Tracer studies with aortic infusion result in improper tracer distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wisneski, J.A.; Brooks, G.A.; Neese, R.A.; Stanley, W.C.; Morris, D.L.; Gertz, E.W.

1986-01-01

It has been suggested that lactate turnover can be accurately assessed by infusing radioactive lactate tracer into the aorta and sampling blood in the vena cava. However, there may be streaming of newly infused tracer in the aorta, resulting in a nonuniform arterial specific activity (SA). Furthermore vena caval blood may not be representative of mixed venous blood. The authors examined this problem in 7 anesthetized dogs with sampling catheters in the pulmonary (PA), carotid (CA), and femoral (FA) arteries, and the superior (SVC) and inferior (IVC) vena cavi. [1- 14 C]lactate was continuously infused into the left ventricle through a catheter introduced through the femoral artery. The same SA (dpm/μmol) was found in the CA and FA, indicating adequate mixing of newly infused tracer with trace. Three dogs showed differences between SVC, IVC and PA, suggesting a mixed venous sample can not be obtained from the VC. When the catheter was moved into the aorta, wide differences in SA appeared between the CA and FA, clearly reflecting streaming of tracer. These differences also appeared in the SVC and IVC. In conclusion, adequate mixing does not occur between tracer and trace in arterial blood with aortic infusion. Further, VC sampling will not give a consistent mixed venous SA. Therefore, for practical reasons, aortic tracer infusion with vena caval sampling will lead to erroneous turnover values

Positron emission tomography with additional γ-ray detectors for multiple-tracer imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuchi, Tomonori; Okauchi, Takashi; Shigeta, Mika; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi; Enomoto, Shuichi

2017-06-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a useful imaging modality that quantifies the physiological distributions of radiolabeled tracers in vivo in humans and animals. However, this technique is unsuitable for multiple-tracer imaging because the annihilation photons used for PET imaging have a fixed energy regardless of the selection of the radionuclide tracer. This study developed a multi-isotope PET (MI-PET) system and evaluated its imaging performance. Our MI-PET system is composed of a PET system and additional γ-ray detectors. The PET system consists of pixelized gadolinium orthosilicate (GSO) scintillation detectors and has a ring geometry that is 95 mm in diameter with an axial field of view of 37.5 mm. The additional detectors are eight bismuth germanium oxide (BGO) scintillation detectors, each of which is 50 × 50 × 30 mm 3 , arranged into two rings mounted on each side of the PET ring with a 92-mm-inner diameter. This system can distinguish between different tracers using the additional γ-ray detectors to observe prompt γ-rays, which are emitted after positron emission and have an energy intrinsic to each radionuclide. Our system can simultaneously acquire double- (two annihilation photons) and triple- (two annihilation photons and a prompt γ-ray) coincidence events. The system's efficiency for detecting prompt de-excitation γ-rays was measured using a positron-γ emitter, 22 Na. Dual-radionuclide ( 18 F and 22 Na) imaging of a rod phantom and a mouse was performed to demonstrate the performance of the developed system. Our system's basic performance was evaluated by reconstructing two images, one containing both tracers and the other containing just the second tracer, from list-mode data sets that were categorized by the presence or absence of the prompt γ-ray. The maximum detection efficiency for 1275 keV γ-rays emitted from 22 Na was approximately 7% at the scanner's center, and the minimum detection efficiency was 5.1% at the edge of

Radioactive tracer method as an instrument for testing effectiveness of effluent treatment installations and mixing patterns in natural streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szpilowski, S; Strzelczak, G; Winnicki, R [Institute of Nuclear Research, Warsaw (Poland)

1976-01-01

The radiotracer methods of evaluation of sewage flow rate, testing of effluent treatment plants and mixing patterns in natural streams have been described. Experimental works were carried out for industrial installations and natural streams. As a tracer of liquid phase an aqueous KBr solution labelled with /sup 82/Br have been used. The sediment materials have been labelled with /sup 198/Au in the form of colloidal gold. The results of investigations have been utilized for treatment process analysis and water pollution control.

Performance Testing of Tracer Gas and Tracer Aerosol Detectors for use in Radionuclide NESHAP Compliance Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuehne, David Patrick [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lattin, Rebecca Renee [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-06-28

The Rad-NESHAP program, part of the Air Quality Compliance team of LANL’s Compliance Programs group (EPC-CP), and the Radiation Instrumentation & Calibration team, part of the Radiation Protection Services group (RP-SVS), frequently partner on issues relating to characterizing air flow streams. This memo documents the most recent example of this partnership, involving performance testing of sulfur hexafluoride detectors for use in stack gas mixing tests. Additionally, members of the Rad-NESHAP program performed a functional trending test on a pair of optical particle counters, comparing results from a non-calibrated instrument to a calibrated instrument. Prior to commissioning a new stack sampling system, the ANSI Standard for stack sampling requires that the stack sample location must meet several criteria, including uniformity of tracer gas and aerosol mixing in the air stream. For these mix tests, tracer media (sulfur hexafluoride gas or liquid oil aerosol particles) are injected into the stack air stream and the resulting air concentrations are measured across the plane of the stack at the proposed sampling location. The coefficient of variation of these media concentrations must be under 20% when evaluated over the central 2/3 area of the stack or duct. The instruments which measure these air concentrations must be tested prior to the stack tests in order to ensure their linear response to varying air concentrations of either tracer gas or tracer aerosol. The instruments used in tracer gas and aerosol mix testing cannot be calibrated by the LANL Standards and Calibration Laboratory, so they would normally be sent off-site for factory calibration by the vendor. Operational requirements can prevent formal factory calibration of some instruments after they have been used in hazardous settings, e.g., within a radiological facility with potential airborne contamination. The performance tests described in this document are intended to demonstrate the reliable

Chemical Tracer Methods: Chapter 7

Science.gov (United States)

Healy, Richard W.

2017-01-01

Tracers have a wide variety of uses in hydrologic studies: providing quantitative or qualitative estimates of recharge, identifying sources of recharge, providing information on velocities and travel times of water movement, assessing the importance of preferential flow paths, providing information on hydrodynamic dispersion, and providing data for calibration of water flow and solute-transport models (Walker, 1998; Cook and Herczeg, 2000; Scanlon et al., 2002b). Tracers generally are ions, isotopes, or gases that move with water and that can be detected in the atmosphere, in surface waters, and in the subsurface. Heat also is transported by water; therefore, temperatures can be used to trace water movement. This chapter focuses on the use of chemical and isotopic tracers in the subsurface to estimate recharge. Tracer use in surface-water studies to determine groundwater discharge to streams is addressed in Chapter 4; the use of temperature as a tracer is described in Chapter 8.Following the nomenclature of Scanlon et al. (2002b), tracers are grouped into three categories: natural environmental tracers, historical tracers, and applied tracers. Natural environmental tracers are those that are transported to or created within the atmosphere under natural processes; these tracers are carried to the Earth’s surface as wet or dry atmospheric deposition. The most commonly used natural environmental tracer is chloride (Cl) (Allison and Hughes, 1978). Ocean water, through the process of evaporation, is the primary source of atmospheric Cl. Other tracers in this category include chlorine-36 (36Cl) and tritium (3H); these two isotopes are produced naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere; however, there are additional anthropogenic sources of them.

You are not always what we think you eat: selective assimilation across multiple whole-stream isotopic tracer studies

Science.gov (United States)

W. K. Dodds; S. M. Collins; S. K. Hamilton; J. L. Tank; S. Johnson; J. R. Webster; K. S. Simon; M. R. Whiles; H. M. Rantala; W. H. McDowell; S. D. Peterson; T. Riis; C. L. Crenshaw; S. A. Thomas; P. B. Kristensen; B. M. Cheever; A. S. Flecker; N. A. Griffiths; T. Crowl; E. J. Rosi-Marshall; R. El-Sabaawi; E. Martí

2014-01-01

Analyses of 21 15N stable isotope tracer experiments, designed to examine food web dynamics in streams around the world, indicated that the isotopic composition of food resources assimilated by primary consumers (mostly invertebrates) poorly reflected the presumed food sources. Modeling indicated that consumers assimilated only 33–50% of the N...

Heat tracer methods

Science.gov (United States)

Healy, Richard W.; Scanlon, Bridget R.

2010-01-01

The flow of heat in the subsurface is closely linked to the movement of water (Ingebritsen et al., 2006). As such, heat has been used as a tracer in groundwater studies for more than 100 years (Anderson, 2005). As with chemical and isotopic tracers (Chapter 7), spatial or temporal trends in surface and subsurface temperatures can be used to infer rates of water movement. Temperature can be measured accurately, economically, at high frequencies, and without the need to obtain water samples, facts that make heat an attractive tracer. Temperature measurements made over space and time can be used to infer rates of recharge from a stream or other surface water body (Lapham, 1989; Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003); measurements can also be used to estimate rates of steady drainage through depth intervals within thick unsaturated zones (Constantz et al., 2003; Shan and Bodvarsson, 2004). Several thorough reviews of heat as a tracer in hydrologic studies have recently been published (Constantz et al., 2003; Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003; Anderson, 2005; Blasch et al., 2007; Constantz et al., 2008). This chapter summarizes heat-tracer approaches that have been used to estimate recharge.Some clarification in terminology is presented here to avoid confusion in descriptions of the various approaches that follow. Diffuse recharge is that which occurs more or less uniformly across large areas in response to precipitation, infiltration, and drainage through the unsaturated zone. Estimates of diffuse recharge determined using measured temperatures in the unsaturated zone are referred to as potential recharge because it is possible that not all of the water moving through the unsaturated zone will recharge the aquifer; some may be lost to the atmosphere by evaporation or plant transpiration. Estimated fluxes across confining units in the saturated zone are referred to as interaquifer flow (Chapter 1). Focused recharge is that which occurs directly from a point or line source, such

Determination of mercury evasion in a contaminated headwater stream.

