki; Koba, Yusuke; Ogata, Risa

2013-01-01

Purpose: Beam range control is the essence of radiotherapy with heavy charged particles. In conventional broad-beam delivery, fine range adjustment is achieved by insertion of range shifting and compensating materials. In dosimetry, solid phantoms are often used for convenience. These materials should ideally be equivalent to water. In this study, the authors evaluated dosimetric water equivalence of four common plastics, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyoxymethylene (POM). Methods: Using the Bethe formula for energy loss, the Gottschalk formula for multiple scattering, and the Sihver formula for nuclear interactions, the authors calculated the effective densities of the plastics for these interactions. The authors experimentally measured variation of the Bragg peak of carbon-ion beams by insertion of HDPE, PMMA, and POM, which were compared with analytical model calculations. Results: The theoretical calculation resulted in slightly reduced multiple scattering and severely increased nuclear interactions for HDPE, compared to water and the other plastics. The increase in attenuation of carbon ions for 20-cm range shift was experimentally measured to be 8.9% for HDPE, 2.5% for PMMA, and 0.0% for POM while PET was theoretically estimated to be in between PMMA and POM. The agreement between the measurements and the calculations was about 1% or better. Conclusions: For carbon-ion beams, POM was dosimetrically indistinguishable from water and the best of the plastics examined in this study. The poorest was HDPE, which would reduce the Bragg peak by 0.45% per cm range shift, although with marginal superiority for reduced multiple scattering. Between the two clear plastics, PET would be superior to PMMA in dosimetric water equivalence.

Water enema CT examination of rectum cancer by reduced amount of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palko, A.; Gyulai, Cs.; Fedinecz, N.; Balogh, A.; Nagy, F.

2000-01-01

To define whether volume of water, administered during water enema CT (WE-CT) for local staging of rectal cancer, may be reduced without compromising the diagnostic value of the examination. Materials and Methods: 29 patients with rectum cancer underwent preoperative WE-CT. Contrast-enhanced CT (equilibrium phase) measurements were performed after i.v. injection of smooth muscle relaxant and rectal administration of 400 - 500 ml lukewarm tap water. Quality of the obtained scans was evaluated and the images were analyzed for depth of tumor invasion. Results of the CT examinations were compared to findings at surgery. Results: Despite reduced dose of water enema, 19/29 examinations were of excellent quality, 6/29 good, and 4/29 poor, but still diagnostic. We achieved sensitivity (90.1), specificity (70.1) and accuracy (86.2) in differentiating tumors confined to the bowel wall from those extending beyond it. Conclusion: Large volume of water enema administered during CT examination of the rectum may cause complaints and increases the risk of complications. Our results prove that using lower amount of water does not impair the quality of examination and accuracy of local staging of rectum carcinomas. (orig.) [de

Absorption properties of water-in-oil emulsions in the low THz frequency range

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Uffe; Folkenberg, Jacob Riis; Jepsen, Peter Uhd

We use transmission THz spectroscopy to investigate the absorption properties of water-in-oil emulsions with water content varying in the 0-20% range, relevant for a range of food products. We find that at low frequencies the effective absorption coefficient of the emulsion is suppressed compared...... to bulk water....

Have Chinese water pricing reforms reduced urban residential water demand?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, B.; Fang, K. H.; Baerenklau, K. A.

2017-06-01

China continues to deal with severe levels of water scarcity and water pollution. To help address this situation, the Chinese central government initiated urban water pricing reforms in 2002 that emphasized the adoption of increasing block rate (IBR) price structures in place of existing uniform rate structures. By combining urban water use records with microlevel data from the Chinese Urban Household Survey, this research investigates the effectiveness of this national policy reform. Specifically, we compare household water consumption in 28 cities that adopted IBR pricing structures during 2002-2009, with that of 110 cities that had not yet done so. Based on difference-in-differences models, our results show that the policy reform reduced annual residential water demand by 3-4% in the short run and 5% in the longer run. These relatively modest reductions are consistent with the generous nature of the IBR pricing structures that Chinese cities have typically chosen to implement. Our results imply that more efforts are needed to address China's persistent urban water scarcity challenges.

Evaluating rain gardens as a method to reduce the impact of sewer overflows in sources of drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Autixier, Laurène; Mailhot, Alain; Bolduc, Samuel; Madoux-Humery, Anne-Sophie; Galarneau, Martine; Prévost, Michèle; Dorner, Sarah

2014-11-15

The implications of climate change and changing precipitation patterns need to be investigated to evaluate mitigation measures for source water protection. Potential solutions need first to be evaluated under present climate conditions to determine their utility as climate change adaptation strategies. An urban drainage network receiving both stormwater and wastewater was studied to evaluate potential solutions to reduce the impact of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in a drinking water source. A detailed hydraulic model was applied to the drainage basin to model the implementation of best management practices at a drainage basin scale. The model was calibrated and validated with field data of CSO flows for seven events from a survey conducted in 2009 and 2010. Rain gardens were evaluated for their reduction of volumes of water entering the drainage network and of CSOs. Scenarios with different levels of implementation were considered and evaluated. Of the total impervious area within the basin directly connected to the sewer system, a maximum of 21% could be alternately directed towards rain gardens. The runoff reductions for the entire catchment ranged from 12.7% to 19.4% depending on the event considered. The maximum discharged volume reduction ranged from 13% to 62% and the maximum peak flow rate reduction ranged from 7% to 56%. Of concern is that in-sewer sediment resuspension is an important process to consider with regard to the efficacy of best management practices aimed at reducing extreme loads and concentrations. Rain gardens were less effective for large events, which are of greater importance for drinking water sources. These practices could increase peak instantaneous loads as a result of greater in-sewer resuspension during large events. Multiple interventions would be required to achieve the objectives of reducing the number, total volumes and peak contaminant loads of overflows upstream of drinking water intakes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All

Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project: water-resources activities

Science.gov (United States)

Robson, Stanley G.; Heiny, Janet S.

1998-01-01

Infrastructure, such as roads, buildings, airports, and dams, is built and maintained by use of large quantities of natural resources such as aggregate (sand and gravel), energy, and water. As urban area expand, local sources of these resource are becoming inaccessible (gravel cannot be mined from under a subdivision, for example), or the cost of recovery of the resource becomes prohibitive (oil and gas drilling in urban areas is costly), or the resources may become unfit for some use (pollution of ground water may preclude its use as a water supply). Governmental land-use decision and environmental mandates can further preclude development of natural resources. If infrastructure resources are to remain economically available. current resource information must be available for use in well-reasoned decisions bout future land use. Ground water is an infrastructure resource that is present in shallow aquifers and deeper bedrock aquifers that underlie much of the 2,450-square-mile demonstration area of the Colorado Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project. In 1996, mapping of the area's ground-water resources was undertaken as a U.S. Geological Survey project in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Drops of energy: conserving urban water to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuanchun; Zhang, Bing; Wang, Haikun; Bi, Jun

2013-10-01

Water and energy are two essential resources of modern civilization and are inherently linked. Indeed, the optimization of the water supply system would reduce energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions in the municipal water sector. This research measured the climatic cobenefit of water conservation based on a water flow analysis. The results showed that the estimated energy consumption of the total water system in Changzhou, China, reached approximately 10% of the city's total energy consumption, whereas the industrial sector was found to be more energy intensive than other sectors within the entire water system, accounting for nearly 70% of the total energy use of the water system. In addition, four sustainable water management scenarios would bring the cobenefit of reducing the total energy use of the water system by 13.9%, and 77% of the energy savings through water conservation was indirect. To promote sustainable water management and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, China would require its water price system, both for freshwater and recycled water, to be reformed.

Translational and Rotational Diffusion in Water in the Gigapascal Range

Science.gov (United States)

Bove, L. E.; Klotz, S.; Strässle, Th.; Koza, M.; Teixeira, J.; Saitta, A. M.

2013-11-01

First measurements of the self-dynamics of liquid water in the GPa range are reported. The GPa range has here become accessible through a new setup for the Paris-Edinburgh press specially conceived for quasielastic neutron scattering studies. A direct measurement of both the translational and rotational diffusion coefficients of water along the 400 K isotherm up to 3 GPa, corresponding to the melting point of ice VII, is provided and compared with molecular dynamics simulations. The translational diffusion is observed to strongly decrease with pressure, though its variation slows down for pressures higher than 1 GPa and decouples from that of the shear viscosity. The rotational diffusion turns out to be insensitive to pressure. Through comparison with structural data and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that this is a consequence of the rigidity of the first neighbors shell and of the invariance of the number of hydrogen bonds of a water molecule under high pressure. These results show the inadequacy of the Stokes-Einstein-Debye equations to predict the self-diffusive behavior of water at high temperature and high pressure, and challenge the usual description of hot dense water behaving as a simple liquid.

Electron beam absorption in solid and in water phantoms: depth scaling and energy-range relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grosswendt, B.; Roos, M.

1989-01-01

In electron dosimetry energy parameters are used with values evaluated from ranges in water. The electron ranges in water may be deduced from ranges measured in solid phantoms. Several procedures recommended by national and international organisations differ both in the scaling of the ranges and in the energy-range relations for water. Using the Monte Carlo method the application of different procedures for electron energies below 10 MeV is studied for different phantom materials. It is shown that deviations in the range scaling and in the energy-range relations for water may accumulate to give energy errors of several per cent. In consequence energy-range relations are deduced for several solid phantom materials which enable a single-step energy determination. (author)

Water Pricing as an Economic Justification for Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massoud Tabesh

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Management of water demand and modification of consumption patterns are becoming increasingly essential due to the increasingly limited precipitation and the growing population which have led to both severe restrictions on renewable water resources and increasing demands for water in Iran. The most important consumption management measures involve reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW and decreasing water losses in the water supply system. Non-revenue water is defined as the difference between the total inflow and the metered consumption in the supply system. The losses may be divided into the two components of apparent and real losses. Achieving reductions in non-revenue water calls for the careful study and evaluation of the operational procedures proposed in each case since reductions will be economical only when accurate and realistic values are considered in water pricing. The present study draws upon the data obtained from non-revenue water projects implemented in District 4 of Tehran Water and Wastewater Company, the measures proposed by the project consultant, and the economic justifications claimed for all the costs associated with the measures to eliminate water losses. The cost of the proposed measures are calculated for two different economic values of water proposed to ensure benefits, and under four different interest rates. Results confirm the profitability of the non-revenue water solutions based on the finished cost of water even at subsidized rates of public funds. However, project profitability will be in question if the economic price of water is assumed to be equivalent to the total trade price of water and if both real and apparent losses are to be reduced.

Reduced irrigation increases the water use efficiency and productivity of winter wheat-summer maize rotation on the North China Plain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yunqi; Zhang, Yinghua; Zhang, Rui; Li, Jinpeng; Zhang, Meng; Zhou, Shunli; Wang, Zhimin

2018-03-15

The groundwater table has fallen sharply over the last 30years on the North China Plain, resulting in a shortage of water for winter wheat irrigation. Reducing irrigation may be an important strategy to maintain agricultural sustainability in the region; however, few studies have evaluated the transition from conventional irrigation management practices to reduced irrigation management practices in the winter wheat-summer maize rotation system. Here, we compare the yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency of winter wheat-summer maize rotation under conventional irrigation and reduced irrigation on the North China Plain from 2012 to 2015. Reducing irrigation decreased the yield but increased the water use efficiency and significantly advanced the harvest date of winter wheat. As a result, the summer maize sowing date advanced significantly, and the flowering date subsequently advanced 2-8days, thus extending the summer maize grain-filling stage. Therefore, the yield and water use efficiency of summer maize were higher under reduced irrigation than conventional irrigation, which compensated for the winter wheat yield loss under reduced irrigation. In addition, under reduced irrigation from 2012 to 2015, the yield and water use efficiency advantage of the winter wheat-summer maize rotation ranged from 0.0 to 9.7% and from 4.1 to 14.7%, respectively, and water consumption and irrigated water decreased by 20-61mm and 150mm, respectively, compared to conventional irrigation. Overall, the reduced irrigation management practice involving no irrigation after sowing winter wheat, and sowing summer maize on June 7 produced the most favorable grain yield with superb water use efficiency in the winter wheat-summer maize rotation. This study indicates that reducing irrigation could be an efficient means to cope with water resource shortages while maintaining crop production sustainability on the North China Plain. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

SU-C-207A-04: Accuracy of Acoustic-Based Proton Range Verification in Water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, KC; Sehgal, CM; Avery, S; Vander Stappen, F

2016-01-01

Purpose: To determine the accuracy and dose required for acoustic-based proton range verification (protoacoustics) in water. Methods: Proton pulses with 17 µs FWHM and instantaneous currents of 480 nA (5.6 × 10 7 protons/pulse, 8.9 cGy/pulse) were generated by a clinical, hospital-based cyclotron at the University of Pennsylvania. The protoacoustic signal generated in a water phantom by the 190 MeV proton pulses was measured with a hydrophone placed at multiple known positions surrounding the dose deposition. The background random noise was measured. The protoacoustic signal was simulated to compare to the experiments. Results: The maximum protoacoustic signal amplitude at 5 cm distance was 5.2 mPa per 1 × 10 7 protons (1.6 cGy at the Bragg peak). The background random noise of the measurement was 27 mPa. Comparison between simulation and experiment indicates that the hydrophone introduced a delay of 2.4 µs. For acoustic data collected with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 21, deconvolution of the protoacoustic signal with the proton pulse provided the most precise time-of-flight range measurement (standard deviation of 2.0 mm), but a systematic error (−4.5 mm) was observed. Conclusion: Based on water phantom measurements at a clinical hospital-based cyclotron, protoacoustics is a potential technique for measuring the proton Bragg peak range with 2.0 mm standard deviation. Simultaneous use of multiple detectors is expected to reduce the standard deviation, but calibration is required to remove systematic error. Based on the measured background noise and protoacoustic amplitude, a SNR of 5.3 is projected for a deposited dose of 2 Gy.

Cold water recovery reduces anaerobic performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowe, M J; O'Connor, D; Rudd, D

2007-12-01

This study investigated the effects of cold water immersion on recovery from anaerobic cycling. Seventeen (13 male, 4 female) active subjects underwent a crossover, randomised design involving two testing sessions 2 - 6 d apart. Testing involved two 30-s maximal cycling efforts separated by a one-hour recovery period of 10-min cycling warm-down followed by either passive rest or 15-min cold water immersion (13 - 14 degrees C) with passive rest. Peak power, total work and postexercise blood lactate were significantly reduced following cold water immersion compared to the first exercise test and the control condition. These variables did not differ significantly between the control tests. Peak exercise heart rate was significantly lower after cold water immersion compared to the control. Time to peak power, rating of perceived exertion, and blood pH were not affected by cold water immersion compared to the control. Core temperature rose significantly (0.3 degrees C) during ice bath immersion but a similar increase also occurred in the control condition. Therefore, cold water immersion caused a significant decrease in sprint cycling performance with one-hour recovery between tests.

Innovative Water Management Technology to Reduce Environment Impacts of Produced Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castle, James; Rodgers, John; Alley, Bethany; Coffey, Ruthanne; Jurinko, Kristen; Pardue, Michael; Ritter, Tina; Spacil, Michael

2013-05-15

Clemson University with Chevron as an industry partner developed and applied treatment technology using constructed wetland systems to decrease targeted constituents in simulated and actual produced waters to achieve reuse criteria and discharge limits. Pilot-scale and demonstration constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) experiments led to design strategies for treating a variety of constituents of concern (COCs) in produced waters including divalent metals, metalloids, oil and grease, and ammonia. Targeted biogeochemical pathways for treatment of COCs in pilot-scale CWTS experiments included divalent metal sulfide precipitation through dissimilatory sulfate reduction, metal precipitation through oxidation, reduction of selenite to insoluble elemental selenium, aerobic biodegradation of oil, nitrification of ammonia to nitrate, denitrification of nitrate to nitrogen gas, separation of oil using an oilwater separator, and sorption of ammonia to zeolite. Treatment performance results indicated that CWTSs can be designed and built to promote specific environmental and geochemical conditions in order for targeted biogeochemical pathways to operate. The demonstration system successfully achieved consistent removal extents even while inflow concentrations of COCs in the produced water differed by orders of magnitude. Design strategies used in the pilot-scale and demonstration CWTSs to promote specific conditions that can be applied to designing full-scale CWTSs include plant and soil selection, water-depth selection, addition of amendments, and hydraulic retention time (HRT). These strategies allow conditions within a CWTS to be modified to achieve ranges necessary for the preferred biogeochemical treatment pathways. In the case of renovating a produced water containing COCs that require different biogeochemical pathways for treatment, a CWTS can be designed with sequential cells that promote different conditions. For example, the pilot-scale CWTS for post

Innovative Water Management Technology to Reduce Environmental Impacts of Produced Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castle, James; Rodgers, John; Alley, Bethany; Beebe, Alex; Coffey, Ruthanne; Jurinko, Kristen; Pardue, Michael; Ritter, Tina; Spacil, Michael

2013-05-15

Clemson University with Chevron as an industry partner developed and applied treatment technology using constructed wetland systems to decrease targeted constituents in simulated and actual produced waters to achieve reuse criteria and discharge limits. Pilot-scale and demonstration constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) experiments led to design strategies for treating a variety of constituents of concern (COCs) in produced waters including divalent metals, metalloids, oil and grease, and ammonia. Targeted biogeochemical pathways for treatment of COCs in pilot-scale CWTS experiments included divalent metal sulfide precipitation through dissimilatory sulfate reduction, metal precipitation through oxidation, reduction of selenite to insoluble elemental selenium, aerobic biodegradation of oil, nitrification of ammonia to nitrate, denitrification of nitrate to nitrogen gas, separation of oil using an oilwater separator, and sorption of ammonia to zeolite. Treatment performance results indicated that CWTSs can be designed and built to promote specific environmental and geochemical conditions in order for targeted biogeochemical pathways to operate. The demonstration system successfully achieved consistent removal extents even while inflow concentrations of COCs in the produced water differed by orders of magnitude. Design strategies used in the pilot-scale and demonstration CWTSs to promote specific conditions that can be applied to designing full-scale CWTSs include plant and soil selection, water-depth selection, addition of amendments, and hydraulic retention time (HRT). These strategies allow conditions within a CWTS to be modified to achieve ranges necessary for the preferred biogeochemical treatment pathways. In the case of renovating a produced water containing COCs that require different biogeochemical pathways for treatment, a CWTS can be designed with sequential cells that promote different conditions. For example, the pilot-scale CWTS for post

Innovative Water Management Technology to Reduce Environment Impacts of Produced Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castle, James W. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Rodgers, John H. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Alley, Bethany [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Beebe, Alex [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Coffey, Ruthanne [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Jurinko, Kristen [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Pardue, Michael [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Ritter, Tina [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Spacil, Michael M. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States)

2013-08-08

Clemson University with Chevron as an industry partner developed and applied treatment technology using constructed wetland systems to decrease targeted constituents in simulated and actual produced waters to achieve reuse criteria and discharge limits. Pilot-scale and demonstration constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) experiments led to design strategies for treating a variety of constituents of concern (COCs) in produced waters including divalent metals, metalloids, oil and grease, and ammonia. Targeted biogeochemical pathways for treatment of COCs in pilot-scale CWTS experiments included divalent metal sulfide precipitation through dissimilatory sulfate reduction, metal precipitation through oxidation, reduction of selenite to insoluble elemental selenium, aerobic biodegradation of oil, nitrification of ammonia to nitrate, denitrification of nitrate to nitrogen gas, separation of oil using an oilwater separator, and sorption of ammonia to zeolite. Treatment performance results indicated that CWTSs can be designed and built to promote specific environmental and geochemical conditions in order for targeted biogeochemical pathways to operate. The demonstration system successfully achieved consistent removal extents even while inflow concentrations of COCs in the produced water differed by orders of magnitude. Design strategies used in the pilot-scale and demonstration CWTSs to promote specific conditions that can be applied to designing full-scale CWTSs include plant and soil selection, water-depth selection, addition of amendments, and hydraulic retention time (HRT). These strategies allow conditions within a CWTS to be modified to achieve ranges necessary for the preferred biogeochemical treatment pathways. In the case of renovating a produced water containing COCs that require different biogeochemical pathways for treatment, a CWTS can be designed with sequential cells that promote different conditions. For example, the pilot-scale CWTS for post

Benchmarking Water Quality from Wastewater to Drinking Waters Using Reduced Transcriptome of Human Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Pu; Zhang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Hanxin; Wang, Pingping; Tian, Mingming; Yu, Hongxia

2017-08-15

One of the major challenges in environmental science is monitoring and assessing the risk of complex environmental mixtures. In vitro bioassays with limited key toxicological end points have been shown to be suitable to evaluate mixtures of organic pollutants in wastewater and recycled water. Omics approaches such as transcriptomics can monitor biological effects at the genome scale. However, few studies have applied omics approach in the assessment of mixtures of organic micropollutants. Here, an omics approach was developed for profiling bioactivity of 10 water samples ranging from wastewater to drinking water in human cells by a reduced human transcriptome (RHT) approach and dose-response modeling. Transcriptional expression of 1200 selected genes were measured by an Ampliseq technology in two cell lines, HepG2 and MCF7, that were exposed to eight serial dilutions of each sample. Concentration-effect models were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and to calculate effect concentrations (ECs) of DEGs, which could be ranked to investigate low dose response. Furthermore, molecular pathways disrupted by different samples were evaluated by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. The ability of RHT for representing bioactivity utilizing both HepG2 and MCF7 was shown to be comparable to the results of previous in vitro bioassays. Finally, the relative potencies of the mixtures indicated by RHT analysis were consistent with the chemical profiles of the samples. RHT analysis with human cells provides an efficient and cost-effective approach to benchmarking mixture of micropollutants and may offer novel insight into the assessment of mixture toxicity in water.

Maintenance of water uptake and reduced water loss contribute to water stress tolerance of Spiraea alba Du Roi and Spiraea tomentosa L.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Kelly M; Mickelbart, Michael V

2014-01-01

Two primarily eastern US native shrubs, Spiraea alba Du Roi and Spiraea tomentosa L., are typically found growing in wet areas, often with standing water. Both species have potential for use in the landscape, but little is known of their environmental requirements, including their adaptation to water stress. Two geographic accessions of each species were evaluated for their response to water stress under greenhouse conditions. Above-ground biomass, water relations and gas exchange were measured in well-watered and water stress treatments. In both species, water stress resulted in reduced growth, transpiration and pre-dawn water potential. However, both species also exhibited the ability to osmotically adjust to lower soil water content, resulting in maintained midday leaf turgor potential in all accessions. Net CO2 assimilation was reduced only in one accession of S. alba, primarily due to large reductions in stomatal conductance. S. tomentosa lost a larger proportion of leaves than S. alba in response to water stress. The primary water stress tolerance strategies of S. alba and S. tomentosa appear to be the maintenance of water uptake and reduced water loss.

Advances in Nuclear Power Plant Water Chemistry in Reducing Radiation Exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Febrianto

2005-01-01

Water quality in light water reactor in Pressurized Water Reactor as well as in Boiling Water Reactor has being gradually improved since the beginning, to reduce corrosion risk and radiation exposure level. Corrosion problem which occurred to both type of reactors can reduce the plants availability, increase the operation and maintenance cost and increase the radiation exposure. Corrosion and radiation exposure risk in both reactor rare different. BWR type reactor has more experiences in corrosion problem because at the type of reactor lets water to boil in the core, while at PWR type reactor, water is kept not to boil. The BWR reactor has also higher radiation exposure rather than the PWR one. Many collaborative efforts of plants manufacturers and plant operator utilities have been done to reduce the radiation exposure level and corrosion risk. (author)

Conceptual designing of reduced-moderation water reactor with heavy water coolant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hibi, Kohki; Shimada, Shoichiro; Okubo, Tsutomu E-mail: okubo@hems.jaeri.go.jp; Iwamura, Takamichi; Wada, Shigeyuki

2001-12-01

The conceptual designing of reduced-moderation water reactors, i.e. advanced water-cooled reactors using plutonium mixed-oxide fuel with high conversion ratios more than 1.0 and negative void reactivity coefficients, has been carried out. The core is designed on the concept of a pressurized water reactor with a heavy water coolant and a triangular tight lattice fuel pin arrangement. The seed fuel assembly has an internal blanket region inside the seed fuel region as well as upper and lower blanket regions (i.e. an axial heterogeneous core). The radial blanket fuel assemblies are introduced in a checkerboard pattern among the seed fuel assemblies (i.e. a radial heterogeneous core). The radial blanket region is shorter than the seed fuel region. This study shows that the heavy water moderated core can achieve negative void reactivity coefficients and conversion ratios of 1.06-1.11.

Temperature range extension of an organically crosslinked polymer system and its successful field application for water and gas shutoff

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasquez, Julio; Eoff, Larry; Dalrymple, Dwyann [Halliburton, Rio de Janeiro. RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

Excessive water production from hydrocarbon reservoirs is one of the most serious problems in the oil industry. Water production greatly affects the economic life of producing wells and brings along secondary problems such as sand production, corrosion, and tubular scale. Remediation techniques for controlling water production, generally referred to as conformance control, include the use of polymer systems to reduce or plug permeability to water. This paper presents the laboratory evaluation of an organically crosslinked polymer (OCP) system used as a sealant for water control problems in hydrocarbon wells. Originally, the OCP system had a limited working temperature range (140 deg to 260 deg F). Recently, an alternative base polymer (for low temperatures) and a retarder (for high temperatures) have been introduced to expand the temperature range of applicability of the OCP system from 70 deg F to 350 deg F without compromising its effectiveness or thermal stability. More than 400 jobs have been performed with the OCP system around the world to address conformance problems such as water coning/cresting, high-permeability streaks, gravel pack isolation, fracture shutoff, and casing leak repairs. This paper presents an overview of case histories that used the OCP system in various regions of the world for a wide variety of applications. (author)

Low LET radiolysis escape yields for reducing radicals and H2 in pressurized high temperature water

Science.gov (United States)

Sterniczuk, Marcin; Yakabuskie, Pamela A.; Wren, J. Clara; Jacob, Jasmine A.; Bartels, David M.

2016-04-01

Low Linear Energy Transfer (LET) radiolysis escape yields (G values) are reported for the sum (G(radH)+G(e-)aq) and for G(H2) in subcritical water up to 350 °C. The scavenger system 1-10 mM acetate/0.001 M hydroxide/0.00048 M N2O was used with simultaneous mass spectroscopic detection of H2 and N2 product. Temperature-dependent measurements were carried out with 2.5 MeV electrons from a van de Graaff accelerator, while room temperature calibration measurements were done with a 60Co gamma source. The concentrations and dose range were carefully chosen so that initial spur chemistry is not perturbed and the N2 product yield corresponds to those reducing radicals that escape recombination in pure water. In comparison with a recent review recommendation of Elliot and Bartels (AECL report 153-127160-450-001, 2009), the measured reducing radical yield is seven percent smaller at room temperature but in fairly good agreement above 150 °C. The H2 escape yield is in good agreement throughout the temperature range with several previous studies that used much larger radical scavenging rates. Previous analysis of earlier high temperature measurements of Gesc(radOH) is shown to be flawed, although the actual G values may be nearly correct. The methodology used in the present report greatly reduces the range of possible error and puts the high temperature escape yields for low-LET radiation on a much firmer quantitative foundation than was previously available.

White Sands Missile Range 2011 Drinking Water Quality Report

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

acerca de su agua potable . Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda. Main Post White Sands Missile Range 2011...standards. What is This Water Quality Report? Este informe contiene informacion importante acerca de su agua potable . Haga que alguien lo traduzca

Water hammer reduces fouling during natural water ultrafiltration.

Science.gov (United States)

Broens, F; Menne, D; Pothof, I; Blankert, B; Roesink, H D W; Futselaar, H; Lammertink, R G H; Wessling, M

2012-03-15

Today's ultrafiltration processes use permeate flow reversal to remove fouling deposits on the feed side of ultrafiltration membranes. We report an as effective method: the opening and rapid closing of a valve on the permeate side of an ultrafiltration module. The sudden valve closure generates pressure fluctuations due to fluid inertia and is commonly known as "water hammer". Surface water was filtrated in hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes with a small (5%) crossflow. Filtration experiments above sustainable flux levels (>125 l (m2h)(-1)) show that a periodic closure of a valve on the permeate side improves filtration performance as a consequence of reduced fouling. It was shown that this effect depends on flux and actuation frequency of the valve. The time period that the valve was closed proved to have no effect on filtration performance. The pressure fluctuations generated by the sudden stop in fluid motion due to the valve closure are responsible for the effect of fouling reduction. High frequency recording of the dynamic pressure evolution shows water hammer related pressure fluctuations to occur in the order of 0.1 bar. The pressure fluctuations were higher at higher fluxes (higher velocities) which is in agreement with the theory. They were also more effective at higher fluxes with respect to fouling mitigation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deficit irrigation of peach trees to reduce water consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Lack of water is a major limiting factor for production tree fruits such as peaches in the San Joaquin Valley of California and many other arid- or semi-arid regions in the world. Deficit irrigation can be used in some cropping systems as a water resource management strategy to reduce non-productiv...

Least limiting water range of Udox soil under degraded pastures on different sun-exposed faces

Science.gov (United States)

Passos, Renato Ribeiro; Marciano da Costa, Liovando; Rodrigues de Assis, Igor; Santos, Danilo Andrade; Ruiz, Hugo Alberto; Guimarães, Lorena Abdalla de Oliveira Prata; Andrade, Felipe Vaz

2017-07-01

The efficient use of water is increasingly important and proper soil management, within the specificities of each region of the country, allows achieving greater efficiency. The South and Caparaó regions of Espírito Santo, Brazil are characterized by relief of `hill seas' with differences in the degree of pasture degradation due to sun exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the least limiting water range in Udox soil under degraded pastures with two faces of exposure to the sun and three pedoenvironments. In each pedoenvironment, namely Alegre, Celina, and Café, two areas were selected, one with exposure on the North/West face and the other on the South/East face. In each of these areas, undisturbed soil samples were collected at 0-10 cm depth to determine the least limiting water range. The exposed face of the pasture that received the highest solar incidence (North/West) presented the lowest values in least limiting water range. The least limiting water range proved to be a physical quality indicator for Udox soil under degraded pastures.

Blue Planet dialysis: novel water-sparing strategies for reducing dialysate flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Molano-Triviño, Alejandra; Wancjer, Benjamin; Neri, Mauro M; Karopadi, Akash N; Rosner, Mitchell; Ronco, Claudio

2017-11-08

Hemodialysis (HD) is an expensive therapy in economic and in ecological terms, owing to a high carbon footprint and significant consumption of natural sources, especially water. Our aim was to review strategies to diminish waste of water in maintenance dialysis, exploring previously described water reuse trends and less known strategies for reducing the dialysate flow. We conducted a systematic review of water-sparing strategies, including the reuse of reverse osmosis rejected water and the reduction of dialysate flux. We performed a search in Medline, Pubmed, Scielo, OVID and Biblioteca Redentor, using key words: Dialysate flow rate, Dialysate flux, and decrease; excluding: online, peritoneal, continuous, blood access, needle, hemodiafiltration, acute, pharmacokinetics, increase. We limited our search to adult humans or in vitro trials in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, between January 1980 and June 2017. We found 816 trials. 37 articles were retrieved for review, and 11 articles were analyzed. Conservation of water in chronic HD should be considered an important responsibility of healthcare practitioners all over the world. We present a wider usage of dialysate flow rates, considering that it would lead to significant water conservation without much compromise on dialysis efficacy in small patients. We believe that further investigation into the utility of reduced dialysate flux in different populations is needed to broaden our understanding of how we can use these techniques in order to significantly reduce water consumption during chronic HD while still ensuring optimum efficacy and efficiency of the therapy.

Improving water management practices to reduce nutrient export from rice paddy fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhi-Jian; Yao, Ju-Xiang; Wang, Zhao-De; Xu, Xin; Lin, Xian-Yong; Czapar, George F; Zhang, Jian-Ying

2011-01-01

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss from rice paddy fields represents a significant threat to water quality in China. In this project, three irrigation-drainage regimes were compared, including one conventional irrigation-drainage regime, i.e. continuous submergence regime (CSR), and two improved regimes, i.e. the alternating submergence-nonsubmergence regime (ASNR) and the zero-drainage irrigation technology (ZDIT), to seek cost-effective practices for reducing nutrient loss. The data from these comparisons showed that, excluding the nutrient input from irrigation, the net exports of total N and total P via surface field drainage ranged from -3.93 to 2.39 kg ha and 0.17 to 0.95 g ha(-1) under the CSR operation, respectively, while N loss was -2.46 to -2.23 kg ha(-1) and P export was -0.65 to 0.31 kg ha(-1) under the improved regimes. The intensity of P export was positively correlated to the rate of P application. Reducing the draining frequency or postponing the draining operation would shift the ecological role of the paddy field from a nutrient export source to an interception sink when ASNR or the zero-drainage water management was used. In addition, since the rice yields are being guaranteed at no additional cost, the improved irrigation-drainage operations would have economic as well as environmental benefits.

Water-Based Automobile Paints Potentially Reduce the Exposure of Refinish Painters to Toxic Metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Der-Jen Hsu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Exposure to lead-containing dusts is a global public health concern. This work addresses an important issue of whether eco-friendly water-based paints reduce the exposure potential of auto-repainting workers to metals. With this aim, metal levels in automobile paints and worker metal exposure were measured using both solvent- and water-based paints. The levels of metals, and particularly Pb, Cr (total, Fe, and Cu, in solvent-based paints varied greatly among colors and brands. Lead concentrations ranged from below the detection limit (~0.25 μg/g to 107,928 μg/g (dry film across all samples. In water-based paints, the concentrations of Pb and Cr (total were generally two to three orders of magnitude lower, but the concentrations of Al and Cu exceeded those in some solvent-based paints. The personal short-term exposure of workers who applied water-based paints of popular colors, such as black and white, were generally low, with Pb levels of less than <4 µg/m3 and Cr (total levels of less than 1 µg/m3. Conversely, mean short-term exposure to Pb during the painting of a yellow cab using solvent-based paints were 2028 µg/m3, which was ~14 times the Taiwan short-term permissible exposure limit, while the mean level of exposure to Cr (total was 290 µg/m3, which was well below the exposure limit. This study demonstrates that water-based paints reduce the exposure potential to lead, and highlights the importance of source control in limiting the toxic metals in paints.

A New System for Households in Spain to Evaluate and Reduce Their Water Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Gutierrez-Escolar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to describe a developed model and its corresponding application, known as System to Evaluate the Water Consumption at Home (SEWAT. The aim is to create a new model to evaluate the efficiency of water consumption. Thanks to the input of the water bills by users, the model allows them to check if water consumption is efficient, in order to give them an opportunity to evaluate their water usage. To succeed in it, several researches were tracked in order to establish consumer trends and to identify the most efficient value for this magnitude. Furthermore, a survey was conducted to obtain updated values to validate information from previous studies. However, the main aim of this model is to use the resources efficiently, so it has to be useful accordingly. Therefore, after the evaluation, the application has a section with recommendations for the users to reduce their water consumption through a range of different indications. This section is divided into four: bathroom, kitchen, new appliance and reusing water. Each section shows the expected benefits if the users follow the recommended options. The main result is a unique application in Spain, which includes a system of evaluation, comparison and a section of recommendations for the users. Eventually, the model will have a promising outcome, because it surely will change the awareness of citizens about this subject.

Study on core design for reduced-moderation water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okubo, Tsutomu

2002-01-01

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is a water-cooled reactor with the harder neutron spectrum comparing with the LWR, resulting from low neutron moderation due to reduced water volume fraction. Based on the difference from the spectrum from the LWR, the conversion from U-238 to Pu-239 is promoted and the new cores preferable to effective utilization of uranium resource can be possible Design study of the RMWR core started in 1997 and new four core concepts (three BWR cores and one PWR core) are recently evaluated in terms of control rod worths, plutonium multiple recycle, high burnup and void coefficient. Comparative evaluations show needed incorporation of control rod programming and simplified PUREX process as well as development of new fuel cans for high burnup of 100 GW-d/t. Final choice of design specifications will be made at the next step aiming at realization of the RMWR. (T. Tanaka)

Study on core design for reduced-moderation water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okubo, Tsutomu [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

2002-12-01

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is a water-cooled reactor with the harder neutron spectrum comparing with the LWR, resulting from low neutron moderation due to reduced water volume fraction. Based on the difference from the spectrum from the LWR, the conversion from U-238 to Pu-239 is promoted and the new cores preferable to effective utilization of uranium resource can be possible Design study of the RMWR core started in 1997 and new four core concepts (three BWR cores and one PWR core) are recently evaluated in terms of control rod worths, plutonium multiple recycle, high burnup and void coefficient. Comparative evaluations show needed incorporation of control rod programming and simplified PUREX process as well as development of new fuel cans for high burnup of 100 GW-d/t. Final choice of design specifications will be made at the next step aiming at realization of the RMWR. (T. Tanaka)

Status of research and development on reduced-moderation water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamura, Takamichi

2002-01-01

To improve uranium utilization, a design study of the Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) has been carried out intensively since 1998 at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). In this reactor, the nuclear fission reaction is designed to be realized mainly by high energy neutrons. To achieve this, the volume of water used to cool the fuel rods is decreased by reducing the gap width between the fuel rods. Conversion ratio greater than 1.0 is expected whether the core i-s cooled by boiling water or pressurized water and whether the core size is small or large. Status of the RMWR design is reviewed and planning of R and D for future deployment of this reactor after 20-20 is presented. To improve economics of this reactor, development of fuel cans for high burnup and low-cost reprocessing technology of mixed oxide spect fuels are highly needed. R and D has been conducted under the cooperation with utilities, industry, research organization and academia. (T. Tanaka)

Status of research and development on reduced-moderation water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwamura, Takamichi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

2002-12-01

To improve uranium utilization, a design study of the Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) has been carried out intensively since 1998 at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). In this reactor, the nuclear fission reaction is designed to be realized mainly by high energy neutrons. To achieve this, the volume of water used to cool the fuel rods is decreased by reducing the gap width between the fuel rods. Conversion ratio greater than 1.0 is expected whether the core i-s cooled by boiling water or pressurized water and whether the core size is small or large. Status of the RMWR design is reviewed and planning of R and D for future deployment of this reactor after 20-20 is presented. To improve economics of this reactor, development of fuel cans for high burnup and low-cost reprocessing technology of mixed oxide spect fuels are highly needed. R and D has been conducted under the cooperation with utilities, industry, research organization and academia. (T. Tanaka)

Reducing Agricultural Water Footprints at the Farm Scale: A Case Study in the Beijing Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Huang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Beijing is one of the most water-stressed regions in the world. Reducing agricultural water use has long been the basis of local policy for sustainable water use. In this article, the potential to reduce the life cycle (cradle to gate water footprints of wheat and maize that contribute to 94% of the local cereal production was assessed. Following ISO 14046, consumptive and degradative water use for the wheat-maize rotation system was modeled under different irrigation and nitrogen (N application options. Reducing irrigation water volume by 33.3% compared to current practice did not cause a significant yield decline, but the water scarcity footprint and water eutrophication footprint were decreased by 27.5% and 23.9%, respectively. Similarly, reducing the N application rate by 33.3% from current practice did not cause a significant yield decline, but led to a 52.3% reduction in water eutrophication footprint while maintaining a similar water scarcity footprint. These results demonstrate that improving water and fertilizer management has great potential for reducing the crop water footprints at the farm scale. This situation in Beijing is likely to be representative of the challenge facing many of the water-stressed regions in China, where a sustainable means of agricultural production must be found.

Reducing phosphorus loss in tile water with managed drainage in a claypan soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Nash, Patrick R; Nelson, Kelly A; Motavalli, Peter P; Nathan, Manjula; Dudenhoeffer, Chris

2015-03-01

Installing subsurface tile drain systems in poorly drained claypan soils to improve corn ( L.) yields could potentially increase environmental phosphorus (P) loss through the tile drainage system. The objectives of the study were to quantify the average concentration and loss of ortho-P in tile drain water from a claypan soil and to determine whether managed subsurface drainage (MD) could reduce ortho-P loss in tile water compared with free subsurface drainage (FD). Flow-weighted ortho-P concentration in the tile water was significantly lower with MD (0.09 mg L) compared with that of FD (0.15 mg L). Ortho-P loss in the tile water of this study was reduced with MD (36 g ha) by 80% compared with FD (180 g ha). Contrary to previous research, reduced ortho-P loss observed over the 4-yr study was not solely due to the reduced amount of water drained annually (63%) with MD compared with FD. During the spring period, when flow was similar between MD and FD, the concentration of ortho-P in the tile water generally was lower with MD compared with FD, which resulted in significantly less ortho-P loss with MD. We speculate that MD's ability to conserve water during the dry summer months increased corn's uptake of water and P, which reduced the amount of P available for leaching loss in the subsequent springs. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Effect of electrolyzed reduced water on malondialdehyde levels and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) on .... dehydrated and cleared with alcohol. ... assay tubes were incubated at a temperature of ... oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent .... Oxidative Medicine and.

Reducing and verifying haloacetic acids in treated drinking water using a biological filter system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Jie C; Chan, Hung Y; Yang, Chih Y; Tseng, Wei B; Han, Jia Y

2014-01-01

This study focused on reducing the haloacetic acid (HAA) concentrations in treated drinking water. HAA has been thought to be one possible nutrient supporting heterotrophic bacteria regrowth in drinking water. In this study, experiments were conducted using a pilot-scale system to evaluate the efficiency of biological filters (BF) for reducing excess HAA concentrations in water. The BF system reduced the total HAA concentration and the concentrations of five HAA species in the water. Dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), monobromoacetic acid (MBAA) and dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) were the three main HAA5 species that were present in the treated drinking water in this investigation. Combined, these three species represent approximately 77% of the HAA5 in the finished water after BF. The verification of the empirical HAA equation for the outlet in the BF system indicated linear relationships with high correlation coefficients. The empirical equation for the HAA5 concentrations in the finished water was established by examining other nutrients (e.g., dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm wavelength (UV254), and ammonia nitrogen) that can reduce pathogenic contamination. These findings may be useful for designing advanced processes for conventional water treatment plants or for managing water treatment and distribution systems for providing high-quality drinking water.

Least Limiting Water Range and Load Bearing Capacity of Soil under Types of Tractor-Trailers for Mechanical Harvesting of Green Sugarcane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Higino Frederico Pereira

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The expansion of the sugarcane industry in Brazil has intensified the mechanization of agriculture and caused effects on the soil physical quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the limiting water range and soil bearing capacity of a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico (Rhodic Hapludox under the influence of different tractor-trailers used in mechanical sugarcane harvesting. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with five replications. The treatments consisted of green sugarcane harvesting with: harvester without trailer (T1; harvester with two trailers with a capacity of 10 Mg each (T2; harvester with trailer with a capacity of 20 Mg (T3 and harvester and truck with trailer with a capacity of 20 Mg (10 Mg per compartment (T4. The least limiting water range and soil bearing capacity were evaluated. The transport equipment to remove the harvested sugarcane from the field (trailer at harvest decreased the least limiting water range, reducing the structural soil quality. The truck trailer caused the greatest impact on the soil physical properties studied. The soil load bearing capacity was unaffected by the treatments, since the pressure of the harvester (T1 exceeded the pre-consolidation pressure of the soil.

Humans running in place on water at simulated reduced gravity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto E Minetti

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: On Earth only a few legged species, such as water strider insects, some aquatic birds and lizards, can run on water. For most other species, including humans, this is precluded by body size and proportions, lack of appropriate appendages, and limited muscle power. However, if gravity is reduced to less than Earth's gravity, running on water should require less muscle power. Here we use a hydrodynamic model to predict the gravity levels at which humans should be able to run on water. We test these predictions in the laboratory using a reduced gravity simulator. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We adapted a model equation, previously used by Glasheen and McMahon to explain the dynamics of Basilisk lizard, to predict the body mass, stride frequency and gravity necessary for a person to run on water. Progressive body-weight unloading of a person running in place on a wading pool confirmed the theoretical predictions that a person could run on water, at lunar (or lower gravity levels using relatively small rigid fins. Three-dimensional motion capture of reflective markers on major joint centers showed that humans, similarly to the Basilisk Lizard and to the Western Grebe, keep the head-trunk segment at a nearly constant height, despite the high stride frequency and the intensive locomotor effort. Trunk stabilization at a nearly constant height differentiates running on water from other, more usual human gaits. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results showed that a hydrodynamic model of lizards running on water can also be applied to humans, despite the enormous difference in body size and morphology.

Reducing Lead in Drinking Water: A Manual for Minnesota's Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Minnesota State Dept. of Health, St. Paul.

This manual was designed to assist Minnesota's schools in minimizing the consumption of lead in drinking water by students and staff. It offers step-by-step instructions for testing and reducing lead in drinking water. The manual answers: Why is lead a health concern? How are children exposed to lead? Why is lead a special concern for schools? How…

Increasing hydro turbine operation range and efficiencies using water injection in draft tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Francke, Haakon Hjort

2010-09-15

It is a well known fact that most Francis turbines, because of the fixed blade design, faces challenges when running at partial load operation. Especially in the operating range below approximately 50 % of the rated output, it is common to observe severe pressure pulsations and surge in the draft tube. These pressure fluctuations are believed to be related to the swirling flow exiting the runner. By using water jets in the draft tube cone directed towards the swirling flow, the swirl strength is believed to be reduced and thereby also the pressure fluctuations produced by the swirl. This system thus has a potential of increasing the turbine operating range. The system can be activated when needed, and will not affect the turbine when running at its best efficiency point.Based on the main hypothesis, a simplified swirl rig was designed and constructed in order to investigate the nozzle influence on the swirling flow and on the pressure pulsations in a simplified environment. To expand the understanding of the nozzle performance in a Francis turbine, experiments were conducted in a model turbine with a prototype of movable nozzles. To establish a link between laboratory nozzle measurements and full scale nozzle measurements, field measurements were carried out on full scale Francis turbines running at partial discharge. For this purpose the turbines installed at Skarsfjord Power Station and Skibotn Power Station were used, where full scale nozzle injection systems were installed. The test results suggested that the concept of water injection worked, but not unconditionally. A reduction in pressure fluctuations was achieved both in laboratory and field experiments, as well as a noticeable reduction regarding fluctuations in the shaft run-out at Skibotn. In addition, water injection gave a surprisingly positive effect at overload conditions in the model turbine, even though the nozzle angle was directed in the same direction as the overload swirl. Ideally, the results

Summary of the 4th workshop on the reduced-moderation water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakatsuka, Toru; Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Iwamura, Takamichi

2001-09-01

The research on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors (RMWRs) has been performed in JAERI for the development of future innovative reactors. The workshop on the RMWRs has been held every year since fiscal 1997 aimed at information exchange between JAERI and other organizations such as universities, laboratories, utilities and vendors. The 4th workshop was held on March 2, 2001 under the joint auspices of JAERI and North Kanto branch of Atomic Energy Society of Japan. The workshop began with three lectures on recent research activities in JAERI entitled 'Recent Situation of Research on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor', 'Analysis on Electricity Generation Costs of Reduced Moderation Water Reactors' and 'Reprocessing Technology for Spent Mixed-Oxides Fuel from LWR'. Then five lectures followed: 'Micro Reactor Physics of MOX Fueled LWR' which shows the recent results of reactor physics, Fast Reactor Cooled by Supercritical Light Water' which is another type of reduced-moderation reactor, 'Phase 1 of Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Breeder Reactor Cycle System' mainly conducted by Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC), 'Integral Type Small PWR with Stand-alone Safety' which is intended to suit for the future consumers' needs, and Utilization of Plutonium in Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors' which dictates benefits of plutonium utilization with RMWRs. This report includes the original papers presented at the workshop and summaries of the questions and answers for each lecture, as well as presentation handouts, program and participant list as appendixes. The 8 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Nitric oxide reduces oxidative damage induced by water stress in sunflower plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inês Cechin

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Drought is one of the main environmental constraints that can reduce plant yield. Nitric oxide (NO is a signal molecule involved in plant responses to several environmental stresses. The objective of this study was to investigate the cytoprotective effect of a single foliar application of 0, 1, 10 or 100 µM of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP in sunflower plants under water stress. Water stressed plants treated with 1μM SNP showed an increase in the relative water content compared with 0 μM SNP. Drought reduced the shoot dry weight but SNP applications did not result in alleviation of drought effects. Neither drought nor water stress plus SNP applications altered the content of photosynthetic pigments. Stomatal conductance was reduced by drought and this reduction was accompanied by a significant reduction in intercellular CO2 concentration and photosynthesis. Treatment with SNP did not reverse the effect of drought on the gas exchange characteristics. Drought increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA and proline and reduced pirogalol peroxidase (PG-POD activity, but did not affect the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD. When the water stressed plants were treated with 10 μM SNP, the activity of PG-POD and the content of proline were increased and the level of MDA was decreased. The results show that the adverse effects of water stress on sunflower plants are dependent on the external NO concentration. The action of NO may be explained by its ability to increase the levels of antioxidant compounds and the activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes.

The use of Powdered Activated Carbon in reducing the Doc in water treatment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikravesh, S. H.; Etemad-Shahidi, A.; Razeghi, N.

2003-01-01

Today as the technology improves and the application of energy and chemicals enhances, the organic pollutants increases in surface waters in which waste waters are discharged into. In order to reduce water-born diseases, necessary actions should be taken to decrease the pollutants. Common methods of surface water treatment are not sufficient anymore. Therefore complementary methods like using activated carbon, aeration, oxidation and reverse osmosis should be used. In this paper the use of powdered activated carbon, Total organic carbon test and jar test in reducing the concentration of organic carbons in water treatment is investigated. Initial experimental results showed large errors in total organic carbon evaluation so dissolved organic carbon was measured instead. The results showed that using the powdered activated carbon in addition to conventional treatment method using ferric chloride, greatly reduces organic pollutants. Adding about 60 mg/lit of powdered activated carbon may reduce dissolved organic carbon up to 90% in optimum conditions. However, different factors like the quality of surface water, experimental errors, instrumental errors and tool errors can influence the experimental results

Summary of the 3rd workshop on the reduced-moderation water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Nakatsuka, Tohru; Iwamura, Takamichi

2000-06-01

The research activities of a Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) are being performed for a development of the next generation water-cooled reactor. A workshop on the RMWR was held on March 3rd 2000 aiming to exchange information between JAERI and other organizations such as universities, laboratories, utilities and vendors. This report summarizes the contents of lectures and discussions on the workshop. The 1st workshop was held on March 1998 focusing on the review of the research activities and future research plan. The succeeding 2nd workshop was held on March 1999 focusing on the topics of the plutonium utilization in water-cooled reactors. The 3rd workshop was held on March 3rd 2000, which was attended by 77 participants. The workshop began with a lecture titled 'Recent Situation Related to Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR)', followed by 'Program on MOX Fuel Utilization in Light Water Reactors' which is the mainstream scenario of plutonium utilization by utilities, and 'Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Breeder Reactor Cycle System' mainly conducted by Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC). Also, following lectures were given as the recent research activities in JAERI: 'Progress in Design Study on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors', 'Long-Term Scenarios of Power Reactors and Fuel Cycle Development and the Role of Reduced Moderation Water Reactors', 'Experimental and Analytical Study on Thermal Hydraulics' and Reactor Physics Experiment Plan using TCA'. At the end of the workshop, a general discussion was performed about the research and development of the RMWR. This report includes the original papers presented at the workshop and summaries of the questions and answers for each lecture and general discussion, as well as presentation viewgraphs, program and participant list as appendixes. The 7 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Summary of the 3rd workshop on the reduced-moderation water reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Nakatsuka, Tohru; Iwamura, Takamichi [eds.

2000-06-01

The research activities of a Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) are being performed for a development of the next generation water-cooled reactor. A workshop on the RMWR was held on March 3rd 2000 aiming to exchange information between JAERI and other organizations such as universities, laboratories, utilities and vendors. This report summarizes the contents of lectures and discussions on the workshop. The 1st workshop was held on March 1998 focusing on the review of the research activities and future research plan. The succeeding 2nd workshop was held on March 1999 focusing on the topics of the plutonium utilization in water-cooled reactors. The 3rd workshop was held on March 3rd 2000, which was attended by 77 participants. The workshop began with a lecture titled 'Recent Situation Related to Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR)', followed by 'Program on MOX Fuel Utilization in Light Water Reactors' which is the mainstream scenario of plutonium utilization by utilities, and 'Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Breeder Reactor Cycle System' mainly conducted by Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC). Also, following lectures were given as the recent research activities in JAERI: 'Progress in Design Study on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors', 'Long-Term Scenarios of Power Reactors and Fuel Cycle Development and the Role of Reduced Moderation Water Reactors', 'Experimental and Analytical Study on Thermal Hydraulics' and Reactor Physics Experiment Plan using TCA'. At the end of the workshop, a general discussion was performed about the research and development of the RMWR. This report includes the original papers presented at the workshop and summaries of the questions and answers for each lecture and general discussion, as well as presentation viewgraphs, program and participant list as appendixes. The 7 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Experimental investigation on the active range of sulfate-reducing bacteria for geological disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukunaga, S.; Fujiki, K.; Asano, H.; Yoshikawa, H.

1995-01-01

The active range of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, a species of sulfate-reducing bacteria, was examined in terms of pH and Eh using a fermenter at controlled pH and Eh. Such research is important because sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are thought to exist underground at depths equal to those of supposed repositories for high-level radioactive wastes and to be capable of inducing corrosion of the metals used in containment vessels. SRB activity was estimated at 35 C, with lactate as an electron donor, at a pH range from 7 to 11 and Eh range from 0 to -380 mV. Activity increased as pH approached neutral and Eh declined. The upper pH limit for activity was between 9.9 and 10.3, at Eh of -360 to -384 mV. The upper Eh limit for activity was between -68 and -3 mV, at pH 7.1. These results show that SRB can be made active at higher pH by decreasing Eh, and that the higher pH levels of 8 to 10 produced by use of the buffer material bentonite does not suppress SRB completely. A chart was obtained showing the active range of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans in terms of pH and Eh. Such charts can be used to estimate the viability of SRB and other microorganisms when the environmental conditions of a repository are specified

Monitoring of water supply connections as an element to reduce apparent losses of water?

