WorldWideScience

Sample records for sand-filled aquifer columns

  1. Adsorption and transport of cadmium and rhodamine WT in pumice sand columns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pang, L.; Close, M.; Greenfield, H.; Stanton, G.

    2004-01-01

    The transport and attenuation of cadmium (Cd) and rhodamine WT (RWT) in a pumice sand aquifer media was investigated using column experiments to study a scenario of point-source contamination. A pore-water velocity of 1.7-1.8 m/day, which is a typical field groundwater velocity in a pumice sand aquifer system, was applied to triplicate columns. A pulse of a solution containing Cd and RWT, together with the conservative tracer tritiated water ( 3 H 2 O) at pH = 7, was introduced into the columns. Experimental results showed that concentration breakthrough curves (BTCs) of 3 H 2 O were symmetrical and fitted well into an equilibrium model. In contrast, BTCs of Cd and RWT were asymmetrical with significant tailings and fitted well with a two-site adsorption/desorption model. The symmetric 3 H 2 O BTCs suggest that physical non-equilibrium was absent in the experimental system, therefore the asymmetrical BTCs of Cd and RWT were attributed to chemical non-equilibrium. Modelling results showed that, in comparison with 3 H 2 O, Cd was apparently retarded by 101-108 times in pumice sand aquifer media (apparent adsorption coefficient 7.33-9.24 ml/g) and underwent a mass loss of 20-30% that was probably because of precipitation of CdCO 3 . As CdCO 3 is extremely insoluble, Cd precipitation would be irreversible and therefore it would not contribute to the tailing of the Cd BTCs. The experimental results suggest that the adsorption and desorption of Cd in pumice sand aquifer media in hydrodynamic conditions was a kinetic process. Cd desorption rates were two orders-of-magnitude slower than its adsorption rates. This resulted in a prolonged mean residence time for Cd in pumice sand aquifer media, which was 10-12 days in the 18-cm-long columns under a flow velocity of 1.7-1.8 m/day. Since the mean residence time is only indicative for the arrival of the central of mass in a contaminant BTC, the time required for the total disappearance of Cd will be much longer than the mean

  2. Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Jamestown area, Chautauqua County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, H.R.; Stelz, W.G.; Belli, J.L.; Allen, R.V.

    1982-01-01

    This report is the sixth in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Chautauqua County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, aquifer thickness, potentiometric-surface elevations and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt and sand, glacial-outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities whereas the till, silt and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in u nconfined sand and gravel beds along the valley margin. Artesian conditions prevail in confined sand and gravel buried under silt and clay in the middle of the valley. Recharge occurs mainly along the margin of the valley, where the land surface is highly permeable and runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly agricultural and residential with lesser amounts of commercial and industrial uses. (USGS)

  3. Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Endicott-Johnson City area, Broome County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holecek, Thomas J.; Randall, A.D.; Belli, J.L.; Allen, R.V.

    1982-01-01

    This report is the tenth in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on five maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southwestern Broome County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, aquifer thickness, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, potentiometric-surface altitude, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt and sand, glacial outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities whereas the till, silt, and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions are found in unconfined sand and gravel, whereas artesian conditions prevail within sand and gravel confined by silty deposits. Recharge occurs over the entire surface of the aquifer, due to permeable land-surface conditions, but is greatest along the margin of the valley, where runoff from the hillsides is concentrated, and near streams. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly commercial and residential with lesser amounts of agricultural and industrial uses. (USGS)

  4. Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the South Fallsburgh-Woodbourne area, Sullivan County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, H.R.; Dineen, R.J.; Stelz, W.G.; Belli, J.L.

    1982-01-01

    This report is the ninth in a series of map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Sullivan County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, aquifer thickness, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, potentiometric surface elevations, well yields, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt and sand, glacial outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities whereas the till, silt, and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in unconfined sand and gravel whereas artesian conditions prevail within sand and gravel confined by silty deposits. The aquifer is recharged throughout, where the land surface is most permeable and is greatest along the margin of the valley, where runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly commercial, agricultural, and residential with lesser industrial uses. (USGS)

  5. Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Corning area, Steuben County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.; Belli, J.L.; Allen, R.V.

    1982-01-01

    This report is the seventh in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Steuben County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, aquifer thickness, potentiometric-surface elevations, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consist of alluvial silt, sand, and gravel, glacial-outwash (sand and gravel), till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities, whereas the till and silt deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in unconfined sand and gravel along the valley margin. Artesian conditions are found locally in sand and gravel confined under silt and clay in the middle of the valley. Recharge occurs nearly everywhere on the valley floor, but principally along the margin of the valley, where highly permeable land surface conditions exist, and runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is a mixture of residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial uses. (USGS)

  6. Behavior of Hollow Thin Welded Tubes Filled with Sand Slag Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noureddine Ferhoune

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the axial bearing capacity of thin welded rectangular steel stubs filled with concrete sand. A series of tests was conducted to study the behavior of short composite columns under axial compressive load; the cross section dimensions were 100 × 70 × 2 mm. A total of 20 stubs have been tested, as follows: 4 hollow thin welded tubes were tested to axial and eccentric load compression, 4 were filled with ordinary concrete appointed by BO columns, 6 were filled with concrete whose natural sand was completely substituted by a crystallized sand slag designated in this paper by BSI, and 6 were tucked in concrete whose natural sand was partially replaced by a crystallized sand slag called BSII. The main parameters studied are the height of the specimen (300 mm–500 mm, eccentricity of load and type of filling concrete. Based on test results obtained, it is confirmed that the length of the tubes has a considerable effect on the bearing capacity and the failure mode. In all test tubes, fracture occurred by the convex local buckling of steel section due to the outward thrust of the concrete; it was observed that the sand concrete improves the bearing capacity of tubes compounds compared to those filled with ordinary concrete.

  7. Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Ramapo and Mahwah rivers area, Rockland County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Richard Bridge; Cadwell, D.H.; Stelz, W.G.; Belli, J.L.

    1982-01-01

    This report is the eighth in a series of 11 map sets depicting geohydrologic conditions in selected aquifers in upstate New York. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale. Together, the maps provide a comprehensive overview of a major valley-fill aquifer in southeastern Rockland County. The maps include surficial geology, geologic sections, water-infiltration potential of soil zone, aquifer thickness, water-table elevations, well yields, and land use. The valley-fill deposits consists of alluvial silt and sand, glacial outwash (sand and gravel), ice-contact sand and gravel, till, and lacustrine silt and clay. The sand and gravel beds have relatively high permeabilities, whereas the till, silt, and clay deposits have relatively low permeabilities. Water-table conditions prevail in unconfined sand and gravel along the Ramapo River valley and much of the Mahwah River valley. Artesian conditions prevail in confined sand and gravel buried under silt and clay and till in parts of the Mahway valley. The aquifer is recharged throughout, where the land surface is most permeable and is greatest along the margin of the valley, where runoff from the hillsides is concentrated. The use of land overlying the aquifer is predominantly commercial, agricultural and residential, with lesser industrial uses. (USGS)

  8. Fate of triclocarban during soil aquifer treatment: Soil column studies

    KAUST Repository

    Essandoh, H. M K

    2010-04-01

    There are current concerns about the presence of persistent chemicals in recharge water used in soil aquifer treatment systems. Triclocarban (TCC) has been reported as a persistent, high production volume chemical with the potential to bioaccumulate in the environment. It is also known to have adverse effects such as toxicity and suspected endocrine disruption. This study was carried out to study the fate of TCC in soil aquifer treatment (SAT) through laboratory simulations in a soil column. The system performance was evaluated with regards to TCC influent concentration, sand (column) depth, and residence time. Results obtained confirmed the ability of SAT to reduce TCC concentrations in wastewater. Sorption and biodegradation were responsible for TCC removal, the latter mechanism however being unsustainable. The removal efficiency was found to be dependent on concentration and decreased over time and increased with column depth. Within the duration of the experimental run, TCC negatively impacted on treatment performance through a reduction in COD removals observed in the column. © IWA Publishing 2010.

  9. Bioremediation of a diesel fuel contaminated aquifer: simulation studies in laboratory aquifer columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, A.; Höhener, P.; Hunkeler, D.; Zeyer, J.

    1996-08-01

    The in situ bioremediation of aquifers contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons is commonly based on the infiltration of groundwater supplemented with oxidants (e.g., O 2, NO 3-) and nutrients (e.g., NH 4+, PO 43-). These additions stimulate the microbial activity in the aquifer and several field studies describing the resulting processes have been published. However, due to the heterogeneity of the subsurface and due to the limited number of observation wells usually available, these field data do not offer a sufficient spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, flow-through columns of 47-cm length equipped with 17 sampling ports were filled with homogeneously contaminated aquifer material from a diesel fuel contaminated in situ bioremediation site. The columns were operated over 96 days at 12°C with artificial groundwater supplemented with O 2, NO 3- and PO 43-. Concentration profiles of O 2, NO 3-, NO 2-, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC and DOC, respectively), protein, microbial cells and total residual hydrocarbons were measured. Within the first 12 cm, corresponding to a mean groundwater residence time of < 3.6 h, a steep O 2 decrease from 4.6 to < 0.3 mg l -1, denitrification, a production of DIC and DOC, high microbial cell numbers and a high removal of hydrocarbons were observed. Within a distance of 24 to 40.5 cm from the infiltration, O 2 was below 0.1 mg l -1 and a denitrifying activity was found. In the presence and in the absence of O 2, n-alkanes were preferentially degraded compared to branched alkanes. The results demonstrate that: (1) infiltration of aerobic groundwater into columns filled with aquifer material contaminated with hydrocarbons leads to a rapid depletion of O 2; (2) O 2 and NO 3- can serve as oxidants for the mineralization of hydrocarbons; and (3) the modelling of redox processes in aquifers has to consider denitrifying activity in presence of O 2.

  10. Heat storage in the Hettangian aquifer in Berlin - results from a column experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milkus, Chri(Sch)augott

    2015-04-01

    Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) is a sustainable alternative for storage and seasonal availability of thermal energy. However, its impact on the subsurface flow regime is not well known. In Berlin (Germany), the Jurassic (Hettangian) sandstone aquifer with highly mineralized groundwater (TDS 27 g/L) is currently used for heat storage. The aim of this study was to examine the hydrogeochemical changes that are caused by the induced temperature shift and its effects on the hydraulic permeability of the aquifer. Column experiments were conducted, in which stainless steel columns were filled with sediment from the aquifer and flushed with native groundwater for several weeks. The initial temperature of the experiment was 20°C, comparable to the in-situ conditions within the aquifer. After reaching equilibrium between sediment and water, the temperature was increased to simulate heating of the aquifer. During the experiment, physical and chemical parameters (pH, ORP, dissolved oxygen and dissolved carbon dioxide) were measured at the outflow of the column and the effluent water was sampled. Using a Scanning Electron Microscope, the deposition of precipitated minerals and biofilm on sediment grains was analyzed. Changes in hydraulic properties of the sediment were studied by the use of tracer tests with Uranin.

  11. Diffusive transport of radon in a homogeneous column of dry sand

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Spoel, W.H.; van der Graaf, E.R.; de Meijer, R.J.

    To validate a model for radon transport in soil, measurements of diffusive radon transport under well-defined and controlled conditions have been made in a homogeneous column of dry sand with an air-filled volume on top. This volume simulates a crawl space. The measurements concern time-dependent

  12. Humic colloid-borne migration of uranium in sand columns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artinger, R.; Rabung, T.; Kim, J.I.; Sachs, S.; Schmeide, K.; Heise, K.H.; Bernhard, G.; Nitsche, H.

    2002-09-01

    Column experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of humic colloids on subsurface uranium migration. The columns were packed with well-characterized aeolian quartz sand and equilibrated with groundwater rich in humic colloids (dissolved organic carbon (DOC): 30 mg dm -3 ). U migration was studied under an Ar/1% CO 2 gas atmosphere as a function of the migration time, which was controlled by the flow velocity or the column length. In addition, the contact time of U with groundwater prior to introduction into a column was varied. U(VI) was found to be the dominant oxidation state in the spiked groundwater. The breakthrough curves indicate that U was transported as a humic colloid-borne species with a velocity up to 5% faster than the mean groundwater flow. The fraction of humic colloid-borne species increases with increasing prior contact time and also with decreasing migration time. The migration behavior was attributed to a kinetically controlled association/dissociation of U onto and from humic colloids and also a subsequent sorption of U onto the sediment surface. The column experiments provide an insight into humic colloid-mediated U migration in subsurface aquifers

  13. Laboratory-scale column study for remediation of TCE-contaminated aquifers using three-section controlled-release potassium permanganate barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Baoling; Li, Fei; Chen, Yanmei; Fu, Ming-Lai

    2013-05-01

    A laboratory-scale study with a sand column was designed to simulate trichloroethylene (TCE) pollution in the aquifer environment with three-section controlled-release potassium permanganate (CRP) barriers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of CRP barriers in remediation of TCE in aquifers in a long-term and controlled manner. CRP particles with a 1:3 molar ratio of KMnO4 to stearic acid showed the best controlled-release properties in pure water, and the theoretical release time was 138.5 days. The results of TCE removal in the test column indicated that complete removal efficiency of TCE in a sand column by three-section CRP barriers could be reached within 15 days. The molar ratio of KMnO4 to TCE in the three-section CRP barriers was 16:1, which was much lower than 82:1 as required when KMnO4 solution is used directly to achieve complete destruction of TCE. This result revealed that the efficiency of CRP for remediation of TCE was highly improved after encapsulation.

  14. Experimental Study on Stress Monitoring of Sand-Filled Steel Tube during Impact Using Piezoceramic Smart Aggregates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Guofeng; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Jicheng; Song, Gangbing

    2017-08-22

    The filling of thin-walled steel tubes with quartz sand can help to prevent the premature buckling of the steel tube at a low cost. During an impact, the internal stress of the quartz sand-filled steel tube column is subjected to not only axial force but also lateral confining force, resulting in complicated internal stress. A suitable sensor for monitoring the internal stress of such a structure under an impact is important for structural health monitoring. In this paper, piezoceramic Smart Aggregates (SAs) are embedded into a quartz Sand-Filled Steel Tube Column (SFSTC) to monitor the internal structural stress during impacts. The piezoceramic smart aggregates are first calibrated by an impact hammer. Tests are conducted to study the feasibility of monitoring the internal stress of a structure. The results reflect that the calibration value of the piezoceramic smart aggregate sensitivity test is in good agreement with the theoretical value, and the output voltage value of the piezoceramic smart aggregate has a good linear relationship with external forces. Impact tests are conducted on the sand-filled steel tube with embedded piezoceramic smart aggregates. By analyzing the output signal of the piezoceramic smart aggregates, the internal stress state of the structure can be obtained. Experimental results demonstrated that, under the action of impact loads, the piezoceramic smart aggregates monitor the compressive stress at different locations in the steel tube, which verifies the feasibility of using piezoceramic smart aggregate to monitor the internal stress of a structure.

  15. Numerical analysis of stone columns in mitigating liquefaction effects in embankment fills

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borghei, Z.; Soroush, A. [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Noorzad, A. [Power and Water University of Technology, Tehran, (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2010-07-01

    The traditional approach to liquefaction in embankment fills is to use in-situ densification. The use of stone columns offers the possibility of preventing liquefaction and associated settlements while reducing the cost and time required for treatment. This paper investigated the behaviour of stone columns using a numerical method. The study focused on a case study, a sand layer beneath two wall tanks, butane and propane NGL, located on Siri Island, Persian Gulf, Iran. Numerical analyses were carried out to evaluate the rate of excess pore pressure build-up in the improved ground. The numerical model results were compared to the simulation results from a centrifuge test for a uniform 19m-thick liquefiable sand layer. The numerical methodology was verified. The results showed that the stone columns can significantly increase the rate of pore pressure dissipation and reduce the settlement. It was found that the installation process densifies the surrounding soil, decreasing the liquefaction potential.

  16. Fate of parabens and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in aquifer materials columns during step experiments with fresh and sea waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Ortiz, C. M.; Boluda-Botella, N.; Prats-Rico, D.; Sentana-Gadea, I.

    2018-02-01

    Coastal areas submitted to seawater intrusion and with discharges from urban and industrial wastewaters, municipal landfill leachates, rivers, recreational waters and other sources are sensitive to be polluted with parabens. Understanding the fate of these compounds in environmental studies, it requires previously the knowledge of the reactive processes in controlled conditions. In this research, laboratory columns experiments were carried out with a group of parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butylparaben) and their main degradation compound (4-hydroxybenzoic acid) to study mainly the dynamic sorption processes in different aquifer materials (100% sand and heterogeneous: 81% sand, 9% silt and 10% clay) and with fresh and sea waters, the end members of seawater intrusions. To the column hydrodynamic characterization, tracer assays with increase and decrease of salinity were performed, to obtain the mean residence time of each column and other transport parameters which allow us to compare parabens' sorption in different conditions. The results of the adsorption and desorption of parabens in the sand column demonstrated be fast and simultaneous, with a short delay and without influence of the water salinity. Very different results were found in the column experiments with heterogeneous material, where the presence of clay and organic matter increase the time of adsorption/desorption as the length of the alkyl chain paraben increased, according with their hydrophobicity. It should be noted that despite the quick desorption of the major quantities of parabens, the elution of their trace concentrations was very slow (for the seawater, the buthylparaben required a dimensionless time of 800). Planning the restoration of a coastal aquifer with freshwater, and in the conditions of the studied sand column experiment, it will need a dimensionless time of 160. However, it is necessary to take into account that the studied parabens and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid are

  17. Characterize Behaviour of Emerging Pollutants in Artificial Recharge: Column Experiments - Experiment Design and Results of Preliminary Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, H.; Carrera, J.; Ayora, C.; Licha, T.

    2012-04-01

    Emerging pollutants (EPs) have been detected in water resources as a result of human activities in recent years. They include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, dioxins, flame retardants, etc. They are a source of concern because many of them are resistant to conventional water treatment, and they are harmful to human health, even in low concentrations. Generally, this study aims to characterize the behaviour of emerging pollutants in reclaimed water in column experiments which simulates artificial recharge. One column set includes three parts: influent, reactive layer column (RLC) and aquifer column (AC). The main influent is decided to be Secondary Effluent (SE) of El Prat Wastewater Treatment Plant, Barcelona. The flow rate of the column experiment is 0.9-1.5 mL/min. the residence time of RLC is designed to be about 1 day and 30-40 days for AC. Both columns are made of stainless steel. Reactive layer column (DI 10cm * L55cm) is named after the filling material which is a mixture of organic substrate, clay and goethite. One purpose of the application of the mixture is to increase dissolve organic carbon (DOC). Leaching test in batchs and columns has been done to select proper organic substrate. As a result, compost was selected due to its long lasting of releasing organic matter (OM). The other purpose of the application of the mixture is to enhance adsorption of EPs. Partition coefficients (Kow) of EPs indicate the ability of adsorption to OM. EPs with logKow>2 could be adsorbed to OM, like Ibuprofen, Bezafibrate and Diclofenac. Moreover, some of EPs are charged in the solution with pH=7, according to its acid dissociation constant (Ka). Positively charged EPs, for example Atenolol, could adsorb to clay. In the opposite, negatively charged EPs, for example Gemfibrozil, could adsorb to goethite. Aquifer column (DI 35cm * L1.5m) is to simulate the processes taking place in aquifer in artificial recharge. The filling of AC has two parts: silica sand and

  18. A column experiment for the study of colloidal radionuclide migration in Gorleben aquifer systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Delakowitz, B.; Zeh, P.; Klotz, D.; Lazik, D.

    1994-01-01

    A column experiment is performed for the assessment of the migration behaviour of trivalent 152 Eu, 241 Am and tetra- and pentavalent 237 Np, 233 Pa in the presence of humic colloids. Groundwater of an organic rich aquifer from the geological site at Gorleben is chosen for the experiment, as this has been well characterized during the earlier work and contains a substantial amount of humic colloids. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the pleistocene quartz-sand used in the column experiment is characterized by various analytical and mineralogical methods. Prior to the actinide migration experiment, the hydraulic properties (flow velocity, effective porosity, longitudinal dispersion coefficient) are determined in order to ascertain stable conditions for the experiment. In addition, the microstructure parameters (sediment surface, pore size distribution) of the groundwater-sand system in the column are determined. Radiotracers used for the determination of the hydraulic properties are 3 HHO and 82 Br - . Results obtained to date indicate a relatively high mobility of the lanthanide and actinide ions loaded on aquatic humic colloids. The recovery of injected radiotracer ions in eluates is found to depend on the flow velocity of groundwater through the column. The results help to elucidate the actinide migration behaviour in the presence of natural humic colloids. (orig.)

  19. Fate of nine recycled water trace organic contaminants and metal(loid)s during managed aquifer recharge into a anaerobic aquifer: Column studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, B M; Shackleton, M; Furness, A J; Pearce, J; Descourvieres, C; Linge, K L; Busetti, F; Spadek, T

    2010-03-01

    Water quality changes associated with the passage of aerobic reverse osmosis (RO) treated recycled water through a deep anaerobic pyritic aquifer system was evaluated in sediment-filled laboratory columns as part of a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategy. The fate of nine recycled water trace organic compounds along with potential negative water quality changes such as the release of metal(loid)s were investigated in large-scale columns over a period of 12 months. The anaerobic geochemical conditions provided a suitable environment for denitrification, and rapid (half-life 100 days). High retardation coefficients (R) determined for many of the trace organics (R 13 to 67) would increase aquifer residence time and be beneficial for many of the slow degrading compounds. However, for the trace organics with low R values (1.1-2.6) and slow degradation rates (half-life > 100 days), such as N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomorpholine and iohexol, substantial biodegradation during aquifer passage may not occur and additional investigations are required. Only minor transient increases in some metal(loid) concentrations were observed, as a result of either pyrite oxidation, mineral dissolution or pH induced metal desorption, followed by metal re-sorption downgradient in the oxygen depleted zone. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Aquifer thermal-energy-storage modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaetzle, W. J.; Lecroy, J. E.

    1982-09-01

    A model aquifer was constructed to simulate the operation of a full size aquifer. Instrumentation to evaluate the water flow and thermal energy storage was installed in the system. Numerous runs injecting warm water into a preconditioned uniform aquifer were made. Energy recoveries were evaluated and agree with comparisons of other limited available data. The model aquifer is simulated in a swimming pool, 18 ft by 4 ft, which was filled with sand. Temperature probes were installed in the system. A 2 ft thick aquifer is confined by two layers of polyethylene. Both the aquifer and overburden are sand. Four well configurations are available. The system description and original tests, including energy recovery, are described.

  1. Study of penetration behavior of PCB-DNAPL in a sand layer by a column experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okuda, Nobuyasu; Shimizu, Takaaki; Muratani, Masaru; Terada, Akihiko; Hosomi, Masaaki

    2014-11-01

    To better understand the infiltration performances of high concentration PCB oils (KC-300 and KC-1000 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures), representative dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL), under both saturated and unsaturated conditions, we conducted experiments on a sand column filled with Toyoura Standard Sand. When PCB oil with the volume comparable to the total porosity in the column was supplied, the residual PCB concentrations under PCB-water conditions were 4.9×10(4)mgkg(-1) in KC-300 and 3.9×10(4)mgkg(-1) in KC-1000. Under PCB-air conditions, residual PCB concentrations were 6.0×10(4)mgkg(-1) and 2.4×10(5)mgkg(-1) in the upper and lower parts for KC-300 and 3.6×10(4)mgkg(-1) and 1.5×10(5)mgkg(-1) in those for KC-1000, respectively, while the rest of the PCBs were infiltrated. On the other hand, when a small amount of PCB oil with the volume far smaller than the total porosity in the column was supplied, the original PCBs were not transported via water permeation. However, lower-chlorinated PCB congeners-e.g., di- or tri-chlorinated biphenyls-preferentially dissolved and were infiltrated from the bottom of the column. These propensities on PCB oil infiltration can be explained in conjunction with the degree of PCB saturation in the sand column. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Migration of 99Tc in a weak loess aquifer. A field column experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, C.L.; Wang, X.Y.; Wang, H.F.

    2001-01-01

    The migration of 99 Tc in a weak loess aquifer was investigated in-situ with undisturbed aquifer medium columns. The columns were obtained horizontally at a depth of 32∼36 m in an Underground Research Facility (URF). Quartz containing 3 H (HTO) and 99 Tc (in the form of 99 TcO 4 - ) was introduced into one end of the columns and the columns were covered tightly. Aquifer water was introduced into the columns directly from an experimental shaft in the UFR. Effluents from the columns were collected and the activity of 3 H and 99 Tc were determined with a liquid scintillation analyzer. The breakthrough curves of 3 H and 99 Tc indicate that 99 Tc migrates a little faster than that 3 H does in the aquifer. (author)

  3. Investigating geochemical aspects of managed aquifer recharge by column experiments with alternating desalinated water and groundwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronen-Eliraz, Gefen; Russak, Amos; Nitzan, Ido; Guttman, Joseph; Kurtzman, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) events are occasionally carried out with surplus desalinated seawater that has been post-treated with CaCO 3 in infiltration ponds overlying the northern part of the Israeli Coastal Aquifer. This water's chemical characteristics differ from those of any other water recharged to the aquifer and of the natural groundwater. As the MAR events are short (hours to weeks), the sediment under the infiltration ponds will intermittently host desalinated and natural groundwater. As part of comprehensive research on the influence of those events, column experiments were designed to simulate the alternation of the two water types: post-treated desalinated seawater (PTDES) and natural groundwater (GW). Each experiment included three stages: (i) saturation with GW; (ii) inflow of PTDES; (iii) inflow of GW. Three runs were conducted, each with different sediments extracted from the field and representing a different layer below the infiltration pond: (i) sand (<1% CaCO 3 ), (ii) sand containing 7% CaCO 3 , and (iii) crushed calcareous sandstone (35% CaCO 3 ). The results from all columns showed enrichment of K + and Mg 2+ (up to 0.4meq/L for 20 pore volumes) when PTDES replaced GW, whereas an opposite trend of Ca 2+ depletion (up to 0.5meq/L) was observed only in the columns that contained a high percentage of CaCO 3 . When GW replaced PTDES, depletion of Mg 2+ and K + was noted. The results indicated that adsorption/desorption of cations are the main processes causing the observed enrichment/depletion. It was concluded that the high concentration of Ca 2+ (relative to the total concentration of cations) and the low concentration of Mg 2+ in the PTDES relative to natural GW are the factors controlling the main sediment-water interaction. The enrichment of PTDES with Mg 2+ may be viewed as an additional post-treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Hydrogeology of the Ramapo River-Woodbury Creek valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Orange County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heisig, Paul M.

    2015-01-01

    The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system and surrounding watershed areas was investigated within a 23-mile long, fault-controlled valley in eastern Orange County, New York. Glacial deposits form a divide within the valley that is drained to the north by Woodbury Creek and is drained to the south by the Ramapo River. Surficial geology, extent and saturated thickness of sand and gravel aquifers, extent of confining units, bedrock-surface elevation beneath valleys, major lineaments, and the locations of wells for which records are available were delineated on an interactive map.

  5. Residual diesel measurement in sand columns after surfactant/alcohol washing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martel, R.; Gelinas, P.J.

    1996-01-01

    A new simple gravimetric technique has been designed to determine residual oil saturation of complex hydrocarbon mixtures (e.g., diesel) in sand column experiments because reliable methods are lacking. The He/N 2 technique is based on drying of sand columns by circulating helium gas to drag oil droplets in a cold trap (liquid nitrogen). With this technique, residual diesel measurement can be performed easily immediately after alcohol/surfactant washing and in the same lab. For high residual diesel content in Ottawa sand (25 to 30 g/kg), the technique is much more accurate (± 2% or 600 mg/kg) than the standard analytical methods for the determination of mineral oil and grease. The average relative error on partial diesel dissolution in sand column estimated after alcohol/surfactant flooding (residual saturation of 10 to 15 g/kg) is as low as 5%. The precision of the He/N 2 technique is adequate to compare relative efficiency of washing solutions when partial extraction of residual oil in Ottawa sand columns is performed. However, this technique is not adapted for determination of traces of oil in sediment or for environmental control of contaminated soils. Each diesel determination by the He/N 2 technique costs less than $8 in chemical products (helium and liquid nitrogen). A simple laboratory drying setup can be built for less than $400 which makes this technique valuable for diesel analyses when a large number of tests are required

  6. TCE degradation in groundwater by chelators-assisted Fenton-like reaction of magnetite: Sand columns demonstration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Daqing; Sun, Sheng-Peng; Wu, Zhangxiong; Wang, Na; Jin, Yaoyao; Dong, Weiyang; Chen, Xiao Dong; Ke, Qiang

    2018-03-15

    Trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation in sand columns has been investigated to evaluate the potential of chelates-enhanced Fenton-like reaction with magnetite as iron source for in situ treatment of TCE-contaminated groundwater. The results showed that successful degradation of TCE in sand columns was obtained by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-assisted Fenton-like reaction of magnetite. Addition of ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) resulted in an inhibitory effect on TCE degradation in sand columns. Similar to EDDS, addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) also led to an inhibition of TCE degradation in sand column with small content of magnetite (0.5 w.t.%), but enhanced TCE degradation in sand column with high content of magnetite (7.0 w.t.%). Additionally, the presence of NTA, EDDS and EDTA greatly decreased H 2 O 2 uptake in sand columns due to the competition between chelates and H 2 O 2 for surface sites on magnetite (and sand). Furthermore, the presented results show that magnetite in sand columns remained stable in a long period operation of 230 days without significant loss of performance in terms of TCE degradation and H 2 O 2 uptake. Moreover, it was found that TCE was degraded mainly to formic acid and chloride ion, and the formation of chlorinated organic intermediates was minimal by this process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Performance of soft clay stabilized with sand columns treated by silica fume

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samueel Zeena

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In many road construction projects, if weak soil exists, then uncontrollable settlement and critical load carrying capacity are major difficult problems to the safety and serviceability of roads in these areas. Thus ground improvement is essential to achieve the required level of performance. The paper presents results of the tests of four categories. First category was performed on saturated soft bed of clay without any treatment, the second category shed light on the improvement achieved in loading carrying capacity and settlement as a result of reinforcing with conventional sand columns at area replacement ratio = 0.196. The third set investigates the bed reinforced by sand columns stabilized with dry silica fume at different percentages (3, 5 and 7% and the fourth set investigates the behavior of sand columns treated with slurry silica fume at two percentages (10 and 12%. All sand columns models were constructed at (R.D= 60%. Model tests were performed on bed of saturated soil prepared at undrained shear strength between 16-20 kPa for all models. For all cases, the model test was loaded gradually by stress increments up to failure. Stress deformation measurements are recorded and analyzed in terms of bearing improvement ratio and settlement reduction ratio. Optimum results were indicated from soil treated with sand columns stabilized with 7% dry silica fume at medium state reflecting the highest bearing improvement ratio (3.04 and the settlement reduction ratio (0.09 after 7 days curing. While soil treated with sand columns stabilized with 10% slurry silica fume provided higher bearing improvement ratio 3.13 with lower settlement reduction ratio of 0.57 after 7-days curing.

  8. Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a laboratory aquifer column

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billowits, M.; Whyte, L.; Greer, C.; Ramsay, J.

    1998-01-01

    One of the primary mechanisms for eliminating hydrocarbon pollutants from the environment is degradation of hydrocarbons by indigenous microorganisms. This report describes a study in which samples from a petroleum polluted shallow aquifer in the Yukon were used which contained a hundred times greater concentration of psychrotropic bacteria than mesophilic bacteria. Results showed a maximum degradation of 47 per cent of the total petroleum hydrocarbon in columns which simulated the aquifer conditions and to which nutrients were added. It was concluded that although in this case bioaugmentation of the columns with a psychrotropic hydrocarbon-degrading consortium increased microbial numbers, total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation was not much greater than could be achieved by remediation with nutrients alone

  9. Behavior of FRP-Confined Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Columns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiyan Lu

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the behavior of concrete-filled steel tube columns confined by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP. Eleven columns were tested to investigate the effects of the FRP layer number, the thickness of the steel tube and concrete strength on their load capacity and axial deformation capacity. The experimental results indicated that the FRP wrap can effectively confine the concrete expansion and delay the local buckling of the steel tube. Both the load capacity and the axial deformation capacity of concrete-filled steel tube columns can be substantially enhanced with FRP confinement. A model is proposed to predict the load capacity of the FRP-confined concrete-filled steel tube columns. The predicted results are generally in good agreement with the experimental ones obtained in this study and in the literature.

  10. Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Valley-Fill Aquifer System in the Upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek Valleys in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.

    2009-01-01

    In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Caroline and Tompkins County Planning Department, began a study of the valley-fill aquifer system in upper Sixmile Creek and headwaters of West Branch Owego Creek valleys in the Town of Caroline, NY. The purpose of the study is to provide geohydrologic data to county and town planners as they develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. The first aquifer reach investigated in this series is in the Town of Caroline and includes the upper Sixmile Creek valley and part of West Branch Owego Creek valley. The portions of the valley-fill aquifer system that are comprised of saturated coarse-grained sediments including medium to coarse sand and sandy gravel form the major aquifers. Confined sand and gravel units form the major aquifers in the western and central portions of the upper Sixmile Creek valley, and an unconfined sand and gravel unit forms the major aquifer in the eastern portion of the upper Sixmile Creek valley and in the headwaters of the West Branch Owego Creek valley. The valley-fill deposits are thinnest near the edges of the valley where they pinch out along the till-mantled bedrock valley walls. The thickness of the valley fill in the deepest part of the valley, at the western end of the study area, is about 100 feet (ft); the thickness is greater than 165 ft on top of the Valley Heads Moraine in the central part of the valley. An estimated 750 people live over and rely on groundwater from the valley-fill aquifers in upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek valleys. Most groundwater withdrawn from the valley-fill aquifers is pumped from wells with open-ended 6-inch diameter casings; the remaining withdrawals are from shallow dug wells or cisterns that collect groundwater that discharges to springs (especially in the Brooktondale area). The valley-fill aquifers are the sources of water for about 200 households, several apartment complexes, two mobile home parks

  11. Simultaneous attenuation of pharmaceuticals, organic matter, and nutrients in wastewater effluent through managed aquifer recharge: Batch and column studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Huncheol; Yeo, Inseol; Maeng, Sung Kyu; Park, Chul Hwi; Choi, Heechul

    2016-01-01

    Batch and column experiments were conducted to evaluate the removal of organic matter, nutrients, and pharmaceuticals and to identify the removal mechanisms of the target contaminants. The sands used in the experiments were obtained from the Youngsan River located in South Korea. Neutral and cationic pharmaceuticals (iopromide, estrone, and trimethoprim) were removed with efficiencies greater than 80% from different sand media during experiments, due to the effect of sorption between sand and pharmaceuticals. However, the anionic pharmaceuticals (sulfamethoxazole, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac) were more effectively removed by natural sand, compared to baked sand. These observations were mainly attributed to biodegradation under natural conditions of surface organic matter and ATP concentrations. The removal of organic matter and nitrogen was also found to increase under biotic conditions. Therefore, it is indicated that biodegradation plays an important role and act as major mechanisms for the removal of organic matter, nutrients, and selected pharmaceuticals during sand passage and the managed aquifer recharge, which is an effective treatment method for removing target contaminants. However, the low removal efficiencies of pharmaceuticals (e.g., carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole) require additional processes (e.g., AOPs, NF and RO membrane), a long residence time, and long travel distance for increasing the removal efficiencies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Numerical simulation of groundwater movement and managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir, Hurricane Bench area, Washington County, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marston, Thomas M.; Heilweil, Victor M.

    2012-01-01

    The Hurricane Bench area of Washington County, Utah, is a 70 square-mile area extending south from the Virgin River and encompassing Sand Hollow basin. Sand Hollow Reservoir, located on Hurricane Bench, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily as a managed aquifer recharge project by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. The reservoir is situated on a thick sequence of the Navajo Sandstone and Kayenta Formation. Total recharge to the underlying Navajo aquifer from the reservoir was about 86,000 acre-feet from 2002 to 2009. Natural recharge as infiltration of precipitation was approximately 2,100 acre-feet per year for the same period. Discharge occurs as seepage to the Virgin River, municipal and irrigation well withdrawals, and seepage to drains at the base of reservoir dams. Within the Hurricane Bench area, unconfined groundwater-flow conditions generally exist throughout the Navajo Sandstone. Navajo Sandstone hydraulic-conductivity values from regional aquifer testing range from 0.8 to 32 feet per day. The large variability in hydraulic conductivity is attributed to bedrock fractures that trend north-northeast across the study area.A numerical groundwater-flow model was developed to simulate groundwater movement in the Hurricane Bench area and to simulate the movement of managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir through the groundwater system. The model was calibrated to combined steady- and transient-state conditions. The steady-state portion of the simulation was developed and calibrated by using hydrologic data that represented average conditions for 1975. The transient-state portion of the simulation was developed and calibrated by using hydrologic data collected from 1976 to 2009. Areally, the model grid was 98 rows by 76 columns with a variable cell size ranging from about 1.5 to 25 acres. Smaller cells were used to represent the reservoir to accurately simulate the reservoir bathymetry and nearby monitoring wells; larger

  13. Experimental investigation on high performance RC column with manufactured sand and silica fume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanmuga Priya, T.

    2017-11-01

    In recent years, the use High Performance Concrete (HPC) has increased in construction industry. The ingredients of HPC depend on the availability and characteristics of suitable alternative materials. Those alternative materials are silica fume and manufactured sand, a by products from ferro silicon and quarry industries respectively. HPC made with silica fume as partial replacement of cement and manufactured sand as replacement of natural sand is considered as sustainable high performance concrete. In this present study the concrete was designed to get target strength of 60 MPa as per guide lines given by ACI 211- 4R (2008). The laboratory study was carried out experimentally to analyse the axial behavior of reinforced cement HPC column of size 100×100×1000mm and square in cross section. 10% of silica fume was preferred over ordinary portland cement. The natural sand was replaced by 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% with Manufactured Sand (M-Sand). In this investigation, totally 6 column specimens were cast for mixes M1 to M6 and were tested in 1000kN loading frame at 28 days. From this, Load-Mid height deflection curves were drawn and compared. Maximum ultimate load carrying capacity and the least deflection is obtained for the mix prepared by partial replacement of cement with 10% silica fume & natural sand by 100% M-Sand. The fine, amorphous and pozzalonic nature of silica fume and fine mineral particles in M- Sand increased the stiffness of HPC column. The test results revealed that HPC can be produced by using M-Sand with silica fume.

  14. Conceptual understanding and groundwater quality of selected basin-fill aquifers in the Southwestern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiros, Susan A.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Anning, David W.; Huntington, Jena M.

    2010-01-01

    The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey has been conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifer systems in the southwestern United States (hereinafter, “Southwest”) since 2005. Part of the NAWQA Program, the objective of the Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is to develop a better understanding of water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the region by synthesizing information from case studies of 15 basins into a common set of important natural and human-related factors found to affect groundwater quality.The synthesis consists of three major components:1. Summary of current knowledge about the groundwater systems, and the status of, changes in, and influential factors affecting quality of groundwater in basin-fill aquifers in 15 basins previously studied by NAWQA (this report).2. Development of a conceptual model of the primary natural and human-related factors commonly affecting groundwater quality, thereby building a regional understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to contaminants.3. Development of statistical models that relate the concentration or occurrence of specific chemical constituents in groundwater to natural and human-related factors linked to the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to contamination.Basin-fill aquifers occur in about 200,000 mi2 of the 410,000 mi2 SWPA study area and are the primary source of groundwater supply for cities and agricultural communities. Four of the principal aquifers or aquifer systems of the United States are included in the basin-fill aquifers of the study area: (1) the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; (2) the Rio Grande aquifer system in New Mexico and Colorado; (3) the California Coastal Basin aquifers; and (4) the Central Valley aquifer system in California. Because of the generally limited availability of surface-water supplies in

  15. Application of Fe-Cu/Biochar System for Chlorobenzene Remediation of Groundwater in Inhomogeneous Aquifers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Zhang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Chlorobenzene (CB, as a typical Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOC, is toxic, highly persistent and easily migrates in water, posing a significant risk to human health and subsurface ecosystems. Therefore, exploring effective approaches to remediate groundwater contaminated by CB is essential. As an enhanced micro-electrolysis system for CB-contaminated groundwater remediation, this study attempted to couple the iron-copper bimetal with biochar. Two series of columns using sands with different grain diameters were used, consisting of iron, copper and biochar fillings as the permeable reactive barriers (PRBs, to simulate the remediation of CB-contaminated groundwater in homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifers. Regardless of the presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous porous media, the CB concentrations in the effluent from the PRB columns were significantly lower than the natural sandy columns, suggesting that the iron and copper powders coupled with biochar particles could have a significant removal effect compared to the natural sand porous media in the first columns. CB was transported relatively quickly in the heterogeneous porous media, likely due to the fact that the contaminant residence time is proportional to the infiltration velocities in the different types of porous media. The average effluent CB concentrations from the heterogeneous porous media were lower than those from homogeneous porous media. The heterogeneity retarded the vertical infiltration of CB, leading to its extended lateral distribution. During the treatment process, benzene and phenol were observed as the products of CB degradation. The ultimate CB removal efficiency was 61.4% and 68.1%, demonstrating that the simulated PRB system with the mixture of iron, copper and biochar was effective at removing CB from homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifers.

  16. Transport of microbial tracers in clean and organically contaminated silica sand in laboratory columns compared with their transport in the field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weaver, Louise; Sinton, Lester W.; Pang, Liping; Dann, Rod; Close, Murray

    2013-01-01

    Waste disposal on land and the consequent transport of bacterial and viral pathogens in soils and aquifers are of major concern worldwide. Pathogen transport can be enhanced in the presence of organic matter due to occupation of attachment sites in the aquifer materials thus preventing pathogen attachment leading to their faster transport for longer distances. Laboratory column studies were carried out to investigate the effect of organic matter, in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), on the transport of Escherichia coli and MS2 phage in saturated clean silica sand. Transport rates of these microbial tracers were also studied in a contaminated field site. Laboratory column studies showed that low concentrations (0.17 mg L −1 ) of DOC had little effect on E. coli J6-2 removal and slightly reduced the attachment of MS2 phage. After progressive conditioning of the column with DOC (1.7 mg L −1 and 17 mg L −1 ), neither E. coli J6-2 nor MS2 phage showed any attachment and recovery rates increased dramatically (up to 100%). The results suggest that DOC can affect the transport rates of microbial contaminants. For E. coli J6-2 the predominant effect appeared to be an increase in the secondary energy minimum leading to an increase in E. coli attachment initially. However, after 17 mg L −1 DOC conditioning of the silica sand no attachment of E. coli was observed as the DOC took up attachment sites in the porous media. MS2 phage appeared to be affected predominantly by out-competition of binding sites in the clean silica sand and a steady reduction in attachment was observed as the DOC conditioning increased. Field study showed a high removal of both E. coli and MS2 phage, although E. coli was removed at a lower rate than MS2 phage. In the field it is likely that a combination of effects are seen as the aquifer material will be heterogeneous in its surface nanoscale properties, demonstrated by the differing removal of E. coli and MS2 phage compared to the

  17. Transport of microbial tracers in clean and organically contaminated silica sand in laboratory columns compared with their transport in the field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weaver, Louise, E-mail: louise.weaver@esr.cri.nz; Sinton, Lester W.; Pang, Liping; Dann, Rod; Close, Murray

    2013-01-15

    Waste disposal on land and the consequent transport of bacterial and viral pathogens in soils and aquifers are of major concern worldwide. Pathogen transport can be enhanced in the presence of organic matter due to occupation of attachment sites in the aquifer materials thus preventing pathogen attachment leading to their faster transport for longer distances. Laboratory column studies were carried out to investigate the effect of organic matter, in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), on the transport of Escherichia coli and MS2 phage in saturated clean silica sand. Transport rates of these microbial tracers were also studied in a contaminated field site. Laboratory column studies showed that low concentrations (0.17 mg L{sup −1}) of DOC had little effect on E. coli J6-2 removal and slightly reduced the attachment of MS2 phage. After progressive conditioning of the column with DOC (1.7 mg L{sup −1} and 17 mg L{sup −1}), neither E. coli J6-2 nor MS2 phage showed any attachment and recovery rates increased dramatically (up to 100%). The results suggest that DOC can affect the transport rates of microbial contaminants. For E. coli J6-2 the predominant effect appeared to be an increase in the secondary energy minimum leading to an increase in E. coli attachment initially. However, after 17 mg L{sup −1} DOC conditioning of the silica sand no attachment of E. coli was observed as the DOC took up attachment sites in the porous media. MS2 phage appeared to be affected predominantly by out-competition of binding sites in the clean silica sand and a steady reduction in attachment was observed as the DOC conditioning increased. Field study showed a high removal of both E. coli and MS2 phage, although E. coli was removed at a lower rate than MS2 phage. In the field it is likely that a combination of effects are seen as the aquifer material will be heterogeneous in its surface nanoscale properties, demonstrated by the differing removal of E. coli and MS2 phage

  18. Removal of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol during managed aquifer recharge: Batch and column studies

    KAUST Repository

    Maeng, Sungkyu; Abel, Chol D T; Sharma, Saroj K.; Park, Nosuk; Amy, Gary L.

    2012-01-01

    Managed aquifer recharge is a robust barrier in the multi-barrier approach to supply safe drinking water. The removal performance of gesomin and 2-methylisoborneol through managed aquifer recharge was investigated using batch and column experiments

  19. Fate of N-nitrosomorpholine in an anaerobic aquifer used for managed aquifer recharge: a column study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitoi, M M; Patterson, B M; Furness, A J; Bastow, T P; McKinley, A J

    2011-04-01

    The fate of N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) was evaluated at microgram and nanogram per litre concentrations. Experiments were undertaken to simulate the passage of groundwater contaminants through a deep anaerobic pyritic aquifer system, as part of a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategy. Sorption studies demonstrated the high mobility of NMOR in the Leederville aquifer system, with retardation coefficients between 1.2 and 1.6. Degradation studies from a 351 day column experiment and a 506 day stop-flow column experiment showed an anaerobic biologically induced reductive degradation process which followed first order kinetics. A biological lag-time of less than 3 months and a transient accumulation of morpholine (MOR) were also noted during the degradation. Comparable half-life degradation rates of 40-45 days were observed over three orders of magnitude in concentration (200 ng L(-1) to 650 μg L(-1)). An inhibitory effect on microorganism responsible to the biodegradation of NMOR at 650 μg L(-1) or a threshold effect at 200 ng L(-1) was not observed during these experiments. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Identification of TCE and PCE sorption and biodegradation parameters in a sandy aquifer for fate and transport modelling: batch and column studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kret, E; Kiecak, A; Malina, G; Nijenhuis, I; Postawa, A

    2015-07-01

    The main aim of this study was to determine the sorption and biodegradation parameters of trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE) as input data required for their fate and transport modelling in a Quaternary sandy aquifer. Sorption was determined based on batch and column experiments, while biodegradation was investigated using the compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA). The aquifer materials medium (soil 1) to fine (soil 2) sands and groundwater samples came from the representative profile of the contaminated site (south-east Poland). The sorption isotherms were approximately linear (TCE, soil 1, K d = 0.0016; PCE, soil 1, K d = 0.0051; PCE, soil 2, K d = 0.0069) except for one case in which the best fitting was for the Langmuir isotherm (TCE, soil 2, K f = 0.6493 and S max = 0.0145). The results indicate low retardation coefficients (R) of TCE and PCE; however, somewhat lower values were obtained in batch compared to column experiments. In the column experiments with the presence of both contaminants, TCE influenced sorption of PCE, so that the R values for both compounds were almost two times higher. Non-significant differences in isotope compositions of TCE and PCE measured in the observation points (δ(13)C values within the range of -23.6 ÷ -24.3‰ and -26.3 ÷-27.7‰, respectively) indicate that biodegradation apparently is not an important process contributing to the natural attenuation of these contaminants in the studied sandy aquifer.

  1. Experimental investigation on temperature distribution of foamed concrete filled steel tube column under standard fire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kado, B.; Mohammad, S.; Lee, Y. H.; Shek, P. N.; Kadir, M. A. A.

    2018-04-01

    Standard fire test was carried out on 3 hollow steel tube and 6 foamed concrete filled steel tube columns. Temperature distribution on the columns was investigated. 1500 kg/m3 and 1800 kg/m3 foamed concrete density at 15%, 20% and 25% load level are the parameters considered. The columns investigated were 2400 mm long, 139.7 mm outer diameter and 6 mm steel tube thickness. The result shows that foamed concrete filled steel tube columns has the highest fire resistance of 43 minutes at 15% load level and low critical temperature of 671 ºC at 25% load level using 1500 kg/m3 foamed concrete density. Fire resistance of foamed concrete filled column increases with lower foamed concrete strength. Foamed concrete can be used to provide more fire resistance to hollow steel column or to replace normal weight concrete in concrete filled columns. Since filling hollow steel with foamed concrete produce column with high fire resistance than unfilled hollow steel column. Therefore normal weight concrete can be substituted with foamed concrete in concrete filled column, it will reduces the self-weight of the structure because of its light weight at the same time providing the desired fire resistance.

  2. Construction of a test embankment using a sand-tire shred mixture as fill material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Sungmin; Prezzi, Monica; Siddiki, Nayyar Zia; Kim, Bumjoo

    2006-01-01

    Use of tire shreds in construction projects, such as highway embankments, is becoming an accepted way of beneficially recycling scrap tires. However, in the last decade there was a decline in the use of pure tire shreds as fill materials in embankment construction, as they are susceptible to fire hazards due to the development of exothermic reactions. Tire shred-sand mixtures, on the other hand, were found to be effective in inhibiting exothermic reactions. When compared with pure tire shreds, tire shred-sand mixtures are less compressible and have higher shear strength. However, the literature contains limited information on the use of tire shred-soil mixtures as a fill material. The objectives of this paper are to discuss and evaluate the feasibility of using tire shred-sand mixtures as a fill material in embankment construction. A test embankment constructed using a 50/50 mixture, by volume, of tire shreds and sand was instrumented and monitored to: (a) determine total and differential settlements; (b) evaluate the environmental impact of the embankment construction on the groundwater quality due to leaching of fill material; and (c) study the temperature variation inside the embankment. The findings in this research indicate that mixtures of tire shreds and sand are viable materials for embankment construction.

  3. Prediction of Liquefaction Potential of Dredge Fill Sand by DCP and Dynamic Probing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, Md. Jahangir; Azad, Abul Kalam; Rahman, Ziaur

    2008-01-01

    From many research it is proved that liquefaction potential of sand is function of mainly relative density and confining pressure. During routine site investigations, high-quality sampling and laboratory testing of sands are not feasible because of inevitable sample disturbance effects and budgetary constraints. On the other hand quality control of sand fill can be done by determining in situ density of sand in layer by layer which is expensive and time consuming. In this paper TRL DCP (Transportation Research Laboratory Dynamic Cone Penetration) and DPL (Dynamic Probing Light) are calibrated to predict the relative density of sand deposit. For this purpose sand of known relative density is prepared in a calibration chamber which is a mild steel cylinder with diameter 0.5 m and height 1.0 m. Relative density of sand is varied by controlling height of fall and diameter of hole of sand discharge bowl. After filling, every time DPL and DCP tests are performed and for every blow the penetration of cone is recorded. N10 is then calculated from penetration records. Thus a database is compiled where N10 and relative densities are known. A correlation is made between N 10 and relative density for two types of sand. A good correlation of N 10 and relative density is found

  4. Hydrogeochemical contrast between brown and grey sand aquifers in shallow depth of Bengal Basin: consequences for sustainable drinking water supply.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Ashis; Nath, Bibhash; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Halder, Dipti; Kundu, Amit K; Mandal, Ujjal; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Chatterjee, Debashis; Mörth, Carl-Magnus; Jacks, Gunnar

    2012-08-01

    Delineation of safe aquifer(s) that can be targeted by cheap drilling technology for tubewell (TW) installation becomes highly imperative to ensure access to safe and sustainable drinking water sources for the arsenic (As) affected population in Bengal Basin. This study investigates the potentiality of brown sand aquifers (BSA) as a safe drinking water source by characterizing its hydrogeochemical contrast to grey sand aquifers (GSA) within shallow depth (water guidelines, which warrants rigorous assessment of attendant health risk for Mn prior to considering mass scale exploitation of the BSA for possible sustainable drinking water supply. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) by denitrification as ground improvement method - Process control in sand column experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Vinh; van Paassen, Leon; Nakano, Akiko; Kanayama, Motohei; Heimovaara, Timo

    2013-04-01

    Calcite precipitation induced by microbes has been proven to be efficient in stabilizing granular soils, especially with urea hydrolysis, as it has been successfully demonstrated in a pilot application 2010. However, as a byproduct highly concentrated ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) solution is produced, which has to be removed and disposed and forms a significant disadvantage of the technique that makes an alternative process like denitrification preferred. The proof of principle of microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) by denitrification has been demonstrated by Van Paassen et al (2010) who suggested that instead of producing waste as a byproduct, different pre-treated waste streams could be used as substrates for in situ growth of denitrifying bacteria and simultaneous cementation without producing waste to be removed. In this study sand column experiments are performed in which calcium carbonate was successfully precipitated by indigenous denitrifying micro-organisms, which were supplied weekly with a pulse of a substrate solution containing calcium acetate and calcium nitrate. Besides the production of calcite and the growth of bacteria in biofilms, the reduction of nitrate resulted in the production of (nitrogen) gas. It was observed that this gas partly fills up the pore space and consequently contributed to a reduction of the permeability of the treated sand. The presence of gas in the pore space affected the flow of the injected substrates and influenced to the distribution of calcium carbonate. The effect of the mean particle size (D50) on the flow and transport of solutes and gas in the porous media has been evaluated by treating several columns with varying grain size distribution and comparing the change in permeability after each incubation period and analyzing the distribution of the gas throughout the columns using X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. The present results show that there is a considerable decrease of permeability - a

  6. Predicted nitrate and arsenic concentrations in basin-fill aquifers of the Southwestern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anning, David W.; Paul, Angela P.; McKinney, Tim S.; Huntington, Jena M.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.

    2012-01-01

    The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifer systems across the United States. The Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers in the region to groundwater contamination by synthesizing baseline knowledge of groundwater-quality conditions in 16 basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. The improved understanding of aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability to contamination is assisting in the development of tools that water managers can use to assess and protect the quality of groundwater resources.Human-health concerns and economic considerations associated with meeting drinking-water standards motivated a study of the vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to nitrate con­tamination and arsenic enrichment in the southwestern United States. Statistical models were developed by using the random forest classifier algorithm to predict concentrations of nitrate and arsenic across a model grid that represents about 190,600 square miles of basin-fill aquifers in parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The statistical models, referred to as classifiers, reflect natural and human-related factors that affect aquifer vulnerability to contamina­tion and relate nitrate and arsenic concentrations to explana­tory variables representing local- and basin-scale measures of source, aquifer susceptibility, and geochemical conditions. The classifiers were unbiased and fit the observed data well, and misclassifications were primarily due to statistical sampling error in the training datasets.The classifiers were designed to predict concentrations to be in one of six classes for nitrate, and one of seven classes for arsenic. Each classification scheme allowed for identification of areas with concentrations that were equal to or exceeding

  7. Assessment of managed aquifer recharge at Sand Hollow Reservoir, Washington County, Utah, updated to conditions through 2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heilweil, Victor M.; Ortiz, Gema; Susong, David D.

    2009-01-01

    Sand Hollow Reservoir in Washington County, Utah, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily as an aquifer storage and recovery project by the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD). Since its inception in 2002 through 2007, surface-water diversions of about 126,000 acre-feet to Sand Hollow Reservoir have resulted in a generally rising reservoir stage and surface area. Large volumes of runoff during spring 2005-06 allowed the WCWCD to fill the reservoir to a total storage capacity of more than 50,000 acre-feet, with a corresponding surface area of about 1,300 acres and reservoir stage of about 3,060 feet during 2006. During 2007, reservoir stage generally decreased to about 3,040 feet with a surface-water storage volume of about 30,000 acre-feet. Water temperature in the reservoir shows large seasonal variation and has ranged from about 3 to 30 deg C from 2003 through 2007. Except for anomalously high recharge rates during the first year when the vadose zone beneath the reservoir was becoming saturated, estimated ground-water recharge rates have ranged from 0.01 to 0.09 feet per day. Estimated recharge volumes have ranged from about 200 to 3,500 acre-feet per month from March 2002 through December 2007. Total ground-water recharge during the same period is estimated to have been about 69,000 acre-feet. Estimated evaporation rates have varied from 0.04 to 0.97 feet per month, resulting in evaporation losses of 20 to 1,200 acre-feet per month. Total evaporation from March 2002 through December 2007 is estimated to have been about 25,000 acre-feet. Results of water-quality sampling at monitoring wells indicate that by 2007, managed aquifer recharge had arrived at sites 37 and 36, located 60 and 160 feet from the reservoir, respectively. However, different peak arrival dates for specific conductance, chloride, chloride/bromide ratios, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved-gas pressures at each monitoring well indicate the complicated nature of

  8. Hydrogeologic characteristics and water quality of a confined sand unit in the surficial aquifer system, Hunter Army Airfield, Chatham County, Georgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonthier, Gerard

    2012-01-01

    An 80-foot-deep well (36Q397, U.S. Geological Survey site identification 320146081073701) was constructed at Hunter Army Airfield to assess the potential of using the surficial aquifer system as a water source to irrigate a ballfield complex. A 300-foot-deep test hole was drilled beneath the ballfield complex to characterize the lithology and water-bearing characteristics of sediments above the Upper Floridan aquifer. The test hole was then completed as well 36Q397 open to a 19-foot-thick shallow, confined sand unit contained within the surficial aquifer system. A single-well, 24-hour aquifer test was performed by pumping well 36Q397 at a rate of 50 gallons per minute during July 13-14, 2011, to characterize the hydrologic properties of the shallow, confined sand unit. Two pumping events prior to the aquifer test affected water levels. Drawdown during all three pumping events and residual drawdown during recovery periods were simulated using the Theis formula on multiple changes in discharge rate. Simulated drawdown and residual drawdown match well with measured drawdown and residual drawdown using values of horizontal hydraulic conductivity and specific storage, which are typical for a confined sand aquifer. Based on the hydrologic parameters used to match simulated drawdown and residual drawdown to measured drawdown and residual drawdown, the transmissivity of the sand was determined to be about 400 feet squared per day. The horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the sand was determined to be about 20 feet per day. Analysis of a water-quality sample indicated that the water is suitable for irrigation. Sample analysis indicated a calcium-carbonate type water having a total dissolved solids concentration of 39 milligrams per liter. Specific conductance and concentrations of all analyzed constituents were below those that would be a concern for irrigation, and were below primary and secondary water-quality criteria levels.

  9. Ground-water quality in agricultural areas, Anoka Sand Plain Aquifer, east-central Minnesota, 1984-90

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landon, M.K.; Delin, G.N.

    1995-01-01

    Ground-water quality in the Anoka Sand Plain aquifer was studied as part of the multiscale Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) study by collecting water samples from shallow wells during August through November 1990. The sampling was conducted to: (1) aid in selection of the MSEA research area; (2) facilitate comparison of results at the MSEA research area to the regional scale; and (3) evaluate changes in ground-water quality in the Anoka Sand Plain aquifer since a previous study during 1984 through 1987. Samples were collected from 34 wells screened in the upper 6 meters of the surficial aquifer and located in cultivated agricultural areas. Water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and presence or absence of triazine herbicides were determined at all sites and samples from selected wells were analyzed for concentrations of dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, major cations and anions, nutrients, and selected herbicides and herbicide metabolites. The results of the study indicate that the water-quality of some shallow ground water in areas of predominantly agricultural land use has been affected by applications of nitrogen fertilizers and the herbicide atrazine.

  10. Experimental Measurement of Diffusive Extinction Depth and Soil Moisture Gradients in a Dune Sand Aquifer in Western Saudi Arabia: Assessment of Evaporation Loss for Design of an MAR System

    KAUST Repository

    Mughal, Iqra; Jadoon, Khan; Mai, Paul Martin; Al-Mashharawi, Samir; Missimer, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    A component of designing a managed aquifer recharge system in a dune aquifer is the control of diffusive evaporative loss of water which is governed by the physical properties of the sediments and the position of the water table. A critical water table position is the “extinction depth”, below which no further loss of water occurs via diffusion. Field experiments were conducted to measure the extinction depth of sediments taken from a typical dune field in the region. The soil grain size characteristics, laboratory porosity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured. The sand is classified as well-sorted, very fine sand with a mean grain diameter of 0.15 mm. Soil moisture gradients and diffusion loss rates were measured using sensors in a non-weighing lysimeter that was placed below land surface. The sand was saturated carefully with water from the bottom to the top and was exposed to the natural climate for a period of about two months. The moisture gradient showed a gradual decline during measurement until extinction depth was reached at about 100 cm below surface after 56 days. Diurnal temperature changes were observed in the upper 75 cm of the column and were negligible at greater depth.

  11. Experimental Measurement of Diffusive Extinction Depth and Soil Moisture Gradients in a Dune Sand Aquifer in Western Saudi Arabia: Assessment of Evaporation Loss for Design of an MAR System

    KAUST Repository

    Mughal, Iqra

    2015-12-10

    A component of designing a managed aquifer recharge system in a dune aquifer is the control of diffusive evaporative loss of water which is governed by the physical properties of the sediments and the position of the water table. A critical water table position is the “extinction depth”, below which no further loss of water occurs via diffusion. Field experiments were conducted to measure the extinction depth of sediments taken from a typical dune field in the region. The soil grain size characteristics, laboratory porosity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured. The sand is classified as well-sorted, very fine sand with a mean grain diameter of 0.15 mm. Soil moisture gradients and diffusion loss rates were measured using sensors in a non-weighing lysimeter that was placed below land surface. The sand was saturated carefully with water from the bottom to the top and was exposed to the natural climate for a period of about two months. The moisture gradient showed a gradual decline during measurement until extinction depth was reached at about 100 cm below surface after 56 days. Diurnal temperature changes were observed in the upper 75 cm of the column and were negligible at greater depth.

  12. Experimental Measurement of Diffusive Extinction Depth and Soil Moisture Gradients in a Dune Sand Aquifer in Western Saudi Arabia: Assessment of Evaporation Loss for Design of an MAR System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iqra Mughal

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A component of designing a managed aquifer recharge system in a dune aquifer is the control of diffusive evaporative loss of water which is governed by the physical properties of the sediments and the position of the water table. A critical water table position is the “extinction depth”, below which no further loss of water occurs via diffusion. Field experiments were conducted to measure the extinction depth of sediments taken from a typical dune field in the region. The soil grain size characteristics, laboratory porosity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured. The sand is classified as well-sorted, very fine sand with a mean grain diameter of 0.15 mm. Soil moisture gradients and diffusion loss rates were measured using sensors in a non-weighing lysimeter that was placed below land surface. The sand was saturated carefully with water from the bottom to the top and was exposed to the natural climate for a period of about two months. The moisture gradient showed a gradual decline during measurement until extinction depth was reached at about 100 cm below surface after 56 days. Diurnal temperature changes were observed in the upper 75 cm of the column and were negligible at greater depth.

  13. Influence of porewater advection on denitrification in carbonate sands: Evidence from repacked sediment column experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Santos, Isaac R.; Eyre, Bradley D.; Glud, Ronnie N.

    2012-01-01

    Porewater flow enhances mineralization rates in organic-poor permeable sands. Here, a series of sediment column experiments were undertaken to assess the potential effect of advective porewater transport on denitrification in permeable carbonate sands collected from Heron Island (Great Barrier Re...

  14. Evaluation by PIXE external beam-of the leaching efficiency for a thermo stated column for the sand treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aspiazu, J.; Vite, J.; Vivero, R.; Mendez, B.

    1995-01-01

    The purpose of this paper was to measure the leaching efficiency for a thermo stated column designed to extract metals in muds originated by foundry process. The results obtained were useful to contemplate different alternatives helping to solve the problem of stocking enormous volumes of polluted sand produced by industries. Samples of residual sands and muds (treated sands) coming from an engine factory and from a thermo stated column respectively, were irradiated using an external beam of 3.55 MeV energy protons. From the quantitative analysis PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission), it was possible to establish the level of pollution in sands due to the foundry processes and to evaluate the leaching efficiency of the output liquid phase from the thermo stated column. For polluted sands, certain cases were observed for which the efficiency was not enough to decrease the level of pollution in, e.g., Cu, Zn, Br and Pb. (Author)

  15. Evaluation by PIXE external beam of the leaching efficiency for a thermo stated column for the sand treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aspiazu, J.; Vite, J.; Vivero, R.; Mendez, B.

    1995-01-01

    The purpose of this paper was to measure the leaching efficiency for a thermo stated column designed to extract metals in muds originated by foundry processes. The results obtained were useful to contemplate different alternatives helping to solve the problem of stocking enormous volumes of polluted sand produced by industries. Samples of residual sands and muds (treated sands) coming from an engine factory and from a thermo stated column respectively, were irradiated using an external beam of 3.55 MeV energy protons. From the quantitative analysis PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission), it was possible to establish the level of pollution in sands due to the foundry processes and to evaluate the leaching efficiency of the output liquid phase from the thermo stated column. For polluted sands, certain cases were observed for which the efficiency was not enough to decrease the level of pollution in e.g., Cu, Zn, Br y Pb. (Author)

  16. Fate of seven pesticides in an aerobic aquifer studied in column experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tuxen, Nina; Tuchsen, Peter Lysholm; Rügge, K.

    2000-01-01

    The fate of selected pesticides (bentazone, isoproturon, DNOC, MCPP, dichlorprop and 2,4-D) and a metabolite (2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM)) was investigated under aerobic conditions in column experiments using aquifer material and low concentrations of pesticides (approximately 25 lg/l). A solute...

  17. Staged fracturing of horizontal shale gas wells with temporary plugging by sand filling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing Liang

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Due to downhole complexities, shale-gas horizontal well fracturing in the Sichuan Basin suffered from casing deformation and failure to apply the technique of cable-conveyed perforation bridge plug. In view of these problems, a new technique of staged volume fracturing with temporary plugging by sand filling is employed. Based on theoretical analyses and field tests, a design of optimized parameters of coiled tubing-conveyed multi-cluster sand-blasting perforation and temporary plugging by sand filling was proposed. It was applied in the horizontal Well ZJ-1 in which casing deformation occurred. The following results are achieved in field operations. First, this technique enables selective staged fracturing in horizontal sections. Second, this technique can realize massive staged fracturing credibly without mechanical plugging, with the operating efficiency equivalent to the conventional bridge plug staged fracturing. Third, full-hole is preserved after fracturing, thus it is possible to directly conduct an open flow test without time consumption of a wiper trip. The staged volume fracturing with temporary plugging by sand filling facilitated the 14-stage fracturing in Well ZJ-1, with similar SRV to that achieved by conventional bridge plug staged fracturing and higher gas yield than neighboring wells on the same well pad. Thus, a new and effective technique is presented in multi-cluster staged volume fracturing of shale gas horizontal wells.

  18. Fate of 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol in batch and column studies simulating managed aquifer recharge

    KAUST Repository

    Maeng, Sungkyu

    2013-11-01

    Laboratory-scale batch and soil columns experiments were conducted to investigate the attenuation of estrogens (17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol) during managed aquifer recharge. The role of microbial activity in the removal of selected estrogens was evaluated by comparing the results from biotic and abiotic batch experiments. Moreover, batch experiments were carried out using the sand media prepared over different acclimation periods to investigate the impact of acclimation periods on the removal of selected estrogens. Batch studies showed that adsorption was the dominant removal mechanism in the removal of 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol. 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol were attenuated by 99% and 96%, respectively, in batch experiments under oxic conditions. Redox conditions did not show any significant effect on the attenuation of 17β-estradiol. However, the net estrogenicity of 17β-estradiol remaining was lower under oxic conditions (130 ng estradiol-equivalents/L) than anoxic conditions (970 ng estradiol-equivalents/L) . Column studies operated at 17 h of empty bed contact time also demonstrated that removal mechanism of 17α-ethinylestradiol was more dependent on adsorption than biodegradation. © IWA Publishing 2013.

  19. Steel hollow columns with an internal profile filled with self-compacting concrete under fire conditions

    OpenAIRE

    Chu, Thi Binh; Gernay, Thomas; Dotreppe, Jean-Claude; Franssen, Jean-Marc

    2016-01-01

    A detailed experimental and numerical investigation has been performed on the behavior under fire conditions of concrete filled steel hollow section (CFSHS) columns. In this study the internal reinforcement consists of another profile (tube or H section) being embedded with the concrete, and filling is realized by self-compacting concrete (SCC). Ten columns filled with self-compacting concrete embedding another steel profile have been tested in the Fire Testing Laboratory of the University of...

  20. Steel-reinforced concrete-filled steel tubular columns under axial and lateral cyclic loading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farajpourbonab, Ebrahim; Kute, Sunil Y.; Inamdar, Vilas M.

    2018-03-01

    SRCFT columns are formed by inserting a steel section into a concrete-filled steel tube. These types of columns are named steel-reinforced concrete-filled steel tubular (SRCFT) columns. The current study aims at investigating the various types of reinforcing steel section to improve the strength and hysteresis behavior of SRCFT columns under axial and lateral cyclic loading. To attain this objective, a numerical study has been conducted on a series of composite columns. First, FEM procedure has been verified by the use of available experimental studies. Next, eight composite columns having different types of cross sections were analyzed. For comparison purpose, the base model was a CFT column used as a benchmark specimen. Nevertheless, the other specimens were SRCFT types. The results indicate that reinforcement of a CFT column through this method leads to enhancement in load-carrying capacity, enhancement in lateral drift ratio, ductility, preventing of local buckling in steel shell, and enhancement in energy absorption capacity. Under cyclic displacement history, it was observed that the use of cross-shaped reinforcing steel section causes a higher level of energy dissipation and the moment of inertia of the reinforcing steel sections was found to be the most significant parameter affecting the hysteresis behavior of SRCFT columns.

  1. Seismic performance of recycled concrete-filled square steel tube columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zongping; Jing, Chenggui; Xu, Jinjun; Zhang, Xianggang

    2017-01-01

    An experimental study on the seismic performance of recycled concrete-filled square steel tube (RCFST) columns is carried out. Six specimens were designed and tested under constant axial compression and cyclic lateral loading. Two parameters, replacement percentage of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) and axial compression level, were considered in the test. Based on the experimental data, the hysteretic loops, skeleton curves, ductility, energy dissipation capacity and stiffness degradation of RCFST columns were analyzed. The test results indicate that the failure modes of RCFST columns are the local buckling of the steel tube at the bottom of the columns, and the hysteretic loops are full and their shapes are similar to normal CFST columns. Furthermore, the ductility coefficient of all specimens are close to 3.0, and the equivalent viscous damping coefficient corresponding to the ultimate lateral load ranges from 0.323 to 0.360, which demonstrates that RCFST columns exhibit remarkable seismic performance.

  2. Maps of estimated nitrate and arsenic concentrations in basin-fill aquifers of the southwestern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beisner, Kimberly R.; Anning, David W.; Paul, Angela P.; McKinney, Tim S.; Huntington, Jena M.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.

    2012-01-01

    Human-health concerns and economic considerations associated with meeting drinking-water standards motivated a study of the vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to nitrate contamination and arsenic enrichment in the southwestern United States. Statistical models were developed by using the random forest classifier algorithm to predict concentrations of nitrate and arsenic across a model grid representing about 190,600 square miles of basin-fill aquifers in parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The statistical models, referred to as classifiers, reflect natural and human-related factors that affect aquifer vulnerability to contamination and relate nitrate and arsenic concentrations to explanatory variables representing local- and basin-scale measures of source and aquifer susceptibility conditions. Geochemical variables were not used in concentration predictions because they were not available for the entire study area. The models were calibrated to assess model accuracy on the basis of measured values.Only 2 percent of the area underlain by basin-fill aquifers in the study area was predicted to equal or exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standard for nitrate as N (10 milligrams per liter), whereas 43 percent of the area was predicted to equal or exceed the standard for arsenic (10 micrograms per liter). Areas predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for nitrate include basins in central Arizona near Phoenix; the San Joaquin Valley, the Santa Ana Inland, and San Jacinto Basins of California; and the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Much of the area predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for arsenic is within a belt of basins along the western portion of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province that includes almost all of Nevada and parts of California and Arizona. Predicted nitrate and arsenic concentrations are substantially lower than the drinking-water standards in much of

  3. Continuous adsorption of Pb(II) and methylene blue by engineered graphite oxide coated sand in fixed-bed column

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gong, Ji-Lai, E-mail: jilaigong@gmail.com [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Zhang, Yong-Liang; Jiang, Yan [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Zeng, Guang-Ming, E-mail: zgming@hnu.edu.cn [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Cui, Zhi-Hui; Liu, Ke; Deng, Can-Hui; Niu, Qiu-Ya; Deng, Jiu-Hua [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Huan, Shuang-Yan [State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

    2015-03-01

    Highlights: • GO-sand was prepared by coating GO on the surface of sand. • Pb(II) and MB were efficiently removed by GO-sand filter in column. • The removal of MB was enhanced with the presence of Pb(II). • GO-sand is low-cost and convenient for its application as packed bed filter. - Abstract: The mixture of several effluents, caused by the improper handling and management of effluents, generated multi-component wastewater containing both metals and dyes, leading to the complicated treatment process. In this study, a continuous adsorption of Pb(II) and methylene blue (MB) has been studied in single and binary solutions by using graphite oxide coated sand (GO-sand) as an adsorbent in a fixed-bed column. GO-sand was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy before and after analyte adsorption. Compared with sand filter, adsorption quantity and capacity for Pb(II) and MB by GO-sand filter were greatly increased. In Pb(II) and MB single solutions, the experimental parameters were investigated in detail including initial concentration, flow rate, bed depth and pH. Exhaustion time decreased with increasing initial concentration and flow rate, and increased with increasing bed depth and pH. In the Pb(II)-MB binary solution, exhaustion time significantly decreased for Pb(II) adsorption, but increased for MB adsorption. The reason was explained that the more favorable adsorption for MB onto the surface of GO-sand than that for Pb(II), which was derived from π–π interaction between MB and GO on sand surface in packed filter. The Yoon–Nelson model was applied at different concentration of Pb(II) and MB to predict the breakthrough curves. The experimental data were well fit with the model indicating that it was suitable for this column design.

  4. Assessment of managed aquifer recharge at Sand Hollow Reservoir, Washington County, Utah, updated to conditions through 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marston, Thomas M.; Heilweil, Victor M.

    2016-09-08

    Sand Hollow Reservoir in Washington County, Utah, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily for managed aquifer recharge by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. From 2002 through 2014, diversions of about 216,000 acre-feet from the Virgin River to Sand Hollow Reservoir have allowed the reservoir to remain nearly full since 2006. Groundwater levels in monitoring wells near the reservoir rose through 2006 and have fluctuated more recently because of variations in reservoir stage and nearby pumping from production wells. Between 2004 and 2014, about 29,000 acre-feet of groundwater was withdrawn by these wells for municipal supply. In addition, about 31,000 acre-feet of shallow seepage was captured by French drains adjacent to the North and West Dams and used for municipal supply, irrigation, or returned to the reservoir. From 2002 through 2014, about 127,000 acre-feet of water seeped beneath the reservoir to recharge the underlying Navajo Sandstone aquifer.Water quality continued to be monitored at various wells in Sand Hollow during 2013–14 to evaluate the timing and location of reservoir recharge as it moved through the aquifer. Changing geochemical conditions at monitoring wells WD 4 and WD 12 indicate rising groundwater levels and mobilization of vadose-zone salts, which could be a precursor to the arrival of reservoir recharge.

  5. Assessment of managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir, Washington County, Utah, updated to conditions in 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heilweil, Victor M.; Marston, Thomas M.