Science.gov (United States)

Maprani, Antu C; Al, Tom A; Macquarrie, Kerry T; Dalziel, John A; Shaw, Sean A; Yeats, Phillip A

2005-03-15

Evasion from first- and second-order streams in a watershed may be a significant factor in the atmospheric recycling of volatile pollutants such as mercury; however, methods developed for the determination of Hg evasion rates from larger water bodies are not expected to provide satisfactory results in highly turbulent and morphologically complex first- and second-order streams. A new method for determining the Hg evasion rates from these streams, involving laboratory gas-indexing experiments and field tracer tests, was developed in this study to estimate the evasion rate of Hg from Gossan Creek, a first-order stream in the Upsalquitch River watershed in northern New Brunswick, Canada. Gossan Creek receives Hg-contaminated groundwater discharge from a gold mine tailings pile. Laboratory gas-indexing experiments provided the ratio of gas-exchange coefficients for zero-valent Hg to propane (tracer gas) of 0.81+/-0.16, suggesting that the evasion mechanism in highly turbulent systems can be described by the surface renewal model with an additional component of enhanced gas evasion probably related to the formation of bubbles. Deliberate field tracer tests with propane and chloride tracers were found to be a reliable and practical method for the determination of gas-exchange coefficients for small streams. Estimation of Hg evasion from the first 1 km of Gossan Creek indicates that about 6.4 kg of Hg per year is entering the atmosphere, which is a significant fraction of the regional sources of Hg to the atmosphere.

Analysis of nitrogen cycling in a forest stream during autumn using a 15N-tracer addition

Science.gov (United States)

Jennifer L. Tank; Judy L. Meyer; Diane M. Sanzone; Patrick J. Mulholland; Jackson R. Webster; Bruce J. Peterson; Wilfred M. Wollheim; Norman E. Leonard

2000-01-01

We added l5NH4Cl over 6 weeks to Upper Ball Creek, a second-order deciduous forest stream in the Appalachian Mountains, to follow the uptake, spiraling, and fate of nitrogen in a stream food web during autumn. A priori predictions of N flow and retention were made using a simple food web mass balance model. Values of ...

Thirty years of interpreting stream tracer data: A look back, a look sideways, and a look forward

Science.gov (United States)

Runkel, R. L.

2012-12-01

The pioneering work of Bencala and Walters (Water Resources Research, 1983) spawned numerous studies in which stream tracer data have been used to characterize the hydrologic processes that govern solute transport. The primary focus of these studies is the quantification of "transient storage", the delay in mass transport attributable to slow-moving waters within the stream channel and hyporheic zone. Characterization of transient storage is often achieved through analysis of tracer breakthrough curves using a simulation model that quantifies the size of the storage zone and the rate of exchange between the storage zone and the advective channel. This approach has led to significant advancements in our understanding of groundwater-surface water interactions, nutrient spiraling, and contaminant transport. Despite this progress, several deficiencies in the overall approach have been identified and are the subject of recent investigations. These deficiencies include the use of a single storage zone to quantify both surface storage and hyporheic exchange, the use of an exponential residence time distribution, and the inability to characterize long hyporheic flowpaths. Although research related to these deficiencies is still ongoing, there is a need to develop and maintain standard methods that allow investigators to compare research results. Future research efforts should therefore focus on methods that can objectively quantify transient storage in a consistent manner.

Quantifying the production of dissolved organic nitrogen in headwater streams using 15N tracer additions

Science.gov (United States)

Laura T. Johnson; Jennifer L. Tank; Robert O. Hall; Patrick J. Mullholland; Stephen K. Hamilton; H. Maurice Valett; Jackson R. Webster; Melody J. Bernot; William H. McDowell; Bruce J. Peterson; Suzanne M. Thomas

2013-01-01

Most nitrogen (N) assimilation in lake and marine ecosystems is often subsequently released via autochthonous dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) production, but autochthonous DON production has yet to be quantified in flowing waters. We measured in-stream DON production following 24 h 15N-nitrate (NO3-...

Potential tracers for tracking septic tank effluent discharges in watercourses.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Samia; Withers, Paul J A; Paterson, Eric; McRoberts, Colin W; Stutter, Marc

2017-09-01

Septic tank effluent (STE) contributes to catchment nutrient and pollutant loads. To assess the role of STE discharges in impairment of surface water, it is essential to identify the sources of pollution by tracing contaminants in watercourses. We examined tracers that were present in STE to establish their potential for identifying STE contamination in two stream systems (low and high dilution levels) against the background of upstream sources. The studied tracers were microbial, organic matter fluorescence, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and effluent chemical concentrations. The results revealed that tracer concentration ratios Cl/EC, Cl/NH 4 -N, Cl/TN, Cl/TSS, Cl/turbidity, Cl/total coliforms, Cl/sucralose, Cl/saccharin and Cl/Zn had potential as tracers in the stream with low dilution level (P < 0.05). Fluorescence spectroscopy could detect STE inputs through the presence of the tryptophan-like peak, but was limited to water courses with low level of dilution and was positively correlated with stream Escherichia coli (E. coli) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). The results also suggested that caffeine and artificial sweeteners can be suitable tracers for effluent discharge in streams with low and high level of dilution. Caffeine and saccharin were positively correlated with faecal coliforms, E. coli, total P and SRP, indicating their potential to trace discharge of a faecal origin and to be a marker for effluent P. Caffeine and SRP had similar attenuation behaviour in the receiving stream waters suggesting caffeine's potential role as a surrogate indicator for the behaviour of P downstream of effluent inputs. Taken together, results suggest that a single tracer alone was not sufficient to evaluate STE contamination of watercourses, but rather a combination of multiple chemical and physical tracing approaches should be employed. A multiple tracing approach would help to identify individual and cumulative STE inputs that pose risks to stream waters in

Seasonal variability in nitrate and phosphate uptake kinetics in a forested headwater stream using pulse nutrient additions

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, N. A.; Mulholland, P. J.

2011-12-01

We used the Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC) approach to quantify seasonal variability in ambient nutrient spiraling metrics and nutrient uptake kinetics in the West Fork of Walker Branch, a forested headwater stream in eastern Tennessee, USA. We performed instantaneous additions of nitrate (NO3-) and phosphate (PO4-3) separately with a conservative tracer (chloride, Cl-) during the following biologically-important time periods: autumn (during leaf fall, high organic matter [OM] standing stocks), winter (low OM standing stocks), spring (prior to canopy closure), and summer (closed canopy). We predicted that nutrient demand would be highest during autumn and spring, as OM inputs fuel heterotrophic respiration and high light availability stimulates autotrophic production, respectively. The measured ambient PO4-3 uptake rates (Vf-amb) followed our predictions, with the highest Vf-amb rates in autumn (Vf-amb = 2.8 mm/min) and spring (Vf-amb = 2.9 mm/min), and undetectable uptake in winter. Further, maximum areal PO4-3 uptake rates (Umax) were higher in autumn (Umax = 297 μg/m2/min) than spring (Umax = 106 μg/m2/min), possibly due to greater nutrient demand of heterotrophs on leaf litter accumulations. Contrary to our predictions, ambient NO3- uptake rates were highest in autumn and winter (autumn: Vf-amb = 2.8 mm/min, winter: Vf-amb = 2.4 mm/min), and lowest in spring (Vf-amb = 1.0 mm/min). The higher than expected Vf-amb rate in winter may be due to higher stream metabolism rates and thus greater nitrogen demand; the lower than expected Vf-amb rate in spring may reflect an alleviation of nitrogen demand due to high ammonium concentrations during this time. As the demand for both nitrogen and phosphorus in Walker Branch is greatest in autumn, future work will characterize how nutrient metrics change during this dynamic time period (i.e., before, during, and after leaf fall).

Multi-scale interactions affecting transport, storage, and processing of solutes and sediments in stream corridors (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, J. W.; Packman, A. I.