Science.gov (United States)

Gwoździej-Mazur, Joanna

2017-11-01

Measuring instruments are designed to measure a given physical value, to process the obtained information and forward it to the observer. They are designed to perform specific tasks in specific working conditions and meeting the envisaged requirements. The most important requirement to be met by measuring instruments, is to preserve the established metrological characteristics. The basic and most common instrument for measuring the volume of flowing water is the water meter. Selecting the right water meter in the operating conditions is not an easy issue. The problem has been further intensified by decrease of water consumption which began in the 90s of the twentieth century and continuing to the present day. As a result, there has changed the structure of water consumption in both the residential and industrial applications. In this situation, a right selection of the optimal water meter it is an important case. The article presents the results of research in the field of characteristic flows in the water supply connections in multi-family housing using modern monitoring systems. It has been presented the calculated inequality ratio of water consumption, which can be helpful when designing a plumbing systems. In addition, the structure of water consumption due to the typical flow ranges was determined.

Monitoring of water supply connections as an element to reduce apparent losses of water?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gwoździej-Mazur Joanna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Measuring instruments are designed to measure a given physical value, to process the obtained information and forward it to the observer. They are designed to perform specific tasks in specific working conditions and meeting the envisaged requirements. The most important requirement to be met by measuring instruments, is to preserve the established metrological characteristics. The basic and most common instrument for measuring the volume of flowing water is the water meter. Selecting the right water meter in the operating conditions is not an easy issue. The problem has been further intensified by decrease of water consumption which began in the 90s of the twentieth century and continuing to the present day. As a result, there has changed the structure of water consumption in both the residential and industrial applications. In this situation, a right selection of the optimal water meter it is an important case. The article presents the results of research in the field of characteristic flows in the water supply connections in multi-family housing using modern monitoring systems. It has been presented the calculated inequality ratio of water consumption, which can be helpful when designing a plumbing systems. In addition, the structure of water consumption due to the typical flow ranges was determined.

Summary of the 4th workshop on the reduced-moderation water reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakatsuka, Toru; Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Iwamura, Takamichi (eds.) [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

2001-09-01

The research on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors (RMWRs) has been performed in JAERI for the development of future innovative reactors. The workshop on the RMWRs has been held every year since fiscal 1997 aimed at information exchange between JAERI and other organizations such as universities, laboratories, utilities and vendors. The 4th workshop was held on March 2, 2001 under the joint auspices of JAERI and North Kanto branch of Atomic Energy Society of Japan. The workshop began with three lectures on recent research activities in JAERI entitled 'Recent Situation of Research on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor', 'Analysis on Electricity Generation Costs of Reduced Moderation Water Reactors' and 'Reprocessing Technology for Spent Mixed-Oxides Fuel from LWR'. Then five lectures followed: 'Micro Reactor Physics of MOX Fueled LWR' which shows the recent results of reactor physics, Fast Reactor Cooled by Supercritical Light Water' which is another type of reduced-moderation reactor, 'Phase 1 of Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Breeder Reactor Cycle System' mainly conducted by Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC), 'Integral Type Small PWR with Stand-alone Safety' which is intended to suit for the future consumers' needs, and Utilization of Plutonium in Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors' which dictates benefits of plutonium utilization with RMWRs. This report includes the original papers presented at the workshop and summaries of the questions and answers for each lecture, as well as presentation handouts, program and participant list as appendixes. The 8 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Evidence for coral range expansion accompanied by reduced diversity of Symbiodinium genotypes

KAUST Repository

Grupstra, Carsten G. B.

2017-05-15

Zooxanthellate corals are threatened by climate change but may be able to escape increasing temperatures by colonizing higher latitudes. To determine the effect of host range expansion on symbiont genetic diversity, we examined genetic variation among populations of Symbiodinium psygmophilum associated with Oculina patagonica, a range-expanding coral that acquires its symbionts through horizontal transmission. We optimized five microsatellite primer pairs for S. psygmophilum and tested them on Oculina spp. samples from the western North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. We then used them to compare symbiont genotype diversity between an Iberian core and an expansion front population of O. patagonica. Only one multilocus S. psygmophilum genotype was identified at the expansion front, and it was shared with the core population, which harbored seven multilocus genotypes. This pattern suggests that O. patagonica range expansion is accompanied by reduced symbiont genetic diversity, possibly due to limited dispersal of symbionts or local selection.

Reducing nitrate loss in tile drainage water with cover crops and water-table management systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, C F; Tan, C S; Welacky, T W; Reynolds, W D; Zhang, T Q; Oloya, T O; McLaughlin, N B; Gaynor, J D

2014-03-01

Nitrate lost from agricultural soils is an economic cost to producers, an environmental concern when it enters rivers and lakes, and a health risk when it enters wells and aquifers used for drinking water. Planting a winter wheat cover crop (CC) and/or use of controlled tile drainage-subirrigation (CDS) may reduce losses of nitrate (NO) relative to no cover crop (NCC) and/or traditional unrestricted tile drainage (UTD). A 6-yr (1999-2005) corn-soybean study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of CC+CDS, CC+UTD, NCC+CDS, and NCC+UTD treatments for reducing NO loss. Flow volume and NO concentration in surface runoff and tile drainage were measured continuously, and CC reduced the 5-yr flow-weighted mean (FWM) NO concentration in tile drainage water by 21 to 38% and cumulative NO loss by 14 to 16% relative to NCC. Controlled tile drainage-subirrigation reduced FWM NO concentration by 15 to 33% and cumulative NO loss by 38 to 39% relative to UTD. When CC and CDS were combined, 5-yr cumulative FWM NO concentrations and loss in tile drainage were decreased by 47% (from 9.45 to 4.99 mg N L and from 102 to 53.6 kg N ha) relative to NCC+UTD. The reductions in runoff and concomitant increases in tile drainage under CC occurred primarily because of increases in near-surface soil hydraulic conductivity. Cover crops increased corn grain yields by 4 to 7% in 2004 increased 3-yr average soybean yields by 8 to 15%, whereas CDS did not affect corn or soybean yields over the 6 yr. The combined use of a cover crop and water-table management system was highly effective for reducing NO loss from cool, humid agricultural soils. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Optimum water depth ranges of dominant submersed macrophytes in a natural freshwater lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Bibi; Chu, Zhaosheng; Wu, Aiping; Hou, Zeying; Wang, Shengrui

2018-01-01

Macrophytes show a zonal distribution along the lake littoral zone because of their specific preferred water depths while the optimum growth water depths of dominant submersed macrophytes in natural lakes are not well known. We studied the seasonal biomass and frequency patterns of dominant and companion submersed macrophytes along the water depth gradient in Lake Erhai in 2013. The results showed that the species richness and community biomass showed hump-back shaped patterns along the water depth gradient both in polydominant and monodominant communities. Biomass percentage of Potamogenton maackianus showed a hump-back pattern while biomass percentages of Ceratophyllum demersum and Vallisneria natans appeared U-shaped patterns across the water depth gradient in polydominant communities whereas biomass percentage of V. natans increased with the water depth in monodominant communities. Dominant species demonstrated a broader distribution range of water depth than companion species. Frequency and biomass of companion species declined drastically with the water depth whereas those of dominant species showed non-linear patterns across the water depth gradient. Namely, along the water depth gradient, biomass of P. maackianus and V. natans showed hump-back patterns and biomasses of C. demersum displayed a U-shaped pattern in the polydominant communities but biomass of V. natans demonstrated a hump-back pattern in the monodominant communities; frequency of P. maackianus showed a hump-back pattern and C. demersum and V. natans maintained high frequencies in the two types of communities. We can speculate that in Lake Erhai the optimum growth water depths of P. maackianus and C. demersum in the polydominant communities are 2.5-4.5 m and 1-2 m or 5-6 m, respectively and that of V. natans is 3-5 m in the polydominant communities and 2.5-5 m in the monodominant communities. This is the first report that the optimum water depth ranges in the horizontal direction of three

Innovative methods to reduce salt water intrusion in harbours

Science.gov (United States)

Groenenboom, J.; Uittenbogaard, R.; Hulsen, L.; van der Kaaij, T.; Kielen, N.

2017-12-01

The availability of fresh water in densely populated estuarine environments will in the future more often be threatened due to both human (e.g. channel deepening) and natural (sea-level rise, storm surges, extremely low river discharges) causes. Here, the salt water intrusion into the New Waterway, the main navigation channel of the port of Rotterdam, is used as a case study to elaborate on two innovative ways to mitigate the effects of salt water intrusion. The first method is based on the concept that vertical mixing of a salt wedge reduces its intrusion length. The idea is to equip a vessel with cranes that hold perforated tubes close to the bed alongside the vessel. By connecting compressors to the perforated tubes, a bubble screen with an adjustable vertical location can be created. Since the horizontal location of the bubble screens is not fixed, the vessel can sail in the vicinity of the moving salt wedge therewith increasing the effectiveness of the method. Another advantage of this intervention is that it can be deployed temporarily when the urgency for the prevention of salt water intrusion is high. The second method originates from the Port of Rotterdam Authority and is inspired by a small bypass that is present between two parallel channels (New Waterway and Caland Canal) connecting the North Sea to the Port of Rotterdam. Due to the different hydrodynamic characteristics of the hinterland of both channels, a difference in salinity and water level is present between both ends of the bypass. As a result, a lateral inflow of water into the New Waterway occurs at the same moment that the flood velocities transport saline water landwards. The lateral inflow of water into this channel has no momentum in the landward direction and therefore decreases the landward flow velocity and therewith the salt water intrusion. In addition, the inflow drives a vertical circulation that mixes the water column close to the bypass. Similar to the bubble screens mentioned

Effect of electrolyzed reduced water on malondialdehyde levels and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and neutrophil cells in Wistar rats suffering from aggressive periodontitis. Methods: Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were infected with A. actinomycetemcomitans before being divided into a control group and a treatment ...

Can Temperate-Water Immersion Effectively Reduce Rectal Temperature in Exertional Heat Stroke? A Critically Appraised Topic.

Science.gov (United States)

Truxton, Tyler T; Miller, Kevin C

2017-09-01

Clinical Scenario: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a medical emergency which, if left untreated, can result in death. The standard of care for EHS patients includes confirmation of hyperthermia via rectal temperature (T rec ) and then immediate cold-water immersion (CWI). While CWI is the fastest way to reduce T rec , it may be difficult to lower and maintain water bath temperature in the recommended ranges (1.7°C-15°C [35°F-59°F]) because of limited access to ice and/or the bath being exposed to high ambient temperatures for long periods of time. Determining if T rec cooling rates are acceptable (ie, >0.08°C/min) when significantly hyperthermic humans are immersed in temperate water (ie, ≥20°C [68°F]) has applications for how EHS patients are treated in the field. Are T rec cooling rates acceptable (≥0.08°C/min) when significantly hyperthermic humans are immersed in temperate water? T rec cooling rates of hyperthermic humans immersed in temperate water (≥20°C [68°F]) ranged from 0.06°C/min to 0.19°C/min. The average T rec cooling rate for all examined studies was 0.11±0.06°C/min. Clinical Bottom Line: Temperature water immersion (TWI) provides acceptable (ie, >0.08°C/min) T rec cooling rates for hyperthermic humans post-exercise. However, CWI cooling rates are higher and should be used if feasible (eg, access to ice, shaded treatment areas). Strength of Recommendation: The majority of evidence (eg, Level 2 studies with PEDro scores ≥5) suggests TWI provides acceptable, though not ideal, T rec cooling. If possible, CWI should be used instead of TWI in EHS scenarios.

Swarming of Creseis acicula Rang (Pteropoda) in the coastal waters of Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.

Swarms of Creseis acicula Rang (Pteropoda) were observed in the coastal waters of Goa regularly in October, from 1976 to 1980. The highest biomass value obtained for this species was 494 ml/100 m@u3@@, forming 96% of zooplankton population...

Narrow pH Range of Surface Water Bodies Receiving Pesticide Input in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Bundschuh, Mirco; Weyers, Arnd; Ebeling, Markus; Elsaesser, David; Schulz, Ralf

2016-01-01

Fate and toxicity of the active ingredients (AI's) of plant protection products in surface waters is often influenced by pH. Although a general range of pH values is reported in literature, an evaluation targeting aquatic ecosystems with documented AI inputs is lacking at the larger scale. Results show 95% of European surface waters (n = 3075) with a documented history of AI exposure fall within a rather narrow pH range, between 7.0 and 8.5. Spatial and temporal variability in the data may at least be partly explained by the calcareous characteristics of parental rock material, the affiliation of the sampling site to a freshwater ecoregion, and the photosynthetic activity of macrophytes (i.e., higher pH values with photosynthesis). Nonetheless, the documented pH range fits well with the standard pH of most ecotoxicological test guidelines, confirming the fate and ecotoxicity of AIs are usually adequately addressed.

Using microbial desalination cells to reduce water salinity prior to reverse osmosis

KAUST Repository

Mehanna, Maha

2010-01-01

A microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a new method to reduce the salinity of one solution while generating electrical power from organic matter and bacteria in another (anode) solution. Substantial reductions in the salinity can require much larger volumes of the anode solution than the saline water, but any reduction of salinity will benefit the energy efficiency of a downstream reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system. We investigated here the use of an MDC as an RO pre-treatment method using a new type of air-cathode MDC containing three equally sized chambers. A single cycle of operation using a 1 g L -1 acetate solution reduced the conductivity of salt water (5 g L-1 NaCl) by 43 ± 6%, and produced a maximum power density of 480 mW m-2 with a coulombic efficiency of 68 ± 11%. A higher concentration of acetate (2 g L-1) reduced solution conductivity by 60 ± 7%, and a higher salt concentration (20 g L-1 NaCl) reduced solution conductivity by 50 ± 7%. The use of membranes with increased ion exchange capacities further decreased the solution conductivity by 63 ± 2% (20 g L-1 NaCl). These results demonstrate substantial (43-67%) desalination of water is possible using equal volumes of anode solution and salt water. These results show that MDC treatment could be used to substantially reduce salt concentrations and thus energy demands for downstream RO processing, while at the same time producing electrical power. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Relative Sea Level, Tidal Range, and Extreme Water Levels in Boston Harbor from 1825 to 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Talke, S. A.; Kemp, A.; Woodruff, J. D.

2017-12-01

Long time series of water-level measurements made by tide gauges provide a rich and valuable observational history of relative sea-level change, the frequency and height of extreme water levels and evolving tidal regimes. However, relatively few locations have available tide-gauge records longer than 100 years and most of these places are in northern Europe. This spatio-temporal distribution hinders efforts to understand global-, regional- and local-scale trends. Using newly-discovered archival measurements, we constructed a 200 year, instrumental record of water levels, tides, and storm surges in Boston Harbor. We detail the recovery, datum reconstruction, digitization, quality assurance, and analysis of this extended observational record. Local, decadally-averaged relative sea-level rose by 0.28 ± 0.05 m since the 1820s, with an acceleration of 0.023 ±0.009 mm/yr2. Approximately 0.13 ± 0.02 m of the observed RSL rise occurred due to ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment, and the remainder occurred due to changes in ocean mass and volume associated with the onset of modern mean sea-level rise. Change-point analysis of the new relative sea level record confirms that anthropogenic rise began in 1924-1932, which is in agreement with global mean sea level estimates from the global tide gauge network. Tide range decreased by 5.5% between 1830 and 1910, likely due in large part to anthropogenic development. Storm tides in Boston Harbor are produced primarily by extratropical storms during the November-April time frame. The three largest storm tides occurred in 1851, 1909, and 1978. Because 90% of the top 20 storm tides since 1825 occurred during a spring tide, the secular change in tide range contributes to a slight reduction in storm tide magnitudes. However, non-stationarity in storm hazard was historically driven primarily by local relative sea-level rise; a modest 0.2 m increase in relative sea level reduces the 100 year high water mark to a once-in-10 year event.

MO-FG-CAMPUS-JeP1-03: Luminescence Imaging of Water During Proton Beam Irradiation for Range Estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, S; Komori, M; Toshito, T; Watabe, H

2016-01-01

Purpose: Since proton therapy has the ability to selectively deliver a dose to a target tumor, the dose distribution should be accurately measured. A precise and efficient method to evaluate the dose distribution is desired. We found that luminescence was emitted from water during proton irradiation and thought this phenomenon could be used for estimating the dose distribution. Methods: For this purpose, we placed water phantoms set on a table with a spot-scanning proton-therapy system, and luminescence images of these phantoms were measured with a high-sensitivity cooled charge coupled device (CCD) camera during proton-beam irradiation. We also conducted the imaging of phantoms of pure-water, fluorescein solution and acrylic block. We made three dimensional images from the projection data. Results: The luminescence images of water phantoms during the proton-beam irradiations showed clear Bragg peaks, and the measured proton ranges from the images were almost the same as those obtained with an ionization chamber. The image of the pure-water phantom also showed almost the same distribution as the tap-water phantom, indicating that the luminescence image was not related to impurities in the water. The luminescence image of fluorescein solution had ∼3 times higher intensity than water, with the same proton range as that of water. The luminescence image of the acrylic phantom had 14.5% shorter proton range than that of water; the proton range in the acrylic phantom was relatively matched with the calculated value. The luminescence images of the tap-water phantom during proton irradiation could be obtained in less than 2 sec. Three dimensional images were successfully obtained which have more quantitative information. Conclusion: Luminescence imaging during proton-beam irradiation has the potential to be a new method for range estimations in proton therapy.

MO-FG-CAMPUS-JeP1-03: Luminescence Imaging of Water During Proton Beam Irradiation for Range Estimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, S; Komori, M [Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Toshito, T [Nagoya Proton Therapy Center, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Watabe, H [Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi (Japan)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Since proton therapy has the ability to selectively deliver a dose to a target tumor, the dose distribution should be accurately measured. A precise and efficient method to evaluate the dose distribution is desired. We found that luminescence was emitted from water during proton irradiation and thought this phenomenon could be used for estimating the dose distribution. Methods: For this purpose, we placed water phantoms set on a table with a spot-scanning proton-therapy system, and luminescence images of these phantoms were measured with a high-sensitivity cooled charge coupled device (CCD) camera during proton-beam irradiation. We also conducted the imaging of phantoms of pure-water, fluorescein solution and acrylic block. We made three dimensional images from the projection data. Results: The luminescence images of water phantoms during the proton-beam irradiations showed clear Bragg peaks, and the measured proton ranges from the images were almost the same as those obtained with an ionization chamber. The image of the pure-water phantom also showed almost the same distribution as the tap-water phantom, indicating that the luminescence image was not related to impurities in the water. The luminescence image of fluorescein solution had ∼3 times higher intensity than water, with the same proton range as that of water. The luminescence image of the acrylic phantom had 14.5% shorter proton range than that of water; the proton range in the acrylic phantom was relatively matched with the calculated value. The luminescence images of the tap-water phantom during proton irradiation could be obtained in less than 2 sec. Three dimensional images were successfully obtained which have more quantitative information. Conclusion: Luminescence imaging during proton-beam irradiation has the potential to be a new method for range estimations in proton therapy.

Reducing water freshwater consumption at coal-fired power plants : approaches used outside the United States.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elcock, D. (Environmental Science Division)

2011-05-09

Coal-fired power plants consume huge quantities of water, and in some water-stressed areas, power plants compete with other users for limited supplies. Extensive use of coal to generate electricity is projected to continue for many years. Faced with increasing power demands and questionable future supplies, industries and governments are seeking ways to reduce freshwater consumption at coal-fired power plants. As the United States investigates various freshwater savings approaches (e.g., the use of alternative water sources), other countries are also researching and implementing approaches to address similar - and in many cases, more challenging - water supply and demand issues. Information about these non-U.S. approaches can be used to help direct near- and mid-term water-consumption research and development (R&D) activities in the United States. This report summarizes the research, development, and deployment (RD&D) status of several approaches used for reducing freshwater consumption by coal-fired power plants in other countries, many of which could be applied, or applied more aggressively, at coal-fired power plants in the United States. Information contained in this report is derived from literature and Internet searches, in some cases supplemented by communication with the researchers, authors, or equipment providers. Because there are few technical, peer-reviewed articles on this topic, much of the information in this report comes from the trade press and other non-peer-reviewed references. Reducing freshwater consumption at coal-fired power plants can occur directly or indirectly. Direct approaches are aimed specifically at reducing water consumption, and they include dry cooling, dry bottom ash handling, low-water-consuming emissions-control technologies, water metering and monitoring, reclaiming water from in-plant operations (e.g., recovery of cooling tower water for boiler makeup water, reclaiming water from flue gas desulfurization [FGD] systems), and

Least limiting water range in assessing compaction in a Brazilian Cerrado latosol growing sugarcane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wainer Gomes Gonçalves

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the south-central region of Brazil, there is a trend toward reducing the sugarcane inter-harvest period and increasing traffic of heavy harvesting machinery on soil with high water content, which may intensify the compaction process. In this study, we assessed the structural changes of a distroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol by monitoring soil water content as a function of the Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR and quantified its effects on the crop yield and industrial quality of the first ratoon crop of sugarcane cultivars with different maturation cycles. Three cultivars (RB 83-5054, RB 84-5210 and RB 86-7515 were subjected to four levels of soil compaction brought about by a differing number of passes of a farm tractor (T0 = soil not trafficked, T2 = 2 passes, T10 = 10 passes, and T20 = 20 passes of the tractor in the same place in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement with three replications. The deleterious effects on the soil structure from the farm machinery traffic were limited to the surface layer (0-10 cm of the inter-row area of the ratoon crop. The LLWR dropped to nearly zero after 20 tractor passes between the cane rows. We detected differences among the cultivars studied; cultivar RB 86-7515 stood out for its industrial processing quality, regardless of the level of soil compaction. Monitoring of soil moisture in the crop showed exposure to water stress conditions, although soil compaction did not affect the production variables of the sugarcane cultivars. We thus conclude that the absence of traffic on the plant row maintained suitable soil conditions for plant development and may have offset the harmful effects of soil compaction shown by the high values for bulk density between the rows of the sugarcane cultivars.

Solubility of hydrogen in water in a broad temperature and pressure range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranenko, V.I.; Kirov, V.S.

1989-01-01

In the coolant of water-water reactors, as a result of radiolytic decomposition of water and chemical additives (hydrazine and ammonia) and saturation of the make-up water of the first loop with free hydrogen in order to suppress radiolysis, 30-60 ml/kg of hydrogen is present in normal conditions. On being released from the water, it is free to accumulate in micropores of the metals, resulting in hydrogen embrittlement; gas accumulates in stagnant zones, with deterioration in heat transfer in the first loop and corresponding difficulty in the use of the reactor and the whole reactor loop. To determine the amount of free hydrogen and hydrogen dissolved in water in different elements of the first loop, it is necessary to know the limiting solubility of hydrogen in water at different temperatures and pressures, and also to have the corresponding theoretical dependences. The experimental data on the solubility of hydrogen in water are nonsystematic and do not cover the parameter ranges of modern nuclear power plants (P = 10-30 MPa, T = 260-370C). Therefore, the aim of the present work is to establish a well-founded method of calculating the limiting solubility of hydrogen in water and, on this basis, to compile tables of the limiting solubility of hydrogen in water at pressures 0.1-50 MPa and temperatures 0-370C

An off-on Fluorescent Sensor for Detecting a Wide Range of Water Content in Organic Solvents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kanghyeon; Lee, Wanjin; Kim, Jae Nyoung; Kim, Hyung Jin [Chonnam National Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2013-08-15

This paper describes the synthesis and water sensing properties of a fluorescent photoinduced electron transfer (PET) sensor (5) with an extended operating sensing range. The 1,8-naphthalimide derivative (5) attached with a piperazine group and a carboxylic group was synthesized and applied as a fluorescent water sensor in water-miscible organic solvents. The fluorescence intensity of the dye 5 increased with increasing water content up to 80% (v/v) and the fluorescence intensities were enhanced 45-, 67- and 122-fold in aqueous EtOH, DMF and DMSO solutions, respectively. In aqueous acetone solution, the enhancement of the fluorescence intensities was somewhat lower (30-fold) but the response range was wider (0-90%, v/v)

Can Mobile-Enabled Payment Methods Reduce Petty Corruption in Urban Water Provision?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron Krolikowski

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Corruption in the urban water sector constrains economic growth and human development in low-income countries. This paper empirically evaluates the ability of novel mobile-enabled payment methods to reduce information asymmetries and mitigate petty corruption in the urban water sector’s billing and payment processes. Overcoming these barriers may promote improved governance and water service delivery. The case of Dar es Salaam is used to explore the role of mobile-enabled payment instruments through the use of a stratified random sample of 1097 water utility customers and 42 interviews with representatives from the water sector, the telecommunications industry, civil society, and banking institutions. Results show that mobile-enabled payment methods can reduce information asymmetries and the incidence of petty corruption to promote improved financial management by making payment data more transparent and limiting the availability of economic rents in the billing and payment process. Implications for African urban water services include wider availability and more effective use of human and financial resources. These can be used to enhance water service delivery and citizen participation in the production of urban water supplies. The use of mobile-enabled payment methods in the urban water sector represents an application of mobile communication technologies in a low-income country with proven potential for scalability that simultaneously supports the achievement of development objectives.

Water neutral: reducing and ofsetting water footprints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoekstra, Arjen Ysbert

2008-01-01

During the past few years the concept of the ‘water footprint’ has started to receive recognition within governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses and media as a useful indicator of water use. The increased interest in the water-footprint concept has prompted the question about what

Developing Automatic Water Table Control System for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Paddy Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Arif, C.; Fauzan, M. I.; Satyanto, K. S.; Budi, I. S.; Masaru, M.

2018-05-01

Water table in rice fields play important role to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from paddy fields. Continuous flooding by maintenance water table 2-5 cm above soil surface is not effective and release more GHG emissions. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) as alternative rice farming apply intermittent irrigation by maintaining lower water table is proven can reduce GHG emissions reducing productivity significantly. The objectives of this study were to develop automatic water table control system for SRI application and then evaluate the performances. The control system was developed based on fuzzy logic algorithms using the mini PC of Raspberry Pi. Based on laboratory and field tests, the developed system was working well as indicated by lower MAPE (mean absolute percentage error) values. MAPE values for simulation and field tests were 16.88% and 15.80%, respectively. This system can save irrigation water up to 42.54% without reducing productivity significantly when compared to manual irrigation systems.

Reduced mandibular range of motion in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: predictive factors.

Science.gov (United States)

van Bruggen, H W; Van Den Engel-Hoek, L; Steenks, M H; Bronkhorst, E M; Creugers, N H J; de Groot, I J M; Kalaykova, S I

2015-06-01

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) experience negative effects upon feeding and oral health. We aimed to determine whether the mandibular range of motion in DMD is impaired and to explore predictive factors for the active maximum mouth opening (aMMO). 23 patients with DMD (mean age 16.7 ± 7.7 years) and 23 controls were assessed using a questionnaire about mandibular function and impairments. All participants underwent a clinical examination of the masticatory system, including measurement of mandibular range of motion and variables related to mandibular movements. In all patients, quantitative ultrasound of the digastric muscle and the geniohyoid muscle and the motor function measure (MFM) scale were performed. The patients were divided into early and late ambulatory stage (AS), early non-ambulatory stage (ENAS) and late non-ambulatory stage (LNAS). All mandibular movements were reduced in the patient group (P < 0.001) compared to the controls. Reduction in the aMMO (<40 mm) was found in 26% of the total patient group. LNAS patients had significantly smaller mandibular movements compared to AS and ENAS (P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis for aMMO revealed a positive correlation with the body height and disease progression, with MFM total score as the strongest independent risk factor (R(2) = 0.71). Mandibular movements in DMD are significantly reduced and become more hampered with loss of motor function, including the sitting position, arm function, and neck and head control. We suggest that measurement of the aMMO becomes a part of routine care of patients with DMD. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Acoustic time-of-flight for proton range verification in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, Kevin C.; Avery, Stephen, E-mail: Stephen.Avery@uphs.upenn.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Vander Stappen, François [Ion Beam Applications SA, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348 (Belgium); Sehgal, Chandra M. [Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

2016-09-15

Purpose: Measurement of the arrival times of thermoacoustic waves induced by pulsed proton dose depositions (protoacoustics) may provide a proton range verification method. The goal of this study is to characterize the required dose and protoacoustic proton range (distance) verification accuracy in a homogeneous water medium at a hospital-based clinical cyclotron. Methods: Gaussian-like proton pulses with 17 μs widths and instantaneous currents of 480 nA (5.6 × 10{sup 7} protons/pulse, 3.4 cGy/pulse at the Bragg peak) were generated by modulating the cyclotron proton source with a function generator. After energy degradation, the 190 MeV proton pulses irradiated a water phantom, and the generated protoacoustic emissions were measured by a hydrophone. The detector position and proton pulse characteristics were varied. The experimental results were compared to simulations. Different arrival time metrics derived from acoustic waveforms were compared, and the accuracy of protoacoustic time-of-flight distance calculations was assessed. Results: A 27 mPa noise level was observed in the treatment room during irradiation. At 5 cm from the proton beam, an average maximum pressure of 5.2 mPa/1 × 10{sup 7} protons (6.1 mGy at the Bragg peak) was measured after irradiation with a proton pulse with 10%–90% rise time of 11 μs. Simulation and experiment arrival times agreed well, and the observed 2.4 μs delay between simulation and experiment is attributed to the difference between the hydrophone’s acoustic and geometric centers. Based on protoacoustic arrival times, the beam axis position was measured to within (x, y) = (−2.0,  0.5) ± 1 mm. After deconvolution of the exciting proton pulse, the protoacoustic compression peak provided the most consistent measure of the distance to the Bragg peak, with an error distribution with mean = − 4.5 mm and standard deviation = 2.0 mm. Conclusions: Based on water tank measurements at a clinical hospital-based cyclotron

Removal efficiency of radioactive cesium and iodine ions by a flow-type apparatus designed for electrochemically reduced water production.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takeki Hamasaki

Full Text Available The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 11, 2011 attracted people's attention, with anxiety over possible radiation hazards. Immediate and long-term concerns are around protection from external and internal exposure by the liberated radionuclides. In particular, residents living in the affected regions are most concerned about ingesting contaminated foodstuffs, including drinking water. Efficient removal of radionuclides from rainwater and drinking water has been reported using several pot-type filtration devices. A currently used flow-type test apparatus is expected to simultaneously provide radionuclide elimination prior to ingestion and protection from internal exposure by accidental ingestion of radionuclides through the use of a micro-carbon carboxymethyl cartridge unit and an electrochemically reduced water production unit, respectively. However, the removability of radionuclides from contaminated tap water has not been tested to date. Thus, the current research was undertaken to assess the capability of the apparatus to remove radionuclides from artificially contaminated tap water. The results presented here demonstrate that the apparatus can reduce radioactivity levels to below the detection limit in applied tap water containing either 300 Bq/kg of 137Cs or 150 Bq/kg of 125I. The apparatus had a removal efficiency of over 90% for all concentration ranges of radio-cesium and -iodine tested. The results showing efficient radionuclide removability, together with previous studies on molecular hydrogen and platinum nanoparticles as reactive oxygen species scavengers, strongly suggest that the test apparatus has the potential to offer maximum safety against radionuclide-contaminated foodstuffs, including drinking water.

Reducing water losses via intelligent pressure management; Reduzierung von Wasserverlusten durch intelligentes Druckmanagement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oppinger, Peter [VAG-Armaturen GmbH, Mannheim (Germany). Marketing

2008-03-15

Leaks in water pipes and leaking municipal water-transmission and piping systems, particularly in developing and threshold countries account for water-losses of up to 50% of the water supplied by the waterworks. This article examines three different solutions for effective pressure management on the basis of an intelligent control system, by means of which water-losses can be reduced to a stable and economically rational level. (orig.)

Digitization and simulation realization of full range control system for steam generator water level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Hong; Ye Jianhua; Qian Fei; Li Chao

2010-01-01

In this paper, a full range digital control system for the steam generator water level is designed by a control scheme of single element control and three-element cascade feed-forward control, and the method to use the software module configuration is proposed to realize the water level control strategy. This control strategy is then applied in the operation of the nuclear power simulation machine. The simulation result curves indicate that the steam generator water level maintains constant at the stable operation condition, and when the load changes, the water level changes but finally maintains the constant. (authors)

Estabilishing requirements for the next generation of pressurized water reactors--reducing the uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernock, W.P.; Corcoran, W.R.; Rasin, W.H.; Stahlkopf, K.E.

1987-01-01

The Electric Power Research Institute is managing a major effort to establish requirements for the next generation of U.S. light water reactors. This effort is the vital first step in preserving the viability of the nuclear option to contribute to meet U.S. national electric power capacity needs in the next century. Combustion Engineering, Inc. and Duke Power Company formed a team to participate in the EPRI program which is guided by a Utility Steering committee consisting of experienced utility technical executives. A major thrust of the program is to reduce the uncertainties which would be faced by the utility executives in choosing the nuclear option. The uncertainties to be reduced include those related to safety, economic, operational, and regulatory aspects of advanced light water reactors. This paper overviews the Requirements Document program as it relates to the U.S. Advanced Light Water Reactor (ALWR) effort in reducing these uncertainties and reports the status of efforts to establish requirements for the next generation of pressurized water reactors. It concentrates on progress made in reducing the uncertainties which would deter selection of the nuclear option for contributing to U.S. national electric power capacity needs in the next century and updates previous reports in the same area. (author)

Water cycle and its management for plant habitats at reduced pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Rygalov, Vadim Y.; Fowler, Philip A.; Wheeler, Raymond M.; Bucklin, Ray A.

2004-01-01

Experimental and mathematical models were developed for describing and testing temperature and humidity parameters for plant production in bioregenerative life support systems. A factor was included for analyzing systems operating at low (10-101.3 kPa) pressure to reduce gas leakage and structural mass (e.g., inflatable greenhouses for space application). The expected close relationship between temperature and relative humidity was observed, along with the importance of heat exchanger coil temperature and air circulation rate. The presence of plants in closed habitats results in increased water flux through the system. Changes in pressure affect gas diffusion rates and surface boundary layers, and change convective transfer capabilities and water evaporation rates. A consistent observation from studies with plants at reduced pressures is increased evapotranspiration rates, even at constant vapor pressure deficits. This suggests that plant water status is a critical factor for managing low-pressure production systems. The approach suggested should help space mission planners design artificial environments in closed habitats.

One-carbon (bio ?) Geochemistry in Subsurface Waters of the Serpentinizing Coast Range Ophiolite

Science.gov (United States)

Hoehler, Tori M.; Mccollom, Tom; Schrenk, Matt; Cardace, Dawn

2011-01-01

Serpentinization - the aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks - typically imparts a highly reducing and alkaline character to the reacting fluids. In turn, these can influence the speciation and potential for metabolism of one-carbon compounds in the system. We examined the aqueous geochemistry and assessed the biological potential of one-carbon compounds in the subsurface of the McLaughlin Natural Reserve (Coast Range Ophiolite, California, USA). Fluids from wells sunk at depths of 25-90 meters have pH values ranging from 9.7 to 11.5 and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC concentrations) generally below 60 micromolar. Methane is present at concentrations up to 1.3 millimolar (approximately one-atmosphere saturation), and hydrogen concentrations are below 15 nanomolar, suggesting active consumption of H2 and production of CH4. However, methane production from CO2 is thermodynamically unfavorable under these conditions. Additionally, the speciation of DIC predominantly into carbonate at these high pH values creates a problem of carbon availability for any organisms that require CO2 (or bicarbonate) for catabolism or anabolism. A potential alternative is carbon monoxide, which is present in these waters at concentrations 2000-fold higher than equilibrium with atmospheric CO. CO is utilized in a variety of metabolisms, including methanogenesis, and bioavailability is not adversely affected by pH-dependent speciation (as for DIC). Methanogenesis from CO under in situ conditions is thermodynamically favorable and would satisfy biological energy requirements with respect to both Gibbs Energy yield and power.

Research on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamura, Takamichi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Shimada, Shoichiro

1999-11-01

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is a next generation water-cooled reactor which aims at effective utilization of uranium resource, high burn-up and long operation cycle, and plutonium multi-recycle. These characteristics can be achieved by the high conversion ratio from 238 U to 239 Pu resulted from the higher neutron energy spectrum in comparison to conventional light water reactors. Considering the extension of LWR utilization, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) started the research on it in 1997 and then started a collaboration in the conceptual design study with the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPCO) in 1998. In the core design study of the RMWR, negative void reactivity coefficient is required from a viewpoint of safety as well as establishing hard neutron spectrum. In order to achieve the above trade-off characteristics simultaneously, several basic core design ideas should be combined, such as a tight lattice fuel assembly, a flat core, a blanket effect, a streaming effect and so on. Up to now, five core concepts have been created for the RMWR as follows: a high conversion BWR with high void fraction and super-flat core, a long operation cycle BWR using void channels, a high conversion BWR without blankets, a high conversion PWR using heavy water as a coolant, and a PWR for plutonium multi-recycle using seed-blanket type fuel assemblies. The present report summarizes the objectives, domestic and international trends, principles and characteristics, core conceptual designs and future R and D plans of the RMWR. (J.P.N.)

Research on Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwamura, Takamichi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Shimada, Shoichiro [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment] [and others

1999-11-01

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is a next generation water-cooled reactor which aims at effective utilization of uranium resource, high burn-up and long operation cycle, and plutonium multi-recycle. These characteristics can be achieved by the high conversion ratio from {sup 238}U to {sup 239}Pu resulted from the higher neutron energy spectrum in comparison to conventional light water reactors. Considering the extension of LWR utilization, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) started the research on it in 1997 and then started a collaboration in the conceptual design study with the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPCO) in 1998. In the core design study of the RMWR, negative void reactivity coefficient is required from a viewpoint of safety as well as establishing hard neutron spectrum. In order to achieve the above trade-off characteristics simultaneously, several basic core design ideas should be combined, such as a tight lattice fuel assembly, a flat core, a blanket effect, a streaming effect and so on. Up to now, five core concepts have been created for the RMWR as follows: a high conversion BWR with high void fraction and super-flat core, a long operation cycle BWR using void channels, a high conversion BWR without blankets, a high conversion PWR using heavy water as a coolant, and a PWR for plutonium multi-recycle using seed-blanket type fuel assemblies. The present report summarizes the objectives, domestic and international trends, principles and characteristics, core conceptual designs and future R and D plans of the RMWR. (J.P.N.)

TH-C-BRD-05: Reducing Proton Beam Range Uncertainty with Patient-Specific CT HU to RSP Calibrations Based On Single-Detector Proton Radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doolan, P [University College London, London (United Kingdom); Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Sharp, G; Testa, M; Lu, H-M [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Bentefour, E [Ion Beam Applications (IBA), Louvain la Neuve (Belgium); Royle, G [University College London, London (United Kingdom)

2014-06-15

Purpose: Beam range uncertainty in proton treatment comes primarily from converting the patient's X-ray CT (xCT) dataset to relative stopping power (RSP). Current practices use a single curve for this conversion, produced by a stoichiometric calibration based on tissue composition data for average, healthy, adult humans, but not for the individual in question. Proton radiographs produce water-equivalent path length (WEPL) maps, dependent on the RSP of tissues within the specific patient. This work investigates the use of such WEPL maps to optimize patient-specific calibration curves for reducing beam range uncertainty. Methods: The optimization procedure works on the principle of minimizing the difference between the known WEPL map, obtained from a proton radiograph, and a digitally-reconstructed WEPL map (DRWM) through an RSP dataset, by altering the calibration curve that is used to convert the xCT into an RSP dataset. DRWMs were produced with Plastimatch, an in-house developed software, and an optimization procedure was implemented in Matlab. Tests were made on a range of systems including simulated datasets with computed WEPL maps and phantoms (anthropomorphic and real biological tissue) with WEPL maps measured by single detector proton radiography. Results: For the simulated datasets, the optimizer showed excellent results. It was able to either completely eradicate or significantly reduce the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) in the WEPL for the homogeneous phantoms (to zero for individual materials or from 1.5% to 0.2% for the simultaneous optimization of multiple materials). For the heterogeneous phantom the RMSE was reduced from 1.9% to 0.3%. Conclusion: An optimization procedure has been designed to produce patient-specific calibration curves. Test results on a range of systems with different complexities and sizes have been promising for accurate beam range control in patients. This project was funded equally by the Engineering and Physical Sciences

Ranges of the fragments from thermal (slow) neutron fission of /sup 235/U in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, H; Chao, Z; Sheng, Z; Wang, L; Feng, X

1980-05-01

According to the principle of thick target, we used the aqueous solutions of uranyl chloride of various concentrations as thick targets and platinum plates of known surface area as absorbers immersed in the target solutions. The ranges of the U(n, f) fission fragments /sup 89/Sr, /sup 91/Y, /sup 140/Ba, /sup 141/Ce and /sup 144/Ce in the aqueous solutions of uranyl chloride of various concentrations were determined. In the concentration region of 0.16 U% - 6.2 U%, the uranium concentration had no significant effect on the measurement of the range. Therefore, the ranges of the fission fragments in diluted UO/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ solutions are very close to those in pure water, and the mean value of the ranges in UO/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ solutions of various concentrations was taken as the range in water. The experimental results of the ranges of these five fission fragments in water were: R/sub Sr-90/ = 2.39 +- 0.04 mgcm/sup -2/, R/sub Y-91/ = 2.35 +- 0.09 mgcm/sup -2/, R/sub Ba-140/ = 1.92 +- 0.07 mgcm/sup -2/, R/sub Ce-141/ = 1.91 +- 0.12 mgcm/sup -2/, R/sub Ce-144/ = 1.84 +- 0.10 mgcm/sup -2/. In order to estimate the effect of back scattering of fission fragments in platinum plate, we did the experiments using stainless steel plate as absorber (the aqueous solutions of uranyl chloride as thick targets). The results were similar. Thus, the effect of back scattering was not significant. This work provides a convenient means for determining the ranges of the fission fragments in a liquid.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Water Entry Supercavity Influenced by Turbulent Drag-Reducing Additives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-Xing Jiang

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The configurational and dynamic characteristics of water entry supercavities influenced by turbulent drag-reducing additives were studied through supercavitating projectile approach, experimentally and numerically. The projectile was projected vertically into water and aqueous solution of CTAC with weight concentrations of 100, 500, and 1000 ppm, respectively, using a pneumatic nail gun. The trajectories of the projectile and the supercavity configuration were recorded by a high-speed CCD camera. Besides, water entry supercavities in water and CTAC solution were numerically simulated based on unsteady RANS scheme, together with application of VOF multiphase model. The Cross viscosity model was adopted to represent the fluid property of CTAC solution. It was obtained that the numerical simulation results are in consistence with experimental data. Numerical and experimental results all show that the length and diameter of supercavity in drag-reducing solution are larger than those in water, and the drag coefficient is smaller than that in water; the maintaining time of supercavity is longer in solution as well. The surface tension plays an important role in maintaining the cavity. Turbulent drag-reducing additives have the potential in enhancement of supercavitation and drag reduction.

Effect of Gum Arabic Karroo as a water-reducing admixture in cement mortar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rose Mbugua

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop Gum Acacia Karroo (GAK as set retarding-water reducing admixture in cement mortars. Retarding admixtures are used to counter effect the accelerated hydration of cement at elevated temperatures by slowing down the retarding process especially during the day when concreting work is done. However most retarding admixtures available in the market are expensive, thereby making them out of reach for small consumers of concrete in Africa are expensive and not readily available. GAK, which contains soluble sugars, was investigated as a set-retarding water reducing-admixture. Setting time was measured in cement pastes with different dosages of GAK and a commercial retarding agent (Tard CE. Compressive strength, bleeding and flow test were investigated on cement mortars with the control being cement mortar without admixture. GAK was found to increase final setting time by 6 h above control. Compressive strength increased when water cement ratio was reduced from 0.5 to 0.4. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed increased dosage of GAK reduced hydration rate.

Morphological plasticity of root growth under mild water stress increases water use efficiency without reducing yield in maize

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Qian; Zhang, Yulong; Sun, Zhanxiang; Zheng, Jiaming; Bai, Wei; Zhang, Yue; Liu, Yang; Feng, Liangshan; Feng, Chen; Zhang, Zhe; Yang, Ning; Evers, Jochem B.; Zhang, Lizhen

2017-08-01

A large yield gap exists in rain-fed maize (Zea mays L.) production in semi-arid regions, mainly caused by frequent droughts halfway through the crop-growing period due to uneven distribution of rainfall. It is questionable whether irrigation systems are economically required in such a region since the total amount of rainfall does generally meet crop requirements. This study aimed to quantitatively determine the effects of water stress from jointing to grain filling on root and shoot growth and the consequences for maize grain yield, above- and below-ground dry matter, water uptake (WU) and water use efficiency (WUE). Pot experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 with a mobile rain shelter to achieve conditions of no, mild or severe water stress. Maize yield was not affected by mild water stress over 2 years, while severe stress reduced yield by 56 %. Both water stress levels decreased root biomass slightly but shoot biomass substantially. Mild water stress decreased root length but increased root diameter, resulting in no effect on root surface area. Due to the morphological plasticity in root growth and the increase in root / shoot ratio, WU under water stress was decreased, and overall WUE for both above-ground dry matter and grain yield increased. Our results demonstrate that an irrigation system might be not economically and ecologically necessary because the frequently occurring mild water stress did not reduce crop yield much. The study helps us to understand crop responses to water stress during a critical water-sensitive period (middle of the crop-growing season) and to mitigate drought risk in dry-land agriculture.

Morphological plasticity of root growth under mild water stress increases water use efficiency without reducing yield in maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Cai

2017-08-01

Full Text Available A large yield gap exists in rain-fed maize (Zea mays L. production in semi-arid regions, mainly caused by frequent droughts halfway through the crop-growing period due to uneven distribution of rainfall. It is questionable whether irrigation systems are economically required in such a region since the total amount of rainfall does generally meet crop requirements. This study aimed to quantitatively determine the effects of water stress from jointing to grain filling on root and shoot growth and the consequences for maize grain yield, above- and below-ground dry matter, water uptake (WU and water use efficiency (WUE. Pot experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 with a mobile rain shelter to achieve conditions of no, mild or severe water stress. Maize yield was not affected by mild water stress over 2 years, while severe stress reduced yield by 56 %. Both water stress levels decreased root biomass slightly but shoot biomass substantially. Mild water stress decreased root length but increased root diameter, resulting in no effect on root surface area. Due to the morphological plasticity in root growth and the increase in root ∕ shoot ratio, WU under water stress was decreased, and overall WUE for both above-ground dry matter and grain yield increased. Our results demonstrate that an irrigation system might be not economically and ecologically necessary because the frequently occurring mild water stress did not reduce crop yield much. The study helps us to understand crop responses to water stress during a critical water-sensitive period (middle of the crop-growing season and to mitigate drought risk in dry-land agriculture.

Predicting aquatic macrophyte occurrence in soft-water oligotrophic lakes (Pyrenees mountain range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Pulido

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Distribution of aquatic macrophytes in lakes is related to geographical, morphological, catchment and water chemistry variables as well as human impacts, which modify the original environment. Here, we aim at building statistical models to establish the ecological niches of 11 aquatic macrophytes (10 different phanerogams and the genus Nitella from oligotrophic soft-water lakes and infer their ecological requirements and environmental constraints at the southernmost limit of their distribution. Macrophyte occurrence and environmental variables were obtained from 86 non-exploited oligotrophic soft-water lakes from the Pyrenees (Southern Europe; 42º50´N, 1º00´E; macrophytes inhabited 55 of these lakes. Optimum ranges and macrophyte occurrence were predicted in relation to 18 geographical, morphological, catchment and water chemistry variables using univariate and multivariate logistic models. Lakes at low altitude, in vegetated catchments and with low water concentration of NO3- and SO4-2, were the most suitable to host macrophytes. In general, individual species of aquatic macrophytes showed clear patterns of segregation along conductivity and pH gradients, although the specific combination of variables selected in the best models explaining their occurrence differed among species.  Based on the species response to pH and conductivity, we found Isoetes lacustris have its optimum in waters with low conductivity and pH (i.e. negative monotonic response. In contrast, Callitriche palustris, Ranunculus aquatilis, Subularia aquatica, Nitella spp., and Myriophyllum alterniflorum showed an optimum at intermediate values (i.e. unimodal response, whereas Potamogeton berchtoldii, Potamogeton alpinus, and Ranunculus trichophyllus as species had their optimum at relatively high water pH and conductivity (i.e. positive monotonic response. This pattern has been observed in other regions for the same species, although with different optima and tolerance

An upper-bound assessment of the benefits of reducing perchlorate in drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutter, Randall

2014-10-01

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue new federal regulations to limit drinking water concentrations of perchlorate, which occurs naturally and results from the combustion of rocket fuel. This article presents an upper-bound estimate of the potential benefits of alternative maximum contaminant levels for perchlorate in drinking water. The results suggest that the economic benefits of reducing perchlorate concentrations in drinking water are likely to be low, i.e., under $2.9 million per year nationally, for several reasons. First, the prevalence of detectable perchlorate in public drinking water systems is low. Second, the population especially sensitive to effects of perchlorate, pregnant women who are moderately iodide deficient, represents a minority of all pregnant women. Third, and perhaps most importantly, reducing exposure to perchlorate in drinking water is a relatively ineffective way of increasing iodide uptake, a crucial step linking perchlorate to health effects of concern. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Bio-corrosion of water pipeline by sulphate-reducing bacteria in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

esiri

2013-11-13

Nov 13, 2013 ... Key words: Sulphate-reducing bacteria, corrosion, water pipeline, biocide. INTRODUCTION ... small amount of organic material required to produce biomass):. )1(. 3. 2 .... Oil, gas and shipping industries are seriously affected.

High protein flexibility and reduced hydration water dynamics are key pressure adaptive strategies in prokaryotes

KAUST Repository

Martinez, N.

2016-09-06

Water and protein dynamics on a nanometer scale were measured by quasi-elastic neutron scattering in the piezophile archaeon Thermococcus barophilus and the closely related pressure-sensitive Thermococcus kodakarensis, at 0.1 and 40 MPa. We show that cells of the pressure sensitive organism exhibit higher intrinsic stability. Both the hydration water dynamics and the fast protein and lipid dynamics are reduced under pressure. In contrast, the proteome of T. barophilus is more pressure sensitive than that of T. kodakarensis. The diffusion coefficient of hydration water is reduced, while the fast protein and lipid dynamics are slightly enhanced with increasing pressure. These findings show that the coupling between hydration water and cellular constituents might not be simply a master-slave relationship. We propose that the high flexibility of the T. barophilus proteome associated with reduced hydration water may be the keys to the molecular adaptation of the cells to high hydrostatic pressure.

High protein flexibility and reduced hydration water dynamics are key pressure adaptive strategies in prokaryotes

KAUST Repository

Martinez, N.; Michoud, Gregoire; Cario, A.; Ollivier, J.; Franzetti, B.; Jebbar, M.; Oger, P.; Peters, J.

2016-01-01

Water and protein dynamics on a nanometer scale were measured by quasi-elastic neutron scattering in the piezophile archaeon Thermococcus barophilus and the closely related pressure-sensitive Thermococcus kodakarensis, at 0.1 and 40 MPa. We show that cells of the pressure sensitive organism exhibit higher intrinsic stability. Both the hydration water dynamics and the fast protein and lipid dynamics are reduced under pressure. In contrast, the proteome of T. barophilus is more pressure sensitive than that of T. kodakarensis. The diffusion coefficient of hydration water is reduced, while the fast protein and lipid dynamics are slightly enhanced with increasing pressure. These findings show that the coupling between hydration water and cellular constituents might not be simply a master-slave relationship. We propose that the high flexibility of the T. barophilus proteome associated with reduced hydration water may be the keys to the molecular adaptation of the cells to high hydrostatic pressure.

Chronic water stress reduces tree growth and the carbon sink of deciduous hardwood forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Brzostek, Edward R; Dragoni, Danilo; Schmid, Hans Peter; Rahman, Abdullah F; Sims, Daniel; Wayson, Craig A; Johnson, Daniel J; Phillips, Richard P

2014-08-01

Predicted decreases in water availability across the temperate forest biome have the potential to offset gains in carbon (C) uptake from phenology trends, rising atmospheric CO2 , and nitrogen deposition. While it is well established that severe droughts reduce the C sink of forests by inducing tree mortality, the impacts of mild but chronic water stress on forest phenology and physiology are largely unknown. We quantified the C consequences of chronic water stress using a 13-year record of tree growth (n = 200 trees), soil moisture, and ecosystem C balance at the Morgan-Monroe State Forest (MMSF) in Indiana, and a regional 11-year record of tree growth (n > 300 000 trees) and water availability for the 20 most dominant deciduous broadleaf tree species across the eastern and midwestern USA. We show that despite ~26 more days of C assimilation by trees at the MMSF, increasing water stress decreased the number of days of wood production by ~42 days over the same period, reducing the annual accrual of C in woody biomass by 41%. Across the deciduous forest region, water stress induced similar declines in tree growth, particularly for water-demanding 'mesophytic' tree species. Given the current replacement of water-stress adapted 'xerophytic' tree species by mesophytic tree species, we estimate that chronic water stress has the potential to decrease the C sink of deciduous forests by up to 17% (0.04 Pg C yr(-1) ) in the coming decades. This reduction in the C sink due to mesophication and chronic water stress is equivalent to an additional 1-3 days of global C emissions from fossil fuel burning each year. Collectively, our results indicate that regional declines in water availability may offset the growth-enhancing effects of other global changes and reduce the extent to which forests ameliorate climate warming. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of water hyacinth on distribution of sulphate-reducing bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of the water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub, on the distribution of populations of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in sediments from various stations on the shores of Lake Victoria around Mwanza Municipality, Tanzania, was studied. Lactate-utilising SRB were observed to be the dominant ...

Cooking rice in excess water reduces both arsenic and enriched vitamins in the cooked grain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Patrick J; Conklin, Sean D; Todorov, Todor I; Kasko, Sasha M

2016-01-01

This paper reports the effects of rinsing rice and cooking it in variable amounts of water on total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, iron, cadmium, manganese, folate, thiamin and niacin in the cooked grain. We prepared multiple rice varietals both rinsed and unrinsed and with varying amounts of cooking water. Rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic (As) content of the cooked grain, but washes enriched iron, folate, thiamin and niacin from polished and parboiled rice. Cooking rice in excess water efficiently reduces the amount of As in the cooked grain. Excess water cooking reduces average inorganic As by 40% from long grain polished, 60% from parboiled and 50% from brown rice. Iron, folate, niacin and thiamin are reduced by 50-70% for enriched polished and parboiled rice, but significantly less so for brown rice, which is not enriched.