    2011-01-01

    Sand Hollow Reservoir in Washington County, Utah, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily for managed aquifer recharge by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. From 2002 through 2009, total surface-water diversions of about 154,000 acre-feet to Sand Hollow Reservoir have allowed it to remain nearly full since 2006. Groundwater levels in monitoring wells near the reservoir rose through 2006 and have fluctuated more recently because of variations in reservoir water-level altitude and nearby pumping from production wells. Between 2004 and 2009, a total of about 13,000 acre-feet of groundwater has been withdrawn by these wells for municipal supply. In addition, a total of about 14,000 acre-feet of shallow seepage was captured by French drains adjacent to the North and West Dams and used for municipal supply, irrigation, or returned to the reservoir.From 2002 through 2009, about 86,000 acre-feet of water seeped beneath the reservoir to recharge the underlying Navajo Sandstone aquifer. Water-quality sampling was conducted at various monitoring wells in Sand Hollow to evaluate the timing and location of reservoir recharge moving through the aquifer. Tracers of reservoir recharge include major and minor dissolved inorganic ions, tritium, dissolved organic carbon, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and noble gases. By 2010, this recharge arrived at monitoring wells within about 1,000 feet of the reservoir.

  6. Numerical Evaluation on the Different Shapes of Gravelly Sand Columns to Increase the Loading Capacity of Soft Clay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meghzili Sif Allah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Improvement on soft clay by the installation of stone column is one of the most popular methods followed worldwide. Different analytical and numerical solutions have already been developed for understanding the load transfer mechanism of soft soil reinforced with stone column. This study investigated a bearing capacity of the gravelly sand column, installed in soft clay bed at 15kpa of undrained shear strength. The column variable of length and diameter ratio at 7, 8 and 9 were evaluated. On top of that, the combination of two diameters in single column was tested and the uniform diameter was used as a control. In the numerical analysis, Mohrcoulomb model was adopted in the idealization of the behaviour of the gravelly sand column and soft clay materials. The results revealed that the optimum design that gave the highest loading capacity of the combination 11=12 of column diameter was the length and diameter ratio of 8.

  7. In situ treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater by aquifer iron coating: Experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xianjun; Wang, Yanxin; Pi, Kunfu; Liu, Chongxuan; Li, Junxia; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Zhiqiang; Duan, Mengyu

    2015-09-15

    In situ arsenic removal from groundwater by an aquifer iron coating method has great potential to be a cost effective and simple groundwater remediation technology, especially in rural and remote areas where groundwater is used as the main water source for drinking. The in situ arsenic removal technology was first optimized by simulating arsenic removal in various quartz sand columns under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness was then evaluated in an actual high-arsenic groundwater environment. The arsenic removal mechanism by the coated iron oxide/hydroxide was investigated under different conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Aquifer iron coating method was developed via a 4-step alternating injection of oxidant, iron salt and oxygen-free water. A continuous injection of 5.0 mmol/L FeSO4 and 2.5 mmol/L NaClO for 96 h can form a uniform goethite coating on the surface of quartz sand without causing clogging. At a flow rate of 7.2 mL/min of the injection reagents, arsenic (as Na2HAsO4) and tracer fluorescein sodium to pass through the iron-coated quartz sand column were approximately at 126 and 7 column pore volumes, respectively. The retardation factor of arsenic was 23.0, and the adsorption capacity was 0.11 mol As per mol Fe. In situ arsenic removal from groundwater in an aquifer was achieved by simultaneous injections of As(V) and Fe(II) reagents. Arsenic fixation resulted from a process of adsorption/co-precipitation with fine goethite particles by way of bidentate binuclear complexes. Therefore, the study results indicate that the high arsenic removal efficiency of the in situ aquifer iron coating technology likely resulted from the expanded specific surface area of the small goethite particles, which enhanced arsenic sorption capability and/or from co-precipitation of arsenic on the surface of goethite particles. Copyright © 2015

  8. In situ treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater by aquifer iron coating: Experimental study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Xianjun, E-mail: xjxie@cug.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Wang, Yanxin, E-mail: yx.wang@cug.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Pi, Kunfu [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Liu, Chongxuan [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Li, Junxia; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Zhiqiang; Duan, Mengyu [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 430074 Wuhan (China)

    2015-09-15

    In situ arsenic removal from groundwater by an aquifer iron coating method has great potential to be a cost effective and simple groundwater remediation technology, especially in rural and remote areas where groundwater is used as the main water source for drinking. The in situ arsenic removal technology was first optimized by simulating arsenic removal in various quartz sand columns under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness was then evaluated in an actual high-arsenic groundwater environment. The arsenic removal mechanism by the coated iron oxide/hydroxide was investigated under different conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Aquifer iron coating method was developed via a 4-step alternating injection of oxidant, iron salt and oxygen-free water. A continuous injection of 5.0 mmol/L FeSO{sub 4} and 2.5 mmol/L NaClO for 96 h can form a uniform goethite coating on the surface of quartz sand without causing clogging. At a flow rate of 7.2 mL/min of the injection reagents, arsenic (as Na{sub 2}HAsO{sub 4}) and tracer fluorescein sodium to pass through the iron-coated quartz sand column were approximately at 126 and 7 column pore volumes, respectively. The retardation factor of arsenic was 23.0, and the adsorption capacity was 0.11 mol As per mol Fe. In situ arsenic removal from groundwater in an aquifer was achieved by simultaneous injections of As(V) and Fe(II) reagents. Arsenic fixation resulted from a process of adsorption/co-precipitation with fine goethite particles by way of bidentate binuclear complexes. Therefore, the study results indicate that the high arsenic removal efficiency of the in situ aquifer iron coating technology likely resulted from the expanded specific surface area of the small goethite particles, which enhanced arsenic sorption capability and/or from co-precipitation of arsenic on the surface of goethite particles

  9. In situ treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater by aquifer iron coating: Experimental study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie, Xianjun; Wang, Yanxin; Pi, Kunfu; Liu, Chongxuan; Li, Junxia; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Zhiqiang; Duan, Mengyu

    2015-01-01

    In situ arsenic removal from groundwater by an aquifer iron coating method has great potential to be a cost effective and simple groundwater remediation technology, especially in rural and remote areas where groundwater is used as the main water source for drinking. The in situ arsenic removal technology was first optimized by simulating arsenic removal in various quartz sand columns under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness was then evaluated in an actual high-arsenic groundwater environment. The arsenic removal mechanism by the coated iron oxide/hydroxide was investigated under different conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Aquifer iron coating method was developed via a 4-step alternating injection of oxidant, iron salt and oxygen-free water. A continuous injection of 5.0 mmol/L FeSO 4 and 2.5 mmol/L NaClO for 96 h can form a uniform goethite coating on the surface of quartz sand without causing clogging. At a flow rate of 7.2 mL/min of the injection reagents, arsenic (as Na 2 HAsO 4 ) and tracer fluorescein sodium to pass through the iron-coated quartz sand column were approximately at 126 and 7 column pore volumes, respectively. The retardation factor of arsenic was 23.0, and the adsorption capacity was 0.11 mol As per mol Fe. In situ arsenic removal from groundwater in an aquifer was achieved by simultaneous injections of As(V) and Fe(II) reagents. Arsenic fixation resulted from a process of adsorption/co-precipitation with fine goethite particles by way of bidentate binuclear complexes. Therefore, the study results indicate that the high arsenic removal efficiency of the in situ aquifer iron coating technology likely resulted from the expanded specific surface area of the small goethite particles, which enhanced arsenic sorption capability and/or from co-precipitation of arsenic on the surface of goethite particles. - Highlights:

  10. Removal of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol during managed aquifer recharge: Batch and column studies

    KAUST Repository

    Maeng, Sungkyu

    2012-06-01

    Managed aquifer recharge is a robust barrier in the multi-barrier approach to supply safe drinking water. The removal performance of gesomin and 2-methylisoborneol through managed aquifer recharge was investigated using batch and column experiments. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the removal of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in the presence of different types of biodegradable organic matter using different types of water. Five different types of water spiked with 70-293 ng/L of geosmin and MIB were used in batch reactors, and complete removal of geosmin and MIB (down to the detection limit) was achieved in all cases. Soil column studies showed that biodegradation contributed to the removal of geosmin and MIB by 23 and 31%, respectively (empty bed contact time: 17 hours). The removal of geosmin and MIB appeared to be influenced more by microbial activity than the initial concentrations of geosmin and MIB. Adsorption was found to be the dominant mechanism (major role) followed by biodegradation (minor role) for geosmin and MIB removals during soil passage. Managed aquifer charge can therefore be used as a robust barrier to remove taste and odor (T&O) causing compounds.© IWA Publishing 2012.

  11. Application of surface-geophysical methods to investigations of sand and gravel aquifers in the glaciated Northeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haeni, F.P.

    1995-01-01

    Combined use of seismic-refraction, direct-current resistivity, very-low-frequency terrain-resistivity, and inductive terrain-conductivity methods were demonstrated at sites in Connecticut, New York, and Maine. Although no single method can define both the hydrogeologic boundaries and general grain-size characteristics of sand and gravel aquifers, a combination of these methods can. Comparisons of measured electrical properties of aquifers with logs of test holes and wells indicate that, for a given conductivity of ground water, the bulk electrical resistivity of aquifers in the glaciated Northeast increases with grain size.

  12. Parametric Study of Fire Performance of Concrete Filled Hollow Steel Section Columns with Circular and Square Cross-Section

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurfaidhi Rizalman, Ahmad; Tahir, Ng Seong Yap Mahmood Md; Mohammad, Shahrin

    2018-03-01

    Concrete filled hollow steel section column have been widely accepted by structural engineers and designers for high rise construction due to the benefits of combining steel and concrete. The advantages of concrete filled hollow steel section column include higher strength, ductility, energy absorption capacity, and good structural fire resistance. In this paper, comparison on the fire performance between circular and square concrete filled hollow steel section column is established. A three-dimensional finite element package, ABAQUS, was used to develop the numerical model to study the temperature development, critical temperature, and fire resistance time of the selected composite columns. Based on the analysis and comparison of typical parameters, the effect of equal cross-sectional size for both steel and concrete, concrete types, and thickness of external protection on temperature distribution and structural fire behaviour of the columns are discussed. The result showed that concrete filled hollow steel section column with circular cross-section generally has higher fire resistance than the square section.

  13. contaminant migration in a sand aquifer near an inactive uranium tailings impoundment, Elliot Lake, Ontario

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morin, K.A.; Cherry, J.A.

    1982-01-01

    An investigation of the movement of contaminated groundwater from inactive uranium tailings through a sand aquifer is being conducted at the Nordic Main tailings impoundment near Elliot Lake, Ontario. During 1979 and 1980, multilevel bundle-type piezometers were installed at several locations around the edge of the tailings impoundment. Chemical analysis of water samples from the bundle piezometers indicate that a major contaminant plume extends outward through a sand aquifer from the southeastern part of the Nordic Main impoundment dam. In the vincinity of the contaminant plume, the sand aquifer varies in thickness from about 9 to 15 m. The plume has two distinct segments, referred to as the inner core and the outer zone. The inner core, which has a pH of 4.3-5.0 and extends about 15 m from the foot of the tailings dam, contains several grams per litre of iron and sulfate, and tens of pCi/L of 226 Ra and 210 Pb. Water levels in piezometers within the inner core show that groundwater is moving horizontally, away from the tailings impoundment, with a velocity of up to several hundred metres per year. The outer zone, which extends a few hundred metres downgradient from the dam, is characterized by hundreds to thousands of milligrams per litre of iron and sulfate, less than 15pCi/L of 226 Ra, and a pH greater than 5.7. Comparison of 1979 and 1980 data shows that the front of the inner core is advancing a few metres per year, which is less than a few percent of the groundwater velocity. This retardation of movement of the inner core is caused by neutralization of the acidic water as a result of dissolution of calcium carbonate in the sand. With the rise in pH, precipitation of iron carbonate and possibly some iron hydroxide occurs and the contaminants of main concern such as 226 Ra, 210 Pb, and uranium are removed from solution by adsorption or coprecipitation

  14. Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system in the Endicott-Vestal area of southwestern Broome County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randall, Allan D.; Kappel, William M.

    2015-07-29

    The village of Endicott, New York, and the adjacent town of Vestal have historically used groundwater from the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system for municipal water supply, but parts of some aquifers in this urban area suffer from legacy contamination from varied sources. Endicott would like to identify sites distant from known contamination where productive aquifers could supply municipal wells with water that would not require intensive treatment. The distribution or geometry of aquifers within the Susquehanna River valley fill in western Endicott and northwestern Vestal are delineated in this report largely on the basis of abundant borehole data that have been compiled in a table of well records.

  15. Assessment of managed aquifer recharge at Sand Hollow Reservoir, Washington County, Utah, updated to conditions in 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marston, Thomas M.; Heilweil, Victor M.

    2013-01-01

    Sand Hollow Reservoir in Washington County, Utah, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily for managed aquifer recharge by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. From 2002 through 2011, surface-water diversions of about 199,000 acre-feet to Sand Hollow Reservoir have allowed the reservoir to remain nearly full since 2006. Groundwater levels in monitoring wells near the reservoir rose through 2006 and have fluctuated more recently because of variations in reservoir altitude and nearby pumping from production wells. Between 2004 and 2011, a total of about 19,000 acre-feet of groundwater was withdrawn by these wells for municipal supply. In addition, a total of about 21,000 acre-feet of shallow seepage was captured by French drains adjacent to the North and West Dams and used for municipal supply, irrigation, or returned to the reservoir. From 2002 through 2011, about 106,000 acre-feet of water seeped beneath the reservoir to recharge the underlying Navajo Sandstone aquifer. Water quality was sampled at various monitoring wells in Sand Hollow to evaluate the timing and location of reservoir recharge as it moved through the aquifer. Tracers of reservoir recharge include major and minor dissolved inorganic ions, tritium, dissolved organic carbon, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and noble gases. By 2012, this recharge arrived at four monitoring wells located within about 1,000 feet of the reservoir. Changing geochemical conditions at five other monitoring wells could indicate other processes, such as changing groundwater levels and mobilization of vadose-zone salts, rather than arrival of reservoir recharge.

  16. Investigation of in-plane moment connections of I-beams to square concrete-filled steel tube columns under gravity loads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelrahim K. Dessouki

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on experimental and analytical behavior of the ultimate moment of the connections of steel I-beams to square concrete-filled steel tube columns. External stiffeners around the columns are used at the beam flange levels. Five specimens are tested monotonically. The test parameters are the column stiffener dimensions and filling the steel tube column with concrete. Two types of failure modes are observed; beam flange failure and stiffener failure. The experimental results show that the ultimate moment of the connection is increased by increasing stiffener’s dimensions and filling the steel tube column with concrete. ANSYS finite element program is used to simulate the behavior, taking into account both geometric and material nonlinearities. Analytical results that are in fair agreement with the experimental ones are then used to discuss the influence of the main geometric parameters on the connection behavior. The parameters are the stiffener and column dimensions as well as filling the steel tube column with concrete. Different square column cross sections are chosen to cover the three classes of section classifications according to Egyptian code of practice, which are: compact, non compact or slender. The increase in the ultimate moment of the connections is based upon both column cross sections’ compactness and stiffener dimensions while the maximum advantages occur with slender columns.

  17. Plume persistence caused by back diffusion from thin clay layers in a sand aquifer following TCE source-zone hydraulic isolation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Beth L; Chapman, Steven W; Guilbeault, Martin A

    2008-11-14

    This paper concludes that back diffusion from one or a few thin clayey beds in a sand aquifer can cause contaminant persistence above MCLs in a sand aquifer long after the source zone initially causing the plume is isolated or removed. This conclusion is based on an intensive case study of a TCE contaminated site in Florida, with the processes evaluated using numerical modeling. At this site, the TCE DNAPL zone formed decades ago, and was hydraulically isolated by means of an innovative system performing groundwater extraction, treatment and re-injection. Treated water is re-injected in a row of injection wells situated a short distance downgradient of the extraction wells, creating a clean-water displacement front to efficiently flush the downgradient plume. This scheme avoids the creation of stagnation zones typical of most groundwater pump-and-treat systems, thereby minimizing the time for aquifer flushing and therefore downgradient cleanup. The system began operation in August 2002 and although the performance monitoring shows substantial declines in concentrations, detectable levels of TCE and degradation products persist downgradient of the re-injection wells, long after the TCE should have disappeared based on calculations assuming a nearly homogenous sand aquifer. Three hypotheses were assessed for this plume persistence: 1) incomplete source-zone capture, 2) DNAPL occurrence downgradient of the re-injection wells, and 3) back diffusion from one or more thin clay beds in the aquifer. After careful consideration, the first two hypotheses were eliminated, leaving back diffusion as the only plausible hypothesis, supported by detailed measurements of VOC concentrations within and near the clay beds and also by numerical model simulations that closely represent the field site hydrogeologic conditions. The model was also used to simulate a more generalized, hypothetical situation where more thin clayey beds occur in a sand aquifer with an underlying aquitard

  18. Investigation of Stress-Strain-Time Relationships of Concrete Filled Steel Tube Columns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mutlu Seçer

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, time dependent creep and shrinkage behaviors of concrete filled steel box section columns are investigated by using various methods. Time dependent behavior is examined by using effective modulus method, age-adjusted effective modulus method, creep rate method and Dischinger method. Shrinkage and creep strains are modeled using ACI 209 specification. In the study, in order to investigate time dependent behavior numerically, a concrete filled steel box section column is selected in a twenty story building and the time dependent stress decrease in concrete and stress increase in steel box section and the changes in strain components are calculated. Stress – time, strain – time and strain components – time graphics are shown and the advantages and the disadvantages of the numerical methods in modeling the time dependent behavior are revealed respectively.

  19. Migration rates of volatile organic compounds in an unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifer system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naidu, J.R.; Paquette, D.E.; Porcelli, D.R.

    1993-01-01

    The movement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in an aquifer is dictated by its solubility, attenuation characteristics, recharge volume, and ground-water movement (velocity and direction). At Brookhaven National Laboratory, past handling and disposal practices at the Hazardous Waste Management Facility and current landfill have resulted in the release of VOCs and the radioisotope tritium to the underlying upper glacial aquifer which characterized by unconsolidated sands and gravel. The rate of VOC migration from these source areas was examined using the following parameters: (1) distribution of VOCs and tritium; (2) tritium/helium ratios, which provide an estimate of the age of the water, and hence the rate of ground-water movement; (3) ground-water flow velocities within the upper glacial aquifer utilizing conductivity, porosity, and gradient data. Preliminary results indicate that whereas the comparison of the calculated ground-water flow gradient to tritium/helium age determinations are fairly consistent, application to VOC movement is inconclusive, and will require additional monitoring which would also focus on the vertical component as well

  20. Visualization of residual organic liquid trapped in aquifers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conrad, S.H.; Wilson, J.L.; Mason, W.R.; Peplinski, W.J.

    1992-01-01

    Organic liquids that are essentially immiscible with water migrate through the subsurface under the influence of capillary, viscous, and buoyancy forces. These liquids originate from the improper disposal of hazardous wastes, and the spills and leaks of petroleum hydrocarbons and solvents. The flow visualization experiments described in this study examined the migration of organic liquids through the saturated zone of aquifers, with a primary focus on the behavior of the residual organic liquid saturation, referring to that portion of the organic liquid that is trapped by capillary forces. Etched glass micromodels were used to visually observe dynamic multiphase displacement processes in pore networks. The resulting fluid distributions were photographed. Pore and blob casts were produced by a technique in which an organic liquid was solidified in place within a sand column at the conclusion of a displacement. The columns were sectioned and examined under optical and scanning electron microscopes. Photomicrographs of these sections show the morphology of the organic phase and its location within the sand matrix. The photographs from both experimental techniques reveal that in the saturated zone large amounts of residual organic liquid are trapped as isolated blobs of microscopic size. The size, shape, and spatial distribution of these blobs of residual organic liquid affect the dissolution of organic liquid into the water phase and the biotransformation of organic components. These processes are of concern for the prediction of pollution migration and the design of aquifer remediation schemes

  1. Hydrogeology of Valley-Fill Aquifers and Adjacent Areas in Eastern Chemung County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heisig, Paul M.

    2015-10-19

    The extent, hydrogeologic framework, and potential well yields of valley-fill aquifers within a 151-square-mile area of eastern Chemung County, New York, were investigated, and the upland distribution of till thickness over bedrock was characterized. The hydrogeologic framework of these valleyfill aquifers was interpreted from multiple sources of surficial and subsurface data and an interpretation of the origin of the glacial deposits, particularly during retreat of glacial ice from the region. Potential yields of screened wells are based on the hydrogeologic framework interpretation and existing well-yield data, most of which are from wells finished with open-ended well casing.

  2. Geospatial data to support analysis of water-quality conditions in basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinney, Tim S.; Anning, David W.

    2009-01-01

    The Southwest Principal Aquifers study area consists of most of California and Nevada and parts of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado; it is about 409,000 square miles. The Basin-fill aquifers extend through about 201,000 square miles of the study area and are the primary source of water for cities and agricultural communities in basins in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Southwest). The demand on limited ground-water resources in areas in the southwestern United States has increased significantly. This increased demand underscores the importance of understanding factors that affect the water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the region, which are being studied through the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. As a part of this study, spatial datasets of natural and anthropogenic factors that may affect ground-water quality of the basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States were developed. These data include physical characteristics of the region, such as geology, elevation, and precipitation, as well as anthropogenic factors, including population, land use, and water use. Spatial statistics for the alluvial basins in the Southwest have been calculated using the datasets. This information provides a foundation for the development of conceptual and statistical models that relate natural and anthropogenic factors to ground-water quality across the Southwest. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to determine and illustrate the spatial distribution of these basin-fill variables across the region. One hundred-meter resolution raster data layers that represent the spatial characteristics of the basins' boundaries, drainage areas, population densities, land use, and water use were developed for the entire Southwest.

  3. Effects of natural and human factors on groundwater quality of basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States-conceptual models for selected contaminants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.; Anning, David W.; Huntington, Jena M.; McKinney, Tim S.

    2011-01-01

    As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, the Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the factors that affect water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the Southwestern United States. The SWPA study area includes four principal aquifers of the United States: the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; the Rio Grande aquifer system in New Mexico and Colorado; and the California Coastal Basin and Central Valley aquifer systems in California. Similarities in the hydrogeology, land- and water-use practices, and water-quality issues for alluvial basins within the study area allow for regional analysis through synthesis of the baseline knowledge of groundwater-quality conditions in basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. Resulting improvements in the understanding of the sources, movement, and fate of contaminants are assisting in the development of tools used to assess aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability.This report synthesizes previously published information about the groundwater systems and water quality of 15 information-rich basin-fill aquifers (SWPA case-study basins) into conceptual models of the primary natural and human factors commonly affecting groundwater quality with respect to selected contaminants, thereby helping to build a regional understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to those contaminants. Four relatively common contaminants (dissolved solids, nitrate, arsenic, and uranium) and two contaminant classes (volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticide compounds) were investigated for sources and controls affecting their occurrence and distribution above specified levels of concern in groundwater of the case-study basins. Conceptual models of factors that are important to aquifer vulnerability with respect to those contaminants and contaminant classes were subsequently formed. The

  4. Modeling of high-strength concrete-filled FRP tube columns under cyclic load

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Kee-Yen; Ma, Chau-Khun; Apandi, Nazirah Mohd; Awang, Abdullah Zawawi; Omar, Wahid

    2018-05-01

    The behavior of high-strength concrete (HSC) - filled fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) tubes (HSCFFTs) column subjected to cyclic lateral loading is presented in this paper. As the experimental study is costly and time consuming, a finite element analysis (FEA) is chosen for the study. Most of the previous studies have focused on examining the axial load behavior of HSCFFT column instead of seismic behavior. The seismic behavior of HSCFFT columns has been the main interest in the industry. The key objective of this research is to develop a reliable numerical non-linear FEA model to represent the seismic behavior of such column. A FEA model was developed using the Concrete Damaged Plasticity Model (CDPM) available in the finite element software package (ABAQUS). Comparisons between experimental results from previous research and the predicted results were made based on load versus displacement relationships and ultimate strength of the column. The results showed that the column increased in ductility and able to deform to a greater extent with the increase of the FRP confinement ratio. With the increase of confinement ratio, HSCFFT column achieved a higher moment resistance, thus indicated a higher failure strength in the column under cyclic lateral load. It was found that the proposed FEA model can regenerate the experimental results with adequate accuracy.

  5. Contamination Control of Freeze Shoe Coring System for Collection of Aquifer Sands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Homola, K.; van Geen, A.; Spivack, A. J.; Grzybowski, B.; Schlottenmier, D.

    2017-12-01

    We have developed and tested an original device, the freeze-shoe coring system, designed to recover undisturbed samples of water contained in sand-dominated aquifers. Aquifer sands are notoriously difficult to collect together with porewater from coincident depths, as high hydraulic permeability leads to water drainage and mixing during retrieval. Two existing corer designs were reconfigured to incorporate the freeze-shoe system; a Hydraulic Piston (HPC) and a Rotary (RC) Corer. Once deployed, liquid CO­2 contained in an interior tank is channeled to coils at the core head where it changes phase, rapidly cooling the deepest portion of the core. The resulting frozen core material impedes water loss during recovery. We conducted contamination tests to examine the integrity of cores retrieved during a March 2017 yard test deployment. Perfluorocarbon tracer (PFC) was added to the drill fluid and recovered cores were subsampled to capture the distribution of PFC throughout the core length and interior. Samples were collected from two HPC and one RC core and analyzed for PFC concentrations. The lowest porewater contamination, around 0.01% invasive fluid, occurs in the center of both HPC cores. The greatest contamination (up to 10%) occurs at the disturbed edges where core material contacts drill fluid. There was lower contamination in the core interior than top, bottom, and edges, as well as significantly lower contamination in HPC cores that those recovered with the RC. These results confirm that the freeze-shoe system, proposed for field test deployments in West Bengal, India, can successfully collect intact porewater and sediment material with minimal if any contamination from drill fluid.

  6. Method of Relating Grain Size Distribution to Hydraulic Conductivity in Dune Sands to Assist in Assessing Managed Aquifer Recharge Projects: Wadi Khulays Dune Field, Western Saudi Arabia

    KAUST Repository

    Lopez Valencia, Oliver Miguel; Jadoon, Khan; Missimer, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Planning for use of a dune field aquifer for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) requires that hydraulic properties need to be estimated over a large geographic area. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of dune sands is commonly estimated from grain size

  7. Fate of 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol in batch and column studies simulating managed aquifer recharge

    KAUST Repository

    Maeng, Sungkyu; Sharma, Saroj K.; Lee, Jaewoo; Amy, Gary L.

    2013-01-01

    Laboratory-scale batch and soil columns experiments were conducted to investigate the attenuation of estrogens (17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol) during managed aquifer recharge. The role of microbial activity in the removal of selected

  8. Mercury mobilization and speciation linked to bacterial iron oxide and sulfate reduction: A column study to mimic reactive transfer in an anoxic aquifer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellal, Jennifer; Guédron, Stéphane; Huguet, Lucie; Schäfer, Jörg; Laperche, Valérie; Joulian, Catherine; Lanceleur, Laurent; Burnol, André; Ghestem, Jean-Philippe; Garrido, Francis; Battaglia-Brunet, Fabienne

    2015-09-01

    Mercury (Hg) mobility and speciation in subsurface aquifers is directly linked to its surrounding geochemical and microbial environment. The role of bacteria on Hg speciation (i.e., methylation, demethylation and reduction) is well documented, however little data is available on their impact on Hg mobility. The aim of this study was to test if (i) Hg mobility is due to either direct iron oxide reduction by iron reducing bacteria (IRB) or indirect iron reduction by sulfide produced by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), and (ii) to investigate its subsequent fate and speciation. Experiments were carried out in an original column setup combining geochemical and microbiological approaches that mimic an aquifer including an interface of iron-rich and iron depleted zones. Two identical glass columns containing iron oxides spiked with Hg(II) were submitted to (i) direct iron reduction by IRB and (ii) to indirect iron reduction by sulfides produced by SRB. Results show that in both columns Hg was leached and methylated during the height of bacterial activity. In the column where IRB are dominant, Hg methylation and leaching from the column was directly correlated to bacterial iron reduction (i.e., Fe(II) release). In opposition, when SRB are dominant, produced sulfide induced indirect iron oxide reduction and rapid adsorption of leached Hg (or produced methylmercury) on neoformed iron sulfides (e.g., Mackinawite) or its precipitation as HgS. At the end of the SRB column experiment, when iron-oxide reduction was complete, filtered Hg and Fe concentrations increased at the outlet suggesting a leaching of Hg bound to FeS colloids that may be a dominant mechanism of Hg transport in aquifer environments. These experimental results highlight different biogeochemical mechanisms that can occur in stratified sub-surface aquifers where bacterial activities play a major role on Hg mobility and changes in speciation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Rare Earth Element Concentrations and Fractionation Patterns Along Groundwater Flow Paths in Two Different Aquifer Types (i.e., Sand vs. Carbonate)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johannesson, K. H.; Tang, J.

    2003-12-01

    Groundwater samples were collected in two different types of aquifer (i.e., Carrizo Sand Aquifer, Texas and Upper Floridan carbonate Aquifer, west-central Florida) to study the concentrations, fractionation, and speciation of rare earth elements (REE) along groundwater flow paths in each aquifer. Major solutes and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were also measured in these groundwaters. The Carrizo Sand aquifer was sampled in October 2002 and June 2003, whereas, to date, we have only sampled the Floridan once (i.e., June 2003). The data reveal no significant seasonal differences in major solute and REE concentrations for the Carrizo. In Carrizo sand aquifer, groundwaters from relatively shallow wells (i.e., less than 167 m) in the recharge zone are chiefly Ca-Na-HCO3-Cl type waters. With flow down-gradient the groundwaters shift composition to the Na-HCO3 waters. pH and alkalinity initially decrease with flow away from the recharge zone before increasing again down-gradient. DOC is generally low (0.65 mg/L) along the flow path. REE concentrations are highest in groundwaters from the recharge zone (Nd 40.5 pmol/kg), and decrease substantially with flow down-gradient reaching relatively low and stable values (Nd 4.1-8.6 pmol/kg) roughly 10 km from the recharge zone. Generally, Carrizo groundwaters exhibit HREE-enriched shale-normalized patterns. The HREE enrichments are especially strong for waters from the recharge zone [(Yb/Nd)SN =1.7-5.6], whereas down-gradient (deep) groundwaters have flatter patterns [(Yb/Nd)SN =0.7-2.5]. All groundwaters have slightly positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* 0.09-0.14) and negative Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce* -0.85 - -0.07). In the Upper Floridan Aquifer, Ca, Mg, SO4, and Cl concentrations generally increase along groundwater flow path, whereas pH and alkalinity generally decrease. DOC is higher (0.64 - 2.29 mg/L) than in the Carrizo and initially increases along the flow path and then decreases down-gradient. LREE (Nd) concentrations generally

  10. Fate of benzotriazole and 5-methylbenzotriazole in recycled water recharged into an anaerobic aquifer: column studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alotaibi, M D; Patterson, B M; McKinley, A J; Reeder, A Y; Furness, A J; Donn, M J

    2015-03-01

    The fate of benzotriazole (BTri) and 5-methylbenzotriazole (5-MeBT) was investigated under anaerobic conditions at nano gram per litre concentrations in large-scale laboratory columns to mimic a managed aquifer recharge replenishment strategy in Western Australia. Investigations of BTri and 5-MeBT sorption behaviour demonstrated mobility of the compounds with retardation coefficients of 2.0 and 2.2, respectively. Degradation processes over a period of 220 days indicated first order biodegradation of the BTri and 5-MeBT under anaerobic aquifer conditions after a biological lag-time of approximately 30-60 days. Biodegradation half-lives of 29 ± 2 and 26 ± 1 days for BTri and 5-MeBT were respectively observed, with no threshold effect to biodegradation observed at the 200 ng L(-1). The detection of degradation products provided further evidence of BTri and 5-MeBT biodegradation. These results suggested that if BTri and 5-MeBT were present in recycled water recharged to the Leederville aquifer, biodegradation during aquifer passage is likely given sufficient aquifer residence times or travel distances between recycled water injection and groundwater extraction. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Treatment of Copper Contaminated Municipal Wastewater by Using UASB Reactor and Sand-Chemically Carbonized Rubber Wood Sawdust Column

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swarup Biswas

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The performance of a laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB reactor and its posttreatment unit of sand-chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust (CCRWSD column system for the treatment of a metal contaminated municipal wastewater was investigated. Copper ion contaminated municipal wastewater was introduced to a laboratory scale UASB reactor and the effluent from UASB reactor was then followed by treatment with sand-CCRWSD column system. The laboratory scale UASB reactor and column system were observed for a period of 121 days. After the posttreatment column the average removal of monitoring parameters such as copper ion concentration (91.37%, biochemical oxygen demand (BODT (93.98%, chemical oxygen demand (COD (95.59%, total suspended solid (TSS (95.98%, ammonia (80.68%, nitrite (79.71%, nitrate (71.16%, phosphorous (44.77%, total coliform (TC (99.9%, and fecal coliform (FC (99.9% was measured. The characterization of the chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM, X-ray fluorescence spectrum (XRF, and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. Overall the system was found to be an efficient and economical process for the treatment of copper contaminated municipal wastewater.

  12. Treatment of Copper Contaminated Municipal Wastewater by Using UASB Reactor and Sand-Chemically Carbonized Rubber Wood Sawdust Column.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Swarup; Mishra, Umesh

    2016-01-01

    The performance of a laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and its posttreatment unit of sand-chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust (CCRWSD) column system for the treatment of a metal contaminated municipal wastewater was investigated. Copper ion contaminated municipal wastewater was introduced to a laboratory scale UASB reactor and the effluent from UASB reactor was then followed by treatment with sand-CCRWSD column system. The laboratory scale UASB reactor and column system were observed for a period of 121 days. After the posttreatment column the average removal of monitoring parameters such as copper ion concentration (91.37%), biochemical oxygen demand (BODT) (93.98%), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (95.59%), total suspended solid (TSS) (95.98%), ammonia (80.68%), nitrite (79.71%), nitrate (71.16%), phosphorous (44.77%), total coliform (TC) (99.9%), and fecal coliform (FC) (99.9%) was measured. The characterization of the chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray fluorescence spectrum (XRF), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Overall the system was found to be an efficient and economical process for the treatment of copper contaminated municipal wastewater.

  13. Empirical Approach for Determining Axial Strength of Circular Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayalekshmi, S.; Jegadesh, J. S. Sankar; Goel, Abhishek

    2018-06-01

    The concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns are highly regarded in recent years as an interesting option in the construction field by designers and structural engineers, due to their exquisite structural performance, with enhanced load bearing capacity and energy absorption capacity. This study presents a new approach to simulate the capacity of circular CFST columns under axial loading condition, using a large database of experimental results by applying artificial neural network (ANN). A well trained network is established and is used to simulate the axial capacity of CFST columns. The validation and testing of the ANN is carried out. The current study is focused on proposing a simplified equation that can predict the ultimate strength of the axially loaded columns with high level of accuracy. The predicted results are compared with five existing analytical models which estimate the strength of the CFST column. The ANN-based equation has good prediction with experimental data, when compared with the analytical models.

  14. Empirical Approach for Determining Axial Strength of Circular Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayalekshmi, S.; Jegadesh, J. S. Sankar; Goel, Abhishek

    2018-03-01

    The concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns are highly regarded in recent years as an interesting option in the construction field by designers and structural engineers, due to their exquisite structural performance, with enhanced load bearing capacity and energy absorption capacity. This study presents a new approach to simulate the capacity of circular CFST columns under axial loading condition, using a large database of experimental results by applying artificial neural network (ANN). A well trained network is established and is used to simulate the axial capacity of CFST columns. The validation and testing of the ANN is carried out. The current study is focused on proposing a simplified equation that can predict the ultimate strength of the axially loaded columns with high level of accuracy. The predicted results are compared with five existing analytical models which estimate the strength of the CFST column. The ANN-based equation has good prediction with experimental data, when compared with the analytical models.

  15. Hydrology of aquifer systems in the Memphis area, Tennessee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Criner, James H.; Sun, P-C. P.; Nyman, Dale J.

    1964-01-01

    The Memphis area as described in .this report comprises about 1,300 square miles of the Mississippi embayment part of the Gulf Coastal Plain. The area is underlain by as much as 3,000 feet of sediments ranging in age from Cretaceous through Quaternary. In 1960, 150 mgd (million gallons per day) of water was pumped from the principal aquifers. Municipal pumpage accounted for almost half of this amount, and industrial pumpage a little more than half. About 90 percent of the water used in the area is derived from the '500-foot' sand, and most of the remainder is from the ?400-foot' sand; both sands are of Eocene age. A small amount of water for domestic use is pumped from the terrace deposits of Pliocene and Pleistocene age. Both the '500-foot' and the '1,400-foot' sands are artesian aquifers except in the southeastern part of the area; there the water level in wells in the '500-foot' sand is now below the overlying confining clay. Water levels in both aquifers have declined almost continuously since pumping began, but the rate of decline has increased rapidly since 1940. Water-level decline in the '1,400-foot' sand has been less pronounced since 1956. The cones of depression in both aquifers have expanded and deepened as a result of the annual increases in pumping, and an increase in hydraulic gradients has induced a greater flow of water into the area. Approximately 135 mgd entered the Memphis area through the '500-foot' sand aquifer in 1960, and, of this amount, 60 mgd originated as inflow from the east and about 75 mgd was derived from leakage from the terrace deposits, from the north, south, and west and from other sources. Of the water entering the '1,400-foot' sand, about 5 mgd was inflow from the east, and about half that amount was from each of the north, south, and west directions. The average rate of movement of water outside the area of heavy withdrawals is about 70 feet per year in the '500-foot' sand and about 40 feet per year in the '1,400-foot' sand

  16. Damage assessment for seismic response of recycled concrete filled steel tube columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yijie; Xiao, Jianzhuang; Shen, Luming

    2016-09-01

    A model for evaluating structural damage of recycled aggregate concrete filled steel tube (RCFST) columns under seismic effects is proposed in this paper. The proposed model takes the lateral deformation and the effect of repeated cyclic loading into account. Available test results were collected and utilized to calibrate the parameters of the proposed model. A seismic test for six RCFST columns was also performed to validate the proposed damage assessment model. The main test parameters were the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement percentage and the bond-slip property. The test results indicated that the seismic performance of the RCFST member depends on the RCA contents and their damage index increases as the RCA replacement percentage increases. It is also indicated that the damage degree of RCFST changes with the variation of the RCA replacement percentage. Finally, comparisons between the RCA contents, lateral deformation ratio and damage degree were implemented. It is suggested that an improvement procedure should be implemented in order to compensate for the performance difference between the RCFST and normal concrete filled steel tubes (CFST).

  17. Soil and minespoil fill as media for renovation of nitrogen and phosphorus in domestic wastewater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, C.E.; Reneau, R.B. Jr.; Hagedorn, C.

    1998-01-01

    Development of US Appalachian coal mining regions has been hampered by lack of domestic waste disposal technologies suited to fills. The suitability of on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems (OSWTDS) in fill material is uncertain due to the effects of surface mining on soil physical properties. This research evaluated the potential for renovation of N and P present in domestic wastewater by fills from mining operations. N and P were chosen because of their potential adverse environmental impacts. Soil-fill (a mixture of Jefferson, fine-loamy, siliceous, mesic Typic Hapludult and Muskingom, fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Dystrochrept soils) and minespoil (spoil)-fill (blasted rock material associated with the Taggart Marker and Low Splint Bench coal seams of the Upper Middle Wise Formation) were used. Septic tank effluent (STE) and sand filter effluent (SFE) were applied to spoil-fill columns at four loading rates and spoil-fill columns at one loading rate for a period of 20 wk. Renovation of wastewater was assessed by determining the concentration of N and P present in column leachate. Reduction of inorganic N(NO 3 - + NH 4 + ), based on N/Cl ratios ranged from 14.9 to 32.1% after the varying application rates of STE and SFE passed through the soil columns. However, leachate NO 3 - -N concentrations were still above the 10 mg -1 drinking water standard. The quantity of P emerging from the spoil-fill columns (3.0 mg PL -1 ) was higher than anticipated and may be related to the indigenous P present in the minespoil. Sorption of P in the spoil-fill column decreased with increased STE and SFE application (reduction ranged from 99.1 to 74.4%). Results from this study indicate that there is potential for renovating wastewater in OSWTDS in selected soil-fill areas in reclaimed minelands. 33 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

  18. Anaerobic Transformation of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in a Sand Aquifer Based on Spatial Chemical Distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semprini, Lewis; Kitanidis, Peter K.; Kampbell, Don H.; Wilson, John T.

    1995-04-01

    We estimated the distribution of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) from groundwater samples collected along three transects in a sand aquifer. Trichloroethylene (TCE) leaked and contaminated the aquifer probably more than a decade before we collected the measurements. The data show significant concentrations of TCE, cis-l,2-dichloroethylene (c-DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and ethene. We attributed DCE, VC, and ethene to the reductive dehalogenation of TCE. The CAH concentrations varied significantly with depth and correlate with sulfate and methane concentrations. Anoxic aquifer conditions exist with methane present at relatively high concentrations at depth. High concentrations of TCE correspond with the absence of methane or low methane concentrations, whereas products of TCE dehalogenation are associated with higher methane concentrations and low sulfate concentrations. Indications are that the dechlorination of TCE and DCE to VC and ethene is associated with sulfate reduction and active methanogenesis. TCE dechlorination to DCE is likely occurring under the less reducing conditions of sulfate reduction, with further reductions to VC and ethene occurring under methanogenic conditions. We estimated that about 20% of TCE has dechlorinated to ethene. The analysis of the data enhanced our knowledge of natural in situ transformation and transport processes of CAHs.

  19. Effect of operating conditions in soil aquifer treatment on the removals of pharmaceuticals and personal care products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Kai, E-mail: hekai@urban.env.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Echigo, Shinya; Itoh, Sadahiko

    2016-09-15

    Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is an alternative advanced treatment for wastewater reclamation, and it has the potential to control micropollutants including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). However, the relationship of operating conditions in SAT and removals of micropollutants was not clear. In this study, the effects of operating conditions on the removals of PPCPs were evaluated by using lab-scale columns and plant pilot-scale reactors under different operating conditions. Firstly, weathered granite soil (WGS), standard sand (SAND) and Toyoura standard sand (TS) have different soil characteristics such as total organic carbon (TOC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). In the columns with these packing materials, the removals of carboxylic analgesics and antilipidemics were effective regardless packing materials. The removals of antibiotics were more effective in WGS than in TS and SAND, indicating high TOC and CEC enhance the sorption in SAT. Secondly, with the extension of hydraulic retention time (HRT), the removals of sulfamethoxazole, acetaminophen, crotamiton, and antipyrine were improved in WGS columns, and adaptable biodegradation for moderately removable PPCPs was formed. Thirdly, the removal efficiencies of sulfamethoxazole and crotamiton were higher in the WGS column under vadose condition than in the WGS column under saturated condition, because of aerobic condition in WGS column under vadose condition. Though long HRT and vadose condition had positive influence on the removals of several PPCPs such as sulfamethoxazole, WGS column with an HRT of 7 days under saturated condition removed most PPCPs. - Highlights: • Soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity enhanced the removals of antibiotics in SAT. • A hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7 days was sufficient for the removals of most PPCPs. • The removals of most selected PPCPs were similar under vadose and saturated conditions. • Vadose condition contributed to the

  20. A novel bench-scale column assay to investigate site-specific nitrification biokinetics in biological rapid sand filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tatari, Karolina; Smets, Barth F.; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

    2013-01-01

    A bench-scale assay was developed to obtain site-specific nitrification biokinetic information from biological rapid sand filters employed in groundwater treatment. The experimental set-up uses granular material subsampled from a full-scale filter, packed in a column, and operated with controlled...

  1. Column study for the evaluation of the transport properties of polyphenol-coated nanoiron.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mystrioti, C; Papassiopi, N; Xenidis, A; Dermatas, D; Chrysochoou, M

    2015-01-08

    Injection of a nano zero valent iron (nZVI) suspension in the subsurface is a remedial option for obtaining the in situ reduction and immobilization of hexavalent chromium in contaminated aquifers. Prerequisite for the successful implementation of this technology is that the nanoparticles form a stable colloidal suspension with good transport properties when delivered in the subsurface. In this study we produced stable suspensions of polyphenol-coated nZVI (GT-nZVI) and we evaluated their transport behavior through representative porous media. Two types of porous materials were tested: (a) silica sand as a typical inert medium and (b) a mixture of calcareous soil and sand. The transport of GT-nZVI through the sand column was effectively described using a classic 1-D convection-dispersion flow equation (CDE) in combination with the colloid filtration theory (CFT). The calculations indicate that nZVI travel distance will be limited in the range 2.5-25cm for low Darcy velocities (0.1-1m/d) and in the order of 2.5m at higher velocities (10m/d). The mobility of GT-nZVI suspension in the soil-sand column is lower and is directly related to the progress of the neutralization reactions between the acidic GT-nZVI suspension and soil calcite. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Removal of dissolved organic carbon by aquifer material: Correlations between column parameters, sorption isotherms and octanol-water partition coefficient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, Snigdhendubala; Boernick, Hilmar; Kumar, Pradeep; Mehrotra, Indu

    2016-07-15

    The correlation between octanol-water partition coefficient (KOW) and the transport of aqueous samples containing single organic compound is well documented. The concept of the KOW of river water containing the mixture of organics was evolved by Pradhan et al. (2015). The present study aims at determining the KOW and sorption parameters of synthetic aqueous samples and river water to finding out the correlation, if any. The laboratory scale columns packed with aquifer materials were fed with synthetic and river water samples. Under the operating conditions, the compounds in the samples did not separate, and all the samples that contain more than one organic compound yielded a single breakthrough curve. Breakthrough curves simulated from sorption isotherms were compared with those from the column runs. The sorption parameters such as retardation factor (Rf), height of mass transfer zone (HMTZ), rate of mass transfer zone (RMTZ), breakpoint column capacity (qb) and maximum column capacity (qx) estimated from column runs, sorption isotherms and models developed by Yoon-Nelson, Bohart-Adam and Thomas were in agreement. The empirical correlations were found between the KOW and sorption parameters. The transport of the organics measured as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) through the aquifer can be predicted from the KOW of the river water and other water samples. The novelty of the study is to measure KOW and to envisage the fate of the DOC of the river water, particularly during riverbank filtration. Statistical analysis of the results revealed a fair agreement between the observed and computed values. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. USE OF BENZOATE TO ESTABLISH REACTIVE BUFFER ZONES FOR ENHANCED ATTENUATION OF BTX MIGRATION: AQUIFER COLUMN EXPERIMENTS (R823420)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flow-through aquifer columns were used to evaluate the efficacy of using benzoate as a biostimulatory substrate to enhance the aerobic biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and o-xylene (BTX), fed continuously at low concentra tions (about 0.2 mg/L each). When used as a cosubstr...

  4. Mechanical Behavior of Recycled Aggregate Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns before and after Fire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenchao Liu

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC is an environmentally friendly building material. This paper investigates the mechanical behavior of recycled aggregate concrete filled steel tube (RACFST columns exposed to fire. Two groups of 12 columns were designed and tested, under axial compression, before and after fire, to evaluate the degradation of bearing capacity due to fire exposure. Six specimens were subjected to axial compression tests at room temperature and the other six specimens were subjected to axial compression tests after a fire exposure. The main parameters of the specimens include the wall thickness of the steel tube (steel content and the type of concrete materials. Several parameters as obtained from the experimental results were compared and analyzed, including the load-bearing capacity, deformation capacity, and failure characteristics of the specimens. Meanwhile, rate of loss of bearing capacity of specimens exposed to fire were calculated based on the standards EC4 and CECS28:90. The results show that concrete material has a large influence on the rate of loss of bearing capacity in the case of a relatively lower steel ratio. While steel content has little effect on the rate of loss of bearing capacity of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST columns after fire, it has a relatively large influence on the loss rate of bearing capacity of the RACFST columns. The loss of bearing capacity of the specimens from the experiment is more serious than that from the calculation. As the calculated values are less conservative, particular attention should be given to the application of recycled aggregate concrete in actual structures.

  5. Mechanical Behavior of Recycled Aggregate Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns before and after Fire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wenchao; Cao, Wanlin; Zhang, Jianwei; Wang, Ruwei; Ren, Lele

    2017-03-09

    Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is an environmentally friendly building material. This paper investigates the mechanical behavior of recycled aggregate concrete filled steel tube (RACFST) columns exposed to fire. Two groups of 12 columns were designed and tested, under axial compression, before and after fire, to evaluate the degradation of bearing capacity due to fire exposure. Six specimens were subjected to axial compression tests at room temperature and the other six specimens were subjected to axial compression tests after a fire exposure. The main parameters of the specimens include the wall thickness of the steel tube (steel content) and the type of concrete materials. Several parameters as obtained from the experimental results were compared and analyzed, including the load-bearing capacity, deformation capacity, and failure characteristics of the specimens. Meanwhile, rate of loss of bearing capacity of specimens exposed to fire were calculated based on the standards EC4 and CECS28:90. The results show that concrete material has a large influence on the rate of loss of bearing capacity in the case of a relatively lower steel ratio. While steel content has little effect on the rate of loss of bearing capacity of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns after fire, it has a relatively large influence on the loss rate of bearing capacity of the RACFST columns. The loss of bearing capacity of the specimens from the experiment is more serious than that from the calculation. As the calculated values are less conservative, particular attention should be given to the application of recycled aggregate concrete in actual structures.

  6. Upward migration of radio-cesium and strontium in a sand-filled lysimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, W.E.; Larsen, I.L.; McConnell, J.W.; Rogers, R.D.

    1998-01-01

    The upward migration of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 90 Sr was observed in a silica sand-filled lysimeter at the Field Lysimeter Investigations: Low Level Waste Data Base Development experiment site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The source of the radionuclides first observed on the surface was identified from isotopic analysis as being from the buried waste. Cores of the sand were collected and analyzed for the vertical distribution of the radionuclides. Results of analyses revealed that pulses (elevated levels) in the activity of the Cs and Sr radioisotopes occurred at the same depths. During the sectioning of the sand core collected from directly above the buried waste form it was discovered that a fine root from an unidentified plant was present throughout all but the upper few centimeters of the core. Because the upward migration was unexpected, information that may lead to the determination of a definitive mechanism of migration was not preserved. The distribution of the radionuclides coupled with the presence of the root suggest that Cs and Sr migrated upward in the evapotranspiration stream of the root. Further study must be undertaken to confirm this phenomenon. Upward migration of radionuclides as observed here could result in direct exposures and offsite releases from underground storage facilities. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  7. Attenuation of landfill leachate by UK Triassic sandstone aquifer materials. 1. Fate of inorganic pollutants in laboratory columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thornton, Steven F.; Tellam, John H.; Lerner, David N.

    2000-05-01

    The attenuation of inorganic contaminants in acetogenic and methanogenic landfill leachate by calcareous and carbonate-deficient, oxide-rich Triassic sandstone aquifer materials from the English Midlands was examined in laboratory columns. Aqueous equilibrium speciation modelling, simple transport modelling and chemical mass balance approaches are used to evaluate the key processes and aquifer geochemical properties controlling contaminant fate. The results indicate that leachate-rock interactions are dominated by ion-exchange processes, acid-base and redox reactions and sorption/precipitation of metal species. Leachate NH 4 is attenuated by cation exchange with the aquifer sediments; however, NH 4 migration could be described with a simple model using retardation factors. Organic acids in the acetogenic leachate buffered the system pH at low levels during flushing of the calcareous aquifer material. In contrast, equilibrium with Al oxyhydroxide phases initially buffered pH (˜4.5) during flushing of the carbonate-deficient sandstone with methanogenic leachate. This led to the mobilisation of sorbed and oxide-bound heavy metals from the aquifer sediment which migrated as a concentrated pulse at the leachate front. Abiotic reductive dissolution of Mn oxyhydroxides on each aquifer material by leachate Fe 2+ maintains high concentrations of dissolved Mn and buffers the leachate inorganic redox system. This feature is analogous to the Mn-reducing zones found in leachate plumes and in the experiments provides a sink for the leachate Fe load and other heavy metals. The availability of reactive solid phase Mn oxyhydroxides limits the duration of redox buffering and Fe attenuation by these aquifer sediments. Aquifer pH and redox buffering capacity exert a fundamental influence on leachate inorganic contaminant fate in these systems. The implications for the assessment of aquifer vulnerability at landfills are discussed and simple measurements of aquifer properties which

  8. Occurrence of Radium-224, Radium-226 and Radium-228 in Water from the Vincentown and Wenonah-Mount Laurel Aquifers, the Englishtown Aquifer System, and the Hornerstown and Red Bank Sands, Southwestern and South-Central New Jersey

    Science.gov (United States)

    dePaul, Vincent T.; Szabo, Zoltan

    2007-01-01

    This investigation is the first regionally focused study of the presence of natural radioactivity in water from the Vincentown and Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifers, Englishtown aquifer system, and the Hornerstown and Red Bank Sands. Geologic materials composing the Vincentown and Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifers and the Hornerstown and Red Bank Sands previously have been reported to contain radioactive (uranium-enriched) phosphatic strata, which is common in deposits from some moderate-depth coastal marine environments. The decay of uranium and thorium gives rise to natural radioactivity and numerous radioactive progeny, including isotopes of radium. Naturally occurring radioactive isotopes, especially those of radium, are of concern because radium is a known human carcinogen and ingestion (especially in water used for drinking) can present appreciable health risks. A regional network in southwestern and south-central New Jersey of 39 wells completed in the Vincentown and Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifers, the Englishtown aquifer system, and the Hornerstown and Red Bank Sands was sampled for determination of gross alpha-particle activity; concentrations of radium radionuclides, major ions, and selected trace elements; and physical properties. Concentrations of radium-224, radium-226, and radium-228 were determined for water from 28 of the 39 wells, whereas gross alpha-particle activity was determined for all 39. The alpha spectroscopic technique was used to determine concentrations of radium-224, which ranged from less than 0.5 to 2.7 pCi/L with a median concentration of less than 0.5pCi/L, and of radium-226, which ranged from less than 0.5 to 3.2 pCi/L with a median concentration of less than 0.5 pCi/L. The beta-counting technique was used to determine concentrations of radium-228. The concentration of radium-228 ranged from less than 0.5 to 4.3 pCi/L with a median of less than 0.5. Radium-228, when quantifiable, had the greatest concentration of the three radium

  9. In situ radionuclide migration studies in a shallow sand aquifer. Part. 1. Part. 2: appendices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, G.M.; Alexander, L.S.; Hitchman, S.P.; Hooker, P.J.; Noy, D.J.; Ross, C.A.M.; Stuart, A.; West, J.M.

    1986-01-01

    As a result of a study of the geology of the British Nuclear Fuels premises at Drigg, Cumbria, the British Geological Survey identified a shallow glacial sand deposit approximately 1.5m thick, interbedded between two clay horizons. An array of boreholes has been constructed in this sand in order to study the migration of radionuclides introduced into the formation under controlled conditions of groundwater flow. Conservative tracers used in the field test include chloride (as NaCl) and iodine-131 (as NaI). Strontium-85 (as the chloride) has been used as a chemically reactive tracer in conjunction with 131 I. The principal research objectives of the programme are as follows: (1) To undertake laboratory batch sorption experiments using core material from the field site in order to choose those nuclides of radiological interest that would migrate sufficiently quickly for their behaviour to be studied in a field experiment within a reasonable time period. (2) To identify and quantify the mechanisms for nuclide/sediment interaction by determination of the geochemical distribution of 85 Sr in contaminated cores using a sequential leaching procedure. (3) To obtain appropriate data on the hydraulic characteristics of the sand formation in order to construct a mathematical model to describe groundwater flow and reactive mass transport. Part 2 of this report contains the following appendices: (1) Calculation of sorption parameters. (2) A low-cost manifold system for use with multi-level samplers. (3) Radioactivity curves for 131 I and 85 Sr. (4) Results of particle size analysis for sand aquifers

  10. Microbes Enhance Mobility of Arsenic in Pleistocene Aquifer Sand from Bangladesh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhar, Ratan K.; Zheng, Yan; Saltikov, Chad W.; Radloff, Kathleen A.; Mailloux, Brian; Ahmed, Kazi. M.; van Geen, Alexander

    2018-01-01

    Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria can mobilize As, but few studies have studied such processes in deeper orange-colored Pleistocene sands containing 1–2 mg kg−1 As that are associated with low-As groundwater in Bangladesh. To address this gap, anaerobic incubations were conducted in replicate over 90 days using natural orange sands initially containing 0.14 mg kg−1 of 1 M phosphate-extractable As (24 hr), >99% as As(V), and 0.8 g kg−1 of 1.2 M HCl-leachable Fe (1 hr at 80°C), 95% as Fe(III). The sediment was resuspended in artificial groundwater, with or without lactate as a labile carbon source, and inoculated with metal-reducing Shewanella sp. ANA-3. Within 23 days, dissolved As concentrations increased to 17 μg L−1 with lactate, 97% as As(III), and 2 μg L−1 without lactate. Phosphate-extractable As concentrations increased 4-fold to 0.6 mg kg−1 in the same incubations, even without the addition of lactate. Dissolved As levels in controls without Shewanella, both with and without lactate, instead remained <1 μg L−1. These observations indicate that metal-reducers such as Shewanella can trigger As release to groundwater by converting sedimentary As to a more mobilizable form without the addition of high levels of labile carbon. Such interactions need to be better understood to determine the vulnerability of low-As aquifers from which drinking water is increasingly drawn in Bangladesh. PMID:21405115

  11. A PVDF-Based Sensor for Internal Stress Monitoring of a Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) Column Subject to Impact Loads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Guofeng; Li, Zhao; Song, Gangbing

    2018-05-23

    Impact loads can have major adverse effects on the safety of civil engineering structures, such as concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns. The study of mechanical behavior and stress analysis of CFST columns under impact loads is very important to ensure their safety against such loads. At present, the internal stress monitoring of the concrete cores CFST columns under impact loads is still a very challenging subject. In this paper, a PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) piezoelectric smart sensor was developed and successfully applied to the monitoring of the internal stress of the concrete core of a CFST column under impact loads. The smart sensor consists of a PVDF piezoelectric film sandwiched between two thin steel plates through epoxy. The protection not only prevents the PVDF film from impact damages but also ensures insulation and waterproofing. The smart sensors were embedded into the circular concrete-filled steel tube specimen during concrete pouring. The specimen was tested against impact loads, and testing data were collected. The time history of the stress obtained from the PVDF smart sensor revealed the evolution of core concrete internal stress under impact loads when compared with the impact force⁻time curve of the hammer. Nonlinear finite element simulations of the impact process were also carried out. The results of FEM simulations had good agreement with the test results. The results showed that the proposed PVDF piezoelectric smart sensors can effectively monitor the internal stress of concrete-filled steel tubular columns under impact loads.

  12. Reactive Transport of Marcellus Shale Waters in Natural Aquifers: the Role of Mineralogical Compositions and Spatial Distribution Patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Z.; Wen, H.; Li, L.

    2017-12-01

    column study suggests in carbonate rich aquifers, carbonate facilitate natural attenuation. In clay-rich aquifers, such as sandstone aquifers, clay helps alleviate the cation during MSW release however these sorbed cations will ultimately release back to the aqueous phase. In sand and gravel aquifers, mixing process primarily controls the concentration level.

  13. Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York-- Adirondack sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.; Casey, George D.

    1988-01-01

    This map shows the location and potential well yield from unconsolidated aquifers in the Adirondack region at a 1:250,000 scale. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply ' aquifers and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, greater than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

  14. Effects of effluent organic matter characteristics on the removal of bulk organic matter and selected pharmaceutically active compounds during managed aquifer recharge: Column study

    KAUST Repository

    Maeng, Sungkyu; Sharma, Saroj K.; Abel, Chol D T; Magic-Knezev, Aleksandra; Song, Kyungguen; Amy, Gary L.

    2012-01-01

    Soil column experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of effluent organic matter (EfOM) characteristics on the removal of bulk organic matter (OM) and pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) during managed aquifer recharge (MAR

  15. Effects of water content on reactive transport of Sr in Chernobyl sand columns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szenknect, S.; Dewiere, L.; Ardois, C.; Gaudet, J.P.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: While transport of non-reactive solutes has been studied extensively in unsaturated porous media, much less is known about the factors that control the transport of sorbing solutes in unsaturated conditions. Three laboratory techniques were used to analyze the transport of Sr in the aeolian sand from Chernobyl Pilot Site [1] in both saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. Batch experiments were performed to study the chemical equilibrium state of the soil/solution system. Stirred flow-through reactor (SFTR) experiments were performed to study the kinetics and reversibility of sorption reactions at the surface of solid particles. Column experiments were also performed in saturated and unsaturated steady flow conditions. Experimental data pointed out a non-linear, instantaneous and reversible sorption process of Sr. A suitable cation-exchange model was used to describe the solute/soil reaction. The former model was coupled with transport models to describe behavior of Sr in saturated [2] and unsaturated flow conditions. Transport properties of sand packed columns have been determined with an inert tracer (HTO). BTCs obtained under saturated conditions exhibit a small amount of dispersion compared to those obtained under unsaturated conditions. Classical advection-dispersion model described successfully saturated tritium breakthrough curves (BTCs), whereas a mobile-immobile model (MIM) was required to described asymmetrical unsaturated BTCs. The MIM assumes that the porous medium contains a mobile water phase in which convective-dispersive transport occurs, and a immobile water phase with which solutes can exchange with a first order kinetic. In our experiments, transport by advection in the mobile phase is the predominant process whatever the flow conditions and mass transfer rate between the mobile and immobile regions is the predominant process for broadening the BTCs. Since dispersion is blurred by mass transfer resistance, the

  16. Bioaugmentation of flow-through sand filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Samuelsen, Elin Djurhuus

    for degradation performances in flow-through sand columns, with the aim of identifying a suitable inoculant strain for future environmental applications. Another aim was to identify a suitable genetic marker to monitor phenoxy acid degradation in strain Sphingobium sp. PM2. We were not able to link motility...... and biofilm formation to the strains´ ability to adhere to sand. Nevertheless, a correlation was found between cell surface hydrophobicity and adhesion and overall degradation performances in flow-through sand columns. We identified S phingobium sp. PM2 as a promising inoculant strain, displaying efficient...... MCPA degradation for prolonged periods in flow-through sand columns. In an expression study of catabolic genes with putative roles in phenoxy acid degradation, we observed a marked upregulation of catabolic genes cadA and tfdC upon exposure to MCPA, 2,4-D, dichlorprop and mecoprop in strain PM2, which...

  17. Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York-- Niagara sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.

    1988-01-01

    This map depicts the locations and potential well yields of unconsolidated aquifers in western New York at a scale of 1:250 ,000. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are used for public water supplies and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply Aquifers. ' The map also lists published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low areas, such as valleys and plains, during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel units yield large quantities of water - more than 100 gal/min - to properly constructed wells. Thin sand units and sand and gravel units and thicker gravel units that have a large content of silt and fine sand yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Dug wells that tap till or lacustrine deposits yield less than 5 gal/min. Well yields from bedrock are not indicated. (USGS)

  18. Sand and gravel mining: effects on ground water resources in Hancock county, Maine, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peckenham, John M.; Thornton, Teresa; Whalen, Bill

    2009-01-01

    Based on this preliminary study, existing sand and gravel mining regulations (in Maine, USA) can be inferred to provide some protection to water resources. Sand and gravel deposits are important natural resources that have dual uses: mining for construction material and pumping for drinking water. How the mining of sand and gravel affects aquifers and change aquifer vulnerability to contamination is not well documented. Mining regulations vary greatly by state and local jurisdiction. This study test metrics to measure the effectiveness of mining regulations. The sand and gravel aquifer system studied is covered with former and active gravel pits to nearly 25% of its areal extent. Data from homeowner interviews and field measurements found scant evidence of changes in water quantity. Water quality analyses collected from springs, streams, ponds and wells indicate that the aquifer was vulnerable to contamination by chloride and nitrate. However, water quality changes can not be related directly to mining activities.

  19. Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York--Hudson-Mohawk sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.; Casey, George D.

    1988-01-01

    This map shows the location and potential well yields of unconsolidated aquifers in the Hudson-Mohawk region at a scale of 1:250,000. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply ' aquifers, and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciations of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, greater than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units that have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

  20. Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York--lower Hudson sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.

    1988-01-01

    This map shows the location and potential well yields from unconsolidated aquifers in the lower-Hudson region at a 1:250 ,000 scale. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary water supply ' aquifers and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, more than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units that have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

  1. Arsenic levels in groundwater aquifer

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Miodrag Jelic

    resistance (ρ); dielectric constant (ε); magnetic permeability (η); electrochemical activity ..... comprises grey sands of different particle size distribution ..... groundwater: testing pollution mechanisms for sedimentary aquifers in. Bangladesh.

  2. On the performance of circular concrete-filled high strength steel columns under axial loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Mahmoud El-Heweity

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This work presents a numerical study to investigate the performance of circular high-strength steel tubes filled with concrete (CFT under monotonic axial loading. A model is developed to implement the material constitutive relationships and non-linearity. Calibration against previous experimental data shows good agreement. A parametric study is then conducted using the model and compared with codes provisions. Strength and ductility of confined concrete are of primary concern. Variables considered are yield stress of steel tube and column diameter. The assessment of column performance is based on axial load carrying capacities and enhancements of both strength and ductility due to confinement. Two parameters namely strength enhancement factor (Kf and ductility index (μ are clearly defined and introduced for assessment. Results indicate that both concrete strength and ductility of CFT columns are enhanced but to different extents. The ductile behaviors are significantly evident. The increase in yield stress of steel tube has a minimal effect on concrete strength but pronounced effect on concrete ductility. However, reduction in ductility is associated with using high-tensile steel of Grade 70. The overall findings indicate that the use of high-strength tube in CFT columns is not promising. This finding may seriously be considered in seismic design.

  3. Surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, R.E.; Londergan, J.T.; Pickens, J.

    1995-01-01

    Many DOE facilities are situated in areas of sand and gravel which have become polluted with dense, non-aqueous phase liquids or DNAPLs, such as chlorinated solvents, from the various industrial operations at these facilities. The presence of such DNAPLs in sand and gravel aquifers is now recognized as the principal factor in the failure of standard ground-water remediation methods, i.e., open-quotes pump-and-treatclose quotes operations, to decontaminate such systems. The principal objective of this study is to demonstrate that multi-component DNAPLs can be readily solubilized in sand and gravel aquifers by dilute surfactant solutions

  4. Sand filter clogging by septic tank effluent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spychała, M; Błazejewski, R

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study was to characterise conditions and factors affecting fine sand clogging by septic tank effluent on the basis of physical modelling. The physical model consisted of 12 sand columns dosed with sewage from one household (5 persons), preliminary treated in a septic tank. Hydraulic loadings of the sand filters were equal to 82 mm/d. The mean discharge from sand columns, measured as the effluent volume collected during 10 minutes, decreased significantly over the experiment period from 34 cm3/min in August 2000 to 20 cm3/min in August 2001 at the same temperature of about 20 degrees C. First the columns clogged almost completely after 480 days in December 2001, however six columns had remained unclogged till the end of the experiment (March 2002). The temperature had a significant impact on hydraulic conductivity. A vertical distribution of accumulated mass and biomass was investigated in partly clogged sand. Microscopic survey of the clogging layer showed a presence of live micro-organisms, residuals of dead micro-organisms, particularly pieces of small animal armour and many fibres. These particles accelerated the accumulation of solids in the upper clogging layer. The study indicated that temperature impact on the filter hydraulic conductivity was more significant for biological activity, than for sewage viscosity.

  5. Managed aquifer recharge: the fate of pharmaceuticals from infiltrated treated wastewater investigated through soil column experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silver, Matthew; Selke, Stephanie; Balsaa, Peter; Wefer-Roehl, Annette; Kübeck, Christine; Schüth, Christoph

    2017-04-01

    The EU FP7 project MARSOL addresses water scarcity challenges in arid regions, where managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is an upcoming technology to recharge depleted aquifers using alternative water sources. Within this framework, column experiments were conducted to investigate the fate of pharmaceuticals when secondary treated wastewater (TWW) is infiltrated through a natural soil (organic matter content 6.8%) being considered for MAR. Three parallel experiments were run under conditions of continuous infiltration (one column) and wetting-drying cycles (two columns, with different analytes) over a 16 month time period. The pharmaceuticals diclofenac, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, naproxen, gemfibrozil, and fenoprofen, as well as the antibiotics doxycycline, sulfadimidine, and sulfamethoxazole, are commonly present in treated wastewater in varying concentrations. For the experiments, concentration variability was reduced by spiking the column inflow water with these compounds. Concentrations were periodically analyzed at different depths in each column and the mass passing each depth over the duration of the experiment was calculated. At the end of the experiments, sorbed pharmaceuticals were extracted from soil samples collected from different depths. A pressurized liquid extraction method was developed and resulted in recoveries from spiked post-experiment soil samples ranging from 64% (gemfibrozil) to 82% (carbamazepine) for the six non-antibiotic compounds. Scaling results by these recovery rates, the total mass of pharmaceuticals sorbed to the soil in the columns was calculated and compared to the calculated attenuated mass (i.e. mass that left the water phase). The difference between the attenuated mass and the sorbed mass is considered to be mass that degraded. Results for continuous infiltration conditions indicate that for carbamazepine and diclofenac, sorption is the primary attenuation mechanism, with missing (i.e. degraded) mass lying within the propagated

  6. Groundwater Discharges to Rivers in the Western Canadian Oil Sands Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, J.; Jasechko, S.

    2016-12-01

    Groundwater discharges into rivers impacts the movement and fate of nutrients and contaminants in the environment. Understanding groundwater-surface water interactions is especially important in the western Canadian oil sands, where groundwater contamination risks are elevated and baseline water chemistry data is lacking, leading to substantial uncertainties about anthropogenic influences on local river quality. High salinity groundwater springs sourced from deep aquifers, comprised of Pleistocene-aged glacial meltwater, are known to discharge into many rivers in the oil sands. Understanding connections between deep aquifers and surficial waterways is important in order to determine natural inputs into these rivers and to assess the potential for injected wastewater or oil extraction fluids to enter surface waters. While these springs have been identified, their spatial distribution along rivers has not been fully characterized. Here we present river chemistry data collected along a number of major river corridors in the Canadian oil sands region. We show that saline groundwater springs vary spatially along the course of these rivers and tend to be concentrated where the rivers incise Devonian- or Cretaceous-aged aquifers along an evaporite dissolution front. Our results suggest that water sourced from Devonian aquifers may travel through bitumen-bearing Cretaceous units and discharge into local rivers, implying a strong groundwater-surface water connection in specialized locations. These findings indicate that oil sands process-affected waters that are injected at depth have the potential to move through these aquifers and reach the rivers at the surface at some time in the future. Groundwater-surface water interactions remain key to understanding the risks oil sands activities pose to aquatic ecosystems and downstream communities.

  7. Reduction of Mn-oxides by ferrous iron in a flow system: column experiment and reactive transport modeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Postma, Diederik Jan; Appelo, C. A. J.

    2000-01-01

    Cl2 solution into the column, an ion distribution pattern was observed in the effluent that suggests the formation of separate reaction fronts for Mn(III)-oxide and Mn(IV)-oxide travelling at different velocities through the column. At the proximal reaction front, Fe21 reacts with MnO2 producing Fe......The reduction of Mn-oxide by Fe21 was studied in column experiments, using a column filled with natural Mn-oxide coated sand. Analysis of the Mn-oxide indicated the presence of both Mn(III) and Mn(IV) in the Mn-oxide. The initial exchange capacity of the column was determined by displacement...... of adsorbed Ca21 with Mg21. Subsequently a FeCl2 solution was injected into the column causing the reduction of the Mn-oxide and the precipitation of Fe(OH)3. Finally the exchange capacity of the column containing newly formed Fe(OH)3 was determined by injection of a KBr solution. During injection of the Fe...

  8. Hydrogen peroxide stabilization in one-dimensional flow columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Jeremy T.; Ahmad, Mushtaque; Teel, Amy L.; Watts, Richard J.

    2011-09-01

    Rapid hydrogen peroxide decomposition is the primary limitation of catalyzed H 2O 2 propagations in situ chemical oxidation (CHP ISCO) remediation of the subsurface. Two stabilizers of hydrogen peroxide, citrate and phytate, were investigated for their effectiveness in one-dimensional columns of iron oxide-coated and manganese oxide-coated sand. Hydrogen peroxide (5%) with and without 25 mM citrate or phytate was applied to the columns and samples were collected at 8 ports spaced 13 cm apart. Citrate was not an effective stabilizer for hydrogen peroxide in iron-coated sand; however, phytate was highly effective, increasing hydrogen peroxide residuals two orders of magnitude over unstabilized hydrogen peroxide. Both citrate and phytate were effective stabilizers for manganese-coated sand, increasing hydrogen peroxide residuals by four-fold over unstabilized hydrogen peroxide. Phytate and citrate did not degrade and were not retarded in the sand columns; furthermore, the addition of the stabilizers increased column flow rates relative to unstabilized columns. These results demonstrate that citrate and phytate are effective stabilizers of hydrogen peroxide under the dynamic conditions of one-dimensional columns, and suggest that citrate and phytate can be added to hydrogen peroxide before injection to the subsurface as an effective means for increasing the radius of influence of CHP ISCO.

  9. Optimization of foam-filled bitubal structures for crashworthiness criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yong; Sun, Guangyong; Li, Guangyao; Luo, Zhen; Li, Qing

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The paper aims to optimize foam-filled bitubal squared column for crashworthiness. ► It explores different formulations and configurations of design. ► The optimal foam-filled bitubal column is better than foam-filled monotubal column. ► The optimal foam-filled bitubal column is better than empty bitubal column. -- Abstract: Thin-walled structures have been widely used as key components in automobile and aerospace industry to improve the crashworthiness and safety of vehicles while maintaining overall light-weight. This paper aims to explore the design issue of thin-walled bitubal column structures filled with aluminum foam. As a relatively new filler material, aluminum foam can increase crashworthiness without sacrificing too much weight. To optimize crashworthiness of the foam-filled bitubal square column, the Kriging meta-modeling technique is adopted herein to formulate the objective and constraint functions. The genetic algorithm (GA) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA II) are used to seek the optimal solutions to the single and multiobjective optimization problems, respectively. To compare with other thin-walled configurations, the design optimization is also conducted for empty bitubal column and foam-filled monotubal column. The results demonstrate that the foam-filled bitubal configuration has more room to enhance the crashworthiness and can be an efficient energy absorber.

  10. Study of transport in unsaturated sands using radioactive tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merritt, W.F.; Pickens, J.F.; Allison, G.B.

    1979-01-01

    A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the mixing that occurs as a series of labelled pulses of water are transported by gravity drainage down through a sand filled column having a water table imposed at the bottom. It also demonstrated the utility of gamma-ray emitting radioactive tracers in studying transport in unsaturated or saturated porous media. The motivation for pursuing this topic was developed from observing that the content of oxygen-18, deuterium and tritium in rainwater shows marked temporal variations whereas their concentrations below the water table in shallow ground water flow systems are generally found to show much less variation. (auth)

  11. Biaxial bending of slender HSC columns and tubes filled with concrete under short- and long-term loads: I Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose A. Rodríguez-Gutiérrez

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available An analytical method that calculates both the short- and long-term response of slender columns made of high-strength concrete (HSC and tubes filled with concrete with generalized end conditions and subjected to transverse loads along the span and axial load at the ends (causing a single or double curvature under uniaxial or biaxial bending is presented. The proposed method, which is an extension of a method previously developed by the authors, is capable of predicting not only the complete load-rotation and load-deflection curves (both the ascending and descending parts but also the maximum load capacity. The columns that can be analyzed include solid and hollow (rectangular, circular, oval, C-, T-, L-, or any arbitrary shape cross sections and columns made of circular and rectangular steel tubes filled with HSC. The fiber method is used to calculate the moment-curvature diagrams at different levels of the applied axial load (i.e., the M-P-φ curves, and the Gauss method of integration (for the sum of the contributions of the fibers parallel to the neutral axis is used to calculate the lateral rotations and deflections along the column span. Long-term effects, such as creep and shrinkage of the concrete, are also included. However, the effects of the shear deformations and torsion along the member are not included. The validity of the proposed method is presented in a companion paper and compared against the experimental results for over seventy column specimens reported in the technical literature by different researchers.