2010-12-01

Surface water and groundwater flow interact with the channel geomorphology and sediments in ways that determine how material is transported, stored, and transformed in stream corridors. Solute and sediment transport affect important ecological processes such as carbon and nutrient dynamics and stream metabolism, processes that are fundamental to stream health and function. Many individual mechanisms of transport and storage of solute and sediment have been studied, including surface water exchange between the main channel and side pools, hyporheic flow through shallow and deep subsurface flow paths, and sediment transport during both baseflow and floods. A significant challenge arises from non-linear and scale-dependent transport resulting from natural, fractal fluvial topography and associated broad, multi-scale hydrologic interactions. Connections between processes and linkages across scales are not well understood, imposing significant limitations on system predictability. The whole-stream tracer experimental approach is popular because of the spatial averaging of heterogeneous processes; however the tracer results, implemented alone and analyzed using typical models, cannot usually predict transport beyond the very specific conditions of the experiment. Furthermore, the results of whole stream tracer experiments tend to be biased due to unavoidable limitations associated with sampling frequency, measurement sensitivity, and experiment duration. We recommend that whole-stream tracer additions be augmented with hydraulic and topographic measurements and also with additional tracer measurements made directly in storage zones. We present examples of measurements that encompass interactions across spatial and temporal scales and models that are transferable to a wide range of flow and geomorphic conditions. These results show how the competitive effects between the different forces driving hyporheic flow, operating at different spatial scales, creates a situation

Use of natural and applied tracers to guide targeted remediation efforts in an acid mine drainage system, Colorado Rockies, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Cowie, Rory; Williams, Mark W.; Wireman, Mike; Runkel, Robert L.

2014-01-01

Stream water quality in areas of the western United States continues to be degraded by acid mine drainage (AMD), a legacy of hard-rock mining. The Rico-Argentine Mine in southwestern Colorado consists of complex multiple-level mine workings connected to a drainage tunnel discharging AMD to passive treatment ponds that discharge to the Dolores River. The mine workings are excavated into the hillslope on either side of a tributary stream with workings passing directly under the stream channel. There is a need to define hydrologic connections between surface water, groundwater, and mine workings to understand the source of both water and contaminants in the drainage tunnel discharge. Source identification will allow targeted remediation strategies to be developed. To identify hydrologic connections we employed a combination of natural and applied tracers including isotopes, ionic tracers, and fluorescent dyes. Stable water isotopes (δ18O/δD) show a well-mixed hydrological system, while tritium levels in mine waters indicate a fast flow-through system with mean residence times of years not decades or longer. Addition of multiple independent tracers indicated that water is traveling through mine workings with minimal obstructions. The results from a simultaneous salt and dye tracer application demonstrated that both tracer types can be successfully used in acidic mine water conditions.

Fast acoustic streaming in standing waves: generation of an additional outer streaming cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyt, Ida; Daru, Virginie; Bailliet, Hélène; Moreau, Solène; Valière, Jean-Christophe; Baltean-Carlès, Diana; Weisman, Catherine

2013-09-01

Rayleigh streaming in a cylindrical acoustic standing waveguide is studied both experimentally and numerically for nonlinear Reynolds numbers from 1 to 30 [Re(NL)=(U0/c0)(2)(R/δν)(2), with U0 the acoustic velocity amplitude at the velocity antinode, c0 the speed of sound, R the tube radius, and δν the acoustic boundary layer thickness]. Streaming velocity is measured by means of laser Doppler velocimetry in a cylindrical resonator filled with air at atmospheric pressure at high intensity sound levels. The compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved numerically with high resolution finite difference schemes. The resonator is excited by shaking it along the axis at imposed frequency. Results of measurements and of numerical calculation are compared with results given in the literature and with each other. As expected, the axial streaming velocity measured and calculated agrees reasonably well with the slow streaming theory for small ReNL but deviates significantly from such predictions for fast streaming (ReNL>1). Both experimental and numerical results show that when ReNL is increased, the center of the outer streaming cells are pushed toward the acoustic velocity nodes until counter-rotating additional vortices are generated near the acoustic velocity antinodes.

Comparison of Four Mixed Layer Mesoscale Parameterizations and the Equation for an Arbitrary Tracer

Science.gov (United States)

Canuto, V. M.; Dubovikov, M. S.

2011-01-01

In this paper we discuss two issues, the inter-comparison of four mixed layer mesoscale parameterizations and the search for the eddy induced velocity for an arbitrary tracer. It must be stressed that our analysis is limited to mixed layer mesoscales since we do not treat sub-mesoscales and small turbulent mixing. As for the first item, since three of the four parameterizations are expressed in terms of a stream function and a residual flux of the RMT formalism (residual mean theory), while the fourth is expressed in terms of vertical and horizontal fluxes, we needed a formalism to connect the two formulations. The standard RMT representation developed for the deep ocean cannot be extended to the mixed layer since its stream function does not vanish at the ocean's surface. We develop a new RMT representation that satisfies the surface boundary condition. As for the general form of the eddy induced velocity for an arbitrary tracer, thus far, it has been assumed that there is only the one that originates from the curl of the stream function. This is because it was assumed that the tracer residual flux is purely diffusive. On the other hand, we show that in the case of an arbitrary tracer, the residual flux has also a skew component that gives rise to an additional bolus velocity. Therefore, instead of only one bolus velocity, there are now two, one coming from the curl of the stream function and other from the skew part of the residual flux. In the buoyancy case, only one bolus velocity contributes to the mean buoyancy equation since the residual flux is indeed only diffusive.

Estimation of time-variable fast flow path chemical concentrations for application in tracer-based hydrograph separation analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Kronholm, Scott C.; Capel, Paul D.

2016-01-01

Mixing models are a commonly used method for hydrograph separation, but can be hindered by the subjective choice of the end-member tracer concentrations. This work tests a new variant of mixing model that uses high-frequency measures of two tracers and streamflow to separate total streamflow into water from slowflow and fastflow sources. The ratio between the concentrations of the two tracers is used to create a time-variable estimate of the concentration of each tracer in the fastflow end-member. Multiple synthetic data sets, and data from two hydrologically diverse streams, are used to test the performance and limitations of the new model (two-tracer ratio-based mixing model: TRaMM). When applied to the synthetic streams under many different scenarios, the TRaMM produces results that were reasonable approximations of the actual values of fastflow discharge (±0.1% of maximum fastflow) and fastflow tracer concentrations (±9.5% and ±16% of maximum fastflow nitrate concentration and specific conductance, respectively). With real stream data, the TRaMM produces high-frequency estimates of slowflow and fastflow discharge that align with expectations for each stream based on their respective hydrologic settings. The use of two tracers with the TRaMM provides an innovative and objective approach for estimating high-frequency fastflow concentrations and contributions of fastflow water to the stream. This provides useful information for tracking chemical movement to streams and allows for better selection and implementation of water quality management strategies.

Stream Ammonium Uptake Across Scales in Headwater Catchments of a Tropical Rainforest, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Brereton, R. L.; McDowell, W. H.; Wymore, A.

2015-12-01

Many tropical forest streams export high amounts of nitrogen relative to streams draining undisturbed watersheds of other biomes. With their low DOC concentrations and high rates of respiration, headwater streams in the Luquillo Mountains have been previously characterized as energy-limited, suggesting that NH4+ uptake is dominated not by N demand but by energy demand. In the Rio Icacos watershed, high concentrations of NH4+ (>1 mg N/L) are found in groundwater adjacent to the streams, making high inputs of NH4+ to the stream channel via groundwater seepage likely. Stream nutrient spiraling metrics can be used to quantify uptake and retention rates of specific nutrients, and can be measured by solute additions. Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC) is a recently developed method (Covino et al. 2010) for quantifying nutrient uptake with a single slug addition of nutrient and conservative tracer. Here we present NH4+ uptake metrics from TASCC additions in three Luquillo streams of different sizes, ranging from 2nd to 4th order: the Rio Icacos, a larger, 3rd order tributary and a smaller 2nd order tributary. Background NH4+ concentrations vary by up to an order of magnitude, with highest concentrations (27 μg N/L) found in the smaller tributary. Background DOC concentrations are uniformly low and show no difference between the three streams (500-600 μg C/L). The smaller tributary has the shortest uptake length (155 m) and highest uptake velocity (2.9 mm/min) of the three streams. Unexpectedly, the Rio Icacos has a higher uptake velocity (1.7 mm/min) than the larger tributary (1.0 mm/min), despite having an uptake length more than double (1400 m) that of the larger tributary (596 m). Overall, NH4+ uptake is substantial in all three streams and varies with background concentrations, not stream size.

A groundwater salinity hotspot and its connection to an intermittent stream identified by environmental tracers (Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia)

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Thomas A.; Bestland, Erick A.; Soloninka, Lesja; Wallis, Ilka; Banks, Edward W.; Pichler, Markus

2017-12-01

High and variable levels of salinity were investigated in an intermittent stream in a high-rainfall area (˜800 mm/year) of the Mt. Lofty Ranges of South Australia. The groundwater system was found to have a local, upslope saline lens, referred to here as a groundwater salinity `hotspot'. Environmental tracer analyses (δ18O, δ2H, 87/86Sr, and major elements) of water from the intermittent stream, a nearby permanent stream, shallow and deep groundwater, and soil-water/runoff demonstrate seasonal groundwater input of very saline composition into the intermittent stream. This input results in large salinity increases of the stream water because the winter wet-season stream flow decreases during spring in this Mediterranean climate. Furthermore, strontium and water isotope analyses demonstrate: (1) the upslope-saline-groundwater zone (hotspot) mixes with the dominant groundwater system, (2) the intermittent-stream water is a mixture of soil-water/runoff and the upslope saline groundwater, and (3) the upslope-saline-groundwater zone results from the flushing of unsaturated-zone salts from the thick clayey regolith and soil which overlie the metamorphosed shale bedrock. The preferred theory on the origin of the upslope-saline-groundwater hotspot is land clearing of native deep-rooted woodland, followed by flushing of accumulated salts from the unsaturated zone due to increased recharge. This cause of elevated groundwater and surface-water salinity, if correct, could be widespread in Mt. Lofty Ranges areas, as well as other climatically and geologically similar areas with comparable hydrogeologic conditions.