Numerical study of water entry supercavitating flow around a vertical circular cylinder influenced by turbulent drag-reducing additives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, C X; Cheng, J P; Li, F C

2015-01-01

This paper attempts to introduce a numerical simulation procedure to simulate water-entry problems influenced by turbulent drag-reducing additives in a viscous incompressible medium. Firstly we performed a numerical investigation on water-entry supercavities in water and turbulent drag-reducing solution at the impact velocity of 28.4 m/s to confirm the accuracy of the numerical method. Based on the verification, projectile entering water and turbulent drag-reducing solution at relatively high velocity of 142.7 m/s (phase transition is considered) is simulated. The cross viscosity equation was adopted to represent the shear-thinning characteristic of aqueous solution of drag-reducing additives. The configuration and dynamic characteristics of water entry supercavity, flow resistance were discussed respectively. It was obtained that the numerical simulation results are in consistence with experimental data. Numerical results show that the supercavity length in drag-reducing solution is larger than one in water and the velocity attenuates faster at high velocity than at low velocity; the influence of drag-reducing solution is more obvious at high impact velocity. Turbulent drag-reducing additives have the great potential for enhancement of supercavity

Water quality audits can improve availability and reduce costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvorin, R.S.; Schlesinger, H.A.

1984-01-01

The Water Quality Audit (WQA) is an independent, detailed review and thorough analysis of an operating plant's water technology control systems and operator education (as distinguished from operator training). The need for such an audit and its role in improving the reliability and availability of both nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants is discussed. Instances of how the failure of either system hardware or operational control has caused injection of seawater, acid, caustic, or ion exchange resin into the condensate-feedwater system and steam generator are revealed. The systems to be audited are described, and the stage-wise nature of the audit explained. The potential savings of an audit are outlined and the timing and range of costs of a WQA are given

Achieving reduced fouling of cooling water exchangers with stainless steel tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iftikhar, A.; Mir, N.

2010-01-01

Good performance of cooling water heat exchangers plays a vital role in the over all energy efficiency of a chemical plant. Heavy fouling on carbon steel tubes of the cooling water exchangers was causing poor performance and frequent cleaning requirement. The carbon steel tubes were replaced with stainless steel tubes. Improved performance was achieved and cleaning frequency reduced. The paper covers the details of study and methodology applied for the above changes along with summary of results. (author)

Advanced technology heavy water monitors offering reduced implementation costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalechstein, W.; Hippola, K.B.

1984-10-01

The development of second generation heavy water monitors for use at CANDU power stations and heavy water plants has been completed and the instruments brought to the stage of commercial availability. Applications of advanced technology and reduced utilization of custom manufactured components have together resulted in instruments that are less expensive to produce than the original monitors and do not require costly station services. The design has been tested on two prototypes and fully documented, including the inspection and test procedures required for manufacture to the CSA Z299.3 quality verfication program standard. Production of the new monitors by a commercial vendor (Barringer Research Ltd.) has begun and the first instrument is scheduled for delivery to CRNL's NRU reactor in late 1984

Today's virtual water consumption and trade under future water scarcity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlowsky, B; Gudmundsson, L; Seneviratne, Sonia I; Hoekstra, A Y

2014-01-01

The populations of most nations consume products of both domestic and foreign origin, importing together with the products the water which is expended abroad for their production (termed ‘virtual water’). Therefore, any investigation of the sustainability of present-day water consumption under future climate change needs to consider the effects of potentially reduced water availability both on domestic water resources and on the trades of virtual water. Here we use combinations of Global Climate and Global Impact Models from the ISI–MIP ensemble to derive patterns of future water availability under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations scenarios. We assess the effects of reduced water availability in these scenarios on national water consumptions and virtual water trades through a simple accounting scheme based on the water footprint concept. We thereby identify countries where the water footprint within the country area is reduced due to a reduced within-area water availability, most prominently in the Mediterranean and some African countries. National water consumption in countries such as Russia, which are non-water scarce by themselves, can be affected through reduced imports from water scarce countries. We find overall stronger effects of the higher GHG concentrations scenario, although the model range of climate projections for single GHG concentrations scenarios is in itself larger than the differences induced by the GHG concentrations scenarios. Our results highlight that, for both investigated GHG concentration scenarios, the current water consumption and virtual water trades cannot be sustained into the future due to the projected patterns of reduced water availability. (letter)

Increased water intake to reduce headache: learning from a critical appraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Amy; Burls, Amanda

2015-12-01

Water intake is a cost effective, non-invasive and low-risk intervention to reduce or prevent headache pain. Chronic mild dehydration may trigger headache. Increased water intake could help. A small trial shows modest benefit; however, a larger methodologically sound randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm efficacy. Spigt, M., Weerkamp, N., Troost, J., van Schayck, C. P., & Knottnerus, J. A. (2012). 'A randomized trial on the effects of regular water intake in patients with recurrent headaches.' Family practice, 29(4), 370-5. Doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmr112 CLINICAL SCENARIO: Patients from primary care registered as 'headache', 'tension headache' and/or 'migraine' for more than one year who suffer at least two episodes of moderately intense headache or more than four mildly intense episodes of headache per month with a daily fluid intake of less than 2.5 litres per day. Patient/Problem = Headache > 1 year with 2 moderately intense or 4 mildly intense episodes per month Intervention = 1.5 litres water per day + stress control and sleep hygiene Comparison/Control = stress control and sleep hygiene Outcome = Reduce or eliminate headache Methodology = Therapy RCT Table 1: Final Search Terms TRIP Data Base: hits = 517 used filter Extended Primary research 4 found 1 paper applicable 'Water intake '[MeSH Terms] AND 'Headache '[All Fields]' Best match to PICO, (2012) RCT SELECTION CRITERION AND OVERALL RESULTS: 102 headache patients in16 primary care clinics were randomized into control (n = 50) and intervention groups (n = 52) Inclusion criteria = two > episodes of moderately intense headache or five > mildly intense headaches per month and total fluid intake > 2.5 litres per day, Follow-up @ 3 months. 79% intervention and 66% of controls completed RCT. Drinking more water resulted in a statistically significant improvement of 4.5 (confidence interval: 1.3-7.8) points on Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQOL

A critical review of measures to reduce radioactive doses from drinking water and consumption of freshwater foodstuffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.T.; Voitsekhovitch, O.V.; Haakanson, L.; Hilton, J.

2001-01-01

Following a radioactive fallout event, there are a number of possible intervention measures to reduce radioactive doses to the public via the surface water pathway. We have critically reviewed the options available to decision-makers in the event of radioactive contamination of surface waters. We believe that the most effective and viable measures to reduce radioactivity in drinking water are those which operate at the water treatment and distribution stage. Intervention measures to reduce concentrations of radioactivity in rivers and reservoirs are expected to be much less viable and efficient at reducing doses via the drinking water pathway. Bans on consumption of freshwater fish can be effective, but there are few viable measures to reduce radioactivity in fish prior to the preparation stage. Lake liming and biomanipulation have been found to be ineffective for radiocaesium, although the addition of potassium to lakewaters appears promising in some situations. Lake liming may be effective in reducing radiostrontium in fish, though this has not, to our knowledge, been tested. De-boning fish contaminated by strontium is probably the most effective food preparation measure, but salting and freezing can also reduce radiocaesium concentrations in fish. The provision of accurate information to the public is highlighted as a key element of countermeasure implementation

Interspecific variation in physiological and foliar metabolic responses to reduced soil water availability

Science.gov (United States)

Climatic uncertainty, particularly in regard to water resources, may alter irrigation management of rice, an essential cereal grain acknowledged as the primary food source for more than half the world’s population. To reduce water use, an alternate wetting and drying (AWD) system has been developed...

Evaluating the Performance of a Surface Barrier on Reducing Soil-Water Flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z. F.; Strickland, Christopher E.; Field, Jim G.; Parker, Danny L.; Clayton, Ray E.

2012-08-31

One of the most common effective techniques for contaminant remediation in the vadose zone is to use a surface barrier to reduce or eliminate soil-water flow to reduce the contaminant flux to the underlying groundwater. Confirming the reduction of the soil-water flux rate is challenging because of the difficulty of determining the very low soil-water flux beneath the barrier. We propose a hydraulic-conductivity factor, fK, as a conservative indicator for quantifying the reduction of soil-water flow. The factor can be calculated using the measured soil-water content or pressure but does not require the knowledge of the saturated hydraulic conductivity or the hydraulic gradient. The formulas were tested by comparing with changes in hydraulic conductivity, K, from a drainage experiment. The pressure-based formula was further applied to evaluate the performance of the interim surface barrier at T Tank Farm on Hanford Site. Three years after barrier emplacement, the hydraulic conductivity decreased by a factor between 3.8 and 13.0 at the 1-, 2- and 5-m depths. The difference between the conductivity-reduction factor and the flux-rate-reduction factor, fq, was quantified with a numerical simulation. With the calculated fK, the numerically determined fK/fq ratio, and the assumed pre-barrier soil-water flux rate of 100 mm yr-1, the estimated soil-water flux rate 3 years after barrier emplacement was no more than 8.5 mm yr-1 at or above the 5-m depth.

Evaluation of policy measures and methods to reduce diffuse water pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lange, Ute; Doehler, Helmut; Eurich-Menden, Brigitte; Goemann, Horst; Jaeger, Peter; Kreins, Peter; Moeller, Christine; Prigge, Achim; Ristenpart, Erik; Schultheiss, Ute

2006-11-15

After considerable improvements of wastewater treatment, the loads of nutrients and plant protection agents, deriving from agriculture and heavy metals from urban drainages effluents as well as from erosion of agricultural soils are the main sources of nutrients and harmful substances in the loads of water bodies. The targets of the project were on the one hand the analysis of the political and legislative framework of both policy fields and on the other hand the evaluation of several, selected water protection measures with regard to their contribution to reduce water pollution, their economical effects as well as their political enforceability. The focus was laid on diffuse water pollution caused by agriculture. As main reasons for the diffuse water pollution stagnating at high level, the analysis of the political framework identified a lack of implementation discipline of water law, followed by the fragmented and insufficient water protection legislation itself and the previous design of the common agricultural policy slanted towards increasing productivity. For the future co-operation of agricultural and water authorities in implementation of their reforms and better definition of 'Good Farming Practice' are recommended. The second investigation level focuses on the analysis and assessment of selected measures to reduce the input of nutrients and plant protection agents. This part was done with help of calculation models focussing on the specific cost/benefit ratios for water protection. In detail the following measures have been analysed: decoupling of direct payments, coupling of livestock farming to areas, tax on mineral nitrogen, pesticide levy, buffer stripes alongside of watercourses, all season crop cover on arable land, soil cultivation procedures, changing the use of arable land, optimisation of animal nutrition, optimisation of manure storage and application, co-operative agreements, education and training. Co-operations and water protection

Role of lignin in reducing life-cycle carbon emissions, water use, and cost for United States cellulosic biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Scown, Corinne D; Gokhale, Amit A; Willems, Paul A; Horvath, Arpad; McKone, Thomas E

2014-01-01

Cellulosic ethanol can achieve estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions greater than 80% relative to gasoline, largely as a result of the combustion of lignin for process heat and electricity in biorefineries. Most studies assume lignin is combusted onsite, but exporting lignin to be cofired at coal power plants has the potential to substantially reduce biorefinery capital costs. We assess the life-cycle GHG emissions, water use, and capital costs associated with four representative biorefinery test cases. Each case is evaluated in the context of a U.S. national scenario in which corn stover, wheat straw, and Miscanthus are converted to 1.4 EJ (60 billion liters) of ethanol annually. Life-cycle GHG emissions range from 4.7 to 61 g CO2e/MJ of ethanol (compared with ∼ 95 g CO2e/MJ of gasoline), depending on biorefinery configurations and marginal electricity sources. Exporting lignin can achieve GHG emission reductions comparable to onsite combustion in some cases, reduce life-cycle water consumption by up to 40%, and reduce combined heat and power-related capital costs by up to 63%. However, nearly 50% of current U.S. coal-fired power generating capacity is expected to be retired by 2050, which will limit the capacity for lignin cofiring and may double transportation distances between biorefineries and coal power plants.

High rates of energy expenditure and water flux in free-ranging Point Reyes mountain beavers Aplodontia rufa phaea

Science.gov (United States)

Crocker, D.E.; Kofahl, N.; Fellers, G.D.; Gates, N.B.; Houser, D.S.

2007-01-01

We measured water flux and energy expenditure in free-ranging Point Reyes mountain beavers Aplodontia rufa phaea by using the doubly labeled water method. Previous laboratory investigations have suggested weak urinary concentrating ability, high rates of water flux, and low basal metabolic rates in this species. However, free-ranging measurements from hygric mammals are rare, and it is not known how these features interact in the environment. Rates of water flux (210 ?? 32 mL d-1) and field metabolic rates (1,488 ?? 486 kJ d-1) were 159% and 265%, respectively, of values predicted by allometric equations for similar-sized herbivores. Mountain beavers can likely meet their water needs through metabolic water production and preformed water in food and thus remain in water balance without access to free water. Arginine-vasopressin levels were strongly correlated with rates of water flux and plasma urea : creatinine ratios, suggesting an important role for this hormone in regulating urinary water loss in mountain beavers. High field metabolic rates may result from cool burrow temperatures that are well below lower critical temperatures measured in previous laboratory studies and suggest that thermoregulation costs may strongly influence field energetics and water flux in semifossorial mammals. ?? 2007 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Use of Remote Technology in the Surface Water Environmental Monitoring Program at SRS Reducing Measurements in the Field - 13336

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eddy, T.; Terry, B.; Meyer, A.; Hall, J.; Allen, P.; Hughey, D.; Hartley, T.

2013-01-01

There are a wide range of sensor and remote technology applications available for use in environmental monitoring programs. Each application has its own set of limitations and can be challenging when attempting to utilize it under diverse environmental field conditions. The Savannah River Site Environmental Monitoring Program has implemented several remote sensing and surface water flow technologies that have increased the quality of the data while reducing the number of field measurements. Implementation of this technology reduced the field time for personnel that commute across the Savannah River Site (SRS) over a span of 310 square miles. The wireless surface water flow technology allows for immediate notification of changing field conditions or equipment failure thus reducing data-loss or erroneous field data and improving data-quality. This wireless flow technology uses the stage-to-flow methodology coupled with implementation of a robust highly accurate Acoustic Doppler Profiler system for measuring discharge under various field conditions. Savings for implementation of the wireless flow application and Flowlink R technology equates to approximately 1175 hours annually for the radiological liquid effluent and surveillance programs. The SonTek River Suveyor and Flowtracker technologies are utilized for calibration of the wireless flow monitoring devices in the site streams and validation of effluent flows at the SRS. Implementation of similar wireless devices is also planned in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm-water Monitoring Program. SRS personnel have been developing a unique flow actuator device. This device activates an ISCO TM automated sampler under flowing conditions at storm-water outfall locations across the site. This technology is unique in that it was designed to be used under field conditions with rapid changes in flow and sedimentation where traditional actuators have been unsuccessful in tripping the automated

Water temperature impacts water consumption by range cattle in winter

Science.gov (United States)

Water consumption and DMI have been found to be positively correlated, which may interact with ingestion of cold water or grazed frozen forage due to transitory reductions in temperature of ruminal contents. The hypothesis underpinning the study explores the potential that cows provided warm drinkin...

Investigation on resistance to drought and efficiency of water usage in two range species, Dactylis glomerata and Eragrostis curvula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jafari, M.; Saiedian, F.; Heydari, H.; Azarnayvand, H.; Farzaneh, Z.

2000-01-01

Determination of water efficiency and resistance to drought in range plants are important factors that have essential role in selection of range development methods. As there is not any comprehensive study in resistance to drought, present research was done with selection of two range species. Selected species were two kinds of Gramineae, namely Dactylis glomerata and Eragrostis curvula. Some parameters such as used water, length, width and number of leaves, dry mass of leaves were studies. Obtained results showed that length and width of leaves were not under stress in irrigation periods, but number of leaves, dry mass of leaf and stem decreased under drought stress. Amount of decrease in Eragrostis curvula was less than Dactylis glomerata Increment of irrigation periods, increased root growth rather than stem, but root growth in Dactylis glomerata was more than Eragrostis curvula for production of dry matter, Dactylis glomerata species has less water requirement and higher water usage efficiency in terms of amount of water usage. In terms of resistance to drought, Eragrostis curvula has more resistance rather than Dactylis glomerata because of high water potential and lower witt ing point

Spectrophotometric determination of silica in water. Low range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acosta L, E.

1992-07-01

The spectrophotometric method for the determination of the silica element in water, demineralized water, raw waters, laundry waters, waters treated with ion exchange resins and sea waters is described. This method covers the determination of the silica element in the interval from 20 to 1000 μg/l on 50 ml. of base sample. These limits its can be variable if the size of the used aliquot one is changed for the final determination of the silica element. (Author)

Iron Isotope Variations in Reduced Groundwater and in Drinking Water Supplies: A Case Study of Hanoi, Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

Teutsch, N.; Berg, M.; von Gunten, U.; Halliday, A.

2004-12-01

In reduced groundwater iron is involved in biotic and abiotic transformation processes, both of which could lead to iron isotope fractionation. The reduced groundwater aquifers in the area of the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi are the main drinking water sources for the city. These groundwaters contain arsenic, which imposes a serious health threat to millions of people. Dissolved arsenic is related to the reducing conditions prevalent in the groundwater, and iron and arsenic contents are correlated in the sediments. We are employing iron isotope composition as a tool to better understand the processes leading to the transformation of iron in the groundwater and its role in various biogeochemical processes in reduced environments. Drinking water is supplied to the city of Hanoi from several water treatment plants (WTP) which pump the raw groundwater from a lower aquifer, while the rural surroundings pump untreated groundwater from an upper aquifer by private tubewells. Surface water from the Red River delta is the main source of recharge to these two aquifers. Due to high content of particulate natural organic matter (NOM) in the sediment leading to extensive microbial activity, the groundwaters are anoxic and rich in dissolved iron(II). The iron(II) removal in the WTPs is carried by a multi-step treatment including aeration, settling, filtration, and chlorination. We have collected natural groundwater samples for isotopic analysis from two aquifers at several locations, a groundwater depth profile and its corresponding sediment phases from the upper aquifer and the underlying aquitard, raw and treated water from several WTPs, as well as the corresponding iron(III) precipitates. The iron concentrations of groundwaters analysed in this study range from 3 to 28 mg/L and δ 57Fe (57/54 deviation from IRMM 014) values vary between -1.2 and +1.5 ‰ . The sediment depth profile has a δ 57Fe around +0.3 ‰ , which implies that the high values obtained in the groundwater

Use of Moringa oleifera seed extracts to reduce helminth egg numbers and turbidity in irrigation water.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Mita E; Keraita, Bernard; Olsen, Annette; Boateng, Osei K; Thamsborg, Stig M; Pálsdóttir, Guðný R; Dalsgaard, Anders

2012-07-01

Water from wastewater-polluted streams and dug-outs is the most commonly used water source for irrigation in urban farming in Ghana, but helminth parasite eggs in the water represent health risks when used for crop production. Conventional water treatment is expensive, requires advanced technology and often breaks down in less developed countries so low cost interventions are needed. Field and laboratory based trials were carried out in order to investigate the effect of the natural coagulant Moringa oleifera (MO) seed extracts in reducing helminh eggs and turbidity in irrigation water, turbid water, wastewater and tap water. In medium to high turbid water MO extracts were effective in reducing the number of helminth eggs by 94-99.5% to 1-2 eggs per litre and the turbidity to 7-11 NTU which is an 85-96% reduction. MO is readily available in many tropical countries and can be used by farmers to treat high turbid water for irrigation, however, additional improvements of water quality, e.g. by sand filtration, is suggested to meet the guideline value of ≤ 1 helminth egg per litre and a turbidity of ≤ 2 NTU as recommended by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water intended for irrigation. A positive correlation was established between reduction in turbidity and helminth eggs in irrigation water, turbid water and wastewater treated with MO. This indicates that helminth eggs attach to suspended particles and/or flocs facilitated by MO in the water, and that turbidity and helminth eggs are reduced with the settling flocs. However, more experiments with water samples containing naturally occurring helminth eggs are needed to establish whether turbidity can be used as a proxy for helminth eggs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing nitrogen leaching from fertilizers to surface waters: catchment specific indicators of economic benefits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikael Skou; Levin, Gregor; Odgaard, Mette Vestergaard

2018-01-01

We explore with impact pathway methodology the economic benefits of reducing nitrogen leaching to transitional surface waters, as expected for a proportionality test under the EU’s Water Framework Directive article 4. Ten different catchments is analyzed for a policy scenario where downstream dis...

Intelligent Pressure Management to Reduce Leakage in Urban Water Supply Networks, A Case Study of Sarafrazan District, Mashhad

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Soltani Asl

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Water losses are inevitable in urban water distribution systems. The two approaches adopted nowadays to combat this problem include management of hydraulic parameters such as pressure and leakage detection in the network. Intellitgent pressure management is a suitable technique for controlling leakage and reducing damages due to high operating pressures in a network. This paper aims to investigate the effects of pressure reduction on leakage. The EPANET 2.10 software is used to simulate the water distribution network in the Sarafrazan District,Mashhad, assuming leakage from network nodes. The results are then used to develop a pressure variation program based on the patterns obtained from the simulation, which is applied to the pressure reducing valve. The results show that pressure management can reduce nightly leakage by up to 35% while maintaining a more uniform pressure distribution. Implementation of the time-dependent pressure pattern by applying programmable pressure reducing valves in a real urban water distribution network is feasible and plays a key role in reducing water losses to leakage.

Advances in the ROBLINKS project on long-range shallow-water robust acoustic communciation links

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gijzen, M.B. van; Walree, P.A. van; Cano, D.; Passerieux, J-M.; Waldhorst, A.; Weber, R.

2000-01-01

Within the ROBLINKS project waveforms and algorithms have been developed to establish robust underwater acoustic communication links with high data rates in shallow water. To evaluate the signalling schemes, a wide range of experiments has been performed during a sea trial that has been held in May

Elevated water temperature reduces the acute toxicity of the widely used herbicide diuron to a green alga, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata.

Science.gov (United States)

Tasmin, Rumana; Shimasaki, Yohei; Tsuyama, Michito; Qiu, Xuchun; Khalil, Fatma; Okino, Nozomu; Yamada, Naotaka; Fukuda, Shinji; Kang, Ik-Joon; Oshima, Yuji

2014-01-01

In the actual environment, temperatures fluctuate drastically through season or global warming and are thought to affects risk of pollutants for aquatic biota; however, there is no report about the effect of water temperature on toxicity of widely used herbicide diuron to fresh water microalgae. The present research investigated inhibitory effect of diuron on growth and photosynthetic activity of a green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata at five different temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C) for 144 h of exposure. As a result, effective diuron concentrations at which a 50% decrease in algal growth occurred was increased with increasing water temperature ranging from 9.2 to 20.1 μg L(-1) for 72 h and 9.4-28.5 μg L(-1) for 144 h. The photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F v/F m ratio) was significantly reduced at all temperatures by diuron exposure at 32 μg L(-1) after 72 h. Inhibition rates was significantly increased with decreased water temperature (P diuron treatment groups and were about 2.5 times higher in diuron treatment groups than that of controls (P diuron in freshwater and should therefore be considered in environmental risk assessment.

Solvent-shared pairs of densely charged ions induce intense but short-range supra-additive slowdown of water rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vila Verde, Ana; Santer, Mark; Lipowsky, Reinhard

2016-01-21

The question "Can ions exert supra-additive effects on water dynamics?" has had several opposing answers from both simulation and experiment. We address this ongoing controversy by investigating water reorientation in aqueous solutions of two salts with large (magnesium sulfate) and small (cesium chloride) effects on water dynamics using molecular dynamics simulations and classical, polarizable models. The salt models are reparameterized to reproduce properties of both dilute and concentrated solutions. We demonstrate that water rotation in concentrated MgSO4 solutions is unexpectedly slow, in agreement with experiment, and that the slowdown is supra-additive: the observed slowdown is larger than that predicted by assuming that the resultant of the extra forces induced by the ions on the rotating water molecules tilts the free energy landscape associated with water rotation. Supra-additive slow down is very intense but short-range, and is strongly ion-specific: in contrast to the long-range picture initially proposed based on experiment, we find that intense supra-additivity is limited to water molecules directly bridging two ions in solvent-shared ion pair configuration; in contrast to a non-ion-specific origin to supra-additive effects proposed from simulations, we find that the magnitude of supra-additive slowdown strongly depends on the identity of the cations and anions. Supra-additive slowdown of water dynamics requires long-lived solvent-shared ion pairs; long-lived ion pairs should be typical for salts of multivalent ions. We discuss the origin of the apparent disagreement between the various studies on this topic and show that the short-range cooperative slowdown scenario proposed here resolves the existing controversy.

Analisis Kuat Tekan Beton Dengan Bahan Tambah Reduced Water Dan Accelerated Admixture

OpenAIRE

Rahmat, Rahmat; Hendriyani, Irna; Anwar, Moh. Syaiful

2016-01-01

Concrete consist of: cement mortar, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, water, and addictive materials. The main ingredient in manufacturing of concrete: rock material that called as aggregates. Aggregate has an important role on the quality of the concrete. Various types and trademarks for admixture of concrete that can be used as addictive of the concrete mix with specific purpose. The study aims to determine the effect of the added material of Reduced Water and Accelerated Admixture (Bestmit...

Strategies to Reduce Water Footprint in Palm Oil Production: A Case of PTP Mitra Ogan, Baturaja, South Sumatra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dara Kospa Herda Sabriyah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The massive expansion of palm oil industry in Indonesia has triggered environmental issues including water-related problems which have become an important concern. Regarding the issues, sustainable practice standard has been set up as a requirement for palm oil to enter global market. Inevitably, water consumption in this sector is very crucial to be analyzed. One of the methods that can be used as a tool for sustainable appropriation of fresh water resources is water footprint analysis. The primary aim of this study was to formulate the strategies to reduce the water footprint in the palm oil production based on the best practice criteria. Both quantitative and qualitative research was conducted to get the value blue water (volume of surface or groundwater evaporated and grey water (dilution volume to dilute pollutants according to agreed water quality standards. The values of water footprint in palm oil production obtained were used to represent the existing water use and were utilized as the basis for formulating strategies in reducing water use in the palm oil milling processes which was compared with the best practice criteria. The result showed that the blue water of CPO was 109.6 m3/ton and the grey water was 537.7 m3/ton, while the blue water of palm kernel was 62,4 m3/ton and grey water was 306,2 m3/ton. The value indicated that there was an inefficient use of water in the production of palm oil. The use of steam accumulator has been proposed to reduce the use of blue water by optimizing the steam supply. Besides, the reuse of water from fat-pit pond for pressing purposes, or recovery of condensate water as dilution water in the press unit which will affect the amount of wastewater discharged can be done as the strategies in reducing both blue and grey water, as well as reuse of cooling water turbines.

Irrigation with oxygen-nanobubble water can reduce methane emission and arsenic dissolution in a flooded rice paddy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minamikawa, Kazunori; Makino, Tomoyuki; Tago, Kanako; Hayatsu, Masahito; Takahashi, Masayoshi

2015-01-01

A remarkable feature of nanobubbles (<10 –6 m in diameter) is their long lifetime in water. Supplying oxygen-nanobubbles (NBs) to continuously flooded paddy soil may retard the development of reductive conditions, thereby reducing the emission of methane (CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas, and dissolution of arsenic, an environmental load. We tested this hypothesis by performing a pot experiment and measuring redox-related variables. The NBs were introduced into control water (with properties similar to those of river water) using a commercially available generator. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth did not differ between plants irrigated with NB water and those irrigated with control water, but NB water significantly (p < 0.05) reduced cumulative CH 4 emission during the rice-growing season by 21%. The amounts of iron, manganese, and arsenic that leached into the drainage water before full rice heading were also reduced by the NB water. Regardless of the water type, weekly-measured CH 4 flux was linearly correlated with the leached iron concentration during the rice-growing season (r = 0.74, p < 0.001). At the end of the experiment, the NB water significantly lowered the soil pH in the 0–5 cm layer, probably because of the raised redox potential. The population of methanogenic Archaea (mcrA copy number) in the 0–5 cm layer was significantly increased by the NB water, but we found no correlation between the mcrA copy number and the cumulative CH 4 emission (r = –0.08, p = 0.85). In pots without rice plants, soil reduction was not enhanced, regardless of the water type. The results indicate that NB water reduced CH 4 emission and arsenic dissolution through an oxidative shift of the redox conditions in the flooded soil. We propose the use of NB water as a tool for controlling redox conditions in flooded paddy soils. (letter)

Thickened water-based hydraulic fluid with reduced dependence of viscosity on temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deck, C. F.

1985-01-01

Improved hydraulic fluids or metalworking lubricants, utilizing mixtures of water, metal lubricants, metal corrosion inhibitors, and an associative polyether thickener, have reduced dependence of the viscosity on temperature achieved by the incorporation therein of an ethoxylated polyether surfactant.

Application of Titanium Compounds to Reduce Fluoride Ion in Water Resources with High Fluoride Ion Contents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fariborz Riahi

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The present work describes studies on the sorption of fluoride ions from water by titanium compounds used in water treatment to reduce fluoride content in water resources. There are different methods of reducing fluoride ion in water, each associated with specific problems such as secondary contamination, environmental contamination, high costs, or the need for primary and secondary treatment. In this study, application of titanium sulfate and Metatitanic acid produced from titanium ore concentrate (ileminite is investigated in the removal of fluoride ion and the possibility of complete purification of fluorine containing wastewater is examined to determine the optimal conditions. Metatitanic acid has a great sorption property for fluoride ion. Also titanium sulfate is a suitable and more effective material for this purpose. Efficiency of this material in reducing fluoride ion content is 99.9% and it is possible to refresh sorbet material for reuse without problems arising from Ti+4 ion contamination.

Fish-protection devices at unscreened water diversions can reduce entrainment: evidence from behavioural laboratory investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Poletto, Jamilynn B.; Cocherell, Dennis E.; Mussen, Timothy D.; Ercan, Ali; Bandeh, Hossein; Kavvas, M. Levent; Cech, Joseph J.; Fangue, Nann A.

2015-01-01

Diversion (i.e. extraction) of water from rivers and estuaries can potentially affect native wildlife populations if operation is not carefully managed. For example, open, unmodified water diversions can act as a source of injury or mortality to resident or migratory fishes from entrainment and impingement, and can cause habitat degradation and fragmentation. Fish-protection devices, such as exclusion screens, louvres or sensory deterrents, can physically or behaviourally deter fish from approaching or being entrained into water diversions. However, empirical assessment of their efficacy is often lacking or is investigated only for particular economically or culturally important fishes, such as salmonids. The Southern population of anadromous green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) is listed as threatened in California, and there is a high density of water diversions located within their native range (the Sacramento–San Joaquin watershed). Coupled with their unique physiology and behaviour compared with many other fishes native to California, the green sturgeon is susceptible to entrainment into diversions and is an ideal species with which to study the efficacy of mitigation techniques. Therefore, we investigated juvenile green sturgeon (188–202 days post-hatch) in the presence of several fish-protection devices to assess behaviour and entrainment risk. Using a large experimental flume (∼500 kl), we found that compared with an open diversion pipe (control), the addition of a trash-rack box, louvre box, or perforated cylinder on the pipe inlet all significantly reduced the proportion of fish that were entrained through the pipe (P = 0.03, P = 0.028, and P = 0.028, respectively). Likewise, these devices decreased entrainment risk during a single movement past the pipe by between 60 and 96%. These fish-protection devices should decrease the risk of fish entrainment during water-diversion activities. PMID:27293725

Effect of Gum Arabic karroo as a Water-Reducing Admixture in Concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Mbugua, Rose; Salim, Ramadhan; Ndambuki, Julius

2016-01-28

Concrete is one of the most popular construction materials in the world. Chemical admixtures are ingredients added to concrete to enhance its properties. However, most chemical admixtures on the market today are expensive, thereby making them out of reach for small consumers of concrete. In Africa, use of chemical admixtures is rare despite the harsh weather conditions. In the current study, Gum from Acacia karroo (GAK) was used as a water-reducing admixture in concrete. A slump test, density and compressive strength were studied using different dosages of GAK while neat concrete was the control. Results showed that slump increased by 200% at a 2% dosage of GAK. This enabled reduction of water-to-binder (w/b) ratio from 0.61 to 0.48 for samples with a 3% dosage. Reduction in w/b resulted in increased compressive strength of 37.03% above the control after 180 days of curing for a 3% dosage. XRD studies also showed a decreased rate of hydration in the presence of GAK in concrete. It was concluded that GAK can be used in concrete as a water-reducing admixture, which is environmentally-friendly, thus producing sustainable and greener concrete.

Effect of Gum Arabic karroo as a Water-Reducing Admixture in Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Mbugua, Rose; Salim, Ramadhan; Ndambuki, Julius

2016-01-01

Concrete is one of the most popular construction materials in the world. Chemical admixtures are ingredients added to concrete to enhance its properties. However, most chemical admixtures on the market today are expensive, thereby making them out of reach for small consumers of concrete. In Africa, use of chemical admixtures is rare despite the harsh weather conditions. In the current study, Gum from Acacia karroo (GAK) was used as a water-reducing admixture in concrete. A slump test, density and compressive strength were studied using different dosages of GAK while neat concrete was the control. Results showed that slump increased by 200% at a 2% dosage of GAK. This enabled reduction of water-to-binder (w/b) ratio from 0.61 to 0.48 for samples with a 3% dosage. Reduction in w/b resulted in increased compressive strength of 37.03% above the control after 180 days of curing for a 3% dosage. XRD studies also showed a decreased rate of hydration in the presence of GAK in concrete. It was concluded that GAK can be used in concrete as a water-reducing admixture, which is environmentally-friendly, thus producing sustainable and greener concrete. PMID:28787879

Development and application of a water calorimeter for the absolute dosimetry of short-range particle beams

Science.gov (United States)

Renaud, J.; Rossomme, S.; Sarfehnia, A.; Vynckier, S.; Palmans, H.; Kacperek, A.; Seuntjens, J.

2016-09-01

In this work, we describe a new design of water calorimeter built to measure absorbed dose in non-standard radiation fields with reference depths in the range of 6-20 mm, and its initial testing in clinical electron and proton beams. A functioning calorimeter prototype with a total water equivalent thickness of less than 30 mm was constructed in-house and used to obtain measurements in clinical accelerator-based 6 MeV and 8 MeV electron beams and cyclotron-based 60 MeV monoenergetic and modulated proton beams. Corrections for the conductive heat transfer due to dose gradients and non-water materials was also accounted for using a commercial finite element method software package. Absorbed dose to water was measured with an associated type A standard uncertainty of approximately 0.4% and 0.2% for the electron and proton beam experiments, respectively. In terms of thermal stability, drifts were on the order of a couple of hundred µK min-1, with a short-term variation of 5-10 µK. Heat transfer correction factors ranged between 1.021 and 1.049. The overall combined standard uncertainty on the absorbed dose to water was estimated to be 0.6% for the 6 MeV and 8 MeV electron beams, as well as for the 60 MeV monoenergetic protons, and 0.7% for the modulated 60 MeV proton beam. This study establishes the feasibility of developing an absorbed dose transfer standard for short-range clinical electrons and protons and forms the basis for a transportable dose standard for direct calibration of ionization chambers in the user’s beam. The largest contributions to the combined standard uncertainty were the positioning (⩽0.5%) and the correction due to conductive heat transfer (⩽0.4%). This is the first time that water calorimetry has been used in such a low energy proton beam.

Sugar and hexokinase suppress expression of PIP aquaporins and reduce leaf hydraulics that preserves leaf water potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Gilor; Sade, Nir; Doron-Faigenboim, Adi; Lerner, Stephen; Shatil-Cohen, Arava; Yeselson, Yelena; Egbaria, Aiman; Kottapalli, Jayaram; Schaffer, Arthur A; Moshelion, Menachem; Granot, David

2017-07-01

Sugars affect central aspects of plant physiology, including photosynthesis, stomatal behavior and the loss of water through the stomata. Yet, the potential effects of sugars on plant aquaporins (AQPs) and water conductance have not been examined. We used database and transcriptional analyses, as well as cellular and whole-plant functional techniques to examine the link between sugar-related genes and AQPs. Database analyses revealed a high level of correlation between the expression of AQPs and that of sugar-related genes, including the Arabidopsis hexokinases 1 (AtHXK1). Increased expression of AtHXK1, as well as the addition of its primary substrate, glucose (Glc), repressed the expression of 10 AQPs from the plasma membrane-intrinsic proteins (PIP) subfamily (PIP-AQPs) and induced the expression of two stress-related PIP-AQPs. The osmotic water permeability of mesophyll protoplasts of AtHXK1-expressing plants and the leaf hydraulic conductance of those plants were significantly reduced, in line with the decreased expression of PIP-AQPs. Conversely, hxk1 mutants demonstrated a higher level of hydraulic conductance, with increased water potential in their leaves. In addition, the presence of Glc reduced leaf water potential, as compared with an osmotic control, indicating that Glc reduces the movement of water from the xylem into the mesophyll. The production of sugars entails a significant loss of water and these results suggest that sugars and AtHXK1 affect the expression of AQP genes and reduce leaf water conductance, to coordinate sugar levels with the loss of water through transpiration. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Operation Clean Feather: Reducing oil pollution in Newfoundland waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chardine, J.W.; Pelly, G.

1994-01-01

Oil pollution of marine waters around Newfoundland, and particularly in the vicinity of Placentia Bay, is a frequent occurrence. Many oiled seabirds are found on beaches in the bay, particularly in winter. The most likely pollution sources are ship operators who dump waste oils from bilges and slop tanks. In an effort to reduce the chronic discharge of waste oil into Placentia Bay, and thus the incidence of bird oiling, Operation Clean Feather was launched in 1991-92 and consisted of weekly surveys of Placentia Bay beaches, sampling of oil from vessels using the bay and from oiled birds and beaches, and experimentation to determine possible recovery rates of birds oiled at sea. The operation was considered a success at a number of levels. Significant reductions in numbers of oiled birds were noted in both 1991 and 1992 compared to 1989 or 1990. Estimated oil-related mortality was reduced to ca 25% of levels seen in the two years prior to the operation. The operation also provided the opportunity to test and refine an organizational framework designed to deal with the problem of chronic oil pollution reports. Communication efforts heightened the awareness of the oil pollution problem in Newfoundland waters. These efforts included distribution of pamphlets in various languages to ship operators, describing the seriousness of oil-related marine bird mortality and warning of the substantial fines that can be imposed under the Canada Shipping Act. 6 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Irrigation with oxygen-nanobubble water can reduce methane emission and arsenic dissolution in a flooded rice paddy

Science.gov (United States)

Minamikawa, Kazunori; Takahashi, Masayoshi; Makino, Tomoyuki; Tago, Kanako; Hayatsu, Masahito

2015-08-01

A remarkable feature of nanobubbles (pot experiment and measuring redox-related variables. The NBs were introduced into control water (with properties similar to those of river water) using a commercially available generator. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth did not differ between plants irrigated with NB water and those irrigated with control water, but NB water significantly (p rice-growing season by 21%. The amounts of iron, manganese, and arsenic that leached into the drainage water before full rice heading were also reduced by the NB water. Regardless of the water type, weekly-measured CH4 flux was linearly correlated with the leached iron concentration during the rice-growing season (r = 0.74, p pots without rice plants, soil reduction was not enhanced, regardless of the water type. The results indicate that NB water reduced CH4 emission and arsenic dissolution through an oxidative shift of the redox conditions in the flooded soil. We propose the use of NB water as a tool for controlling redox conditions in flooded paddy soils.

The role of wastewater treatment in reducing pollution of surface waters with zearalenone.

Science.gov (United States)

Gromadzka, Karolina; Waśkiewicz, Agnieszka; Świetlik, Joanna; Bocianowski, Jan; Goliński, Piotr

2015-06-01

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a mycotoxin produced by some Fusarium species in food and feed. The toxicity of ZEA and its metabolites is related to the chemical structure of the mycotoxin, which is similar to naturally occurring oestrogens. Currently, there is increasing awareness of the presence of fungi and their toxic metabolites in the aquatic environment. One of the sources of these compounds are the effluents from wastewater treatment plants. The average annual efficiency of zearalenone reduction in the Łęczyca plant in our three-year study was in the range from 51.35 to 69.70 %. The threeway analysis of variance (year, month, and kind of wastewater) shows that the main effects of all factors and all interactions between them were significant for zearalenone and dissolved organic carbon content. Our findings suggest that wastewater is not the main source of surface water pollution with zearalenone. Future research should investigate the means to reduce ZEA and its migration from the fields through prevention strategies such as breeding for crops, plant debris management (crop rotation, tillage), and/or chemical and biological control.

Effects of reduced water quality on coral reefs in and out of no-take marine reserves.

Science.gov (United States)

Wenger, Amelia S; Williamson, David H; da Silva, Eduardo T; Ceccarelli, Daniela M; Browne, Nicola K; Petus, Caroline; Devlin, Michelle J

2016-02-01

Near-shore marine environments are increasingly subjected to reduced water quality, and their ability to withstand it is critical to their persistence. The potential role marine reserves may play in mitigating the effects of reduced water quality has received little attention. We investigated the spatial and temporal variability in live coral and macro-algal cover and water quality during moderate and major flooding events of the Fitzroy River within the Keppel Bay region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from 2007 to 2013. We used 7 years of remote sensing data on water quality and data from long-term monitoring of coral reefs to quantify exposure of coral reefs to flood plumes. We used a distance linear model to partition the contribution of abiotic and biotic factors, including zoning, as drivers of the observed changes in coral and macro-algae cover. Moderate flood plumes from 2007 to 2009 did not affect coral cover on reefs in the Keppel Islands, suggesting the reef has intrinsic resistance against short-term exposure to reduced water quality. However, from 2009 to 2013, live coral cover declined by ∼ 50% following several weeks of exposure to turbid, low salinity water from major flood plume events in 2011 and subsequent moderate events in 2012 and 2013. Although the flooding events in 2012 and 2013 were smaller than the flooding events between 2007 to 2009, the ability of the reefs to withstand these moderate floods was lost, as evidenced by a ∼ 20% decline in coral cover between 2011 to 2013. Although zoning (no-take reserve or fished) was identified a significant driver of coral cover, we recorded consistently lower coral cover on reserve reefs than on fished reefs throughout the study period and significantly lower cover in 2011. Our findings suggest that even reefs with an inherent resistance to reduced water quality are not able to withstand repeated disturbance events. The limitations of reserves in mitigating the effects of reduced water

Water Table Management Reduces Tile Nitrate Loss in Continuous Corn and in a Soybean-Corn Rotation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig F. Drury

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Water table management systems can be designed to alleviate soil water excesses and deficits, as well as reduce nitrate leaching losses in tile discharge. With this in mind, a standard tile drainage (DR system was compared over 8 years (1991 to 1999 to a controlled tile drainage/subirrigation (CDS system on a low-slope (0.05 to 0.1% Brookston clay loam soil (Typic Argiaquoll in southwestern Ontario, Canada. In the CDS system, tile discharge was controlled to prevent excessive drainage, and water was pumped back up the tile lines (subirrigation to replenish the crop root zone during water deficit periods. In the first phase of the study (1991 to 1994, continuous corn (Zea mays, L. was grown with annual nitrogen (N fertilizer inputs as per local soil test recommendations. In the second phase (1995 to 1999, a soybean (Glycine max L., Merr.-corn rotation was used with N fertilizer added only during the two corn years. In Phase 1 when continuous corn was grown, CDS reduced total tile discharge by 26% and total nitrate loss in tile discharge by 55%, compared to DR. In addition, the 4-year flow weighted mean (FWM nitrate concentration in tile discharge exceeded the Canadian drinking water guideline (10 mg N l–1 under DR (11.4 mg N l–1, but not under CDS (7.0 mg N l–1. In Phase 2 during the soybean-corn rotation, CDS reduced total tile discharge by 38% and total nitrate loss in tile discharge by 66%, relative to DR. The 4-year FWM nitrate concentration during Phase 2 in tile discharge was below the drinking water guideline for both DR (7.3 mg N l–1 and CDS (4.0 mg N l–1. During both phases of the experiment, the CDS treatment caused only minor increases in nitrate loss in surface runoff relative to DR. Hence CDS decreased FWM nitrate concentrations, total drainage water loss, and total nitrate loss in tile discharge relative to DR. In addition, soybean-corn rotation reduced FWM nitrate concentrations and total nitrate loss in tile discharge

Method of treating waste water

Science.gov (United States)

Deininger, J. Paul; Chatfield, Linda K.

1991-01-01

A process of treating water to remove transuranic elements contained therein by adjusting the pH of a transuranic element-containing water source to within the range of about 6.5 to about 14.0, admixing the water source with an alkali or alkaline earth ferrate in an amount sufficient to form a precipitate within the water source, the amount of ferrate effective to reduce the transuranic element concentration in the water source, permitting the precipitate in the admixture to separate and thereby yield a supernatant liquid having a reduced transuranic element concentration, and separating the supernatant liquid having the reduced transuranic element concentration from the admixture is provided. Additionally, a water soluble salt, e.g., a zirconium salt, can be added with the alkali or alkaline earth ferrate in the process to provide greater removal efficiencies. A composition of matter including an alkali or alkaline earth ferrate and a water soluble salt, e.g., a zirconium salt, is also provided.

Atmospheric and surface water pollution interpretation in the Gdansk beltway impact range by the use of multivariate analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dubiella-Jackowska, Aleksandra; Polkowska, Zaneta; Kudlak, Blazej; Namiesnik, Jacek [Chemical Faculty, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk (Poland); Astel, Aleksander [Environmental Chemistry Research Unit, Institute of Biology and Environmental Protection, Pomeranian Academy, Slupsk (Poland); Staszek, Wojciech [Faculty of Physical Geography and Environmental Management, University of Gdansk, Gdansk (Poland)

2010-09-15

The present study deals with the application of the hierarchical cluster analysis and non-parametric tests in order to interpret the Gdansk Beltway impact range. The data set represents concentration values for major inorganic ions (Na{sup +}, NH{sub 4}{sup +}, K{sup +}, Mg{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+}, F{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) as well as electrolytic conductivity and pH measured in various water samples [precipitation, throughfall water, road runoff, and surface water (drainage ditches, surface water reservoirs, and spring water)] collected in the vicinity of the beltway. Several similarity groups were discovered both in the objects and in the variables modes according to the water sample. In the majority of cases clear anthropogenic (fertilizers usage and transport, road salting in winter) and semi-natural (sea salt aerosols, erosion of construction materials) impacts were discovered. Spatial variation was discovered for road runoff samples and samples collected from surface water reservoirs and springs. Surprisingly no clear seasonal variability was discovered for precipitation chemistry, while some evidences for existing of summer and winter specific chemical profile was discovered for road runoff samples. In general, limited range of the Gdansk Beltway impact was proven. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Use of Atmospheric Budget to Reduce Uncertainty in Estimated Water Availability over South Asia from Different Reanalyses

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Dawn Emil; Pathak, Amey; Ghosh, Subimal

2016-07-01

Disagreements across different reanalyses over South Asia result into uncertainty in assessment of water availability, which is computed as the difference between Precipitation and Evapotranspiration (P-E). Here, we compute P-E directly from atmospheric budget with divergence of moisture flux for different reanalyses and find improved correlation with observed values of P-E, acquired from station and satellite data. We also find reduced closure terms for water cycle computed with atmospheric budget, analysed over South Asian landmass, when compared to that obtained with individual values of P and E. The P-E value derived with atmospheric budget is more consistent with energy budget, when we use top-of-atmosphere radiation for the same. For analysing water cycle, we use runoff from Global Land Data Assimilation System, and water storage from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment. We find improvements in agreements across different reanalyses, in terms of inter-annual cross correlation when atmospheric budget is used to estimate P-E and hence, emphasize to use the same for estimations of water availability in South Asia to reduce uncertainty. Our results on water availability with reduced uncertainty over highly populated monsoon driven South Asia will be useful for water management and agricultural decision making.

Use of Atmospheric Budget to Reduce Uncertainty in Estimated Water Availability over South Asia from Different Reanalyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Dawn Emil; Pathak, Amey; Ghosh, Subimal

2016-07-08

Disagreements across different reanalyses over South Asia result into uncertainty in assessment of water availability, which is computed as the difference between Precipitation and Evapotranspiration (P-E). Here, we compute P-E directly from atmospheric budget with divergence of moisture flux for different reanalyses and find improved correlation with observed values of P-E, acquired from station and satellite data. We also find reduced closure terms for water cycle computed with atmospheric budget, analysed over South Asian landmass, when compared to that obtained with individual values of P and E. The P-E value derived with atmospheric budget is more consistent with energy budget, when we use top-of-atmosphere radiation for the same. For analysing water cycle, we use runoff from Global Land Data Assimilation System, and water storage from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment. We find improvements in agreements across different reanalyses, in terms of inter-annual cross correlation when atmospheric budget is used to estimate P-E and hence, emphasize to use the same for estimations of water availability in South Asia to reduce uncertainty. Our results on water availability with reduced uncertainty over highly populated monsoon driven South Asia will be useful for water management and agricultural decision making.

The impact of water use fees on dispatching and water requirements for water-cooled power plants in Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Kelly T; Blackhurst, Michael F; King, Carey W; Webber, Michael E

2014-06-17

We utilize a unit commitment and dispatch model to estimate how water use fees on power generators would affect dispatching and water requirements by the power sector in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' (ERCOT) electric grid. Fees ranging from 10 to 1000 USD per acre-foot were separately applied to water withdrawals and consumption. Fees were chosen to be comparable in cost to a range of water supply projects proposed in the Texas Water Development Board's State Water Plan to meet demand through 2050. We found that these fees can reduce water withdrawals and consumption for cooling thermoelectric power plants in ERCOT by as much as 75% and 23%, respectively. To achieve these water savings, wholesale electricity generation costs might increase as much as 120% based on 2011 fuel costs and generation characteristics. We estimate that water saved through these fees is not as cost-effective as conventional long-term water supply projects. However, the electric grid offers short-term flexibility that conventional water supply projects do not. Furthermore, this manuscript discusses conditions under which the grid could be effective at "supplying" water, particularly during emergency drought conditions, by changing its operational conditions.

The potential for energy savings when reducing the water consumption in a kraft pulp mill

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wising, Ulrika; Berntsson, Thore [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science; Stuart, Paul [Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2004-05-01

In this paper an existing pulp and paper mill has been studied in a systematic way regarding the reduction of water consumption, and the resulting increased potential for energy integration. It has been found that when the mill's hot water consumption is decreased, the live steam demand for the mill also decreases. Also when decreasing the hot water consumption, the quantity and temperature of available excess heat increases. This excess heat can be used for evaporation, thereby reducing the live steam demand further by up to 1.5 GJ/t. A pinch analysis was performed at an existing mill and it was found that if pinch violations are removed, the hot water consumption is not an important factor any more. Removing all the pinch violations and using the remaining excess heat for evaporation yields a significantly larger energy savings for the mill (4.0 GJ/t). From an economic optimum perspective it is probably most profitable to do a combination of reducing water consumption, removing pinch violations, and use the remaining excess heat for evaporation.

Advanced concept of reduced-moderation water reactor (RMWR) for plutonium multiple recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okubo, T.; Iwamura, T.; Takeda, R.; Yamamoto, K.; Okada, H.

2001-01-01

An advanced water-cooled reactor concept named the Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) has been proposed to attain a high conversion ratio more than 1.0 and to achieve the negative void reactivity coefficient. At present, several types of design concepts satisfying both the design targets have been proposed based on the evaluation for the fuel without fission products and minor actinides. In this paper, the feasibility of the RMWR core is investigated for the plutonium multiple recycling under advanced reprocessing schemes with low decontamination factors as proposed for the FBR fuel cycle. (author)

Modeling the influence of a reduced equator-to-pole sea surface temperature gradient on the distribution of water isotopes in the Eocene

Science.gov (United States)

Speelman, E. N.; Sewall, J. O.; Noone, D. C.; Huber, M.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.; Reichart, G.