  12. Ground-Water Flow Direction, Water Quality, Recharge Sources, and Age, Great Sand Dunes National Monument, South-Central Colorado, 2000-2001

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupert, Michael G.; Plummer, Niel

    2004-01-01

    Great Sand Dunes National Monument is located in south-central Colorado along the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley. The Great Sand Dunes National Monument contains the tallest sand dunes in North America; some rise up to750 feet. Important ecological features of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument are palustrine wetlands associated with interdunal ponds and depressions along the western edge of the dune field. The existence and natural maintenance of the dune field and the interdunal ponds are dependent on maintaining ground-water levels at historic elevations. To address these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study, in collaboration with the National Park Service, of ground-water flow direction, water quality, recharge sources, and age at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. A shallow unconfined aquifer and a deeper confined aquifer are the two principal aquifers at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Ground water in the unconfined aquifer is recharged from Medano and Sand Creeks near the Sangre de Cristo Mountain front, flows underneath the main dune field, and discharges to Big and Little Spring Creeks. The percentage of calcium in ground water in the unconfined aquifer decreases and the percentage of sodium increases because of ionic exchange with clay minerals as the ground water flows underneath the dune field. It takes more than 60 years for the ground water to flow from Medano and Sand Creeks to Big and Little Spring Creeks. During this time, ground water in the upper part of the unconfined aquifer is recharged by numerous precipitation events. Evaporation of precipitation during recharge prior to reaching the water table causes enrichment in deuterium (2H) and oxygen-18 (18O) relative to waters that are not evaporated. This recharge from precipitation events causes the apparent ages determined using chlorofluorocarbons and tritium to become younger, because relatively young precipitation water is mixing with older waters

  13. Hydrogeologic framework and hydrologic conditions of the Piney Point aquifer in Virginia

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarland, E. Randolph

    2017-06-07

    The Piney Point aquifer in Virginia is newly described and delineated as being composed of six geologic units, in a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ). The eastward-dipping geologic units include, in stratigraphically ascending order, thesand of the Nanjemoy Formation Woodstock Member,interbedded limestone and sand of the Piney Point Formation,silty and clayey sand of the Gosport Formation equivalent sediments,silty sand of the Oligocene-age sediments,silty fine-grained sand of the Old Church Formation, andsilty sand of the Calvert Formation, Newport News unit and basal Plum Point Member.Identification of geologic units is based on typical sediment lithologies of geologic formations. Fine-grained sediments that compose confining units positioned immediately above and below the Piney Point aquifer are also described.The Piney Point aquifer is one of several confined aquifers within the Virginia Coastal Plain and includes a highly porous and solution-channeled indurated limestone within the Piney Point Formation from which withdrawals are made. The limestone is relatively continuous laterally across central parts of the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and York-James Peninsula. Other geologic units are of variable extent. The configurations of most of the geologic units are further affected by newly identified faults that are aligned radially from the Chesapeake Bay impact crater and create constrictions or barriers to groundwater flow. Some geologic units are also truncated beneath the lower Rappahannock River by a resurge channel associated with the impact crater.Groundwater withdrawals from the Piney Point aquifer increased from approximately 1 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) during 1900 to 7.35 Mgal/d during 2004. As a result, a water-level cone of depression in James City and northern York Counties was estimated to be as low as 70 feet (ft) below the National Geodetic

  14. Aquifer recharging in South Carolina: radiocarbon in environmental hydrogeology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stone, P.A.; Knox, R.L.; Mathews, T.D.

    1985-01-01

    Radiocarbon activities of dissolved inorganic carbon (and tritium activities where infiltration rates are rapid and aquifers shallow) provide relatively unambiguous and inexpensive evidence for identification of significant recharge areas. Such evidence is for the actual occurrence of modern recharge in the aquifer and thus is less inferential than stratigraphic or potentiometric evidence. These underutilized isotopic techniques are neither arcane nor complex and have been more-or-less standardized by earlier researchers. In South Carolina, isotopic evidence has been used from both calcareous and siliceous sedimentary aquifers and fractured crystalline rock aquifers. The Tertiary limestone aquifer is shown not to be principally recharged in its subcrop area, unlike conditions assumed for many other sedimentary aquifers in southeastern United States, and instead receives considerable lateral recharge from interfingering updip Tertiary sand aquifers in the middle coastal plain. Induced recharging at Hilton Head Island is mixing ancient relict water and modern recharge water. Recharging to deeper portions of the Cretaceous Middendorf basal sand aquifer occurs at least as far coastward as the middle coastal plain, near sampling sites that stratigraphically appear to be confined. Pronounced mineralization of water in fractured rocks cannot be considered as evidence of ancient or relict ground water that is isolated from modern contaminants, some of these waters contain considerable radiocarbon and hydrogen-bomb tritium

  15. Proposals for Calculation of Bucking Coefficient for Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishan, A. L.; Sagadatov, A. I.; Surovtsov, M. M.

    2017-11-01

    This paper demonstrates that the methodology currently standardized in Russia to factor in the flexibility of reinforced concrete components under extra-central compression produce results that satisfactorily match the experimental values; however, that only holds for the components with a flexibility of λ=40÷60. Given the complex stress state of the concrete core and the steel shell as well as due to the concrete-filled steel tube columns being prone to deformation, this method cannot be used to reliably calculate their load capacity. The literature review has revealed many researchers’ suggestions to factor in the flexibility of concrete-filled steel tubes by means of the buckling coefficient that reduces the limit value of longitudinal force a short compressed element can take. We have analyzed the methods currently standardized in Europe and China as well as more advanced methods proposed by Chinese scientists. Calculating by these methods led to the results that excessively deviated from experimental values. By statistically analyzing a large volume of own and third-party research data as well as the data obtained by non-linear deformation computing, we have derived a new formula to determine the bucking coefficient depending on the relative flexibility.

  16. Vibration of an Offshore Structure Having the Form of a Hollow Column Partially Filled with Multiple Fluids and Immersed in Water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsien-Yuan Lin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper employs the numerical assembly method (NAM to determine the exact frequency-response amplitudes of an offshore structure such as piles or towers having the form of a hollow column filled with multiple fluids, immersed in water, carrying an eccentric tip mass supported by a translational spring and/or a rotational spring, and subjected to a harmonic force. The hollow column is modeled as a Bernoulli-Euler cantilever beam fixed at the bottom. For the case of zero harmonic force, the simultaneous equations of the vibration system reduce to an eigenvalue problem so that the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the beam can also be obtained. The effect of height of filled fluids on the characteristics of free vibration is also presented.

  17. Behaviour and fate of nine recycled water trace organics during managed aquifer recharge in an aerobic aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, B. M.; Shackleton, M.; Furness, A. J.; Bekele, E.; Pearce, J.; Linge, K. L.; Busetti, F.; Spadek, T.; Toze, S.

    2011-03-01

    The fate of nine trace organic compounds was evaluated during a 12 month large-scale laboratory column experiment. The columns were packed with aquifer sediment and evaluated under natural aerobic and artificial anaerobic geochemical conditions, to assess the potential for natural attenuation of these compounds during aquifer passage associated with managed aquifer recharge (MAR). The nine trace organic compounds were bisphenol A (BPA), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR), carbamazepine, oxazepam, iohexol and iodipamide. In the low organic carbon content Spearwood sediment, all trace organics were non-retarded with retardation coefficients between 1.0 and 1.2, indicating that these compounds would travel at near groundwater velocities within the aquifer. The natural aerobic geochemical conditions provided a suitable environment for the rapid degradation for BPA, E2, iohexol (half life NDMA and NMOR) did not degrade under either aerobic or anaerobic aquifer geochemical conditions (half life > 50 days). Field-based validation experiments with carbamazepine and oxazepam also showed no degradation. If persistent trace organics are present in recycled waters at concentrations in excess of their intended use, natural attenuation during aquifer passage alone may not result in extracted water meeting regulatory requirements. Additional pre treatment of the recycled water would therefore be required.

  18. Behaviour and fate of nine recycled water trace organics during managed aquifer recharge in an aerobic aquifer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, B M; Shackleton, M; Furness, A J; Bekele, E; Pearce, J; Linge, K L; Busetti, F; Spadek, T; Toze, S

    2011-03-25

    The fate of nine trace organic compounds was evaluated during a 12month large-scale laboratory column experiment. The columns were packed with aquifer sediment and evaluated under natural aerobic and artificial anaerobic geochemical conditions, to assess the potential for natural attenuation of these compounds during aquifer passage associated with managed aquifer recharge (MAR). The nine trace organic compounds were bisphenol A (BPA), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR), carbamazepine, oxazepam, iohexol and iodipamide. In the low organic carbon content Spearwood sediment, all trace organics were non-retarded with retardation coefficients between 1.0 and 1.2, indicating that these compounds would travel at near groundwater velocities within the aquifer. The natural aerobic geochemical conditions provided a suitable environment for the rapid degradation for BPA, E2, iohexol (half life aquifer geochemical conditions (half life >50days). Field-based validation experiments with carbamazepine and oxazepam also showed no degradation. If persistent trace organics are present in recycled waters at concentrations in excess of their intended use, natural attenuation during aquifer passage alone may not result in extracted water meeting regulatory requirements. Additional pre treatment of the recycled water would therefore be required. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. How to Recharge a Confined Aquifer: An Exploration of Geologic Controls on Groundwater Storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maples, S.; Fogg, G. E.; Maxwell, R. M.; Liu, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Decreased snowpack storage and groundwater overdraft in California has increased interest in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) of excess winter runoff to the Central Valley aquifer system, which has unused storage capacity that far exceeds the state's surface reservoirs. Recharge to the productive, confined aquifer system remains a challenge due to the presence of nearly-ubiquitous, multiple silt and clay confining units that limit recharge pathways. However, previous studies have identified interconnected networks of sand and gravel deposits that bypass the confining units and accommodate rapid, high-volume recharge to the confined aquifer system in select locations. We use the variably-saturated, fully-integrated groundwater/surface-water flow code, ParFlow, in combination with a high-resolution, transition probability Markov-chain geostatistical model of the subsurface geologic heterogeneity of the east side of the Sacramento Valley, CA, to characterize recharge potential across a landscape that includes these geologic features. Multiple 180-day MAR simulations show that recharge potential is highly dependent on subsurface geologic structure, with a several order-of-magnitude range of recharge rates and volumes across the landscape. Where there are recharge pathways to the productive confined-aquifer system, pressure propagation in the confined system is widespread and rapid, with multi-kilometer lateral pressure propagation. Although widespread pressure propagation occurs in the confined system, only a small fraction of recharge volume is accommodated there. Instead, the majority of recharge occurs by filling unsaturated pore spaces. Where they outcrop at land surface, high-K recharge pathways fill rapidly, accommodating the majority of recharge during early time. However, these features become saturated quickly, and somewhat counterintuitively, the low-K silt and clay facies accommodate the majority of recharge volume during most of the simulation. These findings

  20. Determining treatment requirements for turbid river water to avoid clogging of aquifer storage and recovery wells in siliceous alluvium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Declan; Vanderzalm, Joanne; Miotliński, Konrad; Barry, Karen; Dillon, Peter; Lawrie, Ken; Brodie, Ross S

    2014-12-01

    The success of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) schemes relies on defining appropriate design and operational parameters in order to maintain high rates of recharge over the long term. The main contribution of this study was to define the water quality criteria and hence minimum pre-treatment requirements to allow sustained recharge at an acceptable rate in a medium-coarse sand aquifer. The source water was turbid, natural water from the River Darling, Australia. Three treatments were evaluated: bank filtration; coagulation and chlorine disinfection; and coagulation plus granular activated carbon and chlorine disinfection (GAC). Raw source water and the three treated waters were used in laboratory columns packed with aquifer material in replicate experiments in saturated conditions at constant temperature (19 °C) with light excluded for 37 days. Declines in hydraulic conductivity from a mean of 2.17 m/d occurred over the 37 days of the experiment. The GAC-treated water gave an 8% decline in hydraulic conductivity over the 16 cm length of columns, which was significantly different from the other three source waters, which had mean declines of 26-29%. Within the first 3 cm of column length, where most clogging occurred in each column, the mean hydraulic conductivity declined by 10% for GAC-treated water compared with 40-50% for the other source waters. There was very little difference between the columns until day 21, despite high turbidity (78 NTU) in the source water. Reducing turbidity by treatment was not sufficient to offset the reductions in hydraulic conductivity. Biological clogging was found to be most important as revealed by the accumulation of polysaccharides and bacterial numbers in columns when they were dissected and analysed at the end of the experiment. Further chemical clogging through precipitation of minerals was found not to occur within the laboratory columns, and dispersion of clay was also found to be negligible. Due to the low

  1. Fertilizers mobilization in alluvial aquifer: laboratory experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mastrocicco, M.; Colombani, N.; Palpacelli, S.

    2009-02-01

    In alluvial plains, intensive farming with conspicuous use of agrochemicals, can cause land pollution and groundwater contamination. In central Po River plain, paleo-channels are important links between arable lands and the underlaying aquifer, since the latter is often confined by clay sediments that act as a barrier against contaminants migration. Therefore, paleo-channels are recharge zones of particular interest that have to be protected from pollution as they are commonly used for water supply. This paper focuses on fertilizer mobilization next to a sand pit excavated in a paleo-channel near Ferrara (Italy). The problem is approached via batch test leaking and columns elution of alluvial sediments. Results from batch experiments showed fast increase in all major cations and anions, suggesting equilibrium control of dissolution reactions, limited availability of solid phases and geochemical homogeneity of samples. In column experiments, early elution and tailing of all ions breakthrough was recorded due to preferential flow paths. For sediments investigated in this study, dispersion, dilution and chemical reactions can reduce fertilizers at concentration below drinking standards in a reasonable time frame, provided fertilizer loading is halted or, at least, reduced. Thus, the definition of a corridor along paleo-channels is recommended to preserve groundwater quality.

  2. BENTONITE-QUARTZ SAND AS THE BACKFILL MATERIALS ON THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raharjo Raharjo

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available An investigation of the contribution of quartz sand in the bentonite mixture as the backfill materials on the shallow land burial of radioactive waste has been done. The experiment objective is to determine the effect of quartz sand in a bentonite mixture with bentonite particle sizes of -20+40, -40+60, and -60+80 mesh on the retardation factor and the uranium dispersion in the simulation of uranium migration in the backfill materials. The experiment was carried out by the fixed bed method in the column filled by the bentonite mixture with a bentonite-to-quartz sand weight percent ratio of 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, and 100/0 on the water saturated condition flown by uranyl nitrate solution at concentration (Co of 500 ppm. The concentration of uranium in the effluents in interval 15 minutes represented as Ct was analyzed by spectrophotometer, then using Co and Ct, retardation factor (R and dispersivity ( were determined. The experiment data showed that the bentonite of -60+80 mesh and the quartz sand of -20+40 mesh on bentonite-to-quartz sand with weight percent ratio of 50/50 gave the highest retardation factor and dispersivity of 18.37 and 0.0363 cm, respectively.   Keywords: bentonite, quartz sand, backfill materials, radioactive waste

  3. Core drilling provides information about Santa Fe Group aquifer system beneath Albuquerque's West Mesa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, B.D.; Connell, S.D.; Hawley, J.W.; Stone, B.D.

    1998-01-01

    Core samples from the upper ???1500 ft of the Santa Fe Group in the Albuquerque West Mesa area provide a first-hand look at the sediments and at subsurface stratigraphic relationships in this important part of the basin-fill aquifer system. Two major hydrostratigraphic subunits consisting of a lower coarse-grained, sandy interval and an overlying fine-grained, interbedded silty sand and clay interval lie beneath the water table at the 98th St core hole. Borehole electrical conductivity measurements reproduce major textural changes observed in the recovered cores and support subsurface correlations of hydrostratigraphic units in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system based on geophysical logs. Comparison of electrical logs from the core hole and from nearby city wells reveals laterally consistent lithostratigraphic patterns over much of the metropolitan area west of the Rio Grande that may be used to delineate structural and related stratigraphic features that have a direct bearing on the availability of ground water.

  4. Biogeochemical impacts of aquifer thermal energy storage at 5, 12, 25 and 60°C investigated with anoxic column experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonte, M.; van Breukelen, B. M.; Van Der Wielen, P. W. J. J.; Stuyfzand, P. J.

    2012-04-01

    Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) uses groundwater to store energy for heating or cooling purposes in the built environment. ATES systems are often located in the same aquifers used for public drinking water supply, leading to urgent questions on its environmental impacts. This contribution presents the results of research on the biogeochemical impacts of ATES in anoxic column experiments at 5, 12, 25, and 60° C. In- and effluents are analyzed for major ions, trace elements, heavy metals, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV extinction. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S rRNA genes and analysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were used to detect changes in the microbiological population and activity. Results from the column experiments at 5, 25, and 60° C compared to the reference column at 12° C showed a number of changes in biogeochemical conditions: At 5° C, only changes were observed in alkalinity and calcium concentrations, resulting from calcite dissolution. The 25° C and 60° C column effluents from a sediment containing Fe-(hydr)oxides showed an increase in arsenic concentrations, well above the drinking water limit. This is due to either (reductive) dissolution of, or desorption from, iron(hydro)xides containing arsenic. In addition, at these two temperatures sulfate reduction occurred while this was undetectable at 5 and 12° C within the given timeframe (25 days) and analytical accuracy. The carbon source for sulfate reduction is inferred to be sedimentary organic carbon. Increasing DOC with residence time in the 60° C effluent suggests that at 60° C the terminal sulfate reduction step is rate limiting, while at 25° C the enzymatic hydrolization step in sulfate reducing bacteria is overall rate limiting. Specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA, the ratio of UV extinction and DOC) however shows a clear decrease in reactivity of the humic acid fraction in DOC. This means that the DOC accumulation at 60° C could

  5. Behaviour of the gasoline containing ethanol (E-20) and the pure one after a leakage simulation in laboratory columns; Comportamento da gasolina com etanol (E-20) e da gasolina pura apos a simulacao de um vazamento em colunas de laboratorio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, Silvia Maria; Oliveira, Everton [Hidrologia e Planejamento Ambiental - HIDROPLAN, Cotia, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: silvia@hidroplan.com.br; Duarte, Uriel [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias. Dept. de Geologia Sedimentar e Ambiental

    2004-10-15

    Commercial gasolines sold in Brazil are added ethanol from 20 to 24% by volume. This oxygenated additive raises the octane level and reduces carbon monoxide emissions to the atmosphere. Underground storage tanks and gasoline lines are a major potential problem for soil and groundwater contamination. Since ethanol has cosolvent properties that alter the behavior of phase distribution in subsurface, this study compares the existing relationship between apparent and real thicknesses of free phase gasoline and E-20 (80% gasoline and 20% ethanol by volume) found respectively in monitoring wells and porous medium material used in two column experiments. Two cylindrical plexiglass columns were used (100 cm long and 23 cm in internal diameter). The bottom ends were capped using plexiglass plate 0.60 cm thick. A spout-like connection of PVC was fitted near the base of each column as an inlet/outlet. One well screen (100 cm long and 3,5 cm in internal diameter) in white PVC was cut in half lengthwise and attached to the inside walls of columns to be used as monitoring wells. The columns were then filled with 0,088 mm grain size sand (very fine). The apparent thickness of pure gasoline was 2.6 times thicker than the actual thickness in the aquifer while it was only 0.6 thicker for E-20. The interfacial tension of E-20 is 67% lower than that of the pure gasoline, allowing a larger quantity of pores to be accessed, which was reflected in oil saturation 54% greater than that of pure gasoline. (author)

  6. Zirconium oxide-coated sand based batch and column adsorptive removal of arsenic from water: Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saif Ali Chaudhry

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports zirconium oxide-coated sand preparation, characterization by SEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR and thermoanalytical techniques, and use as an adsorbent for the removal of most toxic form of arsenic, As(III, from aqueous solution in both batch and column methods. Batch experimental parameters such as contact time, concentration, dose of adsorbent, pH of As(III solution and temperature were optimized. The adsorption data was fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms at 303, 308 and 313 K. The maximum Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity was found to be 136.98 μg/g at 313 K. Values of ΔH°, ΔG° and ΔS° were found to be −12.90, −8.74 to –8.28 and 0.014 kJ/mol, suggesting exothermic and spontaneous adsorption process with slight increase in entropy. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second order kinetics and was controlled by film diffusion step. The column studies showed that when flow rate was increased from 3.0 to 5.0 mL/min, the arsenic adsorption capacity of ZrOCS increased from 33.104 to 42.231 μg/g and breakthrough, and exhaustion times got reduced reduced. The results indicated that zirconium oxide-coated sand (ZrOCS is an excellent adsorbent for the removal of As(III from water.

  7. Numerical analysis on seismic behavior of reinforced concrete beam to concrete filled steel tubular column connections with ring-beam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Yi., E-mail: zhaoyi091218@163.com [School of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Zhongyuan University of Technology,Zhengzhou 450000 (China); Xu, Li. Hua. [School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, No.8, Donghu Road, WuHan 430072 (China)

    2016-06-08

    This paper presents numerical study of the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete beam to concrete filled steel tube column connections with ring-beam. The material stress-strain relations, element type and boundary condition are selected, which are consistent with actual situation. Then the seismic behavior of this type of joint are researched by ABAQUS, and finite element analyses are conducted under cyclic loading. Its parameters are discussed including thickness of steel tubular column wall, sectional dimension of the ring-beam and strength of the core concrete. The results show that the ultimate capacity of the connections is improved with sectional dimension of the ring-beam increased. In the meanwhile, the influence on skeleton curve of the joints is slight of which included thickness of steel tubular column wall and strength of the core concrete.

  8. Measuring splash erosion potential under vegetation using sand-filled splash cups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geißler, C.; Scholten, T.; Kühn, P.

    2009-04-01

    In soil erosion research it is widely accepted that vegetation is not only protecting the soil from the erosive power of rainfall. Under specific circumstances (like they occur e.g. in forests) vegetation can enhance the erosive power of rainfall by modifying its properties (esp. drop size distribution, kinetic energy). The adjacent processes are very complex and variable in time and space and depend on numerous variables (e.g. rainfall intensity, drop size distribution, drop fall velocity, height of the canopy, density of the canopy, crown and leaf traits, LAI). In the last decades a large number of studies focused this process-system using different methods and came to often different results (Brandt 1989; Calder 2001; Foot & Morgan 2005; Hall & Calder 1993; Mosley 1982; Nanko et al. 2006; Park & Cameron 2008; Vis 1986). The main objective of our field experiments in subtropical China is to quantify the modification of precipitation by its pass through the canopy layer for six different tree species, three different successional stages and three different biodiversity classes. For this, new splash cups were developed based on the archetype of Ellison (1947). In contrast to previous studies with splash cups (Vis 1986) or other forms of splash cups (Kinnell 1974; Morgan 1981) we measured the unit sand remaining inside the cup after single natural rainfall events. The new splash cups contain of a PE-flask to which a carrier system has been attached. In this carrier system a cup filled with unit sand of 125-200 µm particle size is inserted. At the bottom of the cup a silk cover is attached to avoid the loss of sand and to guarantee free drainage of water from the cup to the carrier and vice versa. Cup and PE-flask are hydraulically connected by a cotton wick to assure constant moisture content throughout the time of measuring. Additionally, vents in the carrier system ensure that the pressure arising from the insertion of the cup doesn't lead to a loss of sand. The

  9. Vibration of an Offshore Structure Having the Form of a Hollow Column Partially Filled with Multiple Fluids and Immersed in Water

    OpenAIRE

    Lin, Hsien-Yuan; Lee, Jeng-Nan; Sung, Wen-Hao

    2012-01-01

    This paper employs the numerical assembly method (NAM) to determine the exact frequency-response amplitudes of an offshore structure such as piles or towers having the form of a hollow column filled with multiple fluids, immersed in water, carrying an eccentric tip mass supported by a translational spring and/or a rotational spring, and subjected to a harmonic force. The hollow column is modeled as a Bernoulli-Euler cantilever beam fixed at the bottom. For the case of zero harmonic force, the...

  10. Geohydrology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifers in Upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek Valleys, Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.

    2015-11-20

    In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Danby and the Tompkins County Planning Department, began a study of the stratified-drift aquifers in the upper Buttermilk Creek and Danby Creek valleys in the Town of Danby, Tompkins County, New York. In the northern part of the north-draining upper Buttermilk Creek valley, there is only one sand and gravel aquifer, a confined basal unit that overlies bedrock. In the southern part of upper Buttermilk Creek valley, there are as many as four sand and gravel aquifers, two are unconfined and two are confined. In the south-draining Danby Creek valley, there is an unconfined aquifer consisting of outwash and kame sand and gravel (deposited by glacial meltwaters during the late Pleistocene Epoch) and alluvial silt, sand, and gravel (deposited by streams during the Holocene Epoch). In addition, throughout the study area, there are several small local unconfined aquifers where large tributaries deposited alluvial fans in the valley.

  11. The migration of colloidal particles through glacial sand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, I.; Higgo, J.J.W.; Leader, R.; Noy, D.; Smith, B.; Wealthall, G.; Williams, G.M.

    1991-02-01

    Significant concentrations of colloids exist in groundwater and radionuclides may be associated with this colloidal material. This must be taken into consideration in any safety case for a radionuclide waste repository. This report describes column experiments with monodisperse latex beads. A selection of beads with diameters ranging from 0.055 μm to 0.6 μm, some plain and some with carboxyl groups attached, were passed through columns of glacial sand. The breakthrough curves and profiles on the sand columns were studied and will be used to develop and validate colloid migration models. The mobility depended on both size and charge, and the beads appeared to move ahead of a 36Cl tracer until they were trapped. After trapping movement was slow with plain beads appearing to be slightly more mobile than carboxylated beads. The beads were shown to sorb strongly on the fine clay particles in the sand and there was evidence to suggest that they moved with the fines rather than independently. (author)

  12. Geohydrology of the Unconsolidated Valley-Fill Aquifer in the Meads Creek Valley, Schuyler and Steuben Counties, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.; Bugliosi, Edward F.; Reddy, James E.

    2008-01-01

    The Meads Creek valley encompasses 70 square miles of predominantly forested uplands in the upper Susquehanna River drainage basin. The valley, which was listed as a Priority Waterbody by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2004, is prone to periodic flooding, mostly in its downstream end, where development is occurring most rapidly. Hydraulic characteristics of the unconsolidated valley-fill aquifer were evaluated, and seepage rates in losing and gaining tributaries were calculated or estimated, in an effort to delineate the aquifer geometry and identify the factors that contribute to flooding. Results indicated that (1) Meads Creek gained about 61 cubic feet of flow per second (about 6.0 cubic feet per second per mile of stream channel) from ground-water discharge and inflow from tributaries in its 10.2-mile reach between the northernmost and southernmost measurement sites; (2) major tributaries in the northern part of the valley are not significant sources of recharge to the aquifer; and (3) major tributaries in the central and southern part of the valley provide recharge to the aquifer. The ground-water portion of streamflow in Meads Creek (excluding tributary inflow) was 11.3 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) in the central part of the valley and 17.2 ft3/s in the southern part - a total of 28.5 ft3/s. Ground-water levels were measured in 29 wells finished in unconfined deposits for construction of a potentiometric-surface map to depict directions of ground-water flow within the valley. In general, ground water flows from the edges of the valley toward Meads Creek and ultimately discharges to it. The horizontal hydraulic gradient for the entire 12-mile-long aquifer averages about 30 feet per mile, whereas the gradient in the southern fourth of the valley averages about half that - about 17 feet per mile. A water budget for the aquifer indicated that 28 percent of recharge was derived from precipitation that falls on the aquifer, 32

  13. Remediation of Perfluoroalkyl Contaminated Aquifers Using an In-situ Two-layer Barrier: Laboratory Batch and Column Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-01

    brown rot fungi , including lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccases, etc. (Bollag 1992, Dec and Bollag 2000). These enzymes effectively...The sorption isotherm experiment for PFOA was conducted in 250 mL polyethylene bottles that contained 10 mg GAC and 100 mL of HPLC water spiked with... polyethylene frit on one end was first wetted with HPLC water and then filled with 0.1 g GAC that was prior saturated with HPLC water. The column was

  14. Transport and fate of engineered silver nanoparticles in aquifer media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adrian, Y.; Schneidewind, U.; Azzam, R.

    2016-12-01

    Engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in various consumer and medical products due to their antimicrobial properties. Their transport behavior in the environment is still under investigation. Previous studies have been focusing on the transport of AgNPs in test systems with pure quartz sand or top soil materials, but studies investigating aquifer material are rare. However, the protection of groundwater resources is an important part in the protection of human health and the assurance of future economic activities. Therefore, expert knowledge regarding the transport, behavior and fate of engineered nanoparticles as potential contaminants in aquifers is essential. The transport and retention behavior of two commercially available engineered AgNPs (one stabilized with a polymere and one with a surfactant) in natural silicate-dominated aquifer material was investigated in saturated laboratory columns. For the experiments a mean grain size diameter of 0.7 mm was chosen with varying silt and clay contents to investigate their effect on the transport behavior of the AgNPs. Typical flow velocities were chosen to represent natural conditions. Particle concentration in the effluent was measured using ICP-MS and the finite element code HYDRUS-1D was used to model the transport and retention processes. The size of the silver nanoparticles in the effluent was analyzed using Flow Field-Flow Fractionation. The obtained results show that silt and clay contents as well as the stabilization of the AgNPs control the transport and retention of AgNPs. Increasing breakthrough was observed with decreasing clay and silt content.

  15. Transport and Deposition of Suspended Soil-Colloids in Saturated Sand Columns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sharma, Anu; Kawamoto, Ken; Møldrup, Per

    2011-01-01

    Understanding colloid mobilization, transport and deposition in the subsurface is a prerequisite for predicting colloid‐facilitated transport of strongly adsorbing contaminants and further developing remedial activities. This study investigated the transport behavior of soil‐colloids extracted from...... caused tailing of colloid BTCs with higher reversible entrapment and release of colloids than high flow velocity. The finer Toyoura sand retained more colloids than the coarser Narita sand at low pH conditions. The deposition profile and particle size distribution of colloids in the Toyoura sand clearly...

  16. Groundwater recharge estimates in the Athabasca and Cold Lake oil sands areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacMillan, G.J.; Smith, A.D.

    2009-01-01

    Groundwater recharge estimates for the Cold Lake and Athabasca oil sands region were presented. New oil sands projects planned for the future will require approximately 150,000 m 3 per day of groundwater. Regulators and public agencies are now investigating the potential impacts of oil sands operations on both shallow groundwater and surface water in the region. Maximum yields from the aquifers are also being estimated. Measurements are currently being taken to determine transmissivity, hydraulic pressure, storage potential and leakage. Numerical models are currently used to determine saturated zone recharge estimates and water table fluctuations. Isotope tracers are also being used to determine where groundwater flow potential is vertical as well as to determine correction factors for hydrogeological and geochemical conditions at each site. Darcy's Law is used to determine heat flow in the groundwater aquifers. To date, the studies have demonstrated that drilling fluids have been recovered at groundwater sites. Wells are often installed near water supply and supply well networks. It was concluded that new water wells will need to be completed at various depths. Data were presented for aquifers and nest wells. refs., tabs., figs

  17. Alluvial aquifers in the Mzingwane catchment: Their distribution, properties, current usage and potential expansion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moyce, William; Mangeya, Pride; Owen, Richard; Love, David

    The Mzingwane River is a sand filled channel, with extensive alluvial aquifers distributed along its banks and bed in the lower catchment. LandSat TM imagery was used to identify alluvial deposits for potential groundwater resources for irrigation development. On the false colour composite band 3, band 4 and band 5 (FCC 345) the alluvial deposits stand out as white and dense actively growing vegetation stands out as green making it possible to mark out the lateral extent of the saturated alluvial plain deposits using the riverine fringe and vegetation . The alluvial aquifers form ribbon shaped aquifers extending along the channel and reaching over 20 km in length in some localities and are enhanced at lithological boundaries. These alluvial aquifers extend laterally outside the active channel, and individual alluvial aquifers have been measured with area ranging from 45 ha to 723 ha in the channels and 75 ha to 2196 ha on the plains. The alluvial aquifers are more pronounced in the Lower Mzingwane, where the slopes are gentler and allow for more sediment accumulation. Estimated water resources potential ranges between 175,000 m 3 and 5,430,000 m 3 in the channels and between 80,000 m 3 and 6,920,000 m 3 in the plains. Such a water resource potential can support irrigation ranging from 18 ha to 543 ha for channels alluvial aquifers and 8 ha to 692 ha for plain alluvial aquifers. Currently, some of these aquifers are being used to provide water for domestic use, livestock watering and dip tanks, commercial irrigation and market gardening. The water quality of the aquifers in general is fairly good due to regular recharge and flushing out of the aquifers by annual river flows and floodwater. Water salinity was found to increase significantly in the end of the dry season, and this effect was more pronounced in water abstracted from wells on the alluvial plains. During drought years, recharge is expected to be less and if the drought is extended water levels in the

  18. Understanding Colombian Amazonian white sand forests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peñuela-Mora, M.C.

    2014-01-01

    Although progress has been made in studies on white sand forests in the Amazon, there is still a considerable gap in our knowledge of the unique species composition of white sand forests and their structure and dynamics, especially in Western Amazon. This thesis aims to fill this gap by addressing

  19. Sub-surface Biogeochemical Characteristics and Its Effect on Arsenic Cycling in the Holocene Gray Sand Aquifers of the Lower Bengal Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devanita Ghosh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available High arsenic (As content in the fertile delta plains of West Bengal has been widely reported since the 1990s. The shallow gray sand aquifers (GSA deposited during the Holocene, are more commonly used as potable water sources, but they have high As levels. The release of As into groundwater is influenced by indigenous microbial communities metabolizing different organic carbon sources present in the GSA sediments. After pre-screening the groundwater for assessing their microbial phylogenetic diversity, two 50-m deep boreholes were drilled in the GSAs, and 19 sediment samples were recovered from each core. In each of these samples, grain-size distribution, sequential extraction, and quantification of trace metals and total extractable lipids were analyzed. The aquifer sediments consisted of medium to fine micaceous sand with clay lenses in between them; a thick clay layer occurred on top of both boreholes. Arsenic concentration in these sediments varied from 1.80 to 41.0 mg/kg and was mostly associated with the oxide and silicate-rich crystalline minerals. Arsenic showed a significant correlation with Fe in all fractions, suggesting the presence of Fe-(oxy-hydroxides bound As minerals. The diagnostic lipid biomarkers showed presence of compounds derived from higher plants (epicuticular waxes and microbial inputs. The biomarkers were abundant in clay and silt-rich layers. The samples indicated preferential preservation of n-alkanes over other functional compounds (e.g., alcohols and fatty acids, that are more reactive, and hence subject to further degradation. Sediments recovered from the borehole indicated the presence of Eustigmatophytes and vascular plant waxes that are mostly surface-derived. The sedimentary lipids also indicated the presence of complex petroleum-derived hydrocarbons. These compounds provide organic substrates, and support the preferential survival of specific microbial communities in these sediments.

  20. Water-level trends and potentiometric surfaces in the Nacatoch Aquifer in northeastern and southwestern Arkansas and in the Tokio Aquifer in southwestern Arkansas, 2014–15

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Kirk D.

    2017-09-20

    The Nacatoch Sand in northeastern and southwestern Arkansas and the Tokio Formation in southwestern Arkansas are sources of groundwater for agricultural, domestic, industrial, and public use. Water-level altitudes measured in 51 wells completed in the Nacatoch Sand and 42 wells completed in the Tokio Formation during 2014 and 2015 were used to create potentiometric-surface maps of the two areas. Aquifers in the Nacatoch Sand and Tokio Formation are hereafter referred to as the Nacatoch aquifer and the Tokio aquifer, respectively.Potentiometric surfaces show that groundwater in the Nacatoch aquifer flows southeast toward the Mississippi River in northeastern Arkansas. Groundwater flow direction is towards the south and southeast in Hempstead, Little River, and Nevada Counties in southwestern Arkansas. An apparent cone of depression exists in southern Clark County and likely alters groundwater flow from a regional direction toward the depression.In southwestern Arkansas, potentiometric surfaces indicate that groundwater flow in the Tokio aquifer is towards the city of Hope. Northwest of Hope, an apparent cone of depression exists. In southwestern Pike, northwestern Nevada, and northeastern Hempstead Counties, an area of artesian flow (water levels are at or above land surface) exists.Water-level changes in wells were identified using two methods: (1) linear regression analysis of hydrographs from select wells with a minimum of 20 years of water-level data, and (2) a direct comparison between water-level measurements from 2008 and 2014–15 at each well. Of the six hydrographs analyzed in the Nacatoch aquifer, four indicated a decline in water levels. Compared to 2008 measurements, the largest rise in water levels was 35.14 feet (ft) in a well in Clark County, whereas the largest decline was 14.76 ft in a well in Nevada County, both located in southwestern Arkansas.Of the four hydrographs analyzed in the Tokio aquifer, one indicated a decline in water levels, while

  1. Complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in partially saturated sand columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel Aal, Gamal; Atekwana, Estella A.; Werkema, D. Dale

    2017-02-01

    The increase in the use of nanoscale materials in consumer products has resulted in a growing concern of their potential hazard to ecosystems and public health from their accidental or intentional introduction to the environment. Key environmental, health, and safety research needs include knowledge and methods for their detection, characterization, fate, and transport. Specifically, techniques available for the direct detection and quantification of their fate and transport in the environment are limited. Their small size, high surface area to volume ratio, interfacial, and electrical properties make metallic nanoparticles, such as silver nanoparticles, good targets for detection using electrical geophysical techniques. Here we measured the complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in sand columns under varying moisture conditions (0-30%), nanoparticle concentrations (0-10 mg/g), lithology (presence of clay), pore water salinity (0.0275 and 0.1000 S/m), and particle size (35, 90-210 and 1500-2500 nm). Based on the Cole-Cole relaxation models we obtained the chargeability and the time constant. We demonstrate that complex conductivity can detect silver nanoparticles in porous media with the response enhanced by higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles, moisture content, ionic strength, clay content and particle diameter. Quantification of the volumetric silver nanoparticles content in the porous media can also be obtained from complex conductivity parameters based on the strong power law relationships.

  2. [Effect of humic acids on migration and transformation of NH4(+) -N in saturated aquifer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Qing-Jun; Zhang, Yan; Feng, Qi-Yan; Zhang, Shuang-Sheng

    2011-11-01

    Isothermal adsorption experiment was used to study the adsorbing process of NH4(+) -N in quartz sands under the conditions with and without humic acid; the Langmuir and Freundlich equations were used to fit the absorption result and the maximum adsorption capacity of NH4(+) -N by quarts sands was calculated. Through the soil column experiments, the concentration of NH4(+) -N, NO3(-) -N and NO2(-) -N in effluent water in the tested soil column was investigated, and the effect of humic acid on migration and transformation of NH4(+) -N in saturated aquifer was analyzed, and Pseudo-second-order Kinetics Equation and Two-step Adsorption Kinetics Rate Equation were applied to fit the kinetic processes. The results showed that both Langmuir and Freundlich models can well describe the isothermal adsorption process of NH4(+) -N on the surface of quartz sands, which means that NH4(+) -N adsorbed by the quartz sand was mainly in the form of monolayer adsorption. The humic acid could increase the adsorption capacity of NH4(+) -N on quartz sand, and the saturated adsorption capacity was 0.354 mg x g(-1) under the condition with humic acid and 0.205 mg x g(-1) with the absence of humic acid. The experiment indicated that humic acid increased the adsorption capacity of NH4(+) -N on the surface of quartz sand by increasing adsorption space in the initial stage. After saturation, humic acid influenced the migration and transformation of NH4(+) -N to NO3(-) -N and NO2(-) -N probably through providing carbon source and energy for microorganisms such as nitrifying bacteria and then resulting in lower NH4(+) -N concentration in effluent water. Both Pseudo-second-order Kinetics Equation and Two-step Adsorption Kinetics Rate Equations can well describe the process of NH4(+) -N adsorption kinetics on quartz sand (R2 = 0.997 7 and R2 = 0.998 1 with humic acid; R2 = 0.992 3 and R2 = 0.994 4 without humic acid), indicating that this process was chemical adsorption. By comparing the

  3. Geohydrologic units and water-level conditions in the Terrace alluvial aquifer and Paluxy Aquifer, May 1993 and February 1994, near Air Force Plant 4, Fort Worth area, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivers, Glen A.; Baker, Ernest T.; Coplin, L.S.

    1996-01-01

    The terrace alluvial aquifer underlying Air Force Plant 4 and the adjacent Naval Air Station (formerly Carswell Air Force Base) in the Fort Worth area, Texas, is contaminated locally with organic and metal compounds. Residents south and west of Air Force Plant 4 and the Naval Air Station are concerned that contaminants might enter the underlying Paluxy aquifer, which provides water to the city of White Settlement, south of Air Force Plant 4, and to residents west of Air Force Plant 4. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has qualified Air Force Plant 4 for Superfund cleanup. The pertinent geologic units include -A~rom oldest to youngest the Glen Rose, Paluxy, and Walnut Formations, Goodland Limestone, and terrace alluvial deposits. Except for the Glen Rose Formation, all units crop out at or near Air Force Plant 4 and the Naval Air Station. The terrace alluvial deposits, which nearly everywhere form the land surface, range from 0 to about 60 feet thick. These deposits comprise a mostly unconsolidated mixture of gravel, sand, silt, and clay. Mudstone and sandstone of the Paluxy Formation crop out north, west, and southwest of Lake Worth and total between about 130 and about 175 feet thick. The terrace alluvial deposits and the Paluxy Formation comprise the terrace alluvial aquifer and the Paluxy aquifer, respectively. These aquifers are separated by the Goodland-Walnut confining unit, composed of the Goodland Limestone and (or) Walnut Formation. Below the Paluxy aquifer, the Glen Rose Formation forms the Glen Rose confining unit. Water-level measurements during May 1993 and February 1994 from wells in the terrace alluvial aquifer indicate that, regionally, ground water flows toward the east-southeast beneath Air Force Plant 4 and the Naval Air Station. Locally, water appears to flow outward from ground-water mounds maintained by the localized infiltration of precipitation and reportedly by leaking water pipes and sanitary and (or) storm sewer lines beneath the

  4. The Marlborough Deep Wairau Aquifer sustainability review 2008 : isotopic indicators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morgenstern, U.; van der Raaij, R.W.; Trompetter, V.; McBeth, K.

    2008-01-01

    The Deep Wairau Aquifer (DWA) consists of several relatively thin water bearing layers at depths generally greater than 150 m separated by thick confining layers and was therefore thought to be relatively isolated from surface hydrological processes, with little pumping induced effects on spring flows and shallow aquifers. However, because the DWA partially underlies fully allocated shallower Southern Valleys Aquifers it is critical to understand the dynamics (recharge, flow) of the DWA. Recent aquifer testing revealed that the DWA is hydraulically linked to the Southern Valley Benmorven Aquifer and that most wells penetrating the DWA are hydraulically linked. The aquifers of the Wairau Plain are formed by a series of glacial and alluvial outwash deposits laid down by the Wairau River. Bore logs indicate that the aquifer contains thin water-bearing layers within the mixed strata. These layers come under artesian pressure towards the east. The Wairau Gravels are overlain by a sequence of glacial outwash and fluvial gravels interspersed with marine deposits. Immediately above the Wairau Gravels lies the Speargrass Formation consisting of poorly sorted glacial outwash gravels, sand and clay deposits. This formation has greater permeability than the Wairau Gravels. Above the Speargrass Formation lie highly permeable postglacial fluvial gravels, sand and silt deposits from the Wairau and tributary rivers known as the Rapaura Formation. Towards the coast, the alluvial gravels are overlain by marine and estuarine deposits of sand, silt and clay known as the Dillons Point Formation. Chemistry and isotope samples were analysed over time from various DWA wells to obtain information on changes in source and age of water with continued abstraction. All DWA water samples are tritium-free indicating that there is no young water influx yet intercepted by any of the sampled wells. Radiocarbon repeat measurements indicate that the water source is changing towards older water with

  5. Enhanced Column Filtration for Arsenic Removal from Water: Polymer-Templated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Immobilized on Sand via Layer-by-Layer Deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Calvin Chia-Hung

    Arsenic is ubiquitous in water sources around the world and is highly toxic. While precipitation and membrane filtration techniques are successfully implemented in developed cities, they are unsuitable for rural and low-resource settings lacking centralized facilities. This thesis presents the use of ultra-small iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles functionalized on sand granules for use as a house-hold scale adsorption filter. Water-stable alpha-Fe2O3 (hematite) nanoparticles (arsenic adsorption, with 147 +/- 2 mg As(III) per g Fe2O3 and 91 +/- 10 mg As(V) per g Fe2O3. The platform was also used to synthesize iron-based composites, including magnetite (Fe 3O4) and Fe-Cu oxide nanoparticles. For use as a column filter, Fe2O3-PAA nanoparticles were functionalized on sand granules using a layer-by-layer deposition method, with the nanoparticles embedded in the negative layer. The removal of As(III) by the Fe2O 3-PAA functionalized column was described by reversible 1st order kinetics where the forward and reverse rate constants were 0.31 hr -1 and 0.097 hr-1, respectively. Implemented as a passive water filter with 30 x 30 x 50 cm3 dimensions, the filter has an expected lifetime in the order of many years. By controlling the flow rate of the column depending on contamination levels, the filter effectively removes arsenic down to the safety limit of 0.01 mg/L. In a parallel project, the layer-by-layer deposition of Poly(diallydimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly(sodium 5-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) was exploited for a highly practical synthesis of discrete gradient surfaces. By independently controlling the concentration of NaCl in PDDA and PSS deposition solutions, a 2-dimensional matrix of surfaces was created in 96-well microtiter plates. Distinct non-monotonic dye adsorption patterns on the gradient surfaces was observed. Practical knowledge from this project was also used to enhance the nanoparticle surface functionalization described above. In all, a practical

  6. Pathogen removal using saturated sand colums supplemented with hydrochar

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chung, J.W.

    2015-01-01

    This PhD study has evaluated hydrochars derived from biowastes as adsorbents for pathogen removal in water treatment. Pathogen removal experiments were conducted by carrying out breakthrough analysis using a simple sand filtration set-up. Glass columns packed by 10 cm sand bed supplemented with

  7. A Study of the Connection Among Basin-Fill Aquifers, Carbonate-Rock Aquifers, and Surface-Water Resources in Southern Snake Valley, Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    ,

    2008-01-01

    The Secretary of the Interior through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act approved funding for research to improve understanding of hydrologic systems that sustain numerous water-dependent ecosystems on Federal lands in Snake Valley, Nevada. Some of the streams and spring-discharge areas in and adjacent to Great Basin National Park have been identified as susceptible to ground-water withdrawals (Elliott and others, 2006) and research has shown a high potential for ground-water flow from southern Spring Valley into southern Snake Valley through carbonate rocks that outcrop along a low topographic divide known as the Limestone Hills (Welch and others, 2007). Comprehensive geologic, hydrologic, and chemical information will be collected and analyzed to assess the hydraulic connection between basin-fill aquifers and surface-water resources, water-dependent ecological features, and the regional carbonate-rock aquifer, the known source of many high-discharge springs. Understanding these connections is important because proposed projects to pump and export ground water from Spring and Snake Valleys in Nevada may result in unintended capture of water currently supplying springs, streams, wetlands, limestone caves, and other biologically sensitive areas (fig. 1). The methods that will be used in this study may be transferable to other areas in the Great Basin. The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service submitted the proposal for funding this research to facilitate science-based land management. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources and Geologic Disciplines, and the University of Nevada, Reno, will accomplish four research elements through comprehensive data collection and analysis that are concentrated in two distinct areas on the eastern and southern flanks of the Snake Range (fig. 2). The projected time line for this research is from July 2008 through September 2011.

  8. Study on Predicting Axial Load Capacity of CFST Columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravi Kumar, H.; Muthu, K. U.; Kumar, N. S.

    2017-11-01

    This work presents an analytical study and experimental study on the behaviour and ultimate load carrying capacity of axially compressed self-compacting concrete-filled steel tubular columns. Results of tests conducted by various researchers on 213 samples concrete-filled steel tubular columns are reported and present authors experimental data are reported. Two theoretical equations were derived for the prediction of the ultimate axial load strength of concrete-filled steel tubular columns. The results from prediction were compared with the experimental data. Validation to the experimental results was made.

  9. Subsurface fate and transport of cyanide species at a manufactured-gas plant site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, R.S.; Dzombak, D.A.; Luthy, R.G.; Nakles, D.V.

    1999-01-01

    Cyanide is present at manufactured-gas plant (MGP) sites in oxide-box residuals, which were often managed on-site as fill during active operations. Cyanide can leach from these materials, causing groundwater contamination. Speciation, fate, and transport of cyanide in a sand-gravel aquifer underlying an MGP site in the upper Midwest region of the US were studied through characterization, monitoring, and modeling of a plume of cyanide-contaminated groundwater emanating from the site. Results indicate that cyanide in the groundwater is primarily in the form of iron-cyanide complexes (>98%), that these complexes are stable under the conditions of the aquifer, and that they are transported as nonreactive solutes in the sand-gravel aquifer material. Weak-acid-dissociable cyanide, which represents a minute fraction of total cyanide in the site groundwater, may undergo chemical-biological degradation in the sand-gravel aquifer. It seems that dilution may be the only natural attenuation mechanism for iron-cyanide complexes in sand-gravel aquifers at MGP sites

  10. Case studies of groundwater- surface water interactions and scale relationships in small alluvial aquifers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Love, Dave; de Hamer, Wouter; Owen, Richard J.S.; Booij, Martijn J.; Uhlenbrook, Stefan; Hoekstra, Arjen Ysbert; van der Zaag, Pieter

    2007-01-01

    An alluvial aquifer can be described as a groundwater system, generally unconfined, that is hosted in laterally discontinuous layers of gravel, sand, silt and clay, deposited by a river in a river channel, banks or flood plain. In semi-arid regions, streams that are associated with alluvial aquifers

  11. Alkaline Plume in the Aptian Sand Aquifer in the Context of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Surface Disposal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cochepin, B.; Munier, I.; MADE, B.

    2017-12-01

    The storage vaults for low and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste in the East of France are settled on the Aptian sand layer. In the context of the periodic examination by the nuclear regulators, it has been recommended to assess more precisely the chemical conditions for a potential release of radionuclides in the underlying water table. In particular, this study aims at assessing the eventuality of spreading an alkaline plume in the Aptian sand pore water by the chemical degradation of the vault cementitious materials. The numerical approach developed for this purpose is supported by both experimental characterizations of tracers in the water table and results from preliminary numerical studies on the hydrology of the site and the hydraulic evolution of the storage. The results from these specific simulations were simplified in the reactive transport model to focus on the mechanistic description of the chemical processes taking place in the waste and vaults and on their consequences on the underlying water table. During the operating period of the disposal, the reactive transport modelling shows that the low water saturation in the vaults material and in the vadose zone prevents the aquifer from a significant increase of the water pH under the cement-based vaults. These results are in reasonable agreement with the pH regularly measured in the underlying water table. After storage closure, during the few hundred years of the monitoring period and furthermore beyond, the reactive transport modelling shows a noticeable release of hydroxyls and alkali ions under the disposal vaults and their spread downstream the storage site leading to pH values above 10. It is noteworthy that the pH is not buffered in the Aptian sands because of their low amount in clayey minerals. This effect is now considered for pH-sensitive radionuclide solutes in safety assessment calculations by weighting correspondingly their retention parameters.

  12. Unconfined Groundwater Dispersion Model On Sand Layers In Coral Island

    OpenAIRE

    Sultan

    2016-01-01

    The research objective is to analyze the sand layer to determine the characteristics of the unconfined groundwater aquifer on coral island and found the dispersion model of unconfined groundwater in the sand layer in the coral island. The method used is direct research in the field, laboratory analysis and secondary data. Observations geological conditions, as well as the measurement and interpretation of geoelectrical potential groundwater models based on the value of the conductivity of gro...

  13. Axial Compression Properties Nonlinear Analysis on Square Double Skin Steel Stub Short Columns Filled with Recycled Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Song Bing

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Taking the mixing amount of diatomite calcined and vitrified micro bubbles(VMB as the main changing parameters, experiment studies the properties of the vitrified micro bubbles recycled concrete blocks; then this paper adopts the finite element software ANSYS to analyze the square double skin steel stub short columns filled with recycled concrete under axial compression. According to the vertical stress distribution, strain and bearing capacity of the steel tube and core concrete, we make a contrastive axial compression properties analysis on the different hollow ratio χ(0,0.35and the VMB content(0%,100%,130% of square double skin steel stub short columns filled with recycled concrete. The result shows that: Compressive strength of VMB recycled concrete increases with the increase of diatomite calcined content, when mixing amount of diatomite calcined is 3%,the compressive strength of 130% VMB content test specimen can reach 32.45 MPa;Because of the inner circular steel tube is setted which strengthening component buckling capacity and improving the ductility of the component, stress distribution of hollow components is more balance than solid components, and their axial displacements decrease by 5.6% compared with the solid components when they reach ultimate bearing capacity; When the hollow ratio is same, ultimate bearing capacity of 130% VMB content test specimen compared with the content is 0% only reduces by about 3.5%; When the VMB content is same, ultimate bearing capacity of hollow components compared with solid components increases by about 2.5%, which reducing weight as well as improving the anti-seismic performance.

  14. Removal of dissolved heavy metals from pre-settled stormwater runoff by iron-oxide coated sand (IOCS)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, J.; Ledin, Anna; Mikkelsen, Peter Steen

    2002-01-01

    (Pb=20, Cu=40, Zn=110, and Cr=15 ppb). Column experiments were conducted to test the influence of the infiltration rate (1 or 3 m/h) and the type of iron(hydr)oxide mineral (amorphous ferrihydrite and goethite coated sand). The results show that at least 90% of lead, copper and zinc can be removed......Sorption to iron-oxide coated sand (IOCS) is a promosing technology for removal of the dissolved heavy metal fraction in stormwater runoff. The development of a new technology is necessary since studies of stormwater runoff from traffic areas indicate that an oil separator and detention pond may...... by IOCS after 480 pore volumes. Control columns with uncoated filter sand show that lead, copper and zinc were removed with >95%, 35% and 5%, respectively. The removal of the negative metaloxy-ion, CrO4-3 was insignificant in both IOCS and sand columns at pH=7.7. Destruction of the columns after...

  15. Application of the Aquifer Impact Model to support decisions at a CO 2 sequestration site: Modeling and Analysis: Application of the Aquifer Impact Model to support decisions at a CO 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bacon, Diana Holford [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Locke II, Randall A. [University of Illinois, Illinois State Geological Survey Champaign IL USA; Keating, Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos NM USA; Carroll, Susan [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA USA; Iranmanesh, Abbas [University of Illinois, Illinois State Geological Survey Champaign IL USA; Mansoor, Kayyum [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA USA; Wimmer, Bracken [University of Illinois, Illinois State Geological Survey Champaign IL USA; Zheng, Liange [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Shao, Hongbo [University of Illinois, Illinois State Geological Survey Champaign IL USA; Greenberg, Sallie E. [University of Illinois, Illinois State Geological Survey Champaign IL USA

    2017-10-04

    The National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) has developed a suite of tools to assess and manage risk at CO2 sequestration sites (1). The NRAP tool suite includes the Aquifer Impact Model (AIM), based on reduced order models developed using site-specific data from two aquifers (alluvium and carbonate). The models accept aquifer parameters as a range of variable inputs so they may have more broad applicability. Guidelines have been developed for determining the aquifer types for which the ROMs should be applicable. This paper considers the applicability of the aquifer models in AIM to predicting the impact of CO2 or Brine leakage were it to occur at the Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP). Based on the results of the sensitivity analysis, the hydraulic parameters and leakage source term magnitude are more sensitive than clay fraction or cation exchange capacity. Sand permeability was the only hydraulic parameter measured at the IBDP site. More information on the other hydraulic parameters, such as sand fraction and sand/clay correlation lengths, could reduce uncertainty in risk estimates. Some non-adjustable parameters, such as the initial pH and TDS and the pH no-impact threshold, are significantly different for the ROM than for the observations at the IBDP site. The reduced order model could be made more useful to a wider range of sites if the initial conditions and no-impact threshold values were adjustable parameters.

  16. Field study of macrodispersion in a heterogeneous aquifer. I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boggs, J.M.; Young, S.C.; Waldrop, W.R.; Gelhar, L.W.; Adams, E.E.; Rehfeldt, K.R.

    1990-01-01

    A large-scale natural gradient tracer experiment has been conducted at a field site located at Columbus Air Force Base in northeastern Mississippi. The alluvial aquifer at the test site is composed of lenticular deposits of sand, gravel, silt and clay, and is quite heterogeneous with respect to its hydraulic properties. Ten cubic meters of a solution containing bromide and three organic tracers (pentafluorobenzoic acid, o-trifluoromethylbenzoic acid, and 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid) were injected into the aquifer at a uniform rate over a period of two days. The tracer plume was subsequently monitored in three dimensions over a 20-month period using a network of 258 multilevel sampling wells. The tracer concentration distribution of the plume at the conclusion of the experiment was highly asymmetric in the longitudinal direction. The peak tracer concentration was located only 7 m from the injection point, while the advancing side of the plume extended downgradient a distance of more than 260 m. The extreme skewness of the plume was caused by large scale spatial variations in the mean groundwater velocity along the plume travel path produced by the approximate two order-of-magnitude increase in the mean hydraulic conductivity between the near-field and far-field regions of the experimental site. The tracer mass balance during the experiment showed a declining trend between sampling events with approximately 50 percent of the injected tracer mass unaccounted for at the end of the experiment. Laboratory column experiments indicated that approximately 20 percent of the tracer mass was adsorbed to the aquifer matrix. The remaining 30 percent of the missing tracer mass was attributed to incomplete sampling coverage of the plume, particularly on the advancing side, and to a sampling bias produced by the multilevel samplers. (Author) (17 refs., 3 tabs., 11 figs.)

  17. Fluoride retardation from quartz sand-packed column tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Usunoff

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Inasmuch as both low and high concentrations of F- in groundwater have different detrimental effects on human health (increased dental caries, and mottled enamel or even severe structural bone deformations, respectively, many efforts have focused on the movement of such anion in aqueous systems. It is so because water drinking is the main intake of F- by humans. This paper presents the results of seven dynamic experiments in which solutions of varying [F-], pH, and flow velocities circulated through columns packed with clean quartz sand. The breakthrough data were analyzed by means of a computer code adapted to the estimation of equilibrium and non-equilibrium solute transport parameters from miscible displacement experiments in a steady-state, uniform flow field using a pulse-type or continuous source. It was found that larger retardation factors (R are associated with low pH, low [F-] in the feed solutions, and larger flow velocities. Such results appear to be related to the form of the F species, the rather weak bond between the adsorbate and the quartz sand, and stronger anion repulsion at low pore velocities. The estimated values for R vary between 1,22 and 1,50, whereas the distribution coefficients were in the range of 0,1 to 0,05 L kg-1. It should be said that the breakthrough curves display hysteresis, leading to a desorption behavior that proceeds faster than the adsorption process.Puesto que tanto valores bajos como altos de F- en las aguas subterráneas tienen efectos adversos en la salud de los humanos (mayor cantidad de caries, y manchas del esmalte dental e incluso deformaciones óseas, respectivamente, han sido muchos los esfuerzos destinados a dilucidar el movimiento de especies fluoradas en ambientes acuosos. Ello es así porque el consumo de agua por parte de seres humanos representa la mayor fuente de ingreso de F-. Este trabajo presenta los resultados de siete experimentos dinámicos en los que soluciones de diferentes [F

  18. Experimental study on the artificial recharge of semiconfined aquifers involved in deep excavation engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, G.; Cao, J. R.; Cheng, X. S.; Ha, D.; Wang, F. J.

    2018-02-01

    Artificial recharge measures have been adopted to control the drawdown of confined aquifers and the ground subsidence caused by dewatering during deep excavation in Tianjin, Shanghai and other regions in China. However, research on recharge theory is still limited. Additionally, confined aquifers consisting of silt and silty sand in Tianjin have lower hydraulic conductivities than those consisting of sand or gravel, and the feasibility and effectiveness of recharge methods in these semiconfined aquifers urgently require investigation. A series of single-well and multiwell pumping and recharge tests was conducted at a metro station excavation site in Tianjin. The test results showed that it was feasible to recharge silt and silty sand semiconfined aquifers, and, to a certain extent, the hydrogeological parameters obtained from the pumping tests could be used to predict the water level rise during single-well recharge. However, the predicted results underestimated the water level rise near the recharge well (within 7 m) by approximately 10-25%, likely because the permeability coefficient around the well was reduced during the recharge process. Pressured recharge significantly improved the efficiency of the recharge process. Maintaining the recharge and pumping rates at a nearly equal level effectively controlled the surrounding surface and building settlement. However, the surrounding surface subsidence tended to rapidly develop when recharge stopped. Therefore, the recharge process should continue and gradually stop after the pumping stops. The twin-well combined recharge technique can be used to control the head loss of an aquifer when one of the recharge wells requires pumping to solve the associated clogging problems.

  19. Burning test on a storage drum filled with a mixture of sodiumnitrate and bitumen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knotik, K.; Leichter, P.; Spalek, K.

    1979-01-01

    A burning test on a common storage drum filled with a mixture of sodiumnitrate and bitumen was carried out to show the incinerability of said mixture. A 50 l mild steel drum was filled with 80,7 kg sodiumnitrate/bitumen-mixture. The drum was packed in a 200 l mild steel drum, the remaining space was filled with enough sand to cover the top of the inner drum with 15 cm of sand. The sand packing was then soaked with 70 l of light distillate fuel and ignited. The fuel burned until self-extinguishing occurred. 30 % (22,2 l) of the fuel was burned. 0,7 % of the energy potential was absorbed in the sand layer. The highest measured temperature was 34 0 C at the top of the test drum. It can be concluded, that even under severe external actions the ignition temperature of 400 0 C for bitumen/waste mixtures cannot be reached, providing correct technical storage conditions, which means that the void space in the cavities is filled with unburnable absorbing material like sand or salt. (author)

  20. Generalized hydrogeologic framework and groundwater budget for a groundwater availability study for the glacial aquifer system of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeves, Howard W.; Bayless, E. Randall; Dudley, Robert W.; Feinstein, Daniel T.; Fienen, Michael N.; Hoard, Christopher J.; Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Qi, Sharon L.; Roth, Jason L.; Trost, Jared J.

    2017-12-14

    The glacial aquifer system groundwater availability study seeks to quantify (1) the status of groundwater resources in the glacial aquifer system, (2) how these resources have changed over time, and (3) likely system response to future changes in anthropogenic and environmental conditions. The glacial aquifer system extends from Maine to Alaska, although the focus of this report is the part of the system in the conterminous United States east of the Rocky Mountains. The glacial sand and gravel principal aquifer is the largest source of public and self-supplied industrial supply for any principal aquifer and also is an important source for irrigation supply. Despite its importance for water supply, water levels in the glacial aquifer system are generally stable varying with climate and only locally from pumping. The hydrogeologic framework developed for this study includes the information from waterwell records and classification of material types from surficial geologic maps into likely aquifers dominated by sand and gravel deposits. Generalized groundwater budgets across the study area highlight the variation in recharge and discharge primarily driven by climate.

  1. Salt-water encroachment into aquifers of the Raritan Formation in the Sayreville Area, Middlesex County, New Jersey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appel, Charles A.

    1962-01-01

    The principal sources of ground water in the Sayreville area are the Old Bridge Sand and Farrington Sand Members of the Raritan Formation of Late Cretaceous age. These aquifers yielded about 32.3 mgd (million gallons per day) for public and industrial water supplies in 1958; about 24.5 mgd was withdrawn from the Old Bridge Sand Member.

  2. Evaluating a steel beam’s rigid connection to a concrete filled tubular column when submitted to dynamic load

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maritza Uribe Vallejo

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Using prequalified connections during the structural design stage becomes increasingly necessary when developing structural en-gineering projects which include steel elements; this is so that the steel elements’ appropriate behavior can be ensured according to the structural system and seismic demand. Unfortunately, the international entities providing this type of information (i.e. FEMA only have a limit series of prequalified connections and such series do not include rigid connections between steel beams and concrete filled tubular (CFT columns having an extended end plate, which has become a very widespread building practice in Colombia. This paper describes the most important aspects of a study at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia concerning the behavior of a steel beam rigidly connected to a CFT-column, using six physical models having different width-thickness ratio (b/t columns. ANSYS v.10 software was used for studying theoretical models (finite elements analysis for comparative analysis of cyclic test theoretical and experimental results for each specimen presented for the qualification phase. The six tested specimens’ hysteretic curves are presented. Several conclusions are drawn concerning finite element validation for this type of connection and the influence of width-thickness ratio (b/t variation and design recommendations for suitable behavior under dynamic loads when this type of connection was used.

  3. Fate of triclocarban during soil aquifer treatment: Soil column studies

    KAUST Repository

    Essandoh, H. M K; Tizaoui, Chedly; Mohamed, Mostafa H A; Amy, Gary L.; Brdjanovic, Damir

    2010-01-01

    There are current concerns about the presence of persistent chemicals in recharge water used in soil aquifer treatment systems. Triclocarban (TCC) has been reported as a persistent, high production volume chemical with the potential to bioaccumulate

  4. Distribution of aquifers, liquid-waste impoundments, and municipal water-supply sources, Massachusetts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delaney, David F.; Maevsky, Anthony

    1980-01-01

    Impoundments of liquid waste are potential sources of ground-water contamination in Massachusetts. The map report, at a scale of 1 inch equals 4 miles, shows the idstribution of aquifers and the locations of municipal water-supply sources and known liquid-waste impoundments. Ground water, an important source of municipal water supply, is produced from shallow sand and gravel aquifers that are generally unconfined, less than 200 feet thick, and yield less than 2,000 gallons per minute to individual wells. These aquifers commonly occupy lowlands and stream valleys and are most extensive in eastern Massachusetts. Surface impoundments of liquid waste are commonly located over these aquifers. These impoundments may leak and allow waste to infiltrate underlying aquifers and alter their water quality. (USGS)

  5. Improved Characterization of Groundwater Flow in Heterogeneous Aquifers Using Granular Polyacrylamide (PAM) Gel as Temporary Grout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klepikova, Maria V.; Roques, Clement; Loew, Simon; Selker, John

    2018-02-01

    The range of options for investigation of hydraulic behavior of aquifers from boreholes has been limited to rigid, cumbersome packers, and inflatable sleeves. Here we show how a new temporary borehole sealing technique using soft grains of polyacrylamide (PAM) gel as a sealing material can be used to investigate natural groundwater flow dynamics and discuss other possible applications of the technology. If no compressive stress is applied, the gel packing, with a permeability similar to open gravel, suppresses free convection, allowing for local temperature measurements and chemical sampling through free-flowing gel packing. Active heating laboratory and field experiments combined with temperature measurements along fiber optic cables were conducted in water-filled boreholes and boreholes filled with soft grains of polyacrylamide gel. The gel packing is shown to minimize the effect of free convection within the well column and enable detection of thin zones of relatively high or low velocity in a highly transmissive alluvial aquifer, thus providing a significant improvement compared to temperature measurements in open boreholes. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that under modest compressive stress to the gel media the permeability transitions from highly permeable to nearly impermeable grouting. Under this configuration the gel packing could potentially allow for monitoring local response pressure from the formation with all other locations in the borehole hydraulically isolated.

  6. Reactive transport of Sr, Cs and Tc through a column packed with fracture-filling material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, D.; Eriksen, T.

    1998-01-01

    The migration behaviour of the fission products 90 Sr, 137 Cs and 99 Tc in a granite fracture-groundwater system was studied in column experiments using crushed Stripa granite fracture-filling material (125-250 μm) as a sorbent. Based on breakthrough curves of Sr 2+ , Cs + , TcO 4 - and anthraquinonsulphonate, the distribution ratio K d (cm 3 /g) values for Sr 2+ and Cs + were estimated to be 1.5 and 2 respectively; non-sorbing behaviour of TcO 4 - under oxic conditions was observed. The diffusion of Sr 2+ in the material is shown to be a kinetic-controlling step in the desorption process that followed the initial leaching. Under reducing conditions, it was found that TcO 4 - was reduced to TcO 2 .nH 2 O(s) by the Fe(II)-containing fracture-filling material and Tc(IV) aq was rapidly sorbed by the material. This observation proves that the migration of technetium under reducing conditions in deep groundwater systems will not only be controlled by the solubility of TcO 2 . nH 2 O(s) and the speed of groundwater flow but also by the rapid sorption of Tc(IV) aq on all available mineral surfaces. (orig.)

  7. 振冲碎石桩加固高层建筑粉砂土地基实例分析%Case Study on Improving Silty Sand Foundation of Tall Building by Vibro-replacement Stone Column

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    谢新宇; 应宏伟; 夏建中

    2001-01-01

    In this paper, the case studies of two tall buildings built on silty sand improved by vibro-replacement stone column in Hangzhou are reported. The design and computation method for vibro-replacement stone column composite foundation are introduced. Based on field testing results,the construction techniques of vibro-replacement stone column and the appraisement of improvement effect are discussed. It is the first time that the vibro-replacement stone column method has been successfully applied to improve silty sand foundation of tall building in Hangzhou.%本文介绍杭州两座高层建筑物采用振冲碎石桩加固粉砂土地基的工程实例。结合有关现场测试成果,探讨了高层建筑振冲碎石桩地基设计计算、振冲碎石桩施工控制和加固效果评价等有关问题。为振冲碎石桩在同类地基中的推广应用提供一些成功经验。

  8. Geo synthetics in hydraulic and coastal engineering: Filters, revetments and sand filled structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezuijen, A.; Pilarczyk, K. W.

    2014-01-01

    The paper deals with 2 applications of geo textiles in coastal and hydraulic engineering: Geo textiles in filters and revetments; and geo textiles in sand filled structure. Geo textiles are often replacing granular filters. However, they have different properties than a granular filter. For the application of geo textiles in revetments, the consequences of the different properties will be shown: how permeability is influenced by a geo textile and what can be the consequences of the weight differences between granular and geo textile filters. In the other application, the filter properties of geo textiles are only secondary. In geo textile tubes and containers the geo textile is used as wrapping material to create large unties that will not erode during wave attach. the structures with geo textile tubes and containers serve as an alternative for rock based structures. The first of these structures were more or less constructed by trial and error, but research on the shape of the structures, the stability under wave attach and the durability of the used of the used material has given the possibility to use design tools for these structures. Recently also the morphological aspects of these structures have been investigated. This is of importance because regularly structures with geo textile tubes fail due to insufficient toe protection against the scour hole that that develops in front of the structure, leading to undermining of the structure. Recent research in the Dealt Flume of Deltares and the Large Wave Flume in Hannover has led to better understanding what mechanisms determine the stability under wave attach. It is shown that also the degree of filling is of importance and the position of the water level with respect to the tube has a large influence. (Author)

  9. Hydraulic fracture considerations in oil sand overburden dams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cameron, R.; Madden, B.; Danku, M. [Syncrude Canada Ltd., Fort McMurray, AB (Canada)

    2008-07-01

    This paper discussed hydraulic fracture potential in the dry-filled temporary dams used in the oil sands industry. Hydraulic fractures can occur when reservoir fluid pressures are greater than the minimum stresses in a dam. Stress and strain conditions are influenced by pore pressures, levels of compaction in adjacent fills as well as by underlying pit floor and abutment conditions. Propagation pressure and crack initiation pressures must also be considered in order to provide improved hydraulic fracture protection to dams. Hydraulic fractures typically result in piping failures. Three cases of hydraulic fracture at oil sands operations in Alberta were presented. The study showed that hydraulic fracture failure modes must be considered in dam designs, particularly when thin compacted lift of dry fill are used to replace wetted clay cores. The risk of hydraulic fractures can be reduced by eliminating in situ bedrock irregularities and abutments. Overpressure heights, abutment sloping, and the sloping of fills above abutments, as well as the dam's width and base conditions must also be considered in relation to potential hydraulic fractures. It was concluded that upstream sand beaches and internal filters can help to prevent hydraulic fractures in dams in compacted control zones. 5 refs., 16 figs.

  10. Potential of scrap tire rubber as lightweight aggregate in flowable fill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, C E; Blackwell, M C

    2003-01-01

    Flowable fill is a self-leveling and self-compacting material that is rapidly gaining acceptance and application in construction, particularly in transportation and utility earthworks. When mixed with concrete sand, standard flowable fill produces a mass density ranging from 1.8 to 2.3 g/cm(3) (115-145 pcf). Scrap tires can be granulated to produce crumb rubber, which has a granular texture and ranges in size from very fine powder to coarse sand-sized particles. Due to its low specific gravity, crumb rubber can be considered a lightweight aggregate. This paper describes an experimental study on replacing sand with crumb rubber in flowable fill to produce a lightweight material. To assess the technical feasibility of using crumb rubber, the fluid- and hardened-state properties of nine flowable fill mixtures were measured. Mixture proportions were varied to investigate the effects of water-to-cement ratio and crumb rubber content on fill properties. Experimental results indicate that crumb rubber can be successfully used to produce a lightweight flowable fill (1.2-1.6 g/cm(3) [73-98 pcf]) with excavatable 28-day compressive strengths ranging from 269 to 1194 kPa (39-173 psi). Using a lightweight fill reduces the applied stress on underlying soils, thereby reducing the potential for bearing capacity failure and minimizing soil settlement. Based on these results, a crumb rubber-based flowable fill can be used in a substantial number of construction applications, such as bridge abutment fills, trench fills, and foundation support fills.

  11. Experimental Research on Seismic Performance of Four-Element Variable Cross-Sectional Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Laced Columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, Zhijing; Lin, Jianmao; Chen, Shengfu; Lin, Wen

    2017-10-01

    A total of 7 experimental tests were conducted to investigate seismic performance of four element variable cross-sectional Concrete Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) laced columns. The experimental parameters are longitudinal slope and arrangement type of lacing tubes. The rules on hysteresis loop, ductility, energy expenditure, and stiffness degradation of specimens are researched. Test results indicate that all specimens have good seismic performance; their hysteresis loops are full without obvious shrinkage. With the increase of longitudinal slope, the horizontal carrying capacity increases, energy dissipation capacity improve, and there is slightly increase in stiffness degradation. The influence of arrangement type of lacing tubes on displacement ductility of specimens is big.

  12. Saltwater Intrusion Appraisal of Shallow Aquifer in Burutu Area of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ADOWIE PERE

    is not caused by saltwater intrusion rather by iron which cannot be separately distinguished from groundwater by ... The sand and gravels forms the aquifer in the. Formation and are .... K.S; Soulios, G; Pliakas, F; Tsokas, G ( 2016). Seawater ...

  13. Study of Slow Sand Filtration in Removing Total Coliforms and E.Coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekha Yogafanny

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This study was aimed to evaluate the performance of SSF in removing bacteria (Total Coliforms and E. Coli in regard to grain size distribution and grain shape intermittently. Two methodological approaches used in this reasearch were literature review and laboratory work. Bacteria removal was analyzed considering two different filter media (Rhine sand-spherical shape and Lava sand-angular shape with three different grain size distributions. The best performance was attained by filter column F4 which consisted of Lava sand and had the configuration C2 (d10 = 0.07 mm; Cu = 4.2. This filter column achieved 4.7log-units removal of Total Coliforms and 5.0log-units removal of E. coli. The results show that a smaller grain size and an angular shape of sand grain lead to an increase in bacteria removal.