Determination of the dispersion coefficient, in rivers through radioactive and fluorescent tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida Rosso, T.C. de.

1986-03-01

The purpose of this work was to determine experimentally the dispersion coefficient in natural streams through the aplication of radioactive and fluorescent tracers. The technique used to obtain the experimental data was the simmultaneous injection of the radioactive tracer Bromim - 82 and the fluorescent ones, Amidorodamine G. extra and Uranine. A comparison among these different tracers is shown as well as the performance of Uranine in a poluented stream in the presence of suspended sediments. The site chosen for the experiments was the Piabanha River, between Pedro do Rio and Areal, located at Rio de Janeiro state, in a nearly 20 Km strech. (Author) [pt

Radon as tracer to identify discharge sections at Juatuba basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chagas, Claudio Jose; Ferreira, Vinicius Verna Magalhaes; Fonseca, Raquel Luisa Mageste; Rocha, Zildete; Moreira, Rubens Martins; Lemos, Nayron Cosme; Menezes, Angela de Barros Correia; Santos, Talita Oliveira

2015-01-01

The use of natural tracers in hydrological studies is a very useful tool, being applied in several studies. One of these tracers is the radon, 222 Rn, noble gas derived from natural sources, been found in all underground waters, as a product of radioactive decay of the 226 Ra. This gas can be found in the air, water, rocks or soil. In this paper, the 222 Rn detection in surface water was used as tracer in order to identify aquifer discharge sections in surface water at the Fundao stream, which belongs to the Juatuba river basin, through the second semester of 2014 and the first semester of 2015, in three sampling campaigns. The 222 Rn measurements at Fundao stream were carried out using the equipment RAD 7. The results showed that 222 Rn is present in some sections of the water course suggesting that there is a connection between groundwater and surface water. It also justifies the variation in the water level in the stream, recorded by a fluviometric station. (author)

Radon as tracer to identify discharge sections at Juatuba basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chagas, Claudio Jose; Ferreira, Vinicius Verna Magalhaes; Fonseca, Raquel Luisa Mageste; Rocha, Zildete; Moreira, Rubens Martins; Lemos, Nayron Cosme; Menezes, Angela de Barros Correia, E-mail: vvmf@cdtn.br, E-mail: rlmf@cdtn.br, E-mail: cjc@cdtn.br, E-mail: rochaz@cdtn.br, E-mail: rubens@cdtn.br, E-mail: menezes@cdtn.br, E-mail: lemosnc@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Santos, Talita Oliveira, E-mail: talitaolsantos@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Escola de Engenharia. Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias e Tecnicas Nucleares

2015-07-01

The use of natural tracers in hydrological studies is a very useful tool, being applied in several studies. One of these tracers is the radon, {sup 222}Rn, noble gas derived from natural sources, been found in all underground waters, as a product of radioactive decay of the {sup 226}Ra. This gas can be found in the air, water, rocks or soil. In this paper, the {sup 222}Rn detection in surface water was used as tracer in order to identify aquifer discharge sections in surface water at the Fundao stream, which belongs to the Juatuba river basin, through the second semester of 2014 and the first semester of 2015, in three sampling campaigns. The {sup 222}Rn measurements at Fundao stream were carried out using the equipment RAD 7. The results showed that {sup 222}Rn is present in some sections of the water course suggesting that there is a connection between groundwater and surface water. It also justifies the variation in the water level in the stream, recorded by a fluviometric station. (author)

Reaeration of oxygen in shallow, macrophyte rich streams. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thyssen, N.; Erlandsen, M.; Jeppesen, E.

1987-01-01

The rate coefficient K 2 for the exchange of oxygen between flowing water and the atmosphere (reaeration) has been studied in six Danish streams covering a relatively wide range of hydraulic conditions, pollutional loading, and macrophyte abundance. 103 K 2 measurements were performed in 1978-85. 82 measurements were obtained applying 5 different indirect methods all balancing the sources and sinks of stream dissolved oxygen under conditions of normal operation of the system (3 methods) and under artificial depletion of the oxygen concentration of the stream water by addition of sodium sulfite (2 methods). 21 K 2 values were determined directly applying the gaseous tracer 85 Kr for reaeration. Guidelines for selecting a proper method to determine K 2 knowing macrophyte biomass and loading characteristics of the particular stream are provided. (author)

Hydraulic Properties related to Stream Reaeration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsivoglou, E. C.; Wallace, J. R. [School of Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

1970-09-15

The paper reports the results of recent and current field tracer experiments designed to investigate the relationships between the reaeration capacity of a flowing stream and the stream's hydraulic properties. The purpose of the studies is to develop models for the accurate prediction of stream reaeration capacity on the basis of observation of the associated hydraulic properties. The ability of a flowing stream to absorb oxygen from the overlying atmosphere is the principal process by which the stream is able to recover its dissolved oxygen resources once they have been depleted by bacterial degradation of organic wastes. Accurate knowledge of stream reaeration capacity is therefore a necessity in determining the required degree of waste treatment, and the associated costs, in any specific case. Oxygen absorption can only occur at the air-water interface, hence reaeration is a direct function of the rate of surface water replacement due to turbulent mixing. The latter is not directly observable, and so reaeration capacity has not been observable before the quite recent development of a gaseous radiotracer technique for field measurement of reaeration. This procedure involves the simultaneous use of three tracers, namely a fluorescent dye for time of flow, tritiated water for accurate dispersion measurement, and dissolved krypton-85 for measurement of gas transfer. Field results obtained by this technique are highly reproducible. Field tracer studies of the reaeration capacities of three medium-sized streams have been conducted over a total of about fifty river miles. Associated hydraulic properties such as stream flow, cross-sectional area, depth, velocity, hydraulic gradient and dispersion have also been measured. Features such as waterfalls, rapids and pools are included, and more than eighty observations of the reaeration capacities of individual stream reaches have been made. The paper reports the observed relationships between stream reaeration capacity and

Hydraulic properties related to stream reaeration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsivoglou, E C; Wallace, J R [School of Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

1970-09-15

The paper reports the results of recent and current field tracer experiments designed to investigate the relationships between the reaeration capacity of a flowing stream and the stream's hydraulic properties. The purpose of the studies is to develop models for the accurate prediction of stream reaeration capacity on the basis of observation of the associated hydraulic properties. The ability of a flowing stream to absorb oxygen from the overlying atmosphere is the principal process by which the stream is able to recover its dissolved oxygen resources once they have been depleted by bacterial degradation of organic wastes. Accurate knowledge of stream reaeration capacity is therefore a necessity in determining the required degree of waste treatment, and the associated costs, in any specific case. Oxygen absorption can only occur at the air-water interface, hence reaeration is a direct function of the rate of surface water replacement due to turbulent mixing. The latter is not directly observable, and so reaeration capacity has not been observable before the quite recent development of a gaseous radiotracer technique for field measurement of reaeration. This procedure involves the simultaneous use of three tracers, namely a fluorescent dye for time of flow, tritiated water for accurate dispersion measurement, and dissolved krypton-85 for measurement of gas transfer. Field results obtained by this technique are highly reproducible. Field tracer studies of the reaeration capacities of three medium-sized streams have been conducted over a total of about fifty river miles. Associated hydraulic properties such as stream flow, cross-sectional area, depth, velocity, hydraulic gradient and dispersion have also been measured. Features such as waterfalls, rapids and pools are included, and more than eighty observations of the reaeration capacities of individual stream reaches have been made. The paper reports the observed relationships between stream reaeration capacity and

Quantifying Reaeration Rates in Alpine Streams Using Deliberate Gas Tracer Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Benson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Gas exchange across the air-water interface is a critical process that maintains adequate dissolved oxygen (DO in the water column to support life. Oxygen reaeration rates can be accurately measured using deliberate gas tracers, like sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 or xenon (Xe. Two continuous release experiments were conducted in different creeks in the Sierra Nevada of California: Sagehen Creek in September, 2009, using SF6 and Martis Creek in August, 2012, using both SF6 and Xe. Measuring gas loss along the creek, which was approximated with the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation, allows for the estimation of the SF6 or Xe reaeration coefficient (KSF6, KXe, which is converted to DO reaeration (KDO or K2 using Schmidt numbers. Mean KSF6 for upper and lower Sagehen and Martis Creeks were, respectively, 34 day−1, 37 day−1 and 33 day−1, with corresponding KDOs of 61 day−1, 66 day−1 and 47 day−1. In Martis Creek, KXe was slightly higher (21% than KSF6, but the calculated KDO from SF6 agreed with the calculated KDO from Xe within about 15%; this difference may be due to bubble-enhanced gas transfer. Established empirical equations of KDO using stream characteristics did a poor job predicting KDO for both creeks.