2009-12-01

Proxy-based climate reconstructions suggest the existence of a strongly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient during most of the Early Eocene. With the realization that the Eocene Arctic Ocean was covered with enormous quantities of the free floating freshwater fern Azolla, new questions related to Eocene (global) hydrological cycling facilitating these blooms arose. Changes in hydrological cycling, as a consequence of a reduced temperature gradient, are expected to be most clearly reflected in the isotopic composition (D, 18O) of precipitation. The interpretation of water isotopic records to quantitatively estimate past precipitation patterns is, however, hampered by the lack of detailed information on changes in their spatial and temporal distribution. Using the isotope-enabled global circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model v.3 (isoCAM3), relationships between water isotopes and past climates can be simulated. Here we examine the influence of a reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradient on the spatial distribution of precipitation and its isotopic composition in an Eocene setting. Overall, our combination of Eocene climate forcings, with superimposed TEX86-derived SST estimates and elevated pCO2 concentrations, produces a climate that agrees well with proxy data in locations around the globe. It shows the presence of an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation in the Arctic region. The Eocene model runs with a significantly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient in a warmer more humid world predict occurrence of less depleted precipitation, with δD values ranging only between 0 and -140‰ (as opposed to the present-day range of 0 to -300‰). Combining new results obtained from compound specific isotope analyses on terrestrially derived n-alkanes extracted from Eocene sediments, and model calculations, shows that the model not only captures the main features, but reproduces isotopic values

Removal heavy metals and sulphate from waste waters by sulphate-reducing bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kušnierová Mária

2000-09-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to the process of bacterial sulphate reduction, which is used to removal of heavy metals and sulphate ions from waste waters.The life of animals and plants depends on the existence of microscopic organisms – microorganisms (MO, which play an important role in cycle changes of biogenic elements on the earth. The sulphur cycle in the nature is considered as one of the oldest and most significant biological systems (Fig. 1. The sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB miss the assimilatory part of the cycle and produce sulphides. The microbial population of this dissimilatory part is called “sulfuretum”. The SRB can be found in anaerobic mud and sediments of freshwater, thermal or non-thermal sulphur springs, mining waters from sulphide deposits, oil deposits, sea and ocean beds, and in the gastrointestinal tract of man and animals. The SRB represent a group of chemoorganotrophic, strictly anaerobic and gramnegative bacteria, which exhibit a great morphological and physiological diversity. Despite of their considerable morphological variety, they have one property in common, which is the ability to utilise preferentially sulphates (occasionally sulphites, thiosulphates, tetrathionates as electron acceptors, which are reduced to sulphides, during anaerobic respiration. The electron donors in these processes are simple organic compounds as lactate, malate, etc.,(heterotrophically reduction or gaseous hydrogen (autotrophically reduction. SRB can produce a considerable amount of hydrogen sulphide, which reacts easily in aqueous solution with the cations of heavy metals, forming metal sulphides that have low solubility. The bacterial sulphate reduction can be used for the treatment of acid mine drainage waters, which is considered to be the major problem associated with mining activities.In order to remove heavy metals from waste waters, e.g., from galvanizing plants, mine waters (Smolnik, Šobov locality and metallurgic plants (works

Summer carbon dioxide and water vapor fluxes across a range of northern peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Humphreys, Elyn R.; Lafleur, Peter M.; Flanagan, Lawrence B.; Hedstrom, Newell; Syed, Kamran H.; Glenn, Aaron J.; Granger, Raoul

2006-12-01

Northern peatlands are a diverse group of ecosystems varying along a continuum of hydrological, chemical, and vegetation gradients. These ecosystems contain about one third of the global soil carbon pool, but it is uncertain how carbon and water cycling processes and response to climate change differ among peatland types. This study examines midsummer CO2 and H2O fluxes measured using the eddy covariance technique above seven northern peatlands including a low-shrub bog, two open poor fens, two wooded moderately rich fens, and two open extreme-rich fens. Gross ecosystem production and ecosystem respiration correlated positively with vegetation indices and with each other. Consequently, 24-hour net ecosystem CO2 exchange was similar among most of the sites (an average net carbon sink of 1.5 ± 0.2 g C m-2 d-1) despite large differences in water table depth, water chemistry, and plant communities. Evapotranspiration was primarily radiatively driven at all sites but a decline in surface conductance with increasing water vapor deficit indicated physiological restrictions to transpiration, particularly at the peatlands with woody vegetation and less at the peatlands with 100% Sphagnum cover. Despite these differences, midday evapotranspiration ranged only from 0.21 to 0.34 mm h-1 owing to compensation among the factors controlling evapotranspiration. Water use efficiency varied among sites primarily as a result of differences in productivity and plant functional type. Although peatland classification includes a great variety of ecosystem characteristics, peatland type may not be an effective way to predict the magnitude and characteristics of midsummer CO2 and water vapor exchanges.

Physiological response of Pseudomonas putida S12 subjected to reduced water activity.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kets, E.P.W.; Bont, de J.A.M.; Heipieper, H.J.

1996-01-01

The effect of osmotic stress, given as decreased water activity (aw), on growth and the accumulation of potassium and the compatible solute betaine by Pseudomonas putida S12 was investigated. Reduced aw was imposed by addition of sodium chloride, sucrose, glycerol or polyethylene glycol to the

The preparation of solid acid and acid water reducing agent for slag is prepared by adsorption method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Su; Wang, Jinpeng; Zhu, Xitong

2018-03-01

Solid polycarboxylate superplasticizer can not only solve the problems caused by water reducing agent in storage and transportation, but also meet the needs of some special projects. We can choose to use the mineral slag, which is larger than surface area and has stronger adsorption, as adsorbent to absorb liquid polycarboxylate superplasticizer and absorb its moisture, and then makes solid polycarboxylate superplasticizer after drying. It determines the solid-liquid ratio to prepare the solid polycarboxylate superplasticizer to be 3:1. The temperature change within 100°C will not cause changes in the functional group and structure of the water reducing agent molecule. The application of the solid polycarboxylate superplasticizer was basically unchanged compared with its liquid water reducing agent.

Increased food production and reduced water use through optimized crop distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Kyle Frankel; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Seveso, Antonio; D'Odorico, Paolo

2017-12-01

Growing demand for agricultural commodities for food, fuel and other uses is expected to be met through an intensification of production on lands that are currently under cultivation. Intensification typically entails investments in modern technology — such as irrigation or fertilizers — and increases in cropping frequency in regions suitable for multiple growing seasons. Here we combine a process-based crop water model with maps of spatially interpolated yields for 14 major food crops to identify potential differences in food production and water use between current and optimized crop distributions. We find that the current distribution of crops around the world neither attains maximum production nor minimum water use. We identify possible alternative configurations of the agricultural landscape that, by reshaping the global distribution of crops within current rainfed and irrigated croplands based on total water consumption, would feed an additional 825 million people while reducing the consumptive use of rainwater and irrigation water by 14% and 12%, respectively. Such an optimization process does not entail a loss of crop diversity, cropland expansion or impacts on nutrient and feed availability. It also does not necessarily invoke massive investments in modern technology that in many regions would require a switch from smallholder farming to large-scale commercial agriculture with important impacts on rural livelihoods.

Reduced Graphene Oxide Membranes: Applications in Fog Collection and Water Purification

KAUST Repository

Tang, Bo

2017-05-01

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has attracted considerable interest recently as the low cost and chemical stable derivative of pristine graphene with application in many applications such as energy storage, water purification and electronic devices. This dissertation thoroughly investigated stacked rGO membrane fabrication process by vacuum-driven filtration, discovered asymmetry of the two surfaces of the rGO membrane, explored application perspectives of the asymmetric rGO membrane in fog collection and microstructure patterning, and disclosed membrane compaction issue during water filtration and species rejection. In more details, this dissertation revealed that, with suitable pore size, the filtration membrane substrate would leave its physical imprint on the bottom surface of the rGO membrane in the form of surface microstructures, which result in asymmetric dynamic water wettability properties of the two surfaces of the rGO membrane. The asymmetric wettability of the rGO membrane would lead to contrasting fog harvesting behavior of its two surfaces. The physical imprint mechanism was further extended to engineering pre-designed patterns selectively on the bottom surface of the rGO membrane. This dissertation, for the first time, reported the water flux and rejection kinetics, which was related to the compaction of the rGO membrane under pressure in the process of water filtration.

UV disinfection and flocculation-chlorination sachets to reduce hepatitis E virus in drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrero-Latorre, Laura; Gonzales-Gustavson, Eloy; Hundesa, Ayalkibet; Sommer, Regina; Rosina, Girones

2016-07-01

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is a major cause of waterborne outbreaks in areas with poor sanitation. As safe water supplies are the keystone for preventing HEV outbreaks, data on the efficacy of disinfection treatments are urgently needed. Here, we evaluated the ability of UV radiation and flocculation-chlorination sachets (FCSs) to reduce HEV in water matrices. The HEV-p6-kernow strain was replicated in the HepG2/C3A cell line, and we quantified genome number using qRT-PCR and infectivity using an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). UV irradiation tests using low-pressure radiation showed inactivation kinetics for HEV of 99.99% with a UV fluence of 232J/m(2) (IC 95%, 195,02-269,18). Moreover, the FCSs preparations significantly reduced viral concentrations in both water matrices, although the inactivation results were under the baseline of reduction (4.5 LRV) proposed by WHO guidelines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The behaviour of a floating water bridge under reduced gravity conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, Elmar C; Agostinho, Luewton L F; Wexler, Adam; Wagterveld, R Martijn; Tuinstra, Jan; Woisetschlaeger, Jakob

2011-01-01

When high voltage is applied to pure water filled into two beakers close to each other, a connection forms spontaneously, giving the impression of a floating water bridge (Armstrong 1893 The Electrical Engineer pp 154-45, Uhlig W 2005 personal communication, Fuchs et al 2007 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 40 6112-4, Fuchs et al 2008 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 185502, Fuchs et al 2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 065502, Fuchs et al 2010 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 43 105502, Woisetschlaeger et al 2010 Exp. Fluids 48 121-31, Nishiumi and Honda 2009 Res. Lett. Phys. Chem. 2009 371650). This phenomenon is of special interest, since it comprises a number of phenomena currently tackled in modern water science. In this work, the behaviour of this phenomenon under reduced gravity conditions during a parabolic flight is presented by the means of high speed imaging with fringe projection. An analysis of the behaviour is presented and compared with theoretical considerations.

The behaviour of a floating water bridge under reduced gravity conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, Elmar C; Agostinho, Luewton L F; Wexler, Adam; Wagterveld, R Martijn; Tuinstra, Jan [Wetsus, Center of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Agora 1, 8900 CC Leeuwarden (Netherlands); Woisetschlaeger, Jakob, E-mail: elmar.fuchs@wetsus.nl [Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25A, Graz (Austria)

2011-01-19

When high voltage is applied to pure water filled into two beakers close to each other, a connection forms spontaneously, giving the impression of a floating water bridge (Armstrong 1893 The Electrical Engineer pp 154-45, Uhlig W 2005 personal communication, Fuchs et al 2007 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 40 6112-4, Fuchs et al 2008 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 185502, Fuchs et al 2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 065502, Fuchs et al 2010 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 43 105502, Woisetschlaeger et al 2010 Exp. Fluids 48 121-31, Nishiumi and Honda 2009 Res. Lett. Phys. Chem. 2009 371650). This phenomenon is of special interest, since it comprises a number of phenomena currently tackled in modern water science. In this work, the behaviour of this phenomenon under reduced gravity conditions during a parabolic flight is presented by the means of high speed imaging with fringe projection. An analysis of the behaviour is presented and compared with theoretical considerations.

The behaviour of a floating water bridge under reduced gravity conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Elmar C.; Agostinho, Luewton L. F.; Wexler, Adam; Wagterveld, R. Martijn; Tuinstra, Jan; Woisetschläger, Jakob

2011-01-01

When high voltage is applied to pure water filled into two beakers close to each other, a connection forms spontaneously, giving the impression of a floating water bridge (Armstrong 1893 The Electrical Engineer pp 154-45, Uhlig W 2005 personal communication, Fuchs et al 2007 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 40 6112-4, Fuchs et al 2008 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 185502, Fuchs et al 2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 065502, Fuchs et al 2010 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 43 105502, Woisetschläger et al 2010 Exp. Fluids 48 121-31, Nishiumi and Honda 2009 Res. Lett. Phys. Chem. 2009 371650). This phenomenon is of special interest, since it comprises a number of phenomena currently tackled in modern water science. In this work, the behaviour of this phenomenon under reduced gravity conditions during a parabolic flight is presented by the means of high speed imaging with fringe projection. An analysis of the behaviour is presented and compared with theoretical considerations.

DEFICIT IRRIGATION TECHNIQUE FOR REDUCING WATER USE OF TOMATO UNDER POLYTUNNEL CONDITIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sladjana SAVIC

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of paper was to asses the use of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI for production of two tomato cultivars (Cedrico and Abellus in polytunnels in Serbia. RDI plants received 60% of the water that was applied to FI plants and significant saving of water for irrigation and increased in irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE were achieved. Yield data for Cedrico cultivar showed no differences between RDI and FI, while due to the bigger sensitivity to drought, yield of Abellus was reduced under RDI. In general, fruit quality (soluble solids, titrable acidity was sustained or improved in both cultivars under RDI. Economic analyses showed that due to the current low prices of water and electricity in Serbia, the profit increase of Cedrico, similarly to the previously trialed cultivar Amati, was not high under RDI comparing to FI. Reduction of yield and consequent profit for Abellus, indicated that for future commercial growing of tomato under RDI should be used drought resistant cultivars.

Environmental assessment for the natural fluctuation of water level in Par Pond and reduced water flow in Steel Creek below L-Lake at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

The Savannah River Operations Office Strategic Plan directs Savannah River Site (SRS) to find ways to reduce operating costs, and to determine what site infrastructure must be maintained and what infrastructure is surplus. Because of the mission change, L-Lake, Par Pond, and the river water system are no longer needed to support current missions and therefore provide an opportunity for operating cost reduction. If SRS determines that L-Lake, Par Pond, and the river water system are no longer needed to support future missions and are considered surplus, appropriate NEPA documentation will be prepared. The purpose of the proposed action in this Environmental Assessment is to begin an examination of the need for the Site's river water system by (1) developing data needed to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of further reducing or eliminating the flow demands from the Site's river water system and; (2) evaluating the potential of reducing operating costs by allowing the water level in Par Pond to fluctuate naturally through reduced pumping. This action also includes reducing the current flow rates from L-Lake to Steel Creek to natural stream flows while maintaining full pool. The recently approved Par Pond CERCLA Interim Action Proposed Plan (IAPP) committed to evaluate in a NEPA document the environmental consequences of this proposed action. This document evaluated the remediation of human health and ecological risks associated with the three year drawdown of Par Pond. Should any of the parameters sampled in the reservoir and streams (e.g., water quality, biota, etc.) exceed established threshold levels during the implementation of the proposed action, water would again be pumped into the reservoir to minimize any impacts by bringing the water level back to an appropriate level about 58.2 m (195 ft)

Environmental assessment for the natural fluctuation of water level in Par Pond and reduced water flow in Steel Creek below L-Lake at the Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-08-01

The Savannah River Operations Office Strategic Plan directs Savannah River Site (SRS) to find ways to reduce operating costs, and to determine what site infrastructure must be maintained and what infrastructure is surplus. Because of the mission change, L-Lake, Par Pond, and the river water system are no longer needed to support current missions and therefore provide an opportunity for operating cost reduction. If SRS determines that L-Lake, Par Pond, and the river water system are no longer needed to support future missions and are considered surplus, appropriate NEPA documentation will be prepared. The purpose of the proposed action in this Environmental Assessment is to begin an examination of the need for the Site`s river water system by (1) developing data needed to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of further reducing or eliminating the flow demands from the Site`s river water system and; (2) evaluating the potential of reducing operating costs by allowing the water level in Par Pond to fluctuate naturally through reduced pumping. This action also includes reducing the current flow rates from L-Lake to Steel Creek to natural stream flows while maintaining full pool. The recently approved Par Pond CERCLA Interim Action Proposed Plan (IAPP) committed to evaluate in a NEPA document the environmental consequences of this proposed action. This document evaluated the remediation of human health and ecological risks associated with the three year drawdown of Par Pond. Should any of the parameters sampled in the reservoir and streams (e.g., water quality, biota, etc.) exceed established threshold levels during the implementation of the proposed action, water would again be pumped into the reservoir to minimize any impacts by bringing the water level back to an appropriate level about 58.2 m (195 ft).

Control Strategies to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Central Domestic Hot Water Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Ansanelli, Eric [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Henderson, Hugh [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Varshney, Kapil [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions

2016-06-23

Domestic hot water (DHW) heating is the second largest energy end use in U.S. buildings, exceeded only by space conditioning. Recirculation systems consisting of a pump and piping loop(s) are commonly used in multifamily buildings to reduce wait time for hot water at faucets; however, constant pumping increases energy consumption by exposing supply and return line piping to continuous heat loss, even during periods when there is no demand for hot water. In this study, ARIES installed and tested two types of recirculation controls in a pair of buildings in order to evaluate their energy savings potential. Demand control, temperature modulation controls, and the simultaneous operation of both were compared to the baseline case of constant recirculation. Additionally, interactive effects between DHW control fuel reductions and space conditioning (heating and cooling) were estimated in order to make more realistic predictions of the payback and financial viability of retrofitting DHW systems with these controls. Results showed that DHW fuel consumption reduced by 7% after implementing the demand control technique, 2% after implementing temperature modulation, and 15% after implementing demand control and temperature modulation techniques simultaneously; recirculation pump runtime was reduced to 14 minutes or less per day. With space heating and cooling interactions included, the estimated annual cost savings were 8%, 1%, and 14% for the respective control techniques. Possible complications in the installation, commissioning and operation of the controls were identified and solutions offered.

Control Strategies to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Central Domestic Hot Water Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan; Ansanelli, Eric; Henderson, Hugh; Varshney, Kapil

2016-06-03

Domestic hot water (DHW) heating is the second largest energy end use in U.S. buildings, exceeded only by space conditioning. Recirculation systems consisting of a pump and piping loop(s) are commonly used in multifamily buildings to reduce wait time for hot water at faucets; however, constant pumping increases energy consumption by exposing supply and return line piping to continuous heat loss, even during periods when there is no demand for hot water. In this study, ARIES installed and tested two types of recirculation controls in a pair of buildings in order to evaluate their energy savings potential. Demand control, temperature modulation controls, and the simultaneous operation of both were compared to the baseline case of constant recirculation. Additionally, interactive effects between DHW control fuel reductions and space conditioning (heating and cooling) were estimated in order to make more realistic predictions of the payback and financial viability of retrofitting DHW systems with these controls. Results showed that DHW fuel consumption reduced by 7% after implementing the demand control technique, 2% after implementing temperature modulation, and 15% after implementing demand control and temperature modulation techniques simultaneously; recirculation pump runtime was reduced to 14 minutes or less per day. With space heating and cooling interactions included, the estimated annual cost savings were 8%, 1%, and 14% for the respective control techniques. Possible complications in the installation, commissioning and operation of the controls were identified and solutions offered.

Competition-Induced Reductions in Soil Water Availability Reduced Pine Root Extension Rates

Science.gov (United States)

K.H. Ludovici; L.A. Morris

1997-01-01

The relationship between soil water availability, root extension, and shoot growth of loblolly pine seedlings (Pinus taeda L.) was evaluated in a rhizotron sand mixture in the absence and presence of crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) competition. Heights and diameters of seedlings grown with crabgrass were reduced 33 and SO%, respectively, compared with...

Electron drift velocities in He and water mixtures: Measurements and an assessment of the water vapour cross-section sets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urquijo, J. de; Juárez, A. M.; Basurto, E.; Ness, K. F.; Robson, R. E.; White, R. D.; Brunger, M. J.

2014-01-01

The drift velocity of electrons in mixtures of gaseous water and helium is measured over the range of reduced electric fields 0.1–300 Td using a pulsed-Townsend technique. Admixtures of 1% and 2% water to helium are found to produce negative differential conductivity (NDC), despite NDC being absent from the pure gases. The measured drift velocities are used as a further discriminative assessment on the accuracy and completeness of a recently proposed set of electron-water vapour cross-sections [K. F. Ness, R. E. Robson, M. J. Brunger, and R. D. White, J. Chem. Phys. 136, 024318 (2012)]. A refinement of the momentum transfer cross-section for electron-water vapour scattering is presented, which ensures self-consistency with the measured drift velocities in mixtures with helium to within approximately 5% over the range of reduced fields considered

A research on the environmental impact on nearby waters range at low-level radioactive waste water drain from the Dayawan nuclear power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chunling; Xu Zitu; Xiao Zhang.

1987-01-01

The possible influence of the low-level radioactive waste water drain from the Dayawan nuclear power station upon nearby waters range is discussed. The contents of the article contains the numerical simulation on tidal currents and pollutant diffusion, the calculation of concentration distribution of radioactive contaminants in the water area and of polluted field, and the criterion on radioactive contaminant influence on nearby residents and aquatic biologicals. The result shows that when the Dayawan nuclear power station is on normal operation and after the low-level radioactive waste water has been drained off into the sea, the radioactive concentration is even lower than the natural background radiation just out-side the area of about 4 km 2 round the water outlet. As a result, it won't cause any danger to the water environment. Due to the fact that the concentration of the low-level radioactive waste water from the nuclear power station fully accords with the national standard GB4792-84 and the sea water quality sandard GBH2, 3-82. It is no harm to either residents and aquatic biologicals or ecological balance

Progress in design study on reduced-moderation water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okubo, Tsutomu; Kugo, Teruhiko; Shimada, Shoichiro; Shirakawa, Toshihisa; Iwamura, Takamichi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Takeda, Renzo [Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Yokoyama, Tsugio [Toshiba Corp., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan); Hibi, Koki [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Wada, Shigeyuki [Japan Atomic Power Co., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-06-01

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is a next generation water-cooled reactor which aims at effective utilization of uranium resource, high burn-up and long operation cycle, and plutonium multi-recycle. These characteristics can be achieved by the high conversion ratio from {sup 238}U to {sup 239}Pu resulted from the higher neutron energy spectrum in comparison to conventional light water reactors. Considering the extension of LWR utilization, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) started the research on it in 1997 and then started a collaboration in the conceptual design study with the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) in 1998, under technical cooperation with three Japanese reactor vendors. In the core design study of the RMWR, negative void reactivity coefficient is required from a viewpoint of safety as well as establishing hard neutron spectrum. In order to achieve the above trade-off characteristics simultaneously, several basic core design ideas should be combined, such as a tight-lattice fuel assembly, a flat core, a blanket effect, a streaming effect and so on. Up to now, five core concepts have been created for the RMWR as follows: a high conversion BWR type core with high void fraction and super-flat core, a long operation cycle BWR type core using void tube assembly, a high conversion BWR type core without blankets, a high conversion PWR type core using heavy water as a coolant, and a PWR type core for plutonium multi-recycle using seed-blanket type fuel assemblies. Detailed feasibility studies for the RMWR have been continued on core design study. The present report summarizes the recent progress in the design study for the RMWR. (author)

Soda Creek springs - metamorphic waters in the eastern Alaska Range

Science.gov (United States)

Richter, D.H.; Donaldson, D.E.; Lamarre, R.A.

1973-01-01

The Soda Creek springs are a group of small, cold mineral springs on the southern flank of the eastern Alaska Range. The spring waters contain anomalous concentrations of carbon dioxide, sodium, chlorine, sulfate, boron, and ammonia and are actively precipitating deposits of calcite and aragonite. Sparingly present in these deposits are mixed-layer illite-montmorillonite clays and zeolite minerals. Low-temperaturemetamorphic reactions in subjacent marine sedimentary rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age may have produced the fluids and silicate minerals. With only a few exceptions, cool bicarbonate-rich springs in Alaska are concentrated south of the Denali fault system in south-central Alaska, southeastern Alaska, and along the Kaltag-Tintina fault system. These areas are characterized by active or recently activetectonism, major faults and folds, and an abundance of marine sedimentary rocks.

Influence of long-range transboundary transport on atmospheric water vapor mercury collected at the largest city of Tibet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Jie [Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI 50130 (Finland); Kang, Shichang, E-mail: shichang.kang@lzb.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Tian, Lide [Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Guo, Junming [Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang, Qianggong; Cong, Zhiyuan [Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Sillanpää, Mika [Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI 50130 (Finland); and others

2016-10-01

Monsoon circulation is an important process that affects long-range transboundary transport of anthropogenic contaminants such as mercury (Hg). During the Indian monsoon season of 2013, a total of 92 and 26 atmospheric water vapor samples were collected at Lhasa, the largest city of the Tibet, for Hg and major ions analysis, respectively. The relatively low pH/high electronic conductivity values, together with the fact that NH{sub 4}{sup +} in atmospheric water vapor was even higher than that determined in precipitation of Lhasa, indicated the effects of anthropogenic perturbations through long-range transboundary atmospheric transport. Concentrations of Hg in atmospheric water vapor ranged from 2.5 to 73.7 ng L{sup −1}, with an average of 12.5 ng L{sup −1}. The elevated Hg and major ions concentrations, and electronic conductivity values were generally associated with weak acidic samples, and Hg mainly loaded with anthropogenic ions such as NH{sub 4}{sup +}. The results of principal component analysis and trajectory analysis suggested that anthropogenic emissions from the Indian subcontinent may have largely contributed to the determined Hg in atmospheric water vapor. Furthermore, our study reconfirmed that below-cloud scavenging contribution was significant for precipitation Hg in Lhasa, and evaluated that on average 74.1% of the Hg in precipitation could be accounted for by below-cloud scavenging. - Highlights: • The low pH/high electronic conductivity was found in atmospheric water vapor. • Anthropogenic NH{sub 4}{sup +} was higher than that determined in precipitation of Lhasa. • Elevated Hg and major ions levels were usually associated with weak acidic samples. • Hg in atmospheric water vapor was largely influenced by transboundary transport. • Below-cloud scavenging accounted for most Hg in precipitation.

Influence of long-range transboundary transport on atmospheric water vapor mercury collected at the largest city of Tibet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jie; Kang, Shichang; Tian, Lide; Guo, Junming; Zhang, Qianggong; Cong, Zhiyuan; Sillanpää, Mika

2016-01-01

Monsoon circulation is an important process that affects long-range transboundary transport of anthropogenic contaminants such as mercury (Hg). During the Indian monsoon season of 2013, a total of 92 and 26 atmospheric water vapor samples were collected at Lhasa, the largest city of the Tibet, for Hg and major ions analysis, respectively. The relatively low pH/high electronic conductivity values, together with the fact that NH_4"+ in atmospheric water vapor was even higher than that determined in precipitation of Lhasa, indicated the effects of anthropogenic perturbations through long-range transboundary atmospheric transport. Concentrations of Hg in atmospheric water vapor ranged from 2.5 to 73.7 ng L"−"1, with an average of 12.5 ng L"−"1. The elevated Hg and major ions concentrations, and electronic conductivity values were generally associated with weak acidic samples, and Hg mainly loaded with anthropogenic ions such as NH_4"+. The results of principal component analysis and trajectory analysis suggested that anthropogenic emissions from the Indian subcontinent may have largely contributed to the determined Hg in atmospheric water vapor. Furthermore, our study reconfirmed that below-cloud scavenging contribution was significant for precipitation Hg in Lhasa, and evaluated that on average 74.1% of the Hg in precipitation could be accounted for by below-cloud scavenging. - Highlights: • The low pH/high electronic conductivity was found in atmospheric water vapor. • Anthropogenic NH_4"+ was higher than that determined in precipitation of Lhasa. • Elevated Hg and major ions levels were usually associated with weak acidic samples. • Hg in atmospheric water vapor was largely influenced by transboundary transport. • Below-cloud scavenging accounted for most Hg in precipitation.

Using microbial desalination cells to reduce water salinity prior to reverse osmosis

KAUST Repository

Mehanna, Maha; Saito, Tomonori; Yan, Jingling; Hickner, Michael; Cao, Xiaoxin; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

type of air-cathode MDC containing three equally sized chambers. A single cycle of operation using a 1 g L -1 acetate solution reduced the conductivity of salt water (5 g L-1 NaCl) by 43 ± 6%, and produced a maximum power density of 480 mW m-2 with a

Regional Responses to Constrained Water Availability

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Y.; Calvin, K. V.; Hejazi, M. I.; Clarke, L.; Kim, S. H.; Patel, P.

2017-12-01

There have been many concerns about water as a constraint to agricultural production, electricity generation, and many other human activities in the coming decades. Nevertheless, how different countries/economies would respond to such constraints has not been explored. Here, we examine the responding mechanism of binding water availability constraints at the water basin level and across a wide range of socioeconomic, climate and energy technology scenarios. Specifically, we look at the change in water withdrawals between energy, land-use and other sectors within an integrated framework, by using the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) that also endogenizes water use and allocation decisions based on costs. We find that, when water is taken into account as part of the production decision-making, countries/basins in general fall into three different categories, depending on the change of water withdrawals and water re-allocation between sectors. First, water is not a constraining factor for most of the basins. Second, advancements in water-saving technologies of the electricity generation cooling systems are sufficient of reducing water withdrawals to meet binding water availability constraints, such as in China and the EU-15. Third, water-saving in the electricity sector alone is not sufficient and thus cannot make up the lowered water availability from the binding case; for example, many basins in Pakistan, Middle East and India have to largely reduce irrigated water withdrawals by either switching to rain-fed agriculture or reducing production. The dominant responding strategy for individual countries/basins is quite robust across the range of alternate scenarios that we test. The relative size of water withdrawals between energy and agriculture sectors is one of the most important factors that affect the dominant mechanism.

Structural changes in latosols of the cerrado region: I - relationships between soil physical properties and least limiting water range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo da Costa Severiano

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The agricultural potential of Latosols of the Brazilian Cerrado region is high, but when intensively cultivated under inappropriate management systems, the porosity can be seriously reduced, leading to rapid soil degradation. Consequently, accelerated erosion and sedimentation of springs and creeks have been observed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate structural changes of Latosols in Rio Verde, Goiás, based on the Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR, and relationships between LLWR and other physical properties. Soil samples were collected from the B horizons of five oxidic Latosols representing the textural variability of the Latosols of the Cerrado biome. LLWR and other soil physical properties were determined at various soil compaction degrees induced by uniaxial compression. Soil compaction caused effects varying from enhanced plant growth due to higher water retention, to severe restriction of edaphic functions. Also, inverse relationships were observed between clay content and bulk density values (Bd under different structural conditions. Bd values corresponding to critical soil macroporosity (BdcMAC were more restrictive to a sustainable use of the studied Latosols than the critical Bd corresponding to LLWR (BdcLLWR. The high tolerable compression potential of these oxidic Latosols was related to the high aeration porosity associated to the granular structure.

Environmental response nanosilica for reducing the pressure of water injection in ultra-low permeability reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Peisong; Niu, Liyong; Li, Xiaohong; Zhang, Zhijun

2017-12-01

The super-hydrophobic silica nanoparticles are applied to alter the wettability of rock surface from water-wet to oil-wet. The aim of this is to reduce injection pressure so as to enhance water injection efficiency in low permeability reservoirs. Therefore, a new type of environmentally responsive nanosilica (denote as ERS) is modified with organic compound containing hydrophobic groups and "pinning" groups by covalent bond and then covered with a layer of hydrophilic organic compound by chemical adsorption to achieve excellent water dispersibility. Resultant ERS is homogeneously dispersed in water with a size of about 4-8 nm like a micro-emulsion system and can be easily injected into the macro or nano channels of ultra-low permeability reservoirs. The hydrophobic nanosilica core can be released from the aqueous delivery system owing to its strong dependence on the environmental variation from normal condition to injection wells (such as pH and salinity). Then the exposed silica nanoparticles form a thin layer on the surface of narrow pore throat, leading to the wettability from water-wet to oil-wet. More importantly, the two rock cores with different permeability were surface treated with ERS dispersion with a concentration of 2 g/L, exhibit great reduce of water injection pressure by 57.4 and 39.6%, respectively, which shows great potential for exploitation of crude oil from ultra-low permeability reservoirs during water flooding. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Optimization of the graph model of the water conduit network, based on the approach of search space reducing

Science.gov (United States)

Korovin, Iakov S.; Tkachenko, Maxim G.

2018-03-01

In this paper we present a heuristic approach, improving the efficiency of methods, used for creation of efficient architecture of water distribution networks. The essence of the approach is a procedure of search space reduction the by limiting the range of available pipe diameters that can be used for each edge of the network graph. In order to proceed the reduction, two opposite boundary scenarios for the distribution of flows are analysed, after which the resulting range is further narrowed by applying a flow rate limitation for each edge of the network. The first boundary scenario provides the most uniform distribution of the flow in the network, the opposite scenario created the net with the highest possible flow level. The parameters of both distributions are calculated by optimizing systems of quadratic functions in a confined space, which can be effectively performed with small time costs. This approach was used to modify the genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed GA provides a variable number of variants of each gene, according to the number of diameters in list, taking into account flow restrictions. The proposed approach was implemented to the evaluation of a well-known test network - the Hanoi water distribution network [1], the results of research were compared with a classical GA with an unlimited search space. On the test data, the proposed trip significantly reduced the search space and provided faster and more obvious convergence in comparison with the classical version of GA.

Agricultural implications of reduced water supplies in the Green and Upper Yellowstone River Basins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lansford, R. R.; Roach, F.; Gollehon, N. R.; Creel, B. J.

1982-02-01

The growth of the energy sector in the energy-rich but water-restricted Western US has presented a potential conflict with the irrigated agricultural sector. This study measures the direct impacts on farm income and employment resulting from the transfer of water from agriculture to energy in two specific geographical areas - the Green and Upper Yellowstone River Basins. We used a linear programming model to evaluate the impacts of reduced water supplies. Through the use of regional multipliers, we expanded our analysis to include regional impacts. Volume I provides the major analysis of these impacts. Volume II provides further technical data.

Calcification of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, under ambient and reduced pH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-P. Gattuso

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa is one of the few species able to build reef-like structures and a 3-dimensional coral framework in the deep oceans. Furthermore, deep cold-water coral bioherms may be among the first marine ecosystems to be affected by ocean acidification. Colonies of L. pertusa were collected during a cruise in 2006 to cold-water coral bioherms of the Mingulay reef complex (Hebrides, North Atlantic. Shortly after sample collection onboard these corals were labelled with calcium-45. The same experimental approach was used to assess calcification rates and how those changed due to reduced pH during a cruise to the Skagerrak (North Sea in 2007. The highest calcification rates were found in youngest polyps with up to 1% d−1 new skeletal growth and average rates of 0.11±0.02% d−1±S.E.. Lowering pH by 0.15 and 0.3 units relative to the ambient level resulted in calcification being reduced by 30 and 56%. Lower pH reduced calcification more in fast growing, young polyps (59% reduction than in older polyps (40% reduction. Thus skeletal growth of young and fast calcifying corallites suffered more from ocean acidification. Nevertheless, L. pertusa exhibited positive net calcification (as measured by 45Ca incorporation even at an aragonite saturation state (Ωa below 1.

The temperature dependence of intermediate range oxygen-oxygen correlations in liquid water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlesinger, Daniel; Pettersson, Lars G. M.; Wikfeldt, K. Thor; Skinner, Lawrie B.; Benmore, Chris J.; Nilsson, Anders

2016-01-01

We analyze the recent temperature dependent oxygen-oxygen pair-distribution functions from experimental high-precision x-ray diffraction data of bulk water by Skinner et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 214507 (2014)] with particular focus on the intermediate range where small, but significant, correlations are found out to 17 Å. The second peak in the pair-distribution function at 4.5 Å is connected to tetrahedral coordination and was shown by Skinner et al. to change behavior with temperature below the temperature of minimum isothermal compressibility. Here we show that this is associated also with a peak growing at 11 Å which strongly indicates a collective character of fluctuations leading to the enhanced compressibility at lower temperatures. We note that the peak at ∼13.2 Å exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of the density with a maximum close to 277 K or 4 °C. We analyze simulations of the TIP4P/2005 water model in the same manner and find excellent agreement between simulations and experiment albeit with a temperature shift of ∼20 K.

The temperature dependence of intermediate range oxygen-oxygen correlations in liquid water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlesinger, Daniel; Pettersson, Lars G. M., E-mail: Lars.Pettersson@fysik.su.se [Department of Physics, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Wikfeldt, K. Thor [Department of Physics, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Science Institute, University of Iceland, VR-III, 107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Skinner, Lawrie B.; Benmore, Chris J. [X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Nilsson, Anders [Department of Physics, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States)

2016-08-28

We analyze the recent temperature dependent oxygen-oxygen pair-distribution functions from experimental high-precision x-ray diffraction data of bulk water by Skinner et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 214507 (2014)] with particular focus on the intermediate range where small, but significant, correlations are found out to 17 Å. The second peak in the pair-distribution function at 4.5 Å is connected to tetrahedral coordination and was shown by Skinner et al. to change behavior with temperature below the temperature of minimum isothermal compressibility. Here we show that this is associated also with a peak growing at 11 Å which strongly indicates a collective character of fluctuations leading to the enhanced compressibility at lower temperatures. We note that the peak at ∼13.2 Å exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of the density with a maximum close to 277 K or 4 °C. We analyze simulations of the TIP4P/2005 water model in the same manner and find excellent agreement between simulations and experiment albeit with a temperature shift of ∼20 K.

The Use of Water-filled Bags to Reduce the Effects of Explosives

Science.gov (United States)

1994-08-01

of Water-filled Bags to Reduce the Effects of Explosives. 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...Heery inc (and designed at Edinburgh University by Matthew Rea) is already in operation not far from here in the Disneyland ’Typhoon Lagoon’ at Orlando

4.5 Tesla magnetic field reduces range of high-energy positrons -- Potential implications for positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wirrwar, A.; Vosberg, H.; Herzog, H.; Halling, H.; Weber, S.; Mueller-Gaertner, H.W.; Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH

1997-01-01

The authors have theoretically and experimentally investigated the extent to which homogeneous magnetic fields up to 7 Tesla reduce the spatial distance positrons travel before annihilation (positron range). Computer simulations of a noncoincident detector design using a Monte Carlo algorithm calculated the positron range as a function of positron energy and magnetic field strength. The simulation predicted improvements in resolution, defined as full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the line-spread function (LSF) for a magnetic field strength up to 7 Tesla: negligible for F-18, from 3.35 mm to 2.73 mm for Ga-68 and from 3.66 mm to 2.68 mm for Rb-82. Also a substantial noise suppression was observed, described by the full-width at tenth-maximum (FWTM) for higher positron energies. The experimental approach confirmed an improvement in resolution for Ga-68 from 3.54 mm at 0 Tesla to 2.99 mm FWHM at 4.5 Tesla and practically no improvement for F-18 (2.97 mm at 0 Tesla and 2.95 mm at 4.5 Tesla). It is concluded that the simulation model is appropriate and that a homogeneous static magnetic field of 4.5 Tesla reduces the range of high-energy positrons to an extent that may improve spatial resolution in positron emission tomography

Stopping power of liquid water for carbon ions in the energy range between 1 MeV and 6 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahm, J M; Baek, W Y; Rabus, H; Hofsäss, H

2014-01-01

The stopping power of liquid water was measured for the first time for carbon ions in the energy range between 1 and 6 MeV using the inverted Doppler shift attenuation method. The feasibility study carried out within the scope of the present work shows that this method is well suited for the quantification of the controversial condensed phased effect in the stopping power for heavy ions in the intermediate energy range. The preliminary results of this work indicate that the stopping power of water for carbon ions with energies prevailing in the Bragg-peak region is significantly lower than that of water vapor. In view of the relatively high uncertainty of the present results, a new experiment with uncertainties less than the predicted difference between the stopping powers of both water phases is planned. (paper)

Biological effects of tritium on fish cells in the concentration range of international drinking water standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, Marilyne; Festarini, Amy; Schleicher, Krista; Tan, Elizabeth; Kim, Sang Bog; Wen, Kendall; Gawlik, Jilian; Ulsh, Brant

2016-10-01

To evaluate whether the current Canadian tritium drinking water limit is protective of aquatic biota, an in vitro study was designed to assess the biological effects of low concentrations of tritium, similar to what would typically be found near a Canadian nuclear power station, and higher concentrations spanning the range of international tritium drinking water standards. Channel catfish peripheral blood B-lymphoblast and fathead minnow testis cells were exposed to 10-100,000 Bq l(-1) of tritium, after which eight molecular and cellular endpoints were assessed. Increased numbers of DNA strand breaks were observed and ATP levels were increased. There were no increases in γH2AX-mediated DNA repair. No differences in cell growth were noted. Exposure to the lowest concentrations of tritium were associated with a modest increase in the viability of fathead minnow testicular cells. Using the micronucleus assay, an adaptive response was observed in catfish B-lymphoblasts. Using molecular endpoints, biological responses to tritium in the range of Canadian and international drinking water standards were observed. At the cellular level, no detrimental effects were noted on growth or cycling, and protective effects were observed as an increase in cell viability and an induced resistance to a large challenge dose.

Fullerene-reduced graphene oxide composites obtained by ultrashort laser ablation of fullerite in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Bonis, A., E-mail: angela.debonis@unibas.it [Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10-85100, Potenza (Italy); Curcio, M. [Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10-85100, Potenza (Italy); Santagata, A. [CNR-ISM, U.O.S. Tito Scalo, Zona Industriale, 85050, Tito Scalo (PZ) (Italy); Rau, J.V. [CNR-ISM, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100-00133, Rome (Italy); Galasso, A.; Teghil, R. [Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10-85100, Potenza (Italy)

2015-05-01

Highlights: • Laser ablation of a fullerite target in water performed by an ultra-short laser source has been reported. • The formation of reduced graphene oxide has been described considering the laser ablation in liquid mechanism. • Fullerene-reduced graphene oxide composite, in the form of self assembled microtubes, has been described. - Abstract: The laser ablation in liquid of carbon-based solid targets is of particular interest thanks to the possibility of obtaining different carbon allotropes by varying the experimental parameters employed. The ablation of a fullerite target in water using a frequency-doubled Nd:glass laser source with a pulse duration of 250 fs and a frequency repetition rate of 10 Hz is presented. The obtained products have been characterized by transmission electron and atomic force microscopies and by X-ray photoelectron and micro-Raman spectroscopies. During the femtosecond laser ablation, the collapse of fullerene cages has been considered with the consequent formation of graphene oxide (GO) and its successive hydrogenation. The process of self-assembling in microtube structures of the formed reduced graphene oxide-fullerene composites has then been reported.

Water-in-oil-in-water double emulsion for the delivery of starter cultures in reduced-salt moromi fermentation of soy sauce.

Science.gov (United States)

Devanthi, Putu Virgina Partha; Linforth, Robert; El Kadri, Hani; Gkatzionis, Konstantinos

2018-08-15

This study investigated the application of water-oil-water (W 1 /O/W 2 ) double emulsions (DE) for yeast encapsulation and sequential inoculation of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Tetragenococcus halophilus in moromi stage of soy sauce fermentation with reduced NaCl and/or substitution with KCl. Z. rouxii and T. halophilus were incorporated in the internal W 1 and external W 2 phase of DE, respectively. NaCl reduction and substitution promoted T. halophilus growth to 8.88 log CFU/mL, accompanied with faster sugar depletion and enhanced lactic acid production. Reducing NaCl without substitution increased the final pH (5.49) and decreased alcohols, acids, esters, furan and phenol content. However, the application of DE resulted in moromi with similar microbiological and physicochemical characteristics to that of high-salt. Principal component analysis of GC-MS data demonstrated that the reduced-salt moromi had identical aroma profile to that obtained in the standard one, indicating the feasibility of producing low-salt soy sauce without compromising its quality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing water consumption of an industrial plant cooling unit using hybrid cooling tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezaei, Ebrahim; Shafiei, Sirous; Abdollahnezhad, Aydin

2010-01-01

Water consumption is an important problem in dry zones and poor water supply areas. For these areas use of a combination of wet and dry cooling towers (hybrid cooling) has been suggested in order to reduce water consumption. In this work, wet and dry sections of a hybrid cooling tower for the estimation of water loss was modeled. A computer code was also written to simulate such hybrid cooling tower. To test the result of this simulation, a pilot hybrid tower containing a wet tower and 12 compact air cooled heat exchangers was designed and constructed. Pilot data were compared with simulation data and a correction factor was added to the simulation. Ensuring that the simulation represents the actual data, it was applied to a real industrial case and the effect of using a dry tower on water loss reduction of this plant cooling unit was investigated. Finally feasibility study was carried out to choose the best operating conditions for the hybrid cooling tower configuration proposed for this cooling unit.

Reduced nighttime transpiration is a relevant breeding target for high water-use efficiency in grapevine.

Science.gov (United States)

Coupel-Ledru, Aude; Lebon, Eric; Christophe, Angélique; Gallo, Agustina; Gago, Pilar; Pantin, Florent; Doligez, Agnès; Simonneau, Thierry

2016-08-09

Increasing water scarcity challenges crop sustainability in many regions. As a consequence, the enhancement of transpiration efficiency (TE)-that is, the biomass produced per unit of water transpired-has become crucial in breeding programs. This could be achieved by reducing plant transpiration through a better closure of the stomatal pores at the leaf surface. However, this strategy generally also lowers growth, as stomatal opening is necessary for the capture of atmospheric CO2 that feeds daytime photosynthesis. Here, we considered the reduction in transpiration rate at night (En) as a possible strategy to limit water use without altering growth. For this purpose, we carried out a genetic analysis for En and TE in grapevine, a major crop in drought-prone areas. Using recently developed phenotyping facilities, potted plants of a cross between Syrah and Grenache cultivars were screened for 2 y under well-watered and moderate soil water deficit scenarios. High genetic variability was found for En under both scenarios and was primarily associated with residual diffusion through the stomata. Five quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected that underlay genetic variability in En Interestingly, four of them colocalized with QTLs for TE. Moreover, genotypes with favorable alleles on these common QTLs exhibited reduced En without altered growth. These results demonstrate the interest of breeding grapevine for lower water loss at night and pave the way to breeding other crops with this underexploited trait for higher TE.

Radiation-induced polymerization of water-saturated styrene in a wide range of dose rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takezaki, J.; Okada, T.; Sakurada, I.

1978-01-01

Radiation-induced polymerization of water-saturated styrene (water content 3.5 x 10 -2 mole/liter) was carried out in a wide range of dose rate between 1.2 x 10 3 and 1.8 x 10 7 rad/sec, and compared with the polymerization of the moderately dried styrene (water content 3.2 x 10 -3 mole/liter). Molecular weight distribution curves of the polymerization products showed that they were generally consisted of four parts, namely, oligomers, radical, cationic, and super polymers. Contributions of the four constituents to the polymerization and the number average degrees of polymerization (DP) of the four kinds of polymers were calculated by the graphical analysis of the curves. The rate of radical polymerization and DP of radical polymers are independent of the water content; the dose rate dependences of the polymerization rate and DP agree with the well known square root and inverse square root laws, respectively, of the radical polymerization of styrene. The rate of ionic polymerization is directly proportional to the dose rate, but it decreases, at a given dose rate, inversely proportional to the water content of styrene. DP of ionic polymer is independent of the dose rate but decreases with increasing water content. The super polymer of DP about 10 4 is not formed in the case of the moderately dried styrene. G values for the initiating radical and ion formation are calculated to be independently of the dose rate and water content, 0.66 and 0.027, respectively. It was suggested that oligomer was formed in the early stage by the interaction of cation with anion and only those cations which had survived underwent polymerization. 10 figures, 4 tables

Development of Polymer Gel Systems to Improve Volumetric Sweep and Reduce Producing Water/Oil Ratios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. Paul Willhite; Stan McCool; Don W. Green; Min Cheng; Feiyan Chen

2005-12-31

Gelled polymer treatments are applied to oil reservoirs to increase oil production and to reduce water production by altering the fluid movement within the reservoir. This report describes the results of a 42-month research program that focused on the understanding of gelation chemistry and the fundamental mechanisms that alter the flows of oil and water in reservoir rocks after a gel treatment. Work was conducted on a widely applied system in the field, the partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-chromium acetate gel. Gelation occurs by network formation through the crosslinking of polyacrylamide molecules as a result of reaction with chromium acetate. Pre-gel aggregates form and grow as reactions between chromium acetate and polyacrylamide proceed. A rate equation that describes the reaction between chromium acetate and polymer molecules was regressed from experimental data. A mathematical model that describes the crosslinking reaction between two polymer molecules as a function of time was derived. The model was based on probability concepts and provides molecular-weight averages and molecular-weight distributions of the pre-gel aggregates as a function of time and initial system conditions. Average molecular weights of pre-gel aggregates were measured as a function of time and were comparable to model simulations. Experimental methods to determine molecular weight distributions of pre-gel aggregates were unsuccessful. Dissolution of carbonate minerals during the injection of gelants causes the pH of the gelant to increase. Chromium precipitates from solution at the higher pH values robbing the gelant of crosslinker. Experimental data on the transport of chromium acetate solutions through dolomite cores were obtained. A mathematical model that describes the transport of brine and chromium acetate solutions through rocks containing carbonate minerals was used to simulate the experimental results and data from literature. Gel treatments usually reduce the permeability

Shark Spotters: Successfully reducing spatial overlap between white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and recreational water users in False Bay, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Engelbrecht, Tamlyn; Kock, Alison; Waries, Sarah; O'Riain, M Justin

2017-01-01

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are apex predators that play an important role in the structure and stability of marine ecosystems. Despite their ecological importance and protected status, white sharks are still subject to lethal control to reduce the risk of shark bites for recreational water users. The Shark Spotters program, pioneered in Cape Town, South Africa, provides a non-lethal alternative for reducing the risk of human-shark conflict. In this study we assessed the efficacy of the Shark Spotters program in reducing overlap between water users and white sharks at two popular beaches in False Bay, South Africa. We investigated seasonal and diel patterns in water use and shark presence at each beach, and thereafter quantified the impact of different shark warnings from shark spotters on water user abundance. We also assessed the impact of a fatal shark incident on patterns of water use. Our results revealed striking diel and seasonal overlap between white sharks and water users at both beaches. Despite this, there was a low rate of shark-human incidents (0.5/annum) which we attribute partly to the success of the Shark Spotters program. Shark spotters use visual (coloured flags) and auditory (siren) cues to inform water users of risk associated with white shark presence in the surf zone. Our results showed that the highest risk category (denoted by a white flag and accompanying siren) caused a significant reduction in water user abundance; however the secondary risk category (denoted by a red flag with no siren) had no significant effect on water users. A fatal shark incident was shown to negatively impact the number of water users present for at least three months following the incident. Our results indicate that the Shark Spotters program effectively reduces spatial overlap between white sharks and water users when the risk of conflict is highest.

Priority water research questions for South Africa developed through ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper describes a collaborative process of identifying and prioritising current and future water research questions from a wide range of water specialists within South Africa. Over 1 600 questions were collected, reduced in number and prioritised by specialists working in water research and practice. A total of 59 ...

Exchanges across land-water-scape boundaries in urban systems: strategies for reducing nitrate pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadenasso, M L; Pickett, S T A; Groffman, P M; Band, L E; Brush, G S; Galvin, M F; Grove, J M; Hagar, G; Marshall, V; McGrath, B P; O'Neil-Dunne, J P M; Stack, W P; Troy, A R

2008-01-01

Conservation in urban areas typically focuses on biodiversity and large green spaces. However, opportunities exist throughout urban areas to enhance ecological functions. An important function of urban landscapes is retaining nitrogen thereby reducing nitrate pollution to streams and coastal waters. Control of nonpoint nitrate pollution in urban areas was originally based on the documented importance of riparian zones in agricultural and forested ecosystems. The watershed and boundary frameworks have been used to guide stream research and a riparian conservation strategy to reduce nitrate pollution in urban streams. But is stream restoration and riparian-zone conservation enough? Data from the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and other urban stream research indicate that urban riparian zones do not necessarily prevent nitrate from entering, nor remove nitrate from, streams. Based on this insight, policy makers in Baltimore extended the conservation strategy throughout larger watersheds, attempting to restore functions that no longer took place in riparian boundaries. Two urban revitalization projects are presented as examples aimed at reducing nitrate pollution to stormwater, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. An adaptive cycle of ecological urban design synthesizes the insights from the watershed and boundary frameworks, from new data, and from the conservation concerns of agencies and local communities. This urban example of conservation based on ameliorating nitrate water pollution extends the initial watershed-boundary approach along three dimensions: 1) from riparian to urban land-water-scapes; 2) from discrete engineering solutions to ecological design approaches; and 3) from structural solutions to inclusion of individual, household, and institutional behavior.

Modeling Soil Water Retention Curves in the Dry Range Using the Hygroscopic Water Content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Chong; Hu, Kelin; Arthur, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Accurate information on the dry end (matric potential less than −1500 kPa) of soil water retention curves (SWRCs) is crucial for studying water vapor transport and evaporation in soils. The objectives of this study were to assess the potential of the Oswin model for describing the water adsorption...... curves of soils and to predict SWRCs at the dry end using the hygroscopic water content at a relative humidity of 50% (θRH50). The Oswin model yielded satisfactory fits to dry-end SWRCs for soils dominated by both 2:1 and 1:1 clay minerals. Compared with the Oswin model, the Campbell and Shiozawa model...... for soils dominated by 2:1 and 1:1 clays, respectively. Comparison of the Oswin model combined with the Kelvin equation, with water potential estimated from θRH50 (Oswin-KRH50), CS model combined with the Arthur equation (CS-A), and CS-K model, with water potential obtained from θRH50 (CS-KRH50) indicated...

Core design study on reduced-moderation water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiroshi, Akie; Yoshihiro, Nakano; Toshihisa, Shirakawa; Tsutomu, Okubo; Takamichi, Iwamura

2002-01-01

The conceptual core design study of reduced-moderation water reactors (RMWRs) with tight-pitched MOX-fuelled lattice has been carried out at JAERI. Several different RMWR core concepts based on both BWR and PWR have been proposed. All the core concepts meet with the aim to achieve both a conversion ratio of 1.0 or larger and negative void reactivity coefficient. As one of these RMWR concepts, the ABWR compatible core is also proposed. Although the conversion ratio of this core is 1.0 and the void coefficient is negative, the discharge burn-up of the fuel was about 25 GWd/t. By adopting a triangular fuel pin lattice for the reduction of moderator volume fraction and modifying axial Pu enrichment distribution, it was aimed to extend the discharge burn-up of ABWR compatible type RMWR. By using a triangular fuel lattice of smaller moderator volume fraction, discharge burn-up of 40 GWd/t seems achievable, keeping the high conversion ratio and the negative void coefficient. (authors)

The range and effectiveness of short-term measures to reduce traffic emissions during high air pollution episodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsom, Derek M.