  14. Oil sands tailings management project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Godwalt, C. [Alberta WaterSMART, Calgary, AB (Canada); Kotecha, P. [Suncor Energy Inc, Calgary, AB (Canada); Aumann, C. [Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures, Alberta Governement, AB (Canada)

    2010-11-15

    The Oil sands leadership initiative (OSLI) works with the Government of Alberta on the development of the oil sands industry, considering environmental, economical and social aspects. Water management was identified as one of most important areas to focus on. Alberta WaterSMART was requested to support the development and the management of projects resulting from the work done or underway in this field. The development of a regional water management solution stood out as the most interesting solution to obtain significant results. In the Athabasca Region, oil sands producers work independently on their water sourcing and disposal with particular attention to fresh water conservation and economics. The Athabasca River represents a source for mines and distant saline aquifers are the target of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operators. As part of a four-phase project aiming to study the environmental and economic footprint (EEF) benefit of alternatives for Athabasca oil sands production water supply and disposal, the purpose of the tailings water management project was to identify tailings treatment technologies that are ready to be implemented, and to design and evaluate solutions in order to improve regional oil sands production water sourcing and disposal. Alternatives were evaluated based on their total EEF, applying a lifecycle assessment methodology with a particular attention on the quantification of important performance indicators. 25 refs., 8 tabs., 40 figs.

  15. Oil sands tailings management project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godwalt, C.; Kotecha, P.; Aumann, C.

    2010-11-01

    The Oil sands leadership initiative (OSLI) works with the Government of Alberta on the development of the oil sands industry, considering environmental, economical and social aspects. Water management was identified as one of most important areas to focus on. Alberta WaterSMART was requested to support the development and the management of projects resulting from the work done or underway in this field. The development of a regional water management solution stood out as the most interesting solution to obtain significant results. In the Athabasca Region, oil sands producers work independently on their water sourcing and disposal with particular attention to fresh water conservation and economics. The Athabasca River represents a source for mines and distant saline aquifers are the target of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operators. As part of a four-phase project aiming to study the environmental and economic footprint (EEF) benefit of alternatives for Athabasca oil sands production water supply and disposal, the purpose of the tailings water management project was to identify tailings treatment technologies that are ready to be implemented, and to design and evaluate solutions in order to improve regional oil sands production water sourcing and disposal. Alternatives were evaluated based on their total EEF, applying a lifecycle assessment methodology with a particular attention on the quantification of important performance indicators. 25 refs., 8 tabs., 40 figs.

  16. Tritium profiles in Kalahari sands as a measure of rain water recharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verhagen, B.T.; Smith, P.E.; McGeorge, I.; Dziembowski, Z.

    1978-01-01

    This paper attempts to relate recharge measurements in the Kalahari by tritium profiles in the unsaturated zone to isotopic, hydrochemical and hydrologic data from an underlying, semi-confined aquifer. Auger holes into the sand cover were drilled along a line of experimental deeper holes penetrating the saturated zone. A further line of auger holes was drilled into the dune sand cover of a control area. Variable moisture contents, apparently indepent of grain size distribution and indicating transients are observed in the different profiles. 3 H and 18 O measurements on the moisture contents allow for the identification of the 1962/63 bomb tritium rise and successive drier and wetter periods. Infiltration, or potential recharge as percentage of infiltration was found to be strongly dependent on the annual rainfall. The distribution of 14 C, 13 C, 3 H and chemistry in the shallower of two underlying aquifers leads to the consideration of three possible mechanisms of recharge. Arguments favouring vertical recharge are presented, which lead to possible extrapolations into the sand covered areas of the Kalahari in general. (orig.) [de

  17. The Canadian oil sands--a sticky future

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cowtan, S A

    1977-01-01

    The oil sands have been known for 200 yr but only over the last decade have they been recognized as a potential major energy source for Canada. The study looks at the present GCOS plant, and briefly discusses Canada's future energy requirements and how she might fill those requirements from conventional and nonconventional sources, such as the Frontier areas, oil sands mining, oil sands in situ, and heavy oil. The economics and the future of these sources and the environment necessary for their development are analyzed.

  18. Non-pumping reactive wells filled with mixing nano and micro zero-valent iron for nitrate removal from groundwater: Vertical, horizontal, and slanted wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini, Seiyed Mossa; Tosco, Tiziana; Ataie-Ashtiani, Behzad; Simmons, Craig T.

    2018-03-01

    Non-pumping reactive wells (NPRWs) filled by zero-valent iron (ZVI) can be utilized for the remediation of groundwater contamination of deep aquifers. The efficiency of NPRWs mainly depends on the hydraulic contact time (HCT) of the pollutant with the reactive materials, the extent of the well capture zone (Wcz), and the relative hydraulic conductivity of aquifer and reactive material (Kr). We investigated nitrate removal from groundwater using NPRWs filled by ZVI (in nano and micro scales) and examined the effect of NPRWs orientations (i.e. vertical, slanted, and horizontal) on HCT and Wcz. The dependence of HCT on Wcz for different Kr values was derived theoretically for a homogeneous and isotropic aquifer, and verified using particle tracking simulations performed using the semi-analytical particle tracking and pathlines model (PMPATH). Nine batch experiments were then performed to investigate the impact of mixed nano-ZVI, NZVI (0 to 2 g l-1) and micro-ZVI, MZVI (0 to 4 g l-1) on the nitrate removal rate (with initial NO3-=132 mg l-1). The NPRWs system was tested in a bench-scale sand medium (60 cm length × 40 cm width × 25 cm height) for three orientations of NPRWs (vertical, horizontal, and slanted with inclination angle of 45°). A mixture of nano/micro ZVI, was used, applying constant conditions of pore water velocity (0.024 mm s-1) and initial nitrate concentration (128 mg l-1) for five pore volumes. The results of the batch tests showed that mixing nano and micro Fe0 outperforms these individual materials in nitrate removal rates. The final products of nitrate degradation in both batch and bench-scale experiments were NO2-, NH4+, and N2(gas). The results of sand-box experiments indicated that the slanted NPRWs have a higher nitrate reduction rate (57%) in comparison with vertical (38%) and horizontal (41%) configurations. The results also demonstrated that three factors have pivotal roles in expected HCT and Wcz, namely the contrast between the hydraulic

  19. Landfill leachate effects on sorption of organic micropollutants onto aquifer materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Thomas; Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Pfeffer, Fred M.

    1992-01-01

    The effect of dissolved organic carbon as present in landfill leachate, on the sorption of organic micropollutants in aquifer materials was studied by laboratory batch and column experiments involving 15 non-polar organic chemicals, 5 landfill leachates and 4 aquifer materials of low organic carbon......, the effect of landfill leachate on retardation of organic micropollutants in aquifer material seems limited....... content. The experiments showed that hydrophobic organic micropollutants do partition into dissolved organic carbon found in landfill leachate potentially increasing their mobility. However, landfill leachate interacted with aquifer materials apparently increases the sorbent affinity for the hydrophobic...

  20. Investigation of aquifer at Banyumeneng Site Mranggen District Demak Regency Central Java

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lilik Subiantoro; Priyo Sularto; Slamet Sudarto

    2010-01-01

    Demak is one of regency are placed in Central Java which has a problem of fresh water availability. The insufficient of water have been recognized in some parts of the region. such as Banyumeneng in Mrangen district. The problem of fresh water in this area is caused by sea water trapped in sedimentary material during sedimentation process, so the trapped groundwater character is brine or brackish. One of the alternatives to overcome water problem is delineated of the prospect area for exploiting of groundwater. The ground investigation activity is to get information about the geology, hydrogeology and subsurface geophysical characteristics which are needed to identification of groundwater aquifer. To obtain those targets are topographic measurement in 1:5000 scales maps, geology and hydrogeology mapping, measurement of soil radioactivity and geo electrical resistivity are conducted. Based on observation, analysis, evaluation and discussion were identified the existence of potential confined aquifer that happened at the layer sand that is trapped in the impermeable layer of clay, with distribution direction East-West. Potency of aquifer with the best condition, there are placed on BYM-16 and BYM-05 with the physics characterized in Sand-1 in the resistivity 16 - 22 Ωm to depth 125 - 150 m and Sand-2 in the resistivity 11- 16 Ωm depth 25 - 30 m. (author)

  1. Characteristics of Southern California coastal aquifer systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, B.D.; Hanson, R.T.; Reichard, E.G.; Johnson, T.A.

    2009-01-01

    , litany of names for the various formations, lithofacies, and aquifer systems identified within these basins. Despite these nomenclatural problems, available data show that most basins contain similar sequences of deposits and share similar geologic histories dominated by glacio-eustatic sea-level fluctuations, and overprinted by syndepositional and postdepositional tectonic deformation. Impermeable, indurated mid-Tertiary units typically form the base of each siliciclastic groundwater basin. These units are overlain by stacked sequences of Pliocene to Holocene interbedded marine, paralic, fluvial, and alluvial sediment (weakly indurated, folded, and fractured) that commonly contain the historically named "80-foot sand," "200-foot sand," and "400-foot gravel" in the upper part of the section. An unconformity, cut during the latest Pleistocene lowstand (??18O stage 2; ca. 18 ka), forms a major sequence boundary that separates these units from the overlying Holocene fluvial sands and gravels. Unconfined aquifers occur in amalgamated coarse facies near the bounding mountains (forebay area). These units are inferred to become lithologically more complex toward the center of the basins and coast line, where interbedded permeable and low-permeability alluvial, fluvial, paralic, and marine facies contain confined aquifers (pressure area). Coastal bounding faults limit intrabasin and/or interbasin flow in parts of many basins. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

  2. Inverse Porosity-Hydraulic Conductivity Relationship in Sand-and-Gravel Aquifers Determined From Analysis of Geophysical Well Logs: Implications for Transport Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, R. H.

    2004-05-01

    It is intuitive to think of hydraulic conductivity K as varying directly and monotonically with porosity P in porous media. However, laboratory studies and field observations have documented a possible inverse relationship between these two parameters in unconsolidated deposits under certain grain-size distributions and packing arrangements. This was confirmed at two sites in sand-and-gravel aquifers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where sets of geophysical well logs were used to examine the interdependence of several aquifer properties. Along with K and P, the resistivity R and the natural-gamma activity G of the surrounding sediments were measured as a function of depth. Qualitative examination of field results from the first site was useful in locating a contaminant plume and inferred an inverse relation between K and P; this was substantiated by a rigorous multivariate analysis of log data collected from the second site where K and P were determined to respond in a bipolar manner among the four independent variables. Along with this result come some implications regarding our conceptual understanding of contaminant transport processes in the shallow subsurface. According to Darcy's law, the interstitial fluid velocity V is proportional to the ratio K/P and, consequently, a general inverse K-P relationship implies that values of V can extend over a much wider range than conventionally assumed. This situation introduces a pronounced flow stratification within these granular deposits that can result in large values of longitudinal dispersivity; faster velocities occur in already fast zones and slower velocities in already slow zones. An inverse K-P relationship presents a new perspective on the physical processes associated with groundwater flow and transport. Although the results of this study apply strictly to the Cape Cod aquifers, they may merit a re-evaluation of modeling approaches undertaken at other locations having similar geologic environments.

  3. The influence of topology on hydraulic conductivity in a sand-and-gravel aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Roger H.; LeBlanc, Denis R.; Troutman, Brent M.

    2010-01-01

    A field experiment consisting of geophysical logging and tracer testing was conducted in a single well that penetrated a sand-and-gravel aquifer at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology research site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Geophysical logs and flowmeter/pumping measurements were obtained to estimate vertical profiles of porosity ϕ, hydraulic conductivity K, temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity under background, freshwater conditions. Saline-tracer fluid was then injected into the well for 2 h and its radial migration into the surrounding deposits was monitored by recording an electromagnetic-induction log every 10 min. The field data are analyzed and interpreted primarily through the use of Archie's (1942) law to investigate the role of topological factors such as pore geometry and connectivity, and grain size and packing configuration in regulating fluid flow through these coarse-grained materials. The logs reveal no significant correlation between K and ϕ, and imply that groundwater models that link these two properties may not be useful at this site. Rather, it is the distribution and connectivity of the fluid phase as defined by formation factor F, cementation index m, and tortuosity α that primarily control the hydraulic conductivity. Results show that F correlates well with K, thereby indicating that induction logs provide qualitative information on the distribution of hydraulic conductivity. A comparison of α, which incorporates porosity data, with K produces only a slightly better correlation and further emphasizes the weak influence of the bulk value of ϕ on K.

  4. 陷落柱填隙物全应力-应变过程的渗流特性研究%Research on permeability characteristics of karst collapse column fillings in complete stress-strain process

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张勃阳; 白海波; 张凯

    2016-01-01

    岩溶陷落柱易导通含水层与煤层从而引发底板突水事故,已经成为我国华北地区下组煤开采的重要安全隐患。对于固结良好的陷落柱,其填隙物的渗透性直接影响着陷落柱的整体渗透性,且在采动压力的影响下,陷落柱填隙物的渗透性也在不断发生变化。为研究不同应力状态下填隙物渗透率的变化规律,对填隙物进行固结重塑,并利用MTS815.02渗流试验系统对重塑后不同初始含水率的填隙物试样进行了不同围压条件下的全应力-应变过程的渗流特性试验。试验结果表明:1)陷落柱填隙物全应力-应变过程渗透率的变化曲线可划分为压密段、破坏段和蠕变段,渗透率对应的呈现出减小-增大-减小的变化规律;2)填隙物的全应力-应变过程的渗透率峰值随围压的增大而减小,其峰值比与围压差存在指数函数关系;3)填隙物的初始渗透率和孔隙度随初始含水率的增大而增大,渗透率比和孔隙度比存在幂函数关系,在全应力-应变过程中渗透率峰值与初始值的差随初始含水率的增大而减小。%The floor water-inrush accident caused by karst collapse column is easy to break over the aquifer and coal seam. This kind of accident has become the serious danger of lower group coal mining in northern China. For the well-consolidated collapse column, the permeability of the fillings directly affects that of the overall collapse column, and the permeability of fillings constantly changes under the influence of mining. The study on seepage characteristic of collapse column fillings is conducted with MTS815.02 seepage test system in a complete stress-strain process and the variation of permeability under different strain states. Meanwhile the influence of initial moisture content and confining pressure on the fillings permeability is analyzed in this test. The results show that: 1) The representative stress

  5. Influence of transient flow on the mobility of strontium in unsaturated sand column

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazet, P.

    2008-10-01

    The reactive transport of 85 Sr was studied on laboratory columns, focusing on the influence of transient unsaturated flow (cycles of infiltration and redistribution) associated with controlled geochemistry (constant concentrations of major elements and stable strontium in water). An original experimental tool (gamma attenuation system) allows us to follow at the same time the variations of humidity of the soil and the migration of radionuclide, in a non-destroying and definite way. First stage of this study concerned the implementation of the experimental tool to measure transient hydraulic events within the columns of sand. Several experiments of transport of 85 Sr were then performed with different water condition (saturated, unsaturated, permanent and transient flow). Experimental results were simulated using the computer codes HYDRUS-1D (phenomenological approach with partition coefficient K d ) and HYTEC (mechanistic geochemical/transport approach). Confrontation between experience and modelling shows that, for our operating conditions, transfer of 85 Sr can be predicted with an 'operational' approach using: 1) simplified geochemical model with partition coefficient K d concerning interactive reaction with the soil (K d value determined independently on saturated column, with the same water geochemistry), 2) permanent saturated (or unsaturated) flow, taking into account the cumulated infiltrated water during unsaturated transient hydraulic events concerning hydrodynamic. Generalization of these results (area of validity) suggests that the 'cumulated infiltrated water + K d ' approach can be use, for controlled water geochemistry, when the numerical value of K d is fairly strong (K d ≥≥1), and that it is insensitive to the value of the water content. Moreover, the presence of immobile water (∼10%) recorded with tritium transport, is undetectable with strontium. Explanation of this result is allocated to the different characteristic time residence

  6. Epigenetic zonation and fluid flow history of uranium-bearing fluvial aquifer systems, south Texas uranium province. Report of Investigations No. 119

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galloway, W.E.

    1982-01-01

    The Oligocene-Miocene fluvial uranium host aquifers of the South Texas uranium province were deposited principally as syndepositionally oxidized sands and muds. Early intrusion of reactive sulfide-enriched waters produced large intrastratal islands of epigenetic sulfidic alteration, which contain isotopically heavy pyrite exhibiting unique replacement textures. The only known reservoir containing such sulfidic waters is the deeply buried Mesozoic carbonate section beneath the thick, geopressured Tertiary basin fill. Thermobaric waters were expulsed upward along major fault zones into shallow aquifers in response to a pressure head generated by compaction and dehydration in the abyssal ground-water regime. Vertical migration of gaseous hydrogen sulfide was less important. Repeated flushing of the shallow aquifers by oxidizing meteoric waters containing anomalous amounts of uranium, selenium, and molybdenum alternating with sulfidic thermobaric waters caused cyclic precipitation and oxidation of iron disulfide. Uranium deposits formed along hydrologically active oxidation interfaces separating epigenetic sulfidic and epigenetic oxidation zones. Multiple epigenetic events are recorded in imperfectly superimposed, multiple mineralization fronts, in regional and local geometric relations between different alteration zones, and in the bulk matrix geochemistry and mineralogy of alteration zones. The dynamic mineralization model described in this report may reflect processes active in many large, depositionally active basins

  7. Hydrogeology and water quality of the Nanticoke Creek stratified-drift aquifer, near Endicott, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreitinger, Elizabeth A.; Kappel, William M.

    2014-01-01

    The Village of Endicott, New York, is seeking an alternate source of public drinking water with the potential to supplement their current supply, which requires treatment due to legacy contamination. The southerly-draining Nanticoke Creek valley, located north of the village, was identified as a potential water source and the local stratified-drift (valley fill) aquifer was investigated to determine its hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics. Nanticoke Creek and its aquifer extend from the hamlet of Glen Aubrey, N.Y., to the village of Endicott, a distance of about 15 miles, where it joins the Susquehanna River and its aquifer. The glacial sediments that comprise the stratified-drift aquifer vary in thickness and are generally underlain by glacial till over Devonian-aged shale and siltstone. Groundwater is more plentiful in the northern part of the aquifer where sand and gravel deposits are generally more permeable than in the southern part of the aquifer where less-permeable unconsolidated deposits are found. Generally there is enough groundwater to supply most homeowner wells and in some cases, supply small public-water systems such as schools, mobile-home parks, and small commercial/industrial facilities. The aquifer is recharged by precipitation, runoff, and tributary streams. Most tributary streams flowing across alluvial deposits lose water to the aquifer as they flow off of their bedrock-lined channels and into the more permeable alluvial deposits at the edges of the valley. The quality of both surface water and groundwater is generally good. Some water wells do have water-quality issues related to natural constituents (manganese and iron) and several homeowners noted either the smell and (or) taste of hydrogen sulfide in their drinking water. Dissolved methane concentrations from five drinking-water wells were well below the potentially explosive value of 28 milligrams per liter. Samples from surface and groundwater met nearly all State and Federal

  8. The Geometry of the Aquifer's System of the Terraguelt Graben by the Gravimetry and the Electric Prospecting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brahmia, A.; Hani, A.; Lamouroux, C.

    2009-01-01

    The goal of the present survey is the determination of the shape of Terraguelt graben aquifer system. The gravimetric survey brings a satisfactory answer in this sense that the residual anomaly map made appear a negative anomaly of - 20 m Gals and that the gradient delimits the Graben enough well. The electric survey on the basis of the geologic information and the few mechanical boring achieved in the plain permits to retail the facies of the replenishment better. Indeed some either the length of the current electrode AB line, the center of the plain makes appear of weak values of apparent resistivity, the shalky limestone substratum of age superior Maestrichien is not reached in spite of a length of AB line = 3000 m. Whereas the borders appear with resistivities more important, in the center of the plain these last become more and more weak with the increase of the AB length. The shape of the Graben is illustrated well in the electric cross sections and is confirmed by the interrelationship of the lithostratigraphique columns of the mechanical boring. The interpretation of mechanical boring data shows two principals aquifers : the first one is included in the karstified limestone of upper Maestrichien and the second one is in the replenishment constituted by sand, and gravel, pebble. This replenishment is estimated at 1200 m thickness. The piezo metric maps shows that the aquifers are feeded from the the East and South mountains borders

  9. The in-situ decontamination of sand and gravel aquifers by chemically enhanced solubilization of multiple-compound DNAPLs with surfactant solutions. Phase 1: Laboratory and pilot field-scale testing. Phase 2: Solubilization test and partitioning interwell tracer tests. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    Laboratory, numerical simulation, and field studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of micellar-surfactant solutions to solubilize chlorinated solvents contaminating sand and gravel aquifers. Ninety-nine surfactants were screened for their ability to solubilize trichloroethene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). The field test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer which is located 20 to 30 meters beneath a vapor degreasing operation at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This aquifer has become contaminated with TCE due to leakage of perhaps 40,000 liters of TCE, which has generated a plume of dissolved TCE extending throughout an area of approximately 3 km 2 in the aquifer. Most of the TCE is believed to be present in the overlying lacustrine deposits and in the aquifer itself as a dense, non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL. The objective of the field test was to assess the efficacy of the surfactant for in situ TCE solubilization. Although the test demonstrated that sorbitan monooleate was unsuitable as a solubilizer in this aquifer, the single-well test was demonstrated to be a viable method for the in situ testing of surfactants or cosolvents prior to proceeding to full-scale remediation

  10. Hydrogeology and water quality of sand and gravel aquifers in McHenry County, Illinois, 2009-14, and comparison to conditions in 1979

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gahala, Amy M.

    2017-10-26

    Baseline conditions for the sand and gravel aquifers (groundwater) in McHenry County, Illinois, were assessed using data from a countywide network of 44 monitoring wells collecting continuous water-level data from 2009–14. In 2010, water-quality data were collected from 41 of the monitoring wells, along with five additional monitoring wells available from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program. Periodic water-quality data were collected from 2010–14 from selected monitoring wells. The continuous water-level data were used to identify the natural and anthropogenic factors that influenced the water levels at each well. The water-level responses to natural influences such as precipitation, seasonal and annual variations, barometric pressure, and geology, and to anthropogenic influences such as pumping were used to determine (1) likely hydrogeologic setting (degree of aquifer confinement and interconnections) that, in part, are related to lithostratigraphy; and (2) areas of recharge and discharge related to vertical flow directions. Water-level trends generally were determined from the 6 years of data collection (2009–14) to infer effects of weather variability (drought) on recharge.Precipitation adds an estimated 2.4 inches per year of recharge to the aquifer. Some of this recharge is subsequently discharged to streams and some is discharged to supply wells. A few areas in the eastern half of the county had higher average recharge rates, indicating a need for adequate protection of these recharge areas. Downward vertical flow gradients in upland areas indicate that recharge to the confined aquifer units occurs near upland areas. Upward vertical flow gradients in lowland areas indicate discharge at locations of surface water and groundwater interaction (wetlands, ponds, and streams).Monitoring wells were sampled for major and minor ions, metals, and nutrients and a subset of wells was sampled for trace elements, dissolved gases

  11. General characteristics of the aquifer system Joanicó (Montevideo, Uruguay)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagliardi Urtasun, S.; Montaño, X.; Montaño Gutiérrez, M.; Lacués Parodi, X.

    2010-01-01

    The work area, comprising the towns of Joanicó, Sauce and N Progress , Canelones province, is a center of intensive agricultural development (viticulture, hortofruticultura, etc), where demand and exploitation of groundwater is common primarily for irrigation supply .The subsoil consists of sedimentary rocks and sediments belonging to the Freedom and Dolores ( Pleistocene), Fray Bentos (Upper Oligocene) (aquitards), Mercedes formations - Asencio (Upper Cretaceous) and Migues (Lower Cretaceous). Permeable levels in the Mercedes and Migues formations make up a significant potential aquifer system , which we call Joanicó Aquifer System. This aquifer is multilayer type and consists of fine to coarse sand and gravel and sand mixture , with the occasional presence of thin matrix. Semi confined and behaves as confined in most area; in the outcrop of the Merc edes training is free. The average transmissivity is approximately the 50m2/día; The average permeability of 5 to 10 m/day. The storage coefficient (confined area) is of the order 10-4 .In the most developed area of the aquifer is where Joanicó are obtained by constructing boreholes higher flows Canelones department: more than 25% of the wells drilled to extract higher flow 15 m3/h y extracted more than 40% flows over 10 m3/h. The production of many agricultural enterprises depends directly on the area irrigated with groundwater, so the deeper knowledge of the exploited resource is paramount

  12. Vertical gradients in water chemistry and age in the Northern High Plains Aquifer, Nebraska, 2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMahon, P.B.; Böhlke, J.K.; Carney, C.P.

    2007-01-01

    and clay-mineral precipitation; organic-carbon and pyrite oxidation; oxygen reduction and denitrification; and cation exchange. Mixing with surface water affected the chemistry of ground water in alluvial sediments of the Platte River Valley. Radiocarbon ages in the aquifer, adjusted for carbon mass transfers, ranged from 1,800 to 15,600 14C years before present. These results have important implications with respect to development of ground-water resources in the Sand Hills. Most of the water in the aquifer predates modern anthropogenic activity so excessive removal of water by pumping is not likely to be replenished by natural recharge in a meaningful timeframe. Vertical gradients in ground-water age were used to estimate long-term average recharge rates in the aquifer. In most areas, the recharge rates ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 foot per year. The recharge rate was 0.2 foot per year in one part of the aquifer characterized by large downward hydraulic gradients.Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations at the water table were 0.13 to 3.13 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, and concentrations substantially decreased with depth in the aquifer. Dissolved-gas and nitrogen-isotope data indicate that denitrification in the aquifer removed 0 to 97 percent (average = 50 percent) of the nitrate originally present in recharge. The average amount of nitrate removed by denitrification in the aquifer north of the Platte River (Sand Hills) was substantially greater than the amount removed south of the river (66 as opposed to 0 percent), and the extent of nitrate removal appears to be related to the presence of thick deposits of sediment on top of the Ogallala Group in the Sand Hills that contained electron donors, such as organic carbon and pyrite, to support denitrification.Apparent rates of dissolved-oxygen reduction and denitrification were estimated on the basis of decreases in dissolved-oxygen concentrations and increases in concentrations of excess nitrogen gas and ground-water ages

  13. MECHANISTIC STUDIES OF SURFACE CATALYZED H2O2 DECOMPOSITION AND CONTAMINANT DEGRADATION IN THE PRESENCE OF SAND. (R823402)

    Science.gov (United States)

    This study examined the mechanism and kinetics of surface catalyzed hydrogen peroxide decomposition and degradation of contaminants in the presence of sand collected from an aquifer and a riverbed. Batch experiments were conducted using variable sand concentrations (0.2 to 1.0&nb...

  14. Factors affecting the distribution of hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters in a shallow sand aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jin-Yong; Cheon, Jeong-Yong; Lee, Kang-Kun; Lee, Seok-Young; Lee, Min-Hyo

    2001-07-01

    The distributions of hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters were investigated in a shallow sand aquifer highly contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons leaked from solvent storage tanks. For these purposes, a variety of field investigations and studies were performed, which included installation of over 100 groundwater monitoring wells and piezometers at various depths, soil logging and analyses during well and piezometer installation, chemical analysis of groundwater, pump tests, and slug tests. Continuous water level monitoring at three selected wells using automatic data-logger and manual measuring at other wells were also conducted. Based on analyses of the various investigations and tests, a number of factors were identified to explain the distribution of the hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters. These factors include indigenous biodegradation, hydrostratigraphy, preliminary pump-and-treat remedy, recharge by rainfall, and subsequent water level fluctuation. The permeable sandy layer, in which the mean water table elevation is maintained, provided a dominant pathway for contaminant transport. The preliminary pump-and-treat action accelerated the movement of the hydrocarbon contaminants and affected the redox evolution pattern. Seasonal recharge by rain, together with indigenous biodegradation, played an important role in the natural attenuation of the petroleum hydrocarbons via mixing/dilution and biodegradation. The water level fluctuations redistributed the hydrocarbon contaminants by partitioning them into the soil and groundwater. The identified factors are not independent but closely inter-correlated.

  15. Water hammer with column separation : a historical review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bergant, A.; Simpson, A.R.; Tijsseling, A.S.

    2006-01-01

    Column separation refers to the breaking of liquid columns in fully filled pipelines. This may occur in a water-hammer event when the pressure in a pipeline drops to the vapor pressure at specific locations such as closed ends, high points or knees (changes in pipe slope). The liquid columns are

  16. Soil aquifer treatment of artificial wastewater under saturated conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Essandoh, H. M K; Tizaoui, Chedly; Mohamed, Mostafa H A; Amy, Gary L.; Brdjanovic, Damir

    2011-01-01

    A 2000 mm long saturated laboratory soil column was used to simulate soil aquifer treatment under saturated conditions to assess the removal of chemical and biochemical oxygen demand (COD and BOD), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen

  17. The in-situ decontamination of sand and gravel aquifers by chemically enhanced solubilization of multiple-compound DNAPLs with surfactant solutions: Phase 1 -- Laboratory and pilot field-scale testing and Phase 2 -- Solubilization test and partitioning and interwell tracer tests. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-10-24

    Laboratory, numerical simulation, and field studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of micellar-surfactant solutions to solubilize chlorinated solvents contaminating sand and gravel aquifers. Ninety-nine surfactants were screened for their ability to solubilize trichloroethene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). The field test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer which is located 20 to 30 meters beneath a vapor degreasing operation at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This aquifer has become contaminated with TCE due to leakage of perhaps 40,000 liters of TCE, which has generated a plume of dissolved TCE extending throughout an area of approximately 3 km{sup 2} in the aquifer. Most of the TCE is believed to be present in the overlying lacustrine deposits and in the aquifer itself as a dense, non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL. The objective of the field test was to assess the efficacy of the surfactant for in situ TCE solubilization. Although the test demonstrated that sorbitan monooleate was unsuitable as a solubilizer in this aquifer, the single-well test was demonstrated to be a viable method for the in situ testing of surfactants or cosolvents prior to proceeding to full-scale remediation.

  18. Fine sand in motion: the influence of interstitial air

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Homan, T.A.M.

    2013-01-01

    Sand is a granular material, and therefore it consists of individual grains arranged in a packing. The pores in-between the grains are usually filled with a fluid, in this case air. Now, is this interstitial air able to influence the behavior of the sand bed as a whole? When a ball impacts on fine,

  19. Heterogeneity-enhanced gas phase formation in shallow aquifers during leakage of CO2-saturated water from geologic sequestration sites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Plampin, Michael R.; Lassen, Rune Nørbæk; Sakaki, Toshihiro

    2014-01-01

    sands. Soil moisture sensors were utilized to observe the formation of gas phase near the porous media interfaces. Results indicate that the conditions under which heterogeneity controls gas phase evolution can be successfully predicted through analysis of simple parameters, including the dissolved CO2......, it is important to understand the physical processes that CO2 will undergo as it moves through naturally heterogeneous porous media formations. Previous studies have shown that heterogeneity can enhance the evolution of gas phase CO2 in some cases, but the conditions under which this occurs have not yet been...... quantitatively defined, nor tested through laboratory experiments. This study quantitatively investigates the effects of geologic heterogeneity on the process of gas phase CO2 evolution in shallow aquifers through an extensive set of experiments conducted in a column that was packed with layers of various test...

  20. Aging effects on oil-contaminated Kuwaiti sand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Sanad, H.A.; Ismael, N.F.

    1997-01-01

    Large quantities of oil-contaminated sands resulted from the destruction of oil wells and the formation of oil lakes in Kuwait at the end of the Gulf Wa/r. A laboratory testing program was carried out to determine the geotechnical properties of this material and the effect of aging on their properties. Tests included direct shear, triaxial, and consolidation tests on clean and contaminated sand at the same relative density. The influence of aging was examined by testing uncontaminated sand after aging for one, three, and six months in natural environmental conditions. The results indicated increased strength and stiffness due to aging and a reduction of the oil content due to evaporation of volatile compounds. The factors that influence the depth of oil penetration in compacted sand columns were also examined including the type of oil, relative density, and the amount of fines

  1. Rapid increases in permeability and porosity of bentonite-sand mixtures due to alteration by water vapor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Couture, R.A.

    1984-01-01

    Packed columns of canister packing material containing 25% bentonite and 75% quartz or basalt sand, were exposed to water vapor at temperatures up t 260 0 C. The permeabilities of the columns were subsequently measured after complete saturation with liquid water in a pressurized system. Exposure to water vapor caused irreversible increases in permeability by factors of up to 10 5 . After saturation with liquid water, the permeability was nearly independent of temperature. The increases in permeability were due to a large decrease in the ability of the bentonite to swell in water. Calculations suggest that swelling of bentonite altered at 250 0 C was not sufficient to fill the pore spaces. If the pore spaces are filled, the mixture will form an effective barrier against flow, diffusion, and transport of colloids. The results suggest that if bentonite-based canister packing material is exposed even briefly to water vapor at high temperatures in a high-level nuclear waste repository, its performance will be seriously impaired. The problem is less severe if the proportion of bentonite is high and the material is highly compacted. Previous results show significant degradation of bentonite by water vapor at temperatures as low as 150 0 C. This suggests that in some repositories, backfill in tunnels and drifts may also be affected. 9 references, 5 figures, 1 table

  2. Reclaimed water quality during simulated ozone-managed aquifer recharge hybrid

    KAUST Repository

    Yoon, Min; Amy, Gary L.

    2014-01-01

    A synergistic hybrid of two treatment processes, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) combined with ozonation, was proposed for wastewater reclamation and water reuse applications. Batch reactor and soil-column experiments were performed to evaluate

  3. Resistivity Study of Shallow Aquifers in theParts of Southern Ukanafun Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. J. George

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available A resistivity study by vertical electrical sounding (VES employing the Schlumberger electrode configuration has been used to delineate shallow aquifers in some villages in Southern Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Southern Nigeria. The information realized from the resistivity data and nearby logged boreholes show that the depths penetrated by currents were all sandy formations with various thicknesses. However, the main aquifers comprise within the maximum current penetration, very coarse – grained (gravelly sand and fine sand with resistivity in the ranges of 4680-30700 Ωm and 207-2530 Ωm and thickness in the ranges of 43-63 m and 18-40 m respectively. The aquifers with minor hydraulic gradient are separated by thin beds of clay according to lithology logs and these beds were masked in the sounding data due to the principle of suppression.

  4. Hydrogeologic assessment of shallow clastic and carbonate rock aquifers in Hendry and Collier counties, southwestern Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, C. Erwin; Krulikas, R.K.; Brendle, D.L.

    1996-01-01

    Direct-current electrical resistivity data were collected from 109 vertical electrical sounding sites in Hendry and Collier Counties, southwestern Florida. Selected direct-current electrical resistivity surveys, together with available borehole geologic and geophysical data, were used to determine the approximate areal extent of the shallow clastic aquifers composed of thick sands and carbonate lithologies. Results indicated that a complex pattern of shallow sands, clays, and carbonate lithologies occur throughout the area. Buried channel sands were found as deep as 50 meters below land surface in some places. The channels contain unconsolidated fine- to medium-grained quartz sand interbedded with sandy limestone, shell fragments, and gray-green sandy clay. Both surface and borehole geophysical techniques with lithologic data were necessary to approximately locate and define layers that might behave as confining layers and to locate and define the extent of any buried sand aquifers. The borehole geophysical data were used to analyze the zones of higher resistivity. Direct-current electrical resistivity data indicated the approximate location of certain layer boundaries. The conjunctive use of natural gamma and short- and long-normal resistivity logs was helpful in determining lithologic effects. Geohydrologic sections were prepared to identify potential locations of buried channels and carbonates containing freshwater. Buried channel sands and carbonate rock sections were identified in the subsurface that potentially may contain freshwater supplies.

  5. Summary of Available Hydrogeologic Data for the Northeast Portion of the Alluvial Aquifer at Louisville, Kentucky

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Unthank, Michael D; Nelson, Jr., Hugh L

    2006-01-01

    The hydrogeologic characteristics of the unconsolidated glacial outwash sand and gravel deposits that compose the northeast portion of the alluvial aquifer at Louisville, Kentucky, indicate a prolific...

  6. High resolution aquifer characterization using crosshole GPR full-waveform tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gueting, N.; Vienken, T.; Klotzsche, A.; Van Der Kruk, J.; Vanderborght, J.; Caers, J.; Vereecken, H.; Englert, A.

    2016-12-01

    Limited knowledge about the spatial distribution of aquifer properties typically constrains our ability to predict subsurface flow and transport. Here, we investigate the value of using high resolution full-waveform inversion of cross-borehole ground penetrating radar (GPR) data for aquifer characterization. By stitching together GPR tomograms from multiple adjacent crosshole planes, we are able to image, with a decimeter scale resolution, the dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of an alluvial aquifer along cross-sections of 50 m length and 10 m depth. A logistic regression model is employed to predict the spatial distribution of lithological facies on the basis of the GPR results. Vertical profiles of porosity and hydraulic conductivity from direct-push, flowmeter and grain size data suggest that the GPR predicted facies classification is meaningful with regard to porosity and hydraulic conductivity, even though the distributions of individual facies show some overlap and the absolute hydraulic conductivities from the different methods (direct-push, flowmeter, grain size) differ up to approximately one order of magnitude. Comparison of the GPR predicted facies architecture with tracer test data suggests that the plume splitting observed in a tracer experiment was caused by a hydraulically low-conductive sand layer with a thickness of only a few decimeters. Because this sand layer is identified by GPR full-waveform inversion but not by conventional GPR ray-based inversion we conclude that the improvement in spatial resolution due to full-waveform inversion is crucial to detect small-scale aquifer structures that are highly relevant for solute transport.

  7. Effect of pore water pressure on P-wave velocity in water-filled sands with partial air saturation; Fukanzen howa jotai no suna shiryo wo denpasuru P ha sokudo ni oyobosu kangeki suiatsu no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanema, T [Chishitsu-Keisoku Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-10-22

    With an objective to elucidate change in velocity of elastic waves in association with water pressure increase in a sand bed below the groundwater level in a shallow portion of the ground, a measurement experiment was carried out on P-wave velocity in sand samples with partial air saturation. The experiment has used fine sand having an equivalent coefficient of 2.40, a soil particle density of 2.68 g/cm {sup 3} or 60%, and a grain size of 0.36 mm. Inside the water-filled sand sample, two accelerometers were embedded 20 cm apart from each other as vibration receivers. An electromagnetic hammer for P-wave was used as the vibration source. In the experiment, measurement was carried out on the P-wave velocity in association with increase in pore water pressure by applying water pressure afresh to the water-filled sample. As a result of the experiment, the following matters were disclosed: the P-wave velocity increases as the pore water pressure was increased, and a phenomenon was recognized that the dominant frequency changes into high frequency; the degree of increase in the P-wave velocity varies depending on initial saturation of the sample; and bubbles in the pore fluid have their volume decreased due to compression resulted from increased pore water pressure and dissolution of air into the pore water. 6 refs., 11 figs.

  8. Characterization of the groundwater aquifers at El Sadat City by joint inversion of VES and TEM data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Usama Massoud

    2014-12-01

    In this study, VES and TEM data were identically measured at 24 stations along 3 profiles trending NE–SW with the elongation of the study area. The measuring points were arranged in a grid-like pattern with both inter-station spacing and line–line distance of about 2 km. After performing the necessary processing steps, the VES and TEM data sets were inverted individually to multi-layer models, followed by a joint inversion of both data sets. Joint inversion process has succeeded to overcome the model-equivalence problem encountered in the inversion of individual data set. Then, the joint models were used for the construction of a number of cross sections and contour maps showing the lateral and vertical distribution of the geoelectrical parameters in the subsurface medium. Interpretation of the obtained results and correlation with the available geological and hydrogeological information revealed TWO aquifer systems in the area. The shallow Pleistocene aquifer consists of sand and gravel saturated with fresh water and exhibits large thickness exceeding 200 m. The deep Pliocene aquifer is composed of clay and sand and shows low resistivity values. The water-bearing layer of the Pleistocene aquifer and the upper surface of Pliocene aquifer are continuous and no structural features have cut this continuity through the investigated area.

  9. Time-Fractional Advection-Dispersion Equation (tFADE) to Quantify Aqueous Phase Contaminant Elution from a Trichloroethene (TCE) NAPL Source Zone in Sand Columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tick, G. R.; Wei, S.; Sun, H.; Zhang, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Pore-scale heterogeneity, NAPL distribution, and sorption/desorption processes can significantly affect aqueous phase elution and mass flux in porous media systems. The application of a scale-independent fractional derivative model (tFADE) was used to simulate elution curves for a series of columns (5 cm, 7 cm, 15 cm, 25 cm, and 80 cm) homogeneously packed with 20/30-mesh sand and distributed with uniform saturations (7-24%) of NAPL phase trichloroethene (TCE). An additional set of columns (7 cm and 25 cm) were packed with a heterogeneous distribution of quartz sand upon which TCE was emplaced by imbibing the immiscible liquid, under stable displacement conditions, to simulate a spill-type process. The tFADE model was able to better represent experimental elution behavior for systems that exhibited extensive long-term concentration tailing requiring much less parameters compared to typical multi-rate mass transfer models (MRMT). However, the tFADE model was not able to effectively simulate the entire elution curve for such systems with short concentration tailing periods since it assumes a power-law distribution for the dissolution rate for TCE. Such limitations may be solved using the tempered fractional derivative model, which can capture the single-rate mass transfer process and therefore the short elution concentration tailing behavior. Numerical solution for the tempered fractional-derivative model in bounded domains however remains a challenge and therefore requires further study. However, the tFADE model shows excellent promise for understanding impacts on concentration elution behavior for systems in which physical heterogeneity, non-uniform NAPL distribution, and pronounced sorption-desorption effects dominate or are present.

  10. Geomorphic Controls on Aquifer Geometry in Northwestern India

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dijk, W. M.; Densmore, A. L.; Sinha, R.; Gupta, S.; Mason, P. J.; Singh, A.; Joshi, S. K.; Nayak, N.; Kumar, M.; Shekhar, S.

    2014-12-01

    The Indo-Gangetic foreland basin suffers from one of the highest rates of groundwater extraction in the world, especially in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. To understand the effects of this extraction on ground water levels, we must first understand the geometry and sedimentary architecture of the aquifer system, which in turn depend upon its geomorphic setting. We use satellite images and digital elevation models to map the geomorphology of the Sutlej and Yamuna river systems, while aquifer geometry is assessed using ~250 wells that extend to ~300 m depth in Punjab and Haryana. The Sutlej and Yamuna rivers have deposited large sedimentary fans at their outlets. Elongate downslope ridges on the fan surfaces form distributary networks that radiate from the Sutlej and Yamuna fan apices, and we interpret these ridges as paleochannel deposits associated with discrete fan lobes. Paleochannels picked out by soil moisture variations illustrate a complex late Quaternary history of channel avulsion and incision, probably associated with variations in monsoon intensity. Aquifer bodies on the Sutlej and Yamuna fans have a median thickness of 7 and 6 m, respectively, and follow a heavy-tailed distribution, probably because of stacked sand bodies. The percentage of aquifer material in individual lithologs decreases downstream, although the exponent on the thickness distribution remains the same, indicating that aquifer bodies decrease in number down fan but do not thin appreciably. Critically, the interfan area between the Sutlej and Yamuna fans has thinner aquifers and a lower proportion of aquifer material, despite its proximal location. Our data show that the Sutlej and Yamuna fan systems form the major aquifer systems in this area, and that their geomorphic setting therefore provides a first-order control on aquifer distribution and geometry. The large spatial heterogeneity of the system must be considered in any future aquifer management scheme.

  11. Evaluation of potential gas clogging associated with managed aquifer recharge from a spreading basin, southwestern Utah, U.S.A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heilweil, Victor M.; Marston, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Sand Hollow Reservoir in southwestern Utah, USA, is operated for both surface-water storage and managed aquifer recharge via infiltration from surface basin spreading to the underlying Navajo Sandstone. The total volume of estimated recharge from 2002 through 2011 was 131 Mm3., resulting in groundwater levels rising as much as 40 m. Hydraulic and hydrochemical data from the reservoir and various monitoring wells in Sand Hollow were used to evaluate the timing and location or reservoir recharge moving through the aquifer, along either potential clogging from trapped gases in pore throats, siltation, or algal mats. Several hyrdochemical tracers indicated this recharge had arrived at four monitoring wells located within about 300 m of the reservoir by 2012. At these wells, peak total dissolved-gas pressures exceeded two atmospheres (>1,500 mm mercury) and dissolved oxygen approached three times atmospherically equilibrated concentrations (>25 mg/L). these field parameters indicate that large amounts of gas trapped in pore spaces beneath the water table have dissolved. Lesser but notable increases in these dissolved-gas parameters (without increases in other indicators such as chloride-to-bromide ratios) at monitoring wells farther away (>300 m) indicate moderate amounts of in-situ sir entrapment and dissolution caused by the rise in regional groundwater levels. This is confirmed by hydrochemical difference between these sites and wells closer to the reservoir where recharge had already arrived. As the reservoir was being filled by 2002, managed aquifer recharge rates were initially very high (1.5 x 10-4 cm/s) with the vadose zone becoming saturated beneath and surrounding the reservoir. These rates declined to less than 3.5 x 10-6 cm/s during 2008. The 2002-08 decrease was likely associated with a declining regional hydraulic gradient and clogging. Increasing recharge rates during mid-2009 through 2010 may have been partly caused by dissolution of air bubbles

  12. Identification of the microbes mediating Fe reduction in a deep saline aquifer and their influence during managed aquifer recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Myoung-Soo; Cho, Kyungjin; Jeong, Dawoon; Lee, Seunghak

    2016-03-01

    In this study, indigenous microbes enabling Fe reduction under saline groundwater conditions were identified, and their potential contribution to Fe release from aquifer sediments during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) was evaluated. Sediment and groundwater samples were collected from a MAR feasibility test site in Korea, where adjacent river water will be injected into the confined aquifer. The residual groundwater had a high salinity over 26.0 psu, as well as strong reducing conditions (dissolved oxygen, DOaquifer were found to be Citrobacter sp. However, column experiments to simulate field operation scenarios indicated that additional Fe release would be limited during MAR, as the dominant microbial community in the sediment would shift from Citrobacter sp. to Pseudomonas sp. and Limnohabitans sp. as river water injection alters the pore water chemistry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Short steel and concrete columns under high temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. E. P. G. A. Jacintho

    Full Text Available The growing demand for knowledge about the effect of high temperatures on structures has stimulated increasing research worldwide. This article presents experimental results for short composite steel and concrete columns subjected to high temperatures in ovens with or without an axial compression load, numerically analyzes the temperature distribution in these columns after 30 and 60 minutes and compares them with experimental results. The models consist of concrete-filled tubes of three different thicknesses and two different diameters, and the concrete fill has conventional properties that remained constant for all of the models. The stress-strain behavior of the composite columns was altered after exposure to high temperatures relative to the same columns at room temperature, which was most evident in the 60-minute tests due to the higher temperatures reached. The computational analysis adopted temperature rise curves that were obtained experimentally.

  14. Removal of COD and TSS From Dye Solution Using Sand Filtration and Adsorption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heny Juniar

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted in order to obtain proper compositions and the standard condition for the simple filtration equipments and optimum operational conditions in adsorption column. The research was carried out by analyzing parameters COD and TSS. The result showed that the process was able to reduced parameters observed from filtration step until the process in adsorptions column. The optimum conditions for sand filter equipment were 10 cm sand height, at least 7 cm fibers, 3-4 cm gravel. In the adsorption column, the optimum conditions for green waste water were flow rate at 40 ml/min 60 min adsorptions time, and 60 cm bed height. While purple for waste water; 20 mL/min of flowrate, 60 min of adsorption time, and the 60 cm of bed height

  15. design chart procedures for polygonal concrete-filled steel columns

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ADMIN

    hexagonal and octagonal steel-concrete composite columns subjected to ... This paper also outlines procedures that will enable preparation of ... buildings and in a variety of large-span building ... Likewise, hot-rolled steel tubes are used while ... small moderate large. Fig. 2. Possible arrangement of composite polygonal ...

  16. Strength Characteristics of Quarry Dust in Replacement of Sand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shyam Prakash, K.; Hanumantha Rao, Ch, Dr

    2017-08-01

    The replacement of natural fine aggregate by using quarry dust leads to consumption of generated quarry dust, the requirement of land fill area can be reduced and solves the natural sand scarcity problem. The sand availability as a fine aggregate at low cost which needs the reason to search as a alternative material. Even it causes saddle to dump the crusher dust at one place which causes environmental pollution. The chemical analysis, specific gravity, sieve analysis and compressive strength is identified for various percentage and grades of concrete by replacement of sand with quarry dust.

  17. Investigation of ground water aquifer at Tlogorejo Site Karangawen District, Demak Regency, Central Java

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lilik Subiantoro; Priyo Sularto; Slamet Sudarto

    2009-01-01

    Demak is one of regency are placed at north beach central Java. Some part of this area especially Tlogorejo site Karangawen have the problem of fresh water availability. Conditions of insufficient Standard Water have been recognized in some part of the region, those are Karangrowo area, Undaan District. The problem of clean water in this area is caused by sea water trapped in sedimentary material during sedimentation process, so the trapped ground water character is brine or brackish. One of the alternatives to overcome water problem is election or delineated of the prospect area for exploiting of ground water. Referring to those problems Pusbang Geologi Nuklir BATAN means to conduct investigation of ground water in some location which has problem of clean water. The ground investigation activity is to get information about the geology, hydrogeology and sub surface geophysical characteristic, which is needed to identification of ground water aquifer. To obtain those targets, conducted by topographic measurement in 1:5000 scale maps, measurement of soil radioactivity, geology and hydrogeology mapping, geo-electrical 2-D image measurement Base on observation, analysis, evaluation and discussion was identified the existence of potential confined aquifer that happened at the layer sand that is trapped in the in impermeable layer of clay, which is potential for confined aquifer. Potency of aquifer with the best condition from bad, there are placed on geophysical measurement is ''Sand Aquifer Layer-1'' are located at RB 1 (TLG-5), RB 2 (TLG-4) and RB 3 (TLG-22). Physical characterized of aquifer: resistivity 22-46 Ωm, the depth of surface water 110 to 146 meter. (author)

  18. Hydro-geological properties of the Savian aquifer in the county Obrenovac

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stojadinović Dušan D.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a description of hydrogeological researches of alluvial layers of the Sava River in the area of the source "Vić Bare" near Obrenovac. This source supplies groundwater to that town. The depth of these layers amounts to 25 m. With regard to collecting capacity, the most significant are gravel-sand sediments of high filtration properties. Their average depth amounts to about 13 m with the underlying layer made of Pleistocene clays. Compact aquifer is formed within these sediments and it refills partly from the Sava River at places where river cuts its channel into the gravel-sand layer. The analysis of the groundwater regime in the riparian area points out that groundwater levels follow stages of the Sava River. Such an influence lessens with the distance. Established hydraulic connection between the river and the aquifer enables its permanent replenishment. On the other hand, due to certain pollutions this river flow might bring along, it represents a potential danger. Those pollutions could enter water-bearing layer of the aquifer as well as the exploitation well of the source. Such presumptions have been confirmed in the experiment of pollution transport carried out in the water-bearing layer. Unabsorbable chloride was used as a tracer whose movement velocity through exploitation well proved that there were real possibilities of intrusion of aggressive pollutants into the water-bearing layer and into the aquifer as well. Therefore, the protection of the source must be in the function of the protection of surface waters.

  19. Complex conductivity results to silver nanoparticles in partically saturated laboratory columns

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Laboratory complex conductivity data from partially saturated sand columns with silver nanoparticles. This dataset is not publicly accessible because: It involves...

  20. Buried aquifers in the Brooten-Belgrade and Lake Emily areas, west-central Minnesota--Factors related to developing water for irrigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, R.J.

    1976-01-01

    Irrigation has given a substantial boost to the economy in the Brooten-Belgrade and Lake Emily areas of Minnesota. The surficial outwash aquifer is capable of yielding sufficient quantities of water for irrigation over half of its area; the remaining part may be supplied by deep aquifers. Buried glacial outwash and Cretaceous sand aquifers, as thick as 50 feet occur to depths of 300 feet. In places, the buried aquifers are sufficiently thick and permeable to yield large quantities of water to wells. The buried aquifers are probably narrow, elongate, truncated bodies enclosed by clay till. The Precambrian surface, ranging from 190 to 350 feet below the land surface, is the lower limit of the buried aquifers.

  1. Column studies on BTEX biodegradation under microaerophilic and denitrifying conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hutchins, S.R.; Moolenaar, S.W.; Rhodes, D.E.

    1992-01-01

    Two column tests were conducted using aquifer material to simulate the nitrate field demonstration project carried out earlier at Traverse City, Michigan. The objectives were to better define the effect nitrate addition had on biodegradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and trimethylbenzenes (BTEX) in the field study, and to determine whether BTEX removal can be enhanced by supplying a limited amount of oxygen as a supplemental electron acceptor. Columns were operated using limited oxygen, limited oxygen plus nitrate, and nitrate alone. In the first column study, benzene was generally recalcitrant compared to the alkylbenzenes (TEX), although some removal did occur. In the second column study, nitrate was deleted from the feed to the column originally receiving nitrate alone and added to the feed of the column originally receiving limited oxygen alone. Although the requirement for nitrate for optimum TEX removal was clearly demonstrated in these columns, there were significant contributions by biotic and abiotic processes other than denitrification which could not be quantified

  2. Dynamic shear stiffness and damping ratio of marine calcareous and siliceous sands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javdanian, Hamed; Jafarian, Yaser

    2018-03-01

    Shear stiffness and damping ratio of two marine calcareous and siliceous sands were evaluated through an experimental program. Resonant column and cyclic triaxial experiments were conducted to measure the dynamic properties of the sands in small and large shear strain amplitudes. The tests were conducted under various initial stress-density conditions. The influence of effective confining pressure on the dynamic properties of the sands was assessed and compared in a preceding paper. It was shown that the calcareous sand has higher shear stiffness and lower damping ratio in comparison to the siliceous sand. In this note, the results are presented in more details and the dynamic behavior curves of the studied sands are compared with some available models, mostly developed based on the laboratory data of siliceous sands. This comparative study reveals that the previous models predict the dynamic properties of the calcareous sand in less precision than those of the siliceous sand.

  3. Hydrochemistry of the Mahomet Bedrock Valley Aquifer, East-Central Illinois: indicators of recharge and ground-water flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panno, S.V.; Hackley, Keith C.; Cartwright, K.; Liu, Chao-Li

    1994-01-01

    A conceptual model of the ground-water flow and recharge to the Mahomet Bedrock Valley Aquifer (MVA), east-central Illinois, was developed using major ion chemistry and isotope geochemistry. The MVA is a 'basal' fill in the east-west trending buried bedrock valley composed of clean, permeable sand and gravel to thicknesses of up to 61 m. It is covered by a thick sequence of glacial till containing thinner bodies of interbedded sand and gravel. Ground water from the MVA was found to be characterized by clearly defined geochemical regions with three distinct ground-water types. A fourth ground-water type was found at the confluence of the MVA and the Mackinaw Bedrock Valley Aquifer (MAK) to the west. Ground water in the Onarga Valley, a northeastern tributary of the MVA, is of two types, a mixed cation-SO42- type and a mixed cation-HCO3- type. The ground water is enriched in Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42- which appears to be the result of an upward hydraulic gradient and interaction of deeper ground water with oxidized pyritic coals and shale. We suggest that recharge to the Onarga Valley and overlying aquifers is 100% from bedrock (leakage) and lateral flow from the MVA to the south. The central MVA (south of the Onarga Valley) is composed of relatively dilute ground water of a mixed cation-HCO3- type, with low total dissolved solids, and very low concentrations of Cl- and SO42-. Stratigraphic relationships of overlying aquifers and ground-water chemistry of these and the MVA suggest recharge to this region of the MVA (predominantly in Champaign County) is relatively rapid and primarily from the surface. Midway along the westerly flow path of the MVA (western MVA), ground water is a mixed cation-HCO3- type with relatively high Cl-, where Cl- increases abruptly by one to ??? two orders of magnitude. Data suggest that the increase in Cl- is the result of leakage of saline ground water from bedrock into the MVA. Mass-balance calculations indicate that approximately 9.5% of

  4. Hydrogeology, water quality, and saltwater intrusion in the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the offshore area near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and Tybee Island, Georgia, 1999-2002

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falls, W. Fred; Ransom, Camille; Landmeyer, James E.; Reuber, Eric J.; Edwards, Lucy E.

    2005-01-01

    To assess the hydrogeology, water quality, and the potential for saltwater intrusion in the offshore Upper Floridan aquifer, a scientific investigation was conducted near Tybee Island, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Four temporary wells were drilled at 7, 8, 10, and 15 miles to the northeast of Tybee Island, and one temporary well was drilled in Calibogue Sound west of Hilton Head Island. The Upper Floridan aquifer at the offshore and Calibogue sites includes the unconsolidated calcareous quartz sand, calcareous quartz sandstone, and sandy limestone of the Oligocene Lazaretto Creek and Tiger Leap Formations, and the limestone of the late Eocene Ocala Limestone and middle Avon Park Formation. At the 7-, 10-, and 15-mile sites, the upper confining unit between the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers correlates to the Miocene Marks Head Formation. Paleochannel incisions have completely removed the upper confining unit at the Calibogue site and all but a 0.8-foot-thick interval of the confining unit at the 8-mile site, raising concern about the potential for saltwater intrusion through the paleochannel-fill sediments at these two sites. The paleochannel incisions at the Calibogue and 8-mile sites are filled with fine- and coarse-grained sediments, respectively. The hydrogeologic setting and the vertical hydraulic gradients at the 7- and 10-mile sites favored the absence of saltwater intrusion during predevelopment. After decades of onshore water use in Georgia and South Carolina, the 0-foot contour in the regional cone of depression of the Upper Floridan aquifer is estimated to have been at the general location of the 7- and 10-mile sites by the mid-1950s and at or past the 15-mile site by the 1980s. The upward vertical hydraulic gradient reversed, but the presence of more than 17 feet of upper confining unit impeded the downward movement of saltwater from the surficial aquifer to the Upper Floridan aquifer at the 7- and 10-mile sites. At the 10

  5. Geomechanical properties of lime stabilized clayey sands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arabani, M.; Karami, M. Veis

    2007-01-01

    Clayey sands that have low plasticity, low compressibility and high strength under loads, are suitable as a base material for any engineering construction projects as well as for roads and building construction. Decrease of plasticity and compressibility as well as increase in strength of these materials can be obtained by many different methods. Of these methods, lime stabilization is a common, applicable, and easy to use approach that can improve geomechanical and geotechnical properties of clayey sand fills. In this study some important geomechanical properties and geotechnical properties of clayey sands including compressive strength, CBR and elastic plastic behavior are investigated. A range of gradations representative of those gradations found in situ in the north of Iran were selected for testing and samples were artificially rebuilt in the laboratory. The mixes were then stabilized with hydrated lime and cured. Different mechanical tests were performed on mature materials. The stress-strain behavior of lime-stabilized mixes was plotted and a parabolic function was used to estimate the trend of stress-strain behavior. The data show that there is a correlation among the results of uniaxial load test, tensile strength, and CBR of the tested specimens. Also, results of the unconfined compression test and the indirect tensile strength test show that an increase in clay content up to a certain percent, in the clay-sand fills, tends to increase the strength of the materials in compression as well as in tension. (author)

  6. Wave propagation in plasma-filled wave-guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leprince, Philippe

    1966-01-01

    This research thesis reports the study of wave propagation along a plasma column without external magnetic field. The author first present and comment various theoretical results, and dispersion curves plotted for the main modes (particularly, the bipolar mode). He tries to define fundamental magnitudes which characterise a plasma-filled wave-guide. He reports the comparison of some experimental results with the previous theoretical results. Based on the study of the bipolar mode, the author develops a method of measurement of plasma column density. In the last part, the author reports the study of the resonance of a plasma-containing cavity. Several resonances are highlighted and new dispersion curves are plotted by using a varying length cavity. He also addresses the coupling of plasma modes with guide modes, and thus indicates the shape of Brillouin diagrams for a plasma-filled wave-guide. Moreover, some phenomena highlighted during plasma column density measurements by using the cavity method could then be explained [fr

  7. On the relation between fluvio-deltaic flood basin geomorphology and the wide-spread occurrence of arsenic pollution in shallow aquifers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donselaar, Marinus E; Bhatt, Ajay G; Ghosh, Ashok K

    2017-01-01

    Pollution of groundwater with natural (geogenic) arsenic occurs on an enormous, world-wide scale, and causes wide-spread, serious health risks for an estimated more than hundred million people who depend on the use of shallow aquifers for drinking and irrigation water. A literature review of key studies on arsenic concentration levels yields that Holocene fluvial and deltaic flood basins are the hotspots of arsenic pollution, and that the dominant geomorphological setting of the arsenic-polluted areas consists of shallow-depth meandering-river deposits with sand-prone fluvial point-bar deposits surrounded by clay-filled (clay plug) abandoned meander bends (oxbow lakes). Analysis of the lithofacies distribution and related permeability contrasts of the geomorphological elements in two cored wells in a point bar and adjacent clay plug along the Ganges River, in combination with data of arsenic concentrations and organic matter content reveals that the low-permeable clay-plug deposits have a high organic matter content and the adjacent permeable point-bar sands show high but spatially very variable arsenic concentrations. On the basis of the geomorphological juxtaposition, the analysis of fluvial depositional processes and lithofacies characteristics, inherent permeability distribution and the omnipresence of the two geomorphological elements in Holocene flood basins around the world, a generic model is presented for the wide-spread arsenic occurrence. The anoxic deeper part (hypolimnion) of the oxbow lake, and the clay plugs are identified as the loci of reactive organic carbon and microbial respiration in an anoxic environment that triggers the reductive dissolution of iron oxy-hydroxides and the release of arsenic on the scale of entire fluvial floodplains and deltaic basins. The adjacent permeable point-bar sands are identified as the effective trap for the dissolved arsenic, and the internal permeability heterogeneity is the cause for aquifer compartmentalization

  8. Evaluation and Preliminary Design of a Stormwater Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) System at the Wadi Khulays Dunefield in Saudi Arabia

    KAUST Repository

    Lopez Valencia, Oliver M.

    2013-04-01

    An important source of freshwater in arid lands is found in groundwater aquifers that are recharged after storm events. However, most of the precipitation is lost due to evaporation and only small fractions actually recharge the aquifers. The construction of dams along wadi channels enables the retention of stormwater, however the reservoirs are still subject to huge evaporative losses and contamination. In this study, the hydraulic properties of a dunefield in western Saudi Arabia are evaluated in order to determine the feasibility of designing a stormwater storage aquifer storage and recovery facility using the dune sands as a natural medium and design recommendations are addressed. The accurate estimation of hydraulic conductivity of unlithified sediments such as dune sands has become very important in the design of natural filtration projects, including aquifer recharge and recovery systems. Therefore, a comparison and selection of methods for the determination of the hydraulic conductivity from grain size distribution found in the literature was done. An improvement to these equations based on measurements on dune samples was obtained.

  9. Burrowing inhibition by fine textured beach fill: Implications for recovery of beach ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viola, Sloane M.; Hubbard, David M.; Dugan, Jenifer E.; Schooler, Nicholas K.

    2014-10-01

    Beach nourishment is often considered the most environmentally sound method of maintaining eroding shorelines. However, the ecological consequences are poorly understood. Fill activities cause intense disturbance and high mortality and have the potential to alter the diversity, abundance, and distribution of intertidal macroinvertebrates for months to years. Ecological recovery following fill activities depends on successful recolonization and recruitment of the entire sandy intertidal community. The use of incompatible sediments as fill material can strongly affect ecosystem recovery. We hypothesized that burrowing inhibition of intertidal animals by incompatible fine fill sediments contributes to ecological impacts and limits recovery in beach ecosystems. We experimentally investigated the influence of intertidal zone and burrowing mode on responses of beach invertebrates to altered sediment texture (28-38% fines), and ultimately the potential for colonization and recovery of beaches disturbed by beach filling. Using experimental trials in fill material and natural beach sand, we found that the mismatched fine fill sediments significantly inhibited burrowing of characteristic species from all intertidal zones, including sand crabs, clams, polychaetes, isopods, and talitrid amphipods. Burrowing performance of all five species we tested was consistently reduced in the fill material and burrowing was completely inhibited for several species. The threshold for burrowing inhibition by fine sediment content in middle and lower beach macroinvertebrates varied by species, with highest sensitivity for the polychaete (4% fines, below the USA regulatory limit of 10% fines), followed by sand crabs and clams (20% fines). These results suggest broader investigation of thresholds for burrowing inhibition in fine fill material is needed for beach animals. Burrowing inhibition caused by mismatched fill sediments exposes beach macroinvertebrates to stresses, which could depress

  10. Groundwater geochemistry of a Mio-Pliocene aquifer in the northeastern Algerian Sahara (Djamaa region)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houari, Idir Menad; Nezli, Imed Eddine; Belksier, Mohamed Salah

    2018-05-01

    The groundwater resources in the Northern Sahara are represented by two superimposed major aquifer systems: the Intercalary Continental (CI) and the Terminal Complex (CT). The waters of these aquifers pose serious physical and chemical quality problems; they are highly mineralized and very hard. The present work aims to describe the water's geochemical evolution of sand groundwater (Mio-Pliocene) of the Terminal Complex in the area of Djamaa, by the research of the relationship between water's chemical composition and lithology of aquifer formations through. The results obtained show that the water's chemistry is essentially governed by the dissolution of evaporate formations, which gives to, waters an excessive mineralization expressed by high concentrations of sulfates, chlorides and sodium.

  11. Appraisal of the surficial aquifers in the Pomme de Terre and Chippewa River Valleys, western Minnesota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soukup, W.G.; Gillies, D.C.; Myette, C.F.

    1984-01-01

    The surf icial sands in the Pomme de Terre and Chippewa River valleys in Grant, Pope, Stevens, and Swift Counties have been studied to determine the occurrence, availability, and quality of ground water in these aquifers.

  12. Conjunctive Management of Multi-Aquifer System for Saltwater Intrusion Mitigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, F. T. C.; Pham, H. V.

    2015-12-01

    Due to excessive groundwater withdrawals, many water wells in Baton Rouge, Louisiana experience undesirable chloride concentration because of saltwater intrusion. The study goal is to develop a conjunctive management framework that takes advantage of the Baton Rouge multi-aquifer system to mitigate saltwater intrusion. The conjunctive management framework utilizes several hydraulic control techniques to mitigate saltwater encroachment. These hydraulic control approaches include pumping well relocation, freshwater injection, saltwater scavenging, and their combinations. Specific objectives of the study are: (1) constructing scientific geologic architectures of the "800-foot" sand, the "1,000-foot" sand, the "1,200-foot" sand, the "1,500-foot" sand, the "1,700-foot" sand, and the "2,000-foot" sand, (2) developing scientific saltwater intrusion models for these sands. (3) using connector wells to draw native groundwater from one sand and inject to another sand to create hydraulic barriers to halt saltwater intrusion, (4) using scavenger wells or well couples to impede saltwater intrusion progress and reduce chloride concentration in pumping wells, and (5) reducing cones of depression by relocating and dispersing pumping wells to different sands. The study utilizes optimization techniques and newest LSU high performance computing (HPC) facilities to derive solutions. The conjunctive management framework serves as a scientific tool to assist policy makers to solve the urgent saltwater encroachment issue in the Baton Rouge area. The research results will help water companies as well as industries in East Baton Rouge Parish and neighboring parishes by reducing their saltwater intrusion threats, which in turn would sustain Capital Area economic development.

  13. Significance of Iron(II,III) Hydroxycarbonate Green Rust in Arsenic Remediation Using Zerovalent Iron in Laboratory Column Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    We examined the corrosion products of zerovalent iron used in three column tests for removing arsenic from water under dynamic flow conditions. Each column test lasted three- to four-months using columns consisting of a 10.3-cm depth of 50 : 50 (w : w, Peerless iron : sand) in t...

  14. Pesticide and transformation product detections and age-dating relations from till and sand deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, K.L.; Morrow, W.S.

    2007-01-01

    Pesticide and transformation product concentrations and frequencies in ground water from areas of similar crop and pesticide applications may vary substantially with differing lithologies. Pesticide analysis data for atrazine, metolachlor, alachlor, acetochlor, and cyanazine and their pesticide transformation products were collected at 69 monitoring wells in Illinois and northern Indiana to document occurrence of pesticides and their transformation products in two agricultural areas of differing lithologies, till, and sand. The till is primarily tile drained and has preferential fractured flow, whereas the sand primarily has surface water drainage and primary porosity flow. Transformation products represent most of the agricultural pesticides in ground water regardless of aquifer material - till or sand. Transformation products were detected more frequently than parent pesticides in both the till and sand, with metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid being most frequently detected. Estimated ground-water recharge dates for the sand were based on chlorofluorocarbon analyses. These age-dating data indicate that ground water recharged prior to 1990 is more likely to have a detection of a pesticide or pesticide transformation product. Detections were twice as frequent in ground water recharged prior to 1990 (82%) than in ground water recharged on or after 1990 (33%). The highest concentrations of atrazine, alachlor, metolachlor, and their transformation products, also were detected in samples from ground water recharged prior to 1990. These age/pesticide detection relations are opposite of what would normally be expected, and may be the result of preferential flow and/or ground-water mixing between aquifers and aquitards as evident by the detection of acetochlor transformation products in samples with estimated ground-water ages predating initial pesticide application. ?? 2007 American Water Resources Association.

  15. Geohydrology of the stratified-drift aquifer system in the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, Tompkins County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.; Karig, Daniel E.

    2010-01-01

    In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Planning Department began a series of studies of the stratified-drift aquifers in Tompkins County to provide geohydrologic data for planners to develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. This aquifer study in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough is the second in a series of aquifer studies in Tompkins County. The study area is within the northern area of the Appalachian Plateau and extends about 9 miles from the boundary between Tompkins County and Tioga County in the south to just south of the City of Ithaca in the north. In lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, confined sand and gravel aquifers comprise the major water-bearing units while less extensive unconfined units form minor aquifers. About 600 people who live in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough rely on groundwater from the stratified-drift aquifer system. In addition, water is used by non-permanent residents such as staff at commercial facilities. The estimated total groundwater withdrawn for domestic use is about 45,000 gallons per day (gal/d) or 0.07 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) based on an average water use of 75 gal/d per person for self-supplied water systems in New York. Scouring of bedrock in the preglacial lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek valleys by glaciers and subglacial meltwaters truncated hillside spurs, formed U-shaped, transverse valley profiles, smoothed valley walls, and deepened the valleys by as much as 300 feet (ft), forming a continuous trough. The unconsolidated deposits in the study area consist mostly of glacial drift, both unstratified drift (till) and stratified drift (laminated lake, deltaic, and glaciofluvial sediments), as well as some post-glacial stratified sediments (lake-bottom sediments that were deposited in reservoirs, peat and muck that were deposited in wetlands, and alluvium deposited by streams). Multiple advances and

  16. Filling of charged cylindrical capillaries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Das, Siddhartha; Chanda, Sourayon; Eijkel, J.C.T.; Tas, N.R.; Chakraborty, Suman; Mitra, Sushanta K.

    2014-01-01

    We provide an analytical model to describe the filling dynamics of horizontal cylindrical capillaries having charged walls. The presence of surface charge leads to two distinct effects: It leads to a retarding electrical force on the liquid column and also causes a reduced viscous drag force because

  17. Laboratory evidence of MTBE biodegradation in Borden aquifer material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schirmer, Mario; Butler, Barbara J.; Church, Clinton D.; Barker, James F.; Nadarajah, Nalina

    2003-02-01

    Mainly due to intrinsic biodegradation, monitored natural attenuation can be an effective and inexpensive remediation strategy at petroleum release sites. However, gasoline additives such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) can jeopardize this strategy because these compounds often degrade, if at all, at a slower rate than the collectively benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylene (BTEX) compounds. Investigation of whether a compound degrades under certain conditions, and at what rate, is therefore important to the assessment of the intrinsic remediation potential of aquifers. A natural gradient experiment with dissolved MTBE-containing gasoline in the shallow, aerobic sand aquifer at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden (Ontario, Canada) from 1988 to 1996 suggested that biodegradation was the main cause of attenuation for MTBE within the aquifer. This laboratory study demonstrates biologically catalyzed MTBE degradation in Borden aquifer-like environments, and so supports the idea that attenuation due to biodegradation may have occurred in the natural gradient experiment. In an experiment with batch microcosms of aquifer material, three of the microcosms ultimately degraded MTBE to below detection, although this required more than 189 days (or >300 days in one case). Failure to detect the daughter product tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in the field and the batch experiments could be because TBA was more readily degradable than MTBE under Borden conditions.

  18. Rapid filling of pipelines with the SPH particle method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hou, Q.; Zhang, L.X.; Tijsseling, A.S.; Kruisbrink, A.C.H.

    2011-01-01

    The paper reports the development and application of a SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) based simulation of rapid filling of pipelines, for which the rigid-column model is commonly used. In this paper the water-hammer equations with a moving boundary are used to model the pipe filling process,

  19. Rapid filling of pipelines with the SPH particle method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hou, Q.; Zhang, L.X.; Tijsseling, A.S.; Kruisbrink, A.C.H.

    2012-01-01

    The paper reports the development and application of a SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) based simulation of rapid filling of pipelines, for which the rigid-column model is commonly used. In this paper the water-hammer equations with a moving boundary are used to model the pipe filling process,

  20. In situ radionuclide migration studies in a shallow sand aquifer (Part 1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, G.M.; Alexander, L.S.; Hitchman, S.P.; Hooker, P.J.; Noy, D.J.; Ross, C.A.M.; Stuart, A.; West, J.M.