Stream-groundwater exchange and hydrologic turnover at the network scale

Science.gov (United States)

Covino, Tim; McGlynn, Brian; Mallard, John

2011-12-01

The exchange of water between streams and groundwater can influence stream water quality, hydrologic mass balances, and attenuate solute export from watersheds. We used conservative tracer injections (chloride, Cl-) across 10 stream reaches to investigate stream water gains and losses from and to groundwater at larger spatial and temporal scales than typically associated with hyporheic exchanges. We found strong relationships between reach discharge, median tracer velocity, and gross hydrologic loss across a range of stream morphologies and sizes in the 11.4 km2 Bull Trout Watershed of central ID. We implemented these empirical relationships in a numerical network model and simulated stream water gains and losses and subsequent fractional hydrologic turnover across the stream network. We found that stream gains and losses from and to groundwater can influence source water contributions and stream water compositions across stream networks. Quantifying proportional influences of source water contributions from runoff generation locations across the network on stream water composition can provide insight into the internal mechanisms that partially control the hydrologic and biogeochemical signatures observed along networks and at watershed outlets.

TracerLPM (Version 1): An Excel® workbook for interpreting groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data

Science.gov (United States)

Jurgens, Bryant C.; Böhlke, J.K.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2012-01-01

point in time; however, prior knowledge of an appropriate LPM is required because the mean age is often non-unique. LPM output concentrations depend on model parameters and sample date. All of the LPMs have a parameter for mean age. The EPM, PEM, and DM have an additional parameter that characterizes the degree of age mixing in the sample. BMMs have a parameter for the fraction of the first component in the mixture. An LPM, together with its parameter values, provides a description of the age distribution or the fractional contribution of water for every age of recharge contained within a sample. For the PFM, the age distribution is a unit pulse at one distinct age. For the other LPMs, the age distribution can be much broader and span decades, centuries, millennia, or more. For a sample with a mixture of groundwater ages, the reported interpretation of tracer data includes the LPM name, the mean age, and the values of any other independent model parameters. TracerLPM also can be used for simulating the responses of wells, springs, streams, or other groundwater discharge receptors to nonpoint-source contaminants that are introduced in recharge, such as nitrate. This is done by combining an LPM or user-defined age distribution with information on contaminant loading at the water table. Information on historic contaminant loading can be used to help evaluate a model's ability to match real world conditions and understand observed contaminant trends, while information on future contaminant loading scenarios can be used to forecast potential contaminant trends.

Deciphering relationships between in-stream travel times, nutrient concentrations, and uptake through analysis of hysteretic and non-hysteretic kinetic behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Covino, T. P.; Bowden, W. B.; Gooseff, M. N.; Wollheim, W. M.; McGlynn, B. L.; Whittinghill, K. A.; Wlostowski, A. N.; Herstand, M. R.

2012-12-01

Understanding the relationship between solute travel time, concentration, and nutrient uptake remains a central question in watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry. Theoretical understanding predicts that nutrient uptake should increase as in-stream solute travel time lengthens and/or as concentration increases; however, results from field-based studies have been contradictory. We used a newly developed approach, Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC), to investigate relationships between solute travel time, nutrient concentration, and nutrient uptake across a range of stream types. This approach allows us to quantify in-stream nutrient uptake across a range of travel times and nutrient concentrations using single instantaneous injections (slugs) of conservative and non-conservative tracers. In some systems we observed counter-clockwise hysteresis loops in the relationship between nutrient uptake and concentration. Greater nutrient uptake on the falling limb of tracer breakthrough curves indicates stronger uptake for a given concentration at longer travel times. However, in other systems we did not observe hysteresis in these relationships. Lack of hysteresis indicates that nutrient uptake kinetics were not influenced by travel time travel time. Here we investigate the potential roles of travel time and in-stream flowpaths that could be responsible for hysteretic behavior.

Multiple injected and natural conservative tracers quantify mixing in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage near Silverton, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Schemel, L.E.; Cox, M.H.; Runkel, R.L.; Kimball, B.A.

2006-01-01

The acidic discharge from Cement Creek, containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals and sulphate, mixed with the circumneutral-pH Animas River over a several hundred metre reach (mixing zone) near Silverton, CO, during this study. Differences in concentrations of Ca, Mg, Si, Sr, and SO42- between the creek and the river were sufficiently large for these analytes to be used as natural tracers in the mixing zone. In addition, a sodium chloride (NaCl) tracer was injected into Cement Creek, which provided a Cl- 'reference' tracer in the mixing zone. Conservative transport of the dissolved metals and sulphate through the mixing zone was verified by mass balances and by linear mixing plots relative to the injected reference tracer. At each of seven sites in the mixing zone, five samples were collected at evenly spaced increments of the observed across-channel gradients, as determined by specific conductance. This created sets of samples that adequately covered the ranges of mixtures (mixing ratios, in terms of the fraction of Animas River water, %AR). Concentrations measured in each mixing zone sample and in the upstream Animas River and Cement Creek were used to compute %AR for the reference and natural tracers. Values of %AR from natural tracers generally showed good agreement with values from the reference tracer, but variability in discharge and end-member concentrations and analytical errors contributed to unexpected outlier values for both injected and natural tracers. The median value (MV) %AR (calculated from all of the tracers) reduced scatter in the mixing plots for the dissolved metals, indicating that the MV estimate reduced the effects of various potential errors that could affect any tracer.

Multiple injected and natural conservative tracers quantify mixing in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage near Silverton, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Schemel, Laurence E.; Cox, Marisa H.; Runkel, Robert L.; Kimball, Briant A.

2006-08-01

The acidic discharge from Cement Creek, containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals and sulphate, mixed with the circumneutral-pH Animas River over a several hundred metre reach (mixing zone) near Silverton, CO, during this study. Differences in concentrations of Ca, Mg, Si, Sr, and SO42- between the creek and the river were sufficiently large for these analytes to be used as natural tracers in the mixing zone. In addition, a sodium chloride (NaCl) tracer was injected into Cement Creek, which provided a Cl- reference tracer in the mixing zone. Conservative transport of the dissolved metals and sulphate through the mixing zone was verified by mass balances and by linear mixing plots relative to the injected reference tracer. At each of seven sites in the mixing zone, five samples were collected at evenly spaced increments of the observed across-channel gradients, as determined by specific conductance. This created sets of samples that adequately covered the ranges of mixtures (mixing ratios, in terms of the fraction of Animas River water, %AR). Concentratis measured in each mixing zone sample and in the upstream Animas River and Cement Creek were used to compute %AR for the reference and natural tracers. Values of %AR from natural tracers generally showed good agreement with values from the reference tracer, but variability in discharge and end-member concentrations and analytical errors contributed to unexpected outlier values for both injected and natural tracers. The median value (MV) %AR (calculated from all of the tracers) reduced scatter in the mixing plots for the dissolved metals, indicating that the MV estimate reduced the effects of various potential errors that could affect any tracer.

In-stream Nitrogen Processing and Dilution in an Agricultural Stream Network

Science.gov (United States)

Prior, K.; Ward, A. S.; Davis, C. A.; Burgin, A. J.; Loecke, T.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.; Thomas, S. A.; St Clair, M. A.

2014-12-01

The interaction of agricultural fertilizer use and extremes in drought and flood conditions in 2012-2013 set up conditions for a natural experiment on watershed-scale nutrient dynamics. The region-wide drought in 2012 left surface soils disconnected from stream networks and restricted nutrient use by crops, resulting in an unusually large nitrogen pool in soil columns through the winter. When wet conditions returned to the Midwest in 2013, the unused fertilizer was mobilized, resulting in a six-week period of extremely high in-stream nutrient concentrations. This study analyses three synoptic samples from the Iowa-Cedar River Basin in 2013 to quantify patterns in nitrogen dynamics. We use multiple conservative ions as tracers to estimate dilution by lateral inflows. We also estimate nutrient spiraling metrics by treating the fertilizer pulse as a constant rate nutrient addition across the watershed—a scale on which these processes are increasingly modeled numerically, but on which standard nutrient addition experiments are simply not feasible. Results of this study compare patterns in dilution and uptake across spatial and temporal scales, and bound feasible explanations for each reach of the network.

Proceedings of the atmospheric tracers and tracer application workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, S.; Gedayloo, T.

1979-12-01

In addition to presentations by participating members a general discussion was held in order to summarize and outline the goals and objectives of the workshop. A number of new low level background tracers such as heavy methanes, perfluorocarbons, multiply labeled isotopes such as 13 C 18 O 2 , helium 3, in addition to sample collection techniques and analytical methods for various tracers were discussed. This report is a summary of discussions and papers presented at this workshop

Radio-isotopic tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfangel, R.G.