1999-01-01

Concern for continuing poor urban air quality, caused primarily by motor vehicles emissions, and the slow progress being made towards reducing total vehicle emissions by long-term measures, such as improving fuel and vehicle technologies, has prompted some authorities to try to reduce the severity and duration of high air pollution episodes by implementing short-term traffic restraint measures. This paper reviews the range of episodic air quality management schemes applied in cities around the world and comments on the effectiveness of such schemes. The difficulty of targeting vehicles according to the contribution they make to the air quality problem is highlighted. The problem of some schemes simply causing a displacement of the area of excessive vehicle emissions rather than reducing total emissions is reviewed. Rapid developments in telematics and improved urban air quality and traffic monitoring networks (e.g. Urban Traffic Management and Control systems) may offer significant improvements in the effectiveness of episodic management schemes in the future. (Author)

Quantitative monitoring of sucrose, reducing sugar and total sugar dynamics for phenotyping of water-deficit stress tolerance in rice through spectroscopy and chemometrics

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Bappa; Sahoo, Rabi N.; Pargal, Sourabh; Krishna, Gopal; Verma, Rakesh; Chinnusamy, Viswanathan; Sehgal, Vinay K.; Gupta, Vinod K.; Dash, Sushanta K.; Swain, Padmini

2018-03-01

In the present investigation, the changes in sucrose, reducing and total sugar content due to water-deficit stress in rice leaves were modeled using visible, near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy. The objectives of the study were to identify the best vegetation indices and suitable multivariate technique based on precise analysis of hyperspectral data (350 to 2500 nm) and sucrose, reducing sugar and total sugar content measured at different stress levels from 16 different rice genotypes. Spectral data analysis was done to identify suitable spectral indices and models for sucrose estimation. Novel spectral indices in near infrared (NIR) range viz. ratio spectral index (RSI) and normalised difference spectral indices (NDSI) sensitive to sucrose, reducing sugar and total sugar content were identified which were subsequently calibrated and validated. The RSI and NDSI models had R2 values of 0.65, 0.71 and 0.67; RPD values of 1.68, 1.95 and 1.66 for sucrose, reducing sugar and total sugar, respectively for validation dataset. Different multivariate spectral models such as artificial neural network (ANN), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least square regression (PLSR), random forest regression (RFR) and support vector machine regression (SVMR) were also evaluated. The best performing multivariate models for sucrose, reducing sugars and total sugars were found to be, MARS, ANN and MARS, respectively with respect to RPD values of 2.08, 2.44, and 1.93. Results indicated that VNIR and SWIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate calibration can be used as a reliable alternative to conventional methods for measurement of sucrose, reducing sugars and total sugars of rice under water-deficit stress as this technique is fast, economic, and noninvasive.

Importance of pressure reducing valves (PRVs) in water supply networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Signoreti, R. O. S.; Camargo, R. Z.; Canno, L. M.; Pires, M. S. G.; Ribeiro, L. C. L. J.

2016-08-01

Challenged with the high rate of leakage from water supply systems, these managers are committed to identify control mechanisms. In order to standardize and control the pressure Pressure Reducing Valves (VRP) are installed in the supply network, shown to be more effective and provide a faster return for the actual loss control measures. It is known that the control pressure is while controlling the occurrence of leakage. Usually the network is sectored in areas defined by pressure levels according to its topography, once inserted the VRP in the same system will limit the downstream pressure. This work aims to show the importance of VRP as loss reduction for tool.

Forage Options for Dairy Farms with Reduced Water Availability in the Southern Murray Darling Basin of Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary-Jane Rogers

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The dairy industry in the southern Murray Darling Basin region of Australia is a major consumer of irrigation water because rainfall is low relative to evapotranspiration and the industrys relies heavily on irrigated temperate pastures and fodder crops. Water reforms, and potential climate change scenarios for this region suggest that there will be an overall decline in rainfall and water available for irrigation in the future. For the irrigated dairy industry to remain economically viable, there is a need for dairy farmers to improve the water productivity (WP of their forage systems and to be able to respond to year-to-year, and within year, variation in water availability. Researchers and dairy farmers are evaluating strategies to increase WP. These include: (i selecting better-adapted species for current and predicted climatic conditions; (ii using species that can survive and still be productive under reduced irrigation and then recover when full irrigation is restored; (iii modifying irrigation strategies to reduce water use whilst maintaining WP; and (iv grazing management strategies that facilitate the survival during, and recovery after, periods of moisture stress. This review will examine these strategies and discusses their potential to optimise forage production from irrigation water inputs so that the dairy industry in the southern Murray Darling Basin remains viable in the future.

Treatment and utilization of waste waters of surface mines in Ukraine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khmel' , N S

1981-01-01

Waste water of brown coal surface mines in the Dnieper basin is characterized. The water's pH value is 7, alkalinity ranges from 5.1 to 5.9 mg equivalent/1, it has no odor, a low mineralization level ranging from 1000 to 1100 mg/l. Concentration of mechanical impurities (suspended matter) ranges from 90 to 900 mg/l, and its maximum level can reach 5000 mg/l. An improved design of tanks in which waste water from surface mines is treated, and mechanical impurities settle, is proposed. Conventional design of a water sedimentation tank consists of a long ditch in which suspended matter settles, and a rectangular water reservoir at its end. In the improved version the long ditch is enlarged in some places to create additional tanks and to reduce velocity of flowing waste water. This improvement increases the amount of suspended matter which settles in the ditch and in its enlarged zones. When water reaches the rectangular sedimentation tank at the end of the system its suspended matter content is reduced to 40-45 mg/l. Formulae used to calculate dimensions of water treatment system, gradient of the ditch and size of sedimentation tank are presented. Methods of discharging treated waste water to surface water, rivers and stagnant waters, are evaluated. (In Russian)

Water contamination reduces the tolerance of coral larvae to thermal stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew P Negri

Full Text Available Coral reefs are highly susceptible to climate change, with elevated sea surface temperatures (SST posing one of the main threats to coral survival. Successful recruitment of new colonies is important for the recovery of degraded reefs following mortality events. Coral larvae require relatively uncontaminated substratum on which to metamorphose into sessile polyps, and the increasing pollution of coastal waters therefore constitutes an additional threat to reef resilience. Here we develop and analyse a model of larval metamorphosis success for two common coral species to quantify the interactive effects of water pollution (copper contamination and SST. We identify thresholds of temperature and pollution that prevent larval metamorphosis, and evaluate synergistic interactions between these stressors. Our analyses show that halving the concentration of Cu can protect corals from the negative effects of a 2-3°C increase in SST. These results demonstrate that effective mitigation of local impacts can reduce negative effects of global stressors.

Reducing consumption of electric current and energy carriers. [USSR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruppo, A.S.; Gruzdev, Yu.M.

1985-01-01

Evaluates the energy conservation program developed by the Giproshakht research institute is evaluated. The program was used in the Afanas'evo hydraulic mine in the Tulaugol association (with annual coal output of 2.1 Mt). Energy conservation program consisted of 2 groups of tasks: reducing energy consumption of the mine, and reducing energy consumption during the maximum demand hours in the morning and evening. The following methods were used: reducing idle running of chain and belt conveyors, separate draining of mine water free of dust and rock particles (reducing range of water cleaning), use of automatic control systems for mine blowers, automatic control of the system for coal drying, more efficient use of coal and materials transport in the mine. Energy demand of the mine during peak demand hours was reduced by adjusting fluctuations of energy consumption of the mine to fluctuations of energy demand in the power system of the area, e.g. by reducing mine draining in the morning and evening and operating at full capacity during the time of reduced energy demand. Using the energy conservation measures economized 4,324,300 kWh electric energy annually.

Ultraviolet irradiated water containing humic substances inhibits bacterial metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, V.; Hongve, D.

1994-01-01

Disinfection of drinking water by u.v. irradiation has been observed to reduce the biofilm formation in the pipes in a pilot plant. An apparently inhibitory effect that persists in the water after the u.v. treatment has been studied in the laboratory. Reduced numbers of viable bacteria and reduced bacterial metabolism were observed when irradiated waters were inoculated with fresh bacteria. Approximately 60% of the heterotrophic bacteria in the water samples were inactivated within a 1 h contact time with freshly u.v. disinfected water. The uptake rates of labelled tracer substances were significantly reduced when the bacteria were exposed to irradiated water. The inhibitory effect seems to last for at least 1 week. High concentrations of organic matter seem to counteract the inhibitory effect. No relationship was found between u.v. dose and effect within the dose range tested. The observed effects may be explained by the action of oxidizing reagents such as hydroxyl radicals, produced in photochemical reactions between u.v. irradiation and humic substances in the water. (author)

Effectiveness of oat and rye cover crops in reducing nitrate losses in drainage water

Science.gov (United States)

A significant portion of the NO3 from agricultural fields that contaminates surface waters in the Midwest Corn Belt is transported to streams or rivers by subsurface drainage systems or “tiles”. Previous research has shown that N fertilizer management alone is not sufficient for reducing NO3 concent...

Distinct germination response of endangered and common arable weeds to reduced water potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Rühl, A T; Eckstein, R L; Otte, A; Donath, T W

2016-01-01

Arable weeds are one of the most endangered species groups in Europe. Modern agriculture and intensive land-use management are the main causes of their dramatic decline. However, besides the changes in land use, climate change may further challenge the adaptability of arable weeds. Therefore, we investigated the response pattern of arable weeds to different water potential and temperature regimes during the phase of germination. We expected that endangered arable weeds would be more sensitive to differences in water availability and temperature than common arable weeds. To this end, we set up a climate chamber experiment where we exposed seeds of five familial pairs of common and endangered arable weed species to different temperatures (5/15, 10/20 °C) and water potentials (0.0 to -1.2 MPa). The results revealed a significant relationship between the reaction of arable weed species to water availability and their Red List status. The effects of reduced water availability on total germination, mean germination time and synchrony were significantly stronger in endangered than in common arable weeds. Therefore, global climate change may present a further threat to the survival of endangered arable weed species. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Stochastic reduced-order model for an automotive vehicle in presence of numerous local elastic modes in the low-frequency range

OpenAIRE

Arnoux , A.; Batou , Anas; Soize , Christian; Gagliardini , L.

2012-01-01

International audience; This paper is devoted to the construction of a stochastic reduced-order model for dynamical structures having a high modal density in the low-frequency range, such as an automotive vehicle. This type of structure is characterized by the fact that it exhibits, in the low-frequency range, not only the classical global elastic modes but also numerous local elastic modes which cannot easily be separated from the global elastic modes. An approach has recently been proposed ...

Multi-Scale Long-Range Magnitude and Sign Correlations in Vertical Upward Oil-Gas-Water Three-Phase Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, An; Jin, Ning-de; Ren, Ying-yu; Zhu, Lei; Yang, Xia

2016-01-01

In this article we apply an approach to identify the oil-gas-water three-phase flow patterns in vertical upwards 20 mm inner-diameter pipe based on the conductance fluctuating signals. We use the approach to analyse the signals with long-range correlations by decomposing the signal increment series into magnitude and sign series and extracting their scaling properties. We find that the magnitude series relates to nonlinear properties of the original time series, whereas the sign series relates to the linear properties. The research shows that the oil-gas-water three-phase flows (slug flow, churn flow, bubble flow) can be classified by a combination of scaling exponents of magnitude and sign series. This study provides a new way of characterising linear and nonlinear properties embedded in oil-gas-water three-phase flows.

Neck arthritis pain is reduced and range of motion is increased by massage therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, Tiffany; Diego, Miguel; Gonzalez, Gladys; Funk, C G

2014-11-01

The literature on the effects of massage therapy on neck arthritis pain is mixed depending on the dose level, and it is also based on self-report. In the present study an attempt was made to enhance the effects of weekly massage therapy by having the participants massage themselves daily. And in addition to self-reports on pain, range of motion (ROM) and the associated ROM pain were assessed before and after the first massage session and pre-post the last session one month later. Staff and faculty members at a medical school who were eligible for the study if they had neck arthritis pain were randomly assigned to a massage or a waitlist control group (N = 24 per group). The massage group received moderate pressure massages weekly by a massage therapist plus daily self-massages. The waitlist control group received the same schedule massages one month after being control subjects. The massage group showed significant short-term reductions after the first and last day massages in self-reported pain and in ROM-associated pain as well as an increase in ROM. Comparisons between the massage group (N = 23) and the control group (N = 14) on the last versus the first day data suggested significantly different changes including increased ROM and reduced ROM-associated pain for the massage group and reduced ROM and increased ROM-associated pain for the control group. These changes occurred specifically for flexion and right and left lateral flexion motions. These data highlight the importance of designing massage therapy protocols that target the most affected neck muscle groups and then assessing range of motion and related pain before and after the massage therapy. Comparisons with other studies also suggest that moderate pressure may contribute to the massage effects, and the use of daily self-massages between sessions may sustain the effects and serve as a cost-effective therapy for individuals with neck arthritis pain. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Subsurface watering resulted in reduced soil N2O and CO2 emissions and their global warming potentials than surface watering

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Qi; Xu, Junzeng; Yang, Shihong; Liao, Linxian; Jin, Guangqiu; Li, Yawei; Hameed, Fazli

2018-01-01

Water management is an important practice with significant effect on greenhouse gases (GHG) emission from soils. Nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their global warming potentials (GWPs) from subsurface watering soil (SUW) were investigated, with surface watering (SW) as a control. Results indicated that the N2O and CO2 emissions from SUW soils were somewhat different to those from SW soil, with the peak N2O and CO2 fluxes from SUW soil reduced by 28.9% and 19.4%, and appeared 72 h and 168 h later compared with SW. The fluxes of N2O and CO2 from SUW soils were lower than those from SW soil in both pulse and post-pulse periods, and the reduction was significantly (p0.1) lower that from SW soil. Moreover, N2O and CO2 fluxes from both watering treatments increased exponentially with increase of soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) and temperature. Our results suggest that watering soil from subsurface could significantly reduce the integrative greenhouse effect caused by N2O and CO2 and is a promising strategy for soil greenhouse gases (GHGs) mitigation. And the pulse period, contributed most to the reduction in emissions of N2O and CO2 from soils between SW and SUW, should be a key period for mitigating GHGs emissions. Response of N2O and CO2 emissions to soil WFPS and temperature illustrated that moisture was the dominant parameters that triggering GHG pulse emissions (especially for N2O), and temperature had a greater effect on the soil microorganism activity than moisture in drier soil. Avoiding moisture and temperature are appropriate for GHG emission at the same time is essential for GHGs mitigation, because peak N2O and CO2 emission were observed only when moisture and temperature are both appropriate.

Effect of rose water on structural, optical and electrical properties of composites of reduced graphene oxide-poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) grafted with silver nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Devender; Wadhwa, Heena; Mahendia, Suman; Chand, Fakir; Kumar, Shyam

2017-02-01

In this work, nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide-poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) grafted with silver nanoparticles (rGO-PVA-Ag) were prepared in the absence and presence of rose water. The optical characterizations of prepared nanocomposites were done through UV-visible spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy was employed for the surface characterization. The grafted silver (Ag) nanoparticles are found to be almost spherical in shape with reduction in their mean diameter from 47 nm to 26 nm after addition of rose water. The UV-visible absorption spectra of as-prepared rGO-PVA-Ag nanocomposites without and with rose water depicted surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at around 448 nm which coincides with the predicted spectra from simulation based on the Mie Theory. The electrical dc conductivity measurements as the function of temperature from room temperature to 55 °C were investigated. It has been found that use of rose water in synthesis process increases the electrical conductivity of the rGO-PVA-Ag. The mode of the electrical conduction in the composites can be explained using Efros-Shklovskii Variable Range Hopping mechanism (ES VRH).

The relative cost of bent-hip bent-knee walking is reduced in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuliukas, Algis V; Milne, Nick; Fournier, Paul

2009-01-01

The debate about how early hominids walked may be characterised as two competing hypotheses: They moved with a fully upright (FU) gait, like modern humans, or with a bent-hip, bent-knee (BK) gait, like apes. Both have assumed that this bipedalism was almost exclusively on land, in trees or a combination of the two. Recent findings favoured the FU hypothesis by showing that the BK gait is 50-60% more energetically costly than a FU human gait on land. We confirm these findings but show that in water this cost differential is markedly reduced, especially in deeper water, at slower speeds and with greater knee flexion. These data suggest that the controversy about australopithecine locomotion may be eased if it is assumed that wading was a component of their locomotor repertoire and supports the idea that shallow water might have been an environment favourable to the evolution of early forms of "non-optimal" hominid bipedalism.

Determination of Germination Response to Temperature and Water Potential for a Wide Range of Cover Crop Species and Related Functional Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Tribouillois, Hélène; Dürr, Carolyne; Demilly, Didier; Wagner, Marie-Hélène; Justes, Eric

2016-01-01

A wide range of species can be sown as cover crops during fallow periods to provide various ecosystem services. Plant establishment is a key stage, especially when sowing occurs in summer with high soil temperatures and low water availability. The aim of this study was to determine the response of germination to temperature and water potential for diverse cover crop species. Based on these characteristics, we developed contrasting functional groups that group species with the same germination ability, which may be useful to adapt species choice to climatic sowing conditions. Germination of 36 different species from six botanical families was measured in the laboratory at eight temperatures ranging from 4.5-43°C and at four water potentials. Final germination percentages, germination rate, cardinal temperatures, base temperature and base water potential were calculated for each species. Optimal temperatures varied from 21.3-37.2°C, maximum temperatures at which the species could germinate varied from 27.7-43.0°C and base water potentials varied from -0.1 to -2.6 MPa. Most cover crops were adapted to summer sowing with a relatively high mean optimal temperature for germination, but some Fabaceae species were more sensitive to high temperatures. Species mainly from Poaceae and Brassicaceae were the most resistant to water deficit and germinated under a low base water potential. Species were classified, independent of family, according to their ability to germinate under a range of temperatures and according to their base water potential in order to group species by functional germination groups. These groups may help in choosing the most adapted cover crop species to sow based on climatic conditions in order to favor plant establishment and the services provided by cover crops during fallow periods. Our data can also be useful as germination parameters in crop models to simulate the emergence of cover crops under different pedoclimatic conditions and crop

Noncovalently-functionalized reduced graphene oxide sheets by water-soluble methyl green for supercapacitor application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Xiaoying; Hu, Zhongai, E-mail: zhongai@nwnu.edu.cn; Hu, Haixiong; Qiang, Ruibin; Li, Li; Li, Zhimin; Yang, Yuying; Zhang, Ziyu; Wu, Hongying

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: Electroactive methyl green (MG) is selected to functionalize reduced graphene oxide (RGO) through non-covalent modification and the composite achieves high specific capacitance, good rate capability and excellent long life cycle. - Highlights: • MG–RGO composites were firstly prepared through non-covalent modification. • The mass ratio in composites is a key for achieving high specific capacitance. • MG–RGO 5:4 exhibits the highest specific capacitance of 341 F g{sup −1}. • MG–RGO 5:4 shows excellent rate capability and long life cycle. - Abstract: In the present work, water-soluble electroactive methyl green (MG) has been used to non-covalently functionalize reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for enhancing supercapacitive performance. The microstructure, composition and morphology of MG–RGO composites are systematically characterized by UV–vis absorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical performances are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The fast redox reactions from MG could generate additional pseudocapacitance, which endows RGO higher capacitances. As a result, the MG–RGO composite (with the 5:4 mass ratio of MG:RGO) achieve a maximum value of 341 F g{sup −1} at 1 A g{sup −1} within the potential range from −0.25 to 0.75 V and provide a 180% enhancement in specific capacitance in comparison with pure RGO. Furthermore, excellent rate capability (72% capacitance retention from 1 A g{sup −1} to 20 A g{sup −1}) and long life cycle (12% capacitance decay after 5000 cycles) are achieved for the MG–RGO composite electrode.

Transient turbid water mass reduces temperature-induced coral bleaching and mortality in Barbados

Science.gov (United States)

Vallès, Henri

2016-01-01

Global warming is seen as one of the greatest threats to the world’s coral reefs and, with the continued rise in sea surface temperature predicted into the future, there is a great need for further understanding of how to prevent and address the damaging impacts. This is particularly so for countries whose economies depend heavily on healthy reefs, such as those of the eastern Caribbean. Here, we compare the severity of bleaching and mortality for five dominant coral species at six representative reef sites in Barbados during the two most significant warm-water events ever recorded in the eastern Caribbean, i.e., 2005 and 2010, and describe prevailing island-scale sea water conditions during both events. In so doing, we demonstrate that coral bleaching and subsequent mortality were considerably lower in 2010 than in 2005 for all species, irrespective of site, even though the anomalously warm water temperature profiles were very similar between years. We also show that during the 2010 event, Barbados was engulfed by a transient dark green turbid water mass of riverine origin coming from South America. We suggest that reduced exposure to high solar radiation associated with this transient water mass was the primary contributing factor to the lower bleaching and mortality observed in all corals. We conclude that monitoring these episodic mesoscale oceanographic features might improve risk assessments of southeastern Caribbean reefs to warm-water events in the future. PMID:27326377

Efficacy of sanitized ice in reducing bacterial load on fish fillet and in the water collected from the melted ice.

Science.gov (United States)

Feliciano, Lizanel; Lee, Jaesung; Lopes, John A; Pascall, Melvin A

2010-05-01

This study investigated the efficacy of sanitized ice for the reduction of bacteria in the water collected from the ice that melted during storage of whole and filleted Tilapia fish. Also, bacterial reductions on the fish fillets were investigated. The sanitized ice was prepared by freezing solutions of PRO-SAN (an organic acid formulation) and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW). For the whole fish study, the survival of the natural microflora was determined from the water of the melted ice prepared with PRO-SAN and tap water. These water samples were collected during an 8 h storage period. For the fish fillet study, samples were inoculated with Escherichia coli K12, Listeria innocua, and Pseudomonas putida then stored on crushed sanitized ice. The efficacies of these were tested by enumerating each bacterial species on the fish fillet and in the water samples at 12 and 24 h intervals for 72 h, respectively. Results showed that each bacterial population was reduced during the test. However, a bacterial reduction of fillet samples. A maximum of approximately 2 log CFU and > 3 log CFU reductions were obtained in the waters sampled after the storage of whole fish and the fillets, respectively. These reductions were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the water from sanitized ice when compared with the water from the unsanitized melted ice. These results showed that the organic acid formulation and NEW considerably reduced the bacterial numbers in the melted ice and thus reduced the potential for cross-contamination.

Soil pollution at outdoor shooting ranges: Health effects, bioavailability and best management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Fayiga, A O; Saha, U K

2016-09-01

The total lead (Pb) concentrations of the surface soil, sub surface soil, vegetation and surface waters of outdoor shooting ranges are extremely high and above regulatory limits. Lead is dangerous at high concentrations and can cause a variety of serious health problems. Shooters and range workers are exposed to lead dust and can even take Pb dust home to their families while some animals around the shooting range can ingest the Pb bullets. The toxicity of Pb depends on its bioavailability which has been determined to be influenced greatly by the geochemical properties of each site. The bioavailability of Pb in shooting ranges has been found to be higher than other metal contaminated soils probably because of its very low residual Pb (soil, migration of Pb within shooting ranges and offsite has been reported in literature. Best management practices to reduce mobility of Pb in shooting ranges involve an integrated Pb management program which has been described in the paper. The adoption of the non-toxic "green bullet" which has been developed to replace Pb bullets may reduce or prevent environmental pollution at shooting ranges. However, the contaminated soil resulting from decades of operation of several shooting ranges still needs to be restored to its natural state. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling the influence of a reduced equator-to-pole sea surface temperature gradient on the distribution of water isotopes in the Early/Middle Eocene

Science.gov (United States)

Speelman, Eveline N.; Sewall, Jacob O.; Noone, David; Huber, Matthew; von der Heydt, Anna; Damsté, Jaap Sinninghe; Reichart, Gert-Jan

2010-09-01

Proxy-based climate reconstructions suggest the existence of a strongly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient during the Azolla interval in the Early/Middle Eocene, compared to modern. Changes in the hydrological cycle, as a consequence of a reduced temperature gradient, are expected to be reflected in the isotopic composition of precipitation (δD, δ 18O). The interpretation of water isotopic records to quantitatively reconstruct past precipitation patterns is, however, hampered by a lack of detailed information on changes in their spatial and temporal distribution. Using the isotope-enabled version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) atmospheric general circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model v.3 (isoCAM3), relationships between water isotopes and past climates can be simulated. Here we examine the influence of an imposed reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradient on the spatial distribution of precipitation and its isotopic composition in an Early/Middle Eocene setting. As a result of the applied forcings, the Eocene simulation predicts the occurrence of less depleted high latitude precipitation, with δD values ranging only between 0 and -140‰ (compared to Present-day 0 to -300‰). Comparison with Early/Middle Eocene-age isotopic proxy data shows that the simulation accurately captures the main features of the spatial distribution of the isotopic composition of Early/Middle Eocene precipitation over land in conjunction with the aspects of the modeled Early/Middle Eocene climate. Hence, the included stable isotope module quantitatively supports the existence of a reduced meridional temperature gradient during this interval.

Reduced Efficiency of Chlorine Disinfection of Naegleria fowleri in a Drinking Water Distribution Biofilm.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Haylea C; Wylie, Jason; Dejean, Guillaume; Kaksonen, Anna H; Sutton, David; Braun, Kalan; Puzon, Geoffrey J

2015-09-15

Naegleria fowleri associated with biofilm and biological demand water (organic matter suspended in water that consumes disinfectants) sourced from operational drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) had significantly increased resistance to chlorine disinfection. N. fowleri survived intermittent chlorine dosing of 0.6 mg/L for 7 days in a mixed biofilm from field and laboratory-cultured Escherichia coli strains. However, N. fowleri associated with an attached drinking water distribution biofilm survived more than 30 times (20 mg/L for 3 h) the recommended concentration of chlorine for drinking water. N. fowleri showed considerably more resistance to chlorine when associated with a real field biofilm compared to the mixed laboratory biofilm. This increased resistance is likely due to not only the consumption of disinfectants by the biofilm and the reduced disinfectant penetration into the biofilm but also the composition and microbial community of the biofilm itself. The increased diversity of the field biofilm community likely increased N. fowleri's resistance to chlorine disinfection compared to that of the laboratory-cultured biofilm. Previous research has been conducted in only laboratory scale models of DWDSs and laboratory-cultured biofilms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating how N. fowleri can persist in a field drinking water distribution biofilm despite chlorination.

Using Water Footprints to Identify Alternatives for Conserving Local Water Resources in California

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. L. Marrin

2016-11-01

Full Text Available As a management tool for addressing water consumption issues, footprints have become increasingly utilized on scales ranging from global to personal. A question posed by this paper is whether water footprint data that are routinely compiled for particular regions may be used to assess the effectiveness of actions taken by local residents to conserve local water resources. The current California drought has affected an agriculturally productive region with large population centers that consume a portion of the locally produced food, and the state’s arid climate demands a large volume of blue water as irrigation from its dwindling surface and ground water resources. Although California exports most of its food products, enough is consumed within the state so that residents shifting their food choices and/or habits could save as much or more local blue water as their reduction of household or office water use. One of those shifts is reducing the intake of animal-based products that require the most water of any food group on both a gravimetric and caloric basis. Another shift is reducing food waste, which represents a shared responsibility among consumers and retailers, however, consumer preferences ultimately drive much of this waste.

Reducing surface water total and methyl mercury concentrations and bioavailability using a coagulation-wetland system

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, T. E.; Fleck, J.; Henneberry, Y. K.; Stumpner, E. B.; Krabbenhoft, D. P.; Bachand, P.; Randall, P.

2013-12-01

With the recent passage of laws regulating concentrations and loads of mercury (Hg) in surface waters, there is a need to develop management practices that will reduce the export of Hg from both point and non-point sources. Coagulation with metal based salts to remove particles and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from solution is a practice commonly employed by drinking water utilities. Because dissolved Hg is associated with particles and DOM, it follows that Hg should also be removed during the coagulation process and end up associated with the organo-metal precipitate, termed flocculate (floc). The effectiveness of iron- and aluminum-based coagulants for removing both inorganic and methyl mercury (IHg and MeHg, respectively) from solution was demonstrated in laboratory studies conducted on agricultural drainage waters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: dissolved concentrations of MeHg decreased by 80% while IHg decreased by 97% following coagulation. To test the field application of this technology, samples were collected from the inflows and outflows of wetland treatment cells constructed in the central Delta of California. This replicated field experiment includes three replicates each of three inflow waters treatments: (1) iron sulfate addition, (2) polyaluminum chloride addition, and (3) untreated controls. Water entering and exiting the nine treatment cells was sampled approximately monthly over a 1-year period for total Hg and MeHg in both the dissolved and particulate aqueous phases. Initial results confirm that coagulant addition is removing Hg (total and methyl, particulate and dissolved) from solution and sequestering it in the floc. Seasonal effects on DOM concentration and other factors appear to effect whether passage through the wetland cells alters surface water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Hg concentrations. Related studies will examine whether the presence of the floc affects the production and fate of MeHg within the wetland cells. If

Defensive spending on tap water substitutes: the value of reducing perceived health risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Dupont, Diane P; Jahan, Nowshin

2012-03-01

We examine factors that explain consumer spending on tap water substitutes using information from a national survey undertaken with a representative set of Canadian respondents. We develop a model to predict the percentage of households that undertake such spending for the purpose of reducing perceived health risks from tap water consumption. Using results from the model we estimate the magnitude of defensive expenditures to be over half a billion dollars (2010 US$) per year for Canada, as a whole. This is equivalent to approximately $48 per household per year or about $19 per person per year. Residents of Ontario, the province in which an Escherichia coli incident took place in 2000, have the highest willingness-to-pay of approximately $60 per household per year.

SU-F-T-218: Validation of An In-Vivo Proton Range Verification Method for Reducing the Risk of Permanent Alopecia in the Treatment of Pediatric Medulloblastoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lucconi, G [Department of Medical Physics, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna (Italy); Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Bentefour, E; Janssens, G [Advanced Technology Group, Ion Beam Applications (IBA), Louvain la Neuve (Belgium); Deepak, S [Department of Physics, Central University of Karnataka, Karnataka 585367 (India); Weaver, K; Moteabbed, M; Lu, H-M [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The clinical commissioning of a workflow for pre-treatment range verification/adjustment for the head treatment of pediatric medulloblastoma patients, including dose monitoring during treatment. Methods: An array of Si-diodes (DIODES Incorporated) is placed on the patient skin on the opposite side to the beam entrance. A “scout” SOBP beam, with a longer beam range to cover the diodes in its plateau, is delivered; the measured signal is analyzed and the extracted water equivalent path lengths (WEPL) are compared to the expected values, revealing if a range correction is needed. Diodes stay in place during treatment to measure dose. The workflow was tested in solid water and head phantoms and validated against independent WEPL measurements. Both measured WEPL and skin doses were compared to computed values from the TPS (XiO); a Markus chamber was used for reference dose measurements. Results: The WEPL accuracy of the method was verified by comparing it with the dose extinction method. It resulted, for both solid water and head phantom, in the sub-millimeter range, with a deviation less than 1% to the value extracted from the TPS. The accuracy of dose measurements in the fall-off part of the dose profile was validated against the Markus chamber. The entire range verification workflow was successfully tested for the mock-treatment of head phantom with the standard delivery of 90 cGy per field per fraction. The WEPL measurement revealed no need for range correction. The dose measurements agreed to better than 4% with the prescription dose. The robustness of the method and workflow, including detector array, hardware set and software functions, was successfully stress-tested with multiple repetitions. Conclusion: The performance of the in-vivo range verification system and related workflow meet the clinical requirements in terms of the needed WEPL accuracy for pretreatment range verification with acceptable dose to the patient.

Reducing the 2, 4 D+MCPA Antagonism from Hard Spray Waters by Ammonium Sulfate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Hossein Torabi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Water is the main carrier of herbicides (HC that its quality plays an important role in herbicide performance hard water has a high concentration of Ca++ and Mg++ and reviews have shown that calcium, manganese and zinc are the main factors reducing the effectiveness of weak acid herbicides. Weak acid herbicides such as glyphosate, paraquat, clethodim and 2, 4 D are compounds that release the H+ ions once dissolved in water, but just slightly. Therefore, herbicides that are weak acids partially dissociate. Herbicides not dissociated (the compound remains whole are more readily absorbed by plant foliage than those that dissociate. Dissociated herbicide molecules have a negative charge. After being dissociated, herbicides might remain as negatively charged molecules, or they might bind with other positively charged cations. Binding to some cations improves herbicide uptake and absorption, binding to others such as Ca++ and Mg++ antagonizes herbicide activity by decreasing absorption or activity in the cell. To correct such carriers, the use of adjuvants, such as ammonium sulphate (AMS, is recommended, which can reduce the use of herbicides and cause economic savings. The aim of this study was to investigate the simple effects and interactions between different amounts of AMS and carrier hardness (CH levels on 2, 4 D + MCPA herbicide efficacy in controlling white clover (Trifolium repens L. in turf grass. Materials and Methods: The experiment was laid out in a RCBD with three replications for each treatment during spring-summer 2013 in 10 years old mixed cold season turf grass (Festuca rubra + Poa pratensis + Poa pratensis dominated by white clover in Mashhad (Iran. The treatments were the factorial combination of four carrier hardness (CH rates (Deionized, 45, 90 and 180 ppm of Ca++ +Mg++ and three Ammonium Sulfate (AMS rates (0, 2, 3 and 4 Kg per100 L of carrier water were studied. The turf was sprayed with 2, 4 D + MCPA (67.5% SL at

Distinguishing iron-reducing from sulfate-reducing conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Chapelle, F.H.; Bradley, P.M.; Thomas, M.A.; McMahon, P.B.

2009-01-01

Ground water systems dominated by iron- or sulfate-reducing conditions may be distinguished by observing concentrations of dissolved iron (Fe2+) and sulfide (sum of H2S, HS-, and S= species and denoted here as "H2S"). This approach is based on the observation that concentrations of Fe2+ and H2S in ground water systems tend to be inversely related according to a hyperbolic function. That is, when Fe2+ concentrations are high, H2S concentrations tend to be low and vice versa. This relation partly reflects the rapid reaction kinetics of Fe2+ with H2S to produce relatively insoluble ferrous sulfides (FeS). This relation also reflects competition for organic substrates between the iron- and the sulfate-reducing microorganisms that catalyze the production of Fe2+ and H 2S. These solubility and microbial constraints operate in tandem, resulting in the observed hyperbolic relation between Fe2+ and H 2S concentrations. Concentrations of redox indicators, including dissolved hydrogen (H2) measured in a shallow aquifer in Hanahan, South Carolina, suggest that if the Fe2+/H2S mass ratio (units of mg/L) exceeded 10, the screened interval being tapped was consistently iron reducing (H2 ???0.2 to 0.8 nM). Conversely, if the Fe 2+/H2S ratio was less than 0.30, consistent sulfate-reducing (H2 ???1 to 5 nM) conditions were observed over time. Concomitantly high Fe2+ and H2S concentrations were associated with H2 concentrations that varied between 0.2 and 5.0 nM over time, suggesting mixing of water from adjacent iron- and sulfate-reducing zones or concomitant iron and sulfate reduction under nonelectron donor-limited conditions. These observations suggest that Fe2+/H2S mass ratios may provide useful information concerning the occurrence and distribution of iron and sulfate reduction in ground water systems. ?? 2009 National Ground Water Association.

Pulse-Driven Capacitive Lead Ion Detection with Reduced Graphene Oxide Field-Effect Transistor Integrated with an Analyzing Device for Rapid Water Quality Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Arnab; Sui, Xiaoyu; Tarman, Chad R; Pu, Haihui; Chang, Jingbo; Zhou, Guihua; Ren, Ren; Mao, Shun; Chen, Junhong

2017-11-22

Rapid and real-time detection of heavy metals in water with a portable microsystem is a growing demand in the field of environmental monitoring, food safety, and future cyber-physical infrastructure. Here, we report a novel ultrasensitive pulse-driven capacitance-based lead ion sensor using self-assembled graphene oxide (GO) monolayer deposition strategy to recognize the heavy metal ions in water. The overall field-effect transistor (FET) structure consists of a thermally reduced graphene oxide (rGO) channel with a thin layer of Al 2 O 3 passivation as a top gate combined with sputtered gold nanoparticles that link with the glutathione (GSH) probe to attract Pb 2+ ions in water. Using a preprogrammed microcontroller, chemo-capacitance based detection of lead ions has been demonstrated with this FET sensor. With a rapid response (∼1-2 s) and negligible signal drift, a limit of detection (LOD) water stabilization followed by lead ion testing and calculation is much shorter than common FET resistance/current measurements (∼minutes) and other conventional methods, such as optical and inductively coupled plasma methods (∼hours). An approximate linear operational range (5-20 ppb) around 15 ppb (the maximum contaminant limit by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for lead in drinking water) makes it especially suitable for drinking water quality monitoring. The validity of the pulse method is confirmed by quantifying Pb 2+ in various real water samples such as tap, lake, and river water with an accuracy ∼75%. This capacitance measurement strategy is promising and can be readily extended to various FET-based sensor devices for other targets.

Steam versus hot-water scalding in reducing bacterial loads on the skin of commercially processed poultry.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, T E; Goodwin, T L; Collins, J A; Wyche, R C; Love, B E

1972-04-01

A comparison of two types of scalders was conducted to determine their effectiveness in reducing bacterial contamination of poultry carcasses. A conventional hot-water scalder and a prototype model of a steam scalder were tested under commercial conditions. Total plate counts from steam-scalded birds were significantly lower than the counts of water-scalded birds immediately after scalding and again after picking. No differences in the two methods could be found after chilling. Coliform counts from steam-scalded birds were significantly lower than the counts from water-scalded birds immediately after scalding. No significant differences in coliform counts were detected when the two scald methods were compared after defeathering and chilling.

Sulfate reducing bacteria and their activities in oil sands process-affected water biofilm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hong; Yu, Tong, E-mail: tong.yu@ualberta.ca; Liu, Yang, E-mail: yang.liu@ualberta.ca

2015-12-01

Biofilm reactors were constructed to grow stratified multispecies biofilm in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) supplemented with growth medium. The development of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) within the biofilm and the biofilm treatment of OSPW were evaluated. The community structure and potential activity of SRB in the biofilm were investigated with H{sub 2}S microsensor measurements, dsrB gene-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and the real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Multispecies biofilm with a thickness of 1000 μm was successfully developed on engineered biocarriers. H{sub 2}S production was observed in the deeper anoxic zone of the biofilm from around 750 μm to 1000 μm below the bulk water-biofilm interface, revealing sulfate reduction in the deeper zone of the stratified biofilm. The biofilm removed chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate, and nitrogen. The study expands current knowledge of biofilm treatment of OSPW and the function of anaerobic SRB in OSPW biofilm, and thus provides information for future bioreactor development in the reclamation of OSPW. - Graphical abstract: The development of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) within Oil Sands Process-affected Water (OSPW) biofilm and the biofilm treatment of OSPW were evaluated by Liu and coworkers. Combined microsensor and molecular biology techniques were utilized in this study. Their results demonstrated that multispecies biofilm with a thickness of 1000 μm was successfully developed on engineered biocarriers. H{sub 2}S production was observed in the deeper anoxic zone of the biofilm from around 750 μm to 1000 μm below the bulk water-biofilm interface, revealing sulfate reduction in the deeper zone of the biofilm. The biofilm removed chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate, and nitrogen. - Highlights: • Biofilm in oil sands wastewater was developed on engineered biocarriers. • Bacterial community and in situ activity of SRB were studied in the

Sulfate reducing bacteria and their activities in oil sands process-affected water biofilm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hong; Yu, Tong; Liu, Yang

2015-01-01

Biofilm reactors were constructed to grow stratified multispecies biofilm in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) supplemented with growth medium. The development of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) within the biofilm and the biofilm treatment of OSPW were evaluated. The community structure and potential activity of SRB in the biofilm were investigated with H 2 S microsensor measurements, dsrB gene-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and the real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Multispecies biofilm with a thickness of 1000 μm was successfully developed on engineered biocarriers. H 2 S production was observed in the deeper anoxic zone of the biofilm from around 750 μm to 1000 μm below the bulk water-biofilm interface, revealing sulfate reduction in the deeper zone of the stratified biofilm. The biofilm removed chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate, and nitrogen. The study expands current knowledge of biofilm treatment of OSPW and the function of anaerobic SRB in OSPW biofilm, and thus provides information for future bioreactor development in the reclamation of OSPW. - Graphical abstract: The development of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) within Oil Sands Process-affected Water (OSPW) biofilm and the biofilm treatment of OSPW were evaluated by Liu and coworkers. Combined microsensor and molecular biology techniques were utilized in this study. Their results demonstrated that multispecies biofilm with a thickness of 1000 μm was successfully developed on engineered biocarriers. H 2 S production was observed in the deeper anoxic zone of the biofilm from around 750 μm to 1000 μm below the bulk water-biofilm interface, revealing sulfate reduction in the deeper zone of the biofilm. The biofilm removed chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate, and nitrogen. - Highlights: • Biofilm in oil sands wastewater was developed on engineered biocarriers. • Bacterial community and in situ activity of SRB were studied in the biofilm. �

Biogeochemistry of a Field-Scale Sulfate Reducing Bioreactor Treating Mining Influenced Water

Science.gov (United States)

Drennan, D.; Lee, I.; Landkamer, L.; Figueroa, L. A.; Webb, S.; Sharp, J. O.

2012-12-01

Acidity, metal release, and toxicity may be environmental health concerns in areas influenced by mining. Mining influenced waters (MIW) can be remediated through the establishment of Sulfate Reducing Bioreactors (SRBRs) as part of engineered passive treatment systems. The objective of our research is an enhanced understanding of the biogeochemistry in SRBRs by combining molecular biological and geochemical techniques. Bioreactor reactive substrate, settling pond water, and effluent (from the SRBR) were collected from a field scale SRBR in Arizona, which has been in operation for approximately 3 years. Schematically, the water passes through the SRBR; combines with flow that bypasses the SRBR into the and goes into the mixing pond, and finally is released as effluent to aerobic polishing cells. High throughput sequencing of extracted DNA revealed that Proteobacteria dominated the reactive substrate (61%), settling pond (93%), and effluent (50%), with the next most abundant phylum in all samples (excluding uncultured organisms) being Bacteriodes (1-17%). However, at the superclass level, the three samples were more variable. Gammaproteobacteria dominated the reactive substrate (35%), Betaproteobacteria in the settling pond (63%) and finally the effluent was dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria (Helicobacteraceae) (43%). Diversity was most pronounced in association with the reactor matrix, and least diverse in the settling pond. Putative functional analysis revealed a modest presence of sulfate/sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB) (>5%) in both the matrix and settling pond but a much higher abundance (43%) of sulfur reducing bacteria in the effluent. Interestingly this effluent population was composed entirely of the family Helicobacteraceae (sulfur reduction II via polysulfide pathway). Other putative functions of interest include metal reduction in the matrix (3%) and effluent (3%), as well as polysaccharide degradation, which was largely abundant in all samples (21

The Joint Front Range Climate Change Vulnerability Study: Closing the Gap between Science and Water Management Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Kaatz, L.; Yates, D.; Woodbury, M.

2008-12-01

There is increasing concern among metropolitan water providers in Colorado's Front Range about the possible impacts of global and regional climate changes on their future water supply. This is of particular worry given that recent studies indicate global warming may lead to unprecedented drought conditions in the Southwest U.S. (IPCC 2007). The City of Aurora, City of Boulder, Colorado Springs Utilities, Denver Water, City of Ft. Collins, and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, along with additional water agencies including the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Water Research Foundation (formerly AwwaRF), and the NOAA-CIRES Western Water Assessment, have come together to participate in a study intended to provide the education, tools, and methodology necessary to examine possible effects of climate change on several common watersheds. The central objective of this project is to assess possible changes in the timing and volume of hydrologic runoff from selected climate change scenarios centered about the years 2040 and 2070. Two hydrologic models will be calibrated and implemented in the study for this purpose. The future temperature and precipitation scenarios used to generate corresponding future streamflow are based on regionally downscaled temperature and precipitation projections. The projected streamflow obtained by running varied sequences of temperature and precipitation through the hydrologic models, will be compared to historic streamflow to estimate the sensitivity of water supplies to climate change. This regional unified approach is intended to help Colorado water providers communicate with their customers and the media cohesively, by working with the same historic and projected hydrometeorological data, historic natural streamflow, and methodology. Lessons learned from this collaborative approach can be used to encourage and establish other regional efforts throughout the country. Furthermore, this study will set the stage for future

Reducing fluxes of faecal indicator compliance parameters to bathing waters from diffuse agricultural sources: The Brighouse Bay study, Scotland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kay, D.; Aitken, M.; Crowther, J.; Dickson, I.; Edwards, A.C.; Francis, C.; Hopkins, M.; Jeffrey, W.; Kay, C.; McDonald, A.T.; McDonald, D.; Stapleton, C.M.; Watkins, J.; Wilkinson, J.; Wyer, M.D.

2007-01-01

The European Water Framework Directive requires the integrated management of point and diffuse pollution to achieve 'good' water quality in 'protected areas'. These include bathing waters, which are regulated using faecal indicator organisms as compliance parameters. Thus, for the first time, European regulators are faced with the control of faecal indicator fluxes from agricultural sources where these impact on bathing water compliance locations. Concurrently, reforms to the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy offer scope for supporting on-farm measures producing environmental benefits through the new 'single farm payments' and the concept of 'cross-compliance'. This paper reports the first UK study involving remedial measures, principally stream bank fencing, designed to reduce faecal indicator fluxes at the catchment scale. Considerable reduction in faecal indicator flux was observed, but this was insufficient to ensure bathing water compliance with either Directive 76/160/EEC standards or new health-evidence-based criteria proposed by WHO and the European Commission. - Diffuse microbiological pollution from farming activities can be reduced by protected riparian zones

Soil Water Retention and Relative Permeability for Full Range of Saturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z. F.

2010-09-28

Common conceptual models for unsaturated flow often rely on the oversimplified representation of medium pores as a bundle of cylindrical capillaries and assume that the matric potential is attributed to capillary forces only. The adsorptive surface forces are ignored. It is often assumed that aqueous flow is negligible when a soil is near or at the residual water content. These models are successful at high and medium water contents but often give poor results at low water contents. These models do not apply to conditions at which water content is less than the residual water content. We extend the lower bound of existing water-retention functions and conductivity models from residual water content to the oven-dry condition (i.e., zero water content) by defining a state-dependent, residual-water content for a soil drier than a critical value. Furthermore, a hydraulic conductivity model for smooth uniform spheres was modified by introducing a correction factor to describe the film flow-induced hydraulic conductivity for natural porous media. The total unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is the sum of those due to capillary and film flow. The extended retention and conductivity models were verified with six datasets from the literature. Results show that, when the soil is at high and intermediate water content, there is no difference between the un-extended and the extended models; when the soil is at low water content, the un-extended models overestimate the water content but under-estimate the conductivity while the extended models match the retention and conductivity measurements well.

Sediment filtration can reduce the N load of the waste water discharge - a full-scale lake experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Aalto, Sanni L.; Saarenheimo, Jatta; Karvinen, Anu; Rissanen, Antti J.; Ropponen, Janne; Juntunen, Janne; Tiirola, Marja

2016-04-01

European commission has obliged Baltic states to reduce nitrate load, which requires high investments on the nitrate removal processes and may increase emissions of greenhouse gases, e.g. N2O, in the waste water treatment plants. We used ecosystem-scale experimental approach to test a novel sediment filtration method for economical waste water N removal in Lake Keurusselkä, Finland between 2014 and 2015. By spatially optimizing the waste water discharge, the contact area and time of nitrified waste water with the reducing microbes of the sediment was increased. This was expected to enhance microbial-driven N transformation and to alter microbial community composition. We utilized 15N isotope pairing technique to follow changes in the actual and potential denitrification rates, nitrous oxide formation and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in the lake sediments receiving nitrate-rich waste water input and in the control site. In addition, we investigated the connections between observed process rates and microbial community composition and functioning by using next generation sequencing and quantitative PCR. Furthermore, we estimated the effect of sediment filtration method on waste water contact time with sediment using the 3D hydrodynamic model. We sampled one year before the full-scale experiment and observed strong seasonal patterns in the process rates, which reflects the seasonal variation in the temperature-related mixing patterns of the waste water within the lake. During the experiment, we found that spatial optimization enhanced both actual and potential denitrification rates of the sediment. Furthermore, it did not significantly promote N2O emissions, or N retention through DNRA. Overall, our results indicate that sediment filtration can be utilized as a supplemental or even alternative method for the waste water N removal.

Reducing dissolved inorganic nitrogen in surface runoff water from sugarcane production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, A J; Bartley, R; Armour, J D; Brodie, J E; Thorburn, P J

2012-01-01

Nitrogen (N) lost from farms, especially as the highly bioavailable dissolved inorganic form, may be damaging Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). As sugarcane is the dominant cropping system in GBR catchments, its N management practises are coming under increasing scrutiny. This study measured dissolved inorganic N lost in surface runoff water and sugarcane productivity over 3 years. The experiment compared the conventional fertiliser N application rate to sugarcane (average 180kg N/ha/year) and a rate based on replacing N exported in the previous crop (average 94kg N/ha/year). Dissolved inorganic N losses in surface water were 72%, 48% and 66% lower in the three monitored years in the reduced N fertiliser treatment. There was no significant difference in sugarcane yield between the two fertiliser N treatments, nor any treatment difference in soil mineral N - both of these results are indicators of the sustainability of the lower fertiliser N applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial‑temporal variability of water balance components in the North area of the Zailiisky Alatau Range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. G. Konovalov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of changes in WB components (precipitation, evaporation, glacier runoff, dynamical water resources on the Northern slope of the Zailiisky Alatau was performed for the 1946–2005 time divided into two periods: 1946–1975 and 1976–2005. The territory under investigation included basins of the following rivers: Bolshaya Almatinka, Malaya Almatinka, Talgar, Turgen, Issyk, Chemolgan, Kaskelen, Kargalinka, Prohodnaya, and Uzunkargaly. Their total area down to the closing gauge points amounts to 2644 km2. Summarized glacier areas in these basins and annual runoff were equal, respectively, to: 306.6 km2 and 39.05 km3in 1946–1975, and 253.0 km2 and 38.35 km3 in 1975–2005. In 1946–2005, typical features of regional glaciation dynamics were increasing area of the moraine cover on glaciers and reducing area of bare ice that results in decreasing of the glacial runoff volume, all other factors being the same. The method to calculate the WB components consists of the following constituents: model of seasonal runoff from melted snow and ice in the areas of accumulation and ablation of glaciers; complex of formulas to calculate precipitation, air temperature and humidity, intensity of ice melting under the moraine, bare ice and evaporation within the height intervals corresponding to the main types of surfaces on the glaciers. On the basis of our method, we could reconstruct for the 1876–2015 period long‑term series of data on a runoff, separately annual values and sums for the vegetation periods. They can be used for regional scientific and applied analyses of the river stream discharges. The data on runoff in the Malaya Almatinka River basin and observational data on the meteorological station Almaty (Hydrometeorological Observatory had been quantitatively substantiated as the representative information for modeling and calculation of water resources on the Northern slope of the Zailiisky Alatau Range.

Mechanisms and Effectivity of Sulfate Reducing Bioreactors Using a Chitinous Substrate in Treating Mining Influenced Water

Science.gov (United States)

Mining-influenced water (MIW) is the main environmental challenge associated with the mining industry. Passive MIW remediation can be achieved through microbial activity in sulfate-reducing bioreactors (SRBRs), but their actual removal rates depend on different factors, one of wh...

A new, rapid and reliable method for the determination of reduced sulphur (S2-) species in natural water discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montegrossi, Giordano; Tassi, Franco; Vaselli, Orlando; Bidini, Eva; Minissale, Angelo

2006-01-01

The determination of reduced S species in natural waters is particularly difficult due to their high instability and chemical and physical interferences in the current analytical methods. In this paper a new, rapid and reliable analytical procedure is presented, named the Cd-IC method, for their determination as ΣS 2- via oxidation to SO 4 2- after chemical trapping with an ammonia-cadmium solution that allows precipitation of all the reduced S species as CdS. The S 2- -SO 4 is analysed by ion-chromatography. The main advantages of this method are: low cost, high stability of CdS precipitate, absence of interferences, low detection limit (0.01mg/L as SO 4 for 10mL of water) and low analytical error (about 5%). The proposed method has been applied to more than 100 water samples from different natural systems (water discharges and cold wells from volcanic and geothermal areas, crater lakes) in central-southern Italy

Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Comprehensive Range Plan (CRP), Melrose Air Force Range (AFR), New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

intensity, frequency, and duration. Sound is created by acoustic energy, which produces minute pressure waves that travel through a medium (like air...concave plains associated with playa lake basins. Slope ranges from zero to 1 percent. Olton Loams – Consist of very deep, well-drained, moderately slow...gently sloping plains and upper side slopes of playas and draws. Slopes range from zero to 5 percent. 3.5.2.2 Water Resources Surface Water – The most

Optimizing withdrawal from drinking water reservoirs to reduce downstream temperature pollution and reservoir hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, M; Rinke, K; Hipsey, M R; Boehrer, B

2017-07-15

Sustainable management of drinking water reservoirs requires balancing the demands of water supply whilst minimizing environmental impact. This study numerically simulates the effect of an improved withdrawal scheme designed to alleviate the temperature pollution downstream of a reservoir. The aim was to identify an optimal withdrawal strategy such that water of a desirable discharge temperature can be supplied downstream without leading to unacceptably low oxygen concentrations within the reservoir. First, we calibrated a one-dimensional numerical model for hydrodynamics and oxygen dynamics (GLM-AED2), verifying that the model reproduced water temperatures and hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen concentrations accurately over a 5 year period. Second, the model was extended to include an adaptive withdrawal functionality, allowing for a prescribed withdrawal temperature to be found, with the potential constraint of hypolimnetic oxygen concentration. Scenario simulations on epi-/metalimnetic withdrawal demonstrate that the model is able to autonomously determine the best withdrawal height depending on the thermal structure and the hypolimnetic oxygen concentration thereby optimizing the ability to supply a desirable discharge temperature to the downstream river during summer. This new withdrawal strategy also increased the hypolimnetic raw water volume to be used for drinking water supply, but reduced the dissolved oxygen concentrations in the deep and cold water layers (hypolimnion). Implications of the results for reservoir management are discussed and the numerical model is provided for operators as a simple and efficient tool for optimizing the withdrawal strategy within different reservoir contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water sorption isotherms of skimmed milk powder within the temperature range of 5–20 °C

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitka Langová

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Moisture sorption isotherms (MSI’s of skimmed milk powder in the temperature range of 5–20 °C were determined using manometric method. MSI’s, which show the water content versus water activity (Aw at a constant temperature, are used to describe relationships between water content and equilibrium state relative vapour pressure (RVP. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC of skimmed milk powder samples is growing with an increase of Aw at a constant temperature both for water adsorption and desorption. Isotherms were found to be type II of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller classification. It is the type most common for foods. The shape of created isotherms was sigmoid. Structural modifications of crystals were observed during adsorption in the microscope, too. Critical value of EMC of tested samples corresponding to the Aw equal to 0.6 for adsorption was 6.50% MC (w.b. at temperature 5 °C, 9.15% MC (w.b. at temperature 10 °C, and 7.71% MC (w.b. at temperature 20 °C. These values determine optimal conditions for storage from the point of view microorganisms grow, Aw<0.6.