    1985-07-01

    As a result of a study of the geology of the British Nuclear Fuels premises at Drigg, Cumbria, the British Geological Survey identified a shallow glacial sand deposit approximately 1.5m thick, interbedded between two clay horizons. An array of boreholes has been contructed in this sand in order to study the migration of radionuclides introduced into the formation under controlled conditions of groundwater flow. Conservative tracers used in the field test include chloride (as NaCl, detected using a specific ion electrode) and iodine-131 (as NaI, detected radiometrically using a NaI (T1) crystal). Strontium-85 (as the chloride) has been used as a chemically reactive tracer in conjuction with 131 I. The principal research objectives of the programme are as follows:- (1) to undertake laboratory batch sorption experiments using core material from the field site in order to choose those nuclides of radiological interest that would migrate sufficiently quickly for their behaviour to be studied in a field experiment within a reasonable time period. (2) to identify and quantify the mechanisms for nuclide/sediment interaction by determination of the geochemical distribution of 85 Sr in contaminated cores using a sequential leaching procedure. (3) to obtain appropriate data on the hydraulic characteristics of the sand formation in order to construct a mathematical model to describe groundwater flow and reactive mass transport. (author)

  1. LNAPL source zone delineation using soil gases in a heterogeneous silty-sand aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Grégory J. V.; Jousse, Florie; Luze, Nicolas; Höhener, Patrick; Atteia, Olivier

    2016-09-01

    Source delineation of hydrocarbon contaminated sites is of high importance for remediation work. However, traditional methods like soil core extraction and analysis or recent Membrane Interface Probe methods are time consuming and costly. Therefore, the development of an in situ method based on soil gas analysis can be interesting. This includes the direct measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil gas taken from gas probes using a PID (Photo Ionization Detector) and the analysis of other soil gases related to VOC degradation distribution (CH4, O2, CO2) or related to presence of Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) as 222Rn. However, in widespread heterogeneous formations, delineation by gas measurements becomes more challenging. The objective of this study is twofold: (i) to analyse the potential of several in situ gas measurement techniques in comparison to soil coring for LNAPL source delineation at a heterogeneous contaminated site where the techniques might be limited by a low diffusion potential linked to the presence of fine sands and silts, and (ii) to analyse the effect of vertical sediment heterogeneities on the performance of these gas measurement methods. Thus, five types of gases were analysed: VOCs, their three related degradation products O2, CO2 and CH4 and 222Rn. Gas measurements were compared to independent LNAPL analysis by coring. This work was conducted at an old industrial site frequently contaminated by a Diesel-Fuel mixture located in a heterogeneous fine-grained aquifer. Results show that in such heterogeneous media migration of reactive gases like VOCs occurs only across small distances and the VOC concentrations sampled with gas probes are mainly related to local conditions rather than the presence of LNAPL below the gas probe. 222Rn is not well correlated with LNAPL because of sediment heterogeneity. Oxygen, CO2, and especially CH4, have larger lengths of diffusion and give the clearest picture for LNAPL presence at this

  2. Sandstone-filled normal faults: A case study from central California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palladino, Giuseppe; Alsop, G. Ian; Grippa, Antonio; Zvirtes, Gustavo; Phillip, Ruy Paulo; Hurst, Andrew

    2018-05-01

    Despite the potential of sandstone-filled normal faults to significantly influence fluid transmissivity within reservoirs and the shallow crust, they have to date been largely overlooked. Fluidized sand, forcefully intruded along normal fault zones, markedly enhances the transmissivity of faults and, in general, the connectivity between otherwise unconnected reservoirs. Here, we provide a detailed outcrop description and interpretation of sandstone-filled normal faults from different stratigraphic units in central California. Such faults commonly show limited fault throw, cm to dm wide apertures, poorly-developed fault zones and full or partial sand infill. Based on these features and inferences regarding their origin, we propose a general classification that defines two main types of sandstone-filled normal faults. Type 1 form as a consequence of the hydraulic failure of the host strata above a poorly-consolidated sandstone following a significant, rapid increase of pore fluid over-pressure. Type 2 sandstone-filled normal faults form as a result of regional tectonic deformation. These structures may play a significant role in the connectivity of siliciclastic reservoirs, and may therefore be crucial not just for investigation of basin evolution but also in hydrocarbon exploration.

  3. 2D fall of granular columns controlled by slow horizontal withdrawal of a retaining wall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mériaux, C. A.

    2006-12-01

    This paper describes a series of experiments designed to investigate the fall of granular columns in quasi- static regime. Columns made of alternatively green and red sand layers were initially laid out in a box and then released when a retaining wall was set in slow motion with constant speed. The dependence of the dynamics of the fall on the initial aspect ratio of the columns, the velocity of the wall and the material properties was investigated within the quasi-static regime. A change in the behaviour of the columns was identified to be a function of the aspect ratio (height/length) of the initial sand column. Columns of high aspect ratio first subsided before sliding along failure planes, while columns of small aspect ratio were only observed to slide along failure planes. The transition between these two characteristic falls occurred regardless of the material and the velocity of the wall in the context of the quasi-static regime. When the final height and length of the piles were analyzed, we found power-law relations of the ratio of initial to final height and final run-out to initial length with the aspect ratio of the column. The dissipation of energy is also shown to increase with the run-out length of the pile until it reaches a plateau.

  4. Carrier effect on separation efficiency of the column in reversed-phase partition chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pszonicka, M.; Siekierski, S.

    1972-01-01

    Chromatographic columns were filled with carriers of diatomaceous earth type (Hyflo Super Cell, and Celite 545) of large pores, and two microporous silica gels respectively. These columns were used for the separation of europium and gadolinium by reversed-phase partition chromatography in the system: stationary phase-diethylhexylphosphoric acid (HDEHP) mobile phase-0.4 N nitric acid. In each case the separation of the above mentioned elements was achieved. The plate height that characterizes separation efficiency of the column, decreases with the decrease of particle diameter of the carrier. Best columns were obtained from carriers of large pores (Hyflo Super Cell and Celite 545) for which plate hights below 0.1 mm could be achieved. Columns filled with microporous silica gels showed plate heights of 0.2-0.3 mm. (author)

  5. Characterization of hydraulic conductivity of the alluvium and basin fill, Pinal Creek Basin near Globe, Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angeroth, Cory E.

    2002-01-01

    Acidic waters containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals have contaminated the regional aquifer in the Pinal Creek Basin, which is in Gila County, Arizona, about 100 kilometers east of Phoenix. The aquifer is made up of two geologic units: unconsolidated stream alluvium and consolidated basin fill. To better understand how contaminants are transported through these units, a better understanding of the distribution of hydraulic conductivity and processes that affect it within the aquifer is needed. Slug tests were done in September 1997 and October 1998 on 9 wells finished in the basin fill and 14 wells finished in the stream alluvium. Data from the tests were analyzed by using either the Bouwer and Rice (1976) method, or by using an extension to the method developed by Springer and Gellhar (1991). Both methods are applicable for unconfined aquifers and partially penetrating wells. The results of the analyses show wide variability within and between the two geologic units. Hydraulic conductivity estimates ranged from 0.5 to 250 meters per day for the basin fill and from 3 to 200 meters per day for the stream alluvium. Results of the slug tests also show a correlation coefficient of 0.83 between the hydraulic conductivity and the pH of the ground water. The areas of highest hydraulic conductivity coincide with the areas of lowest pH, and the areas of lowest hydraulic conductivity coincide with the areas of highest pH, suggesting that the acidic water is increasing the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer by dissolution of carbonate minerals.

  6. Seabed gallery intakes: Investigation of the water pretreatment effectiveness of the active layer using a long-term column experiment

    KAUST Repository

    Dehwah, Abdullah

    2017-05-11

    Seabed gallery intake systems used for seawater reverse osmosis facilities employ the same principle of water treatment as slow sand filtration in freshwater systems. An investigation concerning the effectiveness of the active layer (top layer) in improving raw water quality was conducted by using a long-term bench-scale columns experiment. Two different media types, silica and carbonate sand, were tested in 1 m columns to evaluate the effectiveness of media type in terms of algae, bacteria, Natural Organic Matter (NOM) and Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) removal over a period of 620 days. Nearly all algae in the silica sand column, 87% (σ = 0.04) of the bacteria, 59% (σ = 0.11) of the biopolymer fraction of NOM, 59% (σ = 0.16) of particulate and 32% (σ = 0.25) of colloidal TEP were removed during the last 330 days of the experiment. Total removal was observed in the carbonate sand column for algal concentration, while the bacterial removal was lower at 74% (σ = 0.08). Removal of biopolymers, particulate and colloidal TEP were higher in the carbonate column during the last 330 days with 72% (σ = 0.15), 66% (σ = 0.08) and 36% (σ = 0.12) removed for these organics respectively. Removal of these key organics through the 1 m thick column, representing the active layer, will likely reduce the rate of biofouling, reduce chemical usage and minimize operating cost in SWRO systems. The data show that the media will require several months at the beginning of operation to reach equilibrium so that high organic removal rates can be achieved. No development of a “schmutzdecke” layer occurred. The experimental results suggest that unlike freshwater slow sand filtration wherein most water treatment occurs in the upper 10 cm, in seawater systems treatment occurs throughout the full active layer depth of 1 m. The results of this study will help in designing and operating seabed gallery intake systems in varied geological conditions.

  7. Ground-water levels in aquifers used for residential supply, Campton Township, Kane County, Illinois

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kay, Robert T.; Kraske, Kurt A.

    1996-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Campton Township Board of Trustees, measured water levels in the aquifers used for residential supply in Campton Township, Kane County, Illinois. Aquifers used for residential supply are the shallow and deep aquifers in the glacial drift, composed of unconsolidated sand and gravels; the Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifer, composed of dolomite and shale of the Alexandrian Series and the Maquoketa Group; the Galena-Platteville aquifer, composed of dolomite of the Platteville and Galena Groups; and the Ancell aquifer, composed of sandstones of the Glenwood Formation and the St. Peter Sanstone. Water-level altitudes in the shallow drift aquifers generally follow surface topography. Analysis of water-level data does not clearly indicate overutilization of these aquifers. Water-level altitudes in the deep drift aquifers decrease from west to east. Comparison of historical depth to water measurements with current (1995) measurements indicates large decreases in water levels in some areas. The deep drift aquifers may be overutilized at these locations. Water-level altitudes in the Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifer generally decrease from west to east. The potentiometric surface of the aquifer follows the bedrock-surface topography in some locations. Localized low water-level altitudes and large decreases in water levels indicate the Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifer is overutilized in several areas. Water-level altitudes in the wells finished in the Galena- Platteville aquifer vary by more than 300 feet. Large decreases in water levels in wells finished in the Galena-Platteville aquifer indicate the Galena-Platteville and Alexandrian-Maquoketa aquifers are overutilized in the northern part of the township. Water-level altitudes in the wells finished in the Ancell aquifer are also highly variable. There is no indication that the Ancell aquifer is overutilized.

  8. Influence of Clay Content, Mineralogy and Fabric On Radar Frequency Response of Aquifer Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, L. J.; Handley, K.

    High frequency electromagnetic methods such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and time domain reflectometry (TDR) are widely employed to measure water saturation in the vadose zone and water filled porosity in the saturated zone. However, previous work has shown that radar frequency dielectric properties are strongly influenced by clay as well as by water content. They have also shown that that the dielectric response of clay minerals is strongly frequency dependent, and that even a small proportion of clay such as that present in many sandstone aquifers can have a large effect at typi- cal GPR frequencies (around 100MHz). Hence accurate water content/porosity deter- mination requires clay type and content to be taken into account. Reported here are dielectric measurements on clay-sand mixtures, aimed at investigating the influence of clay mineralogy, particle shape, and the geometrical arrangement of the mixture constituents on GPR and TDR response. Dielectric permittivity (at 50-1000MHz) was measured for mixtures of Ottawa Sand and various clay minerals or clay size quartz rock flour, using a specially constructed dielectric cell. Both homogeneous and layered mixtures were tested. The influence of pore water salinity, clay type, and particle arrangement on the dielectric response is interpreted in terms of dielectric dispersion mechanisms. The appropriateness of var- ious dielectric mixing rules such as the Complex Refractive Index Method (CRIM) for determination of water content or porosity from field GPR and TDR data are dis- cussed.

  9. Essential Characteristics of Plasma Antennas Filled with He-Ar Penning Gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Naifeng; Li Wenzhong; Wang Shiqing; Li Jian; Ci Jiaxiang

    2012-01-01

    Based on the essential theory of Penning gases, the discharge characteristics of He-Ar Penning gases in insulating tubes were analyzed qualitatively. The relation between the effective length of an antenna column filled with He-Ar Penning gases and the applied radio frequency (RF) power was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The distribution of the plasma density along the antenna column in different conditions was studied. The receiving characteristics of local frequency modulated (FM) electromagnetic waves by the plasma antenna filled with He-Ar Penning gases were compared with those by an aluminum antenna with the same dimensions. Results show that it is feasible to take plasma antennas filled with He-Ar Penning gases as receiving antennas.

  10. Microbial community evolution during simulated managed aquifer recharge in response to different biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) concentrations

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Dong

    2013-05-01

    This study investigates the evolution of the microbial community in laboratory-scale soil columns simulating the infiltration zone of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems and analogous natural aquifer sediment ecosystems. Parallel systems were supplemented with either moderate (1.1 mg/L) or low (0.5 mg/L) biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) for a period of six months during which time, spatial (1 cm, 30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm, and 120 cm) and temporal (monthly) analyses of sediment-associated microbial community structure were analyzed. Total microbial biomass associated with sediments was positively correlated with BDOC concentration where a significant decline in BDOC was observed along the column length. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated dominance by Bacteria with Archaea comprising less than 1 percent of the total community. Proteobacteria was found to be the major phylum in samples from all column depths with contributions from Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Microbial community structure at all the phylum, class and genus levels differed significantly at 1 cm between columns receiving moderate and low BDOC concentrations; in contrast strong similarities were observed both between parallel column systems and across samples from 30 to 120 cm depths. Samples from 1 cm depth of the low BDOC columns exhibited higher microbial diversity (expressed as Shannon Index) than those at 1 cm of moderate BDOC columns, and both increased from 5.4 to 5.9 at 1 cm depth to 6.7-8.3 at 30-120 cm depths. The microbial community structure reached steady state after 3-4 months since the initiation of the experiment, which also resulted in an improved DOC removal during the same time period. This study suggested that BDOC could significantly influence microbial community structure regarding both composition and diversity of artificial MAR systems and analogous natural aquifer sediment ecosystems. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Anaerobic biodegradation of dissolved ethanol in a pilot-scale sand aquifer: Variability in plume (redox) biogeochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLeod, Heather C.; Roy, James W.; Slater, Gregory F.; Smith, James E.

    2018-01-01

    The use of ethanol in alternative fuels has led to contamination of groundwater with high concentrations of this easily biodegradable organic compound. Previous laboratory and field studies have shown vigorous biodegradation of ethanol plumes, with prevalence of reducing conditions and methanogenesis. The objective of this study was to further our understanding of the dynamic biogeochemistry processes, especially dissolved gas production, that may occur in developing and aging plume cores at sites with ethanol or other organic contamination of groundwater. The experiment performed involved highly-detailed spatial and temporal monitoring of ethanol biodegradation in a 2-dimensional (175 cm high × 525 cm long) sand aquifer tank for 330 days, with a vertical shift in plume position and increased nutrient inputs occurring at Day 100. Rapid onset of fermentation, denitrification, sulphate-reduction and iron(III)-reduction occurred following dissolved ethanol addition, with the eventual widespread development of methanogenesis. The detailed observations also demonstrate a redox zonation that supports the plume fringe concept, secondary reactions resulting from a changing/moving plume, and time lags for the various biodegradation processes. Additional highlights include: i) the highest dissolved H2 concentrations yet reported for groundwater, possibly linked to vigorous fermentation in the absence of common terminal electron-acceptors (i.e., dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and sulphate, and iron(III)-minerals) and methanogenesis; ii) evidence of phosphorus nutrient limitation, which stalled ethanol biodegradation and perhaps delayed the onset of methanogenesis; and iii) the occurrence of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, which has not been reported for ethanol biodegradation to date.

  12. Hydraulic properties of the Midville Aquifer at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodges, R.A.; Snipes, D.S.; Benson, S.M.; Daggett, J.S.; Temples, T.; Harrelson, L.

    1994-01-01

    Aquifer performance tests of the Midville Aquifer System were conducted at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. The stratigraphic section of interest consists of Late Cretaceous Coastal Plain sediments. Within the study area, the Midville Aquifer System is composed of sand aquifers separated by discontinuous clay lenses. The Midville is underlain by the Appleton Confining Unit which is separated from underlying Triassic sediments and Paleozoic crystallines by a regional unconformity. This unconformable surface has a dip of 10 m/km to the southeast. The Midville is overlain by the Allendale Confining Unit which separates the Midville from the Dublin Aquifer System. The tests were performed at B and P Areas within the SRS using production wells screened in the Midville Aquifer and monitor well clusters screened in the Midville, Dublin, and Gordon (Eocene) Aquifers. The B Area is located 13 km updip from P Area. The Midville is about 50 meters thick at B Area and 80 meters thick at P Area. The transmissivity of the Midville is 0.0095 m 2 /s at B Area and 0.017 m 2 /s at P Area. The storativity at both areas is about 10 -4 . Vertical leakance of the Midville is greater updip as the stratigraphic section thins. During the B Area test, pumping induced water level changes were detected in aquifers above the Midville. At P Area, no pumping induced water level changes were detected above the Midville Aquifer System

  13. Experimental investigations on steel-concrete composite columns for varying parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aparna, V.; Vivek, D.; Neelima, Kancharla; Karthikeyan, B.

    2017-07-01

    In this study, the experimental investigations on steel tubes filled with different types of concrete are presented. Steel tubes filled with fibre reinforced concrete using lathe waste and steel tube with concerned confined with steel mesh were investigated. The combinations were compared with steel tubes with conventional concrete. A total of 4 concrete filled steel tube (CFST) combinations were made with tubes of diameter 100 mm with wall thickness 1.6 mm and a height of 300 mm. Axial compression test to examine the resisting capacity of the columns and push-out test for noting the bond strength were performed. Coupon tests were also conducted to determine the mechanical properties of steel. The structural behaviour of the composite columns was evaluated from on the test results. It was observed that steel tube filled fibre reinforced possessed better bond strength and resistance to axial load.

  14. Neutron flux measurement in the thermal column of the Malaysian TRIGA mark II reactor with MCNP verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel Munem, E.; Shukri, A.; Tajuddin, A.A.

    2006-01-01

    A study of the thermal column of the Malaysian TRIGA Mark II reactor, forming part of a feasibility study for BNCT was proposed in 2001. In the current study, pure metals were used to measure the neutron flux at selected points in the thermal column and the neutron flux determined using SAND-II. Monte Carlo simulation of the thermal column was also carried out. The reactor core was homogenized and calculations of the neutron flux through the graphite stringers performed using MCNP5. The results show good agreement between the measured flux and the MCNP calculated flux. An obvious extension from this is that the MCNP neutron flux output can be utilized as an input spectrum for SAND-II for the flux iteration. (author)

  15. Mapping Aquifer Systems with Airborne Electromagnetics in the Central Valley of California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, R. J.; Smith, R.; Asch, T. H.; Abraham, J.; Cannia, J.; Fogg, G. E.; Viezzoli, A.

    2016-12-01

    The Central Valley of California is an important agricultural region struggling to meet the need for irrigation water. Recent periods of drought have significantly reduced the delivery of surface water, resulting in extensive pumping of groundwater. This has exacerbated an already serious problem in the Central Valley, where a number of areas have experienced declining water levels for several decades leading to ongoing concerns about depletion of aquifers and impacts on ecosystems, as well as subsidence of the ground surface. The overdraft has been so significant, that there are now approximately140 million acre-feet (MAF) of unused groundwater storage in the Central Valley, storage that could be used to complement the 42 MAF of surface storage. The alluvial sedimentary geology of the Central Valley is typically composed of more than 50 to 70 percent fine-grained deposits dominated by silt and clay beds. These fine grained deposits can block potential recharge, and are associated with the large amount of observed subsidence. Fortunately, the geologic processes that formed the region created networks of sand and gravel which provide both a supply of water and pathways for recharge from the surface to the aquifers. The challenge is to find these sand and gravel deposits and thus identify optimal locations for surface spreading techniques so that recharge could be dramatically increased, and re-pressurization of the confined aquifer networks could be accomplished. We have acquired 100 line kilometers of airborne electromagnetic data over an area in the San Joaquin Valley, imaging the subsurface hydrostratigraphy to a depth of 500 m with spatial resolution on the order of meters to tens of meters. Following inversion of the data to obtain resistivity models along the flight lines, we used lithology logs in the area to transform the models to images displaying the distribution of sand and gravel, clay, and mixed fine and coarse materials. The quality of the data and

  16. Simulated effects of groundwater withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and Piney Point aquifer, Maurice and Cohansey River Basins, Cumberland County and vicinity, New Jersey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Alison D.; Buxton, Debra E.

    2018-05-10

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, conducted a study to simulate the effects of withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system on streamflow and groundwater flow and from the Piney Point aquifer on water levels in the Cohansey and Maurice River Basins in Cumberland County and surrounding areas. The aquifer system consists of gravel, sand, silt, and clay sediments of the Cohansey Sand and Kirkwood Formation that dip and thicken to the southeast. The aquifer system is generally an unconfined aquifer, but semi-confined and confined conditions exist within the Cumberland County study area. The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system is present throughout Cumberland County and is the principal source of groundwater for public, domestic, agricultural-irrigation, industrial, and commercial water uses. In 2008, reported groundwater withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system in the study area totaled about 21,700 million gallons—about 36 percent for public supply; about 49 percent for agricultural irrigation; and about 15 percent for industrial, commercial, mining by sand and gravel companies, and non-agricultural irrigation uses. A transient numerical groundwater-flow model of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system was developed and calibrated by incorporating monthly recharge, base-flow estimates, water-level data, surface-water diversions and discharges, and groundwater withdrawals from 1998 to 2008.The groundwater-flow model was used to simulate five withdrawal scenarios to observe the effects of additional groundwater withdrawals on the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and streams. These scenarios include (1) average 1998 to 2008 monthly groundwater withdrawals (baseline scenario); (2) monthly full-allocation groundwater withdrawals, but agricultural-irrigation withdrawals were decreased for October through March; (3) monthly full-allocation groundwater withdrawals; (4) estimated monthly

  17. MEASUREMENTS ON, AND MODELING OF DIFFUSIVE AND ADVECTIVE RADON TRANSPORT IN SOIL

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VANDERGRAAF, ER; WITTEMAN, GAA; VANDERSPOEL, WH; ANDERSEN, CE; DEMEIJER, RJ

    1994-01-01

    Results are presented of measurements on radon transport in soil under controlled conditions with a laboratory facility consisting of a stainless steel vessel (height and diameter 2 m) filled with a uniform column of sand. At several depths under the sand surface, probes are radially inserted into

  18. Continuous-flow column study of reductive dehalogenation of PCE upon bioaugmentation with the Evanite enrichment culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azizian, Mohammad F.; Behrens, Sebastian; Sabalowsky, Andrew; Dolan, Mark E.; Spormann, Alfred M.; Semprini, Lewis

    2008-08-01

    A continuous-flow anaerobic column experiment was conducted to evaluate the reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) in Hanford aquifer material after bioaugmentation with the Evanite (EV) culture. An influent PCE concentration of 0.09 mM was transformed to vinyl chloride (VC) and ethene (ETH) within a hydraulic residence time of 1.3 days. The experimental breakthrough curves were described by the one-dimensional two-site-nonequilibrium transport model. PCE dechlorination was observed after bioaugmentation and after the lactate concentration was increased from 0.35 to 0.67 mM. At the onset of reductive dehalogenation, cis-dichloroethene (c-DCE) concentrations in the column effluent exceeded the influent PCE concentration indicating enhanced PCE desorption and transformation. When the lactate concentration was increased to 1.34 mM, c-DCE reduction to vinyl chloride (VC) and ethene (ETH) occurred. Spatial rates of PCE and VC transformation were determined in batch-incubated microcosms constructed with aquifer samples obtained from the column. PCE transformation rates were highest in the first 5 cm from the column inlet and decreased towards the column effluent. Dehalococcoides cell numbers dropped from ˜ 73.5% of the total Bacterial population in the original inocula, to about 0.5% to 4% throughout the column. The results were consistent with estimates of electron donor utilization, with 4% going towards dehalogenation reactions.

  19. The effects of Fe-oxidizing microorganisms on post-biostimulation permeability reduction and oxidative processes at the Rifle IFRC site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, Clara Sze-Yue [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)

    2015-07-02

    Fe oxidation and biomineral formation is important in aquifers because the highly-reactive oxides can control the mobility of nutrients (e.g. phosphate, C) and metals (e.g. arsenic, uranium). Mineral formation also has the potential to affect hydrology, depending on the volume and distribution in pore spaces. In this exploratory study, we sought to understand how microbial Fe-oxidizers and their biominerals affect, and are affected by groundwater flow. As part of work at the Rifle aquifer in Colorado, we initially hypothesized that Fe-oxidizers were contributing to aquifer clogging problems associated with enhanced bioremediation. To demonstrate the presence of Fe-oxidizers in the Rifle aquifer, we enriched FeOM from groundwater samples, and isolated two novel chemolithotrophic, microaerophilic Fe-oxidizing Betaproteobacteria, Hydrogenophaga sp. P101 and Curvibacter sp. CD03. To image cells and biominerals in the context of pores, we developed a “micro-aquifer,” a sand-filled flow-through culture chamber that allows for imaging of sediment pore space with multiphoton confocal microscopy. Fe oxide biofilms formed on sand grains, demonstrating that FeOM produce Fe oxide sand coatings. Fe coatings are common on aquifer sands, and tend to sequester contaminants; however, it has never previously been shown that microbes are responsible for their formation. In contrast to our original hypothesis, the biominerals did not clog the mini-aquifer. Instead, Fe biofilm distribution was dynamic: they grew as coatings, then periodically sloughed off sand grains, with some flocs later caught in pore throats. This has implications for physical hydrology, including pore scale architecture, and element transport. The sloughing of coatings likely prevents the biominerals from clogging wells and aquifers, at least initially. Although attached biomineral coatings sequester Fe-associated elements (e.g. P, As, C, U), when biominerals detach, these elements are transported as particles

  20. Ground-water flow and quality in the Atlantic City 800-foot sand, New Jersey

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAuley, Steven D.; Barringer, Julia L.; Paulachok, Gary N.; Clark, Jeffrey S.; Zapecza, Otto S.

    2001-01-01

    The regional, confined Atlantic City 800-foot sand is the principal source of water supply for coastal communities of southern New Jersey. In response to extensive use of the aquifer--nearly 21 million gallons per day in 1986--water levels have declined to about 100 feet below sea level near Atlantic City and remain below sea level throughout the coastal areas of southern New Jersey, raising concerns about the potential for saltwater intrusion into well fields. Water levels in the Atlantic City 800-foot sand have declined in response to pumping from the aquifer since the 1890's. Water levels in the first wells drilled into the Atlantic City 800-foot sand were above land surface, and water flowed continuously from the wells. By 1986, water levels were below sea level throughout most of the coastal areas. Under current conditions, wells near the coast derive most of their supply from lateral flow contributed from the unconfined part of the aquifer northwest of the updip limit of the confining unit that overlies the Atlantic City 800- foot sand. Ground water also flows laterally from offshore areas and leaks vertically through the overlying and underlying confining units into the Atlantic City 800-foot sand. The decline in water levels upsets the historical equilibrium between freshwater and ancient saltwater in offshore parts of the aquifer and permits the lateral movement of saltwater toward pumping centers. The rate of movement is accelerated as the decline in water levels increases. The chloride concentration of aquifer water 5.3 miles offshore of Atlantic City was measured as 77 mg/L (milligrams per liter) in 1985 at a U.S. Geological Survey observation well. Salty water has also moved toward wells in Cape May County. The confined, regional nature of the Atlantic City 800-foot sand permits water levels in Cape May County to decline in response to pumping in Atlantic County and vice versa. Historically, chloride concentrations as great as 1 ,510 mg/L have been

  1. Impact of pre-treatment technologies on soil aquifer treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Besançon

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the impact of pre-treatment options on the performances of soil columns simulating soil aquifer treatment (SAT. For this purpose a conventional activated sludge (CAS process, a membrane bioreactor (MBR and vertical flow reed beds were used as single units or in combination before SAT. The influent and effluent from each treatment train were monitored over three successive 6-month periods, corresponding to changes in the operational conditions of the MBR and CAS units from 6 days' sludge retention time (SRT to 12 and 20 days. All the columns acted as efficient polishing steps for solids and bacteria. The column receiving effluent from the CAS system running at 6 days' SRT also presented high total nitrogen and total phosphorus removals, but this column was also associated with the lowest infiltration rates over that period. While the quality of the effluent from the column following the CAS process increased over 18 months of operation, the effluent quality of the columns receiving MBR effluent degraded. No correlations were found between variations in SRT of the MBR and CAS processes and the columns' performances. Overall, all columns, except the one receiving CAS effluent, underwent a reduction in infiltration rate over 18 months.

  2. Impact of recharge water temperature on bioclogging during managed aquifer recharge: a laboratory study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Lu; Gao, Zongjun; Zheng, Xilai; Wei, Jiuchuan

    2018-04-01

    To investigate the effect of recharge water temperature on bioclogging processes and mechanisms during seasonal managed aquifer recharge (MAR), two groups of laboratory percolation experiments were conducted: a winter test and a summer test. The temperatures were controlled at 5±2 and 15±3 °C, and the tests involved bacterial inoculums acquired from well water during March 2014 and August 2015, for the winter and summer tests, respectively. The results indicated that the sand columns clogged 10 times faster in the summer test due to a 10-fold larger bacterial growth rate. The maximum concentrations of total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the winter test were approximately twice those in the summer test, primarily caused by a 200 μg/g sand increase of both loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS). In the first half of the experimental period, the accumulation of bacteria cells and EPS production induced rapid bioclogging in both the winter and summer tests. Afterward, increasing bacterial growth dominated the bioclogging in the summer test, while the accumulation of LB-EPS led to further bioclogging in the winter test. The biological analysis determined that the dominant bacteria in experiments for both seasons were different and the bacterial community diversity was 50% higher in the winter test than that for summer. The seasonal inoculums could lead to differences in the bacterial community structure and diversity, while recharge water temperature was considered to be a major factor influencing the bacterial growth rate and metabolism behavior during the seasonal bioclogging process.

  3. Protists from a sewage‐contaminated aquifer on cape cod, Massachusetts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novarino, Gianfranco; Warren, Alan; Kinner, Nancy E.; Harvey, Ronald W.

    1994-01-01

    Several species of flagellates (genera Bodo, Cercomonas, Cryptaulax, Cyathomonas, Goniomonas, Spumella) have been identified in cultures from a plume of organic contamination (treated sewage effluent) within an aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Amoebae and numerous unidentifiable 2‐ to 3‐μm flagellates have also been observed. As a rule, flagellates were associated with solid surfaces, or were capable of temporary surface attachment, corroborating earlier observations from in situ and column transport experiments suggesting that protists in the Massachusetts aquifer have a high propensity for association with sediment grain surfaces. Based on the fact that cultures from the uncontaminated part of the aquifer yielded only a few species of protists, it is hypothesized that the greater abundance and variety of food sources in the contaminant plume is capable of supporting a greater number of protistan species.

  4. Batch and column studies of adsorption of Li, Ni and Br by a reference sand for contaminant transport experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seigel, M.D.; Ward, D.B.; Bryan, C.R.

    1995-09-01

    A processed quartz sand (Wedron 510), mined from the St. Peter sandstone, has been characterized by a variety of chemical and physical methods for use as a reference porous media in transport model validation experiments. Wedron 510 sand was used in an intermediate-scale experiment involving migration of Ni, Li and Br through a 6-m high x 3-m diameter caisson. Ni and Li adsorption/desorption, and Li/Ni site-competition experiments yielded information on the importance of the trace mineral phases to adsorption of Li and Ni by the sand. The presence of an iron hydroxide coating similar to goethite on the sand grains is suggested by visual observation and leaching experiments. Kaolinite was identified by SEM and XRD as a significant trace mineral phase in the sand and occurs as small particles coating the sand grains. Quartz, the predominant constituent of the sand by weight, does not appear to contribute significantly to the adsorption properties of the sand. Qualitatively, the adsorption properties of the sand can be adequately modeled as a two-mineral system (goethite and kaolinite). The studies described in this report should provide a basis for understanding transport of Ni, Li and Br through porous media similar to the reference sand. Techniques were developed for obtaining parameter values for surface complexation and kinetic adsorption models for the sand and its mineral components. These constants can be used directly in coupled hydrogeochemical transport codes. The techniques should be useful for characterization of other natural materials and elements in high-level nuclear waste in support of coupled hydrogeochemical transport calculations for Yucca Mountain

  5. Carbon-14 measurements in aquifers with methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barker, J.F.; Fritz, P.; Brown, R.M.

    1979-01-01

    A survey of various groundwater systems indicates that methane is a common trace constituent and occasionally a major carbon species in groundwaters. Thermocatalytic methane had delta 13 Csub(CH 4 )>-45 per mille and microbially produced or biogenic methane had delta 13 Csub(CH 4 ) 13 C values for the inorganic carbon. Thermocatalytic methane had no apparent effect on the inorganic carbon. Because methanogenesis seriously affects the carbon isotope geochemistry of groundwaters, the correction of raw 14 C ages of affected groundwaters must consider these effects. Conceptual models are developed which adjust the 14 C activity of the groundwater for the effects of methanogenesis and for the dilution of carbon present during infiltration by simple dissolution of rock carbonate. These preliminary models are applied to groundwaters from the Alliston sand aquifer where methanogenesis has affected most samples. In this system, methanogenic bacteria using organic matter present in the aquifer matrix as substrate have added inorganic carbon to the groundwater which has initiated further carbonate rock dissolution. These processes have diluted the inorganic carbon 14 C activity. The adjusted groundwater ages can be explained in terms of the complex hydrogeology of this aquifer, but also indicate that these conceptual models must be more rigorously tested to evaluate their appropriateness. (author)

  6. Numerical analysis of biological clogging in two-dimensional sand box experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kildsgaard, J.; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard

    2001-01-01

    Two-dimensional models for biological clogging and sorptive tracer transport were used to study the progress of clogging in a sand box experiment. The sand box had been inoculated with a strip of bacteria and exposed to a continuous injection of nitrate and acetate. Brilliant Blue was regularly...... injected during the clogging experiment and digital images of the tracer movement had been converted to concentration maps using an image analysis. The calibration of the models to the Brilliant Blue observations shows that Brilliant Blue has a solid biomass dependent sorption that is not compliant...... with the assumed linear constant Kd behaviour. It is demonstrated that the dimensionality of sand box experiments in comparison to column experiments results in a much lower reduction in hydraulic conductivity Žfactor of 100. and that the bulk hydraulic conductivity of the sand box decreased only slightly. However...

  7. Mimicking Retention and Transport of Rotavirus and Adenovirus in Sand Media Using DNA-labeled, Protein-coated Silica Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Liping; Farkas, Kata; Bennett, Grant; Varsani, Arvind; Easingwood, Richard; Tilley, Richard; Nowostawska, Urszula; Lin, Susan

    2014-05-01

    Rotavirus (RoV) and adenovirus (AdV) are important viral pathogens for the risk analysis of drinking water. Despite this, little is known about their retention and transport behaviors in porous media (e.g. sand filtered used for water treatment and groundwater aquifers due to a lack of representative surrogates. In this study, we developed RoV and AdV surrogates by covalently coating 70-nm sized silica nanoparticles with specific proteins and a DNA marker for sensitive detection. Filtration experiments using beach sand columns demonstrated the similarity of the surrogates' concentrations, attachment, and filtration efficiencies to the target viruses. The surrogates showed the same magnitude of concentration reduction as the viruses. Conversely, MS2 phage (a traditional virus model) over predicted concentrations of AdV and RoV by 1- and 2-orders of magnitude, respectively. The surrogates remained stable in size, surface charge and DNA concentration for at least one year. They can be easily and rapidly detected at concentrations down to one particle per PCR reaction and are readily detectable in natural waters and even in effluent. With up-scaling validation in pilot trials, the surrogates can be a useful cost-effective new tool for studying virus retention and transport in porous media, e.g. for assessing filter efficiency in water and wastewater treatment, tracking virus migration in groundwater after effluent land disposal, and establishing safe setback distances for groundwater protection.

  8. Method of Relating Grain Size Distribution to Hydraulic Conductivity in Dune Sands to Assist in Assessing Managed Aquifer Recharge Projects: Wadi Khulays Dune Field, Western Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver M. Lopez

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Planning for use of a dune field aquifer for managed aquifer recharge (MAR requires that hydraulic properties need to be estimated over a large geographic area. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of dune sands is commonly estimated from grain size distribution data by employing some type of empirical equation. Over 50 samples from the Wadi Khulays dune field in Western Saudi Arabia were collected and the grain size distribution, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity were measured. An evaluation of 20 existing empirical equations showed a generally high degree of error in the predicted compared to the measured hydraulic conductivity values of these samples. Statistical analyses comparing estimated versus measured hydraulic conductivity demonstrated that there is a significant relationship between hydraulic conductivity and mud percentage (and skewness. The modified Beyer equation, which showed a generally low prediction error, was modified by adding a second term fitting parameter related to the mud concentration based on 25 of the 50 samples analyzed. An inverse optimization process was conducted to quantify the fitting parameter and a new empirical equation was developed. This equation was tested against the remaining 25 samples analyzed and produced an estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity with the lowest error of any empirical equation. This methodology can be used for large dune field hydraulic conductivity estimation and reduce planning costs for MAR systems.

  9. Method of Relating Grain Size Distribution to Hydraulic Conductivity in Dune Sands to Assist in Assessing Managed Aquifer Recharge Projects: Wadi Khulays Dune Field, Western Saudi Arabia

    KAUST Repository

    Lopez Valencia, Oliver Miguel

    2015-11-12

    Planning for use of a dune field aquifer for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) requires that hydraulic properties need to be estimated over a large geographic area. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of dune sands is commonly estimated from grain size distribution data by employing some type of empirical equation. Over 50 samples from the Wadi Khulays dune field in Western Saudi Arabia were collected and the grain size distribution, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity were measured. An evaluation of 20 existing empirical equations showed a generally high degree of error in the predicted compared to the measured hydraulic conductivity values of these samples. Statistical analyses comparing estimated versus measured hydraulic conductivity demonstrated that there is a significant relationship between hydraulic conductivity and mud percentage (and skewness). The modified Beyer equation, which showed a generally low prediction error, was modified by adding a second term fitting parameter related to the mud concentration based on 25 of the 50 samples analyzed. An inverse optimization process was conducted to quantify the fitting parameter and a new empirical equation was developed. This equation was tested against the remaining 25 samples analyzed and produced an estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity with the lowest error of any empirical equation. This methodology can be used for large dune field hydraulic conductivity estimation and reduce planning costs for MAR systems.

  10. Adhesion to sand and ability to mineralise low pesticide concentrations are required for efficient bioaugmentation of flow-through sand filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Samuelsen, Elin Djurhuus; Badawi, Nora; Nybroe, Ole

    2017-01-01

    (Sphingomonas sp. PM2, Sphingomonas sp. ERG5, Burkholderia sp. TFD34, Cupriavidus sp. TFD38) were characterised with regard to their motility, cell surface hydrophobicity, biofilm formation, adhesion behaviour and ability to mineralise MCPA. Strains PM2 and ERG5 were non-motile and hydrophobic, whilst strains...... TFD34 and TFD38 were motile and less hydrophobic. All the strains except ERG5 showed low biofilm formation on polystyrene, although it was significantly higher on glass. PM2 was the most efficient MCPA degrader as it displayed no lag phase and reached >50 % mineralisation at all concentrations (0.......0016-25 mg L(-1)). PM2 adhered significantly better to sand than the other strains. No link was found between motility, biofilm formation and the ability to adhere to sand. PM2 completely removed MCPA for 14 days when inoculated in sand columns with a constant inlet of 1 mg L(-1) MCPA. These results...

  11. Determining Changes in Groundwater Quality during Managed Aquifer Recharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambhir, T.; Houlihan, M.; Fakhreddine, S.; Dadakis, J.; Fendorf, S. E.

    2016-12-01

    Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is becoming an increasingly prevalent technology for improving the sustainability of freshwater supply. However, recharge water can alter the geochemical conditions of the aquifer, mobilizing contaminants native to the aquifer sediments. Geochemical alterations on deep (>300 m) injection of highly treated recycled wastewater for MAR has received limited attention. We aim to determine how residual disinfectants used in water treatment processes, specifically the strong oxidants chloramine and hydrogen peroxide, affect metal mobilization within deep injection wells of the Orange County Water District. Furthermore, as the treated recharge water has very low ionic strength (44.6 mg L-1 total dissolved solids), we tested how differing concentrations of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride affected metal mobilization within deep aquifers. Continuous flow experiments were conducted on columns dry packed with sediments from a deep injection MAR site in Orange County, CA. The effluent was analyzed for shifts in water quality, including aqueous concentrations of arsenic, uranium, and chromium. Interaction between the sediment and oxic recharge solution causes naturally-occurring arsenopyrite to repartition onto iron oxides. The stability of arsenic on the newly precipitated iron oxides is dependent on pH changes during recharge.

  12. The effects of carbide column to swelling potential and Atterberg limit on expansive soil with column to soil drainage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muamar Rifa'i, Alfian; Setiawan, Bambang; Djarwanti, Noegroho

    2017-12-01

    The expansive soil is soil that has a potential for swelling-shrinking due to changes in water content. Such behavior can exert enough force on building above to cause damage. The use of columns filled with additives such as Calcium Carbide is done to reduce the negative impact of expansive soil behavior. This study aims to determine the effect of carbide columns on expansive soil. Observations were made on swelling and spreading of carbides in the soil. 7 Carbide columns with 5 cm diameter and 20 cm height were installed into the soil with an inter-column spacing of 8.75 cm. Wetting is done through a pipe at the center of the carbide column for 20 days. Observations were conducted on expansive soil without carbide columns and expansive soil with carbide columns. The results showed that the addition of carbide column could reduce the percentage of swelling by 4.42%. Wetting through the center of the carbide column can help spread the carbide into the soil. The use of carbide columns can also decrease the rate of soil expansivity. After the addition of carbide column, the plasticity index value decreased from 71.76% to 4.3% and the shrinkage index decreased from 95.72% to 9.2%.

  13. Optimization of Design of Aquifer Storage and Recovery System (ASTR) for Enhanced Infiltration Rate with Reduced Cost at the Coastal Aquifers of South-Western Bangladesh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nawrin, N.; Ahmed, K. M.; Rahman, M. M.

    2016-12-01

    Increasing salinity of natural drinking water sources has been reported as one of the many problems that affect low-income countries. Safe potable water sources in coastal Bangladesh have become contaminated by varying degrees of salinity due to saltwater intrusion, cyclone and storm surges and increased shrimp and crab farming along the coastal areas. This crisis is also exacerbated owing to climate change. The problem of salinity can have serious implications to public health. Here Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) has been ascertained as a better solution to overcome the fresh water shortage in the coastal belt of Bangladesh in terms of groundwater quality improvement and supply fresh water even during the dry period. 19 MAR systems have been built and tested in the area for providing community water supply by way of creating freshwater buffer zone in the brackish aquifers through artificial recharge of pond or rooftop rainwater. These existing ASTR schemes consist of sand filtration tank with 4 to 6 large diameter infiltration wells filled with sorted gravel. These larger diameter recharge wells make the construction and maintenance expensive and little difficult for the rural communities. Therefore, modification of design is required for enhancing infiltration rates with reduced costs. As the design of the existing MAR system have confronted some problems, the details of design, construction and performance have been studied from previous investigations and a new modified ASTR scheme has been demonstrated to amplify the infiltration rate along with monitoring scheme. Smaller 4 inch diameter empty recharge wells and PVC screen have been used in the newly developed design. Daily infiltration rate has been increased to 8 to 10 m3/d compared to 4 to 6 m3/d in the old design. Three layered sand filtration tank has been prepared by modification of an abandoned PSF. Time needed for lowering EC to acceptable limits has been found to be significantly lower than the pre

  14. Potential shallow aquifers characterization through an integrated geophysical method: multivariate approach by means of k-means algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Bernardinetti

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The need to obtain a detailed hydrogeological characterization of the subsurface and its interpretation for the groundwater resources management, often requires to apply several and complementary geophysical methods. The goal of the approach in this paper is to provide a unique model of the aquifer by synthesizing and optimizing the information provided by several geophysical methods. This approach greatly reduces the degree of uncertainty and subjectivity of the interpretation by exploiting the different physical and mechanic characteristics of the aquifer. The studied area, into the municipality of Laterina (Arezzo, Italy, is a shallow basin filled by lacustrine and alluvial deposits (Pleistocene and Olocene epochs, Quaternary period, with alternated silt, sand with variable content of gravel and clay where the bottom is represented by arenaceous-pelitic rocks (Mt. Cervarola Unit, Tuscan Domain, Miocene epoch. This shallow basin constitutes the unconfined superficial aquifer to be exploited in the nearly future. To improve the geological model obtained from a detailed geological survey we performed electrical resistivity and P wave refraction tomographies along the same line in order to obtain different, independent and integrable data sets. For the seismic data also the reflected events have been processed, a remarkable contribution to draw the geologic setting. Through the k-means algorithm, we perform a cluster analysis for the bivariate data set to individuate relationships between the two sets of variables. This algorithm allows to individuate clusters with the aim of minimizing the dissimilarity within each cluster and maximizing it among different clusters of the bivariate data set. The optimal number of clusters “K”, corresponding to the individuated geophysical facies, depends to the multivariate data set distribution and in this work is estimated with the Silhouettes. The result is an integrated tomography that shows a finite

  15. Hydraulic Properties of Porous Media Saturated with Nanoparticle-Stabilized Air-Water Foam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianglei Zheng

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The foam generated by the mixture of air and water has a much higher viscosity and lower mobility than those of pure water or gas that constitutes the air-water foam. The possibility of using the air-water foam as a flow barrier for the purpose of groundwater and soil remediation is explored in this paper. A nanoparticle-stabilized air-water foam was fabricated by vigorously stirring the nano-fluid in pressurized condition. The foam bubble size distribution was analyzed with a microscope. The viscosities of foams generated with the solutions with several nanoparticle concentrations were measured as a function of time. The breakthrough pressure of foam-saturated microfluidic chips and sand columns were obtained. The hydraulic conductivity of a foam-filled sand column was measured after foam breakthrough. The results show that: (1 bubble coalescence and the Ostwald ripening are believed to be the reason of bubble size distribution change; (2 the viscosity of nanoparticle-stabilized foam and the breakthrough pressures decreased with time once the foam was generated; (3 the hydraulic conductivity of the foam-filled sand column was almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of a water-saturated sand column even after the foam-breakthrough. Based on the results in this study, the nanoparticle-stabilized air-water foam could be injected into contaminated soils to generate vertical barriers for temporary hydraulic conductivity reduction.

  16. Interprétation hydrogéologique de l'aquifère des bassins sud-rifains (Maroc) : apport de la sismique réflexionHydrogeological interpretation of the southern Rifean basins aquifer (Morocco): seismic reflexion contribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zouhri, Lahcen; Gorini, Christian; Lamouroux, Christian; Vachard, Daniel; Dakki, Mohammed

    2003-03-01

    The aquifer of the Rharb Basin is constituted by heterogeneous material. The seismic reflexion interpretation carried out in this area, highlighted a permeable device compartmentalized in raised and subsided blocks. Depressions identified in the northern and southernmost zones are characterized by Plio-Quaternary fillings that are favourable to the hydrogeological exploitation. Two mechanisms contribute to structure the Plio-Quaternary aquifer: the Hercynian reactivation in the southernmost part, and the gravitational mechanism of the Pre-Rifean nappe. The groundwater flow and the aquifer thickening are controlled by this reactivation.

  17. Investigation of aquifer-system compaction in the Hueco basin, El Paso, Texas, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heywood, Charles

    1995-01-01

    The Pleistocene geologic history of the Rio Grande valley in the Hueco basin included a cycle of sediment erosion and re-aggradation, resulting in unconformable stratification of sediment of contrasting compressibility and stress history. Since the 1950s large groundwater withdrawals have resulted in significant water-level declines and associated land subsidence. Knowledge of the magnitude and variation of specific storage is needed for developing predictive models of subsidence and groundwater flow simulations. Analyses of piezometric and extensometric data in the form of stress-strain diagrams from a 16 month period yield in situ measurements of aquifer-system compressibility across two discrete aquifer intervals. The linear elastic behaviour of the deeper interval indicates over-consolidation of basin deposits, probably resulting from deeper burial depth before the middle Pleistocene. By contrast, the shallow aquifer system displays an inelastic component, suggesting pre-consolidation stress not significantly greater than current effective stress levels for a sequence of late Pleistocene clay. Harmonic analyses of the piezometric response to earth tides in two water-level piezometers provide an independent estimate of specific storage of aquifer sands.

  18. Hydrogeology in the area of a freshwater lens in the Floridan aquifer system, northeast Seminole County, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelps, G.G.; Rohrer, K.P.

    1987-01-01

    Northeast Seminole County, Florida, contains an isolated recharge area of the Floridan aquifer system that forms a freshwater lens completely surrounded by saline water. The freshwater lens covers an area of about 22 sq mi surrounding the town of Geneva, and generally is enclosed by the 25 ft land surface altitude contour. Thickness of the lens is about 350 ft in the center of the recharge area. The geohydrologic units in descending order consist of the post-Miocene sand and shell of the surficial aquifer; Miocene clay, sand, clay, and shell that form a leaky confining bed; and permeable Eocene limestones of the Floridan aquifer system. The freshwater lens is the result of local rainfall flushing ancient seawater from the Floridan aquifer system. Sufficient quantities of water for domestic and small public supply systems are available from the Floridan aquifer system in the Geneva area. The limiting factor for water supply in the area is the chemical quality of the water. Chloride concentrations range from recharge area to about 5,100 mg/L near the St. Johns River southeast of Geneva. Constituents analyzed included sulfate (range 1 to 800 mg/L), hardness (range 89 to 2,076 mg/L), and iron (range 34 to 6,600 mg/L). Because the freshwater lens results entirely from local recharge, the long-term sustained freshwater yield of the aquifer in the Geneva area depends on the local recharge rate. In 1982, recharge was about 13 inches (13.8 million gal/day). Average recharge for 1941 through 1970 was estimated to be about 11 inches (11.3 million gal/day). Freshwater that recharges the aquifer in the Geneva area is either pumped out or flows north and northeast to discharge near or in the St. Johns River. Average annual outflow from the lens is about 10 in/yr. No measurable change in the size or location of the freshwater lens has occurred since studies in the early 1950's. (Lantz-PTT)

  19. Sediment distribution and hydrologic conditions of the Potomac aquifer in Virginia and parts of Maryland and North Carolina

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarland, Randolph E.

    2013-01-01

    Sediments of the heavily used Potomac aquifer broadly contrast across major structural features of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Physiographic Province in eastern Virginia and adjacent parts of Maryland and North Carolina. Thicknesses and relative dominance of the highly interbedded fluvial sediments vary regionally. Vertical intervals in boreholes of coarse-grained sediment commonly targeted for completion of water-supply wells are thickest and most widespread across the central and southern parts of the Virginia Coastal Plain. Designated as the Norfolk arch depositional subarea, the entire sediment thickness here functions hydraulically as a single interconnected aquifer. By contrast, coarse-grained sediment intervals are thinner and less widespread across the northern part of the Virginia Coastal Plain and into southern Maryland, designated as the Salisbury embayment depositional subarea. Fine-grained intervals that are generally avoided for completion of water-supply wells are increasingly thick and widespread northward. Fine-grained intervals collectively as thick as several hundred feet comprise two continuous confining units that hydraulically separate three vertically spaced subaquifers. The subaquifers are continuous northward but merge southward into the single undivided Potomac aquifer. Lastly, far southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina are designated as the Albemarle embayment depositional subarea, where both coarse- and fine-grained intervals are of only moderate thickness. The entire sediment thickness functions hydraulically as a single interconnected aquifer. A substantial hydrologic separation from overlying aquifers is imposed by the upper Cenomanian confining unit. Potomac aquifer sediments were deposited by a fluvial depositional complex spanning the Virginia Coastal Plain approximately 100 to 145 million years ago. Westward, persistently uplifted granite and gneiss source rocks sustained a supply of coarse-grained sand and gravel

  20. Modelling the removal of p-TSA (para-toluenesulfonamide) during rapid sand filtration used for drinking water treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meffe, Raffaella; Kohfahl, Claus; Holzbecher, Ekkehard; Massmann, Gudrun; Richter, Doreen; Dünnbier, Uwe; Pekdeger, Asaf

    2010-01-01

    A finite element model was set-up to determine degradation rate constants for p-TSA during rapid sand filtration (RSF). Data used for the model originated from a column experiment carried out in the filter hall of a drinking water treatment plant in Berlin (Germany). Aerated abstracted groundwater was passed through a 1.6m long column-shaped experimental sand filter applying infiltration rates from 2 to 6mh(-1). Model results were fitted to measured profiles and breakthrough curves of p-TSA for different infiltration rates using both first-order reaction kinetics and Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Both approaches showed that degradation rates varied both in space and time. Higher degradation rates were observed in the upper part of the column, probably related to higher microbial activity in this zone. Measured and simulated breakthrough curves revealed an adaption phase with lower degradation rates after infiltration rates were changed, followed by an adapted phase with more elevated degradation rates. Irrespective of the mathematical approach and the infiltration rate, degradation rates were very high, probably owing to the fact that filter sands have been in operation for decades, receiving high p-TSA concentrations with the raw water.

  1. The influence of moisture content of sand on leach rates from cement and bitumen radioactive waste forms in a shallow ground repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovasic, Z.; Torok, J.; Buckley, L.P.

    1992-11-01

    Leaching rates from cement and bitumen-conditioned waste in contact with sand were determined with different water content of the sand up to and including saturation. A cylindrical waste form occupied one end of a column, with sand packed in the remainder. Axial radionuclide concentration profiles in the columns were determined several times during the experiment using an automated system consisting of a gamma spectrometer and an optical bench. The migration of 85 Sr, 137 Cs and 60 Co was determined from concentration profiles with time. The diffusion coefficient for 137 Cs in cement varied more than expected with the change of moisture content of sand. The leaching of bitumen waste forms is complex, and has poor reproducibility. When the water content of the sand was below 0.067 mL/mL, no leaching was determined from bitumen waste forms in all of the specimens except one. No clear relationship could be established between leach rate and the water content of sand above 0.18 mL/mL water content

  2. Geochemical Triggers of Arsenic Mobilization during Managed Aquifer Recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fakhreddine, Sarah; Dittmar, Jessica; Phipps, Don; Dadakis, Jason; Fendorf, Scott

    2015-07-07

    Mobilization of arsenic and other trace metal contaminants during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) poses a challenge to maintaining local groundwater quality and to ensuring the viability of aquifer storage and recovery techniques. Arsenic release from sediments into solution has occurred during purified recycled water recharge of shallow aquifers within Orange County, CA. Accordingly, we examine the geochemical processes controlling As desorption and mobilization from shallow, aerated sediments underlying MAR infiltration basins. Further, we conducted a series of batch and column experiments to evaluate recharge water chemistries that minimize the propensity of As desorption from the aquifer sediments. Within the shallow Orange County Groundwater Basin sediments, the divalent cations Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) are critical for limiting arsenic desorption; they promote As (as arsenate) adsorption to the phyllosilicate clay minerals of the aquifer. While native groundwater contains adequate concentrations of dissolved Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), these cations are not present at sufficient concentrations during recharge of highly purified recycled water. Subsequently, the absence of dissolved Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) displaces As from the sediments into solution. Increasing the dosages of common water treatment amendments including quicklime (Ca(OH)2) and dolomitic lime (CaO·MgO) provides recharge water with higher concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions and subsequently decreases the release of As during infiltration.

  3. Hydrogeological and quantitative groundwater assessment of the Basaltic Aquifer, Northern Harrat Rahat, Saudi Arabia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Shaibani, A.; Abokhodair, Abdulwahab A.; Lloyd, J.W.; Al-Ahmari, A.

    2007-01-01

    The Northern Harrat Rahat consists of 300m basalt lavas covering some 2000 km2 to the south-east of Al-Madinah in western Saudi Arabia. Like many basalt sequences, the Rahat basalts form an important aquifer and groundwater resource. The aquifer has a saturated thickness of up to 60m and made up of the weathered upper part of underlying basement, pre-basalt sands and gravels and the fractured basalts. Since 1992, groundwater has been abstracted from the aquifer as part of the Al-Madinah water supply. To assess the potential of the aquifer an assessment has been made based on pumping tests of 70 wells. The hydraulic parameters have been shown to be highly variable typical of the fractured domain. The aquifer contains good-quality water in storage, but receives limited recharge. Groundwater temperature anomalies indicate remnant volcanic activity locally. A numerical groundwater model has been constructed, which has been calibrated using limited groundwater head measurements, but with good abstraction records. Prediction of groundwater heads and the examination of several abstraction scenarios indicate that the aquifer can continue to support part of the Al-Madinah demand for the next several years, if certain well distributions are adopted. The predictions also show that the aquifer can only support the total demand of the city for a few days as a contingency resource. (author)

  4. Trajectories of saltating sand particles behind a porous fence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning; Lee, Sang Joon; Chen, Ting-Guo

    2015-01-01

    Trajectories of aeolian sand particles behind a porous wind fence embedded in a simulated atmospheric boundary layer were visualized experimentally, to investigate the shelter effect of the fence on sand saltation. Two sand samples, one collected from a beach (d = 250 μm) and the other from a desert (d = 100 μm), were tested in comparison with the previous studies of a 'no-fence' case. A wind fence (ε = 38.5%) was installed on a flat sand bed filled with each sand sample. A high-speed photography technique and the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) method were employed to reconstruct the trajectories of particles saltating behind the fence. The collision processes of these sand particles were analyzed, momentum and kinetic energy transfer between saltating particles and ground surface were also investigated. In the wake region, probability density distributions of the impact velocities agree well with the pattern of no-fence case, and can be explained by a log-normal law. The horizontal component of impact velocity for the beach sand is decreased by about 54%, and about 76% for the desert sand. Vertical restitution coefficients of bouncing particles are smaller than 1.0 due to the presence of the wind fence. The saltating particles lose a large proportion of their energy during the collision process. These results illustrate that the porous wind fence effectively abates the further evolution of saltating sand particles.

  5. Study on the Permeability Characteristics of Polyurethane Soil Stabilizer Reinforced Sand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A polymer material of polyurethane soil stabilizer (PSS is used to reinforce the sand. To understand the permeability characteristics of PSS reinforced sand, a series of reinforcement layer form test, single-hole permeability test, and porous permeability test of sand reinforced with PSS have been performed. Reinforcement mechanism is discussed with scanning electron microscope images. The results indicated that the permeability resistance of sand reinforced with polyurethane soil stabilizer is improved through the formation of reinforcement layer on the sand surface. The thickness and complete degree of the reinforcement layer increase with the increasing of curing time and PSS concentration. The water flow rate decreases with the increasing of curing time or PSS concentration. The permeability coefficient decreases with the increasing of curing time and PSS concentration and increases with the increasing of depth in specimen. PSS fills up the voids of sand and adsorbs on the surface of sand particle to reduce or block the flowing channels of water to improve the permeability resistance of sand. The results can be applied as the reference for chemical reinforcement sandy soil engineering, especially for surface protection of embankment, slope, and landfill.

  6. Unconsolidated Aquifers in Tompkins County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.

    2000-01-01

    Unconsolidated aquifers consisting of saturated sand and gravel are capable of supplying large quantities of good-quality water to wells in Tompkins County, but little published geohydrologic inform ation on such aquifers is available. In 1986, the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) began collecting geohydrologic information and well data to construct an aquifer map showing the extent of unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins county. Data sources included (1) water-well drillers. logs; (2) highway and other construction test-boring logs; (3) well data gathered by the Tompkins County Department of Health, (4) test-well logs from geohydrologic consultants that conducted projects for site-specific studies, and (5) well data that had been collected during past investigations by the USGS and entered into the National Water Information System (NWIS) database. In 1999, the USGS, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Department of Planning, compiled these data to construct this map. More than 600 well records were entered into the NWIS database in 1999 to supplement the 350 well records already in the database; this provided a total of 950 well records. The data were digitized and imported into a geographic information system (GIS) coverage so that well locations could be plotted on a map, and well data could be tabulated in a digital data base through ARC/INFO software. Data on the surficial geology were used with geohydrologic data from well records and previous studies to delineate the extent of aquifers on this map. This map depicts (1) the extent of unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins County, and (2) locations of wells whose records were entered into the USGS NWIS database and made into a GIS digital coverage. The hydrologic information presented here is generalized and is not intended for detailed site evaluations. Precise locations of geohydrologic-unit boundaries, and a description of the hydrologic conditions within the units, would require additional detailed, site

  7. Determination of hydrogeological conditions in large unconfined aquifer: A case study in central Drava plain (NE Slovenia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keršmanc, Teja; Brenčič, Mihael

    2016-04-01

    In several countries, many unregulated landfills exits which releasing harmful contaminations to the underlying aquifer. The Kidričevo industrial complex is located in southeastern part of Drava plain in NW Slovenia. In the past during the production of alumina and aluminum approximately 11.2 million tons of wastes were deposit directly on the ground on two landfills covering an area of 61 hectares. Hydrogeological studies were intended to better characterized conditions bellow the landfill. Geological and hydrogeological conditions of Quaternary unconfined aquifer were analyzed with lithological characterization of well logs and cutting debris and XRF diffraction of silty sediments on 9 boreholes. Hydrogeological conditions: hydraulic permeability aquifer was determined with hydraulic tests and laboratory grain size analyses where empirical USBR and Hazen methods were applied. Dynamics of groundwater was determined by groundwater contour maps and groundwater level fluctuations. The impact of landfill was among chemical analyses of groundwater characterised by electrical conductivity measurements and XRF spectrometry of sand sediments. The heterogeneous Quaternary aquifer composed mainly of gravel and sand, is between 38 m and 47.5 m thick. Average hydraulic permeability of aquifer is within the decade 10-3 m/s. Average hydraulic permeability estimated on grain size curves is 6.29*10-3 m/s, and for the pumping tests is 4.0*10-3 m/s. General direction of groundwater flow is from west to east. During high water status the groundwater flow slightly changes flow direction to the southwest and when pumping station in Kidričevo (NW of landfill) is active groundwater flows to northeast. Landfills have significant impact on groundwater quality.

  8. Attenuation of pyrite oxidation with a fly ash pre-barrier: Reactive transport modelling of column experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perez-Lopez, R.; Cama, J.; Nieto, J.M.; Ayora, C.; Saaltink, M.W. [University of Huelva, Huelva (Spain). Dept. of Geology

    2009-09-15

    Conventional permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for passive treatment of groundwater contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) use limestone as reactive material that neutralizes water acidity. However, the limestone-alkalinity potential ceases as inevitable precipitation of secondary metal-phases on grain surfaces occurs, limiting its efficiency. In the present study, fly ash derived from coal combustion is investigated as an alternative alkalinity generating material for the passive treatment of AMD using solution-saturated column experiments. Unlike conventional systems, the utilization of fly ash in a pre-barrier to intercept the non-polluted recharge water before this water reacts with pyrite-rich wastes is proposed. Chemical variation in the columns was interpreted with the reactive transport code RETRASO. In parallel, kinetics of fly ash dissolution at alkaline pH were studied using flow-through experiments and incorporated into the model. In a saturated column filled solely with pyritic sludge-quartz sand (1: 10), oxidation took place at acidic conditions (pH 3.7). According to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} release and pH, pyrite dissolution occurred favourably in the solution-saturated porous medium until dissolved O{sub 2} was totally consumed. In a second saturated column, pyrite oxidation took place at alkaline conditions (pH 10.45) as acidity was neutralized by fly ash dissolution in a previous level. At this pH Fe release from pyrite dissolution was immediately depleted as Fe-oxy(hydroxide) phases that precipitated on the pyrite grains, forming Fe-coatings (microencapsulation). With time, pyrite microencapsulation inhibited oxidation in practically 97% of the pyritic sludge. Rapid pyrite-surface passivation decreased its reactivity, preventing AMD production in the relatively short term.

  9. Evaluation of Flowable Fill Surface Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-11-01

    general, traditional flowable fill is a low- viscosity , grout-like, cementitious blend commonly composed of portland cement, fine aggregate, and water...93.7 45.0 19.6 % Finer No. 200 7.0 0.5 9.1 % Gravel 2.2 0.0 56.1 % Sand 90.8 99.5 34.8 % Silt 3.2 < 0.5 6.8 % Clay 3.8 < 0.5 2.3 Fineness Modulus

  10. Ground-water flow in the surficial aquifer system and potential movement of contaminants from selected waste-disposal sites at Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halford, K.J.

    1998-01-01

    As part of the Installation Restoration Program, Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida, is considering remedialaction alternatives to control the possible movement of contaminants from sites that may discharge to the surface. This requires a quantifiable understanding of ground-water flow through the surficial aquifer system and how the system will respond to any future stresses. The geologic units of interest in the study area consist of sediments of Holocene to Miocene age that extend from land surface to the base of the Hawthorn Group. The hydrogeology within the study area was determined from gamma-ray and geologists? logs. Ground-water flow through the surficial aquifer system was simulated with a seven-layer, finite-difference model that extended vertically from the water table to the top of the Upper Floridan aquifer. Results from the calibrated model were based on a long-term recharge rate of 6 inches per year, which fell in the range of 4 to 10 inches per year, estimated using stream hydrograph separation methods. More than 80 percent of ground-water flow circulates within the surficial-sand aquifer, which indicates that most contaminant movement also can be expected to move through the surficial-sand aquifer alone. The surficial-sand aquifer is the uppermost unit of the surficial aquifer system. Particle-tracking results showed that the distances of most flow paths were 1,500 feet or less from a given site to its discharge point. For an assumed effective porosity of 20 percent, typical traveltimes are 40 years or less. At all of the sites investigated, particles released 10 feet below the water table had shorter traveltimes than those released 40 feet below the water table. Traveltimes from contaminated sites to their point of discharge ranged from 2 to 300 years. The contributing areas of the domestic supply wells are not very extensive. The shortest traveltimes for particles to reach the domestic supply wells from their respective

  11. Two dimensional fall of granular columns controlled by slow horizontal withdrawal of a retaining wall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mériaux, Catherine

    2006-09-01

    This paper describes a series of experiments designed to investigate the fall of granular columns in a quasi-static regime. Columns made of alternatively green and red sand layers were initially laid out in a box and then released when a retaining wall was set in slow motion with constant speed. The dependence of the dynamics of the fall on the initial aspect ratio of the columns, the velocity of the wall, and the material properties was investigated within the quasi-static regime. A change in the behavior of the columns was identified to be a function of the aspect ratio (height/length) of the initial sand column. Columns of high aspect ratio first subsided before sliding along failure planes, while columns of small aspect ratio were only observed to slide along failure planes. The transition between these two characteristic falls occurred regardless of the material and the velocity of the wall in the context of the quasi-static regime. When the final height and length of the piles were analyzed, we found power-law relations of the ratio of initial to final height and final run-out to initial length with the aspect ratio of the column. The dissipation of energy is also shown to increase with the run-out length of the pile until it reaches a plateau. Finally, we find that the structure of the slip planes that develop in our experiments are not well described by the failure of Coulomb's wedges for twin retaining rough walls.

  12. Evolution of the gas atmosphere during filing the sand moulds with iron alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mocek

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Evolution of atmosphere of the mould cavity when pouring the cast iron has been analyzed. It was find that in dry sand mold the cavity is filled by air throughout the casting time. In green sand the air is removed by the water vapor the hydrogen or carbon oxides formed in contact with the liquid metal. The theoretical results have been confirmed experimentally.

  13. Microbial community evolution during simulated managed aquifer recharge in response to different biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dong; Alidina, Mazahirali; Ouf, Mohamed; Sharp, Jonathan O; Saikaly, Pascal; Drewes, Jörg E

    2013-05-01

    This study investigates the evolution of the microbial community in laboratory-scale soil columns simulating the infiltration zone of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems and analogous natural aquifer sediment ecosystems. Parallel systems were supplemented with either moderate (1.1 mg/L) or low (0.5 mg/L) biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) for a period of six months during which time, spatial (1 cm, 30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm, and 120 cm) and temporal (monthly) analyses of sediment-associated microbial community structure were analyzed. Total microbial biomass associated with sediments was positively correlated with BDOC concentration where a significant decline in BDOC was observed along the column length. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated dominance by Bacteria with Archaea comprising less than 1 percent of the total community. Proteobacteria was found to be the major phylum in samples from all column depths with contributions from Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Microbial community structure at all the phylum, class and genus levels differed significantly at 1 cm between columns receiving moderate and low BDOC concentrations; in contrast strong similarities were observed both between parallel column systems and across samples from 30 to 120 cm depths. Samples from 1 cm depth of the low BDOC columns exhibited higher microbial diversity (expressed as Shannon Index) than those at 1 cm of moderate BDOC columns, and both increased from 5.4 to 5.9 at 1 cm depth to 6.7-8.3 at 30-120 cm depths. The microbial community structure reached steady state after 3-4 months since the initiation of the experiment, which also resulted in an improved DOC removal during the same time period. This study suggested that BDOC could significantly influence microbial community structure regarding both composition and diversity of artificial MAR systems and analogous natural aquifer sediment ecosystems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

  14. Hydrogeology and water quality of glacial-drift aquifers in the Bemidji-Bagley area, Beltrami, Clearwater, Cass, and Hubbard counties, Minnesota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, J.R.; Busch, J.P.; Deters, M.H.

    1991-01-01

    Unconfined and the upper confined aquifers in glacial drift are the primary sources of water in a 1,600 square-mile area including parts of Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, and Hubbard Counties, Minnesota. The unconfineddrift aquifer consists of coarse sand and gravel in the center of the study area. The total area underlain by the unconfined-drift aquifer is approximately 550 square miles. The unconfined aquifer ranges in thickness from 0 to 130 feet, and is greater than 20 feet thick over an area of 280 square miles. On the basis of scant data, the transmissivity of the unconfined aquifer ranges from less than 70 feet squared per day in the south and west to greater than 8,900 feet squared per day in an area west of Bemidji. Well yields from 10 to 300 gallons per minute are possible in some areas. The unconfined and upper confined-drift aquifers are separated by a fine-grained confining unit of till or lake deposits.

  15. Hydrogeology, water quality, and microbial assessment of a coastal alluvial aquifer in western Saudi Arabia: potential use of coastal wadi aquifers for desalination water supplies [Hydrogéologie, qualité de l’eau et évaluation microbienne d’un aquifère côtier alluvial dans l’Ouest de l’Arabie Saoudite: utilisation potentielle des aquifères côtiers des oueds pour l’alimentation en eau après désalinisation] [Hidrogeologia, qualidade da água e avaliação microbiológica de um aquífero costeiro no oeste da Arábia Saudita: uso potencial de aquíferos de wadi costeiros para dessalinização de águas destinadas a abastecimento] [Hidrogeología, calidad de agua y evaluación microbiana de un acuífero costero aluvial en Arabia Saudita occidental: uso potencial de acuíferos costeros uadis para la desalinización de los abastecimientos de agua

    KAUST Repository

    Missimer, Thomas M.; Hoppe-Jones, Christiane; Jadoon, Khan; Li, Dong; Almashharawi, Samir

    2014-01-01

    into two sand-and-gravel aquifers at the coast, each with high productivity (transmissivity = 42,000 m2/day). This aquifer system becomes confined near the coast and contains hypersaline water. The hydrogeology of Wadi Wasimi shows that two

  16. Water-quality data for aquifers, streams, and lakes in the vicinity of Keechi, Mount Sylvan, Oakwood, and Palestine salt domes, northeast Texas salt-dome basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carr, J.E.; Halasz, S.J.; Liscum, F.

    1980-11-01

    This report contains water-quality data for aquifers, streams, and lakes in the vicinity of Keechi, Mount Sylvan, Oakwood, and Palestine Salt Domes in the northeast Texas salt-dome basin. Water-quality data were compiled for aquifers in the Wilcox Group, the Carrizo Sand, and the Queen City Sand. The data include analyses for dissolved solids, pH, temperature, hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Water-quality and streamflow data were obtained from 63 surface-water sites in the vicinity of the domes. These data include water discharge, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Samples were collected at selected sites for analysis of principal and selected minor dissolved constituents

  17. Seabed gallery intakes: Investigation of the water pretreatment effectiveness of the active layer using a long-term column experiment

    KAUST Repository

    Dehwah, Abdullah; Missimer, Thomas M.

    2017-01-01

    ) in improving raw water quality was conducted by using a long-term bench-scale columns experiment. Two different media types, silica and carbonate sand, were tested in 1 m columns to evaluate the effectiveness of media type in terms of algae, bacteria, Natural

  18. Filtration and transport of Bacillus subtilis spores and the F-RNA phage MS2 in a coarse alluvial gravel aquifer: implications in the estimation of setback distances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Liping; Close, Murray; Goltz, Mark; Noonan, Mike; Sinton, Lester

    2005-04-01

    Filtration of Bacillus subtilis spores and the F-RNA phage MS2 (MS2) on a field scale in a coarse alluvial gravel aquifer was evaluated from the authors' previously published data. An advection-dispersion model that is coupled with first-order attachment kinetics was used in this study to interpret microbial concentration vs. time breakthrough curves (BTC) at sampling wells. Based on attachment rates (katt) that were determined by applying the model to the breakthrough data, filter factors (f) were calculated and compared with f values estimated from the slopes of log (cmax/co) vs. distance plots. These two independent approaches resulted in nearly identical filter factors, suggesting that both approaches are useful in determining reductions in microbial concentrations over transport distance. Applying the graphic approach to analyse spatial data, we have also estimated the f values for different aquifers using information provided by some other published field studies. The results show that values of f, in units of log (cmax/co) m(-1), are consistently in the order of 10(-2) for clean coarse gravel aquifers, 10(-3) for contaminated coarse gravel aquifers, and generally 10(-1) for sandy fine gravel aquifers and river and coastal sand aquifers. For each aquifer category, the f values for bacteriophages and bacteria are in the same order-of-magnitude. The f values estimated in this study indicate that for every one-log reduction in microbial concentration in groundwater, it requires a few tens of meters of travel in clean coarse gravel aquifers, but a few hundreds of meters in contaminated coarse gravel aquifers. In contrast, a one-log reduction generally only requires a few meters of travel in sandy fine gravel aquifers and sand aquifers. Considering the highest concentration in human effluent is in the order of 10(4) pfu/l for enteroviruses and 10(6) cfu/100 ml for faecal coliform bacteria, a 7-log reduction in microbial concentration would comply with the drinking

  19. Hydrogeology and water quality of the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems at Waynesboro, Burke County, Georgia, 2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonthier, Gerard

    2013-01-01

    The hydrogeology and water quality of the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems were characterized in the City of Waynesboro area in Burke County, Georgia, based on geophysical and drillers’ logs, flowmeter surveys, a 24-houraquifer test, and the collection and chemical analysis of water samples in a newly constructed well. At the test site, the Dublin aquifer system consists of interlayered sands and clays between depths of 396 and 691 feet, and the Midville aquifer system consists of a sandy clay layer overlying a sand and gravel layer between depths of 728 and 936 feet. The new well was constructed with three screened intervals in the Dublin aquifer system and four screened intervals in the Midville aquifer system. Wellbore-flowmeter testing at a pumping rate of 1,000 gallons per minute indicated that 52.2 percent of the total flow was from the shallower Dublin aquifer system with the remaining 47.8 percent from the deeper Midville aquifer system. The lower part of the lower Midville aquifer (900 to 930 feet deep), contributed only 0.1 percent of the total flow. Hydraulic properties of the two aquifer systems were estimated using data from two wellbore-flowmeter surveys and a 24-hour aquifer test. Estimated values of transmissivity for the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems were 2,000 and 1,000 feet squared per day, respectively. The upper and lower Dublin aquifers have a combined thickness of about 150 feet and the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the Dublin aquifer system averages 10 feet per day. The upper Midville aquifer, lower Midville confining unit, and lower Midville aquifer have a combined thickness of about 210 feet, and the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the Midville aquifer system averages 6 feet per day. Storage coefficient of the Dublin aquifer system, computed using the Theis method on water-level data from one observation well, was estimated to be 0.0003. With a thickness of about 150 feet, the specific storage of the Dublin aquifer

  20. Transformation of 3-chloroallyl alcohol in water-saturated subsoil studied with a column method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beltman, W.H.J.; Leistra, M.; Matser, A.M.

    1996-01-01

    The performance of a newly developed column method for pesticide transformation rate measurements in the subsoil was tested using (Z)- and (E)-3-chloroallyl alcohol as model compounds. The subsoil columns were filled in situ. In the column experiment the half-life ranged from 0.5-5.2 d for

  1. Time scales of DNAPL migration in sandy aquifers examined via numerical simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gerhard, J.I.; Pang, T.; Kueper, B.H. [University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (United Kingdom). Inst. of Infrastructure & Environmental

    2007-03-15

    The time required for dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) to cease migrating following release to the subsurface is a valuable component of a site conceptual model. This study uses numerical simulation to investigate the migration of six different DNAPLs in sandy aquifers. The most influential parameters governing migration cessation time are the density and viscosity of the DNAPL and the mean hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. Releases of between 1 and 40 drums of chlorinated solvent DNAPLs, characterized by relatively high density and low viscosity, require on the order of months to a few years to cease migrating in a heterogeneous medium sand aquifer having an average hydraulic conductivity of 7.4 x 10{sup -3} cm/s. In contrast to this, the release of 20 drums of coal tar {rho}{sub D} = 1061 kg/m{sup 3}, {mu}{sub D} = 0.161 Pa(.)s) requires more than 100 years to cease migrating in the same aquifer. Altering the mean hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer results in a proportional change in cessation times. Parameters that exhibit relatively little influence on migration time scales are the DNAPL-water interfacial tension, release volume, source capillary pressure, mean aquifer porosity, and ambient ground water hydraulic gradient. This study also demonstrates that low-density DNAPLs (e.g., coal tar) give rise to greater amounts of lateral spreading and greater amounts of pooling on capillary barriers than high-density DNAPLs such as trichloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene.