1976-01-01

The invention concerns the dispersions that may be used for preparing radio-isotopic tracers, technetium labelled dispersions, processes for preparing these dispersions and their use as tracers. Technetium 99m sulphur colloids are utilized as scintillation tracers to give a picture of the reticulo-endothelial system, particularly the liver and spleen. A dispersion is provided which only requires the addition of a radioactive nuclide to form a radioactively labelled dispersion that can be injected as a tracer. It is formed of a colloid of tin sulphur dispersed in an aqueous buffer solution. Such a reagent has the advantage of being safe and reliable and is easier to use. The colloid can be prepared more quickly since additions of several different reagents are avoided. There is no need to heat up and no sulphuretted hydrogen, which is a toxic gas, is used [fr

Use of argon to measure gas exchange in turbulent mountain streams

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Robert O., Jr.; Madinger, Hilary L.

2018-05-01

Gas exchange is a parameter needed in stream metabolism and trace gas emissions models. One way to estimate gas exchange is via measuring the decline of added tracer gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Estimates of oxygen (O2) gas exchange derived from SF6 additions require scaling via Schmidt number (Sc) ratio, but this scaling is uncertain under conditions of high gas exchange via bubbles because scaling depends on gas solubility as well as Sc. Because argon (Ar) and O2 have nearly identical Schmidt numbers and solubility, Ar may be a useful tracer gas for estimating stream O2 exchange. Here we compared rates of gas exchange measured via Ar and SF6 for turbulent mountain streams in Wyoming, USA. We measured Ar as the ratio of Ar : N2 using a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS). Normalizing to N2 confers higher precision than simply measuring [Ar] alone. We consistently enriched streams with Ar from 1 to 18 % of ambient Ar concentration and could estimate gas exchange rate using an exponential decline model. The mean ratio of gas exchange of Ar relative to SF6 was 1.8 (credible interval 1.1 to 2.5) compared to the theoretical estimate 1.35, showing that using SF6 would have underestimated exchange of Ar. Steep streams (slopes 11-12 %) had high rates of gas exchange velocity normalized to Sc = 600 (k600, 57-210 m d-1), and slope strongly predicted variation in k600 among all streams. We suggest that Ar is a useful tracer because it is easily measured, requires no scaling assumptions to estimate rates of O2 exchange, and is not an intense greenhouse gas as is SF6. We caution that scaling from rates of either Ar or SF6 gas exchange to CO2 is uncertain due to solubility effects in conditions of bubble-mediated gas transfer.

Hydrologic control of nitrogen removal, storage, and export in a mountain stream

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, R.O.; Baker, M.A.; Arp, C.D.; Kocha, B.J.

2009-01-01

Nutrient cycling and export in streams and rivers should vary with flow regime, yet most studies of stream nutrient transformation do not include hydrologic variability. We used a stable isotope tracer of nitrogen (15N) to measure nitrate (NO3) uptake, storage, and export in a mountain stream, Spring Creek, Idaho, U.S.A. We conducted two tracer tests of 2-week duration during snowmelt and baseflow. Dissolved and particulate forms of 15N were monitored over three seasons to test the hypothesis that stream N cycling would be dominated by export during floods, and storage during low flow. Floods exported more N than during baseflow conditions; however, snowmelt floods had higher than expected demand for NO{3 because of hyporheic exchange. Residence times of benthic N during both tracer tests were longer than 100 d for ephemeral pools such as benthic algae and wood biofilms. Residence times were much longer in fine detritus, insects, and the particulate N from the hyporheic zone, showing that assimilation and hydrologic storage can be important mechanisms for retaining particulate N. Of the tracer N stored in the stream, the primary form of export was via seston during periods of high flows, produced by summer rainstorms or spring snowmelt the following year. Spring Creek is not necessarily a conduit for nutrients during high flow; hydrologic exchange between the stream and its valley represents an important storage mechanism.

Quantifying trail erosion and stream sedimentation with sediment tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Mark S. Riedel

2006-01-01

Abstract--The impacts of forest disturbance and roads on stream sedimentation have been rigorously investigated and documented. While historical research on turbidity and suspended sediments has been thorough, studies of stream bed sedimentation have typically relied on semi-quantitative measures such as embeddedness or marginal pool depth. To directly quantify the...

The suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient streams

Science.gov (United States)

Gleeson, Tom; Manning, Andrew H.; Popp, Andrea; Zane, Matthew; Clark, Jordan F.

2018-02-01

Determining groundwater discharge to streams using dissolved gases is known to be useful over a wide range of streamflow rates but the suitability of dissolved gas methods to determine discharge rates in high gradient mountain streams has not been sufficiently tested, even though headwater streams are critical as ecological habitats and water resources. The aim of this study is to test the suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge rates to high gradient streams by field experiments in a well-characterized, high gradient mountain stream and a literature review. At a reach scale (550 m) we combined stream and groundwater radon activity measurements with an in-stream SF6 tracer test. By means of numerical modeling we determined gas exchange velocities and derived very low groundwater discharge rates (∼15% of streamflow). These groundwater discharge rates are below the uncertainty range of physical streamflow measurements and consistent with temperature, specific conductance and streamflow measured at multiple locations along the reach. At a watershed-scale (4 km), we measured CFC-12 and δ18O concentrations and determined gas exchange velocities and groundwater discharge rates with the same numerical model. The groundwater discharge rates along the 4 km stream reach were highly variable, but were consistent with the values derived in the detailed study reach. Additionally, we synthesized literature values of gas exchange velocities for different stream gradients which show an empirical relationship that will be valuable in planning future dissolved gas studies on streams with various gradients. In sum, we show that multiple dissolved gas tracers can be used to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient mountain streams from reach to watershed scales.

The suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient streams

Science.gov (United States)

Gleeson, Tom; Manning, Andrew H.; Popp, Andrea; Zane, Mathew; Clark, Jordan F.

2018-01-01

Determining groundwater discharge to streams using dissolved gases is known to be useful over a wide range of streamflow rates but the suitability of dissolved gas methods to determine discharge rates in high gradient mountain streams has not been sufficiently tested, even though headwater streams are critical as ecological habitats and water resources. The aim of this study is to test the suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge rates to high gradient streams by field experiments in a well-characterized, high gradient mountain stream and a literature review. At a reach scale (550 m) we combined stream and groundwater radon activity measurements with an in-stream SF6 tracer test. By means of numerical modeling we determined gas exchange velocities and derived very low groundwater discharge rates (∼15% of streamflow). These groundwater discharge rates are below the uncertainty range of physical streamflow measurements and consistent with temperature, specific conductance and streamflow measured at multiple locations along the reach. At a watershed-scale (4 km), we measured CFC-12 and δ18O concentrations and determined gas exchange velocities and groundwater discharge rates with the same numerical model. The groundwater discharge rates along the 4 km stream reach were highly variable, but were consistent with the values derived in the detailed study reach. Additionally, we synthesized literature values of gas exchange velocities for different stream gradients which show an empirical relationship that will be valuable in planning future dissolved gas studies on streams with various gradients. In sum, we show that multiple dissolved gas tracers can be used to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient mountain streams from reach to watershed scales.

Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents.

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, Beth C; Whiles, Matt R; Collins, Sarah M; Flecker, Alexander S; Hamilton, Steve K; Johnson, Sherri L; Rosi, Emma J; Ashkenas, Linda R; Bowden, William B; Crenshaw, Chelsea L; Crowl, Todd; Dodds, Walter K; Hall, Robert O; El-Sabaawi, Rana; Griffiths, Natalie A; Marti, Eugènia; McDowell, William H; Peterson, Scot D; Rantala, Heidi M; Riis, Tenna; Simon, Kevin S; Tank, Jennifer L; Thomas, Steven A; von Schiller, Daniel; Webster, Jackson R

2017-12-01

Studies of trophic-level material and energy transfers are central to ecology. The use of isotopic tracers has now made it possible to measure trophic transfer efficiencies of important nutrients and to better understand how these materials move through food webs. We analyzed data from thirteen 15 N-ammonium tracer addition experiments to quantify N transfer from basal resources to animals in headwater streams with varying physical, chemical, and biological features. N transfer efficiencies from primary uptake compartments (PUCs; heterotrophic microorganisms and primary producers) to primary consumers was lower (mean 11.5%, range 100%). Total N transferred (as a rate) was greater in streams with open compared to closed canopies and overall N transfer efficiency generally followed a similar pattern, although was not statistically significant. We used principal component analysis to condense a suite of site characteristics into two environmental components. Total N uptake rates among trophic levels were best predicted by the component that was correlated with latitude, DIN:SRP, GPP:ER, and percent canopy cover. N transfer efficiency did not respond consistently to environmental variables. Our results suggest that canopy cover influences N movement through stream food webs because light availability and primary production facilitate N transfer to higher trophic levels. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Tracer transport in fractured rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, C.F.; Tsang, Y.W.; Hale, F.V.