Gaharu Leaf Extract Water Reduce MDA and 8-OHdG Levels and Increase Activities SOD and Catalase in Wistar Rats Provided Maximum Physical Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Made Oka Adi Parwata

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Oxidative stress occurs due to an imbalance of the number of free radicals by the number of endogenous antioxidant produced by the body i.e. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD, Gluthathione Peroxidase (GPx, and Catalase. The imbalance between the number of free radicals and antioxidants can be overcome with the endogenous antioxidant intake that exogenous oxidative stress can be reduced. One of exogenous antioxidants is natural Gaharu leaf water extract. Objective: This research focus on the effect of Gaharu leaf water extract in reducing MDA and 8-OHdG and increase the activity of SOD and Catalase. Methods: This study was an experimental with post only controls group design. Experiment was divided  into 5 groups of wistar rats, each consisting of 5 animals, i.e. negative control group without extract [K (-], treatment 1 treated 50 mg/kg BW/day of the extract (T1, treatment 2 treated 100 mg/kg BW/day of the extract (T2, treatment 3 treated 200 mg/ kg BW/day of the extract (T3, and positive control group [K (+] treated with vitamin Cat a dose 50 mg/kg BW/day. All groups treated for 10 weeks. Every day, before treatment, each group was given a maximum swimming activity for 1.5 hours for 10 weeks. ELISA was used to measure MDA, 8-OHdG, SOD, and Catalase activities. Result: The research results showed that treatment of extract of  leaves of Gaharu with an higher dose from 50 mg/kg BW up to 200 mg/ kg BW significantly decline (p <0.05 levels of MDA with the average ranging from 6.37±0.23, 5,56±0.27 and 4.32±0.27, 8-OHdG with a mean of 1.64±0.11, 1.26±0.46, and 1.09±0.17. On the other hand the treatment also increase SOD activity with less ranging from 12.15±1.04, 15.70±2.02, and 18.84±1.51, and Catalase ranging from 6,68±0.63, 8.20±1.14 and 9.29±0,79 in the blood of Wistar rats were given a maximum activity compared to the negative control group. This is probably higher phenol compounds (bioflavonoids quantity content of the extract

Effect of irrigation techniques and strategies on water footprint of growing crops

Science.gov (United States)

Chukalla, A. D.; Krol, M. S.; Hoekstra, A. Y. Y.

2014-12-01

Reducing the water footprint (WF) of growing crops, the largest water user and a significant contributor to the WF of many consumer products, plays a significant role in integrated and sustainable water management. The water footprint for growing crop is accounted by relating the crop yield with the corresponding consumptive water use (CWU), which both can be adjusted by measures that affect the crop growth and root-zone soil water balance. This study explored the scope for reducing the water footprint of irrigated crops by experimenting set of field level technical and managerial measures: (i) irrigation technologies (Furrow, sprinkler, drip and sub-surface drip), (ii) irrigation strategies (full and a range of sustained and controlled deficit) and (iii) field management options (zero, organic and synthetic mulching). Ranges of cases were also considered: (a) Arid and semi-arid environment (b) Loam and Sandy-loam soil types and (c) for Potato, Wheat and Maize crops; under (c) wet, normal and dry years. AquaCrop, the water driven crop growth and soil water balance model, offered the opportunity to systematically experiment these measures on water consumption and yield. Further, the green and blue water footprints of growing crop corresponding to each measure were computed by separating the root zone fluxes of the AquaCrop output into the green and blue soil water stocks and their corresponding fluxes. Results showed that in arid environment reduction in irrigation supply, CWU and WF up to 300 mm, 80 mm and 75 m3/tonne respectively can be achieved for Maize by a combination of organic mulching and drip technology with controlled deficit irrigation strategies (10-20-30-40% deficit with reference to the full irrigation requirement). These reductions come with a yield drop of 0.54 tonne/ha. In the same environment under the absence of mulching practice, the sub-surface drip perform better in reducing CWU and WF of irrigated crops followed by drip and furrow irrigation

Water hardness reduces the accumulation and toxicity of uranium in a freshwater macrophyte (Ceratophyllum demersum)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markich, Scott J., E-mail: smarkich@optusnet.com.au

2013-01-15

There is a lack of good quality data and mechanistic understanding on the effects of true water hardness (calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)) on the bioavailability and toxicity of uranium (U) to freshwater biota. This study determined the effect of true water hardness (20, 75, 150, 275 and 400 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1}) on the cell surface binding affinity (log K), accumulation and toxicity (growth inhibition) of U in a submerged, rootless, macrophyte (Ceratophyllum demersum) in a synthetic freshwater with constant alkalinity (13 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1}) and pH (6.2) over 7 days. A 20-fold increase in water hardness resulted in a 4-fold decrease in U toxicity (median effect concentration (EC50) = 134 μg L{sup −1} U at 20 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1} hardness, increasing to 547 μg L{sup −1} U at 400 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1} hardness), cell surface binding affinity (log K = 6.25 at 20 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1} hardness, decreasing to log K = 5.64 at 400 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1} hardness) and accumulation (the concentration factor decreased from 63 at 20 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1} hardness to 15 at 400 mg CaCO{sub 3} L{sup −1} hardness) of U. Calcium provided a 4-fold greater protective effect against U accumulation and toxicity compared to Mg. Speciation calculations indicated negligible differences in the percentages of key U species (UO{sub 2}{sup 2+}, UO{sub 2}OH{sup +}, UO{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}) over the range of water hardness tested. The inhibition of U binding at the cell surface, and subsequent uptake, by C. demersum, with increasing Ca and/or Mg concentration, may be explained in terms of (i) competition between Ca{sup 2+}/Mg{sup 2+} and UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} (and/or UO{sub 2}OH{sup +}) for physiologically active sites at the cell surface, and/or (ii) reduced negative charge (electrical potential) at the cell surface, resulting in a decrease in the activity of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} (and/or UO{sub 2}OH{sup +}) at the plant/water interface (boundary layer

Parametric soil water retention models: a critical evaluation of expressions for the full moisture range

Science.gov (United States)

Madi, Raneem; Huibert de Rooij, Gerrit; Mielenz, Henrike; Mai, Juliane

2018-02-01

Few parametric expressions for the soil water retention curve are suitable for dry conditions. Furthermore, expressions for the soil hydraulic conductivity curves associated with parametric retention functions can behave unrealistically near saturation. We developed a general criterion for water retention parameterizations that ensures physically plausible conductivity curves. Only 3 of the 18 tested parameterizations met this criterion without restrictions on the parameters of a popular conductivity curve parameterization. A fourth required one parameter to be fixed. We estimated parameters by shuffled complex evolution (SCE) with the objective function tailored to various observation methods used to obtain retention curve data. We fitted the four parameterizations with physically plausible conductivities as well as the most widely used parameterization. The performance of the resulting 12 combinations of retention and conductivity curves was assessed in a numerical study with 751 days of semiarid atmospheric forcing applied to unvegetated, uniform, 1 m freely draining columns for four textures. Choosing different parameterizations had a minor effect on evaporation, but cumulative bottom fluxes varied by up to an order of magnitude between them. This highlights the need for a careful selection of the soil hydraulic parameterization that ideally does not only rely on goodness of fit to static soil water retention data but also on hydraulic conductivity measurements. Parameter fits for 21 soils showed that extrapolations into the dry range of the retention curve often became physically more realistic when the parameterization had a logarithmic dry branch, particularly in fine-textured soils where high residual water contents would otherwise be fitted.

Efforts to Reduce International Space Station Crew Maintenance for the Management of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit Transport Loop Water Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, John W.; Etter, David; Rector, Tony; Boyle, Robert; Vandezande, Christopher

2013-01-01

The EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) contains a semi-closed-loop re-circulating water circuit (Transport Loop) to absorb heat into a LCVG (Liquid Coolant and Ventilation Garment) worn by the astronaut. A second, single-pass water circuit (Feed-water Loop) provides water to a cooling device (Sublimator) containing porous plates, and that water sublimates through the porous plates to space vacuum. The cooling effect from the sublimation of this water translates to a cooling of the LCVG water that circulates through the Sublimator. The quality of the EMU Transport Loop water is maintained through the use of a water processing kit (ALCLR Airlock Cooling Loop Remediation) that is used to periodically clean and disinfect the water circuit. Opportunities to reduce crew time associated with on-orbit ALCLR operations include a detailed review of the historical water quality data for evidence to support an extension to the implementation cycle. Furthermore, an EMU returned after 2-years of use on the ISS (International Space Station) is being used as a test bed to evaluate the results of extended and repeated ALCLR implementation cycles. Finally, design, use and on-orbit location enhancements to the ALCLR kit components are being considered to allow the implementation cycle to occur in parallel with other EMU maintenance and check-out activities, and to extend the life of the ALCLR kit components. These efforts are undertaken to reduce the crew-time and logistics burdens for the EMU, while ensuring the long-term health of the EMU water circuits for a post-Shuttle 6-year service life.

Summary report of the 7th reduced-moderation water reactor workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akie, Hiroshi; Nabeshima, Kunihiko; Uchikawa, Sadao

2005-08-01

As a research on the future innovative water reactor, the development of Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors (RMWRs) has been performed in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The workshop on RMWRs is aiming at information exchange between JAERI and other organizations such as universities, laboratories, utilities and vendors, and has been held every year since 1998. The 7th workshop was held on March 5, 2004 under the joint auspices of JAERI and North Kanto branch of Atomic Energy Society of Japan. The program of the workshop was composed of 5 lectures and an overall discussion time. The workshop started with the lecture by JAERI on the status and future program of PMWR research and development, followed by the two presentations by JAERI and Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, respectively, on the investigation and evaluation of water cooled reactor in Feasibility Study Program on Commercialized Fast Reactor Systems. The lectures were also made on the Japan's nuclear fuel cycle and scenarios for RMWRs deployment by JAERI, and on the next generation reactor development activity by Hitachi, Ltd. The main subjects of the overall discussion time were Na cooled fast reactor, deployment effects of RMWRs and the future plan of the RMWR research and development. This report includes the original papers presented at the workshop and summaries of the questions and answers for each lecture, as well as of the discussion time. In addition in the Appendices, there are included presentation handouts of each lecture, program of the workshop and the participants list. (author)

In situ evaluation of water and energy consumptions at the end use level: The influence of flow reducers and temperature in baths.

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, C; Briga-Sá, A; Bentes, I; Faria, D; Pereira, S

2017-05-15

Nowadays, water and energy consumption is intensifying every year in most of the countries. This perpetual increase will not be supportable in the long run, making urgently to manage these resources on a sustainable way. Domestic consumptions of water and electric energy usually are related and it's important to study that relation, identifying opportunities for use efficient improvement. In fact, without an understanding of water-energy relations, there are water efficiency measures that may lead to unintentional costs in the energy efficiency field. In order to take full advantage of combined effect between water and energy water management methodologies, it is necessary to collect data to ensure that the efforts are directed through the most effective paths. This paper presents a study based in the characterization, measurement and analysis of water and electricity consumption in a single family house (2months period) in order to find an interdependent relationship between consumptions at the end user level. The study was carried out on about 200 baths, divided in four different scenarios where the influence of two variables was tested: the flow reducer valve and the bath temperature. Data showed that the presence of flow reducer valve decreased electric energy consumption and water consumption, but increased the bath duration. Setting a lower temperature in water-heater, decreased electric consumption, water consumption and bath duration. Analysing the influence of the flow reducer valve and 60°C temperature simultaneously, it was concluded that it had a significant influence on electric energy consumption and on the baths duration but had no influence on water consumption. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of RACT for 3D dose measurement and range verification in a water phantom.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsanea, Fahed; Moskvin, Vadim; Stantz, Keith M

2015-02-01

The objective of this study is to establish the feasibility of using radiation-induced acoustics to measure the range and Bragg peak dose from a pulsed proton beam. Simulation studies implementing a prototype scanner design based on computed tomographic methods were performed to investigate the sensitivity to proton range and integral dose. Derived from thermodynamic wave equation, the pressure signals generated from the dose deposited from a pulsed proton beam with a 1 cm lateral beam width and a range of 16, 20, and 27 cm in water using Monte Carlo methods were simulated. The resulting dosimetric images were reconstructed implementing a 3D filtered backprojection algorithm and the pressure signals acquired from a 71-transducer array with a cylindrical geometry (30 × 40 cm) rotated over 2π about its central axis. Dependencies on the detector bandwidth and proton beam pulse width were performed, after which, different noise levels were added to the detector signals (using 1 μs pulse width and a 0.5 MHz cutoff frequency/hydrophone) to investigate the statistical and systematic errors in the proton range (at 20 cm) and Bragg peak dose (of 1 cGy). The reconstructed radioacoustic computed tomographic image intensity was shown to be linearly correlated to the dose within the Bragg peak. And, based on noise dependent studies, a detector sensitivity of 38 mPa was necessary to determine the proton range to within 1.0 mm (full-width at half-maximum) (systematic error ionizing radiation-induced acoustics can be used to verify dose distribution and proton range with centi-Gray sensitivity. Realizing this technology into the clinic has the potential to significantly impact beam commissioning, treatment verification during particle beam therapy and image guided techniques.

The effects of gamma irradiation on the leaching of reducing sugars, inorganic phosphate and enzymes from barley seeds during germination in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurobane, I.; Yamaguchi, H.; Sander, C.; Nilan, R.A.

1979-01-01

Gamma irradiation enhanced the leaching of reducing sugars from barley seeds into the water in which the seeds were shaken. Treatments prior to shaking in water, such as overnight soaking in water at 5 0 C and subsequent germination in Petri dishes for 1 or 2 days at 20 0 C, showed pronounced effects on the leaching. The highest effect, which was obtained at 500 krad irradiation, was four times higher than that of the non-irradiated control. Gamma irradiation also stimulated the leaching of inorganic phosphate and slightly that of amylases from barley seeds. When seeds from which the embryos has been removed were shaken into water, no stimulating effect on the leaching of sugars was noted. These results, combined with the irradiation effect on the embryo, suggest that the stimulated leaching of reducing sugars is due to the extreme difference in sensitivity to gamma irradiation between the production of reducing sugars in the endosperm and the development and growth of the embryo. (author)

Experimental techniques for characterising water in wood covering the range from dry to fully water-saturated

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thybring, Emil Engelund; Kymäläinen, Maija; Rautkari, Lauri

2018-01-01

focuses on selected experimental techniques that can give deeper insights into various aspects of water in wood in the entire moisture domain from dry to fully water-saturated. These techniques fall into three broad categories: (1) gravimetric techniques that determine how much water is absorbed, (2...

Synthesis of reduced carbon nitride at the reduction by hydroquinone of water-soluble carbon nitride oxide (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4})O

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kharlamov, Alexey [Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St. 3, 03680 Kiev (Ukraine); Bondarenko, Marina, E-mail: mebondarenko@ukr.net [Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St. 3, 03680 Kiev (Ukraine); Kharlamova, Ganna [Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, Volodymyrs' ka St. 64, 01601 Kiev (Ukraine); Fomenko, Veniamin [Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St. 3, 03680 Kiev (Ukraine)

2016-09-15

For the first time at the reduction by hydroquinone of water-soluble carbon nitride oxide (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4})O reduced carbon nitride (or reduced multi-layer azagraphene) is obtained. It is differed from usually synthesized carbon nitride by a significantly large (on 0.09 nm) interplanar distance is. At the same time, the chemical bonds between atoms in a heteroatomic plane of reduced carbon nitride correspond to the bonds in a synthesized g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. The samples of water-soluble carbon nitride oxide were synthesized under the special reactionary conditions of a pyrolysis of melamine and urea. We believe that reduced carbon nitride consists of weakly connected carbon-nitrogen monosheets (azagraphene sheets) as well as reduced (from graphene oxide) graphene contains weakly connected graphene sheets. - Graphical abstract: XRD pattern and schematic atomic model of one layer of reduced carbon nitride, carbon nitride oxide and synthesized carbon nitride. For the first time at the reduction by hydroquinone of the water-soluble carbon nitride oxide (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4})O is obtained the reduced carbon nitride (or reduced multi-layer azagraphene). Display Omitted - Highlights: • First the reduced carbon nitride (RCN) at the reduction of the carbon nitride oxide was obtained. • Water-soluble carbon nitride oxide was reduced by hydroquinone. • The chemical bonds in a heteroatomic plane of RCN correspond to the bonds in a synthesized g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. • Reduced carbon nitride consists of poorly connected heteroatomic azagraphene layers.

Compressive laser ranging.

Science.gov (United States)

Babbitt, Wm Randall; Barber, Zeb W; Renner, Christoffer

2011-12-15

Compressive sampling has been previously proposed as a technique for sampling radar returns and determining sparse range profiles with a reduced number of measurements compared to conventional techniques. By employing modulation on both transmission and reception, compressive sensing in ranging is extended to the direct measurement of range profiles without intermediate measurement of the return waveform. This compressive ranging approach enables the use of pseudorandom binary transmit waveforms and return modulation, along with low-bandwidth optical detectors to yield high-resolution ranging information. A proof-of-concept experiment is presented. With currently available compact, off-the-shelf electronics and photonics, such as high data rate binary pattern generators and high-bandwidth digital optical modulators, compressive laser ranging can readily achieve subcentimeter resolution in a compact, lightweight package.

A single administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin that produces reduced food and water intake induces long-lasting expression of corticotropin-releasing factor, arginine vasopressin, and proopiomelanocortin in rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Bo-Hyun; Hong, Chang Gwun; Kim, Soo-Young; Kim, Hyun-Ju; Shin, Seung Keon; Kang, Seungwoo; Lee, Kuem-Ju; Kim, Yong-Ku; Lee, Min-Soo; Shin, Kyung-Ho

2008-01-01

The mechanism by which a single administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) reduces food and water intake is unclear. We examined whether such a food and water intake-reducing single administration of TCDD induced changes in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression in rat brain. To observe time-dependent changes in these neuropeptides, male Sprague-Dawley rats were given TCDD (50 μg/kg) and terminated 1, 2, 4, or 7 days later. In addition, to observe dose-dependent changes in feeding and neuropeptides, rats were also given a range of TCDD doses (12.5, 25, or 50 μg/kg) and terminated 14 days later. TCDD suppressed food and water intake over 14 days in a dose-dependent manner. TCDD treatment also increased CRF and POMC mRNA levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and arcuate nucleus, respectively, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These increases were related to decreased food intake following TCDD administration. TCDD treatment increased AVP and CRF mRNA levels in the PVN, and these increases were related to decreased water intake. Interestingly, the increases in CRF, AVP and POMC expression were observed 7 to 14 days after TCDD administration. These results suggest that a single administration of TCDD induced long-lasting increases in CRF, AVP, and POMC mRNA levels in the hypothalamus and that these changes are related to reduced food and water intake 7 to 14 days after TCDD administration

Energy-Recovery Pressure-Reducer in District Heating System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dariusz Borkowski

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Already existing man-made infrastructures that create water flow and unused pressure are interesting energy sources to which micro-hydropower plants can be applied. Apart from water supply systems (WSSs, which are widely described in the literature, significant hydropower potential can also be found in district heating systems (DHSs. In this paper, a prototype, a so-called energy-recovery pressure-reducer (ERPR, utilized for a DHS, is presented. It consisted of a pump as a turbine coupled to a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG. The latter was connected to the power grid through the power electronic unit (PEU. The variable-speed operation allowed one to modify the turbine characteristics to match the substation’s hydraulic conditions. The proposed ERPR device could be installed in series to the existing classic pressure reducing valve (PRV as an independent device that reduces costs and simplifies system installation. The test results of the prototype system located in a substation of Cracow’s DHS are presented. The steady-state curves and regulation characteristics show the prototype’s operating range and efficiency. In this study, the pressure-reducer impact on the electrical and hydraulic systems, and on the environment, were analyzed. The operation tests during the annual heating season revealed an average system’s efficiency of 49%.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF): Water Conservation

Science.gov (United States)

The CWSRF can provide financial assistance for water conservation projects that reduce the demand for POTW capacity through reduced water consumption (i.e., water efficiency), as well as water reuse and precipitation harvesting.

Precipitable water and surface humidity over global oceans from special sensor microwave imager and European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, W. T.; Tang, Wenqing; Wentz, Frank J.

1992-01-01

Global fields of precipitable water W from the special sensor microwave imager were compared with those from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model. They agree over most ocean areas; both data sets capture the two annual cycles examined and the interannual anomalies during an ENSO episode. They show significant differences in the dry air masses over the eastern tropical-subtropical oceans, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In these regions, comparisons with radiosonde data indicate that overestimation by the ECMWF model accounts for a large part of the differences. As a check on the W differences, surface-level specific humidity Q derived from W, using a statistical relation, was compared with Q from the ECMWF model. The differences in Q were found to be consistent with the differences in W, indirectly validating the Q-W relation. In both W and Q, SSMI was able to discern clearly the equatorial extension of the tongues of dry air in the eastern tropical ocean, while both ECMWF and climatological fields have reduced spatial gradients and weaker intensity.

Germination and Seedling Growth of Water Primroses: A Cross Experiment between Two Invaded Ranges with Contrasting Climates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morgane Gillard

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Aquatic ecosystems are vulnerable to biological invasions, and will also be strongly impacted by climate change, including temperature increase. Understanding the colonization dynamics of aquatic invasive plant species is of high importance for preservation of native biodiversity. Many aquatic invasive plants rely on clonal reproduction to spread, but mixed reproductive modes are common. Under future climate changes, these species may favor a sexual reproductive mode. The aim of this study was to test the germination capacity and the seedling growth of two water primrose species, Ludwigia hexapetala and Ludwigia peploides, both invasive in Europe and in the United States. We performed a reciprocal transplant of seeds of L. hexapetala and L. peploides from two invasive ranges into experimental gardens characterized by Oceanic and Mediterranean-type climates. Our results showed that higher temperatures increased or maintained germination percentages and velocity, decreased survivorship of germinants, but increased their production of biomass. The origin of the seeds had low impact on L. hexapetala responses to temperature, but greatly influenced those of L. peploides. The invasiveness of water primroses in ranges with Oceanic climates might increase with temperature. The recruitment from seed banks by these species should be considered by managers to improve the conservation of native aquatic and wetland plant species.

Properties of experimental titanium cast investment mixing with water reducing agent solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zutai; Ding, Ning; Tamaki, Yukimichi; Hotta, Yasuhiro; Han-Cheol, Cho; Miyazaki, Takashi

2012-01-01

This study aimed to develop a dental investment for titanium casting. ZrO(2) and Al(2)O(3) were selected as refractory materials to prepare three investments (Codes: A-C) according to the quantity of Zr. Al(2)O(3) cement was used as a binder at a ratio of 15%, they were mixed with special mixing liquid. B1 was used as a control mixed with water. Fundamental examinations were statistically evaluated. A casting test was performed with investment B. Fluidities, setting times, and green strengths showed no remarkable differences; however, they were significantly different from those of B1. Expansion values for A, B, C, and B1 at 850°C were 1.03%±0.08%, 1.96%±0.17%, 4.35%±0.23%, and 1.50%±0.28%, respectively. Castings were covered by only small amounts of mold materials. The hardness test showed no significant differences between castings from B and the ones from commercial investments. The experimental special mixing liquid effectively reduced the water/powder ratio and improved the strength and thermal expansion.

Physico-Chemical, Biological and Therapeutic Characteristics of Electrolyzed Reduced Alkaline Water (ERAW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc Henry

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The consumption of alkaline reduced water produced by domestic electrolysis devices was approved in Japan in 1965 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the cure of gastro-intestinal disorders. Today, these devices are freely available in several countries and can be easily purchased without reserve. The commercial information included with the device recommends the consumption of 1–1.5 L of water per day, not only for gastro-intestinal disorders but also for numerous other illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, inflammation, etc. Academic research in Japan on this subject has been undergoing since 1990 only but has established that the active ingredient is dissolved dihydrogen that eliminates the free radical HO• in vivo. In addition, it was demonstrated that degradation of the electrodes during functioning of the device releases very reactive nanoparticles of platinum, the toxicity of which has not yet been clearly proven. This report recommends alerting health authorities of the uncontrolled availability of these devices used as health products, but which generate drug substances and should therefore be sold according to regulatory requirements.

How do low dispersal species establish large range sizes? The case of the water beetle Graphoderus bilineatus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Lars Lønsmann; Rannap, Riinu; Thomsen, Philip Francis

2013-01-01

important than species phylogeny or local spatial attributes. In this study we used the water beetle Graphoderus bilineatus a philopatric species of conservation concern in Europe as a model to explain large range size and to support effective conservation measures for such species that also have limited...... systems and wetlands which used to be highly connected throughout the central plains of Europe. Our data suggest that a broad habitat niche can prevent landscape elements from becoming barriers for species like G. bilineatus. Therefore, we question the usefulness of site protection as conservation...... measures for G. bilineatus and similar philopatric species. Instead, conservation actions should be focused at the landscape level to ensure a long-term viability of such species across their range....

A new, rapid and reliable method for the determination of reduced sulphur (S{sup 2-}) species in natural water discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montegrossi, Giordano [C.N.R. - Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy)]. E-mail: giordano@geo.unifi.it; Tassi, Franco [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy); Vaselli, Orlando [C.N.R. - Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy); Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy); Bidini, Eva [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy); Minissale, Angelo [C.N.R. - Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy)

2006-05-15

The determination of reduced S species in natural waters is particularly difficult due to their high instability and chemical and physical interferences in the current analytical methods. In this paper a new, rapid and reliable analytical procedure is presented, named the Cd-IC method, for their determination as {sigma}S{sup 2-} via oxidation to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} after chemical trapping with an ammonia-cadmium solution that allows precipitation of all the reduced S species as CdS. The S{sup 2-}-SO{sub 4} is analysed by ion-chromatography. The main advantages of this method are: low cost, high stability of CdS precipitate, absence of interferences, low detection limit (0.01mg/L as SO{sub 4} for 10mL of water) and low analytical error (about 5%). The proposed method has been applied to more than 100 water samples from different natural systems (water discharges and cold wells from volcanic and geothermal areas, crater lakes) in central-southern Italy.

Early enrichment in free-range laying hens: effects on ranging behaviour, welfare and response to stressors.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, D L M; Hinch, G N; Downing, J A; Lee, C

2018-03-01

Free-range laying hen systems are increasing within Australia. The pullets for these systems are typically reared indoors before being provided first range access around 21 to 26 weeks of age. Thus, the rearing and laying environments are disparate and hens may not adapt well to free-range housing. In this study, we reared 290 Hy-Line® Brown day-old chicks divided into two rooms each with feed, water and litter. In the enriched room, multiple structural, manipulable, visual and auditory stimuli were also provided from 4 to 21 days, the non-enriched room had no additional objects or stimuli. Pullets were transferred to the laying facility at 12 weeks of age and divided into six pens (three enriched-reared, three non-enriched-reared) with identical indoor resources and outdoor range area. All birds were first provided range access at 21 weeks of age. Video observations of natural disturbance behaviours on the range at 22 to 23 and 33 to 34 weeks of age showed no differences in frequency of disturbance occurrences between treatment groups (P=0.09) but a decrease in disturbance occurrences over time (Prange each day (Prange visits than non-enriched birds from 21 to 24 weeks of age (P=0.01). Enriched birds accessed the range on more days (P=0.03) but over time, most birds in both treatment groups accessed the range daily. Basic external health scoring showed minimal differences between treatment groups with most birds in visibly good condition. At 38 weeks of age all birds were locked inside for 2 days and from 40 to 42 weeks of age the outdoor range was reduced to 20% of its original size to simulate stressful events. The eggs from non-enriched birds had higher corticosterone concentrations following lock-in and 2 weeks following range reduction compared with the concentrations within eggs from enriched birds (Prange area reduction compared to non-enriched hens (P=0.02). Only one rearing room per treatment was used but these preliminary data indicate 3 weeks of early

Germination response of Hylocereus setaceus (Salm-Dyck ex DC: ) Ralf Bauer (Cactaceae) seeds to temperature and reduced water potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Simão, E; Takaki, M; Cardoso, V J M

2010-02-01

The germination response of Hylocereus setaceus seeds to isothermic incubation at different water potentials was analysed by using the thermal time and hydrotime models, aiming to describe some germination parameters of the population and to test the validity of the models to describe the response of the seeds to temperature and water potential. Hylocereus setaceus seeds germinated relatively well in a wide range of temperatures and the germination was rate limited from 11 to 20 degrees C interval and beyond 30 degrees C until 40 degrees C, in which the germination rate respectively shifts positively and negatively with temperature. The minimum or base temperature (T(b)) for the germination of H. setaceus was 7 degrees C, and the ceiling temperature varied nearly from 43.5 to 59 degrees C depending on the percent fraction, with median set on 49.8 degrees C. The number of degrees day necessary for 50% of the seeds to germinate in the infra-optimum temperature range was 39.3 degrees C day, whereas at the supra-optimum interval the value of theta = 77 was assumed to be constant throughout. Germination was sensitive to decreasing values of psi in the medium, and both the germinability and the germination rate shift negatively with the reduction of psi, but the rate of reduction changed with temperature. The values of base water potential (psi(b)) shift to zero with increasing temperatures and such variation reflects in the relatively greater effect of low psi on germination in supra optimum range of T. In general, the model described better the germination time courses at lower than at higher water potentials. The analysis also suggest that Tb may not be independent of psi and that psi(b(g)) may change as a function of temperature at the infra-otimum temperature range.

Hypothermia Induction and Recovery in Free-Ranging Rats

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

DuBose, D. A; Leon, L. R; Morehouse, D. H; Rufolo, D. M; Blaha, M. D; Gordon, C. J

2007-01-01

1. To avoid anesthesia confounders, free-ranging rats were exposed to cool water, warm water, or temperate air to induce hypothermia, or control for water or novel environment stress, respectively. 2...

Seed origin and warming constrain lodgepole pine recruitment, slowing the pace of population range shifts

Science.gov (United States)

Conlisk, Erin; Castanha, Cristina; Germino, Matthew; Veblen, Thomas T.; Smith, Jeremy M.; Moyes, Andrew B.; Kueppers, Lara M.

2018-01-01

Understanding how climate warming will affect the demographic rates of different ecotypes is critical to predicting shifts in species distributions. Here we present results from a common garden, climate change experiment in which we measured seedling recruitment of lodgepole pine, a widespread North American conifer that is also planted globally. Seeds from a low-elevation provenance had greater recruitment to their third year (by 323%) than seeds from a high-elevation provenance across sites within and above its native elevation range and across climate manipulations. Heating reduced (by 49%) recruitment to the third year of both low- and high-elevation seed sources across the elevation gradient, while watering alleviated some of the negative effects of heating (108% increase in watered plots). Demographic models based on recruitment data from the climate manipulations and long-term observations of adult populations revealed that heating could effectively halt modeled upslope range expansion except when combined with watering. Simulating fire and rapid post-fire forest recovery at lower elevations accelerated lodgepole pine expansion into the alpine, but did not alter final abundance rankings among climate scenarios. Regardless of climate scenario, greater recruitment of low-elevation seeds compensated for longer dispersal distances to treeline, assuming colonization was allowed to proceed over multiple centuries. Our results show that ecotypes from lower elevations within a species’ range could enhance recruitment and facilitate upslope range shifts with climate change.

A simplified Excel® algorithm for estimating the least limiting water range of soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leão Tairone Paiva

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The least limiting water range (LLWR of soils has been employed as a methodological approach for evaluation of soil physical quality in different agricultural systems, including forestry, grasslands and major crops. However, the absence of a simplified methodology for the quantification of LLWR has hampered the popularization of its use among researchers and soil managers. Taking this into account this work has the objective of proposing and describing a simplified algorithm developed in Excel® software for quantification of the LLWR, including the calculation of the critical bulk density, at which the LLWR becomes zero. Despite the simplicity of the procedures and numerical techniques of optimization used, the nonlinear regression produced reliable results when compared to those found in the literature.

Reducing the Risk of Water Pollution in Vulnerable Coastal ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Outcomes to improve water quality The team will recommend ways to minimize exposure to contaminants and to ... for improving access to potable water will prepare a regional strategy for integrated water management. ... Total funding.

Electrical charging characteristics of the hetero layer film for reducing water-borne paint contamination in electrostatic rotary atomizers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamada, Y.; Imanishi, T.; Yoshida, O.; Mizuno, A. [ABB Japan, Tokyo (Japan)

2010-07-01

The electrostatic rotary atomizer is the most efficient of all liquid spray painting methods. Its use minimizes the waste of paint and reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Water-borne painting processes which use water-soluble paint also reduce VOC emissions, but the atomizer body is easily contaminated by the paint mists. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) considered the causes of water-borne paint contamination and presented the experimental results of a contamination proof system in which the atomizer is surrounded by the repelling film that is charged and repels the incoming paint droplets. Among the key factors for repelling film were electrical properties, such as low capacitance and high insulation to keep high surface potential. Charging uniformity was found to be among the most important characteristic to avoid contamination. The pulse electro-acoustic (PEA) method was used to check these features using space charge measurements inside the repelling film. It was concluded that hetero layer films have more uniform charging characteristics than single layer films.

Quantification of the least limiting water range in an oxisol using two methodological strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wagner Henrique Moreira

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The least limiting water range (LLWR has been used as an indicator of soil physical quality as it represents, in a single parameter, the soil physical properties directly linked to plant growth, with the exception of temperature. The usual procedure for obtaining the LLWR involves determination of the water retention curve (WRC and the soil resistance to penetration curve (SRC in soil samples with undisturbed structure in the laboratory. Determination of the WRC and SRC using field measurements (in situ is preferable, but requires appropriate instrumentation. The objective of this study was to determine the LLWR from the data collected for determination of WRC and SRC in situ using portable electronic instruments, and to compare those determinations with the ones made in the laboratory. Samples were taken from the 0.0-0.1 m layer of a Latossolo Vermelho distrófico (Oxisol. Two methods were used for quantification of the LLWR: the traditional, with measurements made in soil samples with undisturbed structure; and in situ , with measurements of water content (θ, soil water potential (Ψ, and soil resistance to penetration (SR through the use of sensors. The in situ measurements of θ, Ψ and SR were taken over a period of four days of soil drying. At the same time, samples with undisturbed structure were collected for determination of bulk density (BD. Due to the limitations of measurement of Ψ by tensiometer, additional determinations of θ were made with a psychrometer (in the laboratory at the Ψ of -1500 kPa. The results show that it is possible to determine the LLWR by the θ, Ψ and SR measurements using the suggested approach and instrumentation. The quality of fit of the SRC was similar in both strategies. In contrast, the θ and Ψ in situ measurements, associated with those measured with a psychrometer, produced a better WRC description. The estimates of the LLWR were similar in both methodological strategies. The quantification of

Multi-scale heterogeneity in the temporal origin of water taken up by trees water uptake inferred using stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, S. T.; Kirchner, J. W.; Braun, S.; Siegwolf, R. T.; Goldsmith, G. R.

2017-12-01

Xylem water isotopic composition can reveal how water moves through soil and is subsequently taken up by plants. By examining how xylem water isotopes vary across distinct climates and soils, we test how these site characteristics control critical-zone water movement and tree uptake. Xylem water was collected from over 900 trees at 191 sites across Switzerland during a 10-day period in mid-summer 2015. Sites contained oak, beech and/or spruce trees and ranged in elevation from 260 to 1870 m asl with mean annual precipitation from 700 to 2060 mm. Xylem water samples were analyzed for 2H and 18O using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Patterns in the temporal origin of xylem water showed regional differences. For example, trees in the southern and alpine regions had xylem water isotopic signatures that more closely resembled summer precipitation. The isotopic spatial range observed for mid-summer xylem waters was similar to the seasonal range of precipitation; that is, mid-summer xylem water at some sites resembled summer precipitation, and at other sites resembled winter precipitation. Xylem water from spruces, oaks, and beeches at the same sites did not differ from each other, despite these species having different rooting habits. Across all sites and species, precipitation amount correlated positively with xylem δ18O. In higher-precipitation areas, summer rain apparently displaces or mixes with older (winter) stored waters, thus reducing the winter-water isotopic signal in xylem water. Alternatively, in areas with limited precipitation, xylem water more closely matched winter water, indicating greater use of older stored water. We conclude that regional variations in precipitation deficits determine variations in the turnover rate of plant-available soil water and storage.

Detour factors in water and plastic phantoms and their use for range and depth scaling in electron-beam dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez-Varea, J.M.; Andreo, P.; Tabata, T.

1996-01-01

Average penetration depths and detour factors of 1-50 MeV electrons in water and plastic materials have been computed by means of analytical calculation, within the continuous-slowing-down approximation and including multiple scattering, and using the Monte Carlo codes ITS and PENELOPE. Results are compared to detour factors from alternative definitions previously proposed in the literature. Different procedures used in low-energy electron-beam dosimetry to convert ranges and depths measured in plastic phantoms into water-equivalent ranges and depths are analysed. A new simple and accurate scaling method, based on Monte Carlo-derived ratios of average electron penetration depths and thus incorporating the effect of multiple scattering, is presented. Data are given for most plastics used in electron-beam dosimetry together with a fit which extends the method to any other low-Z plastic material. A study of scaled depth - dose curves and mean energies as a function of depth for some plastics of common usage shows that the method improves the consistency and results of other scaling procedures in dosimetry with electron beams at therapeutic energies. (author)

Energy requirements for waste water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Svardal, K; Kroiss, H

2011-01-01

The actual mathematical models describing global climate closely link the detected increase in global temperature to anthropogenic activity. The only energy source we can rely on in a long perspective is solar irradiation which is in the order of 10,000 kW/inhabitant. The actual primary power consumption (mainly based on fossil resources) in the developed countries is in the range of 5 to 10 kW/inhabitant. The total power contained in our nutrition is in the range of 0.11 kW/inhabitant. The organic pollution of domestic waste water corresponds to approximately 0.018 kW/inhabitant. The nutrients contained in the waste water can also be converted into energy equivalents replacing market fertiliser production. This energy equivalent is in the range of 0.009 kW/inhabitant. Hence waste water will never be a relevant source of energy as long as our primary energy consumption is in the range of several kW/inhabitant. The annual mean primary power demand of conventional municipal waste water treatment with nutrient removal is in the range of 0.003-0.015 kW/inhabitant. In principle it is already possible to reduce this value for external energy supply to zero. Such plants should be connected to an electrical grid in order to keep investment costs low. Peak energy demand will be supported from the grid and surplus electric energy from the plant can be is fed to the grid. Zero 'carbon footprint' will not be affected by this solution. Energy minimisation must never negatively affect treatment efficiency because water quality conservation is more important for sustainable development than the possible reduction in energy demand. This argument is strongly supported by economical considerations as the fixed costs for waste water infrastructure are dominant.

Efforts to Reduce International Space Station Crew Maintenance Time in the Management of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit Transport Loop Water Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Etter,David; Rector, Tony; Boyle, robert; Zande, Chris Vande

2012-01-01

The EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) contains a semi-closed-loop re-circulating water circuit (Transport Loop) to absorb heat into a LCVG (Liquid Coolant and Ventilation Garment) worn by the astronaut. A second, single-pass water circuit (Feed-water Loop) provides water to a cooling device (Sublimator) containing porous plates, and that water sublimates through the porous plates to space vacuum. The cooling effect from the sublimation of this water translates to a cooling of the LCVG water that circulates through the Sublimator. The quality of the EMU Transport Loop water is maintained through the use of a water processing kit (ALCLR - Airlock Cooling Loop Remediation) that is used to periodically clean and disinfect the water circuit. Opportunities to reduce crew time associated with ALCLR operations include a detailed review of the historical water quality data for evidence to support an extension to the implementation cycle. Furthermore, an EMU returned after 2-years of use on the ISS (International Space Station) is being used as a test bed to evaluate the results of extended and repeated ALCLR implementation cycles. Finally, design, use and on-orbit location enhancements to the ALCLR kit components are being considered to allow the implementation cycle to occur in parallel with other EMU maintenance and check-out activities, and to extend the life of the ALCLR kit components. These efforts are undertaken to reduce the crew-time and logistics burdens for the EMU, while ensuring the long-term health of the EMU water circuits for a post- Shuttle 6-year service life.

Decreasing soil water Ca2+ reduces DOC adsorption in mineral soils: implications for long-term DOC trends in an upland forested catchment in southern Ontario, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Jason Grainger; Eimers, M Catherine

2012-06-15

Positive trends in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration have been observed in surface waters throughout North America and northern Europe. Although adsorption in mineral soils is an important driver of DOC in upland streams, little is known about the potential for changes in DOC adsorption to contribute to these trends. We hypothesized that long-term declines in soil water Ca(2+) levels, in response to declining acid deposition, might influence DOC adsorption and that this could contribute to long-term DOC trends in an upland forested catchment in south-central Ontario, Canada. Between 1987 and 2009, DOC concentrations increased significantly (pDOC concentration (DOC(np)), which is a measure of the soil water DOC concentration at equilibrium with the soil, ranged from 1.27 to 3.75 mg L(-1) in B horizon soils. This was similar to the mean DOC concentrations of B horizon soil water (2.04-6.30 mg L(-1)) and stream water (2.20 mg L(-1)), indicating that soil and stream water DOC concentrations are controlled by equilibrium processes at the soil-water interface. Adsorption experiments using variable Ca(2+) concentrations demonstrated that as Ca(2+) decreased the DOC(np) increased (1.96 to 4.74 mg L(-1)), which was consistent with the observed negative correlation between DOC and Ca(2+) in B horizon soil water (pDOC adsorption (p>0.05), indicating that changes in DOC adsorption might be related to cation bridging. We conclude that declines in soil water Ca(2+) concentration can contribute to increasing DOC trends in upland streams by reducing DOC adsorption in mineral soils. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Warming and provenance limit tree recruitment across and beyond the elevation range of subalpine forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Kueppers, Lara M; Conlisk, Erin; Castanha, Cristina; Moyes, Andrew B; Germino, Matthew J; de Valpine, Perry; Torn, Margaret S; Mitton, Jeffry B

2017-06-01

Climate niche models project that subalpine forest ranges will extend upslope with climate warming. These projections assume that the climate suitable for adult trees will be adequate for forest regeneration, ignoring climate requirements for seedling recruitment, a potential demographic bottleneck. Moreover, local genetic adaptation is expected to facilitate range expansion, with tree populations at the upper forest edge providing the seed best adapted to the alpine. Here, we test these expectations using a novel combination of common gardens, seeded with two widely distributed subalpine conifers, and climate manipulations replicated at three elevations. Infrared heaters raised temperatures in heated plots, but raised temperatures more in the forest than at or above treeline because strong winds at high elevation reduced heating efficiency. Watering increased season-average soil moisture similarly across sites. Contrary to expectations, warming reduced Engelmann spruce recruitment at and above treeline, as well as in the forest. Warming reduced limber pine first-year recruitment in the forest, but had no net effect on fourth-year recruitment at any site. Watering during the snow-free season alleviated some negative effects of warming, indicating that warming exacerbated water limitations. Contrary to expectations of local adaptation, low-elevation seeds of both species initially recruited more strongly than high-elevation seeds across the elevation gradient, although the low-provenance advantage diminished by the fourth year for Engelmann spruce, likely due to small sample sizes. High- and low-elevation provenances responded similarly to warming across sites for Engelmann spruce, but differently for limber pine. In the context of increasing tree mortality, lower recruitment at all elevations with warming, combined with lower quality, high-provenance seed being most available for colonizing the alpine, portends range contraction for Engelmann spruce. The lower

Electrochemically reduced water exerts superior reactive oxygen species scavenging activity in HT1080 cells than the equivalent level of hydrogen-dissolved water.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takeki Hamasaki

Full Text Available Electrochemically reduced water (ERW is produced near a cathode during electrolysis and exhibits an alkaline pH, contains richly dissolved hydrogen, and contains a small amount of platinum nanoparticles. ERW has reactive oxygen species (ROS-scavenging activity and recent studies demonstrated that hydrogen-dissolved water exhibits ROS-scavenging activity. Thus, the antioxidative capacity of ERW is postulated to be dependent on the presence of hydrogen levels; however, there is no report verifying the role of dissolved hydrogen in ERW. In this report, we clarify whether the responsive factor for antioxidative activity in ERW is dissolved hydrogen. The intracellular ROS scavenging activity of ERW and hydrogen-dissolved water was tested by both fluorescent stain method and immuno spin trapping assay. We confirm that ERW possessed electrolysis intensity-dependent intracellular ROS-scavenging activity, and ERW exerts significantly superior ROS-scavenging activity in HT1080 cells than the equivalent level of hydrogen-dissolved water. ERW retained its ROS-scavenging activity after removal of dissolved hydrogen, but lost its activity when autoclaved. An oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay and chemiluminescence assay could not detect radical-scavenging activity in both ERW and hydrogen-dissolved water. These results indicate that ERW contains electrolysis-dependent hydrogen and an additional antioxidative factor predicted to be platinum nanoparticles.

A paddy eco-ditch and wetland system to reduce non-point source pollution from rice-based production system while maintaining water use efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Yujiang; Peng, Shizhang; Luo, Yufeng; Xu, Junzeng; Yang, Shihong

2015-03-01

Non-point source (NPS) pollution from agricultural drainage has aroused widespread concerns throughout the world due to its contribution to eutrophication of water bodies. To remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural drainage in situ, a Paddy Eco-ditch and Wetland System (PEDWS) was designed and built based on the characteristics of the irrigated rice district. A 2-year (2012-2013) field experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of this system in Gaoyou Irrigation District in Eastern China. The results showed that the reduction in water input in paddy field of the PEDWS enabled the maintenance of high rice yield; it significantly increased irrigation water productivity (WPI), gross water productivity (WPG), and evapotranspiration water productivity (WPET) by 109.2, 67.1, and 17.6%, respectively. The PEDWS dramatically decreased N and P losses from paddy field. Compared with conventional irrigation and drainage system (CIDS), the amount of drainage water from PEDWS was significantly reduced by 56.2%, the total nitrogen (TN) concentration in drainage was reduced by 42.6%, and thus the TN and total phosphorus (TP) losses were reduced by 87.8 and 70.4%. PEDWS is technologically feasible and applicable to treat nutrient losses from paddy fields in situ and can be used in similar areas.

Feasibility of RACT for 3D dose measurement and range verification in a water phantom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alsanea, Fahed [School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2051 (United States); Moskvin, Vadim [Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 535 Barnhill Drive, RT 041, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5289 (United States); Stantz, Keith M., E-mail: kstantz@purdue.edu [School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2051 and Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 950 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5289 (United States)

2015-02-15

Purpose: The objective of this study is to establish the feasibility of using radiation-induced acoustics to measure the range and Bragg peak dose from a pulsed proton beam. Simulation studies implementing a prototype scanner design based on computed tomographic methods were performed to investigate the sensitivity to proton range and integral dose. Methods: Derived from thermodynamic wave equation, the pressure signals generated from the dose deposited from a pulsed proton beam with a 1 cm lateral beam width and a range of 16, 20, and 27 cm in water using Monte Carlo methods were simulated. The resulting dosimetric images were reconstructed implementing a 3D filtered backprojection algorithm and the pressure signals acquired from a 71-transducer array with a cylindrical geometry (30 × 40 cm) rotated over 2π about its central axis. Dependencies on the detector bandwidth and proton beam pulse width were performed, after which, different noise levels were added to the detector signals (using 1 μs pulse width and a 0.5 MHz cutoff frequency/hydrophone) to investigate the statistical and systematic errors in the proton range (at 20 cm) and Bragg peak dose (of 1 cGy). Results: The reconstructed radioacoustic computed tomographic image intensity was shown to be linearly correlated to the dose within the Bragg peak. And, based on noise dependent studies, a detector sensitivity of 38 mPa was necessary to determine the proton range to within 1.0 mm (full-width at half-maximum) (systematic error < 150 μm) for a 1 cGy Bragg peak dose, where the integral dose within the Bragg peak was measured to within 2%. For existing hydrophone detector sensitivities, a Bragg peak dose of 1.6 cGy is possible. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that computed tomographic scanner based on ionizing radiation-induced acoustics can be used to verify dose distribution and proton range with centi-Gray sensitivity. Realizing this technology into the clinic has the potential to significantly

Spatial Cognition and Range Use in Free-Range Laying Hens.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Dana L M; Talk, Andrew C; Loh, Ziyang A; Dyall, Tim R; Lee, Caroline

2018-02-08

Radio-frequency identification tracking shows individual free-range laying hens vary in range use, with some never going outdoors. The range is typically more environmentally complex, requiring navigation to return to the indoor resources. Outdoor-preferring hens may have improved spatial abilities compared to indoor-preferring hens. Experiment 1 tested 32 adult ISA Brown hens in a T-maze learning task that showed exclusively-indoor birds were slowest to reach the learning success criterion ( p 0.05), the age that coincided with the onset of lay. Enriched birds that were faster to learn the maze task showed more range visits in the first 4 weeks of range access. Enriched and non-enriched birds showed no differences in telencephalon or hippocampal volume ( p > 0.05). Fear may reduce spatial abilities but further testing with more pen replicates per early rearing treatments would improve our understanding of the relationship between spatial cognitive abilities and range use.

Characteristics and long-term prognosis of patients with heart failure and mid-range ejection fraction compared with reduced and preserved ejection fraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritsen, Josephine; Gustafsson, Finn; Abdulla, Jawdat

2018-01-01

AIMS: This study aimed to assess by a meta-analysis the clinical characteristics, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and hospitalization of patients with heart failure (HF) with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) compared with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved...

Feasibility study on thermal-hydraulic performance in tight-lattice rod bundles for reduced-moderation water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnuki, A.; Kureta, M.; Liu, W.; Tamai, H.; Akimoto, H.

2004-01-01

Research and development project for investigating thermal-hydraulic performance in tight-lattice rod bundles for Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) started at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in 2002. The RMWR can attain the favorable characteristics such as effective utilization of uranium resources, multiple recycling of plutonium, high burn-up and long operation cycle, based on matured light-water reactor technologies. MOX fuel assemblies with tight lattice arrangement are used to increase the conversion ratio by reducing the moderation of neutron. Increasing the in-core void fraction also contributes to the reduction of neutron moderation. The confirmation of thermal-hydraulic feasibility is one of the most important issues for the RMWR because of the tight-lattice configuration. The project has mainly consisted of a large-scale thermal-hydraulic test and development of analytical methods named modeling engineering. In the large-scale test, 37-rod bundle experiments can be performed. Steady-state critical power experiments have been achieved in the test facility and the experimental data reveal the feasibility of RMWR

Subchannel analysis of 37-rod tight-lattice bundle experiments for reduced-moderation water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakatsuka, Toru; Tamai, Hidesada; Akimoto, Hajime

2005-01-01

R and D project to investigate thermal-hydraulic performance of tight-lattice fuel bundles for Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) started at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in collaboration with utilities, reactor vendors and universities from 2002. The RMWR realizes a high conversion ratio larger than 0.1 for sustainable energy supply through plutonium multiple recycling based on the well-experienced LWR technologies. The reactor core comprises tight-lattice fuel assemblies with gap clearance of around 1.0 mm to reduce the water volume ratio to achieve the high conversion ratio. A problem of utmost importance from a thermal-hydraulic point of view is the coolability of the tight-lattice assembly with such a small gap width. JAERI has been carrying out experimental study to investigate the system parameter effects on the thermal-hydraulic performance and to confirm the feasibility of the core. In the present study, the subchannel analysis code NASCA was applied to 37-rod tight-lattice bundle experiments. The NASCA can give good predictions of critical power for the gap width of 1.3 mm while the prediction accuracy decreases for the gap width of 1.0 mm. To improve the prediction accuracy, the code will be modified to take the effect of film thickness distribution around fuel rods on boiling transition. (author)

Drivers and uncertainties of forecasted range shifts for warm-water fishes under climate and land cover change

Science.gov (United States)

Bouska, Kristen; Whitledge, Gregory W.; Lant, Christopher; Schoof, Justin

2018-01-01

Land cover is an important determinant of aquatic habitat and is projected to shift with climate changes, yet climate-driven land cover changes are rarely factored into climate assessments. To quantify impacts and uncertainty of coupled climate and land cover change on warm-water fish species’ distributions, we used an ensemble model approach to project distributions of 14 species. For each species, current range projections were compared to 27 scenario-based projections and aggregated to visualize uncertainty. Multiple regression and model selection techniques were used to identify drivers of range change. Novel, or no-analogue, climates were assessed to evaluate transferability of models. Changes in total probability of occurrence ranged widely across species, from a 63% increase to a 65% decrease. Distributional gains and losses were largely driven by temperature and flow variables and underscore the importance of habitat heterogeneity and connectivity to facilitate adaptation to changing conditions. Finally, novel climate conditions were driven by mean annual maximum temperature, which stresses the importance of understanding the role of temperature on fish physiology and the role of temperature-mitigating management practices.

Estimating costs and potentials of different methods to reduce the Swedish phosphorus load from agriculture to surface water.

Science.gov (United States)

Malmaeus, J M; Karlsson, O M

2010-01-01

This paper reviews 17 measures to reduce phosphorus leakage from Swedish agriculture to surface waters. Our aim is to evaluate the possible contribution from agriculture to achieve environmental goals including the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Using a regional approach integrating the variability in field specific characteristics, typical costs and national potential for the included measures may be estimated without identifying, e.g., suitable individual fields for implementation. The result may be helpful to select suitable measures but may also influence the design of environmental targets before they are determined. We find that the cheapest measures are reduced phosphorus content in animal food and fertilizer application supervision in pig farms, both measures with annual potentials of around 50t each, and costs of euro7 to euro11 kg(-1)yr(-1). The total potential of the listed measures is an annual phosphorus reduction to surface waters of 242t. If the most expensive measures are excluded (>euro1000 kg(-1)yr(-1)) and including retention in lakes the phosphorus transport to the sea could be reduced by 165 t yr(-1). This amount can be compared with the Swedish commitment in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) to reduce input to the Baltic Proper by 290 t yr(-1).