  2. Experimental investigation on heat transport in gravel-sand materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maureschat, Gerald; Heller, Alfred

    1997-01-01

    in sand-gravel material, the storage media is to be water satured. In this case, handling of such material on site is rather complex. The conduction is highly dependent on the thermal properties of the storage media and so is the overall thermal performance of a storage applying such media. For sandy...... out in a small size experiment. The experiment consists of a highly insulated box filled with two kinds of sand material crossed by a plastic heat pipe. Heat transfer is measured under dry and water satured conditions in a cross-section.The conclusions are clear. To obtain necessary heat conduction...

  3. Detections of MTBE in surficial and bedrock aquifers in New England

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grady, S.J.

    1995-01-01

    The gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was detected in 24% of water samples collected from surficial and bedrock aquifers in areas of New England. MTBE was the most frequently detected volatile organic compound among the 60 volatile chemicals analyzed and was present in 33 of 133 wells sampled from July 1993 through September 1995. The median MTBE concentration measured in ground-water samples was 0.45 microgram per liter and concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 5.8 microgram per liter. The network of wells sampled for MTBE consisted of 103 monitoring wells screened in surficial sand-and-gravel aquifers and 30 domestic-supply wells in fractured crystalline bedrock aquifers. Seventy-seven percent of all MTBE detections were from 26 shallow monitoring wells screened in surficial aquifers. MTBE was detected in42% of monitoring wells in urban areas. In agricultural areas, MTBE was detected i 8% (2 of 24) of wells and was not detected in undeveloped areas. Sixty-two percent of the MTBE detections in surficial aquifers were from wells within 0.25 mile of gasoline stations or underground gasoline storage tanks; all but one of these wells were in Connecticut and Massachusetts, where reformulated gasoline is used. MTBE was detected in 23% of deep domestic-supply wells that tapped fractured bedrock aquifers. MTBE was detected in bedrock wells only in Connecticut and Massachusetts; land use near the wells was suburban to rural, and none of the sampled bedrock wells were within 0.25 mile of a gasoline station

  4. Uranium Isotopes as a Tracer of Groundwater Evolution in the Complexe Terminal Aquifer of Southern Tunisia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hadj Ammar, F. [Laboratory of Radio-Analysis and Environment, National School of Engineering of Sfax, Sfax (Tunisia); Centre Europeen de Recherche et d' Enseignement de Geosciences de l' Environnement, Aix en Provence (France); Deschamps, P.; Hamelin, B. [Centre Europeen de Recherche et d' Enseignement de Geosciences de l' Environnement, Aix en Provence (France); Chkir, N.; Zouari, K. [Laboratory of Radio-Analysis and Environment, National School of Engineering of Sfax, Sfax (Tunisia)

    2013-07-15

    The Complexe Terminal (CT) aquifer system is the main water supply for remote areas of southern Tunisia. Its exploitation has resulted in significant draw-down of the water table. The CT aquifer is a multilayered aquifer lodged in Miocene sand deposits, Senonian limestones and Turonian carbonates. Little is known about the relationships and exchanges between the different layers. Here, uranium isotopic measurements carried out in groundwater samples from the CT aquifer are presented in order to constrain models for mixing of water masses, water-rock interaction and groundwater flow. Analyses were performed using a VG54 (TIMS) at the CEREGE. Results indicate a range in {sup 238}U concentration and {sup 234}U/{sup 238}U activity ratios of 1.5 to 8 ppb and 1.1 to 3.2 respectively. Together with major and trace analyses, uranium isotopic compositions provide important insights into the factors controlling the chemical evolution of groundwater and shows very distinct patterns between carbonate and sandstone layers. (author)

  5. Evidence for Upward Flow of Saline Water from Depth into the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer in Southeastern Arkansas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, D.; Paul, J.

    2017-12-01

    Groundwater salinization is occurring in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial (MRVA) aquifer in southeastern Arkansas (SE AR). Water samples from the MRVA aquifer in Chicot and Desha counties have yielded elevated Cl-concentrations with some as high as 1,639 mg/L. Considering that the MRVA aquifer is the principle source of irrigation water for the agricultural economy of SE AR, salinization needs to be addressed to ensure the sustainability of crop, groundwater, and soil resources in the area. The origin of elevated salinity in MRVA aquifer was investigated using spatial and factor analysis of historical water quality data, and sampling and tracer analysis of groundwater from irrigation, municipal, and flowing industrial wells in SE AR. Spatial analysis of Cl- data in relation to soil type, geomorphic features and sand-blow density indicate that the Cl- anomalies are more closely related to the sand-blow density than soil data, suggesting an underlying tectonic control for the distribution of salinity. Factor analysis of historical geochemical data from the MRVA and underlying Sparta aquifer shows dilute and saline groups, with saline groups weighted positively with Cl- or Na+ and Cl-. Tracer data suggest a component of evaporatively evolved crustal water of pre-modern age has mixed with younger, fresher meteoric sources in SE AR to create the saline conditions in the MRVA aquifer. Stable hydrogen and oxygen values of waters sampled from the Tertiary Sparta and MRVA aquifers deviate from the global and local meteoric water lines along an evaporative trend (slope=4.4) and mixing line with Eocene Wilcox Group groundwaters. Ca2+ and Cl- contents vary with Br- along mixing trends between dilute MRVA water and Jurassic Smackover Formation pore fluids in southern AR. Increasing Cl- content with C-14 age in MRVA aquifer groundwater suggests that the older waters are more saline. Helium isotope ratios decrease with He gas content for more saline water, consistent with

  6. The mobility of indium and gallium in groundwater systems: constraining the role of sorption in sand column experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dror, I.; Ringering, K.; Yecheskel, Y.; Berkowitz, B.

    2017-12-01

    The mobility of indium and gallium in groundwater environments was studied via laboratory experiments using quartz sand as a porous medium. Indium and gallium are metals of very low abundance in the Earth's crust and, correspondingly, the biosphere is only adapted to very small concentrations of these elements. However, in modern semiconductor industries, both elements play a central role and are incorporated in devices of mass production such as smartphones and digital cameras. The resulting considerable increase in production, use and discharge of indium and gallium throughout the last two decades, with a continuous and fast increase in the near future, raises questions regarding the fate of both elements in the environment. However, the transport behavior of these two metals in soils and groundwater systems remains poorly understood to date. Because of the low solubility of both elements in aqueous solutions, trisodium citrate was used as a complexation agent to stabilize the solutions, enabling investigation of the transport of these metals at neutral pH. Column experiments showed different binding capacities for indium and gallium, where gallium is much more mobile compared to indium and both metals are substantially retarded in the column. Different affinities were also confirmed by examining sorption isotherms of indium and gallium in equilibrium batch systems. The effect of natural organic matter on the mobility of indium and gallium was also studied, by addition of humic acid. For both metals, the presence of humic acid affects the sorption dynamics: for indium, sorption is strongly inhibited leading to much higher mobility, whereas gallium showed a slightly higher sorption affinity and very similar mobility compared to the same setup without humic acid addition. However, in all cases, the binding capacity of gallium to quartz is much weaker than that of indium. These results are consistent with the assumption that indium and gallium form different types

  7. Fluid flow profile in a packed bead column using residence time curves and radiotracer techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Almeida, Ana Paula F. de; Gonçalves, Eduardo Ramos; Brandão, Luis Eduardo B.; Salgado, Cesar M., E-mail: anacamiqui@gmail.com, E-mail: egoncalves@con.ufrj.br, E-mail: brandao@ien.gov.br, E-mail: otero@ien.gov.br [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    Filling columns are extremely important in the chemical industry and are used for purification, separation and treatment processes of gas or liquid mixtures. The objective of this work is to study the hydrodynamics of the fluid for a characterization of aqueous phase flow patterns in the filling column, associating with the methodology of the Curves of Residence Time Distribution (RTD) to analyze and associate theoretical models that put as conditions column operating. RTD can be obtained by using the pulse-stimulus response technique which is characterized by the instantaneous injection of a radiotracer into the system input. In this work, 68Ga was used as radiotracer. Five shielded and collimated NaI (Tl) 1 x 1″ scintillator detectors were suitably positioned to record the movement of the radiotracer's path in the conveying line and filling column. Making possible the analysis of the RTD curve in the regions of interest. With the data generated by the NaI (Tl) detectors with the passage of the radiotracer in the transport line and inside the column, it was possible to evaluate the flow profile of the aqueous phase and to identify operational failures, such as internal conduit and the existence of a retention zone in the inside the column. Theoretical models were used for different flow flows: the piston flow and perfect mixing. (author)

  8. Fluid flow profile in a packed bead column using residence time curves and radiotracer techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, Ana Paula F. de; Gonçalves, Eduardo Ramos; Brandão, Luis Eduardo B.; Salgado, Cesar M.

    2017-01-01

    Filling columns are extremely important in the chemical industry and are used for purification, separation and treatment processes of gas or liquid mixtures. The objective of this work is to study the hydrodynamics of the fluid for a characterization of aqueous phase flow patterns in the filling column, associating with the methodology of the Curves of Residence Time Distribution (RTD) to analyze and associate theoretical models that put as conditions column operating. RTD can be obtained by using the pulse-stimulus response technique which is characterized by the instantaneous injection of a radiotracer into the system input. In this work, 68Ga was used as radiotracer. Five shielded and collimated NaI (Tl) 1 x 1″ scintillator detectors were suitably positioned to record the movement of the radiotracer's path in the conveying line and filling column. Making possible the analysis of the RTD curve in the regions of interest. With the data generated by the NaI (Tl) detectors with the passage of the radiotracer in the transport line and inside the column, it was possible to evaluate the flow profile of the aqueous phase and to identify operational failures, such as internal conduit and the existence of a retention zone in the inside the column. Theoretical models were used for different flow flows: the piston flow and perfect mixing. (author)

  9. Implications of Earth analogs to Martian sulfate-filled Fractures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holt, R. M.; Powers, D. W.

    2017-12-01

    Sulfate-filled fractures in fine-grained sediments on Mars are interpreted to be the result of fluid movement during deep burial. Fractures in the Dewey Lake (aka Quartermaster) Formation of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas are filled with gypsum that is at least partially synsedimentary. Sulfate in the Dewey Lake takes two principal forms: gypsum cement and gypsum (mainly fibrous) that fills fractures ranging from horizontal to vertical. Apertures are mainly mm-scale, though some are > 1 cm. The gypsum is antitaxial, fibrous, commonly approximately perpendicular to the wall rock, and displays suture lines and relics of the wall rock. Direct evidence of synsedimentary, near-surface origin includes gypsum intraclasts, intraclasts that include smaller intraclasts that contain gypsum clasts, intraclasts of gypsum with suture lines, gypsum concentrated in small desiccation cracks, and intraclasts that include fibrous gypsum-filled fractures that terminate at the eroded clast boundary. Dewey Lake fracture fillings suggest that their Martian analogs may also have originated in the shallow subsurface, shortly following the deposition of Martian sediments, in the presence of shallow aquifers.

  10. Phosphorus leaching from cow manure patches on soil columns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chardon, W.J.; Aalderink, G.H.; Salm, van der C.

    2007-01-01

    The loss of P in overland flow or leachate from manure patches can impair surface water quality. We studied leaching of P from 10-cmhigh lysimeters filled with intact grassland soil or with acid-washed sand. A manure patch was created on two grassland and two sandfilled lysimeters, and an additional

  11. Measurements on, and modelling of diffusive and advective radon transport in soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graff, E.R. van der; Witteman, G.A.A.; Spoel, W.H. van der

    1994-01-01

    Results are presented of measurements on radon transport in soil under controlled conditions with a laboratory facility consisting of a stainless steel vessel (height and diameter 2 m) filled with a uniform column of sand. At several depths under the sand surface, probes are radially inserted...... into the vessel to measure the radon concentration in the soil gas. To study advective radon transport a perforated circular box is placed in the sand close to the bottom of the vessel. By pressurising this box, an air flow through the sand column is induced. Radon concentration profiles were measured without...... an air flow as a function of time, and for several values of the air flow, equilibrium radon concentration profiles were measured....

  12. Lithology identification of aquifers from geophysical well logs and fuzzy logic analysis: Shui-Lin Area, Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Bieng-Zih; Lewis, Charles; Lin, Zsay-Shing

    2005-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to construct a fuzzy lithology system from well logs to identify formation lithology of a groundwater aquifer system in order to better apply conventional well logging interpretation in hydro-geologic studies because well log responses of aquifers are sometimes different from those of conventional oil and gas reservoirs. The input variables for this system are the gamma-ray log reading, the separation between the spherically focused resistivity and the deep very-enhanced resistivity curves, and the borehole compensated sonic log reading. The output variable is groundwater formation lithology. All linguistic variables are based on five linguistic terms with a trapezoidal membership function. In this study, 50 data sets are clustered into 40 training sets and 10 testing sets for constructing the fuzzy lithology system and validating the ability of system prediction, respectively. The rule-based database containing 12 fuzzy lithology rules is developed from the training data sets, and the rule strength is weighted. A Madani inference system and the bisector of area defuzzification method are used for fuzzy inference and defuzzification. The success of training performance and the prediction ability were both 90%, with the calculated correlation of training and testing equal to 0.925 and 0.928, respectively. Well logs and core data from a clastic aquifer (depths 100-198 m) in the Shui-Lin area of west-central Taiwan are used for testing the system's construction. Comparison of results from core analysis, well logging and the fuzzy lithology system indicates that even though the well logging method can easily define a permeable sand formation, distinguishing between silts and sands and determining grain size variation in sands is more subjective. These shortcomings can be improved by a fuzzy lithology system that is able to yield more objective decisions than some conventional methods of log interpretation.

  13. Characterization of the groundwater aquifers at El Sadat City by joint inversion of VES and TEM data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massoud, Usama; Kenawy, Abeer A.; Ragab, El-Said A.; Abbas, Abbas M.; El-Kosery, Heba M.

    2014-12-01

    Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) survey have been applied for characterizing the groundwater aquifers at El Sadat industrial area. El-Sadat city is one of the most important industrial cities in Egypt. It has been constructed more than three decades ago at about 80 km northwest of Cairo along the Cairo-Alexandria desert road. Groundwater is the main source of water supplies required for domestic, municipal and industrial activities in this area due to the lack of surface water sources. So, it is important to maintain this vital resource in order to sustain the development plans of this city. In this study, VES and TEM data were identically measured at 24 stations along 3 profiles trending NE-SW with the elongation of the study area. The measuring points were arranged in a grid-like pattern with both inter-station spacing and line-line distance of about 2 km. After performing the necessary processing steps, the VES and TEM data sets were inverted individually to multi-layer models, followed by a joint inversion of both data sets. Joint inversion process has succeeded to overcome the model-equivalence problem encountered in the inversion of individual data set. Then, the joint models were used for the construction of a number of cross sections and contour maps showing the lateral and vertical distribution of the geoelectrical parameters in the subsurface medium. Interpretation of the obtained results and correlation with the available geological and hydrogeological information revealed TWO aquifer systems in the area. The shallow Pleistocene aquifer consists of sand and gravel saturated with fresh water and exhibits large thickness exceeding 200 m. The deep Pliocene aquifer is composed of clay and sand and shows low resistivity values. The water-bearing layer of the Pleistocene aquifer and the upper surface of Pliocene aquifer are continuous and no structural features have cut this continuity through the investigated area.

  14. Spatial Distribution of Field Physico-Chemical Parameters in the Vulcano Island (Italy) Coastal Aquifer: Volcanological and Hydrogeological Implications

    OpenAIRE

    Paolo Madonia; Giorgio Capasso; Rocco Favara; Salvatore Francofonte; Paolo Tommasi

    2015-01-01

    Vulcano, the southernmost of the Aeolian island arc (Italy), is characterized by a shallow coastal aquifer resulting from the mixing of seawater, meteoric recharge and volcanogenic fluids. The aquifer has been intensively studied during the last decades, but a comprehensive hydrogeological model has never been developed due to the lack of direct information about the litho-stratigraphic columns of the wells and the depth of water bearing levels. We present and discuss here the ...

  15. The growth and photosynthesis of Typha in oil sands process affected material and water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foote, L. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada); Hornung, J. [Petro-Canada, Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2007-07-01

    Aquatic plants such as cattail contribute substantially to the energy flow in wetlands. Since Typha (cattail) plants acquire and cycle carbon and nutrients through wetlands, their growth and recycling of captured nutrients are an important part of natural, healthy wetland ecosystems. Cattail are pervasive and satisfy many of the criteria to be used as indicators of wetland integrity. This study investigated if cattail growth and carbon accrual were influenced by oil sands process materials (OSPM) such as consolidated tailings (CT). The purpose was to facilitate land reclamation initiatives by evaluating the impact that constituents of oil sands process material have on aquatic plant growth. The study was conducted at Suncor's experimental trenches. Six lined basins were used, of which 3 were filled with natural water and 3 were filled with trench water. Cattail were planted in different growth medium combinations, including CT over CT; soil over soil; soil over CT; and soil over sterilized sand. All leaf lengths and widths were measured along with the photosynthesis of the leaves and root and plant biomass at planting and after 2-years growth. A larger leaf area was observed under oil sands process influence, which may indicate increased carbon accrual above ground. Leaf area data suggested that CT affected plants are quite productive. The study also indicated that oil sands affected water may reduce plant fitness, and therefore could influence the overall oil sands reclamation timelines. Conversely, cattail grown in soil capped process affected material had a much larger leaf area compared to those grown in soil capped sand, most likely due to the higher levels of ammonia in process affected material.

  16. Sustainable materials used as stone column filler: A short review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zukri, Azhani; Nazir, Ramli

    2018-04-01

    Stone columns (also known as granular piles) are one of the methods for soft soil stabilization and typically used to increase bearing capacity and stability of slope.; Apart from decreasing the compressibility of loose and fine graded soils, it also accelerates the consolidation effect by improving the drainage path for pore water pressure dissipation and reduces the liquefaction potential of soils during earthquake event. Stone columns are probably the most “natural” ground treatment method or foundation system in existence to date. The benefit of stone columns is owing to the partial replacement of compressible soil by more competent materials such as stone aggregate, sand and other granular materials. These substitutes also act as reinforcement material, hence increasing overall strength and stiffness of the soft soil. Nowadays, a number of research has been conducted on the behaviour and performance of stone columns with various materials utilized as column filler replacing the normal aggregate. This paper will review extensively on previously conducted research on some of the materials used as stone column backfill materials, its suitability and the effectiveness as a substitute for regular aggregates in soft soil improvement works.

  17. Hydrodynamic behaviour of a gas—solid counter-current packed column at trickle flow

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roes, A.W.M.; van Swaaij, Willibrordus Petrus Maria

    1979-01-01

    Trickle flow of a more or less fluidized catalyst through a packed column is a promising new gas—solid counter-current operation. The hydrodynamic, behaviour of such a column, filled with dumped PALL rings, has been investigated, while some results have been obtained with RASCHIG rings and

  18. Transport and retention of surfactant- and polymer-stabilized engineered silver nanoparticles in silicate-dominated aquifer material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Packed column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport and blocking behavior of surfactant- and polymer-stabilized engineered silver nanoparticles (Ag-ENPs) in saturated natural aquifer material with varying silt and clay content, background solution chemistry, and flow velocity. Brea...

  19. Effects of highway-deicer application on ground-water quality in a part of the Calumet Aquifer, northwestern Indiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Lee R.; Bayless, E. Randall; Buszka, Paul M.; Wilson, John T.

    2002-01-01

    The effects of highway-deicer application on ground-water quality were studied at a site in northwestern Indiana using a variety of geochemical indicators. Site characteristics such as high snowfall rates; large quantities of applied deicers; presence of a high-traffic highway; a homogeneous, permeable, and unconfined aquifer; a shallow water table; a known ground-water-flow direction; and minimal potential for other sources of chloride and sodium to complicate source interpretation were used to select a study area where ground water was likely to be affected by deicer application. Forty-three monitoring wells were installed in an unconfined sand aquifer (the Calumet aquifer) near Beverly Shores in northwestern Indiana. Wells were installed along two transects that approximately paralleled groundwater flow in the Calumet aquifer and crossed US?12. US?12 is a highway that receives Indiana?s highest level of maintenance to maintain safe driving conditions. Ground-water quality and water-level data were collected from the monitoring wells, and precipitation and salt-application data were compiled from 1994 through 1997. The water-quality data indicated that chloride was the most easily traced indicator of highway deicers in ground water. Concentration ratios of chloride to iodide and chloride to bromide and Stiff diagrams of major element concentrations indicated that the principal source of chloride and sodium in ground water from the uppermost one-third to one-half of the Calumet relative electromagnetic conductivity defined a distinct plume of deicer-affected water in the uppermost 8 feet of aquifer at about 9 feet horizontally from the paved roadway edge and a zone of higher conductivity than background in the lower one-third of the aquifer. Chloride and sodium in the deep parts of the aquifer originated from natural sources. Chloride and sodium from highway deicers were present in the aquifer throughout the year. The highest concentrations of chloride and sodium

  20. Regeneration of a confined aquifer after redevelopment and decommission of artesian wells, example from Grafendorf aquifer (Styria, Austria)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehmedovski, Nudzejma; Winkler, Gerfried

    2016-04-01

    Water is essential for life and it is therefore necessary to protect drinking water sustainably. Compared to shallow groundwater, deeper groundwater is especially important due to its characteristic tendency to remain extensively unaffected by environmental impacts. Thus, the uncontrolled waste of this valuable resource has to be avoided. A lot of artesian wells have been established in Grafendorf bei Hartberg (Styria, Austria). Almost all wells were not state-of-the art. As a result the different aquifer horizons began to intermix. Additionally some of the artesian wells had a permanent free overflow and the water was not even used. Consequently, since 1950, where the mean discharge of 37 wells was 0,334 l/s per well, the discharge has decreased to 0,090 l/s until 2013, which means a decline of about 75 %. As a reaction to these declines a decommissioning campaign was conducted where 69 artesian wells have been closed by injecting a cement-bentonite suspension (ratio 3:1). The Grafendorf aquifer is situated in the Styrian Basin and consists of 5 separated artesian horizons in Neogene sediments. These artesian horizons range from 42 m (1st horizon) to 176 m (5th horizon) and mostly consist of sand, partly of fine/medium/coarse gravel and partially with minor clay content. In order to analyse the reaction of the Grafendorf aquifer to these redevelopments, 5 monitoring wells could be used for the analysis. Some monitoring wells include different aquifer horizons and hydraulically short cut them. Thus, in this work the analysis focus on the general trend of the whole aquifer system neglecting the individual interactions between the different aquifers. In a first investigation step the hydraulic properties of the aquifer system has been determined using pumping tests which were analysed with different analytical solutions with the software AQTESOLV. Overall the pumping test solutions hardly differ in the transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity. On the contrary the

  1. Cation exchange and CaCO 3 dissolution during artificial recharge of effluent to a calcareous sandstone aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goren, Orly; Gavrieli, Ittai; Burg, Avihu; Lazar, Boaz

    2011-03-01

    SummaryThis research describes a field study and laboratory simulations of the geochemical evolution of groundwater following a recharge of effluent into aquifers. The study was conducted in the soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system of the Shafdan sewage reclamation plant, Israel. The SAT system recharges secondary effluent into the calcareous sandstone sediments of the Israeli Coastal Aquifer as a tertiary treatment. The reclaimed effluent is recovered ca. 500 m off the recharge basin and is used for unlimited irrigation. The laboratory simulations in which effluent was pumped through experimental columns packed with pristine Shafdan sediment showed that the chemical composition of the outflowing water was controlled mainly by cation exchange and CaCO 3 dissolution. Na +, K + and Mg 2+ were adsorbed and Ca 2+ was desorbed during the initial stage of recharge. The equilibrium distribution of the adsorbed cations was: Ca 2+ ˜ 60%, Mg 2+ ˜ 20%, and Na + and K + ˜ 10% each. The Ca 2+ in the Shafdan production wells and in the experimental columns outflow (˜5 meq L -1) was always higher than the Ca 2+ in the recharged effluent (˜3.5 meq L -1), indicating continuous CaCO 3 dissolution. This study demonstrates that besides mixing, a suite of geochemical processes should be considered when assessing groundwater quality following artificial recharge of aquifers.

  2. Sedimentology and composition of sands injected during the seismic crisis of May 2012 (Emilia, Italy): clues for source layer identification and liquefaction regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontana, D.; Lugli, S.; Marchetti Dori, S.; Caputo, R.; Stefani, M.

    2015-07-01

    In May 2012 widespread sand blows formed along buried channels in the eastern sector of the Po Plain (Northern Italy) as a consequence of a series of seismic events with main shocks of Mw 6.1 and 5.9. At San Carlo (Ferrara) a trench dug a few week after the earthquakes exposed sand dikes cutting through an old Reno River channel-levee system that was diverted in the 18th century and was deposited starting from the 14th century (unit A). This sequence overlies a Holocene muddy floodplain deposits and contains scattered sandy channel deposits (unit B) and a Pleistocene channel sand unit (unit C). Sands with inverse and normal grading, concave layering and vertical lamination coexisting along the dikes suggest multiple rhythmic opening and closing of the fractures that were injected and filled by a slurry of sand during the compression pulses, and emptied during the extension phase. The pulse mechanism may have lasted for several minutes and formed well stratified sand volcanoes structures that formed at the top of the fractures. Sands from dikes and from the various units show well defined compositional fields from lithoarenitic to quartz-feldspar-rich compositions. Sands from the old Reno levee and channel fill (unit A) have abundant lithic fragments derived from the erosion of Apennine sedimentary carbonate and terrigenous successions. Composition of the sand filling the dikes show clear affinities with sand layers of the old Reno River channel (Unit A) and clearly differ from any sand from deeper Holocene and Pleistocene layers (Unit B and C), which are richer in quartz and feldspar and poorer in sedimentary lithic fragments. Sorting related to sediment flux variations did not apparently affect the sand composition across the sedimentary structures. Textural and compositional data indicate that the liquefaction processes originated from a relatively shallow source consisting of channel sands located within Unit A at 6.8.to 7.5 m depth.

  3. The field migration tests of 237Np, 238Pu, 241Am and 90Sr in aerated loess, aquifer and engineering barrier materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shushen; Wang Zhiming; Zhao Yingjie; Fan Zhiwen; Liu Chunli; An Yongfeng; Yang Yue'e; Wu Qinghua

    2003-01-01

    This paper introduces the field migration tests of 237 Np, 238 Pu, 241 Am and 90 Sr in aerated loess, aquifer and engineering barrier materials. The tests in the aerated loess and engineering barrier materials were carried out under both natural and artificial sprinkling (15 mm/d) conditions. The tests in aquifer were carried out in both assemblies packed with undisturbed aquifer media and a definite undisturbed area. The results indicate that after 3 years tests no significant migrations were seen for all nuclides in engineering barrier materials under two kinds of conditions and in aerated loess under natural conditions. For the aerated loess under artificial sprinkling conditions, 2.7 cm (center of mass) migration in the area directly below the sand tracer layer (named as area 1) and 13 cm (peak) migration in the area outside the area 1 for 90 Sr were observed; There was no migration for 237 Np, 238 Pu and 241 Am. It was discovered that the sand layer used as carrier of nuclide tracer has barrier effect on unsaturated water and an influence on nuclide migration. This has been demonstrated by the inter comparison experiment with both sand and loess as tracer carrier. In the tracer tests of undisturbed aquifer area there was no significant migration of 237 Np, 238 Pu, 241 Am and 90 Sr after 1023 days. In the assembly 8 there was no significant migration for 238 Pu and 241 Am and a small backward migration 0.95 cm for 237 Np and 4.7 cm migration (center of mass) for 90 Sr were observed. The tests also indicate that there is no significant difference of nuclide migration in ordinary and degraded cement

  4. Influence green sand system by core sand additions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Špirutová

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Today, about two thirds of iron alloys casting (especially for graphitizing alloys of iron are produced into green sand systems with usually organically bonded cores. Separation of core sands from the green sand mixture is very difficult, after pouring. The core sand concentration increase due to circulation of green sand mixture in a closed circulation system. Furthermore in some foundries, core sands have been adding to green sand systems as a replacement for new sands. The goal of this contribution is: “How the green sand systems are influenced by core sands?”This effect is considered by determination of selected technological properties and degree of green sand system re-bonding. From the studies, which have been published yet, there is not consistent opinion on influence of core sand dilution on green sand system properties. In order to simulation of the effect of core sands on the technological properties of green sands, there were applied the most common used technologies of cores production, which are based on bonding with phenolic resin. Core sand concentration added to green sand system, was up to 50 %. Influence of core sand dilution on basic properties of green sand systems was determined by evaluation of basic industrial properties: moisture, green compression strength and splitting strength, wet tensile strength, mixture stability against staling and physical-chemistry properties (pH, conductivity, and loss of ignition. Ratio of active betonite by Methylene blue test was also determined.

  5. Method for automatic filling of nuclear fuel rod cladding tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezold, H.

    1979-01-01

    Prior to welding the zirconium alloy cladding tubes with end caps, they are automatically filled with nuclear fuel tablets and ceramic insulating tablets. The tablets are introduced into magazine drums and led through a drying oven to a discharging station. The empty cladding tubes are removed from this discharging station and filled with tablets. A filling stamp pushes out the columns of tablets in the magazine tubes of the magazine drum into the cladding tube. Weight and measurement of length determine the filled state of the cladding tube. The cladding tubes are then led to the welding station via a conveyor belt. (DG) [de

  6. Retention of radium from thermal waters on sand filters and adsorbents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elejalde, C. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain)]. E-mail: inpelsac@bi.ehu.es; Herranz, M. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Idoeta, R. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Legarda, F. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Romero, F. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Quimica y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Baeza, A. [Dpto. de Fisica, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Universidad s/n, 10071 Caceres (Spain)

    2007-06-18

    This study was focussed on laboratory experiences of retention of radium from one thermal water on sand filters and adsorbents, trying to find an easy method for the elimination in drinkable waters polluted with this natural radio-nuclide. A thermal water from Cantabria (Spain) was selected for this work. Retention experiences were made with columns of 35 mm of diameter containing 15 cm layers of washed river sand or 4 cm layers of zeolite A3, passing known volumes of thermal water at flows between 4 and 40 ml/min with control of the retained radium by determining the amount in the water after the treatment. The statistical analysis of data suggests that retention depends on the flow and the volume passed through the columns. As additional adsorbents were used kaolin and a clay rich in illite. Jar-test experiences were made agitating known weights of adsorbents with the selected thermal water, with addition of flocculants and determination of radium in filtrated water after the treatment. Data suggest that retention is related to the weight of adsorbent used, but important quantities of radium seem remain in solution for higher amounts of adsorbents, according to the statistical treatment of data. The elution of retained radium from columns or adsorbents, previously used in experiences, should be the aim of a future research.

  7. Retention of radium from thermal waters on sand filters and adsorbents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elejalde, C.; Herranz, M.; Idoeta, R.; Legarda, F.; Romero, F.; Baeza, A.

    2007-01-01

    This study was focussed on laboratory experiences of retention of radium from one thermal water on sand filters and adsorbents, trying to find an easy method for the elimination in drinkable waters polluted with this natural radio-nuclide. A thermal water from Cantabria (Spain) was selected for this work. Retention experiences were made with columns of 35 mm of diameter containing 15 cm layers of washed river sand or 4 cm layers of zeolite A3, passing known volumes of thermal water at flows between 4 and 40 ml/min with control of the retained radium by determining the amount in the water after the treatment. The statistical analysis of data suggests that retention depends on the flow and the volume passed through the columns. As additional adsorbents were used kaolin and a clay rich in illite. Jar-test experiences were made agitating known weights of adsorbents with the selected thermal water, with addition of flocculants and determination of radium in filtrated water after the treatment. Data suggest that retention is related to the weight of adsorbent used, but important quantities of radium seem remain in solution for higher amounts of adsorbents, according to the statistical treatment of data. The elution of retained radium from columns or adsorbents, previously used in experiences, should be the aim of a future research

  8. Ground-water availability from surficial aquifers in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reppe, Thomas H.C.

    2005-01-01

    Population growth and commercial and industrial development in the Red River of the North Basin in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota have prompted the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, to evaluate sources of water to sustain this growth. Nine surficial-glacial (surficial) aquifers (Buffalo, Middle River, Two Rivers, Beach Ridges, Pelican River, Otter Tail, Wadena, Pineland Sands, and Bemidji-Bagley) within the Minnesota part of the basin were identified and evaluated for their ground-water resources. Information was compiled and summarized from published studies to evaluate the availability of ground water. Published information reviewed for each of the aquifers included location and extent, physical characteristics, hydraulic properties, ground-water and surface-water interactions, estimates of water budgets (sources of recharge and discharge) and aquifer storage, theoretical well yields and actual ground-water pumping data, recent (2003) ground-water use data, and baseline ground-water-quality data.

  9. High resolution aquifer characterization using crosshole GPR full-waveform tomography: Comparison with direct-push and tracer test data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gueting, Nils; Vienken, Thomas; Klotzsche, Anja; van der Kruk, Jan; Vanderborght, Jan; Caers, Jef; Vereecken, Harry; Englert, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    Limited knowledge about the spatial distribution of aquifer properties typically constrains our ability to predict subsurface flow and transport. Here we investigate the value of using high resolution full-waveform inversion of cross-borehole ground penetrating radar (GPR) data for aquifer characterization. By stitching together GPR tomograms from multiple adjacent crosshole planes, we are able to image, with a decimeter scale resolution, the dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of an alluvial aquifer along cross sections of 50 m length and 10 m depth. A logistic regression model is employed to predict the spatial distribution of lithological facies on the basis of the GPR results. Vertical profiles of porosity and hydraulic conductivity from direct-push, flowmeter and grain size data suggest that the GPR predicted facies classification is meaningful with regard to porosity and hydraulic conductivity, even though the distributions of individual facies show some overlap and the absolute hydraulic conductivities from the different methods (direct-push, flowmeter, grain size) differ up to approximately one order of magnitude. Comparison of the GPR predicted facies architecture with tracer test data suggests that the plume splitting observed in a tracer experiment was caused by a hydraulically low-conductive sand layer with a thickness of only a few decimeters. Because this sand layer is identified by GPR full-waveform inversion but not by conventional GPR ray-based inversion we conclude that the improvement in spatial resolution due to full-waveform inversion is crucial to detect small-scale aquifer structures that are highly relevant for solute transport.

  10. Multi-Column Experimental Test Bed for Xe/Kr Separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenhalgh, Mitchell Randy; Garn, Troy Gerry; Welty, Amy Keil; Lyon, Kevin Lawrence; Watson, Tony Leroy

    2015-01-01

    Previous research studies have shown that INL-developed engineered form sorbents are capable of capturing both Kr and Xe from various composite gas streams. The previous experimental test bed provided single column testing for capacity evaluations over a broad temperature range. To advance research capabilities, the employment of an additional column to study selective capture of target species to provide a defined final gas composition for waste storage was warranted. The second column addition also allows for compositional analyses of the final gas product to provide for final storage determinations. The INL krypton capture system was modified by adding an additional adsorption column in order to create a multi-column test bed. The purpose of this modification was to investigate the separation of xenon from krypton supplied as a mixed gas feed. The extra column was placed in a Stirling Ultra-low Temperature Cooler, capable of controlling temperatures between 190 and 253K. Additional piping and valves were incorporated into the system to allow for a variety of flow path configurations. The new column was filled with the AgZ-PAN sorbent which was utilized as the capture medium for xenon while allowing the krypton to pass through. The xenon-free gas stream was then routed to the cryostat filled with the HZ-PAN sorbent to capture the krypton at 191K. Selectivities of xenon over krypton were determined using the new column to verify the system performance and to establish the operating conditions required for multi-column testing. Results of these evaluations verified that the system was operating as designed and also demonstrated that AgZ-PAN exhibits excellent selectivity for xenon over krypton in air at or near room temperature. Two separation tests were performed utilizing a feed gas consisting of 1000 ppmv xenon and 150 ppmv krypton with the balance being made up of air. The AgZ-PAN temperature was held at 295 or 253K while the HZ-PAN was held at 191K for both

  11. Investigating the role for adaptation of the microbial community to transform trace organic chemicals during managed aquifer recharge

    KAUST Repository

    Alidina, Mazahirali; Li, Dong; Drewes, Jorg

    2014-01-01

    This study was undertaken to investigate whether adaptation by pre-exposure to trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) was necessary for microbial transformation during managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Two pairs of laboratory-scale soil columns, each

  12. Production and construction technology of C100 high strength concrete filled steel tube

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yanli; Sun, Jinlin; Yin, Suhua; Liu, Yu

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, the effect of the amount of cement, water cement ratio and sand ratio on compressive strength of C100 concrete was studied. The optimum mix ratio was applied to the concrete filled steel tube for the construction of Shenyang Huangchao Wanxin mansion. The results show that the increase of amount of cement, water cement ratio can improve the compressive strength of C100 concrete but increased first and then decreased with the increase of sand ratio. The compressive strength of C100 concrete can reach 110MPa with the amount of cement 600kg/m3, sand ratio 40% and water cement ratio 0.25.

  13. Estimation of septic tank setback distances based on transport of E. coli and F-RNA phages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Liping; Close, Murray; Goltz, Mark; Sinton, Lester; Davies, Helen; Hall, Carollyn; Stanton, Greg

    2004-01-01

    Setback distances between septic tank systems and the shorelines of Lake Okareka, New Zealand were determined from model simulations for a worst-case scenario, using the highest hydraulic conductivity and gradient measured in the field, removal rates of the microbial indicators (Escherichia coli and F-RNA phages) determined from a column experiment, and maximum values of the design criteria for the disposal system, and assuming an absence of an unsaturated zone, a continuous discharge of the raw effluent from a failed or non-complying treatment system (both indicators at concentrations of 1x10(7) counts/100 ml) into the groundwater and no sorption of pathogens in the aquifer. Modelling results suggest that the minimal setback distances were 16 m to satisfy the New Zealand Recreational Water Quality Guidelines for E. coli <126 per 100 ml (Ministry for the Environment, 1999) and 48 m to meet the Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2000 for enteric virus <1 per 100 l (Ministry of Health, 2000). These distances may be applicable for other lakeshores in pumice sand aquifers with groundwater velocities <7 m/day. Findings of laboratory column and batch experiments provided an insight into the microbial attenuation and transport processes in pumice sand aquifers. Bacterial removal was predominately through filtration (87-88%) and partially by die-off (12-13%), while viral removal was by both die-off (45%) and filtration (55%). In addition, microbial die-off in groundwater without aquifer material (i.e., free microbes) was much lower than die-off in groundwater with aquifer material (i.e., sorbed microbes) and contributed only 2-6% to the total removal. This implies that the setback distances estimated from die-off rates for the free microbes, determined in the laboratory without considering aquifer media and other removal processes, which are often reported in the literature, could be larger than necessary.

  14. Fire response of composite columns subject to sway

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Virdi, Kuldeep

    Composite columns, using profiled steel sections encased in concrete or steel tubes filled with concrete, are increasingly used in practice taking advantage of speed of erection as well as offering cost-effective solutions. While the design of braced and unbraced composite columns under ambient...... conditions is adequately covered in the relevant standard, Eurocode 4, simplified design of unbraced composite columns for the fire limit state has not been included. Recognising this, a collaborative research project was undertaken with funding from the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. The paper describes...... the scope of the project which covered control tests under ambient conditions, carried out by the author while at City University London. Other aspects covered in the project included fire tests carried out by CTICM in France, on isolated columns and on two frames designed by Leibniz Universität Hannover...

  15. Hydrostratigraphy, soil/sediment chemistry, and water quality, Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, Puchack Well Field Superfund site and vicinity, Pennsauken Township, Camden County, New Jersey, 1997-2001

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barringer, Julia L.; Walker, Richard L.; Jacobsen, Eric; Jankowski, Pamela

    2010-01-01

    Drinking-water supplies from the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system at the Puchack well field in Pennsauken Township, Camden County, New Jersey, have been contaminated by hexavalent chromium-the most toxic and mobile form-at concentrations exceeding the New Jersey maximum contaminant level of 100 micrograms per liter. Also, scattered but widespread instances of volatile organic compounds (primarily trichloroethylene) at concentrations that exceed their respective maximum contaminant levels in the area's ground water have been reported. Because inorganic and organic contaminants are present in the ground water underlying the Puchack well field, no water from there has been withdrawn for public supply since 1998, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) added the area that contains the Puchack well field to the National Priorities List. As part of the USEPA's investigation of the Puchack Well Field Superfund site, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a study during 1997-2001 to (1) refine previous interpretations of the hydrostratigraphic framework, hydraulic gradients, and local directions of ground-water flow; (2) describe the chemistry of soils and saturated aquifer sediments; and (3) document the quality of ground water in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the area. The four major water-bearing units of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system-the Upper aquifer (mostly unsaturated in the study area), the Middle aquifer, the Intermediate Sand (a local but important unit), and the Lower aquifer-are separated by confining units. The confining units contain areas of cut and fill, resulting in permeable zones that permit water to pass through them. Pumping from the Puchack well field during the past 3 decades resulted in downward hydraulic gradients that moved contaminants into the Lower aquifer, in which the production wells are finished, and caused ground water to flow northeast, locally. A comparison of current (1997

  16. Performance evaluation of a dual-flow recharge filter for improving groundwater quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuel, Manoj P; Senthilvel, S; Mathew, Abraham C

    2014-07-01

    A dual-flow multimedia stormwater filter integrated with a groundwater recharge system was developed and tested for hydraulic efficiency and pollutant removal efficiency. The influent stormwater first flows horizontally through the circular layers of planted grass and biofibers. Subsequently, the flow direction changes to a vertical direction so that water moves through layers of pebbles and sand and finally gets recharged to the deep aquifers. The media in the sequence of vegetative medium:biofiber to pebble:sand were filled in nine proportions and tested for the best performing combination. Three grass species, viz., Typha (Typha angustifolia), Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides), and St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), were tested as the best performing vegetative medium. The adsorption behavior of Coconut (Cocos nucifera) fiber, which was filled in the middle layer, was determined by a series of column and batch studies.The dual-flow filter showed an increasing trend in hydraulic efficiency with an increase in flowrate. The chemical removal efficiency of the recharge dual-flow filter was found to be very high in case of K+ (81.6%) and Na+ (77.55%). The pH normalizing efficiency and electrical conductivity reduction efficiency were also recorded as high. The average removal percentage of Ca2+ was moderate, while that of Mg2+ was very low. The filter proportions of 1:1 to 1:2 (plant:fiber to pebble:sand) showed a superior performance compared to all other proportions. Based on the estimated annual costs and returns, all the financial viability criteria (internal rate of return, net present value, and benefit-cost ratio) were found to be favorable and affordable to farmers in terms of investing in the developed filtration system.

  17. Measuring the fill height of sealed cans with a compound pendulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rinard, P.M.

    1995-06-01

    A compound pendulum has been designed, fabricated, tested, and used to determine the fill height of material in sealed cans. The specific cans that stimulated this work are partially filled with uranium and plutonium oxide. Fill height affects nondestructive assays using fission neutrons, but corrections for various fill heights can be made once the height is known. Heights vary with use as the powder compacts or loosens, so it is necessary to determine the height at the time of the neutron measurement. The pendulum is small and readily portable so it can be taken to the location of the neutron measurement. Tests with open cans filled with sand to various known heights had accuracies generally within 3%. Factors that can affect the accuracy are examined and discussed. Experience in using the pendulum on sealed cans is related

  18. Estimation of hydraulic parameters from an unconfined aquifer test conducted in a glacial outwash deposit, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moench, Allen F.; Garabedian, Stephen P.; LeBlanc, Denis R.

    2001-01-01

    An aquifer test conducted in a sand and gravel, glacial outwash deposit on Cape Cod, Massachusetts was analyzed by means of a model for flow to a partially penetrating well in a homogeneous, anisotropic unconfined aquifer. The model is designed to account for all significant mechanisms expected to influence drawdown in observation piezometers and in the pumped well. In addition to the usual fluid-flow and storage processes, additional processes include effects of storage in the pumped well, storage in observation piezometers, effects of skin at the pumped-well screen, and effects of drainage from the zone above the water table.

  19. Hydrogeology and groundwater evaluation of a shallow coastal aquifer, southern Akwa Ibom State (Nigeria)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edet, Aniekan

    2017-09-01

    The rapid expansion of economic activities in coastal parts of Nigeria has triggered an uncoordinated development of groundwater leading to stress on the resource. Hence a study was conducted to assess the hydrogeological characteristics of the shallow coastal aquifer of southern Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Emphasis was on the hydraulic characteristics, quality with respect to domestic and irrigation purposes and influence of seawater. The study result revealed that the aquifer consist of intercalations of clayey sand and sand. The aquifer is characterized by high hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity values. The groundwater flow direction is southwards with higher groundwater depletion in the dry season. Groundwater samples from hand dug wells and boreholes were evaluated based on World Health Organization standard and some indices, respectively, for drinking and irrigation uses. The groundwaters are fit for drinking and domestic uses. However, more than 70 % of the pH values are not within the allowable limits of between 6.5 and 9.2 for drinking and domestic use. Therefore, it is recommended that neutralizing filter containing calcite or ground limestone should be applied to raise the pH of the groundwater. Of the 10 parameters used to assess the water for irrigation use, only sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), magnesium hazard (MH) and magnesium ratio indicated the excellent quality of these waters. Na+-K+-HCO3 - constitute the dominant water type. Total dissolved solids and ratios of Na+/Cl-, Mg2+/Cl-, and Ca2+/SO4 2- and saltwater mixing index (SMI) suggest some level of seawater intrusion in the area.

  20. Hydrodynamic framework of Saharan Triassic aquifers in South Tunisia and Algeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhia, H. Ben; Chiarelli, A.

    The main characteristics of the lower Triassic in the Saharan part of Tunisia are presented. This first study of the aquifer is made possible because of data available from numerous petroleum wells that exist in the region. The results show that the reservoir is of importance for either geothermal energy recovering or human water needs; especially since its salinity lies in the range 2 g/l to 60 g/l. Along the Tunisian-Llibyan frontier, because of its pressure and salinity (<3 g/l), the aquifer can be used for regional needs. The study also shows that the salinity gradient (SE-NW) increases orthogonally to the runoff direction (SW-NE). This phenomenon was unexpected and it is necessary to consider the aquifer in its regional North African framework and to include its Algerian part to understand it; when the salinity and potentiometric maps include both countries, a regional pattern is evident. Furthermore, a correspondence is noted between the salinity variations and the percentage of detritic elements in the reservoir. Salinity increases toward the NW, while the detritic elements decrease in that direction. Zones with salt content lower than 5 g/l seem to be related to good reservoirs and shales, that are rich in sands, and carbonates. The aquifer water supply is primarily linked to gravity flow and secondarily to compaction flow.

  1. Induced groundwater flux by increases in the aquifer's total stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Ching-Min; Yeh, Hund-Der

    2015-01-01

    Fluid-filled granular soils experience changes in total stress because of earth and oceanic tides, earthquakes, erosion, sedimentation, and changes in atmospheric pressure. The pore volume may deform in response to the changes in stress and this may lead to changes in pore fluid pressure. The transient fluid flow can therefore be induced by the gradient in excess pressure in a fluid-saturated porous medium. This work demonstrates the use of stochastic methodology in prediction of induced one-dimensional field-scale groundwater flow through a heterogeneous aquifer. A closed-form of mean groundwater flux is developed to quantify the induced field-scale mean behavior of groundwater flow and analyze the impacts of the spatial correlation length scale of log hydraulic conductivity and the pore compressibility. The findings provided here could be useful for the rational planning and management of groundwater resources in aquifers that contain lenses with large vertical aquifer matrix compressibility values. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

  2. Sedimentary controls on modern sand grain coat formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowey, Patrick J.; Worden, Richard H.; Utley, James; Hodgson, David M.

    2017-05-01

    Coated sand grains can influence reservoir quality evolution during sandstone diagenesis. Porosity can be reduced and fluid flow restricted where grain coats encroach into pore space. Conversely pore-lining grain coats can restrict the growth of pore-filling quartz cement in deeply buried sandstones, and thus can result in unusually high porosity in deeply buried sandstones. Being able to predict the distribution of coated sand grains within petroleum reservoirs is thus important to help find good reservoir quality. Here we report a modern analogue study of 12 sediment cores from the Anllóns Estuary, Galicia, NW Spain, collected from a range of sub-environments, to help develop an understanding of the occurrence and distribution of coated grains. The cores were described for grain size, bioturbation and sedimentary structures, and then sub-sampled for electron and light microscopy, laser granulometry, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The Anllóns Estuary is sand-dominated with intertidal sand flats and saltmarsh environments at the margins; there is a shallowing/fining-upwards trend in the estuary-fill succession. Grain coats are present in nearly every sample analysed; they are between 1 μm and 100 μm thick and typically lack internal organisation. The extent of grain coat coverage can exceed 25% in some samples with coverage highest in the top 20 cm of cores. Samples from muddy intertidal flat and the muddy saltmarsh environments, close to the margins of the estuary, have the highest coat coverage (mean coat coverage of 20.2% and 21.3%, respectively). The lowest mean coat coverage occurs in the sandy saltmarsh (10.4%), beyond the upper tidal limit and sandy intertidal flat environments (8.4%), close to the main estuary channel. Mean coat coverage correlates with the concentration of clay fraction. The primary controls on the distribution of fine-grained sediment, and therefore grain coat distribution, are primary sediment transport and deposition processes that

  3. Effects of altered groundwater chemistry upon the pH-dependency and magnitude of bacterial attachment during transport within an organically contaminated sandy aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, Ronald W.; Metge, David W.; Barber, Larry B.; Aiken, George R.

    2010-01-01

    The effects of a dilute (ionic strength = 5 ?? 10-3 M) plume of treated sewage, with elevated levels (3.9 mg/L) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), upon the pH-dependency and magnitude of bacterial transport through an iron-laden, quartz sand aquifer (Cape Cod, MA) were evaluated using sets of replicate, static minicolumns. Compared with uncontaminated groundwater, the plume chemistry diminished bacterial attachment under mildly acidic (pH 5.0-6.5) in-situ conditions, in spite of the 5-fold increase in ionic strength and substantively enhanced attachment under more alkaline conditions. The effects of the hydrophobic neutral and total fractions of the plume DOC; modest concentrations of fulvic and humic acids (1.5 mg/L); linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) (25 mg/L); Imbentin (200 ??g/L), a model nonionic surfactant; sulfate (28 mg/L); and calcium (20 mg/L) varied sharply in response to relatively small changes in pH, although the plume constituents collectively decreased the pH-dependency of bacterial attachment. LAS and other hydrophobic neutrals (collectively representing only ???3% of the plume DOC) had a disproportionately large effect upon bacterial attachment, as did the elevated concentrations of sulfate within the plume. The findings further suggest that the roles of organic plume constituents in transport or bacteria through acidic aquifer sediments can be very different than would be predicted from column studies performed at circumneutral pH and that the inorganic constituents within the plume cannot be ignored.

  4. Use of geophysical logs to estimate the quality of ground water and the permeability of aquifers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, J.D.

    1996-01-01

    The relation of formation factor to resistivity of formation water and intergranular permeability has often been investigated, and the general consensus is that this relation is closest when established in a clean-sand aquifer in which water quality does not vary substantially. When these restrictions are applied, the following standard equation is a useful tool in estimating the resistance of the formation water: F = Ro/Rw, where F is the formation factor, which is a function of the effective porosity; Ro is the resistivity of a formation that is 100 percent saturated with interstitial water; and Rw is the resistivity of the water in the saturated zone. However, arenaceous aquifers can have electrical resistivities that are not directly related to resistivity of water or porosity. Surface conductivity and ion exchange are significant factors when the sediments are clay bearing. The solid constituents are a major component of the parameters needed to solve the equation for formation-water resistivity and estimates of aquifer permeability. A correction process needs to be applied to adjust the variables, Ro and F, to the equivalent of clean sand. This report presents an empirical method of using the neutron log and the electrical-resistivity values from long- and short-normal resistivity logs to correct for fine-grained material and the subsequent effects of low impedance to electrical flow that are not related to the resistance of formation water.

  5. Influence of core sand properties on flow dynamics of core shooting process based on experiment and multiphase simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chang-jiang Ni

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The influence of core sand properties on flow dynamics was investigated synchronously with various core sands, transparent core-box and high-speed camera. To confirm whether the core shooting process has significant turbulence, the flow pattern of sand particles in the shooting head and core box was reproduced with colored core sands. By incorporating the kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF, kinetic-frictional constitutive correlation and turbulence model, a two-fluid model (TFM was established to study the flow dynamics of the core shooting process. Two-fluid model (TFM simulations were then performed and a areasonable agreement was achieved between the simulation and experimental results. Based on the experimental and simulation results, the effects of turbulence, sand density, sand diameter and binder ratio were analyzed in terms of filling process, sand volume fraction (αs and sand velocity (Vs.

  6. Water hammer with column separation : a review of research in the twentieth century

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bergant, A.; Simpson, A.R.; Tijsseling, A.S.

    2004-01-01

    Column separation refers to the breaking of liquid columns in fully filled pipelines. This may occur in a water hammer event when the pressure drops to the vapor pressure at specific locations such as closed ends, high points or knees (changes in pipe slope). A vapor cavity, driven by the inertia of

  7. Hydrogeology of Two Areas of the Tug Hill Glacial-Drift Aquifer, Oswego County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Todd S.; Bugliosi, Edward F.; Hetcher-Aguila, Kari K.; Eckhardt, David A.

    2007-01-01

    Two water-production systems, one for the Village of Pulaski and the other for the Villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona in Oswego County, New York, withdraw water from the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer, a regional sand and gravel aquifer along the western flank of the Tug Hill Plateau, and provide the sole source of water for these villages. As a result of concerns about contamination of the aquifer, two studies were conducted during 2001 to 2004, one for each water-production system, to refine the understanding of ground-water flow surrounding these water-production systems. Also, these studies were conducted to determine the cause of the discrepancy between ground-water ages estimated from previously constructed numerical ground-water-flow models for the Pulaski and Sandy Creek/Lacona well fields and the apparent ground-water ages determined using concentrations of tritium and chlorofluorocarbons. The Village of Pulaski withdrew 650,000 gallons per day in 2000 from four shallow, large-diameter, dug wells finished in glaciolacustrine deposits consisting of sand with some gravelly lenses 3 miles east of the village. Four 2-inch diameter test wells were installed upgradient from each production well, hydraulic heads were measured, and water samples collected and analyzed for physical properties, inorganic constituents, nutrients, bacteria, tritium, dissolved gases, and chlorofluorocarbons. Recharge to the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer is from precipitation directly over the aquifer and from upland sources in the eastern part of the recharge area, including (1) unchannelized runoff from till and bedrock hills east of the aquifer, (2) seepage to the aquifer from streams that drain the Tug Hill Plateau, (3) ground-water inflow from the till and bedrock on the adjoining Tug Hill Plateau. Water-quality data collected from four piezometers near the production wells in November 2003 indicated that the water is a calcium-bicarbonate type with iron concentrations that

  8. A mathematical model for lake ontogeny in terms of filling with sediments and macrophyte vegetation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brydsten, Lars

    2004-05-01

    A mathematical model for simulation of lake basin filling processes in areas with positive shore displacement was constructed. The model was calibrated using sediment and catchments data from eight existing lake basins situated in the northern coastal area of the province of Uppland, Sweden. The lake basin filling processes were separated into three phases: basin filling with wave-washed material (silt, silty sand or sand), filling with fine-grained material during the shallow gulf and lake stages, respectively, and filling with vegetation during the lake stage. The basin filling rates for wave-washed material were generally low but varied considerably both between and within lakes. The mean basin filling rate of wave-washed material was 4.1%. The volume of inorganic sediments produced, and basin filling rates during the shallow gulf and lake phases were determined for all the eight lakes. The relationship between basin filling rate and parameters describing the catchments, the former postglacial basins and the lakes, respectively, was determined using multiple regression analysis. The basin filling rate with inorganic sediments was best described by parameters related to former postglacial basin morphometry and current lake morphometry, e.g. basin volume, lake volume, and lake area. The goodness of fit turned out to be 0.99 for a simple regression with basin volume as the sole independent variable. The basin filling with vegetation (Phragmites australis followed by Sphagnum spp.) was treated as a 2-dimensional process. A dataset with 84 bogs was selected from a digital soil map. The ages of the bogs were calculated using a digital elevation map and an equation for shore displacement. The choke-up rate was then calculated by dividing the area of the bogs with their age. A strong exponential relationship exists between areas of the bogs and choke-up rat, and this relationship was then used in the model. The resulting model starts by filling the former coastal basin

  9. A mathematical model for lake ontogeny in terms of filling with sediments and macrophyte vegetation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brydsten, Lars [Umeaa Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Biology and Environmental Science

    2004-05-01

    A mathematical model for simulation of lake basin filling processes in areas with positive shore displacement was constructed. The model was calibrated using sediment and catchments data from eight existing lake basins situated in the northern coastal area of the province of Uppland, Sweden. The lake basin filling processes were separated into three phases: basin filling with wave-washed material (silt, silty sand or sand), filling with fine-grained material during the shallow gulf and lake stages, respectively, and filling with vegetation during the lake stage. The basin filling rates for wave-washed material were generally low but varied considerably both between and within lakes. The mean basin filling rate of wave-washed material was 4.1%. The volume of inorganic sediments produced, and basin filling rates during the shallow gulf and lake phases were determined for all the eight lakes. The relationship between basin filling rate and parameters describing the catchments, the former postglacial basins and the lakes, respectively, was determined using multiple regression analysis. The basin filling rate with inorganic sediments was best described by parameters related to former postglacial basin morphometry and current lake morphometry, e.g. basin volume, lake volume, and lake area. The goodness of fit turned out to be 0.99 for a simple regression with basin volume as the sole independent variable. The basin filling with vegetation (Phragmites australis followed by Sphagnum spp.) was treated as a 2-dimensional process. A dataset with 84 bogs was selected from a digital soil map. The ages of the bogs were calculated using a digital elevation map and an equation for shore displacement. The choke-up rate was then calculated by dividing the area of the bogs with their age. A strong exponential relationship exists between areas of the bogs and choke-up rat, and this relationship was then used in the model. The resulting model starts by filling the former coastal basin

  10. 14C measurements in aquifers with methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barker, J.F.; Fritz, P.; Brown, R.M.

    1978-01-01

    A survey of various groundwater systems indicates that methane is a common trace constituent and occasionally a major carbon species in groundwaters. Thermocatalytic methane had delta 13 CCH 4 > -45% 0 and microbially-produced or biogenic methane had delta 13 CCH 4 0 . Groundwaters containing significant biogenic methane had abnormally heavy delta 13 C values for the inorganic carbon. Thermocatalytic methane had no apparent effect on the inorganic carbon. Because methanogenesis seriously affects the carbon isotope geochemistry of groundwaters, the correction of raw 14 C ages of affected groundwaters must consider these effects. Conceptual models are developed which adjust the 14 C activity of the groundwater for the effects of methanogenesis and for the dilution of carbon present during infiltration by simple dissolution of rock carbonate. These preliminary models are applied to groundwaters from the Alliston sand aquifer where methanogenesis has affected most samples. In this system, methanogenic bacteria using organic matter present in the aquifer matrix as substrate, have added inorganic carbon to the groundwater which has initiated further carbonate rock dissolution. These processes have diluted the inorganic carbon 14 C activity. (orig.) [de

  11. Effect of bioremediation agents on oil biodegradation in medium-fine sand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Croft, B.C.; Swannell, R.P.J.; Grant, A.L.; Lee, K.

    1995-01-01

    A spill of weathered Arabian light crude oil on an intertidal sand zone was simulated in the laboratory. Respirometry, chemical, and microbiological methods were employed to assess the effectiveness of two bioremediation agents: a slow-release inorganic (Max Bac) and an oleophilic organic fertilizer (Inipol EAP22). Inipol EAP22 stimulated additional CO 2 evolution, and significantly increased both the total chemoheterotrophic population and the number of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms. At the end of the experiment, the residual oil extracted from the Inipol-treated sand was significantly more biodegraded, based on the application of the conserved biomarkers (phytane and 17α, 21β hopane), than that removed from the other sand columns, albeit by a relatively small amount. The results suggested that Inipol EAP22 stimulated the chemoheterotrophic and hydrocarbon-degrading microbial population and, after a lag phase, encouraged oil biodegradation in fine sandy sediments subjected to a vertical tidal cycle

  12. Comparison of the Emission of Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Moulding Sands with Furfural Resin with the Low Content of Furfuryl Alcohol and Different Activators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Żymankowska-Kumon S.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available No-bake process refers to the use of chemical binders to bond the moulding sand. Sand is moved to the mould fill station in preparation for filling of the mould. A mixer is used to blend the sand with the chemical binder and activator. As the sand exits the mixer, the binder begins the chemical process of hardening. This paper presents the results of decomposition of the moulding sands with modified urea-furfuryl resin (with the low content of furfuryl alcohol below 25 % and different activators: organic and inorganic on a quartz matrix, under semi-industrial conditions. Investigations of the gases emission in the test foundry plant were executed according to the method extended in the Faculty of Foundry Engineering (AGH University of Science and Technology. Article presents the results of the emitted chosen aromatic hydrocarbons and loss on ignition compared with the different activators used to harden this resin. On the bases of the data, it is possible to determine the content of the emitted dangerous substances from the moulding sand according to the content of loss on ignition.

  13. Effect of part replacement of silica sand with carbon black on composite properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adeosun, B.F.; Olaofe, O.

    2003-01-01

    We have reported the properties of natural rubber filled with locally available materials (Adu et al 2000). The effect of local clay, limestone, silica sand and charcoal on the properties of natural rubber has been examined. Results have shown detrimental effects of silica sand on the properties of natural rubber compound. It has been reported that when silica is used as a part for part replacement of carbon black, the heat build up the composite decreased whilst tear resistance improved. Results revealed that within the filler content range used in the present work, the hardness, modulus, and tensile strength of composites loaded with silica sand/carbon black showed enhanced magnitude over the composite loaded singly with silica sand. These parameters generally increased with increasing carbon black content in the composite. New area of use requiring moderate level of tensile strength, hardness and modulus (as in soles of shoes and engine mounts) is therefore opened up for silica sand.(author)

  14. The effects of the 2004 tsunami on a coastal aquifer in Sri Lanka

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vithanage, Meththika Suharshini; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard; Villholth, Karen G.

    2012-01-01

    ) of the groundwater were carried out monthly from October 2005 to August 2007. The aquifer system and tsunami saltwater intrusion were modeled using the variable-density flow and solute transport code HST3D to understand the tsunami plume behavior and estimate the aquifer recovery time. EC values reduced as a result...... on groundwater in coastal areas. Field investigations on the east coast of Sri Lanka were carried out along a transect located perpendicular to the coastline on a 2.4 km wide sand stretch bounded by the sea and a lagoon. Measurements of groundwater table elevation and electrical conductivity (EC...... of the monsoonal rainfall following the tsunami with a decline in reduction rate during the dry season. The upper part of the saturated zone (down to 2.5 m) returned to freshwater conditions (EC

  15. Sorption, desorption and extraction of uranium from some sands under dynamic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palagyi, S.; Laciok, A.

    2006-01-01

    Sorption, desorption and extraction behavior of uranium in various fluvial sands of domestic origin were investigated in continuous dynamic column experiments. For the sorption of U(VI) an aqueous 10 -4 M UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 solution was used at a flow rate of about 0.3 cm 3 /min. Desorption was carried out with demineralized water, and the extraction with 10 -2 M Na 2 CO 3 solution following desorption. The retardation coefficients (R) and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients (D d ), were determined using an ADE equation. From the experimentally determined values of R, bulk density and porosity, the distribution coefficients (K d ) of the UO 2 2+ species have been calculated for the respective processes. The extent of U sorption in sands, as well as the proportion of desorbed and extracted U from these sands, was also calculated. (author)

  16. Understanding Uranium Behavior in a Reduced Aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janot, N.; Lezama-Pacheco, J. S.; Williams, K. H.; Bernier-Latmani, R.; Long, P. E.; Davis, J. A.; Fox, P. M.; Yang, L.; Giammar, D.; Cerrato, J. M.; Bargar, J.

    2012-12-01

    Uranium contamination of groundwater is a concern at several US Department of Energy sites, such Old Rifle, CO. Uranium transport in the environment is mainly controlled by its oxidation state, since oxidized U(VI) is relatively mobile, whereas U(IV) is relatively insoluble. Bio-remediation of contaminated aquifers aims at immobilizing uranium in a reduced form. Previous laboratory and field studies have shown that adding electron donor (lactate, acetate, ethanol) to groundwater stimulates the activity of metal- and sulfate-reducing bacteria, which promotes U(VI) reduction in contaminated aquifers. However, obtaining information on chemical and physical forms of U, Fe and S species for sediments biostimulated in the field, as well as kinetic parameters such as U(VI) reduction rate, is challenging due to the low concentration of uranium in the aquifers (typically bio-remediation experiment at the Old Rifle site, CO, from early iron-reducing conditions to the transition to sulfate-reducing conditions. Several in-well chromatographic columns packed with sediment were deployed and were sampled at different days after the start of bio-reduction. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray microscopy were used to obtain information on Fe, S and U speciation and distribution. Chemical extractions of the reduced sediments have also been performed, to determine the rate of Fe(II) and U(IV) accumulation.

  17. Evaluating two infiltration gallery designs for managed aquifer recharge using secondary treated wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekele, Elise; Toze, Simon; Patterson, Bradley; Fegg, Wolfgang; Shackleton, Mark; Higginson, Simon

    2013-03-15

    As managed aquifer recharge (MAR) becomes increasingly considered for augmenting water-sensitive urban areas, fundamental knowledge of the achievable scale, longevity and maintenance requirements of different options will become paramount. This paper reports on a 39 month pilot scale MAR scheme that infiltrated secondary treated wastewater through unsaturated sand into a limestone and sand aquifer. Two types of infiltration gallery were constructed to compare their hydraulic performance, one using crushed, graded gravel, the other using an engineered leach drain system (Atlantis Leach System(®)). Both galleries received 25 kL of nutrient-rich, secondary treated wastewater per day. The Atlantis gallery successfully infiltrated 17 ML of treated wastewater over three years. The slotted distribution pipe in the gravel gallery became clogged with plant roots after operating for one year. The infiltration capacity of the gravel gallery could not be restored despite high pressure cleaning, thus it was replaced with an Atlantis system. Reduction in the infiltration capacity of the Atlantis system was only observed when inflow was increased by about 3 fold for two months. The performance of the Atlantis system suggests it is superior to the gravel gallery, requiring less maintenance within at least the time frame of this study. The results from a bromide tracer test revealed a minimum transport time of 3.7 days for the recharged water to reach the water table below 9 m of sand and limestone. This set a limit on the time available for attenuation by natural treatment within the unsaturated zone before it recharged groundwater. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Distribution of anthropogenic fill material within the Y-12 plant area, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutton, G.E. Jr.; Field, S.M.

    1995-10-01

    Widespread groundwater contamination in the vicinity of the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant has been documented through a variety of monitoring efforts since the late 1970s. Various contaminants, most notably volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have migrated through the subsurface and formed extensive contaminant plumes within the Knox Aquifer/Maynardville Limestone, the primary exit pathway for groundwater transport within the Bear Creek Valley. In 1991, an integrated, comprehensive effort (Upper East Fork Poplar Creek [UEFPC] Phase I monitoring network) was initiated in order to (1) identify contaminant source areas within the industrialized portions of the plant and (2) define contamination migration pathways existing between the source areas and the Knox Aquifer/Maynardville Limestone. Data obtained during previous studies have indicated that extensive zones of fill and buried utility trenches may serve as preferred migration pathways. In addition, portions of UEFPC were rerouted, with several of its tributaries being filled during the initial construction of the plant. These filled surface drainage features are also believed to serve as preferred migration pathways. The identification of preferred contaminant migration pathways within the Y-12 Plant area is essential and required to refine the current Bear Creek Valley groundwater conceptual model and to assist in the selection of technically feasible and cost effective remedial strategies. This report presents the results of an initial investigation of the occurrence of manmade (anthropogenic) fill and its effect upon groundwater movement within the plant area. These interpretations are subject to revision and improvement as further investigation of the effects of the fill upon contaminant migration progresses

  19. Transport of nanoparticles with dispersant through biofilm coated drinking water sand filters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhen; Aly Hassan, Ashraf; Sahle-Demessie, Endalkachew; Sorial, George A

    2013-11-01

    This article characterizes, experimentally and theoretically, the transport and retention of engineered nanoparticles (NP) through sand filters at drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) under realistic conditions. The transport of four commonly used NPs (ZnO, CeO2, TiO2, and Ag, with bare surfaces and coating agents) through filter beds filled with sands from either acid washed and calcined, freshly acquired filter media, and used filter media from active filter media, were investigated. The study was conducted using water obtained upstream of the sand filter at DWTP. The results have shown that capping agents have a determinant importance in the colloidal stability and transport of NPs through the different filter media. The presence of the biofilm in used filter media increased adsorption of NPs but its effects in retaining capped NPs was less significant. The data was used to build a mathematical model based on the advection-dispersion equation. The model was used to simulate the performance of a scale-up sand filter and the effects on filtration cycle of traditional sand filtration system used in DWTPs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. The aquifer recharge: an overview of the legislative and planning aspect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Giglio, O; Caggiano, G; Apollonio, F; Marzella, A; Brigida, S; Ranieri, E; Lucentini, L; Uricchio, V F; Montagna, M T

    2018-01-01

    In most regions of the world, safeguarding groundwater resources is a serious issue, particularly in coastal areas where groundwater is the main water source for drinking, irrigation and industry. Water availability depends on climate, topography and geology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate aquifer recharge as a possible strategy to relieve water resource scarcity. Natural aquifer recharge is defined as the downward flow of water reaching the water table, increasing the groundwater reservoir. Hydro-meteorological factors (rainfall, evapotranspiration and runoff) may alter natural recharge processes. Artificial aquifer recharge is a process by which surface water is introduced with artificial systems underground to fill an aquifer. As a consequence of global warming that has increased the frequency and severity of natural disasters like the drought, the impacts of climate change and seasonality, the artificial recharge has been considered as a viable option. Different direct and indirect techniques can be used, and the choice depends on the hydrologic characteristics of a specific area. In Italy, Legislative Decree no. 152/06 plans artificial aquifer recharge as an additional measure in water management, and Decree no. 100/2016 establishes quantitative and qualitative conditions for recharge. Many projects examine aquifer recharge, such us WADIS-MAR in the southern Mediterranean region, WARBO in Italy and municipal wastewater treatment project in Apulia, a southern Italian region. However, aside from groundwater recharge, the community must foster a spirit of cooperation to manage groundwater as a sustainable resource.

  1. DNAPL migration in a coastal plain aquifer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DiGuiseppi, W.H.; Jung, A.D.

    1995-01-01

    Soil and ground water at the Dover Gas Light Superfund Site, a former manufactured gas plant (1859 to 1948), are contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds. Contaminants of concern include light aromatics, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), and heavy aromatics, including naphthalene, acenaphthylene, phenanthrene, and benzo(a)pyrene. Although ground-water contaminant levels are elevated near the site, only naphthalene and acenaphthylene are present within an order of magnitude of their solubility limits, indicating the possibility of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) in the subsurface. The unconfined Columbia Aquifer, which is characterized by interfingering and discontinuous sand, silt, and clay Coastal Plain deposits, overlies a clay aquitard at a depth of 60 feet. The ground water beneath the intermediate clay horizon exhibited little or no contamination, even immediately downgradient from the site. The relationship between the more permeable granular sand horizons and the less permeable interfingering clay zones controls the migration of both the aqueous-phase contamination and the DNAPL. A detailed horizontal and vertical characterization of the subsurface stratigraphy was critical to the accurate interpretation of the extent and magnitude of contamination and the identification and delineation of DNAPL zones

  2. Analysis of Tide and Offshore Storm-Induced Water Table Fluctuations for Structural Characterization of a Coastal Island Aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trglavcnik, Victoria; Morrow, Dean; Weber, Kela P.; Li, Ling; Robinson, Clare E.

    2018-04-01

    Analysis of water table fluctuations can provide important insight into the hydraulic properties and structure of a coastal aquifer system including the connectivity between the aquifer and ocean. This study presents an improved approach for characterizing a permeable heterogeneous coastal aquifer system through analysis of the propagation of the tidal signal, as well as offshore storm pulse signals through a coastal aquifer. Offshore storms produce high wave activity, but are not necessarily linked to significant onshore precipitation. In this study, we focused on offshore storm events during which no onshore precipitation occurred. Extensive groundwater level data collected on a sand barrier island (Sable Island, NS, Canada) show nonuniform discontinuous propagation of the tide and offshore storm pulse signals through the aquifer with isolated inland areas showing enhanced response to both oceanic forcing signals. Propagation analysis suggests that isolated inland water table fluctuations may be caused by localized leakage from a confined aquifer that is connected to the ocean offshore but within the wave setup zone. Two-dimensional groundwater flow simulations were conducted to test the leaky confined-unconfined aquifer conceptualization and to identify the effect of key parameters on tidal signal propagation in leaky confined-unconfined coastal aquifers. This study illustrates that analysis of offshore storm signal propagation, in addition to tidal signal propagation, provides a valuable and low resource approach for large-scale characterization of permeable heterogeneous coastal aquifers. Such an approach is needed for the effective management of coastal environments where water resources are threatened by human activities and the changing climate.

  3. Controlling geological and hydrogeological processes in an arsenic contaminated aquifer on the Red River flood plain, Vietnam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsen, Flemming; Nhan Quy Pham; Nhan Duc Dang; Postma, Dieke; Jessen, Soren; Viet Hung Pham; Nguyen, Thao Bach; Trieu, Huy Duc; Luu Thi Tran; Hoan Nguyen; Chambon, Julie; Hoan Van Nguyen; Dang Hoang Ha; Nguyen Thi Hue; Mai Thanh Duc; Refsgaard, Jens Christian

    2008-01-01

    aquifer, As is mobilized at a rate of around 14 μg/L/a. An As mass balance for the field site shows that around 1100 kg of As is annually leached from the Holocene sand and discharged into the Red River, corresponding to 0.01% of the total pool of As now present in the Holocene sand

  4. Transport and fate of viruses in sediment and stormwater from a managed aquifer recharge site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enteric viruses are one of the major concerns in water reclamation and reuse at managed aquifer recharge (MAR) sites. In this study, the transport and fate of bacteriophages MS2, PRD1, and FX174 were studied in sediment and stormwater (SW) collected from a MAR site in Parafield, Australia. Column ex...

  5. Nde of Frp Wrapped Columns Using Infrared Thermography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halabe, Udaya B.; Dutta, Shasanka Shekhar; GangaRao, Hota V. S.

    2008-02-01

    This paper investigates the feasibility of using Infrared Thermography (IRT) for detecting debonds in Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) wrapped columns. Laboratory tests were conducted on FRP wrapped concrete cylinders of size 6″×12″ (152.4 mm×304.8 mm) in which air-filled and water-filled debonds of various sizes were placed underneath the FRP wraps. Air-filled debonds were made by cutting plastic sheets into the desired sizes whereas water-filled debonds were made by filling water in custom made polyethylene pouches. Both carbon and glass fiber reinforced wraps were considered in this study. Infrared tests were conducted using a fully radiometric digital infrared camera which was successful in detecting air-filled as well as water-filled subsurface debonds. In addition to the laboratory testing, two field trips were made to Moorefield, West Virginia for detecting subsurface debonds in FRP wrapped timber piles of a railroad bridge using infrared testing. The results revealed that infrared thermography can be used as an effective nondestructive evaluation tool for detecting subsurface debonds in structural components wrapped with carbon or glass reinforced composite fabrics.