1988-07-01

Recent interest in the safety of toxic waste underground disposal and nuclear waste geologic repositories has motivated many studies of tracer transport in fractured media. Fractures occur in most geologic formations and introduce a high degree of heterogeneity. Within each fracture, the aperture is not constant in value but strongly varying. Thus for such media, tracer tends to flow through preferred flowpaths or channels within the fractures. Along each of these channels, the aperture is also strongly varying. A detailed analysis is carried out on a 2D single fracture with variable apertures and the flow through channels is demonstrated. The channels defined this way are not rigidly set pathways for tracer transport, but are the preferred flow paths in the sense of stream-tubes in the potential theory. It is shown that such variable-aperture channels can be characterized by an aperture probability distribution function, and not by the exact deterministic geometric locations. We also demonstrate that the 2D tracer transport in a fracture can be calculated by a model of a system of 1D channels characterized by this distribution function only. Due to the channeling character of tracer transport in fractured rock, random point measurements of tracer breakthrough curves may give results with a wide spread in value due to statistical fluctuations. The present paper suggests that such a wide spread can probably be greatly reduced by making line/areal (or multiple) measurements covering a few spatial correlation lengths. 13 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab

Predictive modeling of transient storage and nutrient uptake: Implications for stream restoration

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Ben L.; Hondzo, Miki; Harvey, Judson W.

2010-01-01

This study examined two key aspects of reactive transport modeling for stream restoration purposes: the accuracy of the nutrient spiraling and transient storage models for quantifying reach-scale nutrient uptake, and the ability to quantify transport parameters using measurements and scaling techniques in order to improve upon traditional conservative tracer fitting methods. Nitrate (NO3–) uptake rates inferred using the nutrient spiraling model underestimated the total NO3– mass loss by 82%, which was attributed to the exclusion of dispersion and transient storage. The transient storage model was more accurate with respect to the NO3– mass loss (±20%) and also demonstrated that uptake in the main channel was more significant than in storage zones. Conservative tracer fitting was unable to produce transport parameter estimates for a riffle-pool transition of the study reach, while forward modeling of solute transport using measured/scaled transport parameters matched conservative tracer breakthrough curves for all reaches. Additionally, solute exchange between the main channel and embayment surface storage zones was quantified using first-order theory. These results demonstrate that it is vital to account for transient storage in quantifying nutrient uptake, and the continued development of measurement/scaling techniques is needed for reactive transport modeling of streams with complex hydraulic and geomorphic conditions.

Use of radon as tracer for identification of aquifer discharge along the Matinha stream, MG, Brazil; O uso do radonio como tracador para identificacao de descarga de aquiferos ao longo do corrego da Matinha, MG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chagas, Claudio Jose

2017-11-01

Within the framework of 'Nuclear Techniques' is the use of natural and artificial isotopes as tracers for the study of the environment. The use of natural tracers in hydrology is a very useful tool that has been used in several scenarios. One such tracer is the isotope of radon, {sup 222}Rn, a noble gas from natural sources as a consequence of alpha decay of {sup 226}Ra. Radon can be found, to a greater or lesser degree, in all groundwater, as well as in soils and rocks from where it exudes into the atmosphere through spaces arising from fissures and or nanopores present. It can emerge into the water bodies by the leaching of water or other liquids through these interstices. In this research, the {sup 222}Rn gas diluted naturally by the leaching of the water that infiltrated the soils and rocks of the aquifers was used as a tracer in order to identify sections of discharge of these aquifers along the Stream of Matinha. The study area is about 70 km from Belo Horizonte and is in the city of Itauna, MG. The Matinha stream is about 2,200 m in length and is part of the network of tributaries of the water reservoir called Serra Azul, in the Juatuba River Basin, MG. The results presented express the studies that occurred between the second half of 2014 and the first half of 2016, in ten campaigns for water sampling, flow and natural gamma radiation measurements. Water samples were collected near the bottom and very close to the thalweg in the watercourse using syringe and or peristaltic suction pump at low flow to avoid gas leakage. The {sup 222}Rn analyzes were performed in the field during the collections and in the laboratory of the CDTN - Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, all of which were carried out with the radon detector RAD 7. The flow measurements counted on the use of the fluorescent tracer's technique: rhodamine and fluorescein were used for injection at points upstream and downstream of sections with higher {sup 222}Rn

Sensitivity analysis of a pulse nutrient addition technique for estimating nutrient uptake in large streams

Science.gov (United States)

Laurence Lin; J.R. Webster

2012-01-01

The constant nutrient addition technique has been used extensively to measure nutrient uptake in streams. However, this technique is impractical for large streams, and the pulse nutrient addition (PNA) has been suggested as an alternative. We developed a computer model to simulate Monod kinetics nutrient uptake in large rivers and used this model to evaluate the...

Consequences of variation in stream-landscape connections for stream nitrate retention and export

Science.gov (United States)

Handler, A. M.; Helton, A. M.; Grimm, N. B.

2017-12-01

Hydrologic and material connections among streams, the surrounding terrestrial landscape, and groundwater systems fluctuate between extremes in dryland watersheds, yet the consequences of this variation for stream nutrient retention and export remain uncertain. We explored how seasonal variation in hydrologic connection among streams, landscapes, and groundwater affect nitrate and ammonium concentrations across a dryland stream network and how this variation mediates in-stream nitrate uptake and watershed export. We conducted spatial surveys of stream nitrate and ammonium concentration across the 1200 km2 Oak Creek watershed in central Arizona (USA). In addition, we conducted pulse releases of a solution containing biologically reactive sodium nitrate, with sodium chloride as a conservative hydrologic tracer, to estimate nitrate uptake rates in the mainstem (Q>1000 L/s) and two tributaries. Nitrate and ammonium concentrations generally increased from headwaters to mouth in the mainstem. Locally elevated concentrations occurred in spring-fed tributaries draining fish hatcheries and larger irrigation ditches, but did not have a substantial effect on the mainstem nitrogen load. Ambient nitrate concentration (as N) ranged from below the analytical detection limit of 0.005 mg/L to 0.43 mg/L across all uptake experiments. Uptake length—average stream distance traveled for a nutrient atom from the point of release to its uptake—at ambient concentration ranged from 250 to 704 m and increased significantly with higher discharge, both across streams and within the same stream on different experiment dates. Vertical uptake velocity and aerial uptake rate ranged from 6.6-10.6 mm min-1 and 0.03 to 1.4 mg N m-2 min-1, respectively. Preliminary analyses indicate potentially elevated nitrogen loading to the lower portion of the watershed during seasonal precipitation events, but overall, the capacity for nitrate uptake is high in the mainstem and tributaries. Ongoing work

Dating base flow in streams using dissolved gases and diurnal temperature changes

Science.gov (United States)

Sanford, Ward E.; Casile, Gerolamo C.; Haase, Karl B.

2015-01-01

A method is presented for using dissolved CFCs or SF6 to estimate the apparent age of stream base flow by indirectly estimating the mean concentration of the tracer in the inflowing groundwater. The mean value is estimated simultaneously with the mean residence times of the gas and water in the stream by sampling the stream for one or both age tracers, along with dissolved nitrogen and argon at a single location over a period of approximately 12–14 h. The data are fitted to an equation representing the temporal in-stream gas exchange as it responds to the diurnal temperature fluctuation. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated by collecting and analyzing samples at six different stream locations across parts of northern Virginia, USA. The studied streams drain watersheds with areas of between 2 and 122 km2 during periods when the diurnal stream temperature ranged between 2 and 5°C. The method has the advantage of estimating the mean groundwater residence time of discharge from the watershed to the stream without the need for the collection of groundwater infiltrating to streambeds or local groundwater sampled from shallow observation wells near the stream.

nitrogen saturation in stream ecosystems

OpenAIRE

Earl, S. R.; Valett, H. M.; Webster, J. R.

2006-01-01

The concept of nitrogen (N) saturation has organized the assessment of N loading in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we extend the concept to lotic ecosystems by coupling Michaelis-Menten kinetics and nutrient spiraling. We propose a series of saturation response types, which may be used to characterize the proximity of streams to N saturation. We conducted a series of short-term N releases using a tracer ((NO3)-N-15-N) to measure uptake. Experiments were conducted in streams spanning a gradient ...

Measuring gravel transport and dispersion in a mountain river using passive radio tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, D. N.; Tucker, G. E.

2012-01-01

Random walk models of fluvial sediment transport recognize that grains move intermittently, with short duration steps separated by rests that are comparatively long. These models are built upon the probability distributions of the step length and the resting time. Motivated by these models, tracer experiments have attempted to measure directly the steps and rests of sediment grains in natural streams. This paper describes results from a large tracer experiment designed to test stochastic transport models. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to label 893 coarse gravel clasts and placed them in Halfmoon Creek, a small alpine stream near Leadville, Colorado, USA. The PIT tags allow us to locate and identify tracers without picking them up or digging them out of the streambed. They also enable us to find a very high percentage of our rocks, 98% after three years and 96% after the fourth year. We use the annual tracer displacement to test two stochastic transport models, the Einstein–Hubbell–Sayre (EHS) model and the Yang–Sayre gamma-exponential model (GEM). We find that the GEM is a better fit to the observations, particularly for slower moving tracers and suggest that the strength of the GEM is that the gamma distribution of step lengths approximates a compound Poisson distribution. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Predictive Modeling of Transient Storage and Nutrient Uptake: Implications for Stream Restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O’Connor, Ben L.; Hondzo, Miki; Harvey, Judson W.