Quantitative Fractal Evaluation of Herbicide Effects on the Water-Absorbing Capacity of Superabsorbent Polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renkuan Liao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The water absorption capacity of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs is important for agricultural drought resistance. However, herbicides may leach into the soil and affect water absorption by damaging the SAP three-dimensional membrane structures. We used 100-mesh sieves, electron microscopy, and fractal theory to study swelling and water absorption in SAPs in the presence of three common herbicides (atrazine, alachlor, and tribenuron-methyl at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/L. In the sieve experiments it was found that 2.0 mg/L atrazine reduces the capacity by 9.64–23.3% at different swelling points; no significant diminution was observed for the other herbicides or for lower atrazine concentrations. We found that the hydrogel membrane pore distributions have fractal characteristics in both deionized water and atrazine solution. The 2.0 mg/L atrazine destroyed the water-retaining polymer membrane pores and reduced the water-absorbing mass by modifying its three-dimensional membrane structure. A linear correlation was observed between the fractal analysis and the water-absorbing mass. Multifractal analysis characterized the membrane pore distribution by using the range of singularity indexes Δα (relative distinguishing range of 16.54–23.44%, which is superior to single-fractal analysis that uses the fractal dimension D (relative distinguishing range of 2.5–4.0%.

Intelligent Pressure Management to Reduce Leakage in Urban Water Supply Networks, A Case Study of Sarafrazan District, Mashhad

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Soltani Asl; Mahmoud Faghfour Maghrebi

2009-01-01

Water losses are inevitable in urban water distribution systems. The two approaches adopted nowadays to combat this problem include management of hydraulic parameters such as pressure and leakage detection in the network. Intellitgent pressure management is a suitable technique for controlling leakage and reducing damages due to high operating pressures in a network. This paper aims to investigate the effects of pressure reduction on leakage. The EPANET 2.10 software is used to simulate the w...

Water resources of the Chad Basin Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franklyn R. Kaloko

2013-07-01

Full Text Available River basin development is seen as a very effective means of improving agricultural productivity. In the Chad Basin area of the Sahelian Zone of the West African Sub-Region, the water resources have been harnessed to ensure viable agricultural programmes for Nigeria. However,the resultant successes have met by many problems that range from physical to socio-economic and of which water losses have been the most threatening. The study has called for the use of Hexa.deconal (C1-OH film on the water surface of the Chad as a means of reducing evaporation.

Climate Change, Forests, and Water Supply: Managing to Reduce Vulnerability in Central Nova Scotia

Science.gov (United States)

Steenberg, J.; Duinker, P.

2009-12-01

Global climate change is increasingly relevant in managing Canada’s forests sustainably. Forest managers are faced with the necessity of incorporating climate change into forest management plans. The formulation and evaluation of potential management strategies to contend with expected impacts of climate change will be necessary to reduce forest sector vulnerability. The Halifax Regional Water Commission manages forest watersheds for the purpose of supplying clean water to much of the Halifax Regional Municipality. The purpose of this study is to characterize the future forest structure of the two principal watersheds supplying the Halifax Regional Municipality using simulation modelling and to develop a framework of adaptive forest management. A combination of uncertainty analysis, sensitivity analysis, and field data collection are used to refine, calibrate, and validate the spatially dynamic landscape disturbance model LANDIS-II prior to the incorporation of climate change scenarios into model simulations. Final model-based analysis will inform framework development dedicated to improving watershed resilience in the face of future climate change. This study is applicable to forest management under a changing climate, but also has further significance to water security, as watershed management and point-source protection are tightly linked to forest management.

An optical water type framework for selecting and blending retrievals from bio-optical algorithms in lakes and coastal waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Timothy S; Dowell, Mark D; Bradt, Shane; Verdu, Antonio Ruiz

2014-03-05

Bio-optical models are based on relationships between the spectral remote sensing reflectance and optical properties of in-water constituents. The wavelength range where this information can be exploited changes depending on the water characteristics. In low chlorophyll- a waters, the blue/green region of the spectrum is more sensitive to changes in chlorophyll- a concentration, whereas the red/NIR region becomes more important in turbid and/or eutrophic waters. In this work we present an approach to manage the shift from blue/green ratios to red/NIR-based chlorophyll- a algorithms for optically complex waters. Based on a combined in situ data set of coastal and inland waters, measures of overall algorithm uncertainty were roughly equal for two chlorophyll- a algorithms-the standard NASA OC4 algorithm based on blue/green bands and a MERIS 3-band algorithm based on red/NIR bands-with RMS error of 0.416 and 0.437 for each in log chlorophyll- a units, respectively. However, it is clear that each algorithm performs better at different chlorophyll- a ranges. When a blending approach is used based on an optical water type classification, the overall RMS error was reduced to 0.320. Bias and relative error were also reduced when evaluating the blended chlorophyll- a product compared to either of the single algorithm products. As a demonstration for ocean color applications, the algorithm blending approach was applied to MERIS imagery over Lake Erie. We also examined the use of this approach in several coastal marine environments, and examined the long-term frequency of the OWTs to MODIS-Aqua imagery over Lake Erie.

Evaluation of treatments with hot water, chemicals and ventilated containers to reduce microbial spoilage in irradiated potatoes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirsat, S.G.; Thomas, P.; Nair, P.M.

1991-01-01

Potatoes irradiated to control sprouting were dipped in: hot water (56°C, 5 min; 52°C, 10, 15 and 20 min); cold (25°C, 5 min) or hot (56°C, 5 min) salicylic acid (1000 and 2000 ppm); or sodium hypochlorite (0.1 and 0.2%, 5 min); or dusted with salicylic acid (1 and 2%), to try to reduce the incidence of bacterial soft rot (Erwinia sp.) during controlled temperature (10°C, 15°C) and ambient temperature (20–34°C) storage. All treatments, particularly hot water and hot salicylic acid dip, increased microbial spoilage, possibly as a result of handling damage during the treatments combined with the inhibition of wound periderm formation as a result of irradiation. Storing irradiated tubers in well ventilated containers reduced soft rot compared to storing them in sacks and after 6 months storage at 10, 15 and 20–34°C, 95, 90 and 77% respectively were healthy and marketable. (author)

An investigation of decreasing reactor coolant inventory as a mechanism to reduce power during a boiling water reactor anticipated transient without scram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, C.E.; Chexal, V.K.; Gose, G.C.; Hentzen, R.D.; Layman, W.H.

1985-01-01

Under certain anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) sequences for a boiling water reactor, it would be desirable to reduce system power, particularly where the primary system has been isolated by closure of all main steam isolation valves and is discharging steam through its safety/relief valve system to the suppression pool. Reducing reactor power increases the time available to shut down the reactor by minimizing the heat dumped to the suppression pool and by helping to keep the suppression pool temperature within limits. Under proposed emergency procedure guidelines for the ATWS event, the reactor water level would be lowered to reduce reactor power. The analyses provide an assessment of the power level that would be attained, assuming the reactor operators were to reduce the the downcomer level down to the top of the active fuel

Mercury cycling in surface water, pore water and sediments of Mugu Lagoon, CA, USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rothenberg, Sarah E. [Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Box 951772, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (United States)], E-mail: rothenberg.sarah@gmail.com; Ambrose, Richard F. [Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Box 951772, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (United States); Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Box 951772, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (United States)], E-mail: rambrose@ucla.edu; Jay, Jennifer A. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Box 951593, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1593 (United States)], E-mail: jjay@seas.ucla.edu

2008-07-15

Mugu Lagoon is an estuary in southern California, listed as impaired for mercury. In 2005, we examined mercury cycling at ten sites within at most four habitats. In surface water (unfiltered and filtered) and pore water, the concentration of total mercury was correlated with methylmercury levels (R{sup 2} = 0.29, 0.26, 0.27, respectively, p < 0.05), in contrast to sediments, where organic matter and reduced iron levels were most correlated with methylmercury content (R{sup 2} = 0.37, 0.26, respectively, p < 0.05). Interestingly, levels for percent methylmercury of total mercury in sediments were higher than typical values for estuarine sediments (average 5.4%, range 0.024-38%, n = 59), while pore water methylmercury K{sub d} values were also high (average 3.1, range 2.0-4.2 l kg{sup -1}, n = 39), and the estimated methylmercury flux from sediments was low (average 1.7, range 0.14-5.3 ng m{sup -2} day{sup -1}, n = 19). Mercury levels in predatory fish tissue at Mugu are >0.3 ppm, suggesting biogeochemical controls on methylmercury mobility do not completely mitigate methylmercury uptake through the food web. - Trends in mercury cycling differed between habitats and within matrices at Mugu Lagoon.

Ion range estimation by using dual energy computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huenemohr, Nora; Greilich, Steffen [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany). Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology; Krauss, Bernhard [Siemens AG, Forchheim (Germany). Imaging and Therapy; Dinkel, Julien [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany). Radiology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States). Radiology; Gillmann, Clarissa [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany). Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology; University Hospital Heidelberg (Germany). Radiation Oncology; Ackermann, Benjamin [Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg (Germany); Jaekel, Oliver [German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany). Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology; Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg (Germany); University Hospital Heidelberg (Germany). Radiation Oncology

2013-07-01

Inaccurate conversion of CT data to water-equivalent path length (WEPL) is one of the most important uncertainty sources in ion treatment planning. Dual energy CT (DECT) imaging might help to reduce CT number ambiguities with the additional information. In our study we scanned a series of materials (tissue substitutes, aluminum, PMMA, and other polymers) in the dual source scanner (Siemens Somatom Definition Flash). Based on the 80 kVp/140Sn kVp dual energy images, the electron densities Q{sub e} and effective atomic numbers Z{sub eff} were calculated. We introduced a new lookup table that translates the Q{sub e} to the WEPL. The WEPL residuals from the calibration were significantly reduced for the investigated tissue surrogates compared to the empirical Hounsfield-look-up table (single energy CT imaging) from (-1.0 {+-} 1.8)% to (0.1 {+-} 0.7)% and for non-tissue equivalent PMMA from -7.8% to -1.0%. To assess the benefit of the new DECT calibration, we conducted a treatment planning study for three different idealized cases based on tissue surrogates and PMMA. The DECT calibration yielded a significantly higher target coverage in tissue surrogates and phantom material (i.e. PMMA cylinder, mean target coverage improved from 62% to 98%). To verify the DECT calibration for real tissue, ion ranges through a frozen pig head were measured and compared to predictions calculated by the standard single energy CT calibration and the novel DECT calibration. By using this method, an improvement of ion range estimation from -2.1% water-equivalent thickness deviation (single energy CT) to 0.3% (DECT) was achieved. If one excludes raypaths located on the edge of the sample accompanied with high uncertainties, no significant difference could be observed. (orig.)

Research of the Landscape Structure of the Water Balance of the Trialeti Range Northern Slope according to the Natural Recreation Resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beritashvili, B.; Meskhia, R.; Savishvili, N.; Kartvelishvili, L.; Mikautadze, D.; Chikhladze, N.

2006-01-01

The work deals with the landscape-differentiated analysis of the water balance elements of the rivers on the Northern slope of the Trialeti Range using the 1961-2000 years observation data. Regularities of their variation are given according to the altitude. (author)

Radiation induced oxidation for water remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehringer, P.

1997-01-01

The action of ionizing radiation on halogenated hydrocarbons, in the presence and absence of ozone, was studied in water and wastewater. The combined ozone/electron-beam irradiation process was found especially suited for remediation of low-level contaminated groundwater. This combined treatment was often more effective than irradiation alone for wastewater decontamination. It reduced the COD without a simultaneous increase of BOD. Introduction of gaseous ozone directly into the irradiation chamber improved the water-flow turbulence, allowing treatment in layers thicker than the penetration range of the electrons, with increased decontamination efficiency. (author)

Treadmill training with an incline reduces ankle joint stiffness and improves active range of movement during gait in adults with cerebral palsy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorentzen, Jakob; Kirk, Henrik; Fernandez-Lago, Helena

2017-01-01

of gait were obtained before and after the intervention/control period. Intervention subjects trained 31.4 SD 10.1 days for 29.0 SD 2.3 min (total) 15.2 h. RESULTS: Passive ankle joint stiffness was reduced (F = 5.1; p = 0.031), maximal gait speed increased (F = 42.8, p ...PURPOSE: We investigated if 30 min of daily treadmill training with an incline for 6 weeks would reduce ankle joint stiffness and improve active range of movement in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized controlled clinical trial including 32 adults...... prior to heel strike increased (F = 5.3, p reduces ankle joint stiffness and increases active ROM during...

How uncertainty analysis of streamflow data can reduce costs and promote robust decisions in water management applications

Science.gov (United States)

McMillan, Hilary; Seibert, Jan; Petersen-Overleir, Asgeir; Lang, Michel; White, Paul; Snelder, Ton; Rutherford, Kit; Krueger, Tobias; Mason, Robert; Kiang, Julie

2017-07-01

Streamflow data are used for important environmental and economic decisions, such as specifying and regulating minimum flows, managing water supplies, and planning for flood hazards. Despite significant uncertainty in most flow data, the flow series for these applications are often communicated and used without uncertainty information. In this commentary, we argue that proper analysis of uncertainty in river flow data can reduce costs and promote robust conclusions in water management applications. We substantiate our argument by providing case studies from Norway and New Zealand where streamflow uncertainty analysis has uncovered economic costs in the hydropower industry, improved public acceptance of a controversial water management policy, and tested the accuracy of water quality trends. We discuss the need for practical uncertainty assessment tools that generate multiple flow series realizations rather than simple error bounds. Although examples of such tools are in development, considerable barriers for uncertainty analysis and communication still exist for practitioners, and future research must aim to provide easier access and usability of uncertainty estimates. We conclude that flow uncertainty analysis is critical for good water management decisions.

Reducing water use for animal production through aquaculture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verdegem, M.C.J.; Bosma, R.H.; Verreth, J.A.J.

2006-01-01

Animals fed formulated diets indirectly consume large quantities of water. Globally, about 1.2 m3 of water is needed to produce 1 kg of grain used in animal feeds. Cattle in feedlots consume about 7 kg of feed concentrate to gain 1 kg in weight. For pigs this is close to 4 kg and for poultry

Measuring the energy expenditure and water flux in free-ranging alpacas (Lama pacos) in the peruvian andes using the doubly labelled water technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Riek, Alexander; Van Der Sluijs, Leendert; Gerken, Martina

2007-12-01

Energy expenditure and water flux were measured in free-ranging alpacas Lama pacos, a South American camelid, on natural pastures of the Peruvian Andes (altitude: 4,400 m above sea level). Water influx rate (WIR) was estimated in 16 males (age 2 years, weight 48.5+/-8.6 kg) labelled with 2H. In addition, the field metabolic rate (FMR) was measured in four of these animals labelled with both an oxygen (18O) and a hydrogen (2H) isotope. The WIR averaged 3.62 L H2O/day and the mean total body water 33.1 kg, equal to 68.2% of body weight (BW). The FMR of the four doubly labelled animals was 14.05 MJ/day. New allometric equations were calculated describing the relationships between WIR or FMR and BW, respectively, including published data on ruminants and the present alpaca results. The regression equation indicates that daily WIR scales to a similar metabolic size (kilograms of BW(0.94)) in alpacas than in wild or domesticated ruminants and camelids originating from arid and semiarid habitats. The resulting regression equation for FMR explained over 99% of the variation and corresponded to the function FMR (kilojoules per day)=1079 (kilograms of BW0.668) (n=5, r2=0.995, Palpacas have similar energy expenditures on a metabolic weight basis as other wild ruminants living under harsh climatic conditions.

Ranging, Activity and Habitat Use by Tigers in the Mangrove Forests of the Sundarban.

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Dipanjan Naha

Full Text Available The Sundarban of India and Bangladesh (about 6000 km² are the only mangrove forests inhabited by a sizeable population of tigers. The adjoining area also supports one of the highest human densities and experiences severe human-tiger conflicts. We used GPS-Satellite and VHF radio-collars on 6 (3 males and 3 female tigers to study their ranging patterns and habitat preference. The average home range (95% Fixed Kernel for resident females was 56.4 (SE 5.69 and for males it was 110 (SE 49 km². Tigers crossed an average of 5 water channels > 30 meters per day with a mean width of 54 meters, whereas channels larger than 400 meters were rarely crossed. Tigers spent over 58% of their time within Phoenix habitat but compositional analysis showed a habitat preference of the order Avicennia-Sonneratia > Phoenix > Ceriops > Barren > Water. Average daily distance moved was 4.6 km (range 0.1-23. Activity of tigers peaked between 05:00 hours and 10:00 hours showing some overlap with human activity. Territory boundaries were demarcated by large channels which tigers intensively patrolled. Extra caution should be taken while fishing or honey collection during early morning in Avicennia-Sonneratia and Phoenix habitat types along wide channels to reduce human-tiger conflict. Considering home-range core areas as exclusive, tiger density was estimated at 4.6 (SE range 3.6 to 6.7 tigers/100 km2 giving a total population of 76 (SE range 59-110 tigers in the Indian Sundarban. Reluctance of tigers to cross wide water channels combined with increasing commercial boat traffic and sea level rise due to climate change pose a real threat of fragmenting the Sundarban tiger population.

REMOVAL OF ORGANIC DYES FROM CONTAMINATED WATER USING COFE2O4 /REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE NANOCOMPOSITE

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F. Sakhaei

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Up to now, lots of materials such as active carbon, iron, manganese, zirconium, and metal oxides have been widely used for removal of dyes from contaminated water. Among these, ferrite nanoparticle is an interesting magnetic material due to its moderate saturation magnetization, excellent chemical stability and mechanical hardness. Graphene, a new class of 2D carbonaceous material with atom thick layer features, has attracted much attention recently due to its high specific surface area. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO has also been of great interest because of its unique properties, which are similar to those of graphene, such as specific surface area, making it an ideal candidate for dye removal. Thus far, few works have been carried out on the preparation of CoFe2O4-rGO composite and its applications in removal of contaminants from water. In this paper, CoFe2O4 reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite was fabricated using hydrothermal process. During the hydrothermal process, the reduction of graphene oxide and growth of CoFe2O4 simultaneously occurred on the carbon basal planes under the conditions generated in the hydrothermal system. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy contaminant and UV-Vis spectroscopy as the analytical method. The experimental results suggest that this material has great potential for treating Congo red contaminated water.

Increased Hydrologic Connectivity: Consequences of Reduced Water Storage Capacity in the Delmarva Peninsula (U.S.)

Science.gov (United States)

Mclaughlin, D. L.; Jones, C. N.; Evenson, G. R.; Golden, H. E.; Lane, C.; Alexander, L. C.; Lang, M.

2017-12-01

Combined geospatial and modeling approaches are required to fully enumerate wetland hydrologic connectivity and downstream effects. Here, we utilized both geospatial analysis and hydrologic modeling to explore drivers and consequences of modified surface water connectivity in the Delmarva Peninsula, with particular focus on increased connectivity via pervasive wetland ditching. Our geospatial analysis quantified both historical and contemporary wetland storage capacity across the region, and suggests that over 70% of historical storage capacity has been lost due to this ditching. Building upon this analysis, we applied a catchment-scale model to simulate implications of reduced storage capacity on catchment-scale hydrology. In short, increased connectivity (and concomitantly reduced wetland water storage capacity) decreases catchment inundation extent and spatial heterogeneity, shortens cumulative residence times, and increases downstream flow variation with evident effects on peak and baseflow dynamics. As such, alterations in connectivity have implications for hydrologically mediated functions in catchments (e.g., nutrient removal) and downstream systems (e.g., maintenance of flow for aquatic habitat). Our work elucidates such consequences in Delmarva Peninsula while also providing new tools for broad application to target wetland restoration and conservation. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect policies of the US EPA or US FWS.

Aerosol impacts on California winter clouds and precipitation during CalWater 2011: local pollution vs. long-range transported dust

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, J.; Leung, L. R.; DeMott, P. J.; Comstock, J. M.; Singh, B.; Rosenfeld, D.; Tomlinson, J. M.; White, A.; Prather, K. A.; Minnis, P.; Ayers, J. K.; Min, Q.

2013-07-01

Mineral dust aerosols often observed over California in winter/spring, associated with long-range transport from Asia and Sahara, have been linked to enhanced precipitation based on observations. Local anthropogenic pollution, on the other hand, was shown in previous observational and modeling studies to reduce precipitation. Here we incorporate recent developments in ice nucleation parameterizations to link aerosols with ice crystal formation in a spectral-bin cloud microphysical model coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, to examine the relative and combined impacts of dust and local pollution particles on cloud properties and precipitation type and intensity. Simulations are carried out for two cloud cases with contrasting meteorology and cloud dynamics that occurred on 16 February (FEB16) and 2 March (MAR02) from the CalWater 2011 field campaign. In both cases, observations show the presence of dust or dust/biological particles in a relative pristine environment. The simulated cloud microphysical properties and precipitation show reasonable agreement with aircraft and surface measurements. Model sensitivity experiments indicate that in the pristine environment, the dust/biological aerosol layers increase the accumulated precipitation by 10-20% from the Central Valley to the Sierra Nevada Mountains for both FEB16 and MAR02 due to a 40% increase in snow formation, validating the observational hypothesis. Model results show that local pollution increases precipitation over the windward slope of the mountains by few percent due to increased snow formation when dust is present but reduces precipitation by 5-8% if dust is removed on FEB16. The effects of local pollution on cloud microphysics and precipitation strongly depend on meteorology including the strength of the Sierra Barrier Jet, and cloud dynamics. This study further underscores the importance of the interactions between local pollution, dust, and environmental conditions for

Aerosol impacts on California winter clouds and precipitation during CalWater 2011: local pollution versus long-range transported dust

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, J.; Leung, L. R.; DeMott, P. J.; Comstock, J. M.; Singh, B.; Rosenfeld, D.; Tomlinson, J. M.; White, A.; Prather, K. A.; Minnis, P.; Ayers, J. K.; Min, Q.

2014-01-01

Mineral dust aerosols often observed over California in winter and spring, associated with long-range transport from Asia and the Sahara, have been linked to enhanced precipitation based on observations. Local anthropogenic pollution, on the other hand, was shown in previous observational and modeling studies to reduce precipitation. Here we incorporate recent developments in ice nucleation parameterizations to link aerosols with ice crystal formation in a spectral-bin cloud microphysical model coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in order to examine the relative and combined impacts of dust and local pollution particles on cloud properties and precipitation type and intensity. Simulations are carried out for two cloud cases (from the CalWater 2011 field campaign) with contrasting meteorology and cloud dynamics that occurred on 16 February (FEB16) and 2 March (MAR02). In both cases, observations show the presence of dust and biological particles in a relative pristine environment. The simulated cloud microphysical properties and precipitation show reasonable agreement with aircraft and surface measurements. Model sensitivity experiments indicate that in the pristine environment, the dust and biological aerosol layers increase the accumulated precipitation by 10-20% from the Central Valley to the Sierra Nevada for both FEB16 and MAR02 due to a ~40% increase in snow formation, validating the observational hypothesis. Model results show that local pollution increases precipitation over the windward slope of the mountains by a few percent due to increased snow formation when dust is present, but reduces precipitation by 5-8% if dust is removed on FEB16. The effects of local pollution on cloud microphysics and precipitation strongly depend on meteorology, including cloud dynamics and the strength of the Sierra Barrier Jet. This study further underscores the importance of the interactions between local pollution, dust, and environmental

Exogenous indirect photoinactivation of bacterial pathogens and indicators in water with natural and synthetic photosensitizers in simulated sunlight with reduced UVB.

Science.gov (United States)

Maraccini, P A; Wenk, J; Boehm, A B

2016-08-01

To investigate the UVB-independent and exogenous indirect photoinactivation of eight human health-relevant bacterial species in the presence of photosensitizers. Eight bacterial species were exposed to simulated sunlight with greatly reduced UVB light intensity in the presence of three synthetic photosensitizers and two natural photosensitizers. Inactivation curves were fit with shoulder log-linear or first-order kinetic models, from which the presence of a shoulder and magnitude of inactivation rate constants were compared. Eighty-four percent reduction in the UVB light intensity roughly matched a 72-95% reduction in the overall bacterial photoinactivation rate constants in sensitizer-free water. With the UVB light mostly reduced, the exogenous indirect mechanism contribution was evident for most bacteria and photosensitizers tested, although most prominently with the Gram-positive bacteria. Results confirm the importance of UVB light in bacterial photoinactivation and, with the reduction of the UVB light intensity, that the Gram-positive bacteria are more vulnerable to the exogenous indirect mechanism than Gram-negative bacteria. UVB is the most important range of the sunlight spectrum for bacterial photoinactivation. In aquatic environments where photosensitizers are present and there is high UVB light attenuation, UVA and visible wavelengths can contribute to exogenous indirect photoinactivation. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Simulation of water management for fodder beet to reduce yield losses under late season drought

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T. Noreldin

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to calibrate CropSyst model for fodder beet grown under full and late season drought and to use the simulation results to analyze the relationship between irrigation amount and yield, as well as in water management to reduce yield losses under full and late season drought. For this reason, two field experiments were implemented at El-Serw Agricultural Research Station in Demiatte governorate, during 2011/12 and 2012/13 growing seasons. Two irrigation treatments were studied: full irrigation and late season drought. The model was calibrated using the data obtained from the two seasons. Results indicated that the reduction in fodder beet yield under late season drought was 11 and 12% in 2011/12 and 2012/13 growing seasons, respectively. Calibration of CropSyst revealed that the percentage of difference between measured and predicted values were low in both growing seasons. The results also indicated that changing irrigation schedule after examining water stress index under full and late season drought led to increase in fodder beet yield, as well as water and land productivity. Thus, CropSyst model can give insight into when to apply irrigation water to minimize yield losses under late season drought.

Effects of Water Management Strategies on Water Balance in a Water Scarce Region: A Case Study in Beijing by a Holistic Model

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Zhigong Peng

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Irrigation is facing increasing pressure from other competitive water users to reduce water consumption in a water scarce region. Based on the Basin-wide Holistic Integrated Water Assessment (BHIWA model, the effects of water management strategies on water balance in the dry regions of North China were analyzed. The results show that, with the decrease of irrigation water supply reliability (IWSR and the increase of irrigation water use efficiency (WUE, irrigation water use decreased significantly, leading to reduced agriculture water consumption, and sustained ground water levels. Compared with the increase of WUE, the decrease of IWSR contributes more to reducing irrigation water consumption and protecting groundwater. Sensitivity tests show that among various water cycle components, irrigation water use is most sensitive to changes, followed by agriculture water consumption, and then groundwater level. Reducing IWSR is an effective strategy to reduce irrigation water consumption and promote sustainable water resources management, which could be the support of basic data and theory for regional water resources planning.

Leakage Reduction in Water Distribution Systems with Efficient Placement and Control of Pressure Reducing Valves Using Soft Computing Techniques

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A. Gupta

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Reduction of leakages in a water distribution system (WDS is one of the major concerns of water industries. Leakages depend on pressure, hence installing pressure reducing valves (PRVs in the water network is a successful techniques for reducing leakages. Determining the number of valves, their locations, and optimal control setting are the challenges faced. This paper presents a new algorithm-based rule for determining the location of valves in a WDS having a variable demand pattern, which results in more favorable optimization of PRV localization than that caused by previous techniques. A multiobjective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II was used to determine the optimized control value of PRVs and to minimize the leakage rate in the WDS. Minimum required pressure was maintained at all nodes to avoid pressure deficiency at any node. Proposed methodology is applied in a benchmark WDS and after using PRVs, the average leakage rate was reduced by 6.05 l/s (20.64%, which is more favorable than the rate obtained with the existing techniques used for leakage control in the WDS. Compared with earlier studies, a lower number of PRVs was required for optimization, thus the proposed algorithm tends to provide a more cost-effective solution. In conclusion, the proposed algorithm leads to more favorable optimized localization and control of PRV with improved leakage reduction rate.

Dynamic Simulation of Water Networks to Control and Reduce Physical Unaccounted-for Water

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Nima Zorriasateyn

2005-09-01

Full Text Available A significant percentage of unaccounted-for water consists of leakage in water distribution networks in Iran. To detect leakage area with less costs and time spending and then identify the exact  place of it with special instruments, would be economical and a better water resource management. In this research, a real case has been selected and examined with dynamic simulation using MIKE NET. The method that has been carried out in this research based on maximizing the correlation coefficient and minimizing the sum of error squares between pressure measured inputs (observed data and calculated pressure (by model. According to the results, dynamic simulation of municipal water distribution system can be used as a guide to determine the place and the amount of leakage.Thereby the area of  large leakage can be simulated with appropriate accuracy through measured pressure. Therefor from management aspect, dynamic simulation can be used to decrease time consumption and to save costs for detecting leakage.

An overview of advanced reduction processes for bromate removal from drinking water: Reducing agents, activation methods, applications and mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Qian; Yu, Shuili; Li, Lei; Wang, Ting; Liao, Xinlei; Ye, Yubing

2017-02-15

Bromate (BrO 3 - ) is a possible human carcinogen regulated at a strict standard of 10μg/L in drinking water. Various techniques to eliminate BrO 3 - usually fall into three main categories: reducing bromide (Br - ) prior to formation of BrO 3 - , minimizing BrO 3 - formation during the ozonation process, and removing BrO 3 - from post-ozonation waters. However, the first two approaches exhibit low degradation efficiency and high treatment cost. The third workaround has obvious advantages, such as high reduction efficiency, more stable performance and easier combination with UV disinfection, and has therefore been widely implemented in water treatment. Recently, advanced reduction processes (ARPs), the photocatalysis of BrO 3 - , have attracted much attention due to improved performance. To increase the feasibility of photocatalytic systems, the focus of this work concerns new technological developments, followed by a summary of reducing agents, activation methods, operational parameters, and applications. The reaction mechanisms of two typical processes involving UV/sulfite homogeneous photocatalysis and UV/titanium dioxide heterogeneous photocatalysis are further summarized. The future research needs for ARPs to reach full-scale potential in drinking water treatment are suggested accordingly. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Potential value of phosphate compounds in enhancing immobilization and reducing bioavailability of mixed heavy metal contaminants in shooting range soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Seshadri, B; Bolan, N S; Choppala, G; Kunhikrishnan, A; Sanderson, P; Wang, H; Currie, L D; Tsang, Daniel C W; Ok, Y S; Kim, G

2017-10-01

Shooting range soils contain mixed heavy metal contaminants including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn). Phosphate (P) compounds have been used to immobilize these metals, particularly Pb, thereby reducing their bioavailability. However, research on immobilization of Pb's co-contaminants showed the relative importance of soluble and insoluble P compounds, which is critical in evaluating the overall success of in situ stabilization practice in the sustainable remediation of mixed heavy metal contaminated soils. Soluble synthetic P fertilizer (diammonium phosphate; DAP) and reactive (Sechura; SPR) and unreactive (Christmas Island; CPR) natural phosphate rocks (PR) were tested for Cd, Pb and Zn immobilization and later their mobility and bioavailability in a shooting range soil. The addition of P compounds resulted in the immobilization of Cd, Pb and Zn by 1.56-76.2%, 3.21-83.56%, and 2.31-74.6%, respectively. The reactive SPR significantly reduced Cd, Pb and Zn leaching while soluble DAP increased their leachate concentrations. The SPR reduced the bioaccumulation of Cd, Pb and Zn in earthworms by 7.13-23.4% and 14.3-54.6% in comparison with earthworms in the DAP and control treatment, respectively. Bioaccessible Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations as determined using a simplified bioaccessibility extraction test showed higher long-term stability of P-immobilized Pb and Zn than Cd. The differential effect of P-induced immobilization between P compounds and metals is due to the variation in the solubility characteristics of P compounds and nature of metal phosphate compounds formed. Therefore, Pb and Zn immobilization by P compounds is an effective long-term remediation strategy for mixed heavy metal contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simple Retrofit High-Efficiency Natural Gas Water Heater Field Test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoenbauer, Ben [NorthernSTAR, St. Paul, MN (United States)

2017-03-01

High-performance water heaters are typically more time consuming and costly to install in retrofit applications, making high performance water heaters difficult to justify economically. However, recent advancements in high performance water heaters have targeted the retrofit market, simplifying installations and reducing costs. Four high efficiency natural gas water heaters designed specifically for retrofit applications were installed in single-family homes along with detailed monitoring systems to characterize their savings potential, their installed efficiencies, and their ability to meet household demands. The water heaters tested for this project were designed to improve the cost-effectiveness and increase market penetration of high efficiency water heaters in the residential retrofit market. The retrofit high efficiency water heaters achieved their goal of reducing costs, maintaining savings potential and installed efficiency of other high efficiency water heaters, and meeting the necessary capacity in order to improve cost-effectiveness. However, the improvements were not sufficient to achieve simple paybacks of less than ten years for the incremental cost compared to a minimum efficiency heater. Significant changes would be necessary to reduce the simple payback to six years or less. Annual energy savings in the range of $200 would also reduce paybacks to less than six years. These energy savings would require either significantly higher fuel costs (greater than $1.50 per therm) or very high usage (around 120 gallons per day). For current incremental costs, the water heater efficiency would need to be similar to that of a heat pump water heater to deliver a six year payback.

Simple Retrofit High-Efficiency Natural Gas Water Heater Field Test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoenbauer, Ben [NorthernSTAR, St. Paul, MN (United States)

2017-03-28

High performance water heaters are typically more time consuming and costly to install in retrofit applications, making high performance water heaters difficult to justify economically. However, recent advancements in high performance water heaters have targeted the retrofit market, simplifying installations and reducing costs. Four high efficiency natural gas water heaters designed specifically for retrofit applications were installed in single-family homes along with detailed monitoring systems to characterize their savings potential, their installed efficiencies, and their ability to meet household demands. The water heaters tested for this project were designed to improve the cost-effectiveness and increase market penetration of high efficiency water heaters in the residential retrofit market. The retrofit high efficiency water heaters achieved their goal of reducing costs, maintaining savings potential and installed efficiency of other high efficiency water heaters, and meeting the necessary capacity in order to improve cost-effectiveness. However, the improvements were not sufficient to achieve simple paybacks of less than ten years for the incremental cost compared to a minimum efficiency heater. Significant changes would be necessary to reduce the simple payback to six years or less. Annual energy savings in the range of $200 would also reduce paybacks to less than six years. These energy savings would require either significantly higher fuel costs (greater than $1.50 per therm) or very high usage (around 120 gallons per day). For current incremental costs, the water heater efficiency would need to be similar to that of a heat pump water heater to deliver a six year payback.

Reduced Volume Prototype Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator; A Next-Generation Evaporative Cooling System for the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit Portable Life Support System

Science.gov (United States)

Makinen, Janice V.; Anchondo, Ian; Bue, Grant C.; Campbell, Colin; Colunga, Aaron

2013-01-01

Development of the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AEMU) portable life support subsystem (PLSS) is currently under way at NASA Johnson Space Center. The AEMU PLSS features a new evaporative cooling system, the reduced volume prototype (RVP) spacesuit water membrane evaporator (SWME). The RVP SWME is the third generation of hollow fiber SWME hardware. Like its predecessors, RVP SWME provides nominal crew member and electronics cooling by flowing water through porous hollow fibers. Water vapor escapes through the hollow fiber pores, thereby cooling the liquid water that remains inside of the fibers. This cooled water is then recirculated to remove heat from the crew member and PLSS electronics. Major design improvements, including a 36% reduction in volume, reduced weight, and a more flight-like backpressure valve, facilitate the packaging of RVP SWME in the AEMU PLSS envelope. The development of these evaporative cooling systems will contribute to a more robust and comprehensive AEMU PLSS.

Lysimeter experiments to determine the ability of soil to reduce concentrations of BOD, available P and inorganic N in dirty water.

Science.gov (United States)

Brookman, S K E; Chadwick; Retter, A R

2005-11-01

Lysimeter experiments were conducted to determine the ability of different soils to reduce levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and concentrations of molybdate reactive phosphorus (MRP) and ammonium-N (NH4(+)-N) in dirty water and the impact of applications on nitrate leaching. An additional experiment investigated the effect of dirty water components on leaching quality. This information is required to assess the potential risk of dirty water applications on polluting groundwater and to assess the use of such soils in the development of treatment systems for dirty water. Intact and disturbed soil lysimeters, 0.5 and 1m deep were constructed from four soils; a coarse free-draining sandy loam, a sandy loam over soft sandstone, a calcareous silty clay over chalk and a sandy loam over granite. For the coarse free-draining sandy loam, lysimeters were also constructed from disturbed soil with and without the addition of lime, to assess if this could increase phosphorus immobilisation. Levels of BOD and concentrations of MRP, NH4(+)-N and nitrate (NO3(-)-N) of leachates were measured following dirty water applications at 2 and 8 mm day(-1) under laboratory conditions. Under the daily 2mm application, all soils were effective at treating dirty water, reducing concentrations of BOD, MRP and NH4(+)- N by > or = 98% but NO3(-)-N concentrations increased up to 80 mg l(-1) from the 0.5 m deep lysimeters of the sandy loam over granite. Soils were less effective at reducing levels of BOD, MRP and NH4(+)- N at the 8 mm daily rate of application, with maximum NO3(-)-N concentrations of leachates of 200 mg l(-1) from disturbed soils.

The radionuclides of primary coolant in HANARO and the recent activities performed to reduce the radioactivity or reactor pool water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Minjin [HANARO Research Reactor Centre, Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-10-01

In HANARO reactor, there have been activities to identify the principal radionuclides and to quantify them under the normal operation. The purposes of such activities were to establish the measure by which we can reduce the radioactivity of the reactor pool water and detect, in early stage, the abnormal symptoms due to the leakage of radioactive materials from the irradiation sample or the damage of the nuclear fuel, etc. The typical radionuclides produced by the activation of reactor coolant are N{sup 16} and Ar{sup 41}. The radionuclides produced by the activation of the core structural material consist of Na{sup 24}, Mn{sup 56}, and W{sup 187}. Of the various radionuclides, governing the radiation level at the pool surface are Na{sup 24}, Ar{sup 41}, Mn{sup 58}, and W{sup 187}. By establishing the hot water layer system on the pool surface, we expected that the radionuclides such as Ar{sup 41} and Mn{sup 56} whose half-life are relatively short could be removed to a certain extent. Since the content of radioactivity of Na{sup 24} occupies about 60% of the total radioactivity, we assumed that the total radiation level would be greatly reduced if we could decrease the radiation level of Na{sup 24}. However the actual radiation level has not been reduced as much as we expected. Therefore, some experiments have been carried out to find the actual causes afterwards. What we learned through the experiments are that any disturbance in reactor pool water layer causes increase of the pool surface radiation level and even if we maintain the hot water layer well, reactor shutdown will be very much likely to happen once the hot water layer is disturbed. (author)

Structure of short-range-ordered iron(III)-precipitates formed by iron(II) oxidation in water containing phosphate, silicate, and calcium

Science.gov (United States)

Voegelin, A.; Frommer, J.; Vantelon, D.; Kaegi, R.; Hug, S. J.

2009-04-01

The oxidation of Fe(II) in water leads to the formation of Fe(III)-precipitates that strongly affect the fate of nutrients and contaminants in natural and engineered systems. Examples include the cycling of As in rice fields irrigated with As-rich groundwater or the treatment of drinking water for As removal. Knowledge of the types of Fe(III)-precipitates forming in such systems is essential for the quantitative modeling of nutrient and contaminant dynamics and for the optimization of water purification techniques on the basis of a mechanistic understanding of the relevant biogeochemical processes. In this study, we investigated the local coordination of Fe, P, and Ca in Fe(III)-precipitates formed by aeration of synthetic Fe(II)-containing groundwater with variable composition (pH 7, 2-30 mg/L Fe(II), 2-20 mg/L phosphate-P, 2-20 mg/L silicate-Si, 8 mM Na-bicarbonate or 2.5 mM Ca-&1.5 mM Mg-bicarbonate). After 4 hours of oxidation, Fe(III)-precipitates were collected on 0.2 µm nylon filters and dried. The precipitates were analyzed by Fe K-edge EXAFS (XAS beamline, ANKA, Germany) and by P and Ca K-edge XANES spectroscopy (LUCIA beamline, SLS, Switzerland). The Fe K-edge EXAFS spectra indicated that local Fe coordination in the precipitates systematically shifted with water composition. As long as water contained P, mainly short-range-ordered Fe(III)-phosphate formed (with molar P/Fe ~0.5). In the absence of P, Fe(III) precipitated as hydrous ferric oxide at high Si/Fe>0.5, as ferrihydrite at intermediate Si/Fe, and mainly as lepidocrocite at Si/Fe<0.2. Analysis of the EXAFS by shell-fitting indicated that Fe(III)-phosphates mainly contained mono- or oligomeric (edge- or corner-sharing) Fe and that the linkage between neighboring Fe(III)-octahedra changed from predominantly edge-sharing in Si-rich hydrous ferric oxide to edge- and corner-sharing in ferrihydrite. Electron microscopic data showed that changes in local precipitate structure were systematically

Cultivation of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) within their invaded range to improve water quality in reservoirs.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlan, C; Aldridge, D C

2013-09-01

Algal and cyanobacterial blooms in reservoirs are driven by nutrient enrichment and may present economic and conservation challenges for water managers. Current approaches such as suppression of algal growth with barley straw, ferric dosing or manipulation of fish stocks have not yielded long term successes. A possibility that has sparked growing interest is the encouragement and cultivation of natural filter feeders, such as mussels, which remove suspended matter from the water and reduce nutrient levels through biodeposition and assimilation. This review focusses on the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) as a tool for enhancement of water quality in reservoirs. Native to the Ponto-Caspian region, this species has invaded many lakes and reservoirs across North America and Western Europe, where it occurs in very high densities. While purposeful introduction of a non-native species into new sites is socially unacceptable, we investigate the possible benefits of encouraging increased abundance of zebra mussels in sites where the species is already established. We estimate that the annual nitrogen and phosphorus input into a large UK reservoir (Grafham Water) could be assimilated into zebra mussel biomass by encouraging settlement onto 3075 m and 1400 m of commercial mussel ropes, respectively. While zebra mussel cultivation has an incredible capacity to push eutrophic systems towards a clear water state, there are many risks associated with encouraging an invasive species, even within sites where it has already established. The zebra mussel is a prominent biofouler of native unionid mussels and raw water pipes, it changes the physical characteristics of the places it inhabits, in sites low in phosphorus it can be responsible for toxic cyanobacterial blooms, it alters nutrient cycling and community structure and it can have negative impacts on amenity value. Increased propagule pressure from elevated numbers of veliger larvae in the water column may increase the risk

Water quality. Pt. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This International Standard specifies a method for the determination of gross alpha activity in non-saline waters for alpha-emitting radionuclides which are not volatile at 350 o C. It is possible to determine supported volatile radionuclides measured to an extent determined by half-life, matrix retention (of the volatile species) and the duration of measurement (counting time). The method is applicable to raw and potable waters and can be extended to saline or mineralized waters, but with a reduced sensitivity. The range of application depends on the amount of inorganic material in the water and on the performance characteristics (background count rate and counting efficiency) of the counter. The sample is acidified to stabilize it, evaporated almost to dryness, converted to the sulfate form and then ignited at 350 o C. A portion of the residue is transferred to a planchette and the alpha activity measured by counting in an alpha-particle detector or counting system previously calibrated against an alpha-emitting standard. (author)

ANTIOXIDANT POTENCY OF WATER KEFIR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muneer Alsayadi M.S.

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS have strong relationship with several diseases. Many fermented foods were reported to be important sources for antioxidant compounds. Antioxidant activity of water kefir never reported in the scientific literature. The objective of this study was to detect and investigate the antioxidant potency of water kefir. Water kefir was prepared by fermentation of sugar solution with kefir grains for 24h. Antioxidant activity of fresh water kefir drink and its extract with (0.125–5 mg/ml was evaluated using 2,2,-diphenyl-1-pricrylhydrozyl (DPPH scavenging method, and inhibition of ascorbate autoxidation and the reducing power of water kefir were determined, Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA and ascorbic acid were used for comparison. Water kefir demonstrated great ability to DPPH scavenging ranged (9.88-63.17%. And inhibit ascorbate oxidation by (6.08-25.57% increased in consequent with concentration raising. These results prime to conclude that water kefir could be promisor source of natural antioxidants with good potency in health developing.

Comparing the Effects of Therapeutic Exercise and Hydrotherapy on Pain Severity and Knee Range of Motion in Patients with Hemophilia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V Mazloum

2013-10-01

. Results: Both experimental groups exhibited significant reduction of pain along with improved knee flexion and extension compared with the control group (P<0.001. Pain reduction in subjects treated in water treatment was significantly higher than exercise group in drought (P0.05. Conclusion: The use of therapeutic exercise in water with regular exercise rehabilitation for patients with hemophilia can be helpful to reduce pain and improve range of motion in hemophilia patients. The effect of exercise therapy on pain reduction is more effective compared to traditional pain therapy. Key words: Hydrotherapy, Exercise Therapy, Hemophilia, Knee Range of Motion

Evaluation of the apparent losses caused by water meter under-registration in intermittent water supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Criminisi, A; Fontanazza, C M; Freni, G; Loggia, G La

2009-01-01

Apparent losses are usually caused by water theft, billing errors, or revenue meter under-registration. While the first two causes are directly related to water utility management and may be reduced by improving company procedures, water meter inaccuracies are considered to be the most significant and hardest to quantify. Water meter errors are amplified in networks subjected to water scarcity, where users adopt private storage tanks to cope with the intermittent water supply. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of two variables influencing the apparent losses: water meter age and the private storage tank effect on meter performance. The study was carried out in Palermo (Italy). The impact of water meter ageing was evaluated in laboratory by testing 180 revenue meters, ranging from 0 to 45 years in age. The effects of the private water tanks were determined via field monitoring of real users and a mathematical model. This study demonstrates that the impact on apparent losses from the meter starting flow rapidly increases with meter age. Private water tanks, usually fed by a float valve, overstate meter under-registration, producing additional apparent losses between 15% and 40% for the users analysed in this study.

Water conservation in fasting northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris).

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Christopher W; Costa, Daniel P

2006-11-01

Prolonged terrestrial fasting is a key element in the life history of elephant seals. While on land seals typically fast without access to fresh water, and thus must maintain positive water balance by reductions in water loss such that they can subsist primarily on metabolic water production (MWP). The terrestrial apnea demonstrated by seals may reduce respiratory evaporative water loss (REWL) to levels that allow seals to make a net gain of water from MWP. We empirically measured REWL in 13 fasting northern elephant seal pups and determined the effects on water conservation of a breathing mode that incorporates a regular pattern of apneas, of > or =1 min in duration, followed by eupneic recovery, compared with a breathing mode with no apneas longer than 20 s and resembling typical breathing patterns in other mammals (normative breathing). Overall REWL fell 41% from 0.075+/-0.013 g min(-1) (mean +/- s.d.) during normative breathing to 0.044+/-0.006 g min(-1) during apneic breathing. The decline in REWL is attributed to a decrease in overall ventilation rate, made possible by a decline in metabolic rate along with an increase in oxygen extraction that would occur during apneic breathing. Data on the range of ambient humidity conditions at the local breeding site were collected and used to bound the range of environmental conditions used in laboratory measurements. Our data showed that the observed variations in ambient humidity had no significant effect on REWL. A combination of apneic breathing and the complex nasal turbinates allows fasting elephant seals to reduce REWL well below the rate of MWP so that they can maintain water balance during the fast.

Long-term scenarios of power reactors and fuel cycle development and the role of reduced moderation water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Osamu; Tatematsu, Kenji; Tanaka, Yoji

2000-01-01

Reduced moderation spectrum reactor is one of water cooled type reactors in future, which is based on the advanced technology of conventional nuclear power plants. The reduced moderation water reactor (RMWR) has various advantages, such as effective utilization of uranium resources, high conversion ratio, high burn-up, long-term cycle operation, and multiple recycle of plutonium. The RMWR is expected to be a substitute of fast breeder reactor (FBR) of which the development encounters with some technical and financial difficulties, and discontinues in many countries. The role of the RMWR on long-term scenarios of power reactor and fuel cycle development in Japan is investigated from the point of view of uranium resource needed. The consumption of natural uranium needed up to the year 2200 is calculated on various assumptions for the following three cases: (1) no breeder reactor; plutonium-thermal cycle in conventional light water reactor, (2) introduction of the FBR, and (3) introduction of the RMWR. The amounts of natural uranium consumption depends largely on the conversion ratio and plutonium quantity needed of a reactor type. The RMWR has a possibility as a substitute technology of the FBR with the improvement of conversion ratio and high burn-up. (Suetake, M.)

Long-term scenarios of power reactors and fuel cycle development and the role of reduced moderation water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Osamu; Tatematsu, Kenji; Tanaka, Yoji [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

2000-06-01

Reduced moderation spectrum reactor is one of water cooled type reactors in future, which is based on the advanced technology of conventional nuclear power plants. The reduced moderation water reactor (RMWR) has various advantages, such as effective utilization of uranium resources, high conversion ratio, high burn-up, long-term cycle operation, and multiple recycle of plutonium. The RMWR is expected to be a substitute of fast breeder reactor (FBR) of which the development encounters with some technical and financial difficulties, and discontinues in many countries. The role of the RMWR on long-term scenarios of power reactor and fuel cycle development in Japan is investigated from the point of view of uranium resource needed. The consumption of natural uranium needed up to the year 2200 is calculated on various assumptions for the following three cases: (1) no breeder reactor; plutonium-thermal cycle in conventional light water reactor, (2) introduction of the FBR, and (3) introduction of the RMWR. The amounts of natural uranium consumption depends largely on the conversion ratio and plutonium quantity needed of a reactor type. The RMWR has a possibility as a substitute technology of the FBR with the improvement of conversion ratio and high burn-up. (Suetake, M.)

Improving rice production sustainability by reducing water demand and greenhouse gas emissions with biodegradable films

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Zhisheng; Zheng, Xunhua; Liu, Chunyan; Lin, Shan; Zuo, Qiang; Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus

2017-01-01

In China, rice production is facing unprecedented challenges, including the increasing demand, looming water crisis and on-going climate change. Thus, producing more rice at lower environmental cost is required for future development, i.e., the use of less water and the production of fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) per unit of rice. Ground cover rice production systems (GCRPSs) could potentially address these concerns, although no studies have systematically and simultaneously evaluated the benefits of GCRPS regarding yields and considering water use and GHG emissions. This study reports the results of a 2-year study comparing conventional paddy and various GCRPS practices. Relative to conventional paddy, GCRPSs had greater rice yields and nitrogen use efficiencies (8.5% and 70%, respectively), required less irrigation (-64%) and resulted in less total CH4 and N2O emissions (-54%). On average, annual emission factors of N2O were 1.67% and 2.00% for conventional paddy and GCRPS, respectively. A cost-benefit analysis considering yields, GHG emissions, water demand and labor and mulching costs indicated GCRPSs are an environmentally and economically profitable technology. Furthermore, substituting the polyethylene film with a biodegradable film resulted in comparable benefits of yield and climate. Overall, GCRPSs, particularly with biodegradable films, provide a promising solution for farmers to secure or even increase yields while reducing the environmental footprint.

Water management impacts on arsenic speciation and iron-reducing bacteria in contrasting rice-rhizosphere compartments.

Science.gov (United States)

Somenahally, Anil C; Hollister, Emily B; Yan, Wengui; Gentry, Terry J; Loeppert, Richard H

2011-10-01

Rice cultivated on arsenic (As) contaminated-soils will accumulate variable grain-As concentrations, as impacted by varietal differences, soil variables, and crop management. A field-scale experiment was conducted to study the impact of intermittent and continuous flooding on As speciation and microbial populations in rice rhizosphere compartments of soils that were either historically amended with As pesticide or unamended with As. Rhizosphere-soil, root-plaque, pore-water and grain As were quantified and speciated, and microbial populations in rhizosphere soil and root-plaque were characterized. Total-As concentrations in rhizosphere and grain were significantly lower in intermittently flooded compared to the continuously flooded plots (86% lower in pore-water, 55% lower in root-plaque and 41% lower in grain samples). iAs(V), iAs(III), and DMAs(V) were the predominant As species detected in rhizosphere-soil and root-plaque, pore-water and grain samples, respectively. Relative proportions of Archaea and iron-reducing bacteria (FeRB) were higher in rhizosphere soil compared to root-plaque. In rhizosphere soil, the relative abundance of FeRB was lower in intermittently flooded compared to continuously flooded plots, but there were no differences between root-plaque samples. This study has demonstrated that reductions in dissolved As concentrations in the rhizosphere and subsequent decreases in grain-As concentration can be attained through water management.

Properties of sodium lignosulfonate as dispersant of coal water slurry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Dongjie; Qiu, Xueqing; Zhou, Mingsong; Lou, Hongming

2007-01-01

In order to use lignosulfonates (a by-product of pulp and paper processes) as an effective dispersant of coal water slurry five purified sodium lignosulfonate (SL) samples with different molecular weights were prepared by fractionation using ultrafiltration and dialysis. The effect of SL on the apparent viscosity of coal water slurry (CWS) was investigated. The adsorption behavior of the SL on the coal water interface has much greater effect on the viscosity of coal water slurry. The higher adsorption amount and compact adsorption film of SL on the coal surface help reduce the viscosity of CWS, and the zeta potential is also an important factor, which is influenced by the sulfonic and carboxyl group contents of the lignosulfonate molecule. Furthermore, the SL with its molecular weight ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 has both a higher adsorbed amount and zeta potential on the coal surface and the best effect on reducing the viscosity of the coal water slurry

Costs of reducing water use of concentrating solar power to sustainable levels: Scenarios for North Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damerau, Kerstin; Williges, Keith; Patt, Anthony G.; Gauche, Paul

2011-01-01

Concentrating solar power (CSP) has the potential to become a leading sustainable energy technology for the European electricity system. In order to reach a substantial share in the energy mix, European investment in CSP appears most profitable in North Africa, where solar potential is significantly higher than in southern Europe. As well as sufficient solar irradiance, however, the majority of today's CSP plants also require a considerable amount of water, primarily for cooling purposes. In this paper we examine water usage associated with CSP in North Africa, and the cost penalties associated with technologies that could reduce those needs. We inspect four representative sites to compare the ecological and economical drawbacks from conventional and alternative cooling systems, depending on the local environment, and including an outlook with climate change to the mid-century. Scaling our results up to a regional level indicates that the use of wet cooling technologies would likely be unsustainable. Dry cooling systems, as well as sourcing of alternative water supplies, would allow for sustainable operation. Their cost penalty would be minor compared to the variance in CSP costs due to different average solar irradiance values. - Highlights: → Scaling up CSP with wet cooling from ground water will be unsustainable in North Africa. → Desalination and alternative cooling systems can assure a sustainable water supply. → On large-scale, the cost penalties of alternative cooling technologies appear minor.

Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) resin increases water demands and reduces energy availability in desert woodrats (Neotoma lepida).

Science.gov (United States)

Mangione, Antonio M; Dearing, M Denise; Karasov, William H

2004-07-01

Although many plant secondary compounds are known to have serious consequences for herbivores, the costs of processing them are generally unknown. Two potential costs of ingestion and detoxification of secondary compounds are elevation of the minimum drinking water requirement and excretion of energetically expensive metabolites (i.e., glucuronides) in the urine. To address these impacts, we studied the costs of ingestion of resin from creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) on desert woodrats (Neotoma lepida). The following hypotheses were tested: ingestion of creosote resin by woodrats (1) increases minimum water requirement and (2) reduces energy available by increasing fecal and urinary energy losses. We tested the first hypothesis, by measuring the minimum water requirement of woodrats fed a control diet with and without creosote resin. Drinking water was given in decreasing amounts until woodrats could no longer maintain constant body mass. In two separate experiments, the minimum drinking water requirement of woodrats fed resin was higher than that of controls by 18-30% (about 1-1.7 ml/d). We tested several potential mechanisms of increased water loss associated with the increase in water requirement. The rate of fecal water loss was higher in woodrats consuming resin. Neither urinary water nor evaporative water loss was affected by ingestion of resin. Hypothesis 2 was tested by measuring energy fluxes of woodrats consuming control vs. resin-treated diets. Woodrats on a resin diet had higher urinary energy losses and, thus, metabolized a lower proportion of the dietary energy than did woodrats on control diet. Fecal energy excretion was not affected by resin. The excretion of glucuronic acid represented almost half of the energy lost as a consequence of resin ingestion. The increased water requirement and energy losses of woodrats consuming a diet with resin could have notable ecological consequences.

Can virtual water 'trade' reduce water scarcity in semi-arid countries? The case of Spain

OpenAIRE

Garrido, Alberto; Novo, Paula; Rodriguez Casado, Roberto; Varela-Ortega, Consuelo

2009-01-01

Agricultural trade is by far the largest vehicle to ‘move’ water virtually around the world. Observing that most countries import and export water embedded in the exchanged products, the objective of this study is to assess the virtual water ‘trade’ in Spain for the period 1997-2006. We differentiate between the green and blue components of virtual water from a hydrological and economic perspective. The combination of spatial and time dimensions offers a unique empirical setting to determine ...

Sulfate Reducing Bacteria and Mycobacteria Dominate the Biofilm Communities in a Chloraminated Drinking Water Distribution System.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Smith, C Kimloi; LaPara, Timothy M; Hozalski, Raymond M

2015-07-21

The quantity and composition of bacterial biofilms growing on 10 water mains from a full-scale chloraminated water distribution system were analyzed using real-time PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene and next-generation, high-throughput Illumina sequencing. Water mains with corrosion tubercles supported the greatest amount of bacterial biomass (n = 25; geometric mean = 2.5 × 10(7) copies cm(-2)), which was significantly higher (P = 0.04) than cement-lined cast-iron mains (n = 6; geometric mean = 2.0 × 10(6) copies cm(-2)). Despite spatial variation of community composition and bacterial abundance in water main biofilms, the communities on the interior main surfaces were surprisingly similar, containing a core group of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) assigned to only 17 different genera. Bacteria from the genus Mycobacterium dominated all communities at the main wall-bulk water interface (25-78% of the community), regardless of main age, estimated water age, main material, and the presence of corrosion products. Further sequencing of the mycobacterial heat shock protein gene (hsp65) provided species-level taxonomic resolution of mycobacteria. The two dominant Mycobacteria present, M. frederiksbergense (arithmetic mean = 85.7% of hsp65 sequences) and M. aurum (arithmetic mean = 6.5% of hsp65 sequences), are generally considered to be nonpathogenic. Two opportunistic pathogens, however, were detected at low numbers: M. hemophilum (arithmetic mean = 1.5% of hsp65 sequences) and M. abscessus (arithmetic mean = 0.006% of hsp65 sequences). Sulfate-reducing bacteria from the genus Desulfovibrio, which have been implicated in microbially influenced corrosion, dominated all communities located underneath corrosion tubercules (arithmetic mean = 67.5% of the community). This research provides novel insights into the quantity and composition of biofilms in full-scale drinking water distribution systems, which is critical for assessing the risks to public health and to the

Reduced precipitation over large water bodies in the Brazilian Amazon shown from TRMM data

Science.gov (United States)

Paiva, Rodrigo Cauduro Dias; Buarque, Diogo Costa; Clarke, Robin T.; Collischonn, Walter; Allasia, Daniel Gustavo

2011-02-01

Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) data show lower rainfall over large water bodies in the Brazilian Amazon. Mean annual rainfall (P), number of wet days (rainfall > 2 mm) (W) and annual rainfall accumulated over 3-hour time intervals (P3hr) were computed from TRMM 3B42 data for 1998-2009. Reduced rainfall was marked over the Rio Solimões/Amazon, along most Amazon tributaries and over the Balbina reservoir. In a smaller test area, a heuristic argument showed that P and W were reduced by 5% and 6.5% respectively. Allowing for TRMM 3B42 spatial resolution, the reduction may be locally greater. Analyses of diurnal rainfall patterns showed that rainfall is lowest over large rivers during the afternoon, when most rainfall is convective, but at night and early morning the opposite occurs, with increased rainfall over rivers, although this pattern is less marked. Rainfall patterns reported from studies of smaller Amazonian regions therefore exist more widely.

An accurate energy-range relationship for high-energy electron beams in arbitrary materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorcini, B.B.; Brahme, A.

1994-01-01

A general analytical energy-range relationship has been derived to relate the practical range, R p to the most probable energy, E p , of incident electron beams in the range 1 to 50 MeV and above, for absorbers of any atomic number. In the present study only Monte Carlo data determined with the new ITS.3 code have been employed. The standard deviations of the mean deviation from the Monte Carlo data at any energy are about 0.10, 0.12, 0.04, 0.11, 0.04, 0.03, 0.02 mm for Be, C, H 2 O, Al, Cu, Ag and U, respectively, and the relative standard deviation of the mean is about 0.5% for all materials. The fitting program gives some priority to water-equivalent materials, which explains the low standard deviation for water. A small error in the fall-off slope can give a different value for R p . We describe a new method which reduces the uncertainty in the R p determination, by fitting an odd function to the descending portion of the depth-dose curve in order to accurately determine the tangent at the inflection point, and thereby the practical range. An approximate inverse relation is given expressing the most probable energy of an electron beam as a function of the practical range. The resultant relative standard error of the energy is less than 0.7%, and the maximum energy error ΔE p is less than 0.3 MeV. (author)

Orthogonal optimization of a water hydraulic pilot-operated pressure-reducing valve

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xuyao; Wu, Chao; Li, Bin; Wu, Di

2017-12-01

In order to optimize the comprehensive characteristics of a water hydraulic pilot-operated pressure-reducing valve, numerical orthogonal experimental design was adopted. Six parameters of the valve, containing diameters of damping plugs, volume of spring chamber, half cone angle of main spool, half cone angle of pilot spool, mass of main spool and diameter of main spool, were selected as the orthogonal factors, and each factor has five different levels. An index of flowrate stability, pressure stability and pressure overstrike stability (iFPOS) was used to judge the merit of each orthogonal attempt. Embedded orthogonal process turned up and a final optimal combination of these parameters was obtained after totally 50 numerical orthogonal experiments. iFPOS could be low to a fairly low value which meant that the valve could have much better stabilities. During the optimization, it was also found the diameters of damping plugs and main spool played important roles in stability characteristics of the valve.

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING COSTS IN THE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY INDUSTRY: An ENERGY STAR Resource Guide for Energy and Plant Managers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melody, Moya; Dunham Whitehead, Camilla; Brown, Richard

2010-09-30

As American drinking water agencies face higher production costs, demand, and energy prices, they seek opportunities to reduce costs without negatively affecting the quality of the water they deliver. This guide describes resources for cost-effectively improving the energy efficiency of U.S. public drinking water facilities. The guide (1) describes areas of opportunity for improving energy efficiency in drinking water facilities; (2) provides detailed descriptions of resources to consult for each area of opportunity; (3) offers supplementary suggestions and information for the area; and (4) presents illustrative case studies, including analysis of cost-effectiveness.

Suspension of oysters reduces the populations of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, K M; Supan, J; Ramirez, A; Johnson, C N

2015-09-01

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) and Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) are associated with the consumption of raw oysters and cause illnesses ranging from simple gastroenteritis to life-threatening septicaemia. These halophilic bacteria are frequently found in marine and estuarine systems, accumulating within the tissues of a number of aquatic organisms and passing on to humans after consumption, through contaminated water, or via open wounds. As benthic organisms capable of filtering 40 gallons of water per hour, sediment is an important source of potentially pathogenic vibrios in oysters destined for raw consumption. This research used off-bottom oyster culture to reduce vibrio concentrations in oysters. Colony hybridization was used to enumerate Vp and Vv in bottom and suspended oysters. Vv and Vp concentrations were generally lower in oysters suspended off-bottom, and suspension decreased vibrio loads in oysters by an average of 13%. Suspension of oysters reduced vibrio concentrations. This study found that oyster suspension significantly reduced some populations of potentially pathogenic vibrios. These results indicate that oyster suspension could be a viable approach for preharvest treatment to reduce illness in consumers of raw oysters. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Silicon photonics thermal phase shifter with reduced temperature range

Science.gov (United States)

Lentine, Anthony L; Kekatpure, Rohan D; DeRose, Christopher; Davids, Paul; Watts, Michael R

2013-12-17

Optical devices, phased array systems and methods of phase-shifting an input signal are provided. An optical device includes a microresonator and a waveguide for receiving an input optical signal. The waveguide includes a segment coupled to the microresonator with a coupling coefficient such that the waveguide is overcoupled to the microresonator. The microresonator received the input optical signal via the waveguide and phase-shifts the input optical signal to form an output optical signal. The output optical signal is coupled into the waveguide via the microresonator and transmitted by the waveguide. At an operating point of the optical device, the coupling coefficient is selected to reduce a change in an amplitude of the output optical signal and to increase a change in a phase of the output optical signal, relative to the input optical signal.

Water-washable ink system reduces printers' hazardous emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kratch, K.

1994-08-01

Printing industry solvents contain large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a major contributor to air pollution in that industry. Because most printing inks contain non-water-soluble petroleum, organic solvents have been necessary to clean presses using those inks. However, under proposed control technique guidelines for lithographic printers issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), printing-press wash solutions could contain no more than 30% VOCs. Deluxe Corp., a St. Paul, Minn.-based lithographic printer, recognized that stiffer emissions rules could mean harsh penalties for non-compliance and, in 1990, began developing a water-based press wash that would meet the guidelines. Deluxe last year introduced a 100% vegetable oil-based ink that becomes water-washable when exposed to the company's water-based press-wash solution. The solvent-free system eliminates VOCs and hazardous wastes associated with printing, contains no chemicals considered hazardous by EPA, uses no non-renewable resources, and works with existing printing equipment and processes. The system also eliminates water and soil contamination risks associated with laundering or landfilling solvent-saturated shop towels, saves money by eliminating the need to pay for hazardous waste disposal and provides relief to employees who complain about the strong odors of traditional press-wash solvents.

A jazz-based approach for optimal setting of pressure reducing valves in water distribution networks

Science.gov (United States)

De Paola, Francesco; Galdiero, Enzo; Giugni, Maurizio

2016-05-01

This study presents a model for valve setting in water distribution networks (WDNs), with the aim of reducing the level of leakage. The approach is based on the harmony search (HS) optimization algorithm. The HS mimics a jazz improvisation process able to find the best solutions, in this case corresponding to valve settings in a WDN. The model also interfaces with the improved version of a popular hydraulic simulator, EPANET 2.0, to check the hydraulic constraints and to evaluate the performances of the solutions. Penalties are introduced in the objective function in case of violation of the hydraulic constraints. The model is applied to two case studies, and the obtained results in terms of pressure reductions are comparable with those of competitive metaheuristic algorithms (e.g. genetic algorithms). The results demonstrate the suitability of the HS algorithm for water network management and optimization.

Two factors influencing dose reconstruction in low dose range: the variability of BKG intensity on one individual and water content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Tengda; Zhang, Wenyi; Zhao, Zhixin; Zhang, Haiying; Ruan, Shuzhou; Jiao, Ling

2016-01-01

A fast and accurate retrospective dosimetry method for the triage is very important in radiation accidents. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) fingernail dosimetry is a promising way to estimate radiation dose. This article presents two factors influencing dose reconstruction in low dose range: the variability of background signal (BKG) intensity on one individual and water content. Comparing the EPR spectrum of dried and humidified fingernail samples, it is necessary to add a procedure of dehydration before EPR measurements, so as to eliminate the deviation caused by water content. Besides, the BKGs of different fingers' nails are not the same as researchers thought previously, and the difference between maximum and minimum BKG intensities of one individual can reach 55.89 %. Meanwhile, the variability of the BKG intensity among individuals is large enough to impact precise dose reconstruction. Water within fingernails and instability of BKG are two reasons that cause the inaccuracy of radiation dose reconstruction in low-dosage level. (authors)

Synergy of extreme drought and shrub invasion reduce ecosystem functioning and resilience in water-limited climates

Science.gov (United States)

Caldeira, Maria C.; Lecomte, Xavier; David, Teresa S.; Pinto, Joaquim G.; Bugalho, Miguel N.; Werner, Christiane

2015-10-01

Extreme drought events and plant invasions are major drivers of global change that can critically affect ecosystem functioning and alter ecosystem-atmosphere exchange. Invaders are expanding worldwide and extreme drought events are projected to increase in frequency and intensity. However, very little is known on how these drivers may interact to affect the functioning and resilience of ecosystems to extreme events. Using a manipulative shrub removal experiment and the co-occurrence of an extreme drought event (2011/2012) in a Mediterranean woodland, we show that native shrub invasion and extreme drought synergistically reduced ecosystem transpiration and the resilience of key-stone oak tree species. Ecosystem transpiration was dominated by the water use of the invasive shrub Cistus ladanifer, which further increased after the extreme drought event. Meanwhile, the transpiration of key-stone tree species decreased, indicating a competitive advantage in favour of the invader. Our results suggest that in Mediterranean-type climates the invasion of water spending species and projected recurrent extreme drought events may synergistically cause critical drought tolerance thresholds of key-stone tree species to be surpassed, corroborating observed higher tree mortality in the invaded ecosystems. Ultimately, this may shift seasonally water limited ecosystems into less desirable alternative states dominated by water spending invasive shrubs.

Purifying fluoride-contaminated water by a novel forward osmosis design with enhanced flux under reduced concentration polarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, Madhubonti; Chakrabortty, Sankha; Pal, Parimal; Linnanen, Lassi

2015-08-01

For purifying fluoride-contaminated water, a new forward osmosis scheme in horizontal flat-sheet cross flow module was designed and investigated. Effects of pressure, cross flow rate, draw solution and alignment of membrane module on separation and flux were studied. Concentration polarization and reverse salt diffusion got significantly reduced in the new hydrodynamic regime. This resulted in less membrane fouling, better solute separation and higher pure water flux than in a conventional module. The entire scheme was completed in two stages-an upstream forward osmosis for separating pure water from contaminated water and a downstream nanofiltration operation for continuous recovery and recycle of draw solute. Synchronization of these two stages of operation resulted in a continuous, steady-state process. From a set of commercial membranes, two polyamide composite membranes were screened out for the upstream and downstream filtrations. A 0.3-M NaCl solution was found to be the best one for forward osmosis draw solution. Potable water with less than 1% residual fluoride could be produced at a high flux of 60-62 L m(-2) h(-1) whereas more than 99% draw solute could be recovered and recycled in the downstream nanofiltration stage from where flux was 62-65 L m(-2) h(-1).

Cell voltage versus electrode potential range in aqueous supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Zengxin; Peng, Chuang; Chae, Jung Hoon; Ng, Kok Chiang; Chen, George Z.

2015-01-01

Supercapacitors with aqueous electrolytes and nanostructured composite electrodes are attractive because of their high charging-discharging speed, long cycle life, low environmental impact and wide commercial affordability. However, the energy capacity of aqueous supercapacitors is limited by the electrochemical window of water. In this paper, a recently reported engineering strategy is further developed and demonstrated to correlate the maximum charging voltage of a supercapacitor with the capacitive potential ranges and the capacitance ratio of the two electrodes. Beyond the maximum charging voltage, a supercapacitor may still operate, but at the expense of a reduced cycle life. In addition, it is shown that the supercapacitor performance is strongly affected by the initial and zero charge potentials of the electrodes. Further, the differences are highlighted and elaborated between freshly prepared, aged under open circuit conditions, and cycled electrodes of composites of conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes. The first voltammetric charging-discharging cycle has an electrode conditioning effect to change the electrodes from their initial potentials to the potential of zero voltage, and reduce the irreversibility. PMID:25897670

Reduced mandibular range of motion in Duchenne muscular dystrophy : Predictive factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Bruggen, H. W.; Van Den Engel-Hoek, L.; Steenks, M. H.; Bronkhorst, E. M.; Creugers, N. H J; de Groot, I. J M; Kalaykova, S. I.

2015-01-01

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) experience negative effects upon feeding and oral health. We aimed to determine whether the mandibular range of motion in DMD is impaired and to explore predictive factors for the active maximum mouth opening (aMMO). 23 patients with DMD (mean age 16·7

Mobility and survival of sulphate-reducing bacteria in compacted and fully water saturated bentonite - microstructural aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pusch, R. [Geodevelopment AB, Lund (Sweden)

1999-12-01

Sulphate-reducing bacteria will not be able to enter MX-80 buffer clay with the intended bulk density, i.e. 1900-2100 kg/m{sup 3}. Nor will they be able to survive and migrate in such environment. The only circumstances under which sulphate-reducing bacteria can enter, survive and migrate in engineered soil barriers in a KBS-3-type repository are those prevailing in backfills with lower MX-80 contents than about 10 % or in more smectite-rich, poorly compacted backfills saturated with electrolyte-rich pore water with Ca as dominating cation. In the phase of hydration and expansion of canister-embedding buffer, bacteria can enter the initially very soft clay gel at the rock/buffer contact to a depth of about a centimeter.

Mobility and survival of sulphate-reducing bacteria in compacted and fully water saturated bentonite - microstructural aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.

1999-12-01

Sulphate-reducing bacteria will not be able to enter MX-80 buffer clay with the intended bulk density, i.e. 1900-2100 kg/m 3 . Nor will they be able to survive and migrate in such environment. The only circumstances under which sulphate-reducing bacteria can enter, survive and migrate in engineered soil barriers in a KBS-3-type repository are those prevailing in backfills with lower MX-80 contents than about 10 % or in more smectite-rich, poorly compacted backfills saturated with electrolyte-rich pore water with Ca as dominating cation. In the phase of hydration and expansion of canister-embedding buffer, bacteria can enter the initially very soft clay gel at the rock/buffer contact to a depth of about a centimeter

In Situ Analysis of the Li-O2 Battery with Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide Cathode: Influence of Water Addition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Storm, Mie Møller; Christensen, Mathias Kjærgård; Younesi, Reza

2016-01-01

The Li-O2 battery technology holds the promise to deliver a battery with significantly increased specific energy compared to today's Li-ion batteries. As a cathode support material, reduced graphene oxide has received increasing attention in the Li-O2 battery community due to the possibility...... of increased discharge capacity, increased battery cyclability, and decreased, charging, overpotential. In this. article we investigate the effect of water on a thermally, redircedigraphene, oxide cathode in a Li-O2 battery. Differential electrochemical mass spectrciscnieveals a, decreased electron count......-of-the cathode and not only on addition of water to the electrolyte as demonstrated by the solution-based mechanism In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiment using a new design of a capillary-based Li-O2 cell with a thermally reduced graphene oxide cathode shows formation of LiOH along with Li2O2....

Water resources of King County, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Donald; Bingham, J.W.; Madison, R.J.; Williams, R.

1968-01-01

Although the total supply of water in King County is large, water problems are inevitable because of the large and rapidly expanding population. The county contains a third of the 3 million people in Washington, most of the population being concentrated in the Seattle metropolitan area. King County includes parts of two major physiographic features: the western area is part of the Puget Sound Lowland, and the eastern area is part of the Cascade Range. In these two areas, the terrain, weather, and natural resources (including water) contrast markedly. Average annual precipitation in the county is about 80 inches, ranging from about 30 inches near Puget Sound to more than 150 inches in parts of the Cascades. Annual evapotranspiration is estimated to range from 15 to 24 inches. Average annual runoff ranges from about 15 inches in the lowlands to more than 100 inches in the mountains. Most of the streamflow is in the major basins of the county--the Green-Duwamish, Lake Washington, and Snoqualmie basins. The largest of these is the Snoqualmie River basin (693 square miles), where average annual runoff during the period 1931-60 was about 79 inches. During the same period, annual runoff in the Lake Washington basin ( 607 square miles) averaged about 32 inches, and in the Green-Duwamish River basin (483 square miles), about 46 inches. Seasonal runoff is generally characterized by several high-flow periods in the winter, medium flows in the spring, and sustained low flows in the summer and fall. When floods occur in the county they come almost exclusively between October and March. The threat of flood damage is greatest on the flood plaits of the larger rivers, but in the Green-Duwamish Valley the threat was greatly reduced with the completion of Howard A. Hanson Dam in 1962. In the Snoqualmie River basin, where no such dam exists, the potential damage from a major flood increases each year as additional land is developed in the Snoqualmie Valley. 0nly moderate amounts of

The role of catchment vegetation in reducing atmospheric inputs of pollutant aerosols in Ganga river.

Science.gov (United States)

Shubhashish, Kumar; Pandey, Richa; Pandey, Jitendra

2012-08-01

The role of woody perennials in the Ganga river basin in modifying the run-off quality as influenced by atmospheric deposition of pollutant aerosols was investigated. The concentration of seven nutrients and eight metals were measured in atmospheric deposits as well as in run-off water under the influence of five woody perennials. Nutrient retention was recorded maximum for Bougainvillea spectabilis ranged from 4.30 % to 33.70 %. Metal retention was recorded highest for Ficus benghalensis ranged from 5.15 % to 36.98 %. Although some species showed nutrient enrichment, all the species considered in the study invariably contribute to reduce nutrients and metal concentration in run-off water. Reduction in run off was recorded maximum for B. spectabilis (nutrient 6.48 %-40.66 %; metal 7.86 %-22.85 %) and minimum for Ficus religiosa (nutrient 1.68 %-27.19 %; metal 6.55 %-31.55 %). The study forms the first report on the use of woody perennials in reducing input of atmospheric pollutants to Ganga river and has relevance in formulating strategies for river basin management.

Effect of temperature and water activity on heat transfer in parsley leaves in the  range of temperatures 10–30 °C

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Štencl

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The equilibrium moisture contents of parsley leaves were measured by the gravimetric dynamic method with continuous recording of changes in sample weight. Consequently water activity values were determined. Henderson equation was found to be a good model both for moisture adsorption and desorption. Isosteric heat of sorption was defined and determined in the temperature range of 10–30 °C. Clausius-Clapeyron equation was used to calculate the isosteric heat of sorption since no dependence on temperature in the analysed range was observed. The isosteric heats of sorption (qnst were indicated graphic in the form qnst versus moisture content. Values for isosteric heat of sorption ranged from 54.41 to 46.85 kJ/mol.

Pressure drop characteristics in tight-lattice bundles for reduced-moderation water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamai, Hidesada; Kureta, Masatoshi; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Akimoto, Hajime

2004-01-01

The reduced-moderation water reactor (RMWR) consists of several distinctive structures; a triangular tight-lattice configuration and a double-flat core. In order to design the RMWR core from the point of view of thermal-hydraulics, an evaluation method on pressure drop characteristics in the rod bundles at the tight-lattice configuration is required. In this study, calculated results by the Martinelli-Nelson's and Hancox's correlations were compared with experimental results in 4 x 5 rod bundles and seven-rod bundles. Consequently, the friction loss in two-phase flows becomes smaller at the tight-lattice configuration with the hydraulic diameter less than about 3 mm. This reason is due to the difference of the configuration between the multi-rod bundle and the circular tube and due to the effect of the small hydraulic diameter on the two-phase multiplier. (author)

Facile Quantification and Identification Techniques for Reducing Gases over a Wide Concentration Range Using a MOS Sensor in Temperature-Cycled Operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultealbert, Caroline; Baur, Tobias; Schütze, Andreas; Sauerwald, Tilman

2018-03-01

Dedicated methods for quantification and identification of reducing gases based on model-based temperature-cycled operation (TCO) using a single commercial MOS gas sensor are presented. During high temperature phases the sensor surface is highly oxidized, yielding a significant sensitivity increase after switching to lower temperatures (differential surface reduction, DSR). For low concentrations, the slope of the logarithmic conductance during this low-temperature phase is evaluated and can directly be used for quantification. For higher concentrations, the time constant for reaching a stable conductance during the same low-temperature phase is evaluated. Both signals represent the reaction rate of the reducing gas on the strongly oxidized surface at this low temperature and provide a linear calibration curve, which is exceptional for MOS sensors. By determining these reaction rates on different low-temperature plateaus and applying pattern recognition, the resulting footprint can be used for identification of different gases. All methods are tested over a wide concentration range from 10 ppb to 100 ppm (4 orders of magnitude) for four different reducing gases (CO, H₂, ammonia and benzene) using randomized gas exposures.

A study of Water flooding modeling for DMFC at cathode channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Sang Keun; Yoo, Ki Soo; Lee, Dae Keun; Chung, Myung Kyoon

2007-01-01

The present paper addresses the water flooding model validation in cathode channel for DMFC. Water flooding not only reduces DMFC stack performance but also causes O 2 starve that damages membrane at cathode channel. Although the water flooding problem is critical in operating DMFC, it has not been resolved yet since the effect of temperature, H 2 O vapor and liquid partial pressure effects on the H 2 O vapor saturation is very complex. Therefore, the operating feasible range in the dynamic control of DMFC is inevitably narrow. In order to be able to dynamically control the DMFC to prevent water flooding problem at cathode channel, 3D numerical model was validated by comparison with experimental result. We performed numerical simulation for a wide range of Vcell - current density for 1 layer-1 cell DMFC and the results were compared with experimental data. It was found that the 3D simulation model for the DMFC can be used to accurately predict the water flooding at cathode channel

Research and development on reduced-moderation light water reactor with passive safety features (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamura, Takamichi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Akie, Hiroshi; Kugo, Teruhiko; Yonomoto, Taisuke; Kureta, Masatoshi; Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Araya, Fumimasa; Okajima, Shigeaki; Okumura, Keisuke; Suzuki, Motoe; Mineo, Hideaki; Nakatsuka, Toru

2004-06-01

The present report contains the achievement of 'Research and Development on Reduced-moderation Light Water Reactor with Passive Safety Features', which was performed by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), Hitachi Ltd., Japan Atomic Power Company and Tokyo Institute of Technology in FY2000-2002 as the innovative and viable nuclear energy technology (IVNET) development project operated by the Institute of Applied Energy (IAE). In the present project, the reduced-moderation water reactor (RMWR) has been developed to ensure sustainable energy supply and to solve the recent problems of nuclear power and nuclear fuel cycle, such as economical competitiveness, effective use of plutonium and reduction of spent fuel storage. The RMWR can attain the favorable characteristics such as high burnup, long operation cycle, multiple recycling of plutonium (Pu) and effective utilization of uranium resources based on accumulated LWR technologies. Our development target is 'Reduced-moderation Light Water Reactor with Passive Safety Features' with innovative technologies to achieve above mentioned requirement. Electric power is selected as 300 MWe considering anticipated size required for future deployment. The reactor core consists of MOX fuel assemblies with tight lattice arrangement to increase the conversion ratio. Design targets of the core specification are conversion ratio more than unity, negative void reactivity feedback coefficient to assure safety, discharged burnup more than 60 GWd/t and operation cycle more than 2 years. As for the reactor system, a small size natural circulation BWR with passive safety systems is adopted to increase safety and reduce construction cost. The results obtained are as follows: As regards core design study, core design was performed to meet the goal. Sequence of startup operation was constructed for the RMWR. As the plant design, plant system was designed to achieve enhanced economy using passive safety system effectively. In

Intervalo hídrico ótimo num nitossolo vermelho distroférrico irrigado Least limiting water range of an irrigated dystroferric red nitosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Everton Blainski

2009-04-01

Full Text Available O manejo da irrigação tem-se baseado no controle do potencial da água no solo (Ψ como fator limitante do crescimento das plantas. Entretanto, outras variáveis podem influenciar a cultura mesmo que o Ψ não seja limitante. O Intervalo Hídrico Ótimo (IHO é um conceito de disponibilidade de água no solo que leva em consideração a porosidade de aeração e a resistência do solo à penetração em adição ao Ψ. O objetivo deste estudo foi quantificar o IHO num Nitossolo Vermelho distroférrico irrigado e utilizá-lo no estabelecimento de critérios para o manejo de água e do solo em áreas irrigadas. A resistência do solo à penetração foi a variável que limitou o IHO com maior frequência, diminuindo sua magnitude com o aumento da densidade do solo (Ds. Com o aumento da Ds, ocorreu redução na frequência com que θ manteve-se dentro dos limites do IHO. A Ds crítica (Dsc foi de 1,40 Mg m-3, indicando severa degradação física do solo para Ds > Dsc. Para Ds 2,0 MPa; para 1,28 -800 hPa visando ao controle da RP. Para áreas em que Ds > Dsc, medidas que visem a redução da Ds poderiam ser tomadas em função da severa degradação física do solo.The establishment of irrigation management has been based on the soil water potential (Ψ as a limiting factor for plant growth. However, other variables can affect crop growth even when Ψ is not limiting. The least limiting water range (LLWR is a concept of available water that take account the influence of aeration and soil resistance to penetration (SR in addition to Ψ. The objective of this study was to quantify the LLWR in an irrigated Dystroferric Red Nitosol and to use it to determine the soil and water management for irrigated areas. Soil penetration resistance limited LLRW most often, reducing its magnitude with the increase of soil bulk density (Bd. Therefore, the higher Bd, the less often θ was inside the limits of LLWR. The critical Bd (Bdc was 1.40 Mg m-3, indicating

A cost-effectiveness analysis of water security and water quality: impacts of climate and land-use change on the River Thames system.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, P G; Crossman, J; Balana, B B; Futter, M N; Comber, S; Jin, L; Skuras, D; Wade, A J; Bowes, M J; Read, D S

2013-11-13

The catchment of the River Thames, the principal river system in southern England, provides the main water supply for London but is highly vulnerable to changes in climate, land use and population. The river is eutrophic with significant algal blooms with phosphorus assumed to be the primary chemical indicator of ecosystem health. In the Thames Basin, phosphorus is available from point sources such as wastewater treatment plants and from diffuse sources such as agriculture. In order to predict vulnerability to future change, the integrated catchments model for phosphorus (INCA-P) has been applied to the river basin and used to assess the cost-effectiveness of a range of mitigation and adaptation strategies. It is shown that scenarios of future climate and land-use change will exacerbate the water quality problems, but a range of mitigation measures can improve the situation. A cost-effectiveness study has been undertaken to compare the economic benefits of each mitigation measure and to assess the phosphorus reductions achieved. The most effective strategy is to reduce fertilizer use by 20% together with the treatment of effluent to a high standard. Such measures will reduce the instream phosphorus concentrations to close to the EU Water Framework Directive target for the Thames.

Effects of sodium polyacrylate on water retention and infiltration capacity of a sandy soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Wenhua; Li, Longguo; Liu, Chao

2013-01-01

Based on the laboratory study, the effects of sodium polyacrylate (SP) was investigated at 5 rates of 0, 0.08, 0.2, 0.5, and 1%, on water retention, saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks), infiltration characteristic and water distribution profiles of a sandy soil. The results showed that water retention and available water capacity effectively increased with increasing SP rate. The Ks and the rate of wetting front advance and infiltration under certain pond infiltration was significantly reduced by increasing SP rate, which effectively reduced water in a sandy soil leaking to a deeper layer under the plough layer. The effect of SP on water distribution was obviously to the up layer and very little to the following deeper layers. Considering both the effects on water retention and infiltration capacity, it is suggested that SP be used to the sandy soil at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0.5%.

A system for fertigation management in soilless culture of tomato to reduce water consumption and nitrogen discharge [Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacci, L.; Battista, P.; Rapi, B.; Pardossi, A.; Incrocci, L.; Carmassi, G.

2005-01-01

In Italy, most greenhouse growers apply fertigation in open-loop system (free drainage), but recent laws on environmental pollution are forcing them to introduce new management approaches, namely the recirculation of drain water (closed-loop). The development of a specific support system (SGx) is in progress in order to aid the growers in selecting low impact growing systems and in reducing water use. Currently, the software integrates three models for the simulation of tomato growth, transpiration and nutrient concentration in the fertigation water. The system can run both in real time, using meteorological and water consumption data automatically collected by sensors located in the greenhouse, and off-line, using data sets archived in the database. Choosing real time option, SGx follows plant growth and the modifications of nutrients in the recycling solution, suggesting the most effective practices for water and nutrient management. The off-line option allows the comparison between different productive strategies from different viewpoints: production, water and nutrient consumption, radiation and water use efficiency, environmental impact [it

Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Improves Substrate Hydraulic Conductivity in the Plant Available Moisture Range Under Root Growth Exclusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Bitterlich, Michael; Franken, Philipp; Graefe, Jan

2018-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) proliferate in soils and are known to affect soil structure. Although their contribution to structure is extensively investigated, the consequences of those processes for soil water extractability and transport has, so far, gained surprisingly little attention. Therefore we asked, whether AMF can affect water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity under exclusion of root ingrowth, in order to minimize plant driven effects. We carried out experiments with tomato inoculated with Rhizoglomus irregulare in a soil substrate with sand and vermiculite that created variation in colonization by mixed pots with wild type (WT) plants and mycorrhiza resistant (RMC) mutants. Sampling cores were introduced and used to assess substrate moisture retention dynamics and modeling of substrate water retention and hydraulic conductivity. AMF reduced the saturated water content and total porosity, but maintained air filled porosity in soil spheres that excluded root ingrowth. The water content between field capacity and the permanent wilting point (6-1500 kPa) was only reduced in mycorrhizal substrates that contained at least one RMC mutant. Plant available water contents correlated positively with soil protein contents. Soil protein contents were highest in pots that possessed the strongest hyphal colonization, but not significantly affected. Substrate conductivity increased up to 50% in colonized substrates in the physiologically important water potential range between 6 and 10 kPa. The improvements in hydraulic conductivity are restricted to substrates where at least one WT plant was available for the fungus, indicating a necessity of a functional symbiosis for this effect. We conclude that functional mycorrhiza alleviates the resistance to water movement through the substrate in substrate areas outside of the root zone.

128 EVALUATION OF RANGE CONDITION AND TREND OF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2010-03-01

Mar 1, 2010 ... areas with available forage to areas where the forage is overgrazed but there is water. ... Herbaceous layer estimate was made using a .... Biomass. Assessment and Range Condition on. Range Sites in southern Arizona. J.

Influence of Gamma Radiation on the Treatment of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria in the Injection Water Used for the Enhanced Oil Recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shahawy, M.R.; Ramzi, M.; Farag, R.M.

2014-01-01

The counts of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in the water samples collected from the well head (formation water) and outlet of petroleum treatment plant (Produced water) in a petroleum field in middle delta- Egypt were determined. The data showed a low count of (SRB) in the collected formation water sample and there was an obvious increase in the bacterial counts which appeared in the produced water, that may reveal that the presence of appropriate conditions for the growth of (SRB) in the closed system in treatment plant. Two scale inhibitors were tested through jar test, the scale inhibitor I had maximum efficiency at 20 ppm, two SRB biocides were screened for their bactericidal activities. It was found that the biocides A was slightly superior in respect to the antibacterial efficacy compared to B in presence of 20 ppm scale inhibitor. These biocides were test for the study of the combined treatment with gamma radiation to maximize the efficiency on sulfate reducing bacteria using the minimum effective dose of both radiation and biocides to eliminate the negative impacts of the chemicals used and the radiation applied. The results demonstrated that, the lethal doses of biocides were (300 ppm) of biocides A or (400 ppm) of biocides B at 1 kGy irradiation dose. The treated produced water was evaluated in respect of enhanced oil recovery, the data showed increase of the recovery capacity by the irradiation and chemical treatment. This technology could be used for the water that are injected into reservoirs, and suitable for oil field and pipeline operators, and presented a viable bacteria control method

Impaired heel to toe progression during gait is related to reduced ankle range of motion in people with Multiple Sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Psarakis, Michael; Greene, David; Moresi, Mark; Baker, Michael; Stubbs, Peter; Brodie, Matthew; Lord, Stephen; Hoang, Phu

2017-11-01

Gait impairment in people with Multiple Sclerosis results from neurological impairment, muscle weakness and reduced range of motion. Restrictions in passive ankle range of motion can result in abnormal heel-to-toe progression (weight transfer) and inefficient gait patterns in people with Multiple Sclerosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between gait impairment, heel-to-toe progression and ankle range of motion in people with Multiple Sclerosis. Twelve participants with Multiple Sclerosis and twelve healthy age-matched participants were assessed. Spatiotemporal parameters of gait and individual footprint data were used to investigate group differences. A pressure sensitive walkway was used to divide each footprint into three phases (contact, mid-stance, propulsive) and calculate the heel-to-toe progression during the stance phase of gait. Compared to healthy controls, people with Multiple Sclerosis spent relatively less time in contact phase (7.8% vs 25.1%) and more time in the mid stance phase of gait (57.3% vs 33.7%). Inter-limb differences were observed in people with Multiple Sclerosis between the affected and non-affected sides for contact (7.8% vs 15.3%) and mid stance (57.3% and 47.1%) phases. Differences in heel-to-toe progression remained significant after adjusting for walking speed and were correlated with walking distance and ankle range of motion. Impaired heel-to-toe progression was related to poor ankle range of motion in people with Multiple Sclerosis. Heel-to-toe progression provided a sensitive measure for assessing gait impairments that were not detectable using standard spatiotemporal gait parameters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing environmental risks in water management in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brownlow, H.

1998-01-01

The issue of water management regarding hydroelectric generating facilities in British Columbia was discussed. BC Hydro has adopted the following three processes to address water management risks: (1) the Electric System Operating Review, (2) Water Use Plans, and (3) an Environmental Management System. The greatest concern regarding water management are the potential impacts to fish and fish habitat. More than 90 per cent of BC Hydro's installed capacity is hydroelectric, with the balance produced by natural gas and diesel. All facilities are licensed under the provincial Water Act which has been in effect for the past century and is currently way out of date. Among its inadequacies is the fact that it does not provide for the protection of fish. The B.C. Fish Protection Act suggests that effective immediately, there should be no new dams on the Fraser and other significant rivers. BC Hydro facilities impact 16 of the 2,576 streams in British Columbia that support anadromous (migrating) salmon stocks. BC Hydro has 25 dams and diversions located on these 16 rivers. It was concluded that BC Hydro's impact on fish and fish habitat, although relatively small compared to the total fish resource in the province, is significant. The technology now used by BC Hydro is claimed to have the capacity to allow for easy documentation, rapid communication and the development of a comprehensive database for use in identifying and managing the impact of the Utility's operations on the fish population. 10 refs., 12 figs

Physico-chemical fracturing and cleaning of coal. [Treatment with CO/sub 2/ in water at high pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Sapienza, R.S.; Slegeir, W.A.R.

1983-09-30

This invention relates to a method of producing a crushable coal and reducing the metallic values in coal represented by Si, Al, Ca, Na, K, and Mg, which comprises contacting a coal/water mix in a weight ratio of from about 4:1 to 1:6 in the presence of CO/sub 2/ at pressures of about 100 to 1400 psi and a minimum temperature of about 15/sup 0/C for a period of about one or more hours to produce a treated coal/water mix. In the process the treated coal/water mix has reduced values for Ca and Mg of up to 78% over the starting mix and the advantageous CO/sub 2/ concentration is in the range of about 3 to 30 g/L. Below 5 g/L CO/sub 2/ only small effects are observed and above 30 g/L no further special advantages are achieved. The coal/water ratios in the range 1:2 to 2:1 are particularly desirable and such ratios are compatible with coal water slurry applications.

Climatic water deficit, tree species ranges, and climate change in Yosemite National Park

Science.gov (United States)

James A. Lutz; Jan W. van Wagtendonk; Jerry F. Franklin

2010-01-01

Modelled changes in climate water deficit between past, present and future climate scenarios suggest that recent past changes in forest structure and composition may accelerate in the future, with species responding individualistically to further declines in water availability. Declining water availability may disproportionately affect Pinus monticola...

The Effects of International Trade on Water Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Kagohashi, Kazuki; Tsurumi, Tetsuya; Managi, Shunsuke

2015-01-01

The growing scarcity of water resources worldwide is conditioned not only by precipitation changes but also by changes to water use patterns; the latter is driven by social contexts such as capital intensity, trade openness, and income. This study explores the determinants of water use by focusing on the effect of trade openness on the degree to which water is withdrawn and consumed. Previous studies have conducted analyses on the determinants of water use but have ignored the endogeneity of trade openness. To deal with this endogeneity problem, we adopt instrumental variable estimation and clarify the determinants of water use. The determinants of water use are divided into scale, technique, and composition effects. Calculating each trade-induced effect, we examine how trade openness affects the degree of water use. Our results show that while trade has a positive effect on water withdrawal/consumption through trade-induced scale effects and direct composition effects, the trade-induced technique and the indirect composition effect, both of which exhibit a negative sign, counteract the scale effect and the direct composition effect, resulting in reduced water withdrawal/consumption. The overall effect induced by trade is calculated as being in the range of -1.00 to -1.52; this means that the overall effect of a 1% increase in the intensity of trade openness reduces the degree of water withdrawal/consumption by roughly 1.0-1.5%, on average. This result indicates that international bilateral trade would promote efficient water use through the diffusion of water-saving technologies and the reformation of industry composition.

A plan of reactor physics experiments for reduced-moderation water reactors with MOX fuel in TCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Shoichiro; Akie, Hiroshi; Suzaki, Takenori; Okubo, Tutomu; Usui, Shuji; Shirakawa, Toshihisa; Iwamura, Takamiti; Kugo, Teruhiko; Ishikawa, Nobuyuki

2000-06-01

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is one of the next generation water-cooled reactors which aim at effective utilization of uranium resource, high burn-up, long operation cycle, and plutonium multi-recycle. For verification of the feasibility, negative void reactivity coefficient and conversion ratio more than 1.0 must be confirmed. Critical Experiments performed so far in Eualope and Japan were reviewed, and no useful data are available for RMWR development. Critical experiments using TCA (Tank Type Critical Assembly) in JAERI are planned. MOX fuel rods should be prepared for the experiments and some modifications of the equipment are needed for use of MOX fuel rods. This report describes the preliminary plan of physics experiments. The number of MOX fuel rods used in the experiments are obtained by calculations and the modification of the equipment for the experiments are shown. (author)

Occurrences of nitrosamines in chlorinated and chloraminated drinking water in three representative cities, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Qian; Wang, Donghong; Wang, Zijian

2012-10-15

An investigation of the occurrence of nine nitrosamines in drinking water following different water treatment processes was conducted using samples from seven drinking water treatment plants in three cities and tap waters in one city in China. The total nitrosamine levels ranged from not detected (n.d.) to 43.45 ng/L. The species and concentrations of the nine nitrosamines varied with disinfection methods and source waters. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is the nitrosamines of greatest concern, was identified in raw water, disinfecting water, finished water and tap water samples, ranging from 0.8 to 21.6, 0.12 to 24.2, n.d. to 8.8, and n.d. to 13.3 ng/L, respectively. Chloramination alone produced the most significant amounts of NDMA, while ozonation followed by chloramination led to moderately reduced levels. Additionally, chlorination produced relatively less NDMA, while low pressure ultraviolet radiation followed by chlorination could also significantly reduce them. Total organic carbon is one of the most important factors influencing nitrosamines formation in disinfecting water. In contrast, the addition of chlorine following any other disinfection was found to increase the formation of the other eight species of nitrosamines. The three nitrosamines recommended for monitoring by the US EPA were detected in the tap water samples, but most were present at levels below those that pose a risk to human health. Nevertheless, the occurrence and concentration of nitrosamines regulated in the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List could cause some potential human effects and therefore warrant attention. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drinking water distribution systems: assessing and reducing risks

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Committee on Public Water Supply Distribution Systems: Assessing and Reducing Risks, National Research Council

2006-01-01

.... Distribution systems -- consisting of pipes, pumps, valves, storage tanks, reservoirs, meters, fittings, and other hydraulic appurtenances -- carry drinking water from a centralized treatment plant...

Effect of ethanol/water blends addition on diesel fuel combustion in RCM and DI diesel engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nour, Mohamed; Kosaka, Hidenori; Sato, Susumu; Bady, Mahmoud; Abdel-Rahman, Ali K.; Uchida, Kenta

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Effect of ethanol/water addition on diesel combustion studied using optical diagnostics. • The addition of water to ethanol improves engine combustion and soot oxidation. • Ethanol/water injection into exhaust manifold eliminates their endothermic effect. • Ethanol with high water content is recommended for better engine combustion. • Soot concentration reduced by 50% and NO x emissions reduced by 88%. - Abstract: The effect of ethanol/water blends addition on diesel fuel combustion and emissions is investigated experimentally in this study using optical diagnostics. Basic study is performed using rapid compression machine (RCM) under CI conditions. The tested ethanol energy fractions varied in the range of 10–40% of the total added fuel energy, while water volume ratios varied in the range of 10–40% of the injected ethanol. Ethanol and water were evaporated before entering the combustion chamber to eliminate their endothermic effect. Results reveal that addition of ethanol/water blends to diesel fuel results in longer ignition delay and promote the apparent heat release rate (AHRR) at the premixed combustion phase compared to absolute ethanol addition. Additionally, soot and NO x emissions are reduced with ethanol/water addition compared to absolute ethanol addition and neat diesel combustion. The basic study is then extended to investigate the effect ethanol/water blends addition on diesel fuel combustion using single cylinder diesel engine. Waste heat in exhaust manifold is utilized to vaporize ethanol/water blends before combustion. Results reveal that ethanol/water blends injection leads to increase in peak cylinder pressure, indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP), and AHRR at premixed combustion phase. Additionally, the ignition delay increased with ethanol/water addition. NO x emission is decreased up to 88% along with a reduction in soot by 50%. The lower ethanol to water volume ratios show better combustion efficiency, IMEP

Cutting device for spent local power range monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Shigeru; Tsuji, Teruaki.

1976-01-01

Purpose: To prevent radioactive contamination of the reactor water and simplify the operation of transferring the spent local power range monitor to a pool and preparation of the space for storing the monitor in the pool by arranging it such that the monitor is cut in the reactor water and that its cut end is closed in the reactor water. Constitution: A device for clamping a spent local power range monitor disposed within the reactor core and for cutting the monitor such that the content will not be exposed are supported by support means such that they are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the support means is suspended in the reactor water such that it is movable relative to the monitor. Thus, there is no need to mount the cutter in any separately provided support means, and there is no possibility of exposure of the content since the cut end of the monitor is closed by the outer frame. It is therefore possible to prevent contamination of the reactor water. (Horiuchi, T.)

Growth Inhibition of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Produced Water from the Petroleum Industry Using Essential Oils.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Pamella Macedo de; Goulart, Fátima Regina de Vasconcelos; Marques, Joana Montezano; Bizzo, Humberto Ribeiro; Blank, Arie Fitzgerald; Groposo, Claudia; Sousa, Maíra Paula de; Vólaro, Vanessa; Alviano, Celuta Sales; Moreno, Daniela Sales Alviano; Seldin, Lucy

2017-04-19

Strategies for the control of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the oil industry involve the use of high concentrations of biocides, but these may induce bacterial resistance and/or be harmful to public health and the environment. Essential oils (EO) produced by plants inhibit the growth of different microorganisms and are a possible alternative for controlling SRB. We aimed to characterize the bacterial community of produced water obtained from a Brazilian petroleum facility using molecular methods, as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of EO from different plants and their major components against Desulfovibrio alaskensis NCIMB 13491 and against SRB growth directly in the produced water. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of the genera Pelobacter and Marinobacterium , Geotoga petraea , and the SRB Desulfoplanes formicivorans in our produced water samples. Sequencing of dsrA insert-containing clones confirmed the presence of sequences related to D. formicivorans . EO obtained from Citrus aurantifolia , Lippia alba LA44 and Cymbopogon citratus , as well as citral, linalool, eugenol and geraniol, greatly inhibited (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 78 µg/mL) the growth of D. alaskensis in a liquid medium. The same MIC was obtained directly in the produced water with EO from L. alba LA44 (containing 82% citral) and with pure citral. These findings may help to control detrimental bacteria in the oil industry.

Growth Inhibition of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Produced Water from the Petroleum Industry Using Essential Oils

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Pamella Macedo de Souza

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Strategies for the control of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB in the oil industry involve the use of high concentrations of biocides, but these may induce bacterial resistance and/or be harmful to public health and the environment. Essential oils (EO produced by plants inhibit the growth of different microorganisms and are a possible alternative for controlling SRB. We aimed to characterize the bacterial community of produced water obtained from a Brazilian petroleum facility using molecular methods, as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of EO from different plants and their major components against Desulfovibrio alaskensis NCIMB 13491 and against SRB growth directly in the produced water. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of the genera Pelobacter and Marinobacterium, Geotoga petraea, and the SRB Desulfoplanes formicivorans in our produced water samples. Sequencing of dsrA insert-containing clones confirmed the presence of sequences related to D. formicivorans. EO obtained from Citrus aurantifolia, Lippia alba LA44 and Cymbopogon citratus, as well as citral, linalool, eugenol and geraniol, greatly inhibited (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC = 78 µg/mL the growth of D. alaskensis in a liquid medium. The same MIC was obtained directly in the produced water with EO from L. alba LA44 (containing 82% citral and with pure citral. These findings may help to control detrimental bacteria in the oil industry.

Chemical evaluation and treatment of ground water for university town Peshawar, Pakistan by reverse osmosis technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saddique, M.; Gilani, S.N.; Ishaq, M.; Gul, F.

2012-01-01

Present study is focused on the ground water treatment for the University Town Peshawar by reverse osmosis technology, based on the principle of reverse-osmosis pure water and ultra pure water filtration. Water collected from three locations was analyzed. The results showed that the first two water samples were neutral having pH 7.09 and 7.16 comparable with the range (6.50-8.50), while the pH for the water sample getting purified and passed from RO process was 5.33 i.e. slightly acidic. The ionic content of the water sample was low, whereas the conductivity ranged from 624-634 micro S/cm for the first two samples and reduced to 1.37 muS/cm. The parameters investigated are below the safety baseline levels of the national and international standards with the exception of Pb. (author)

Knee arthritis pain is reduced and range of motion is increased following moderate pressure massage therapy.

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Field, Tiffany; Diego, Miguel; Gonzalez, Gladys; Funk, C G

2015-11-01

The literature on massage therapy effects on knee pain suggests that pain was reduced based on self-report, but little is known about range of motion (ROM) effects. Medical School staff and faculty who had knee arthritis pain were randomly assigned to a moderate pressure massage therapy or a waitlist control group (24 per group). Self-reports included the WOMAC (pain, stiffness and function) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. ROM and ROM-related pain were assessed before and after the last sessions. The massage group showed an immediate post-massage increase in ROM and a decrease in ROM-associated pain. On the last versus the first day of the study, the massage group showed greater increases in ROM and decreases in ROM-related pain as well as less self-reported pain and sleep disturbances than the waitlist control group. These data highlight the effectiveness of moderate pressure massage therapy for increasing ROM and lessening ROM-related pain and long-term pain and sleep disturbances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence for coral range expansion accompanied by reduced diversity of Symbiodinium genotypes

KAUST Repository

Grupstra, Carsten G. B.; Coma, Rafel; Ribes, Marta; Leydet, Karine Posbic; Parkinson, John Everett; McDonald, Kelly; Catllà , Marc; Voolstra, Christian R.; Hellberg, Michael E.; Coffroth, Mary Alice

2017-01-01

among populations of Symbiodinium psygmophilum associated with Oculina patagonica, a range-expanding coral that acquires its symbionts through horizontal transmission. We optimized five microsatellite primer pairs for S. psygmophilum and tested them

Dynamics of confined reactive water in smectite clay-zeolite composites.

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Pitman, Michael C; van Duin, Adri C T

2012-02-15

The dynamics of water confined to mesoporous regions in minerals such as swelling clays and zeolites is fundamental to a wide range of resource management issues impacting many processes on a global scale, including radioactive waste containment, desalination, and enhanced oil recovery. Large-scale atomic models of freely diffusing multilayer smectite particles at low hydration confined in a silicalite cage are used to investigate water dynamics in the composite environment with the ReaxFF reactive force field over a temperature range of 300-647 K. The reactive capability of the force field enabled a range of relevant surface chemistry to emerge, including acid/base equilibria in the interlayer calcium hydrates and silanol formation on the edges of the clay and inner surface of the zeolite housing. After annealing, the resulting clay models exhibit both mono- and bilayer hydration structures. Clay surface hydration redistributed markedly and yielded to silicalite water loading. We find that the absolute rates and temperature dependence of water dynamics compare well to neutron scattering data and pulse field gradient measures from relevant samples of Ca-montmorillonite and silicalite, respectively. Within an atomistic, reactive context, our results distinguish water dynamics in the interlayer Ca(OH)(2)·nH(2)O environment from water flowing over the clay surface, and from water diffusing within silicalite. We find that the diffusion of water when complexed to Ca hydrates is considerably slower than freely diffusing water over the clay surface, and the reduced mobility is well described by a difference in the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor rather than a change in activation energy.

Image interpolation used in three-dimensional range data compression.

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