  6. Air Sparging Versus Gas Saturated Water Injection for Remediation of Volatile LNAPL in the Borden Aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, J.; Nelson, L.; Doughty, C.; Thomson, N.; Lambert, J.

    2009-05-01

    In the shallow, rather homogeneous, unconfined Borden sand aquifer, field trials of air sparging (Tomlinson et al., 2003) and pulsed air sparging (Lambert et al., 2009) have been conducted, the latter to remediate a residual gasoline source emplaced below the water table. As well, a supersaturated (with CO2) water injection (SWI) technology, using the inVentures inFusion system, has been trialed in two phases: 1. in the uncontaminated sand aquifer to evaluate the radius of influence, extent of lateral gas movement and gas saturation below the water table, and 2. in a sheet pile cell in the Borden aquifer to evaluate the recovery of volatile hydrocarbon components (pentane and hexane) of an LNAPL emplaced below the water table (Nelson et al., 2008). The SWI injects water supersaturated with CO2. The supersaturated injected water moves laterally away from the sparge point, releasing CO2 over a wider area than does gas sparging from a single well screen. This presentation compares these two techniques in terms of their potential for remediating volatile NAPL components occurring below the water table in a rather homogeneous sand aquifer. Air sparging created a significantly greater air saturation in the vicinity of the sparge well than did the CO2 system (60 percent versus 16 percent) in the uncontaminated Borden aquifer. However, SWI pushed water, still supersaturated with CO2, up to about 2.5 m from the injection well. This would seem to provide a considerable advantage over air sparging from a point, in that gas bubbles are generated at a much larger radius from the point of injection with SWI and so should involve additional gas pathways through a residual NAPL. Overall, air sparging created a greater area of influence, defined by measurable air saturation in the aquifer, but air sparging also injected about 12 times more gas than was injected in the SWI trials. The pulsed air sparging at Borden (Lambert et al.) removed about 20 percent (4.6 kg) of gasoline

  7. Mass balance and isotope effects during nitrogen transport through septic tank systems with packed-bed (sand) filters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinkle, S.R.; Böhlke, J.K.; Fisher, L.H.

    2008-01-01

    Septic tank systems are an important source of NO3- to many aquifers, yet characterization of N mass balance and isotope systematics following septic tank effluent discharge into unsaturated sediments has received limited attention. In this study, samples of septic tank effluent before and after transport through single-pass packed-bed filters (sand filters) were evaluated to elucidate mass balance and isotope effects associated with septic tank effluent discharge to unsaturated sediments. Chemical and isotopic data from five newly installed pairs and ten established pairs of septic tanks and packed-bed filters serving single homes in Oregon indicate that aqueous solute concentrations are affected by variations in recharge (precipitation, evapotranspiration), NH4+ sorption (primarily in immature systems), nitrification, and gaseous N loss via NH3 volatilization and(or) N2 or N2O release during nitrification/denitrification. Substantial NH4+ sorption capacity was also observed in laboratory columns with synthetic effluent. Septic tank effluent ??15N-NH4+ values were almost constant and averaged + 4.9??? ?? 0.4??? (1 ??). In contrast, ??15N values of NO3- leaving mature packed-bed filters were variable (+ 0.8 to + 14.4???) and averaged + 7.2??? ?? 2.6???. Net N loss in the two networks of packed-bed filters was indicated by average 10-30% decreases in Cl--normalized N concentrations and 2-3??? increases in ??15N, consistent with fractionation accompanying gaseous N losses and corroborating established links between septic tank effluent and NO3- in a local, shallow aquifer. Values of ??18O-NO3- leaving mature packed-bed filters ranged from - 10.2 to - 2.3??? (mean - 6.4??? ?? 1.8???), and were intermediate between a 2/3 H2O-O + 1/3 O2-O conceptualization and a 100% H2O-O conceptualization of ??18O-NO3- generation during nitrification.

  8. The in-situ decontamination of sand and gravel aquifers by chemically enhanced solubilization of multiple-component DNAPLS with surfactant solutions. Topical report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-01-01

    Laboratory, numerical simulation, and field studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of micellar-surfactant solutions to solubilize chlorinated solvents contaminating sand and gravel aquifers. Laboratory studies were conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY) while numerical simulation and field work were undertaken by INTERA Inc. in collaboration with Martin Marietta Energy Systems Inc. at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in Kentucky. Ninety-nine surfactants were screened for their ability to solubilize trichloroethene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). Ten of these were capable of solubilizing TCE to concentrations greater than 15,000 mg/L, compared to its aqueous solubility of 1,100 mg/L. Four surfactants were identified as good solubilizers of all three chlorinated solvents. Of these, a secondary alcohol ethoxylate was the first choice for in situ testing because of its excellent solubilizing ability and its low propensity to sorb. However, this surfactant did not meet the Commonwealth of Kentucky`s acceptance criteria. Consequently, it was decided to use a surfactant approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration as a food-grade additive. As a 1% micellar-surfactant solution, this sorbitan monooleate has a solubilization capacity of 16,000 mg TCE/L, but has a higher propensity to sorb to clays than has the alcohol ethoxylate.

  9. Documenting the global impacts of beach sand mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, R.; Griffith, A.

    2009-04-01

    For centuries, beach sand has been mined for use as aggregate in concrete, for heavy minerals, and for construction fill. The global extent and impact of this phenomenon has gone relatively unnoticed by academics, NGOs, and major news sources. Most reports of sand mining activities are found at the very local scale (if the mining is ever documented at all). Yet, sand mining in many localities has resulted in the complete destruction of beach (and related) ecosystems along with severe impacts to coastal protection and tourism. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University and Beachcare.org have initiated the construction of a global database of beach sand mining activities. The database is being built through a combination of site visits and through the data mining of media resources, peer reviewed papers, and reports from private and governmental entities. Currently, we have documented sand mining in 35 countries on 6 continents representing the removal of millions of cubic meters of sand. Problems extend from Asia where critical infrastructure has been disrupted by sand mining to the Caribbean where policy reform has swiftly followed a highly publicized theft of sand. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines recently observed extensive sand mining in Morocco at the regional scale. Tens of kilometers of beach have been stripped of sand and the mining continues southward reducing hope of a thriving tourism-based economy. Problems caused by beach sand mining include: destruction of natural beaches and the ecosystems they protect (e.g. dunes, wetlands), habitat loss for globally important species (e.g. turtles, shorebirds), destruction of nearshore marine ecosystems, increased shoreline erosion rates, reduced protection from storms, tsunamis, and wave events, and economic losses through tourist abandonment and loss of coastal aesthetics. The threats posed by sand mining are made even more critical given the prospect of a

  10. Improving the support characteristics of hydraulic fill

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corson, D. R.; Dorman, K. R.; Sprute, R. H.

    1980-05-15

    Extensive laboratory and field testing has defined the physical properties of hydraulic fill. Effect of void ratio on percolation rate has been quantified, and tests were developed to estimate waterflow through fill material in a given state underground. Beneficial effect on fill's support capability through addition of cement alone or in conjunction with vibratory compaction has been investigated. Two separate field studies in operating cut-and-fill mines measured vein-wall deformation and loads imposed on backfilled stopes. Technology has been developed that will effectively and efficiently dewater and densify ultra-fine-grained slurries typical of metal mine hydraulic backfill. At least two operators are using this electrokinetic technique to dewater slimes collected in underground sumps or impoundments. This technique opens up the possibility of using the total unclassified tailings product as a hydraulic backfill. Theoretical enhancement of ground support and rock-burst control through improved support capability will be tested in a full-scale mine stope installation. Both a horizontal layer and a vertical column of high modulus fill will be placed in an attempt to reduce stope wall closure, support more ground pressure, and lessen rock-burst occurrence.

  11. Hydraulic and Groundwater Chemical Parameters of the Aquifer in Malakasari, Bandung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahnaf Jemi S.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to reveal the physical condition of the aquifer, the pumping test using Cooper-Jacob (1946 principle has conducted at well SM5. The observation data of the test then processed to generate various value of hydraulic properties i.e. 3.241x10-4 cm2/sec for transmissivity (T, 8.103x10-6 cm/sec for conductivity (K, 0.05055 for storativity (S, and 3.852x10-3 ft-1 for specific storage (Ss. These data show that the aquifer composed of unconsolidated sedimentary rocks ranged from coarse sand to silt. In addition, also performed the feasibility test of groundwater by using Multimeter which produces chemical parameter data. The chemical parameter of eight well samples have average values of 6.62, 766.25 μs/cm and 376.25 mg/L for pH, electric conductivity (EC, and total dissolved solid (TDS respectively, while physical observation shows no turbidity and odor.

  12. Iron in the Middle Devonian aquifer system and its removal at Võru County water treatment plants, Estonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariina Hiiob

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Groundwater abstracted from the Middle Devonian aquifer system is the main source of drinking water in South Estonia. High iron and manganese concentrations in groundwater are the greatest problems in this region. The total iron concentrations up to 16 mg L–1 are mainly caused by a high Fe2+ content in water, pointing to the dominance of reducing conditions in the aquifer system. A pilot study was carried out to estimate the effectiveness of 20 groundwater purification plants with eight different water treatment systems (aeration combined with Manganese Greensand, Birm, Nevtraco, Hydrolit-Mn, Magno-Dol and quartz sand filters in Võru County. The results demonstrate that in most cases the systems with pre-aeration effectively purify groundwater from iron, but only 13 out of 20 water treatment plants achieved a reduction of iron concentration to the level fixed in drinking water requirements (0.2 mg L–1. Manganese content decreased below the maximum allowed concentration in only 25% of systems and in cases where the filter media was Birm or quartz sand and pre-oxidation was applied. The study showed that the high level of iron purification does not guarantee effective removal of manganese.

  13. Isotope studies on mechanisms of groundwater recharge to an alluvial aquifer in Gatton, Queensland, Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dharmasiri, J.K.; Morawska, L.

    1997-01-01

    Gatton is an important agricultural area for Queensland where about 40% of its vegetables needs are produced using groundwater as the main source. An alluvial Aquifer is located about 30m beneath the layers of alluvial sediments ranging from black soils of volcanic origin on top, layers of alluvial sands, clays and beds of sand and gravel. The leakage of creek flows has been considered to be the main source of recharge to this aquifer. A number of weirs have been built across the Lockyer and Laidley creeks to allow surface water to infiltrate through the beds when the creeks flow. Water levels in bores in a section located in the middle of the alluvial plain (Crowley Vale) have been declining for the last 20 years with little or no success in recharging from the creeks. Acute water shortages have been experienced in the Gatton area during the droughts of 1980-81, 1986-87 and 1994-97. Naturally occurring stable isotopes, 2 H, 18 0 and 13 C as well as radioisotopes 3 H and 14 C have been used to delineate sources of recharge and active recharge areas. Tritium tracing of soil moisture in the unsaturated soil was also used to determine direct infiltration rates

  14. Development of sausage-type instability in a Z-pinch plasma column

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vikhrev, V.V.; Ivanov, V.V.; Rozanova, G.A.

    1993-01-01

    The development of sausage-type instabilities in an initially homogeneous Z-pinch plasma column has been investigated by means of numerical modelling. It is shown that in the presence of short-wave perturbations of a Z-pinch boundary and a rarefied plasma surrounding the pinch, cavities filled with a rarefied plasma and with a magnetic field are formed in the plasma column. As a result of this cavity growth, small columns of dense plasma form on the axis in the Z-pinch which have a temperature substantially higher than the average plasma temperature in the plasma column. When deuterium is present in the pinch, these dense high temperature bunches can become a source of intensive neutron radiation. (author). 24 refs, 7 figs

  15. Simulating the 2012 High Plains drought using three single column versions (SCM) of BUGS5

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, I. D.; Denning, S.

    2013-12-01

    The impact of changes in the frequency and severity of drought on fresh water sustainability is a great concern for many regions of the world. One such location is the High Plains, where the local economy is primarily driven by fresh water withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer, which accounts for approximately 30% of total irrigation withdrawals from all U.S. aquifers combined. Modeling studies that focus on the feedback mechanisms that control the climate and eco-hydrology during times of drought are limited, and have used conventional General Circulation Models (GCMs) with grid length scales ranging from one hundred to several hundred kilometers. Additionally, these models utilize crude statistical parameterizations of cloud processes for estimating sub-grid fluxes of heat and moisture and have a poor representation of land surface heterogeneity. For this research, we will focus on the 2012 High Plains drought and will perform numerical simulations using three single column versions (SCM) of BUGS5 (Colorado State University (CSU) GCM coupled to the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3)) at multiple sites overlying the Ogallala Aquifer for the 2011-2012 periods. In the first version of BUGS5, the model will be used in its standard bulk setting (single atmospheric column coupled to a single instance of SiB3), secondly, the Super-Parameterized Community Atmospheric Model (SP-CAM), a cloud resolving model (CRM consists of 64 atmospheric columns), will replace the single CSU GCM atmospheric parameterization and will be coupled to a single instance of SiB3, and for the third version of BUGS5, an instance of SiB3 will be coupled to each CRM column of the SP-CAM (64 CRM columns coupled to 64 instances of SiB3). To assess the physical realism of the land-atmosphere feedbacks simulated at each site by all versions of BUGS5, differences in simulated energy and moisture fluxes will be computed between the 2011 and 2012 period and will be compared to differences calculated using

  16. Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization and evaluation of two arroyos for managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in the Pojoaque River Basin, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, 2014–15

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Andrew J.; Cordova, Jeffrey; Teeple, Andrew; Payne, Jason; Carruth, Rob

    2017-02-22

    In order to provide long-term storage of diverted surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the Aamodt water rights settlement, managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in Pojoaque River Basin arroyos was proposed as an option. The initial hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of two arroyos located within the Pojoaque River Basin was performed in 2014 and 2015 in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate the potential suitability of these two arroyos as sites for managed aquifer recharge through surface infiltration.The selected reaches were high-gradient (average 3.0–3.5 percent) braided channels filled with unconsolidated sand and gravel-sized deposits that were generally 30–50 feet thick. Saturation was not observed in the unconsolidated channel sands in four subsurface borings but was found at 7–60 feet below the contact between the unconsolidated channel sands and the bedrock. The poorly to well-cemented alluvial deposits that make up the bedrock underlying the unconsolidated channel material is the Tesuque Formation. The individual beds of the Tesuque Formation are reported to be highly heterogeneous and anisotropic, and the bedrock at the site was observed to have variable moisture and large changes in lithology. Surface electrical-resistivity geophysical survey methods showed a sharp contrast between the electrically resistive unconsolidated channel sands and the highly conductive bedrock; however, because of the high conductivity, the resistivity methods were not able to image the water table or preferential flow paths (if they existed) in the bedrock.Infiltration rates measured by double-ring and bulk infiltration tests on a variety of channel morphologies in the study reaches were extremely large (9.7–94.5 feet per day), indicating that the channels could potentially accommodate as much as 6.6 cubic feet per second of applied water without generating surface runoff out of the reach; however, the small volume

  17. Carbonate aquifers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Kevin J.; Sukop, Michael; Curran, H. Allen

    2012-01-01

    Only limited hydrogeological research has been conducted using ichnology in carbonate aquifer characterization. Regardless, important applications of ichnology to carbonate aquifer characterization include its use to distinguish and delineate depositional cycles, correlate mappable biogenically altered surfaces, identify zones of preferential groundwater flow and paleogroundwater flow, and better understand the origin of ichnofabric-related karst features. Three case studies, which include Pleistocene carbonate rocks of the Biscayne aquifer in southern Florida and Cretaceous carbonate strata of the Edwards–Trinity aquifer system in central Texas, demonstrate that (1) there can be a strong relation between ichnofabrics and groundwater flow in carbonate aquifers and (2) ichnology can offer a useful methodology for carbonate aquifer characterization. In these examples, zones of extremely permeable, ichnofabric-related macroporosity are mappable stratiform geobodies and as such can be represented in groundwater flow and transport simulations.

  18. Mobility of nanosized cerium dioxide and polymeric capsules in quartz and loamy sands saturated with model and natural groundwaters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petosa, Adamo Riccardo; Ohl, Carolin; Rajput, Faraz; Tufenkji, Nathalie

    2013-10-01

    The environmental and health risks posed by emerging engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) released into aquatic environments are largely dependent on their aggregation, transport, and deposition behavior. Herein, laboratory-scale columns were used to examine the mobility of polyacrylic acid (PAA)-coated cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) and an analogous nanosized polymeric capsule (nCAP) in water saturated quartz sand or loamy sand. The influence of solution ionic strength (IS) and cation type (Na(+), Ca(2+), or Mg(2+)) on the transport potential of these ENPs was examined in both granular matrices and results were also compared to measurements obtained using a natural groundwater. ENP suspensions were characterized using dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis to establish aggregate size, and laser Doppler electrophoresis to determine ENP electrophoretic mobility. Regardless of IS, virtually all nCeO2 particles suspended in NaNO3 eluted from the quartz sand-packed columns. In contrast, heightened nCeO2 and nCAP particle retention and dynamic (time-dependent) transport behavior was observed with increasing concentrations of the divalent salts and in the presence of natural groundwater. Enhanced particle retention was also observed in loamy sand in comparison to the quartz sand, emphasizing the need to consider the nature of the aqueous matrix and granular medium in evaluating contamination risks associated with the release of ENPs in natural and engineered aquatic environments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Analysis of three geopressured geothermal aquifer-natural gas fields; Duson Hollywood and Church Point, Louisiana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rogers, L.A.; Boardman, C.R.

    1981-05-01

    The available well logs, production records and geological structure maps were analyzed for the Hollywood, Duson, and Church Point, Louisiana oil and gas field to determine the areal extent of the sealed geopressured blocks and to identify which aquifer sands within the blocks are connected to commercial production of hydrocarbons. The analysis showed that over the depth intervals of the geopressured zones shown on the logs essentially all of the sands of any substantial thickness had gas production from them somewhere or other in the fault block. It is therefore expected that the sands which are fully brine saturated in many of the wells are the water drive portion of the producing gas/oil somewhere else within the fault block. In this study only one deep sand was identified, in the Hollywood field, which was not connected to a producing horizon somewhere else in the field. Estimates of the reservoir parameters were made and a hypothetical production calculation showed the probable production to be less than 10,000 b/d. The required gas price to profitably produce this gas is well above the current market price.

  20. Performance of sand and shredded rubber tire mixture as a natural base isolator for earthquake protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandyopadhyay, Srijit; Sengupta, Aniruddha; Reddy, G. R.

    2015-12-01

    The performance of a well-designed layer of sand, and composites like layer of sand mixed with shredded rubber tire (RSM) as low cost base isolators, is studied in shake table tests in the laboratory. The building foundation is modeled by a 200 mm by 200 mm and 40 mm thick rigid plexi-glass block. The block is placed in the middle of a 1m by 1m tank filled with sand. The selected base isolator is placed between the block and the sand foundation. Accelerometers are placed on top of the footing and foundation sand layer. The displacement of the footing is also measured by LVDT. The whole setup is mounted on a shake table and subjected to sinusoidal motions with varying amplitude and frequency. Sand is found to be effective only at very high amplitude (> 0.65 g) of motions. The performance of a composite consisting of sand and 50% shredded rubber tire placed under the footing is found to be most promising as a low-cost effective base isolator.

  1. Evaluating the Impacts of Grassland Conversions to Experimental Forest on Groundwater Recharge in the Nebraska Sand Hills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adane, Zablon A.

    The Nebraska Sand Hills grasslands provide the greatest groundwater recharge rates in the High Plains Aquifer. However, the grasslands and their ecological services have become vulnerable to land use change and degradation. This study used a series of field data to investigate the effects of grassland conversions to forest on recharge rates in a century-old experimental forest in the Sand Hills. The results show that the impact of grassland conversion on recharge was dependent on the species and plantation density. Estimated recharge rates beneath the dense plantations represent reductions of 86-94% relative to the native grassland. Results of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectral analysis suggested that the surface soil organic carbon beneath pine plantations also contain up to 3 times the ratio of hydrophobic components than the native grasslands and may alter the soil hydraulic properties. This investigation further uncovered a previously overlooked feedback between the effect of soil organic carbon chemical shift generated by the ponderosa pine needle litter decomposition; namely that the alteration may have a link to reduced groundwater recharge rates. Thus, a global optimizer algorithm was used to estimate the effective soil hydraulic parameters from monthly soil moisture contents and recharge rates were then estimated through HYDRUS 1-D numerical modeling for grassland and pine forest soils. The impact of grassland conversion to pine was an overall reduction of groundwater recharge by nearly 100%. These outcomes highlight the significance of the grasslands for recharge, in the Sand Hills and the sustainability of the High Plains Aquifer.

  2. Experimental and Numerical Study of FRP Encased Composite Concrete Columns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Ishaghian

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available A new type of composite column is presented and assessed through experimental testing and numerical modeling. The objective of this research is to investigate design options for a composite column without the use of ferrous materials. This is to avoid the current problem of deterioration of concrete due to expansion of rusting reinforcement members. Such a target can be achieved by replacing the steel reinforcement of concrete columns with pultruded I-shape glass FRP structural sections. The composite column utilizes a glass FRP tube that surrounds a pultruded I-section glass FRP, which is subsequently filled with concrete. The GFRP tube acts as a stay-in-place form in addition to providing confinement to the concrete. A total of four composite columns were tested under monotonic axial loading. The experimental ultimate capacity of each of the tested composite column was compared to the predicted numerical capacity using ANSYS program. The comparison showed that the predicted numerical values were in good agreement with the experimental ones.

  3. Aerial Transient Electromagnetic Surveys of Alluvial Aquifers in Rural Watersheds of Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pool, D. R.; Callegary, J. B.; Groom, R. W.

    2006-12-01

    Development in rural areas of Arizona has led the State of Arizona (Arizona Department of Water Resources), in cooperation with the Arizona Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, to sponsor investigations of the hydrogeologic framework of several alluvial-basin aquifers. An efficient method for mapping the aquifer extent and lithology was needed due to sparse subsurface information. Aerial Transient Electro-Magnetic (ATEM) methods were selected because they can be used to quickly survey large areas and with a great depth of investigation. Both helicopter and fixed-wing ATEM methods are available. A fixed-wing method (GEOTEM) was selected because of the potential for a depth of investigation of 300 m or more and because previous surveys indicated the method is useful in alluvial basins in southeastern Arizona. About 2,900 km of data along flight lines were surveyed across five alluvial basins, including the Middle San Pedro and Willcox Basins in southeastern Arizona, and Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Basins in northwestern Arizona. Data initially were analyzed by the contractor (FUGRO Airborne Surveys) to produce conductivity-depth-transforms, which approximate the general subsurface electrical-property distribution along profiles. Physically based two-dimensional physical models of the profile data were then developed by PetRos- Eikon by using EMIGMA software. Hydrologically important lithologies can have different electrical properties. Several types of crystalline and sedimentary rocks generally are poor aquifers that have low porosity and high electrical resistivity. Good alluvial aquifers of sand and gravel generally have an intermediate electrical resistivity. Poor aquifer materials, such as silt and clay, and areas of poor quality water have low electrical resistivity values. Several types of control data were available to constrain the models including drill logs, electrical logs, water levels , and water quality information from wells; and

  4. Modeling of CO2 storage in aquifers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savioli, Gabriela B; Santos, Juan E

    2011-01-01

    Storage of CO 2 in geological formations is a means of mitigating the greenhouse effect. Saline aquifers are a good alternative as storage sites due to their large volume and their common occurrence in nature. The first commercial CO 2 injection project is that of the Sleipner field in the Utsira Sand aquifer (North Sea). Nevertheless, very little was known about the effectiveness of CO 2 sequestration over very long periods of time. In this way, numerical modeling of CO 2 injection and seismic monitoring is an important tool to understand the behavior of CO 2 after injection and to make long term predictions in order to prevent CO 2 leaks from the storage into the atmosphere. The description of CO 2 injection into subsurface formations requires an accurate fluid-flow model. To simulate the simultaneous flow of brine and CO 2 we apply the Black-Oil formulation for two phase flow in porous media, which uses the PVT data as a simplified thermodynamic model. Seismic monitoring is modeled using Biot's equations of motion describing wave propagation in fluid-saturated poroviscoelastic solids. Numerical examples of CO 2 injection and time-lapse seismics using data of the Utsira formation show the capability of this methodology to monitor the migration and dispersal of CO 2 after injection.

  5. Natural and EDTA-complexed lanthanides used as a geochemical probe for aquifers: a case study of Orleans valley's alluvial and karstic aquifers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Borgne, F.; Treuil, M.; Joron, J.L.; Lepiller, M.

    2005-01-01

    The transit of chemical elements within the different parts of Orleans valley's aquifer is studied by two complementary methods. Those methods rely on the fractionation of lanthanides (Ln) during their migration in natural waters. The first method consists in studying natural lanthanides patterns within the watershed, at its entries and exits. second one lies on multi-tracer experiments with Ln-EDTA complexes. This work is completed through an observation network consisting of 52 piezometers set on a sand and gravel quarry, and the natural entries and exits of the aquifer. Orleans valley's aquifer, which is made of an alluvial watershed lying on a karstic aquifer, is mainly fed by Loire river via a large karstic network. At the entries of the aquifer (Loire river at Jargeau), the Ln concentrations in the dissolved fraction ( heavy Ln. On the other hand, the filtration of alluvial groundwater with high colloids content induces no significant Ln fractionation when the solution contains no strong chelating agent. Hence, the transit of natural and artificial Ln in Orleans valley aquifer can be explained by two complementary processes. (I) Decanting/filtering or, on the opposite, stirring of colloids. Those processes induce no important Ln fractionation. (2) Exchanges of Ln between solute complexes, colloids and sediments due to the presence of strong chelating agents. Those exchanges fractionate the Ln in the order of their stability constants. Considering the natural Ln fractionation that occurs in the Loire river and in the studied aquifer, the carbonates, the stability constants of which follow the order light Ln < heavy Ln, are the best candidates as natural strong chelating agents. From the hydrodynamic point of view, both tracer experiments and natural Ln concentrations show that the transfer of elements within the alluvial watershed is pulsed by the Loire river movements. During an ascent phase, the elements migrate away from and perpendicularly to the karstic

  6. Fate of N-nitrosodimethylamine in recycled water after recharge into anaerobic aquifer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, B M; Pitoi, M M; Furness, A J; Bastow, T P; McKinley, A J

    2012-03-15

    Laboratory and field experiments were undertaken to assess the fate of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in aerobic recycled water that was recharged into a deep anaerobic pyritic aquifer, as part of a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategy. Laboratory studies demonstrated a high mobility of NDMA in the Leederville aquifer system with a retardation coefficient of 1.1. Anaerobic degradation column and (14)C-NDMA microcosm studies showed that anaerobic conditions of the aquifer provided a suitable environment for the biodegradation of NDMA with first-order kinetics. At microgram per litre concentrations, inhibition of biodegradation was observed with degradation half-lives (260±20 days) up to an order of magnitude greater than at nanogram per litre concentrations (25-150 days), which are more typical of environmental concentrations. No threshold effects were observed at the lower ng L(-1) concentrations with NDMA concentrations reduced from 560 ng L(-1) to recharge bore. These microcosm experiments showed a faster degradation rate than anaerobic microcosms, with a degradation half-life of 8±2 days, after a lag period of approximately 10 days. Results from a MAR field trial recharging the Leederville aquifer with aerobic recycled water showed that NDMA concentrations reduced from 2.5±1.0 ng L(-1) to 1.3±0.4 ng L(-1) between the recharge bore and a monitoring location 20 m down gradient (an estimated aquifer residence time of 10 days), consistent with data from the aerobic microcosm experiment. Further down gradient, in the anaerobic zone of the aquifer, NDMA degradation could not be assessed, as NDMA concentrations were too close to their analytical detection limit (<1 ng L(-1)). Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. The effect of feed water dissolved organic carbon concentration and composition on organic micropollutant removal and microbial diversity in soil columns simulating river bank filtration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertelkamp, C; van der Hoek, J P; Schoutteten, K; Hulpiau, L; Vanhaecke, L; Vanden Bussche, J; Cabo, A J; Callewaert, C; Boon, N; Löwenberg, J; Singhal, N; Verliefde, A R D

    2016-02-01

    This study investigated organic micropollutant (OMP) biodegradation rates in laboratory-scale soil columns simulating river bank filtration (RBF) processes. The dosed OMP mixture consisted of 11 pharmaceuticals, 6 herbicides, 2 insecticides and 1 solvent. Columns were filled with soil from a RBF site and were fed with four different organic carbon fractions (hydrophilic, hydrophobic, transphilic and river water organic matter (RWOM)). Additionally, the effect of a short-term OMP/dissolved organic carbon (DOC) shock-load (e.g. quadrupling the OMP concentrations and doubling the DOC concentration) on OMP biodegradation rates was investigated to assess the resilience of RBF systems. The results obtained in this study imply that - in contrast to what is observed for managed aquifer recharge systems operating on wastewater effluent - OMP biodegradation rates are not affected by the type of organic carbon fraction fed to the soil column, in case of stable operation. No effect of a short-term DOC shock-load on OMP biodegradation rates between the different organic carbon fractions was observed. This means that the RBF site simulated in this study is resilient towards transient higher DOC concentrations in the river water. However, a temporary OMP shock-load affected OMP biodegradation rates observed for the columns fed with the river water organic matter (RWOM) and the hydrophilic fraction of the river water organic matter. These different biodegradation rates did not correlate with any of the parameters investigated in this study (cellular adenosine triphosphate (cATP), DOC removal, specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA), richness/evenness of the soil microbial population or OMP category (hydrophobicity/charge). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of Different Filling Materials in Anammox Bacteria Enrichment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dilek ÖZGÜN

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox is a process that ammonium as electron donor is oxidized to nitrogen gas using nitrite as electron acceptor. Compared to conventional nitrification-denitrification processes, this process is used less oxygen and no organic material (methanol, glucose. However, the slow growth rate of Anammox bacteria (11-30 days is disadvantages. Therefore, batch reactors have been carried out in these bacteria enrichment. In this study continuously operated upflow anaerobic sludge reactor (UASB using different filling materials disposing of sensitive and slow-growing Anammox bacteria out of the system is purposed. Design and Methods: System is operated up-flow column reactor at 2 days hydraulic retention time (HRT in 45 days. In this study, ceramic stones and Linpor filling material are used. Using synthetic wastewater containing ammonium and nitrite, Ar/CO2 anaerobic conditions (95/5% supplied with gas. System is operated at a temperature 253 C in UASB. Temperature, pH, ammonia-nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen are measured. Results: Both filling material reactors are operated in 45 days. Ceramic stones filling reactor is observed quickly reaches 90% were used reactor ammonium removal. The ammonium nitrogen removal was slower in Linpor filling materials reactor. Nitrite removal is reached up to 90% in both the reactor. When compared to the stoichiometric equation in Linpor was composed of large amounts of nitrate. At the end of 25 days the results were similar to ceramic stone filling reactor with Linpor filling material reactors. Conclusions and Original Value: Anammox process as from nitrogen removal processes was discovered in 1995. Anammox bacteria that make up this process due to very low growth rates of microbial bacteria in the system must be kept in the system. Most of the studies in the literature, these bacteria enrichment stage is started instead of a continuous batch reactor system. In this study

  9. Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Housatonic River and adjacent aquifer, Massachusetts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gay, Frederick B.; Frimpter, Michael H.

    1985-01-01

    Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) are sorbed to the fine-grained stream-bottom sediments along the Housatonic River from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, southward to the Massachusetts-Connecticut boundary. The highest PCB concentrations, up to 140,000 micrograms per kilogram, were found in samples of bottom material from a reach of the river between Pittsfield and Woods Pond Dam in Lee, Massachusetts. Sediments in Woods Pond have been estimated to contain about 11,000 pounds of PCB's. Approximately 490 pounds per year of PCB's have also been estimated to move past the Housatonic River gaging station at Great Barrington. The distribution of hydraulic heads, water temperatures, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, iron, and manganese in ground water shows that industrial water-supply wells in a sand and gravel aquifer adjacent to a stretch of the river called Woods Pond have been inducing ground-water recharge through the PCB-contaminated bottom sediments of the pond since late 1956. These data indicate that, at one location along the shore of the pond, the upper 40 feet of the aquifer contains water derived from induced infiltration. However, this induced recharge has not moved PCB's from the bottom sediments into a vertical section of the aquifer located 5 feet downgradient from the edge of Woods Pond. Samples taken at selected intervals in this section showed that no PCB's sorbed to the aquifer material or dissolved in the ground water within the detection limits of the chemical analyses.

  10. Effect of pre- and post-column band broadening on the performance of high-speed chromatography columns under isocratic and gradient conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderlinden, Kim; Broeckhoven, Ken; Vanderheyden, Yoachim; Desmet, Gert

    2016-04-15

    We report on the results of an experimental and theoretical study of the effect of the extra-column band broadening (ECBB) on the performance of narrow-bore columns filled with the smallest particles that are currently commercially available. Emphasis is on the difference between the effect of ECBB under gradient and isocratic conditions, as well as on the ability to model and predict the ECBB effects using well-established band broadening expressions available from the theory of chromatography. The fine details and assumptions that need to be taken into account when using these expressions are discussed. The experiments showed that, the steeper the gradient, the more pronounced the extra-column band broadening losses become. Whereas the pre-column band broadening can in both isocratic and gradient elution be avoided by playing on the possibilities to focus the analytes on top of the column (e.g. by using the POISe injection method when running isocratic separations), the post-column extra-column band broadening is inescapable in both cases. Inducing extra-column band broadening by changing the inner diameter of the post-column tubing from 65 to 250 μm, we found that all peaks in the chromatogram are strongly affected (around a factor of 1.9 increase in relative peak width) when running steep gradients, while usually only the first eluting peak was affected in the isocratic mode or when running shallow gradients (factor 1.6-1.8 increase in relative peak width for the first eluting analyte). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Richard L.; Kent, Douglas B.; Repert, Deborah A.; Böhlke, J.K.

    2017-01-01

    Nitrate has become an increasingly abundant potential electron acceptor for Fe(II) oxidation in groundwater, but this redox couple has not been well characterized within aquifer settings. To investigate this reaction and some of its implications for redox-sensitive groundwater contaminants, we conducted an in situ field study in a wastewater-contaminated aquifer on Cape Cod. Long-term (15 year) geochemical monitoring within the contaminant plume indicated interacting zones with variable nitrate-, Fe(II)-, phosphate-, As(V)-, and As(III)-containing groundwater. Nitrate and phosphate were derived predominantly from wastewater disposal, whereas Fe(II), As(III), and As(V) were mobilized from the aquifer sediments. Multiple natural gradient, anoxic tracer tests were conducted in which nitrate and bromide were injected into nitrate-free, Fe(II)-containing groundwater. Prior to injection, aqueous Fe(II) concentrations were approximately 175 μM, but sorbed Fe(II) accounted for greater than 90% of the total reactive Fe(II) in the aquifer. Nitrate reduction was stimulated within 1 m of transport for 100 μM and 1000 μM nitrate additions, initially producing stoichiometric quantities of nitrous oxide (>300 μM N). In subsequent injections at the same site, nitrate was reduced even more rapidly and produced less nitrous oxide, especially over longer transport distances. Fe(II) and nitrate concentrations decreased together and were accompanied by Fe(III) oxyhydroxide precipitation and decreases in dissolved phosphate, As(III), and As(V) concentrations. Nitrate N and O isotope fractionation effects during nitrate reduction were approximately equal (ε15N/ε18O = 1.11) and were similar to those reported for laboratory studies of biological nitrate reduction, including denitrification, but unlike some reported effects on nitrate by denitrification in aquifers. All constituents affected by the in situ tracer experiments returned to pre-injection levels after several

  12. Shifting sources and transport paths for the late Quaternary Escanaba Trough sediment fill (northeast Pacific)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuffa, G.G.; De Rosa, R.; Normark, W.R.

    1997-01-01

    Escanaba Trough, which forms the southernmost part of the axial valley of the actively spreading Gorda Ridge, is filled with several hundred meters of sediment of presumed late Quaternary age. Surficial sediment samples from gravity cores, deeper samples (as much as 390 m) from Site 35 of the Deep Sea Drilling Program (Leg 5), and the acoustic character of the sediment fill observed on seismic-reflection profiles indicate that much of the sediment fill is of turbidite origin. Gross composition and heavy- mineral analyses of sand samples show that two distinct petrofacies comprise the sediment fill. The lower part of the fill was derived primarily from the Klamath River source of northern California while the younger fill, including the surficial sand beds, are from the Columbia River drainage much farther north. The Escanaba Trough sediment provides an opportunity to evaluate concepts for paleogeographic and paleotectonic reconstructions that are based on facies analysis and compositional and textural data for the volcanic components because both intrabasinal and extrabasinal sources are present as well as coeval (neovolcanic) and non coeval (paleovolcanic) sourcre This study of a modern basin shows, that although the sediment sources could be identified, it was useful to have some knowledge of the sediment pathway(s), the effects of diagenesis, and the possible effects of sediment sorting as a result of long transport distances from the source area for some components. Application of these same techniques to ancient deposits without benefit of the additional parameters will face limitations.

  13. Geochemical processes in a calcareous sandstone aquifer during managed aquifer recharge with desalinated seawater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganot, Yonatan; Russak, Amos; Siebner, Hagar; Bernstein, Anat; Katz, Yoram; Guttman, Jospeh; Kurtzman, Daniel

    2017-04-01

    In the last three years we monitor Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) of post-treated desalinated seawater (PTDES) in an infiltration pond, at the Menashe site that overlies the northern part of the Israeli Coastal Aquifer. The PTDES are stabilized with CaCO3 during post-treatment in the desalination plant and their chemical composition differs from those of any other water recharged to the aquifer and of the natural groundwater. We use suction cups in the unsaturated zone, shallow observation wells within the pond and production wells that encircles the MAR Menashe site, to study the geochemical processes during MAR with PTDES. Ion-enrichment (remineralization) of the recharged water was observed in both unsaturated zone and shallow observation wells samples. Enrichment occurs mainly in the first few meters below the pond surface by ion-exchange processes. Mg2+ enrichment is most prominent due to its deficiency in the PTDES. It is explained by ion-exchange with Ca2+, as the PTDES (enriched with Ca2+) infiltrates through a calcareous-sandstone aquifer with various amount of adsorbed Mg2+ (3-27 meq/kg). Hence, the higher concentration of Ca+2 in the PTDES together with its higher affinity to the sediments promotes the release of Mg2+ ions to the recharged water. Water isotopes analysis of the production wells were used to estimate residence time and mixing with local groundwater. At the end of 2016, it was found that the percentage of PTDES in adjacent down-gradient production wells was around 10%, while more distant or up-gradient wells show no mixing with PTDES. The distinct isotope contrast between the recharged desalinated seawater (δ2H=+11.2±0.2‰) and the local groundwater (δ2H ranged from -22.7 to -16.7‰) is a promising tool to evaluate future mixing processes at the Menshae MAR site. Using the Menashe MAR system for remineralization could be beneficial as a primary or complementary post-treatment technique. However, the sustainability of this process is

  14. Experimental Study on Unconfined Compressive Strength of Organic Polymer Reinforced Sand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The natural sand is loose in structure with a small cohesive force. Organic polymer can be used to reinforce this sand. To assess the effectiveness of organic polymer as soil stabilizer (PSS, a series of unconfined compressive strength tests have been performed on reinforced sand. The focus of this study was to determine a curing method and a mix design to stabilize sand. The curing time, PSS concentration, and sand density were considered as variables in this study. The reinforcement mechanism was analyzed with images of scanning electron microscope (SEM. The results indicated that the strength of stabilized sand increased with the increase in the curing time, concentration, and sand density. The strength plateaus are at about curing time of 48 h. The UCS of samples with density of 1.4 g/cm3 at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% PSS concentration are 62.34 kPa, 120.83 kPa, 169.22 kPa, 201.94 kPa, and 245.28 kPa, respectively. The UCS of samples with PSS concentration of 30% at 1.4 g/cm3, 1.5 g/cm3, and 1.6 g/cm3 density are 169.22 kPa, 238.6 kPa 5, and 281.69 kPa, respectively. The chemical reaction between PSS and sand particle is at its microlevel, which improves the sand strength by bonding its particles together and filling the pore spaces. In comparison with the traditional reinforcement methods, PSS has the advantages of time saving, lower cost, and better environment protection. The research results can be useful for practical engineering applications, especially for reinforcement of foundation, embankment, and landfill.

  15. Environmental Impacts of Sand Exploitation. Analysis of Sand Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marius Dan Gavriletea

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Sand is an indispensable natural resource for any society. Despite society’s increasing dependence on sand, there are major challenges that this industry needs to deal with: limited sand resources, illegal mining, and environmental impact of sand mining. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to present an overview of the sand market, highlighting the main trends and actors for production, export and import, and to review the main environmental impacts associated with sand exploitation process. Based on these findings, we recommend different measures to be followed to reduce negative impacts. Sand mining should be done in a way that limits environmental damage during exploitation and restores the land after mining operations are completed.

  16. Pollution Removal Performance of Laboratory Simulations of Sydney’s Street Stormwater Biofilters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Macnamara

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The City of Sydney is constructing more than 21,000 square metres of street biofilter units (raingardens in terms of their Decentralised Water Master Plan (DWMP, for improving the quality of stormwater runoff to Port Jackson, the Cooks River, and the historical Botany Bay. Recharge of the Botany Sand Beds aquifer, currently undergoing remediation by extraction of industrial chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutants, is also envisaged. To anticipate the pollution removal efficiency of field biofilter designs, laboratory soil-column simulations were developed by Western Sydney University partnered with the City. Synthetic stormwater containing stoichiometric amounts of high-solubility pollutant salts in deionised water was passed through 104 mm columns that were layered to simulate monophasic and biphasic field designs. Both designs met the City’s improvement targets for total nitrogen (TN and total phosphorus (TP, with >65% median removal efficiency. Prolonged release of total suspended solids (SS on startup emphasised the need for specifications and testing of proprietary fills. Median removal efficiency for selected heavy metal ecotoxicants was >75%. The researchers suggested that Zinc be added to the targets as proxy for metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH and oils/greases co-generated during road use. Simulation results suggested that field units will play an important role in meeting regional stormwater improvement targets.

  17. Numerical modeling of solute transport in a sand tank physical model under varying hydraulic gradient and hydrological stresses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atlabachew, Abunu; Shu, Longcang; Wu, Peipeng; Zhang, Yongjie; Xu, Yang

    2018-03-01

    This laboratory study improves the understanding of the impacts of horizontal hydraulic gradient, artificial recharge, and groundwater pumping on solute transport through aquifers. Nine experiments and numerical simulations were carried out using a sand tank. The variable-density groundwater flow and sodium chloride transport were simulated using the three-dimensional numerical model SEAWAT. Numerical modelling results successfully reproduced heads and concentrations observed in the sand tank. A higher horizontal hydraulic gradient enhanced the migration of sodium chloride, particularly in the groundwater flow direction. The application of constant artificial recharge increased the spread of the sodium chloride plume in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. In addition, groundwater pumping accelerated spreading of the sodium chloride plume towards the pumping well. Both higher hydraulic gradient and pumping rate generated oval-shaped plumes in the horizontal plane. However, the artificial recharge process produced stretched plumes. These effects of artificial recharge and groundwater pumping were greater under higher hydraulic gradient. The concentration breakthrough curves indicated that emerging solutions never attained the concentration of the originally injected solution. This is probably because of sorption of sodium chloride onto the silica sand and/or the exchange of sodium chloride between the mobile and immobile liquid domains. The fingering and protruding plume shapes in the numerical models constitute instability zones produced by buoyancy-driven flow. Overall, the results have substantiated the influences of hydraulic gradient, boundary condition, artificial recharge, pumping rate and density differences on solute transport through a homogeneous unconfined aquifer. The implications of these findings are important for managing liquid wastes.

  18. Simulating the 2012 High Plains Drought Using Three Single Column Models (SCM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, I. D.; Baker, I. T.; Denning, S.; Dazlich, D. A.

    2015-12-01

    The impact of changes in the frequency and severity of drought on fresh water sustainability is a great concern for many regions of the world. One such location is the High Plains, where the local economy is primarily driven by fresh water withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer, which accounts for approximately 30% of total irrigation withdrawals from all U.S. aquifers combined. Modeling studies that focus on the feedback mechanisms that control the climate and eco-hydrology during times of drought are limited, and have used conventional General Circulation Models (GCMs) with grid length scales ranging from one hundred to several hundred kilometers. Additionally, these models utilize crude statistical parameterizations of cloud processes for estimating sub-grid fluxes of heat and moisture and have a poor representation of land surface heterogeneity. For this research, we focus on the 2012 High Plains drought and perform numerical simulations using three single column model (SCM) versions of BUGS5 (Colorado State University (CSU) GCM coupled to the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3)). In the first version of BUGS5, the model is used in its standard bulk setting (single atmospheric column coupled to a single instance of SiB3), secondly, the Super-Parameterized Community Atmospheric Model (SP-CAM), a cloud resolving model (CRM) (CRM consists of 32 atmospheric columns), replaces the single CSU GCM atmospheric parameterization and is coupled to a single instance of SiB3, and for the third version of BUGS5, an instance of SiB3 is coupled to each CRM column of the SP-CAM (32 CRM columns coupled to 32 instances of SiB3). To assess the physical realism of the land-atmosphere feedbacks simulated by all three versions of BUGS5, differences in simulated energy and moisture fluxes are computed between the 2011 and 2012 period and are compared to those calculated using observational data from the AmeriFlux Tower Network for the same period at the ARM Site in Lamont, OK. This research

  19. Transport and retention of strontium in surface-modified quartz sand with different wettability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yifei Li; Shuaihui Tian; Tianwei Qian

    2011-01-01

    Instead of radioactive 90 Sr, common strontium chloride was used to simulate the migration of radioactive strontium chloride in surface hydroxylated, silanized, and common quartz sand. The sorption and retardation characteristics of strontium (Sr 2+ ) in these surface modified quartz sands were studied by batch tests and column experiments. The equilibrium sorption data for Sr 2+ on different wettability sands were described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and the Langmuir model has been found to provide better correlation for hydrophilic sand. The breakthrough curves (BTCs) of Sr 2+ in these media were analyzed with the equilibrium convection-dispersion equation (CDE) and a non-equilibrium two-region mobile-immobile model (TRM) using a nonlinear least square curve-fitting program CXTFIT. The TRM model showed better fit to the measured BTCs of Sr 2+ , and the parameters of the fraction of mobile water indicated that significant preferential flow effected the non-equilibrium transport of Sr 2+ . Although TRM model could not fit the Sr 2+ BTCs very well, the parameter estimated by TRM model may be more reliable than those obtained from batch experiments because the transport of Sr 2+ in these kind of sand is non-equilibrium processes. (author)

  20. Dynamics of deposited fly-ash and fine grained magnetite in sandy material of different porosity (column experiments)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapicka, Ales; Kodesova, Radka; Petrovsky, Eduard; Grison, Hana

    2010-05-01

    Several studies confirm that soil magnetometry can serve as proxy of industrial immisions as well as heavy-metal contamination. The important assumption for magnetic mapping of contaminated soils is that atmospherically deposited particulate matter, including the ferrimagnetic phase, accumulates in the top soil horizons and remains there over long period. Only if this is true, large areas can be reliably mapped using soil magnetometry, and, moreover, this method can be used also for long-term monitoring. However, in soil types such as sandy soils with different porosity or soils with substantial variability of water regime, translocation of the deposited anthropogenic particles may result in biased (underestimated) values of the measured topsoil magnetic susceptibility. From the physical point of view, this process may be considered as colloid transport through porous medium. In our column experiments in laboratory we used three technical sands with different particle sizes (0,63 - 1.25mm, 0,315-0,80mm, 0,10-0,63mm). Sands in cylinders were contaminated on the surface by fly-ashes from coal-burning power plant (mean grain size 10μm) and fine grained Fe3O4 (grain size < 20 μm). Soil moisture sensors were used to monitor water regime within the sand columns after controlled rain simulation and temperature distribution in sand column was measured as well. Vertical migration of ferrimagnetic particles-tracers presented in the fly-ash was measured by SM 400 Kappameter. By means of magnetic susceptibility distribution we studied two parameters: gradual shift of peak concentration of contaminants (relative to surface layer) and maximum penetration depth. Results indicated that after rain simulation (pulls infiltration of defined water volume) the positions of peak values moved downwards compared to the initial state and gradual decrease of susceptibility peak values were detected in all studied sand formations. Fly-ash migrated more or less freely in coarse sand

  1. Investigation of guided waves propagation in pipe buried in sand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leinov, Eli; Cawley, Peter; Lowe, Michael J.S.

    2014-01-01

    The inspection of pipelines by guided wave testing is a well-established method for the detection of corrosion defects in pipelines, and is currently used routinely in a variety of industries, e.g. petrochemical and energy. When the method is applied to pipes buried in soil, test ranges tend to be significantly compromised because of attenuation of the waves caused by energy radiating into the soil. Moreover, the variability of soil conditions dictates different attenuation characteristics, which in-turn results in different, unpredictable, test ranges. We investigate experimentally the propagation and attenuation characteristics of guided waves in pipes buried in fine sand using a well characterized full scale experimental apparatus. The apparatus consists of an 8 inch-diameter, 5.6-meters long steel pipe embedded over 3 meters of its length in a rectangular container filled with fine sand, and an air-bladder for the application of overburden pressure. Longitudinal and torsional guided waves are excited in the pipe and recorded using a transducer ring (Guided Ultrasonics Ltd). Acoustic properties of the sand are measured independently in-situ and used to make model predictions of wave behavior in the buried pipe. We present the methodology and the systematic measurements of the guided waves under a range of conditions, including loose and compacted sand. It is found that the application of overburden pressure modifies the compaction of the sand and increases the attenuation, and that the measurement of the acoustic properties of sand allows model prediction of the attenuation of guided waves in buried pipes with a high level of confidence

  2. Heterogeneous carbonaceous matter in sedimentary rock lithocomponents causes significant trichloroethylene (TCE) sorption in a low organic carbon content aquifer/aquitard system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choung, Sungwook; Zimmerman, Lisa R; Allen-King, Richelle M; Ligouis, Bertrand; Feenstra, Stanley

    2014-10-15

    This study evaluated the effects of heterogeneous thermally altered carbonaceous matter (CM) on trichloroethylene (TCE) sorption for a low fraction organic carbon content (foc) alluvial sedimentary aquifer and aquitard system (foc=0.046-0.105%). The equilibrium TCE sorption isotherms were highly nonlinear with Freundlich exponents of 0.46-0.58. Kerogen+black carbon was the dominant CM fraction extracted from the sediments and accounted for >60% and 99% of the total in the sands and silt, respectively. Organic petrological examination determined that the kerogen included abundant amorphous organic matter (bituminite), likely of marine origin. The dark calcareous siltstone exhibited the greatest TCE sorption among aquifer lithocomponents and accounted for most sorption in the aquifer. The results suggest that the source of the thermally altered CM, which causes nonlinear sorption, was derived from parent Paleozoic marine carbonate rocks that outcrop throughout much of New York State. A synthetic aquifer-aquitard unit system (10% aquitard) was used to illustrate the effect of the observed nonlinear sorption on mass storage potential at equilibrium. The calculation showed that >80% of TCE mass contained in the aquifer was sorbed on the aquifer sediment at aqueous concentration TCE groundwater plume in the aquifer studied. It is implied that sorption may similarly contribute to TCE persistence in other glacial alluvial aquifers with similar geologic characteristics, i.e., comprised of sedimentary rock lithocomponents that contain thermally altered CM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Experimental Measurement of Diffusive Extinction Depth and Soil Moisture Gradients in Southwestern Saudi Arabian Dune Sand

    KAUST Repository

    Mughal, Iqra

    2013-05-01

    In arid lands, a major contribution to water loss is by soil water evaporation. Desert sand dunes in arid regions are devoid of runoff and have high rates of infiltration. Rainwater is commonly stored within them because of the low permeability soils in the underlying desert pavement. In such cases, moisture is confined in the sand dune below a depth, termed as the “extinction depth”, where it is protected from evaporation during long dry periods. Moreover, desert sand dunes have sparse vegetation, which results in low transpiration losses from the stored water. The water accumulated below the extinction depth of the sand dunes can be utilized for various purposes such as in irrigation to support desert agriculture. In this study, field experiments were conducted in Western Saudi Arabia to monitor the soil moisture gradients and determine the diffusive extinction depth of dune sand. The dune sand was saturated with water and was exposed to natural conditions (evaporation and precipitation). The decline of the water level in the sand column was continuously recorded using transducers and sensors installed at different depths monitored the temporal variation of temperature and moisture content within the sand. The hydrological simulator HYDRUS-1D was used to construct the vertical profiles of soil water content and temperature and the results obtained from HYDRUS-1D were compared to the gradients monitored by the sensors.

  4. Soil aquifer treatment using advanced primary effluent

    KAUST Repository

    Sharma, Saroj K.; Hussen, Mustefa; Amy, Gary L.

    2011-01-01

    Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) using primary effluent (PE) is an attractive option for wastewater treatment and reuse in many developing countries with no or minimal wastewater treatment. One of the main limitations of SAT of PE is rapid clogging of the infiltration basin due to high suspended solid concentrations. Some pre-treatment of PE before infiltration is likely to reduce this limitation, improve performance of SAT and help to implement this technology effectively. The effects of three pre-treatment options namely sedimentation (SED), coagulation (COAG) and horizontal roughing filtration (HRF) on SAT were analyzed by conducting laboratory-scale batch and soil column experiments. The sedimentation and coagulation pre-treatments led to less head loss development and reduction of clogging effect. The head loss development in soil column using PE + COAG and PE + SED was reduced by 85 and 72%, respectively, compared to PE alone without any pretreatment. The overall dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal of pre-treatments and soil column collectively were 34, 44, 51 and 43.5% for PE without any pre-treatment, PE + SED, PE+ COAG and PE + HRF, respectively. Coagulation pre-treatment of PE was found to be the most effective option in terms of suspended solids, DOC and nitrogen removal. Sedimentation pre-treatment of PE could be attractive where land is relatively less expensive for the construction of sedimentation basins. © IWA Publishing 2011.

  5. Soil aquifer treatment using advanced primary effluent

    KAUST Repository

    Sharma, Saroj K.

    2011-08-01

    Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) using primary effluent (PE) is an attractive option for wastewater treatment and reuse in many developing countries with no or minimal wastewater treatment. One of the main limitations of SAT of PE is rapid clogging of the infiltration basin due to high suspended solid concentrations. Some pre-treatment of PE before infiltration is likely to reduce this limitation, improve performance of SAT and help to implement this technology effectively. The effects of three pre-treatment options namely sedimentation (SED), coagulation (COAG) and horizontal roughing filtration (HRF) on SAT were analyzed by conducting laboratory-scale batch and soil column experiments. The sedimentation and coagulation pre-treatments led to less head loss development and reduction of clogging effect. The head loss development in soil column using PE + COAG and PE + SED was reduced by 85 and 72%, respectively, compared to PE alone without any pretreatment. The overall dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal of pre-treatments and soil column collectively were 34, 44, 51 and 43.5% for PE without any pre-treatment, PE + SED, PE+ COAG and PE + HRF, respectively. Coagulation pre-treatment of PE was found to be the most effective option in terms of suspended solids, DOC and nitrogen removal. Sedimentation pre-treatment of PE could be attractive where land is relatively less expensive for the construction of sedimentation basins. © IWA Publishing 2011.

  6. Experimental Study of Concrete-filled Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Tube with Internal Reinforcement under Axially Loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenbin SUN

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Comparing with the circular concrete columns confined with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP wrap or tube, the rectilinear confined columns were reported much less. Due to the non-uniform distribution of confining pressure in the rectilinear confined columns, the FRP confinement effectiveness was significant reduced. This paper presents findings of an experimental program where nine prefabricated rectangular cross-section CFRP tubes with CFRP integrated crossties filled concrete to form concrete-filled FRP tube (CFFT short columns and three plain concrete control specimens were tested. All specimens were axially loaded until failure. The rest results showed that the stress-strain curves of CFFTs consisted of two distinct branches, an ascending branch before the concrete peak stress was reaches and a second branch that terminated when the tube ruptured, and that the CFFTs with integrated crossties experienced most uniform confinement pressure distribution. Test research also found that the stress-strain curves of CFFTs indicated an increase in ductility. These demonstrate that this confinement system can produce higher lateral confinement stiffness. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.20.4.6035

  7. Modelling biological Cr(VI) reduction in aquifer microcosm column systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molokwane, Pulane E; Chirwa, Evans M N

    2013-01-01

    Several chrome processing facilities in South Africa release hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) into groundwater resources. Pump-and-treat remediation processes have been implemented at some of the sites but have not been successful in reducing contamination levels. The current study is aimed at developing an environmentally friendly, cost-effective and self-sustained biological method to curb the spread of chromium at the contaminated sites. An indigenous Cr(VI)-reducing mixed culture of bacteria was demonstrated to reduce high levels of Cr(VI) in laboratory samples. The effect of Cr(VI) on the removal rate was evaluated at concentrations up to 400 mg/L. Following the detailed evaluation of fundamental processes for biological Cr(VI) reduction, a predictive model for Cr(VI) breakthrough through aquifer microcosm reactors was developed. The reaction rate in batch followed non-competitive rate kinetics with a Cr(VI) inhibition threshold concentration of approximately 99 mg/L. This study evaluates the application of the kinetic parameters determined in the batch reactors to the continuous flow process. The model developed from advection-reaction rate kinetics in a porous media fitted best the effluent Cr(VI) concentration. The model was also used to elucidate the logistic nature of biomass growth in the reactor systems.

  8. Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaider, Laurel A; Ackerman, Janet M; Rudel, Ruthann A

    2016-03-15

    Domestic drinking water wells serve 44 million people in the US and are common globally. They are often located in areas served by onsite wastewater treatment systems, including septic systems, which can be sources of biological and chemical pollutants to groundwater. In this study we tested 20 domestic drinking water wells in a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, for 117 organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) and for inorganic markers of septic system impact. We detected 27 OWCs, including 12 pharmaceuticals, five per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), four organophosphate flame retardants, and an artificial sweetener (acesulfame). Maximum concentrations of several PFASs and pharmaceuticals were relatively high compared to public drinking water supplies in the US. The number of detected OWCs and total concentrations of pharmaceuticals and of PFASs were positively correlated with nitrate, boron, and acesulfame and negatively correlated with well depth. These wells were all located in areas served exclusively by onsite wastewater treatment systems, which are likely the main source of the OWCs in these wells, although landfill leachate may also be a source. Our results suggest that current regulations to protect domestic wells from pathogens in septic system discharges do not prevent OWCs from reaching domestic wells, and that nitrate, a commonly measured drinking water contaminant, is a useful screening tool for OWCs in domestic wells. Nitrate concentrations of 1mg/L NO3-N, which are tenfold higher than local background and tenfold lower than the US federal drinking water standard, were associated with wastewater impacts from OWCs in this study. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Anatomy of a shoreface sand ridge revisted using foraminifera: False Cape Shoals, Virginia/North Carolina inner shelf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Marci M.; McBride, Randolph A.

    2008-01-01

    Certain details regarding the origin and evolution of shelf sand ridges remain elusive. Knowledge of their internal stratigraphy and microfossil distribution is necessary to define the origin and to determine the processes that modify sand ridges. Fourteen vibracores from False Cape Shoal A, a well-developed shoreface-attached sand ridge on the Virginia/North Carolina inner continental shelf, were examined to document the internal stratigraphy and benthic foraminiferal assemblages, as well as to reconstruct the depositional environments recorded in down-core sediments. Seven sedimentary and foraminiferal facies correspond to the following stratigraphic units: fossiliferous silt, barren sand, clay to sandy clay, laminated and bioturbated sand, poorly sorted massive sand, fine clean sand, and poorly sorted clay to gravel. The units represent a Pleistocene estuary and shoreface, a Holocene estuary, ebb tidal delta, modern shelf, modern shoreface, and swale fill, respectively. The succession of depositional environments reflects a Pleistocene sea-level highstand and subsequent regression followed by the Holocene transgression in which barrier island/spit systems formed along the Virginia/North Carolina inner shelf not, vert, ~5.2 ka and migrated landward and an ebb tidal delta that was deposited, reworked, and covered by shelf sand.

  10. Hydrogeology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifer in the Pony Hollow Creek Valley, Tompkins County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugliosi, Edward F.; Miller, Todd S.; Reynolds, Richard J.

    2014-01-01

    The lithology, areal extent, and the water-table configuration in stratified-drift aquifers in the northern part of the Pony Hollow Creek valley in the Town of Newfield, New York, were mapped as part of an ongoing aquifer mapping program in Tompkins County. Surficial geologic and soil maps, well and test-boring records, light detection and ranging (lidar) data, water-level measurements, and passive-seismic surveys were used to map the aquifer geometry, construct geologic sections, and determine the depth to bedrock at selected locations throughout the valley. Additionally, water-quality samples were collected from selected streams and wells to characterize the quality of surface and groundwater in the study area. Sedimentary bedrock underlies the study area and is overlain by unstratified drift (till), stratified drift (glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial deposits), and recent post glacial alluvium. The major type of unconsolidated, water-yielding material in the study area is stratified drift, which consists of glaciofluvial sand and gravel, and is present in sufficient amounts in most places to form an extensive unconfined aquifer throughout the study area, which is the source of water for most residents, farms, and businesses in the valleys. A map of the water table in the unconfined aquifer was constructed by using (1) measurements made between the mid-1960s through 2010, (2) control on the altitudes of perennial streams at 10-foot contour intervals from lidar data collected by Tompkins County, and (3) water surfaces of ponds and wetlands that are hydraulically connected to the unconfined aquifer. Water-table contours indicate that the direction of groundwater flow within the stratified-drift aquifer is predominantly from the valley walls toward the streams and ponds in the central part of the valley where groundwater then flows southwestward (down valley) toward the confluence with the Cayuta Creek valley. Locally, the direction of groundwater flow is radially

  11. Validity of using modified capillary column with larger diameter to study the Cs diffusion in local Taiwan laterite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsing-Hai Wang; National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Wen-Chun Yeh; Shih-Chin Tsai; Yi-Lin Jan; Shi-Ping Teng

    2008-01-01

    We have examined the working diameter of capillary columns with diameter of 5, 7, 10 and 20 mm. These modified capillary columns were carefully filled with local Taiwan laterite (LTL). The porosity and density of these packed columns was 0.51±0.02 g/g and 1.27±0.05 g/cm 3 , respectively. The diffusion experiments were then carried out in synthetic groundwater with Cs loading of 0.1mM at room temperature. Experimental results have shown that the diffusion profiles of modified capillary columns fit Fick's second law very well. This result revealed that the working diameter of a capillary column can be expanded to at least to 20 mm without affecting the validity of the derived diffusion coefficients. Among these columns, the ones with 5 mm diameter show the most consistent results of the derived K d , apparent and effective diffusion coefficients. Although the derived distribution and effective diffusion coefficients slightly decrease as the diameter of these columns increases due to the increase of the solid/liquid ratio. These values are still informative of the Cs diffusion in local Taiwan laterite. Moreover, our results clearly demonstrate the potential of using 'modified capillary method' to study the diffusion behaviors of concerned radionuclide because columns with large diameter enable the filling with more versatile geological substances. (author)

  12. Physical and numerical modelling of earth pressure on anchored sheet pile walls in sand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogsbøll, Anette Susanne; Fuglsang, Leif D

    2006-01-01

    The influence of wall flexibility on earth pressure, bending moments and failure modes is studied. Numerical models are compared to results from model tests carried out in a geotechnical centrifuge. The back-fill is dry sand and failure is introduced by allowing the wall to rotate around the anchor...

  13. Consolidation Theory for a Stone Column Composite Foundation under Multistage Loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shenggen Huang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The consolidation theories considering instant load cannot fully reveal the consolidation mechanism of a stone column composite foundation used in the expressway embankments due to the time effect of loading; that is, the expressway embankments are often constructed in several stages for a long time. Meanwhile, owing to the special property that the pile-soil stress ratio is larger than 1, the consolidation theory for sand drain well foundation cannot be used directly in the consolidation analysis of stone column composite foundation. Based on the principle that the vertical load applied on the composite foundation is shared by the stone column and the surrounding soil, the governing solutions for the stone column composite foundation under a multistage load are established. By virtue of the separation of variables, the corresponding solutions of degree of consolidation for loading stage and maintaining load stage are derived separately. According to the Carrillo theorem, the solution for the average total degree of consolidation of entire composite foundation is also obtained. Finally, the reasonableness of the present solution has been verified by comparing the consolidation curve calculated by the present solution with that measured by site test.

  14. Chemical and microbiological monitoring of a sole-source aquifer intended for artificial recharge, Nassau County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Brian G.; Mallard, Gail E.

    1980-01-01

    In late 1980, approximately 4 million gallons per day of highly treated wastewater will be used to recharge the groundwater reservoir in central Nassau County through a system of 10 recharge basins and 5 shallow injection wells. To evaluate the impact of large-scale recharge with reclaimed water on groundwater quality, the U.S. Geological Survey has collected hydrologic and water-quality data from a 1-square-mile area around the recharge site to provide a basis for future comparison. Extensive chemical and microbiological analyses are being made on samples from 48 wells screened in the upper glacial (water-table) aquifer and the upper part of the underlying Magothy (public-supply) aquifer. Preliminary results indicate that water from the upper glacial aquifer contains significant concentrations of nitrate and low-molecular-weight chlorinated hydrocarbons and detectable concentrations of organochlorine insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. At present, no fecal contamination is evident in either aquifer in the area studied. In the few samples containing fecal indicator bacteria, the numbers were low. Nonpoint sources provide significant loads of organic and inorganic compounds; major sources include cesspool and septic-tank effluent, cesspool and septic-tank cleaners and other over-the-counter domestic organic solvents, fertilizers, insecticides for termite and other pest control, and stormwater runoff to recharge basins. The water-table aquifer is composed mainly of stratified, well-sorted sand and gravel and, as a result, is highly permeable. In the 1-square-mile area studied, some contaminants seem to have traveled 200 feet downward to the bottom of the water-table aquifer and into the upper part of the public-supply aquifer. (USGS)

  15. Principal aquifers can contribute radium to sources of drinking water under certain geochemical conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabo, Zoltan; Fischer, Jeffrey M.; Hancock, Tracy Connell

    2012-01-01

    What are the most important factors affecting dissolved radium concentrations in principal aquifers used for drinking water in the United States? Study results reveal where radium was detected and how rock type and chemical processes control radium occurrence. Knowledge of the geochemical conditions may help water-resource managers anticipate where radium may be elevated in groundwater and minimize exposure to radium, which contributes to cancer risk. Summary of Major Findings: * Concentrations of radium in principal aquifers used for drinking water throughout the United States generally were below 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) for combined radium - radium-226 (Ra-226) plus radium-228 (Ra-228) - in public water supplies. About 3 percent of sampled wells had combined radium concentrations greater than the MCL. * Elevated concentrations of combined radium were more common in groundwater in the eastern and central United States than in other regions of the Nation. About 98 percent of the wells that contained combined radium at concentrations greater than the MCL were east of the High Plains. * The highest concentrations of combined radium were in the Mid-Continent and Ozark Plateau Cambro-Ordovician aquifer system and the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system. More than 20 percent of sampled wells in these aquifers had combined radium concentrations that were greater than or equal to the MCL. * Concentrations of Ra-226 correlated with those of Ra-228. Radium-226 and Ra-228 occur most frequently together in unconsolidated sand aquifers, and their presence is strongly linked to groundwater chemistry. * Three common geochemical factors are associated with the highest radium concentrations in groundwater: (1) oxygen-poor water, (2) acidic conditions (low pH), and (3) high concentrations of dissolved solids.

  16. Analysis of an industrial process simulator column using third-generation computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirita, Rodrigo; Carvalho, Diego Vergacas de Sousa; Mesquita, Carlos Henrique de; Vasquez, Pablo Antonio S.; Hamada, Margarida Mizue

    2011-01-01

    The CT methodology must be tested using a simulator column in the laboratory before applying it in the industrial plants. In this work, using the third-generation industrial computed tomography developed at the IPEN, a gas absorption column, used as a simulator column for industrial process was evaluated. It is a glass cylindrical tube of 90 mm diameter and 1400 mm height constituted the following parts: random packed column, liquid circuit (water), gas circuit and analysis was used as a simulator column. Gamma ray tomography experiments were carried out, using this simulator column empty and filled with water. In this work the scanner was setting for 90 views and 19 projections for each detector totalizing 11970 projections. The resulting images describe the presence of liquid or gas phases and are possible to evaluate the linear attenuation coefficients inside the column. In this case, linear attenuation coefficient for water was 0.0813 cm-1. It was established that the newly developed third-generation fan-beam arrangement gamma scanner unit has a good spatial resolution acceptable given the size of the column used in this study. (author)

  17. Groundwater-level analysis of selected wells in the Hoosic River Valley near Hoosick Falls, New York, for aquifer framework and properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, John H.; Heisig, Paul M.

    2018-03-05

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, analyzed groundwater levels, drilling record logs, and field water-quality data from selected wells, and the surficial geology in the Hoosic River valley south of the village of Hoosick Falls, New York, to provide information about the framework and properties of a confined aquifer. The aquifer, which consists of ice-contact sand and gravel overlain by lacustrine clay and silt, was evaluated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of their investigation of alternate water supplies for the village whose wellfield has been affected by perfluorooctanoic acid. Wells inventoried in the study area were classified as confined, water table, or transitional between the two aquifer conditions. Groundwater levels in three confined-aquifer wells and a transitional-aquifer well responded to pumping of a test production well finished in the confined aquifer. Groundwater levels in a water-table well showed no detectable water-level change in response to test-well pumping. Analysis of drawdown and recovery data from the three confined-aquifer wells and a transitional-aquifer well through the application of the Theis type-curve method provided estimates of aquifer properties. Representation of a constant-head boundary in the analysis where an unnamed pond and fluvial-terrace deposits abut the valley wall resulted in satisfactory matches of the Theis type curves with the observed water-level responses. Aquifer transmissivity estimates ranged from 1,160 to 1,370 feet squared per day. Aquifer storativity estimates ranged from 5.2×10–5 to 1.1×10–3 and were consistent with the inferred degree of confinement and distance from the represented recharge boundary.

  18. Continuity and productivity analysis of three geopressured geothermal aquifer-natural gas fields: Duson, Hollywood and Church Point, Louisiana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rogers, L.A.; Boardman, C.R.; Bebout, D.G.; Bachman, A.L. (eds.)

    1981-01-01

    The available well logs, production records and geological structure maps were analyzed for the Hollywood, Duson, and Church Point, Louisiana oil and gas fields to determine the areal extent of the sealed geopressured blocks and to identify which aquifer sands within the blocks are connected to commercial production of hydrocarbons. Studies such as these are needed for the Department of Energy program to identify geopressured brine reservoirs that are not connected to commercial productions. The analysis showed that over the depth intervals at the geopressured zones shown on the logs essentially all of the sands of any substantial thickness had gas production from them somewhere or other in the fault block. It is therefore expected that the sands which are fully brine saturated in many of the wells are the water drive portion of the producing gas/oil somewhere else within the fault block. In this study only one deep sand was identified, in the Hollywood field, which was apparently not connected to a producing horizon somewhere else in the field. Estimates of the reservoir parameters were made for this sand and a hypothetical production calculation showed the probable production to be less than 10,000 b/d. The required gas price to profitably produce this gas is well above the current market price.

  19. Parameters of the Two-Phase Sand-Air Stream in the Blowing Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danko J.

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical problems concerning the determination of work parameters of the two-phase sand-air stream in the cores making process by blowing methods as well as experimental methods of determination of the main and auxiliary parameters of this process decisive on the cores quality assessed by the value and distribution of their apparent density are presented in the paper. In addition the results of visualisations of the core-box filling with the sand-air stream, from the blowing chamber, obtained by the process filming by means of the quick-action camera are presented in the paper and compared with the results of simulation calculations with the application of the ProCast software.

  20. Parameters of the Two-Phase Sand-Air Stream in the Blowing Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Danko

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical problems concerning the determination of work parameters of the two-phase sand-air stream in the cores making process byblowing methods as well as experimental methods of determination of the main and auxiliary parameters of this process decisive on thecores quality assessed by the value and distribution of their apparent density are presented in the paper. In addition the results of visualisations of the core-box filling with the sand-air stream, from the blowing chamber, obtained by the process filming by means of the quick-action camera are presented in the paper and compared with the results of simulation calculations with the application of the ProCast software.

  1. Heat Transfer Analysis for a Fixed CST Column

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.Y.

    2004-01-01

    In support of a small column ion exchange (SCIX) process for the Savannah River Site waste processing program, a transient two-dimensional heat transfer model that includes the conduction process neglecting the convection cooling mechanism inside the crystalline silicotitanate (CST) column has been constructed and heat transfer calculations made for the present design configurations. For this situation, a no process flow condition through the column was assumed as one of the reference conditions for the simulation of a loss-of-flow accident. A series of the modeling calculations has been performed using a computational heat transfer approach. Results for the baseline model indicate that transit times to reach 130 degrees Celsius maximum temperature of the CST-salt solution column are about 96 hours when the 20-in CST column with 300 Ci/liter heat generation source and 25 degrees Celsius initial column temperature is cooled by natural convection of external air as a primary heat transfer mechanism. The modeling results for the 28-in column equipped with water jacket systems on the external wall surface of the column and water coolant pipe at the center of the CST column demonstrate that the column loaded with 300 Ci/liter heat source can be maintained non-boiling indefinitely. Sensitivity calculations for several alternate column sizes, heat loads of the packed column, engineered cooling systems, and various ambient conditions at the exterior wall of the column have been performed under the reference conditions of the CST-salt solution to assess the impact of those parameters on the peak temperatures of the packed column for a given transient time. The results indicate that a water-coolant pipe at the center of the CST column filled with salt solution is the most effective one among the potential design parameters related to the thermal energy dissipation of decay heat load. It is noted that the cooling mechanism at the wall boundary of the column has significant

  2. Consolidation Theory for a Stone Column Composite Foundation under Multistage Loading

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, Shenggen; Feng, Yingtao; Liu, Hao; Wu, Wenbing; Mei, Guoxiong

    2016-01-01

    The consolidation theories considering instant load cannot fully reveal the consolidation mechanism of a stone column composite foundation used in the expressway embankments due to the time effect of loading; that is, the expressway embankments are often constructed in several stages for a long time. Meanwhile, owing to the special property that the pile-soil stress ratio is larger than 1, the consolidation theory for sand drain well foundation cannot be used directly in the consolidation ana...

  3. Investigation of the Present Recharge Rate and Recharge Origins in the Disi Sandstone Aquifer in Southern Jordan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilani, S.F.

    2003-01-01

    This study presents a thorough investigation of recharge origins of the strategic Disi sandstone aquifer in southern Jordan. This aquifer is of substantial potential and huge extension most of which lies in Saudi Arabia. Disi groundwater infiltrated in the ground thousands of years ago and is not currently being replenished, therefore crucial management for this resource is very important. This aquifer is foreseen to provide 100 MCM/a of high quality drinking water to the Capital Amman in addition to the current use of about 60 MCM/a for agricultural activities in the area and to meet the water demand in the port of Aqaba. Origins and amount of recharge to groundwater is one critical aspect in resource management. A study to estimate recharge rate was conducted in the Quaternary sediments and sandstone's of Al Quwayra in southern Jordan where the average rainfall is less than 70 mm per year. Environmental chloride, deuterium and nitrate in the sand profiles in the vadose zone were the study tools. The study showed that recharge if present is a result of severe infrequent storm events and that the aquifer does not receive significant direct recharge from rain. The pollutant profiles in the unsaturated zone might give chronology of the recharge history

  4. Investigation of ground water aquifer at Karangrowo Site, Undaan District, Kudus Sub Province Central Java

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lilik Subiantoro; Priyo Sularto; Slamet Sudarto

    2009-01-01

    Kudus is one of sub province in central Java with have the fresh water availability problem Condition of insufficiency 'Standard Water has been recognized in some part of regional area, those are Karangrowo area, Undaan District The problem of clean water in this area is caused by sea water trapped in sedimentary material during sedimentation process; due the ground water trapped character is briny or brackish. One of the alternatives to overcome water problem is election or delineated of prospect area fur exploiting of ground water. Referring to that problem ''Pusbang Geologi Nuklir BATAN'' means to conduct investigation of ground water in some location problem of clean water. The ground investigation activity is to get information about the geology, geohydrology and sub surface geophysical characterize, which is needed to identification of ground water aquifer. To obtain that target, conducted by topographic measurement in 1:5000 scale maps, measurement of soil radioactivity, geology and hydrogeology mapping, geo electrical 2-D image measurement Base on the result of analyze, evaluation and discussion was identified the existence of potential aquifer that happened at layer of sand sedimentary, in form of lens trapped in impermeable layer of clay sediment The layer of aquifer pattern follows of Old River in North-South and East-West direction. Potency of aquifer with the best condition from bad, there are placed on geophysical measurement GF. A 4-14, AB 4-11 and B4. Physical characterized of aquifer, resistivity 9-19 Ωm with charge ability 13-53 milliseconds. (author)

  5. Ground improvement using soil–cement columns: Experimental investigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Farouk

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The construction of heavy structures on soils of low relative density is a challenging task. The inclusion of soil–cement columns produced by the deep mixing method is one of the soil stabilizing techniques that could be applied successfully to overcome this challenge. Nevertheless, this technique did not receive a considerable attention in Egypt yet. In the first part of this study, two different natural silty sand soils extracted from the Delta of the River Nile were mixed with cement to prepare samples of different cement doses and different water cement ratios. After curing, the hardened samples were tested and their unconfined compressive strength was investigated. The second part of this study investigates the interaction between a strip footing model and Nile deltaic soil improved by a group of soil–cement columns. Results of the first part of this study showed that the compressive strength of the investigated Nile delta soils could be increased even at lower values of cement doses. Results extracted from the second part of this study showed that a considerable settlement reduction up to 80% could be achieved depending on both the number and the length of the soil–cement columns that is used to improve the soil.

  6. Removal of nitrate, ammonia and phosphate from aqueous solutions in packed bed filter using biochar augmented sand media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    El Hanandeh Ali

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nutrients from wastewater are a major source of pollution because they can cause significant impact on the ecosystem. Accordingly, it is important that the nutrient concentrations are kept to admissible levels to the receiving environment. Often regulatory limits are set on the maximum allowable concentrations in the effluent. Therefore, wastewater must be treated to meet safe levels of discharge. In this study, laboratory investigation of the efficiency of packed bed filters to remove nitrate, ammonium and phosphate from aqueous solutions were conducted. Sand and sand augmented with hydrochloric acid treated biochar (SBC were used as packing media. Synthetic wastewater solution was prepared with PO43−, NO3−, NH4+ concentrations 20, 10, 50 mg/L, respectively. Each experiment ran for a period of five days; samples from the effluent were collected on alternate days. All experiments were duplicated. Over the experiment period, the average removal efficiency of PO43−, NO3−, NH4+ were 99.2%, 72.9%, 96.7% in the sand packed columns and 99.2%, 82.3%, 97.4% in the SBC packed columns, respectively. Although, the presence of biochar in the packing media had little effect on phosphate and ammonium removal, it significantly improved nitrate removal.

  7. Evidence of co-metabolic bentazone transformation by methanotrophic enrichment from a groundwater-fed rapid sand filter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegaard, Mathilde Jørgensen; Deliniere, Hélène; Prasse, Carsten

    2018-01-01

    from 58 to 158, well within the range for methanotrophic co-metabolic degradation of trace contaminants calculated from the literature, with normalized substrate preferences varying from 3 to 400. High-resolution mass spectrometry revealed formation of the transformation products (TPs) 6-OH, 8-OH......The herbicide bentazone is recalcitrant in aquifers and is therefore frequently detected in wells used for drinking water production. However, bentazone degradation has been observed in filter sand from a rapid sand filter at a waterworks with methane-rich groundwater. Here, the association between...... and bentazone at concentrations below 2 mg/L showed methanotrophic co-metabolic bentazone transformation: The culture removed 53% of the bentazone in 21 days in presence of 5 mg/L of methane, while only 31% was removed in absence of methane. Addition of acetylene inhibited methane oxidation and stopped...

  8. Sand transportation and reverse patterns over leeward face of sand dune

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hong; Dun, Hongchao; Tong, Ding; Huang, Ning

    2017-04-01

    Sand saltation has complex interactions with turbulent flow and dune form. Most models of wind-blown sand consider ideal circumstances such as steady wind velocity and a flat surface, and the bulk of data on wind flow and sand transport over an individual dune has focused mostly on the influence of dune shape or inter-dune space on the wind flow, neglecting the effect of morphology on sand saltation, particularly airflow and sand transportation over the leeward slope. Wind flow structures over the leeward slope of sand dunes have a fundamental influence on the organization of sand dunes. In order to understand sand dune dynamics, lee face airflow and sediment transportation should be paid more attention. Previous field observations could not measure turbulent flow structure well because of the limited observation points and the influence of experiment structure on wind field. In addition, the reverse sand particles over leeward face could not be collected by sand trap in field. Numerous field observations could not measure turbulent flow structure because of the limited observation points and the influence of experimental structures on the wind field. In addition, the reverse transport of sand particles over leeward face could not be collected by sand traps in field. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the turbulent flow structure and sand transport pattern over the leeward slope. A numerical model of sand saltation over slope terrain is constructed, which also considers the coupling effects between air flow and sand particles. The large eddy simulation method is used to model turbulent flow. Sand transport is simulated by tracking the trajectory of each sand particle. The results show that terrain significantly alters the turbulent air flow structure and wind-blown sand movement, especially over the leeward slope. Here, mass flux increases initially and then decreases with height in the reversed flow region in the direction of wind flow, and the mass flux

  9. Karst Aquifer Recharge: A Case History of over Simplification from the Uley South Basin, South Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nara Somaratne

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The article “Karst aquifer recharge: Comments on ‘Characteristics of Point Recharge in Karst Aquifers’, by Adrian D. Werner, 2014, Water 6, doi:10.3390/w6123727” provides misrepresentation in some parts of Somaratne [1]. The description of Uley South Quaternary Limestone (QL as unconsolidated or poorly consolidated aeolianite sediments with the presence of well-mixed groundwater in Uley South [2] appears unsubstantiated. Examination of 98 lithological descriptions with corresponding drillers’ logs show only two wells containing bands of unconsolidated sediments. In Uley South basin, about 70% of salinity profiles obtained by electrical conductivity (EC logging from monitoring wells show stratification. The central and north central areas of the basin receive leakage from the Tertiary Sand (TS aquifer thereby influencing QL groundwater characteristics, such as chemistry, age and isotope composition. The presence of conduit pathways is evident in salinity profiles taken away from TS water affected areas. Pumping tests derived aquifer parameters show strong heterogeneity, a typical characteristic of karst aquifers. Uley South QL aquifer recharge is derived from three sources; diffuse recharge, point recharge from sinkholes and continuous leakage of TS water. This limits application of recharge estimation methods, such as the conventional chloride mass balance (CMB as the basic premise of the CMB is violated. The conventional CMB is not suitable for accounting chloride mass balance in groundwater systems displaying extreme range of chloride concentrations and complex mixing [3]. Over simplification of karst aquifer systems to suit application of the conventional CMB or 1-D unsaturated modelling as described in Werner [2], is not suitable use of these recharge estimation methods.

  10. Characterization of aquifer heterogeneity in a complex fluvial hydrogeologic system to evaluate migration in ground water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, F.G.; Pavlik, H.F.

    1990-01-01

    The hydrogeology and extent of ground water contamination were characterized at a site in northern California. Wood preserving compounds, primarily pentachlorophenol (PCP) and creosote, have been detected in the soil and ground water. A plume of dissolved PCP up to 1.5 miles long has been identified south of the plant. The aquifer consists of a complex multizonal system of permeable gravels and sands composed of units from four geologic formations deposited by the ancestral Feather River. Fluvial channel gravels form the principal aquifer zones and contain overbank clay and silt deposits which locally form clay lenses or more continuous aquitards. The geometric mean horizontal hydraulic conductivities for channel gravels range between 120 to 530 feet/day. Mean vertical aquitard hydraulic conductivity is 0.07 feet/day. Ground water flow is generally southward with a velocity ranging from 470 to 1000 feet/year. The spatial distribution of dissolved PCP in the aquifer documents the interactions between major permeable zones. Hydrostratigraphic evidence pointing to the separation of aquifer zones is supported by the major ion chemistry of ground water. The sodium and calcium-magnesium bicarbonate-rich water present in the upper aquifer zones is significantly different in chemical composition from the predominantly sodium chloride-rich water present in the deeper permeable zone. This indicates that hydrodynamic separation exists between the upper and lower zones of the aquifer, limiting the vertical movement of the PCP plume. A numerical ground water model, based on this conceptual hydrogeologic model, was developed to evaluate groundwater transport pathways and for use in the design of a ground water extraction and treatment system. (9 refs., 7 figs., tab.)

  11. Geologic and hydrogeologic frameworks of the Biscayne aquifer in central Miami-Dade County, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wacker, Michael A.; Cunningham, Kevin J.; Williams, John H.

    2014-01-01

    related vugs, or irregular vugs. Flow zones with a mean hydraulic conductivity of 2,600 feet per day are present within the middle semiconfining unit, but none of the flow zones are continuous across the study area. The lower Biscayne aquifer flow unit comprises a group of flow zones in the lower part of the aquifer. These flow zones are present in the lower part of the Fort Thompson Formation and in some cases within the limestone or sandstone or both in the uppermost part of the Pinecrest Sand Member of the Tamiami Formation. The mean hydraulic conductivity of major flow zones within the lower Biscayne aquifer flow unit is 5,900 feet per day, and the mean value for minor flow zones is 2,900 feet per day. A semiconfining unit is present beneath the Biscayne aquifer. The boundary between the two hydrologic units is at the top or near the top of the Pinecrest Sand Member of the Tamiami Formation. The lower semiconfining unit has a hydraulic conductivity of less than 350 feet per day. The most productive zones of groundwater flow within the two Biscayne aquifer flow units have a characteristic pore system dominated by stratiform megaporosity related to selective dissolution of an Ophiomorpha-dominated ichnofabric. In the upper flow unit, decimeter-scale vertical solution pipes that are common in some areas of the SCWF study area contribute to high vertical permeability compared to that in areas without the pipes. Cross-hole flowmeter data collected from the SCWF test coreholes show that the distribution of vuggy porosity, matrix porosity, and permeability within the Biscayne aquifer of the SCWF is highly heterogeneous and anisotropic. Groundwater withdrawals from production well fields in southeastern Florida may be inducing recharge of the Biscayne aquifer from canals near the well fields that are used for water-management functions, such as flood control and well-field pumping. The SCWF was chosen as a location within Miami-Dade County to study the potential for such

  12. Physical and mechanical properties of sand stabilized by cement and natural zeolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamatpoor, Sina; Jafarian, Yaser; Hajiannia, Alborz

    2018-05-01

    Loose sands are prone to lose their shear strength when being subjected to static or cyclic loads. To this end, there exist several methods to improve the mechanical properties of sands, but the most crucial and viable approach is the one with the lowest harmful environmental impact both in production and recycling processes. In this regard, zeolite as a natural pozzolanic additive offers an eco-friendly improvement in strength parameters of cemented sandy soils. Thereby, in this study, a series of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests are conducted to evaluate the mechanical parameters of the zeolite-cemented sand. The results demonstrate a meaningful increase in the UCS of the treated sand samples for replacement of cement by zeolite at an optimum proportion of 40% in specimens with 14 and 28 days curing time. The effectiveness of the improvement process is demonstrated by the strength improvement ratio which was up to be 128% to 209% for the samples with 14 and 28 days curing time, respectively. With regard to the above results, zeolite can be introduced as a promising cement substitute in stabilization of sandy ground including backfills, roadbed, embankments, and other structural filling systems.

  13. Column properties and flow profiles of a flat, wide column for high-pressure liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mriziq, Khaled S; Guiochon, Georges

    2008-04-11

    The design and the construction of a pressurized, flat, wide column for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are described. This apparatus, which is derived from instruments that implement over-pressured thin layer chromatography, can carry out only uni-dimensional chromatographic separations. However, it is intended to be the first step in the development of more powerful instruments that will be able to carry out two-dimensional chromatographic separations, in which case, the first separation would be a space-based separation, LC(x), taking place along one side of the bed and the second separation would be a time-based separation, LC(t), as in classical HPLC but proceeding along the flat column, not along a tube. The apparatus described consists of a pressurization chamber made of a Plexiglas block and a column chamber made of stainless steel. These two chambers are separated by a thin Mylar membrane. The column chamber is a cavity which is filled with a thick layer (ca. 1mm) of the stationary phase. Suitable solvent inlet and outlet ports are located on two opposite sides of the sorbent layer. The design allows the preparation of a homogenous sorbent layer suitable to be used as a chromatographic column, the achievement of effective seals of the stationary phase layer against the chamber edges, and the homogenous flow of the mobile phase along the chamber. The entire width of the sorbent layer area can be used to develop separations or elute samples. The reproducible performance of the apparatus is demonstrated by the chromatographic separations of different dyes. This instrument is essentially designed for testing detector arrays to be used in a two-dimensional LC(x) x LC(t) instrument. The further development of two-dimension separation chromatographs based on the apparatus described is sketched.

  14. Column bioleaching of arsenic and Heavy metals from gold mine tailings by aspergillus fumigatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seh-Bardan, Bahi Jalili; Othman, Radziah; Ab Wahid, Samsuri; Husin, Aminudin; Sadegh-Zadeh, Fardin

    2012-01-01

    A column bioleaching experiment was carried out to compare the effectiveness of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus to bioleach arsenic (As) and heavy metals from the tailings using two different methods. In the first method, which is named as distribution method (DM), the fungus was distributed in the column by means of vertical and horizontal layers of coarse sand. In the other method, named as surface applied method (SAM), the fungus was cultivated on the surface of the tailings, which was covered with a few centimeters of coarse sand. Results showed that in the DM, oxalic acid production was stimulated and maximum removal of As, Fe, Mn, and Zn was 53, 51, 81, and 62%, respectively. However, Pb removal was low (8%), which might be due to the precipitation of Pb as its oxalates. On the other hand, the maximum removal of As, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn were 22, 28, 37, 64, and 34%, respectively, for the SAM. Results of the sequential extraction study showed that the DM was effective in removing the water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate, and Fe/Mn oxide fractions of As, Fe, Mn, and Zn. Our study suggested that A. fumigatus has a potential to be used in remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites. Distributing the fungus throughout the entire tailings columns improved the bioleaching of heavy metals by the fungus. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  15. Column bioleaching of arsenic and Heavy metals from gold mine tailings by aspergillus fumigatus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seh-Bardan, Bahi Jalili; Othman, Radziah; Ab Wahid, Samsuri; Husin, Aminudin; Sadegh-Zadeh, Fardin [Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Land Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2012-06-15

    A column bioleaching experiment was carried out to compare the effectiveness of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus to bioleach arsenic (As) and heavy metals from the tailings using two different methods. In the first method, which is named as distribution method (DM), the fungus was distributed in the column by means of vertical and horizontal layers of coarse sand. In the other method, named as surface applied method (SAM), the fungus was cultivated on the surface of the tailings, which was covered with a few centimeters of coarse sand. Results showed that in the DM, oxalic acid production was stimulated and maximum removal of As, Fe, Mn, and Zn was 53, 51, 81, and 62%, respectively. However, Pb removal was low (8%), which might be due to the precipitation of Pb as its oxalates. On the other hand, the maximum removal of As, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn were 22, 28, 37, 64, and 34%, respectively, for the SAM. Results of the sequential extraction study showed that the DM was effective in removing the water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate, and Fe/Mn oxide fractions of As, Fe, Mn, and Zn. Our study suggested that A. fumigatus has a potential to be used in remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites. Distributing the fungus throughout the entire tailings columns improved the bioleaching of heavy metals by the fungus. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  16. Characterising aquifer treatment for pathogens in managed aquifer recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, D; Dillon, P; Toze, S; Sidhu, J P S

    2010-01-01

    In this study the value of subsurface treatment of urban stormwater during Aquifer Storage Transfer Recovery (ASTR) is characterised using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) methodology. The ASTR project utilizes a multi-barrier treatment train to treat urban stormwater but to date the role of the aquifer has not been quantified. In this study it was estimated that the aquifer barrier provided 1.4, 2.6, >6.0 log(10) removals for rotavirus, Cryptosporidium and Campylobacter respectively based on pathogen diffusion chamber results. The aquifer treatment barrier was found to vary in importance vis-à-vis the pre-treatment via a constructed wetland and potential post-treatment options of UV-disinfection and chlorination for the reference pathogens. The risk assessment demonstrated that the human health risk associated with potable reuse of stormwater can be mitigated (disability adjusted life years, DALYs aquifer is integrated with suitable post treatment options into a treatment train to attenuate pathogens and protect human health.

  17. Using Artificial Soil and Dry-Column Flash Chromatography to Simulate Organic Substance Leaching Process: A Colorful Environmental Chemistry Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Avellar, Isa G. J.; Cotta, Tais A. P. G.; Neder, Amarilis de V. Finageiv

    2012-01-01

    Soil is an important and complex environmental compartment and soil contamination contributes to the pollution of aquifers and other water basins. A simple and low-cost experiment is described in which the mobility of three organic compounds in an artificial soil is examined using dry-column flash chromatography. The compounds were applied on top…

  18. Field-Derived Hydraulic Properties for Perched-Water Aquifer Wells 299-E33-350 and 299-E33-351, Hanford Site B-Complex Area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newcomer, Darrell R.

    2014-07-01

    During February and March 2014, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted hydraulic (slug) tests at 200-DV-1 Operable Unit wells 299-E33-350 (C8914) and 299-E33-351 (C8915) as part of B-Complex Area Perched-Water characterization activities at the Hanford Site 200-East Area. During the construction/completion phase of each well, two overlapping depth intervals were tested within the unconfined perched-water aquifer contained in the silty-sand subunit of the Cold Creek Unit. The purpose of the slug-test characterization was to provide estimates of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity for the perched-water aquifer at these selected well locations.

  19. Alluvial Aquifer

    Data.gov (United States)

    Kansas Data Access and Support Center — This coverage shows the extents of the alluvial aquifers in Kansas. The alluvial aquifers consist of unconsolidated Quaternary alluvium and contiguous terrace...

  20. The fate of H2O2 during managed aquifer recharge: A residual from advanced oxidation processes for drinking water production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, F; van Halem, D; van der Hoek, J P

    2016-04-01

    The fate of H2O2 residual from advanced oxidation process (AOP) preceding managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is of concern because H2O2 could lead to undesired effects on organisms in the MAR aquatic and soil ecosystem. The objective of this study was to distinguish between factors affecting H2O2 decomposition in MAR systems, simulated in batch reactors with synthetic MAR water and slow sand filter sand. The results showed that pure sand and soil organic matter had no considerable effect on H2O2 decomposition, whereas naturally occurring inorganic substances on the surface of sand grains and microbial biomass are the two main factors accelerating H2O2 decomposition in MAR systems. Additionally, the results showed that the H2O2 decompositions with different initial concentrations fitted first-order kinetics in 2-6 h in a mixture of slow sand filter sand (as a substitute for sand from a MAR system) and synthetic MAR water with high bacterial population. An estimation indicated that low concentrations of H2O2 (<3 mg/L) could decompose to the provisional standard of 0.25 mg/L in the first centimeters of MAR systems with the influent water containing high microbial biomass 38 ng ATP/mL. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Gravity flow and solute dispersion in variably saturated sand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumahor, Samuel K.; de Rooij, Gerrit H.; Vogel, Hans-Joerg

    2014-05-01

    Solute dispersion in porous media depends on the structure of the velocity field at the pore scale. Hence, dispersion is expected to change with water content and with mean flow velocity. We performed laboratory experiments using a column of repacked fine-grained quartz sand (0.1-0.3 mm grain size) with a porous plate at the bottom to controle the water potential at the lower boundary. We established gravity flow conditions - i.e. constant matric potential and water content throughout the column - for a number of different irrigation rates. We measured breakthrough curves during unit gradient flow for an inert tracer which could be described by the convection-dispersion equation. As the soil water content decreased we observed an initially gradual increase in dispersivity followed by an abrupt increase below a threshold water content (0.19) and pressure head (-38 hPa). This phenomena can be explained by the geometry of phase distribution which was simulated based on Xray-CT images of the porous structure.

  2. Facilitated transport of Cu with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in saturated sand: Effects of solution ionic strength and composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Column experiments were conducted to investigate the facilitated transport of Cu in association with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP) in water-saturated quartz sand at different solution concentrations of NaCl (0 to 100 mM) or CaCl2 (0.1 to 1.0 mM). The experimental breakthrough curves and retent...

  3. Isotopes to Study the coastal aquifer plain, Cap Bon, Tunisia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ben Hamouda, M. F.; Zouari, Kamel; Tarhouni, J.; Gaye, C.B.; Oueslati, M.N.

    2005-01-01

    The study area is located in the northeastern part of Tunisia about 60 km south of the Tunis city. It is bounded by the Gulf of Haematite in the East, Djebel Sidi Aberahmane in the West, The town of Nabeul in the south and the area of the town Kelibia in the north. The landscape is a coastal plain slightly sloping (3%) towards the sea. The groundwater of the Oriental coast aquifer system occurs mainly at two levels, a shallow aquifer up to depths of about 50 m whose reservoir is consisted by sediments of the Plio quaternary and a deep aquifer between about 150 and 400 m located in the sand stone formations of Miocene of the anticline of Djebel Sidi Abderrahmene. The climate of the region is semi-arid to sub-humid and of Mediterranean type. There are no perennial rivers in this region; but intense storms occasionally cause surface runoff, which is discharged by the oueds. The study is related to a technical cooperation project with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, aimed at the use of isotope techniques to study the seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifers of Cap Bon in Tunisia. In this regard, a better understanding of the recharge and flow regime as well as the origin or salinity of the groundwater was required. To reach this goal, isotope and geochemical investigations were carried out. Water samples were taken from wells, boreholes from deep and shallow aquifer of the Oriental coastal aquifer located between Beni Khiar in the south and Kelibia in the north. The samples were analysed for their chemical and isotopic compositions (18O, 2H, 3H, 13C, 14C, 34S). In the following, the results of these analyses are presented and discussed in terms of the recharge and flow regime of the groundwater and the origin and evolution of its salinity. The results of geochemical and isotopic studies have shown that the groundwater is very eterogeneous and suggest the aquifer is replenished by recent water coming from direct infiltration from rain. At

  4. Simulation of the transfer of hydrocarbons in unconfined aquifer in tropical zone: the case of benzene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnès Kouamé, Amenan; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Derron, Marc-Henri; Kouamé, Kan Jean

    2016-04-01

    Groundwater is the largest global reserves of continental freshwater (Bosca, 2002) and also an important source of drinking water in many parts of the world (Brassington. 2007). However, this resource is today threatened by pollution such as inadequate supply of drinking water services, inaccessibility and / or dilapidated sanitation facilities and excessive use fertilizers, and industrial wastewater and solid waste pesticides (Boubacar, 2010) and the rapid urbanization in great cities (Foster, 2001). Abidjan, the largest city in Côte d'Ivoire is also facing pollution problems such as illegal dumping of waste, waste oil spilled garages, land application of domestic and industrial wastewater, automotive workshops, overexploitation of sand in the Ebrié lagoon, open waste dump of Akouédo and the spill of about 400,000 liters of toxic waste from the ship "Probo Koala" in August 2006. The Abidjan aquifer or the Continental terminal aquifer is the main source of supply drinking water. It is mainly composed of sandy and it is an unconfined aquifer as a whole (Jourda, 1987). According to Gilli and al., (2012), the recharge of unconfined aquifers comes mostly from the infiltration of surface water including rainwater. These waters on their transport in the basement could carry certain pollutants into groundwater. Kouamé (2007) reports a potential groundwater pollution of the "Continental terminal" aquifer in Abidjan. In addition to the cases cited pollution, there has been a proliferation of service stations in the district of Abidjan and this can cause possible pollution. We deemed it necessary to conduct a study on the groundwater pollution of Abidjan by oil in general. We chose benzene to simulate organic pollution in case of accident. To observe the likely evolution of such contaminants in the subsurface, we developed hydrogeological models that couple groundwater flow and benzene transport with FEFLOW software in steady and transient states. The models are composed

  5. Directional optical transmission through a sand layer: a preliminary laboratory experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Jia; Philpot, William D.

    2017-10-01

    Given the importance of penetration of light in the soil for seed germination, soil warming, and the photolytic degradation of pesticides, directional transmission of thin sand samples are studied in this paper under both dry and saturated conditions. The detector views upward through a glass-bottom sample holder, filled to 3 or 4 mm with a coarse, translucent, quartz sand sample. Transmission through the samples was measured as the illumination zenith angle moved from 0 to 70° in 5° intervals. In the most cases, transmission decreased monotonically, but slowly with increasing illumination angle at all wavelengths. A peak in transmission only appeared at 0° illumination for the low bulk density, dry sample at 3 mm depth. The 0° peak disappeared when the sample was wetted, when the bulk density increased, or when the depth of the sample increased, which indicates that the radiation transmitting through a sand layer can be diffused thoroughly with a millimeters-thin sand layer. For the saturated samples, water influences light transmission in contrasting ways in shorter and longer wavelength. Transmission increased in the VNIR when saturated relative to dry, while transmission decreased sharply after 1300 nm, with spectral absorption features characteristic of water absorption. In VNIR region, water absorption is low and the low relative index of refraction enhanced transmission through sand sample. In contrast, water absorption became dominant at longer wavelengths region leading to the strongly reduced transmission.

  6. Inherent mineralization of 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) in unsaturated zone and aquifers - Effect of initial concentrations and adaptation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janniche, Gry Sander, E-mail: gsja@env.dtu.dk [DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Clausen, Liselotte; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jorgen [DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

    2011-10-15

    The dichlobenil metabolite BAM (2,6-dichlorobenzamide) is frequently detected in aquifers e.g. in Denmark despite the mother compound dichlobenil was banned here since 1997. BAM mineralization was investigated at environmentally relevant concentrations in sediment samples. Undisturbed sediment cores with known dichlobenil application were collected from topsoil to 8.5 m below surface resulting in 57 samples hereof 4 aquifer samples. Mineralization was only substantial (>10%) in the uppermost meter of the unsaturated zone. Microbial adaptation, observed as faster mineralization in pre-exposed than in pristine sediments from the same location, was only evident in sandy sediment where dichlobenil was still present, but not in clayey sediments. Higher initial concentrations (1-5000 {mu}g/kg) did not stimulate mineralization in pristine clayey or sandy sediments, or in pre-exposed sand. However, in pre-exposed clay mineralization was stimulated at high concentrations. Furthermore BAM was for the first time mineralized in aerobic aquifer sediments from different BAM-contaminated groundwater locations. - Highlights: > BAM mineralized in BAM-contaminated aerobic aquifer sediments. > In subsurface, fastest BAM mineralization in pre-exposed sandy sediments. > Increased mineralization (adaptation) only observed in contaminated sandy sediment. > In pristine sediments mineralization ratio increased with decreasing concentrations. - BAM mineralization in subsurface and groundwater was demonstrated.

  7. Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage as an ecosystem service for Brussels, Belgium: investigating iron (hydr)oxide precipitation with reactive transport modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anibas, Christian; Possemiers, Mathias; Huysmans, Marijke

    2016-04-01

    In an evolving energy system it is important that urbanized areas contribute to their own energy demands. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions sustainable energy systems with a high efficiency are required, e.g. using urban aquifers as an ecosystem service. Here the potential of seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage and recovery (ATES) for the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium is investigated. An important shallow geologic formation in the Brussels Capital Region is the Brussels Sand formation, a 20-60 m thick phreatic aquifer. The Brussels Sand Formation is known for its potential for ATES systems, but also for its varying redox and hydraulic conditions. Important limiting factors for ATES systems in the Brussels Sand Formation therefore are the hydraulic conductivity and the geochemical composition of the groundwater. Near the redox boundary iron hydroxide precipitation can negatively influence ATES well performance due to clogging. The interactions between physical processes (e.g. particle transport and clogging in the wider proximity of the ATES well) and chemical processes (e.g. influence of the operation temperatures on precipitation processes) during ATES operation are complex but not well understood. Therefore we constructed numerical groundwater flow models in MODFLOW to estimate maximum pumping and injection rates of different hydraulic conditions and competing water uses in the Brussels Sand Formation. In further steps the thermal potential for ATES was quantified using MT3DMS and the reactive transport model PHT3D was applied to assess the effects of operating ATES systems near the redox boundary. Results show that initial mixing plays an important role in the development of iron(hydr)oxide precipitation around the ATES wells, with the highest concentrations around the cold wells. This behavior is enhanced by the temperature effect; temperature differences of ΔT≈10°C already influence the iron (hydr)oxide concentration. The initial injection into the

  8. Column-to-column packing variation of disposable pre-packed columns for protein chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweiger, Susanne; Hinterberger, Stephan; Jungbauer, Alois

    2017-12-08

    In the biopharmaceutical industry, pre-packed columns are the standard for process development, but they must be qualified before use in experimental studies to confirm the required performance of the packed bed. Column qualification is commonly done by pulse response experiments and depends highly on the experimental testing conditions. Additionally, the peak analysis method, the variation in the 3D packing structure of the bed, and the measurement precision of the workstation influence the outcome of qualification runs. While a full body of literature on these factors is available for HPLC columns, no comparable studies exist for preparative columns for protein chromatography. We quantified the influence of these parameters for commercially available pre-packed and self-packed columns of disposable and non-disposable design. Pulse response experiments were performed on 105 preparative chromatography columns with volumes of 0.2-20ml. The analyte acetone was studied at six different superficial velocities (30, 60, 100, 150, 250 and 500cm/h). The column-to-column packing variation between disposable pre-packed columns of different diameter-length combinations varied by 10-15%, which was acceptable for the intended use. The column-to-column variation cannot be explained by the packing density, but is interpreted as a difference in particle arrangement in the column. Since it was possible to determine differences in the column-to-column performance, we concluded that the columns were well-packed. The measurement precision of the chromatography workstation was independent of the column volume and was in a range of±0.01ml for the first peak moment and±0.007 ml 2 for the second moment. The measurement precision must be considered for small columns in the range of 2ml or less. The efficiency of disposable pre-packed columns was equal or better than that of self-packed columns. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The use of laboratory sand, soil and crushed-glass filter columns for polishing domestic-strength synthetic wastewater that has undergone secondary treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Healy, M G; Burke, P; Rodgers, M

    2010-10-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the performance of intermittently loaded, 150 mm-diameter stratified filter columns of 2 depths (0.65 and 0.375 m) comprising different media--sand, crushed glass and soil--in polishing the effluent from a laboratory horizontal flow biofilm reactor (HFBR) treating synthetic domestic-strength wastewater. The HFBR has been successfully used to remove organic carbon and ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) from domestic wastewater. In this treatment method, wastewater is allowed to flow over and back along a stack of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets. Biofilms on the sheets reduce organic carbon, suspended matter, and nutrients in the wastewater, but to achieve the quality of a septic tank system, additional treatment is required. In all filters, at a hydraulic loading rate of 100 L m(-2) d(-1), 40-65% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and practically 100% of total suspended solids (TSS) were removed, nitrification was complete, and bacterial numbers were reduced by over 80%, with best removals achieved in the soil filters (93%). Soil polishing filters with the depth of 0.65 m performed best in terms of organic carbon, total nitrogen (Tot-N) and bacterial removal. Data from this preliminary study are useful in the design of treatment systems to polish secondary wastewaters with similar water quality characteristics.

  10. Insights from the salinity origins and interconnections of aquifers in a regional scale sedimentary aquifer system (Adour-Garonne district, SW France): Contributions of δ34S and δ18O from dissolved sulfates and the 87Sr/86Sr ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brenot, Agnès; Négrel, Philippe; Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle; Millot, Romain; Malcuit, Eline

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Regional sedimentary aquifer on the Aquitaine Basin (SW France). • Dealing with limited number of groundwater wells available. • Strong control of evaporite dissolution on groundwater dissolved elements. • Guidelines for decision-makers to manage water resources. - Abstract: The multi-layered Eocene aquifer is a regional scale sedimentary aquifer system occupying ∼120,000 km 2 within the Adour-Garonne district (France). Local authorities have recently identified the aquifer as being at risk from extensive irrigation abstractions, threatening the sustainability of this key resource. Because large water abstractions for human activities can significantly influence the natural functioning of such aquifer systems, e.g., with leakage between aquifer layers, which can lead to water quality degradation, the characterization of such large systems constitutes a key point to protect and prevent further deterioration of aquatic ecosystems. This study provides further insight on this large aquifer through a geochemical approach, which addresses the limited number of groundwater wells where sampling is possible. For that purpose, a geochemical analysis combining two isotope systems (δ 34 S SO4 , δ 18 O SO4 and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) has been applied. The Eocene sedimentary aquifer system (detrital to carbonate deposits) is made up of four aquifer layers, Eocene Infra-Molassic sand, Early Eocene, Middle Eocene and Late Eocene, and has a mineralized area north of the Aquitaine Basin, where groundwater shows strong mineralization and anomalous levels of critical substances (SO 4 , F, etc.), increasing the difficulty of resource exploitation. The extreme heterogeneity of the geochemical composition of the groundwater between the aquifers and within a single aquifer is discussed in terms of the lithological control induced by the lateral variation of facies and interconnections between aquifer layers. Geochemical tools, especially the δ 34 S and δ 18 O from

  11. Scales and structures in bubbly flows. Experimental analysis of the flow in bubble columns and in bubbling fluidized beds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groen, J.S.

    2004-01-01

    In this project a detailed experimental analysis was performed of the dynamic flow field in bubbly flows, with the purpose of determining local hydrodynamics and scale effects. Measurements were done in gas-liquid systems (air-water bubble columns) and in gas-solid systems (air-sand bubbing

  12. Screening for suitable areas for Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage within the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium using coupled groundwater flow and heat transport modelling tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anibas, Christian; Kukral, Janik; Touhidul Mustafa, Syed Md; Huysmans, Marijke

    2017-04-01

    Urban areas have a great potential for shallow geothermal systems. Their energy demand is high, but currently they have only a limited potential to cover their own energy demand. The transition towards a low-carbon energy regime offers alternative sources of energy an increasing potential. Urban areas however pose special challenges for the successful exploitation of shallow geothermal energy. High building densities limit the available space for drillings and underground investigations. Urban heat island effects and underground structures influence the thermal field, groundwater pollution and competing water uses limit the available subsurface. To tackle these challenges in the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium two projects 'BruGeo' and the recently finished 'Prospective Research of Brussels project 2015-PRFB-228' address the investigation in urban geothermal systems. They aim to identify the key factors of the underground with respect to Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) installations like thermal properties, aquifer thicknesses, groundwater flow velocities and their heterogeneity. Combined numerical groundwater and heat transport models are applied for the assessment of both open and closed loop shallow geothermal systems. The Brussels Capital Region comprises of the Belgian Capital, the City of Brussels and 18 other municipalities covering 161 km2 with almost 1.2 million inhabitants. Beside the high population density the Brussels Capital Region has a pronounced topography and a relative complex geology. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for the exploitation of shallow geothermal energy. The most important shallow hydrogeological formation in the Brussels-Capital Region are the Brussels Sands with the Brussels Sands Aquifer. Scenarios where developed using criteria for the hydrogeological feasibility of ATES installations such as saturated aquifer thickness, groundwater flow velocity and the groundwater head below surface. The Brussels Sands

  13. Copper deficiency can limit nitrification in biological rapid sand filters for drinking water production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wagner, Florian Benedikt; Nielsen, Peter Borch; Boe-Hansen, Rasmus

    2016-01-01

    Incomplete nitrification in biological filters during drinking water treatment is problematic, as it compromises drinking water quality. Nitrification problems can be caused by a lack of nutrients for the nitrifying microorganisms. Since copper is an important element in one of the essential...... enzymes in nitrification, we investigated the effect of copper dosing on nitrification in different biological rapid sand filters treating groundwater. A lab-scale column assay with filter material from a water works demonstrated that addition of a trace metal mixture, including copper, increased ammonium...... to the bulk phase. Overall, copper dosing to poorly performing biological rapid sand filters increased ammonium removal rates significantly, achieving effluent concentrations of below 0.01 mg NH4-N L-1, and had a long-term effect on nitrification performance....

  14. Apports des analyses chimiques et isotopiques à la connaissance du fonctionnement des aquifères plio-quaternaire et turonien de la zone synclinale d'Essaouira, Maroc occidentalGeochemistry of Plio-Quaternary and Turonian aquifers in the Essaouira Basin, western Moroco

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mennani, A.; Blavoux, B.; Bahir, M.; Bellion, Y.; Jalal, M.; Daniel, M.

    2001-05-01

    The Essaouira synclinal zone is one of the Moroccan semi-arid zones with annual rainfalls not exceeding 300 mm yr -1 and very high potential evapo-transpiration of about 920 mm yr -1. This syncline with a Senonian axial zone is bordered by two diapiric structures of Triassic deposits: the Tidzi Diapir that outcrops in the east and south, and the hidden Essaouira diapir in the west, which was found by geophysics. This syncline contains two main superimposed aquifers. (i) The Plio-Quaternary aquifer consists of sands, sandstone and conglomerates and provides the main part of the water supply. This free-water table flows out towards the northwest and its surface is affected by significant piezometric variations. (ii) The calcareous dolomitic Turonian is a confined aquifer under the Senonian marls in the and in direct contact with the Plio-Quaternary. For a few years, the drinking water supply to the town of Essaouira has come from deep drillings. These two aquifers were sampled in June 1995 and in Januray 1996 after exceptional rainfalls. All waters have the same geochemical profile. The interpretation of the total dissolved solids and chloride content of Plio-Quaternary aquifers makes it possible to specify their origins. It emphasises, in particular, the source from the Ksob Wadi in the northeast and the role of the hidden Essaouira diapir. Nitrate levels were raised excessively, increasing at the same time as chloride concentrations during the rains of the winter of 1996, and underline the wells vulnerability to pastoral and domestic activities. The interpretation of O- and H-isotopes distinguishes two contrasting Plio-Quaternary and Turonian aquifers with an Atlantic origin for the rain recharge. A specific campaign was varried out in November 1996 to date water from the Turonian aquifer by 14C. Two boreholes draw water of several thousands years old.

  15. Reclaimability of the spent sand mixture – sand with bentonite – sand with furfuryl resin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Dańko

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction of new binding materials and new technologies of their hardening in casting moulds and cores production requires theapplication of reclamation methods adequate to their properties as well as special devices realizing tasks. The spent sands circulationsystem containing the same kind of moulding and core sands is optimal from the point of view of the expected reclamation results.However, in the face of a significant variability of applied technologies and related to them various reclamation methods, the need - of theobtained reclamation products assessment on the grounds of systematic criteria and uniform bases – arises, with a tendency of indicatingwhich criteria are the most important for the given sand system. The reclaimability results of the mixture of the spent moulding sand withGeko S bentonite and the spent core sand with the Kaltharz 404U resin hardened by acidic hardener 100 T3, are presented in the paper.Investigations were performed with regard to the estimation of an influence of core sands additions (10 –25% on the reclaimed materialquality. Dusts and clay content in the reclaim, its chemical reaction (pH and ignition loss were estimated. The verification of the reclaiminstrumental assessment was performed on the basis of the technological properties estimation of moulding sand with bentonite, where the reclaimed material was used as a matrix.

  16. Transient electromagnetic study of basin fill sediments in the Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bultman, M.W.; Gray, F.

    2011-01-01

    The Upper San Pedro River Basin in Mexico and the United States is an important riparian corridor that is coming under increasing pressure from growing populations and the associated increase in groundwater withdrawal. Several studies have produced three-dimensional maps of the basin fill sediments in the US portion of the basin but little work has been done in the Mexican portion of the basin. Here, the results of a ground-based transient electromagnetic (TEM) survey in the Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico are presented. These basin fill sediments are characterized by a 10-40 m deep unsaturated surficial zone which is composed primarily of sands and gravels. In the central portion of the basin this unsaturated zone is usually underlain by a shallow clay layer 20-50 m thick. Beneath this may be more clay, as is usually the case near the San Pedro River, or interbedded sand, silt, and clay to a depth of 200-250 m. As you move away from the river, the upper clay layer disappears and the amount of sand in the sediments increases. At 1-2 km away from the river, sands can occupy up to 50% of the upper 200-250 m of the sediment fill. Below this, clays are always present except where bedrock highs are observed. This lower clay layer begins at a depth of about 200 m in the central portion of the basin (250 m or more at distances greater than 1-2 km from the river) and extends to the bottom of most profiles to depths of 400 m. While the depth of the top of this lower clay layer is probably accurate, its thickness observed in the models may be overestimated due to the relatively low magnetic moment of the TEM system used in this study. The inversion routine used for interpretation is based on a one-dimensional geologic model. This is a layer based model that is isotropic in both the x and y directions. Several survey soundings did not meet this requirement which invalidates the inversion process and the resulting interpretation at these locations. The results from these

  17. Impact of pH on hydrogen oxidizing redox processes in aquifers due to gas intrusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzgen, Adrian; Berta, Marton; Dethlefsen, Frank; Ebert, Markus; Dahmke, Andreas

    2017-04-01

    Hydrogen production from excess energy and its storage can help increasing the efficiency of solar and wind in the energy mix. Therefore, hydrogen needs large-scale intermediate storage independent of the intended later use as hydrogen gas or as reactant to produce methane in the Sabatier process. A possible storage solution is using the geological subsurface such as caverns built in salt deposits or aquifers that are not used for drinking water production. However, underground storage of hydrogen gas potentially leads to accidental gas leakages into near-surface potable aquifers triggering subsequent geochemical processes. These leakages pose potential risks that are currently not sufficiently understood. To close this gap in knowledge, a high-pressure laboratory column system was used to simulate a hydrogen gas intrusion into a shallow aquifer. Water and sediment were gained from a sandy Pleistocene aquifer near Neumünster, Germany. In the first stage of the experiment, 100% hydrogen gas was used to simulate dissolved hydrogen concentrations between 800 and 4000 µM by varying pH2 between 2 and 15 bars. pH values rose to between 7.9 and 10.4, partly due to stripping CO2 from the groundwater used during H2 gas addition. In a second stage, the pH was regulated in a range of 6.7 to 7.9 by using a gas mixture of 99% H2 and 1% CO2 at 5 bars of total gas pressure. Observed processes included hydrogen oxidation, sulfate reduction, acetogenesis, formate production, and methanogenesis, which were independent of the hydrogen concentration. Hydrogen oxidation and sulfate reduction showed zeroth order reaction rates and rate constants (106 to 412 µM/h and 12 to 33 µM/h, respectively) in the pH range between 8 and 10. At pH levels between 7 and 8, both reactions started out faster near the column's inflow but then seemed limited towards the columns outflow, suggesting the dependence of sulfate reduction on the pH-value. Acetogenesis dominated the pH range between 8 and 10

  18. Contemporary sand wedge development in seasonally frozen ground and paleoenvironmental implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolfe, Stephen A.; Morse, Peter D.; Neudorf, Christina M.; Kokelj, Steven V.; Lian, Olav B.; O'Neill, H. Brendan

    2018-05-01

    Contemporary sand wedges and sand veins are active in seasonally frozen ground within the extensive discontinuous permafrost zone in Northwest Territories, Canada. The region has a subarctic continental climate with 291 mm a-1 precipitation, -4.1 °C mean annual air temperature, warm summers (July mean 17.0 °C), and cold winters (January mean -26.6 °C). Five years of continuous observations indicate that interannual variation of the ground thermal regime is dominantly controlled by winter air temperature and snow cover conditions. At sandy sites, thin snow cover and high thermal conductivity promote rapid freezing, high rates of ground cooling, and low near-surface ground temperatures (-15 to -25 °C), resulting in thermal contraction cracking to depths of 1.2 m. Cracking potentials are high in sandy soils when air temperatures are air temperatures are ≤-17 °C, and snow cover is conditions in peatlands maintain permafrost, but thermal contraction cracking does not occur because thicker snow cover and the thermal properties of peat prolong freezeback and maintain higher winter ground temperatures. A combination of radiocarbon dating, optical dating, and stratigraphic observations were used to differentiate sand wedge types and formation histories. Thermal contraction cracks that develop in the sandy terrain are filled by surface (allochthonous) and/or host (autochthonous) material during the thaw season. Epigenetic sand wedges infilled with allochthonous sand develop within former beach sediments beneath an active eolian sand sheet. Narrower and deeper syngenetic wedges developed within aggrading eolian sand sheets, whereas wider and shallower antisyngenetic wedges developed in areas of active erosion. Thermal contraction cracking beneath vegetation-stabilized surfaces leads to crack infilling by autochthonous host and overlying organic material, with resultant downturning and subsidence of adjacent strata. Sand wedge development in seasonally frozen ground

  19. Water productivity analysis of sand dams irrigation farming in northern Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenzo Villani

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Water scarcity in drylands is the main problem that has to be tackled by farmers and practitioners that work in these areas. Climate change and increased and wealthier population are expected to put additional stress on the water resource. A large number of studies is calling to focus efforts to enhance water productivity (WP, and one of the most promising option is represented by water harvesting, the collection and storage of runoff water to be used for beneficially uses. Among the available technologies, sand dams are experiencing a renovated interest because of their relative simplicity and their potential. This research aims to deepen the knowledge about WP of water harvesting systems studying a sand dam irrigation system in Tigray, north Ethiopia, where farmers are getting used to this new technology. The research was carried out in the period March-April 2017, when farmers use sand dams water to irrigate off-season maize. We analysed a representative plot irrigated through a shallow well drilled in the sand dam aquifer, in terms of yield, Crop Water Productivity (CWP, Crop Water Productivity based on Evapotranspiration (CWP(ET and Economic Water Productivity (EWP, through field data analysis and a validated Aquacrop model. CWP(ET was found to be low (1.12 kg of grain per m3 of evapotranspired water, due by both inefficient water application and low soil fertility. Aquacrop model results showed that changing the irrigation schedule can increase CWP(ET up to 1.35 kg/m3 and EWP up to 3.94 birr/m3, but yield gap is mainly due to the low soil fertility. Interventions on soil fertility can raise yields from the original 3.3 up to 8.5 kg/ha, and thus CWP(ET and EWP up to 2.94 kg/m3 and 9.54 birr/m3 respectively. To enhance the effect of sand dams in northern Ethiopia, a set of measures, including conservation agriculture, is then proposed.

  20. Comparison of aquifer characteristics derived from local and regional aquifer tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randolph, R.B.; Krause, R.E.; Maslia, M.L.

    1985-01-01

    A comparison of the aquifer parameter values obtained through the analysis of a local and a regional aquifer test involving the same area in southeast Georgia is made in order to evaluate the validity of extrapolating local aquifer-test results for use in large-scale flow simulations. Time-drawdown and time-recovery data were analyzed by using both graphical and least-squares fitting of the data to the Theis curve. Additionally, directional transmissivity, transmissivity tensor, and angle of anisotropy were computed for both tests. -from Authors Georgia drawdown transmissivity regional aquifer tests

  1. Identification of discontinuous sand pulses on the bed of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, E. R.; Grams, P. E.; Buscombe, D.; Topping, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    Decades of research on alluvial sandbars and sand transport on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon has contributed to in-depth understanding of the sand budget and lead to management actions designed to rebuild eroded sandbars. However, some basic, but difficult to address, questions about the processes and rates of sand movement through the system still limit our ability to predict geomorphic responses. The coarse fraction of the bed is heterogeneous and varies among boulders, cobble, gravel, and bedrock. Sand covers these substrates in patches of variable size and thickness, fills interstices to varying degrees, and forms mixed sand/coarse bed configurations such as linear stripes. Understanding the locations of sand accumulation, the quantities of sand contained in those locations, and the processes by which sand is exchanged among depositional locations is needed to predict the morphological response of sandbars to management actions, such as the controlled flood releases, and to predict whether sandbars are likely to increase or decrease in size over long (i.e. decadal) time periods. Here, we present evidence for the downstream translation of the sand component of tributary sediment inputs as discontinuous sand pulses. The silt and clay (mud) fraction of sediment introduced episodically by seasonal floods from tributary streams is transported entirely in suspension and moves through the 400 km series of canyons in a few days. The sand fraction of this sediment, which is transported on the bed and in suspension, moves downstream in sand pulses that we estimate range in length from a few km to tens of km. Owing to the complex geomorphic organization, the sand pulses are not detectable as coherent bed features; each individual sand pulse is comprised of many isolated storage locations, separated by rapids and riffles where sand cover is sparse. The presence of the sand pulses is inferred by the existence of alternating segments of sand accumulation and depletion

  2. Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) of chlorinated municipal drinking water in a confined aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izbicki, John A.; Petersen, Christen E.; Glotzbach, Kenneth J.; Metzger, Loren F.; Christensen, Allen H.; Smith, Gregory A.; O'Leary, David R.; Fram, Miranda S.; Joseph, Trevor; Shannon, Heather

    2010-01-01

    About 1.02 x 106 m3 of chlorinated municipal drinking water was injected into a confined aquifer, 94-137 m below Roseville, California, between December 2005 and April 2006. The water was stored in the aquifer for 438 days, and 2.64 x 106 m3 of water were extracted between July 2007 and February 2008. On the basis of Cl data, 35% of the injected water was recovered and 65% of the injected water and associated disinfection by-products (DBPs) remained in the aquifer at the end of extraction. About 46.3 kg of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) entered the aquifer with the injected water and 37.6 kg of TTHM were extracted. As much as 44 kg of TTHMs remained in the aquifer at the end of extraction because of incomplete recovery of injected water and formation of THMs within the aquifer by reactions with freechlorine in the injected water. Well-bore velocity log data collected from the Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) well show as much as 60% of the injected water entered the aquifer through a 9 m thick, high-permeability layer within the confined aquifer near the top of the screened interval. Model simulations of ground-water flow near the ASR well indicate that (1) aquifer heterogeneity allowed injected water to move rapidly through the aquifer to nearby monitoring wells, (2) aquifer heterogeneity caused injected water to move further than expected assuming uniform aquifer properties, and (3) physical clogging of high-permeability layers is the probable cause for the observed change in the distribution of borehole flow. Aquifer heterogeneity also enhanced mixing of native anoxic ground water with oxic injected water, promoting removal of THMs primarily through sorption. A 3 to 4-fold reduction in TTHM concentrations was observed in the furthest monitoring well 427 m downgradient from the ASR well, and similar magnitude reductions were observed in depth-dependent water samples collected from the upper part of the screened interval in the ASR well near the end of the extraction

  3. Water-level altitudes 2011 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2010 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Michaela R.; Ramage, Jason K.; Kasmarek, Mark C.

    2011-01-01

    decline to an 80-foot rise (2006–11), from a 140-foot decline to a 100-foot rise (1990–2011), and from a 120-foot decline to a 200-foot rise (1977–2011). In 2011, water-level-altitude contours for the Evangeline aquifer ranged from 300 feet below datum in north-central Harris County to 200 feet above datum at the boundary of Waller, Montgomery, and Grimes Counties. Water-level-altitude changes in the Evangeline aquifer ranged from a 43-foot decline to a 73-foot rise (2010–11), from a 40-foot decline to a 160-foot rise (2006–11), from a 200-foot decline to a 240-foot rise (1990–2011), and from a 340-foot decline to a 260-foot rise (1977–2011). In 2011, water-level-altitude contours for the Jasper aquifer ranged from 200 feet below datum in south-central Montgomery County to 250 feet above datum in east-central Grimes County. Water-level-altitude changes in the Jasper aquifer ranged from a 45-foot decline to a 29-foot rise (2010–11), from a 90-foot decline to a 10-foot rise (2006–11), and from a 190-foot decline to no change (2000–11). Compaction of subsurface materials (mostly in the clay layers) composing the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers was recorded continuously at 13 borehole extensometers at 11 sites. For the period of record beginning in 1973, or later, and ending in December 2010, cumulative clay compaction data measured by 12 extensometers ranged from 0.100 foot at the Texas City–Moses Lake site to 3.544 foot at the Addicks site. The rate of compaction varies from site to site because of differences in groundwater withdrawals near each site and differences among sites in the clay-to-sand ratio in the subsurface materials. Therefore, it is not possible to extrapolate or infer a rate of clay compaction for an area based on the rate of compaction measured at a nearby extensometer.

  4. Water-level altitudes 2010 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2009 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Johnson, Michaela R.; Ramage, Jason K.

    2010-01-01

    -foot rise (2009-10), from a 25-foot decline to a 35-foot rise (2005-10), from a 40-foot decline to an 80-foot rise (1990-2010), and from a 140-foot decline to a 200-foot rise (1977-2010). In 2010, water-level-altitude contours for the Evangeline aquifer ranged from 300 feet below datum in north-central Harris County to 200 feet above datum at the boundary of Waller, Montgomery, and Grimes Counties. Water-level-altitude changes in the Evangeline aquifer ranged from a 58-foot decline to a 69-foot rise (2009-10), from an 80-foot decline to an 80-foot rise (2005-10), from a 200-foot decline to a 220-foot rise (1990-2010), and from a 320-foot decline to a 220-foot rise (1977-2010). In 2010, water-level-altitude contours for the Jasper aquifer ranged from 200 feet below datum in south-central Montgomery County to 250 feet above datum in eastern-central Grimes County. Water-level-altitude changes in the Jasper aquifer ranged from a 39-foot decline to a 39-foot rise (2009-10), from a 110-foot decline to no change (2005-10), and from a 180-foot decline to no change (2000-10). Compaction of subsurface materials (mostly in the clay layers) composing the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers was recorded continuously at 13 borehole extensometers at 11 sites. For the period of record beginning in 1973, or later, and ending in December 2009, cumulative clay compaction data measured by 12 extensometers ranged from 0.088 foot at the Texas City-Moses Lake site to 3.559 foot at the Addicks site. The rate of compaction varies from site to site because of differences in groundwater withdrawals near each site and differences among sites in the clay-to-sand ratio in the subsurface materials. Therefore, it is not possible to extrapolate or infer a rate of clay compaction for an area based on the rate of compaction measured at a nearby extensometer.

  5. Predictive hydrogeochemical modelling of bauxite residue sand in field conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wissmeier, Laurin; Barry, David A; Phillips, Ian R

    2011-07-15

    The suitability of residue sand (the coarse fraction remaining from Bayer's process of bauxite refining) for constructing the surface cover of closed bauxite residue storage areas was investigated. Specifically, its properties as a medium for plant growth are of interest to ensure residue sand can support a sustainable ecosystem following site closure. The geochemical evolution of the residue sand under field conditions, its plant nutrient status and soil moisture retention were studied by integrated modelling of geochemical and hydrological processes. For the parameterization of mineral reactions, amounts and reaction kinetics of the mineral phases natron, calcite, tricalcium aluminate, sodalite, muscovite and analcime were derived from measured acid neutralization curves. The effective exchange capacity for ion adsorption was measured using three independent exchange methods. The geochemical model, which accounts for mineral reactions, cation exchange and activity corrected solution speciation, was formulated in the geochemical modelling framework PHREEQC, and partially validated in a saturated-flow column experiment. For the integration of variably saturated flow with multi-component solute transport in heterogeneous 2D domains, a coupling of PHREEQC with the multi-purpose finite-element solver COMSOL was established. The integrated hydrogeochemical model was applied to predict water availability and quality in a vertical flow lysimeter and a cover design for a storage facility using measured time series of rainfall and evaporation from southwest Western Australia. In both scenarios the sand was fertigated and gypsum-amended. Results show poor long-term retention of fertilizer ions and buffering of the pH around 10 for more than 5 y of leaching. It was concluded that fertigation, gypsum amendment and rainfall leaching alone were insufficient to render the geochemical conditions of residue sand suitable for optimal plant growth within the given timeframe. The

  6. Hydrology of the Claiborne aquifer and interconnection with the Upper Floridan aquifer in southwest Georgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Debbie W.; Gonthier, Gerard

    2017-04-24

    The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study, in cooperation with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, to define the hydrologic properties of the Claiborne aquifer and evaluate its connection with the Upper Floridan aquifer in southwest Georgia. The effort involved collecting and compiling hydrologic data from the aquifer in subarea 4 of southwestern Georgia. Data collected for this study include borehole geophysical logs in 7 wells, and two 72-hour aquifer tests to determine aquifer properties.The top of the Claiborne aquifer extends from an altitude of about 200 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) in Terrell County to 402 feet below NAVD 88 in Decatur County, Georgia. The base of the aquifer extends from an altitude of about 60 feet above NAVD 88 in eastern Sumter County to about 750 feet below NAVD 88 in Decatur County. Aquifer thickness ranges from about 70 feet in eastern Early County to 400 feet in Decatur County.The transmissivity of the Claiborne aquifer, determined from two 72-hour aquifer tests, was estimated to be 1,500 and 700 feet squared per day in Mitchell and Early Counties, respectively. The storage coefficient was estimated to be 0.0006 and 0.0004 for the same sites, respectively. Aquifer test data from Mitchell County indicate a small amount of leakage occurred during the test. Groundwater-flow models suggest that the source of the leakage was the underlying Clayton aquifer, which produced about 2.5 feet of drawdown in response to pumping in the Claiborne aquifer. The vertical hydraulic conductivity of the confining unit between the Claiborne and Clayton aquifers was simulated to be about 0.02 foot per day.Results from the 72-hour aquifer tests run for this study indicated no interconnection between the Claiborne and overlying Upper Floridan aquifers at the two test sites. Additional data are needed to monitor the effects that increased withdrawals from the Claiborne aquifer may have on future water resources.

  7. Eastern Scheldt Sand, Baskarp Sand No. 15

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, A. T; Madsen, E. B.; Schaarup-Jensen, A. L.

    The present data report contains data from 13 drained triaxial tests, performed on two different sand types in the Soil Mechanics Laboratory at Aalborg University in March, 1997. Two tests have been performed on Baskarp Sand No. 15, which has already ken extensively tested in the Soil Mechanics...... Laboratory. The remaining 11 triaxial tests have ben performed on Eastern Scheldt Sand, which is a material not yet investigated at the Soil Mechanics Laboratory. In the first pari of this data report, the characteristics of the two sand types in question will be presented. Next, a description...... will described. In this connection, the procedure for preparation of the soil specimens will be presented, and the actual performance of the tests will be briefly outlined. Finally, the procedure for processing of the measurements from the laboratory in order to obtain usable data will be described. The final...

  8. An evaluation of aquifer intercommunication between the unconfined and Rattlesnake Ridge aquifers on the Hanford Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jensen, E.J.

    1987-10-01

    During 1986, Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a study of a portion of the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer (confined aquifer) that lies beneath the B Pond - Gable Mountain Pond area of the Hanford Site. The purpose was to determine the extent of intercommunication between the unconfined aquifer and the uppermost regionally extensive confined aquifer, referred to as the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer. Hydraulic head data and chemical data were collected from the ground water in the study area during December 1986. The hydraulic head data were used to determine the effects caused by water discharged to the ground from B Pond on both the water table of the unconfined aquifer and the potentiometric surface of the confined aquifer. The chemical data were collected to determine the extent of chemical constituents migrating from the unconfined aquifer to the confined aquifer. Analysis of chemical constituents in the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer demonstrated that communication between the unconfined and confined aquifers had occurred. However, the levels of contaminants found in the Rattlesnake Ridge aquifer during this study were below the DOE Derived Concentration Guides

  9. Morphological Response of a Mud Capped Dredge Pit in Western Louisiana After Sand Excavation for Barrier Island Restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robichaux, P. A.; Xu, K.; Bentley, S. J.; Li, C.; Miner, M. D.

    2017-12-01

    Sand resources play a crucial role in supporting tourism, maintaining coastal ecosystems, and protecting property and infrastructure. Mud capped dredge pits (MCDPs) are created when paleochannel sand, covered by muddy shelf overburden, is excavated for restoration purposes; such paleochannels are one significant sand resource for coastal barrier protection. However, our knowledge of MCDPs is limited. To improve understanding of their morphological behavior, a dredge pit called Peveto Channel (PC) offshore of Holly Beach, LA, was studied in 2016. Our study consisted of a survey using multiple geophysical methods, including multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, subbottom profiling, and magnetometry. Results indicate that PC has undergone 100% infilling since dredging occurred. Although the pit is filled up, analyses indicate the newly deposited material is unconsolidated and has yet to equilibrate to the ambient seafloor conditions. The surface of the pit area is pockmarked and uneven, likely caused by degassing processes and differential consolidation. Sidescan sonar images confirm that the pit walls have experienced little to no lateral erosion and are well preserved. The results from this survey and from historical surveys conducted in 2003 (a few months after dredging), 2004, 2006, and 2007 are compared to previously constructed numerical models used to predict the behavior of dredge pits. To our knowledge, PC is the only filled-up offshore dredge pit in coastal Louisiana. Thus the findings of this study provide new long-term information for regulatory policies and the feasibility of MCDPs as sand resources in the future.

  10. Diagnosis of the Ghiss Nekor aquifer in order to elaborate the aquifer contract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baite, Wissal; Boukdir, A.; Zitouni, A.; Dahbi, S. D.; Mesmoudi, H.; Elissami, A.; Sabri, E.; Ikhmerdi, H.

    2018-05-01

    The Ghiss-Nekor aquifer, located in the north-east of the action area of the ABHL, plays a strategic role in the drinkable water supply of the city of Al Hoceima and of the neighboring urban areas. It also participates in the irrigation of PMH. However, this aquifer has problems such as over-exploitation and pollution. In the face of these problems, the only Solution is the establishment of a new mode of governance, which privileges the participation, the involvement and the responsibility of the actors concerned in a negotiated contractual framework, namely the aquifer contract. The purpose of this study is to diagnose the current state of the Ghiss Nekor aquifer, the hydrogeological characterization of the aquifer, the use of the waters of the aquifer, the Problem identification and the introduction of the aquifer contract, which aims at the participatory and sustainable management of underground water resources in the Ghiss- Nekor plain, to ensure sustainable development.

  11. On the origin of calcite-cemented sandstones in the clearwater formation oil-sands, Alberta

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colquhoun, I.M.

    1999-01-01

    This thesis examined the formation of calcite-cemented sandstones in the Clearwater Formation within the Cold Lake and southern Primrose areas of the Alberta oil sands. Three stages of diagenesis have been recognized, both in the calcite-cemented sandstones and reservoir sands. Diagenesis of the Clearwater Formation in the Cold Lake and southern Primrose areas ended once the reservoir filled with hydrocarbons, but in the Cold Lake area, diagenesis of water-saturated sands likely continued after hydrocarbon emplacement. The reservoir sands in the formation contain a diverse clay mineral assemblage. In general, 0.7 nm clays dominate the diagenetic clay mineralogy of the Clearwater sands. Reservoir sands that contain large amounts of detrital clays and early diagenetic, grain-coating chlorite/smectite have significantly reduced bitumen-saturation. The presence of detrital and diagenetic smectitic clays complicates the removal of bitumen from the Clearwater formation using cyclic steam stimulation techniques because they swell during steam stimulation and reduce porosity and permeability of reservoir sands. Reservoir sands that contain kaolinite, feldspar and calcite react to form smectitic clays, which swell upon cyclic steam stimulation and further reduce porosity and permeability of reservoir sands. However, in the Cold Lake and Primrose areas, the dominant clay mineral is berthierine, which is associated with high calcite, which help to preserve porosity, permeability and bitumen saturation. The porous nature of bitumen-saturated, calcite-cemented sandstones that are laterally extensive could possibly provide a preferential path for steam to initiate calcite dissolution and produce significant concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide in injected fluids. It was noted that this may then precipitate as carbonate scale within the reservoir and could cause formation damage or affect production equipment. 207 refs., 9 tabs., 58 figs., 3 appendices.

  12. Effect of concentration gradients on biodegradation in bench-scale sand columns with HYDRUS modeling of hydrocarbon transport and degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horel, Agota; Schiewer, Silke; Misra, Debasmita

    2015-09-01

    The present research investigated to what extent results obtained in small microcosm experiments can be extrapolated to larger settings with non-uniform concentrations. Microbial hydrocarbon degradation in sandy sediments was compared for column experiments versus homogenized microcosms with varying concentrations of diesel, Syntroleum, and fish biodiesel as contaminants. Syntroleum and fish biodiesel had higher degradation rates than diesel fuel. Microcosms showed significantly higher overall hydrocarbon mineralization percentages (p transport and degradation of the investigated fuels in vadose zone conditions similar to those in laboratory column experiments. The numerical model was used to evaluate the impact of different degradation rate constants from microcosm versus column experiments.

  13. How do peat type, sand addition and soil moisture influence the soil organic matter mineralization in anthropogenically disturbed organic soils?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Säurich, Annelie; Tiemeyer, Bärbel; Don, Axel; Burkart, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    Drained peatlands are hotspots of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from agriculture. As a consequence of both drainage induced mineralization and anthropogenic sand mixing, large areas of former peatlands under agricultural use contain soil organic carbon (SOC) at the boundary between mineral and organic soils. Studies on SOC dynamics of such "low carbon organic soils" are rare as the focus of previous studies was mainly either on mineral soils or "true" peat soil. However, the variability of CO2 emissions increases with disturbance and therefore, we have yet to understand the reasons behind the relatively high CO2 emissions of these soils. Peat properties, soil organic matter (SOM) quality and water content are obviously influencing the rate of CO2 emissions, but a systematic evaluation of the hydrological and biogeochemical drivers for mineralization of disturbed peatlands is missing. With this incubation experiment, we aim at assessing the drivers of the high variability of CO2 emissions from strongly anthropogenically disturbed organic soil by systematically comparing strongly degraded peat with and without addition of sand under different moisture conditions and for different peat types. The selection of samples was based on results of a previous incubation study, using disturbed samples from the German Agricultural Soil Inventory. We sampled undisturbed soil columns from topsoil and subsoil (three replicates of each) of ten peatland sites all used as grassland. Peat types comprise six fens (sedge, Phragmites and wood peat) and four bogs (Sphagnum peat). All sites have an intact peat horizon that is permanently below groundwater level and a strongly disturbed topsoil horizon. Three of the fen and two of the bog sites have a topsoil horizon altered by sand-mixing. In addition the soil profile was mapped and samples for the determination of soil hydraulic properties were collected. All 64 soil columns (including four additional reference samples) will be installed

  14. Punctuated sediment record resulting from channel migration in a shallow sand-dominated micro-tidal lagoon, Northern Wadden Sea, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fruergaard, M.; Andersen, T.J.; Nielsen, L.H.

    2011-01-01

    depositional environment, but tidal channel sediments dominate in the five sediment cores, making up 56% of the 15 mof sediment core. Sedimentation in the lagoon alternated between slow vertical aggradation of sand flats (1.5–2 mm yr-1) and very fast lateral progradation of point bars in tidal channels, which...... caused the formation of a punctuated lagoonal fill. Frequent and comprehensive reworking of the sand flat sediments by tidal channel migration entails loss of sedimentary structures and bioturbation related to sand flat deposits, and old sand flat sediments are only very sparsely preserved. We further...... conclude that long-term (millennial timescale) sediment accumulation in the lagoon was controlled by rising sea-level, whereas short-term (centurial timescale) sediment accumulation was controlled by local erosion and depositional events caused by lateral migration of channels. Records of short-term sea...

  15. Investigating Hydrogeologic Controls on Sandhill Wetlands in Covered Karst with 2D Resistivity and Ground Penetrating Radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downs, C. M.; Nowicki, R. S.; Rains, M. C.; Kruse, S.

    2015-12-01

    In west-central Florida, wetland and lake distribution is strongly controlled by karst landforms. Sandhill wetlands and lakes are sand-filled upland basins whose water levels are groundwater driven. Lake dimensions only reach wetland edges during extreme precipitation events. Current wetland classification schemes are inappropriate for identifying sandhill wetlands due to their unique hydrologic regime and ecologic expression. As a result, it is difficult to determine whether or not a wetland is impacted by groundwater pumping, development, and climate change. A better understanding of subsurface structures and how they control the hydrologic regime is necessary for development of an identification and monitoring protocol. Long-term studies record vegetation diversity and distribution, shallow ground water levels and surface water levels. The overall goals are to determine the hydrologic controls (groundwater, seepage, surface water inputs). Most recently a series of geophysical surveys was conducted at select sites in Hernando and Pasco County, Florida. Electrical resistivity and ground penetrating radar were employed to image sand-filled basins and the top of the limestone bedrock and stratigraphy of wetland slopes, respectively. The deepest extent of these sand-filled basins is generally reflected in topography as shallow depressions. Resistivity along inundated wetlands suggests the pools are surface expressions of the surficial aquifer. However, possible breaches in confining clay layers beneath topographic highs between depressions are seen in resistivity profiles as conductive anomalies and in GPR as interruptions in otherwise continuous horizons. These data occur at sites where unconfined and confined water levels are in agreement, suggesting communication between shallow and deep groundwater. Wetland plants are observed outside the historic wetland boundary at many sites, GPR profiles show near-surface layers dipping towards the wetlands at a shallower

  16. Slow physics: recording the ascent and descent of a water column

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindén, Johan; Källman, Kjell-Mikael; Holm, Erik

    2018-07-01

    A glass filled with carbon dioxide gas upside down on a plate of water constitutes an excellent demonstration of the solubility of gases. If the water level on the plate is maintained the CO2 will slowly dissolve and the column of water will rise inside the glass, without quite reaching the ceiling, before an opposite process sets in: the water level will even more slowly begin to sink in a process which will take several years. We followed the process for several months, recording images of the water column with 10 min to 1 h intervals. The physics of the process is discussed and modeled quantitatively.

  17. Application of Fe-Cu/Biochar System for Chlorobenzene Remediation of Groundwater in Inhomogeneous Aquifers

    OpenAIRE

    Xu Zhang; Yanqing Wu; Pingping Zhao; Xin Shu; Qiong Zhou; Zichen Dong

    2017-01-01

    Chlorobenzene (CB), as a typical Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOC), is toxic, highly persistent and easily migrates in water, posing a significant risk to human health and subsurface ecosystems. Therefore, exploring effective approaches to remediate groundwater contaminated by CB is essential. As an enhanced micro-electrolysis system for CB-contaminated groundwater remediation, this study attempted to couple the iron-copper bimetal with biochar. Two series of columns using sands with differ...

  18. Regional coupling of unsaturated and saturated flow and transport modeling - implementation at an alpine foothill aquifer in Austria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klammler, G.; Rock, G.; Kupfersberger, H.; Fank, J.

    2012-04-01

    For many European countries nitrate leaching from the soil zone into the aquifer due to surplus application of mineral fertilizer and animal manure by farmers constitutes the most important threat to groundwater quality. Since this is a diffuse pollution situation measures to change agricultural production have to be investigated at the aquifer scale. In principal, the problem could be solved by the 3 dimensional equation describing variable saturated groundwater flow and solute transport. However, this is computationally prohibitive due to the temporal and spatial scope of the task, particularly in the framework of running numerous simulations to compromise between conflicting interests (i.e. good groundwater status and high agricultural yield). For the aquifer 'Westliches Leibnitzer Feld' we break down this task into 1d vertical movement of water and nitrate mass in the unsaturated zone and 2d horizontal flow of water and solutes in the saturated compartment. The aquifer is located within the Mur Valley about 20 km south of Graz and consists of early Holocene gravel with varying amounts of sand and some silt. The unsaturated flow and nitrate leaching package SIMWASER/STOTRASIM (Stenitzer, 1988; Feichtinger, 1998) is calibrated to the lysimeter data sets and further on applied to so called hydrotopes which are unique combinations of soil type and agricultural management. To account for the unknown regional distribution of crops grown and amount, timing and kind of fertilizers used a stochastic tool (Klammler et al, 2011) is developed that generates sequences of crop rotations derived from municipal statistical data. To match the observed nitrate concentrations in groundwater with a saturated nitrate transport model it is of utmost importance to apply a realistic input distribution of nitrate mass in terms of spatial and temporal characteristics. A table is generated by running SIMWASER/STOTRASIM that consists of unsaturated water and nitrate fluxes for each 10 cm

  19. Simulating the 2012 High Plains Drought Using Three Single Column Model Versions of the Community Earth System Model (SCM-CESM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, I. D.; Denning, S.

    2014-12-01

    The impact of changes in the frequency and severity of drought on fresh water sustainability is a great concern for many regions of the world. One such location is the High Plains, where the local economy is primarily driven by fresh water withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer, which accounts for approximately 30% of total irrigation withdrawals from all U.S. aquifers combined. Modeling studies that focus on the feedback mechanisms that control the climate and eco-hydrology during times of drought are limited in the sense that they use conventional General Circulation Models (GCMs) with grid length scales ranging from one hundred to several hundred kilometers. Additionally, these models utilize crude statistical parameterizations of cloud processes for estimating sub-grid fluxes of heat and moisture and have a poor representation of land surface heterogeneity. For this research, we focus on the 2012 High Plains drought, and will perform numerical simulations using three single column model versions of the Community Earth System Model (SCM-CESM) at multiple sites overlying the Ogallala Aquifer for the 2010-2012 period. In the first version of SCM-CESM, CESM will be used in standard mode (Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) coupled to a single instance of the Community Land Model (CLM)), secondly, CESM will be used in Super-Parameterized mode (SP-CESM), where a cloud resolving model (CRM consists of 32 atmospheric columns) replaces the standard CAM atmospheric parameterization and is coupled to a single instance of CLM, and thirdly, CESM is used in "Multi Instance" SP-CESM mode, where an instance of CLM is coupled to each CRM column of SP-CESM (32 CRM columns coupled to 32 instances of CLM). To assess the physical realism of the land-atmosphere feedbacks simulated at each site by all versions of SCM-CESM, differences in simulated energy and moisture fluxes will be computed between years for the 2010-2012 period, and will be compared to differences calculated using

  20. Estimated rates of groundwater recharge to the Chicot, Evangeline and Jasper aquifers by using environmental tracers in Montgomery and adjacent counties, Texas, 2008 and 2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oden, Timothy D.; Truini, Margot

    2013-01-01

    Montgomery County is in the northern part of the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area, the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. As populations have increased since the 1980s, groundwater has become an important resource for public-water supply and industry in the rapidly growing area of Montgomery County. Groundwater availability from the Gulf Coast aquifer system is a primary concern for water managers and community planners in Montgomery County and requires a better understanding of the rate of recharge to the system. The Gulf Coast aquifer system in Montgomery County consists of the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, the Burkeville confining unit, and underlying Catahoula confining system. The individual sand and clay sequences of the aquifers composing the Gulf Coast aquifer system are not laterally or vertically continuous on a regional scale; however, on a local scale, individual sand and clay lenses can extend over several miles. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, collected groundwater-quality samples from selected wells within or near Montgomery County in 2008 and analyzed these samples for concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), tritium (3H), helium-3/tritium (3He/3H), helium-4 (4He), and dissolved gases (DG) that include argon, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and oxygen. Groundwater ages, or apparent age, representing residence times since time of recharge, were determined by using the assumption of a piston-flow transport model. Most of the environmental tracer data indicated the groundwater was recharged prior to the 1950s, limiting the usefulness of CFCs, SF6, and 3H concentrations as tracers. In many cases, no tracer was usable at a well for the purpose of estimating an apparent age. Wells not usable for estimating an apparent age were resampled in 2011 and analyzed for concentrations of major ions and carbon-14 (14C). At six of