2010-12-01

This study examined two key aspects of reactive transport modeling for stream restoration purposes: the accuracy of the nutrient spiraling and transient storage models for quantifying reach-scale nutrient uptake, and the ability to quantify transport parameters using measurements and scaling techniques in order to improve upon traditional conservative tracer fitting methods. Nitrate (NO-3)(NO3-) uptake rates inferred using the nutrient spiraling model underestimated the total NO-3NO3- mass loss by 82%, which was attributed to the exclusion of dispersion and transient storage. The transient storage model was more accurate with respect to the NO-3NO3- mass loss (±20%) and also demonstrated that uptake in the main channel was more significant than in storage zones. Conservative tracer fitting was unable to produce transport parameter estimates for a riffle-pool transition of the study reach, while forward modeling of solute transport using measured/scaled transport parameters matched conservative tracer breakthrough curves for all reaches. Additionally, solute exchange between the main channel and embayment surface storage zones was quantified using first-order theory. These results demonstrate that it is vital to account for transient storage in quantifying nutrient uptake, and the continued development of measurement/scaling techniques is needed for reactive transport modeling of streams with complex hydraulic and geomorphic conditions.

Rhodamine-WT dye losses in a mountain stream environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bencala, Kenneth E.; Rathburn, Ronald E.; Jackman, Alan P.; Kennedy, Vance C.; Zellweger, Gary W.; Avanzino, Ronald J.

1983-01-01

A significant fraction of rhodamine WT dye was lost during a short term multitracer injection experiment in a mountain stream environment. The conservative anion chloride and the sorbing cation lithium were concurrently injected. In-stream rhodamine WT concentrations were as low as 45 percent of that expected, based on chloride data. Concentration data were available from shallow‘wells’dug near the stream course and from a seep of suspected return flow. Both rhodamine WT dye and lithium were nonconservative with respect to the conservative chloride, with rhodamine WT dye closely following the behavior of the sorbing lithium.Nonsorption and sorption mechanisms for rhodamine WT loss in a mountain stream were evaluated in laboratory experiments. Experiments evaluating nonsorption losses indicated minimal losses by such mechanisms. Laboratory experiments using sand and gravel size streambed sediments show an appreciable capacity for rhodamine WT sorption.The detection of tracers in the shallow wells and seep indicates interaction between the stream and the flow in the surrounding subsurface, intergravel water, system. The injected tracers had ample opportunity for intimate contact with materials shown in the laboratory experiments to be potentially sorptive. It is suggested that in the study stream system, interaction with streambed gravel was a significant mechanism for the attenuation of rhodamine WT dye (relative to chloride).

Tracer and hydrometric techniques to determine the contribution of glacier melt to a proglacial stream in the Ötztal Alps (Tyrol, Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Schmieder, Jan; Marke, Thomas; Strasser, Ulrich

2016-04-01

Glaciers are important seasonal water contributors in many mountainous landscapes. For water resources management it is important to know about the timing and amount of released glacier melt water, especially in downstream regions where the water is needed (hydropower, drinking water) or where it represents a potential risk (drought, flood). Seasonal availability of melt water is strongly dependent on boundary layer atmospheric processes and becomes even more relevant in a changing climate. Environmental tracers are a useful tool in the assessment of snow and ice water resources, because they provide information about the sources, flow paths and traveling times of water contributing to streamflow at the catchment scale. Previously, high-elevation tracer studies throughout the Alps have been scarce as they require intense field work in remote areas. However, hydrometric and meteorological measurements combined with tracer analyses help to unravel streamflow composition and improve the understanding of hydroclimatological processes. On top of that, empirical studies are necessary to parameterize and validate hydrological models in more process-oriented ways, rather than comparing total measured and simulated runoff only. In the present study three approaches are applied to derive glacier melt contributions to a proglacial stream at the seasonal scale and to identify their individual advances and limitations. Tracers used for each approach are (1) electrical conductivity, (2) stable isotopes of water and (3) heavy metals. The field work was conducted during the summer of 2015 in the glaciated (35%) high-elevation catchment of the Hochjochbach, a small sub-basin (17 km²) of the Ötztaler Ache river in the Austrian Alps, ranging from 2400 to 3500 m.a.s.l. in elevation. Hydroclimatological data was provided by an automatic weather station and a gauging station equipped with a pressure transducer. Water samples from shallow groundwater, streamflow, glacier and snow melt

Effect of morphology and discharge on hyporheic exchange flows in two small streams in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Steven M. Wondzell

2006-01-01

Stream-tracer injections were used to examine the effect of channel morphology and changing stream discharge on hyporheic exchange flows. Direct observations were made from well networks to follow tracer movement through the hyporheic zone. The reach-integrated influence of hyporheic exchange was evaluated using the transient storage model (TSM) OTIS-P. Transient...

Tracer technology modeling the flow of fluids

CERN Document Server

Levenspiel, Octave

2012-01-01

A vessel’s behavior as a heat exchanger, absorber, reactor, or other process unit is dependent upon how fluid flows through the vessel.  In early engineering, the designer would assume either plug flow or mixed flow of the fluid through the vessel.  However, these assumptions were oftentimes inaccurate, sometimes being off by a volume factor of 100 or more.  The result of this unreliable figure produced ineffective products in multiple reaction systems.   Written by a pioneering researcher in the field of chemical engineering, the tracer method was introduced to provide more accurate flow data.  First, the tracer method measured the actual flow of fluid through a vessel.  Second, it developed a suitable model to represent the flow in question.  Such models are used to follow the flow of fluid in chemical reactors and other process units, like in rivers and streams, or solid and porous structures.  In medicine, the tracer method is used to study the flow of chemicals—harmful  and harmless—in the...

Modeling a Change in Flowrate through Detention or Additional Pavement on the Receiving Stream : Final Report

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

The addition or removal of flow from a stream affects the water surface downstream and possibly upstream. The extent of such effects is generally determined by modeling the receiving stream. Guidance that concisely describes how far up/downstream a h...

Tracers and Tracer Testing: Design, Implementation, Tracer Selection, and Interpretation Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. Michael Shook; Shannon L.; Allan Wylie

2004-01-01

Conducting a successful tracer test requires adhering to a set of steps. The steps include identifying appropriate and achievable test goals, identifying tracers with the appropriate properties, and implementing the test as designed. When these steps are taken correctly, a host of tracer test analysis methods are available to the practitioner. This report discusses the individual steps required for a successful tracer test and presents methods for analysis. The report is an overview of tracer technology; the Suggested Reading section offers references to the specifics of test design and interpretation.

Tracers in measurement and analysis of river pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, R.M.; Castro, J.O.N.M. de

1986-01-01

Pollutant matter discharged into streams undergo, a process of dispersion caused by turbulence and shear dispersion. A physical dilution ensues, to which in some cases is added the decay of the pollutant. Hence, a natural process of self purification results and this characteristic of the stream has a most important ecological and economical meaning. Its evaluation allows the optimization of effluent treatment works, at the same time ensuring the compliance with established water quality criteria. The use of tracers, together with the calibration of mathematical models and with the information they afford, make possible the impact assessment and the adaptive control of the effects of pollutant disposal into streams. This paper classifies the models apropriate for each discharge type, discusses the calibration methods and presents an application fo these techniques to a real situation of a medium size river. (Author) [pt

Measuring nutrient spiralling in streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newbold, J D; Elwood, J W; O' Neill, R V; Van Winkle, W

1981-01-01

Nutrient cycling in streams involves some downstream transport before the cycle is completed. Thus, the path traveled by a nutrient atom in passing through the cycle can be visualized as a spiral. As an index of the spiralling process, we introduce spiralling length, defined as the average distance associated with one complete cycle of a nutrient atom. This index provides a measure of the utilization of nutrients relative to the available supply from upstream. Using /sup 32/p as a tracer, we estimated a spiralling length of 193 m for phosphorus in a small woodland stream.

Method for assessment of stormwater treatment facilities - Synthetic road runoff addition including micro-pollutants and tracer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cederkvist, Karin; Jensen, Marina B; Holm, Peter E

2017-08-01

Stormwater treatment facilities (STFs) are becoming increasingly widespread but knowledge on their performance is limited. This is due to difficulties in obtaining representative samples during storm events and documenting removal of the broad range of contaminants found in stormwater runoff. This paper presents a method to evaluate STFs by addition of synthetic runoff with representative concentrations of contaminant species, including the use of tracer for correction of removal rates for losses not caused by the STF. A list of organic and inorganic contaminant species, including trace elements representative of runoff from roads is suggested, as well as relevant concentration ranges. The method was used for adding contaminants to three different STFs including a curbstone extension with filter soil, a dual porosity filter, and six different permeable pavements. Evaluation of the method showed that it is possible to add a well-defined mixture of contaminants despite different field conditions by having a flexibly system, mixing different stock-solutions on site, and use bromide tracer for correction of outlet concentrations. Bromide recovery ranged from only 12% in one of the permeable pavements to 97% in the dual porosity filter, stressing the importance of including a conservative tracer for correction of contaminant retention values. The method is considered useful in future treatment performance testing of STFs. The observed performance of the STFs is presented in coming papers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrient cycling and ecosystem metabolism in boreal streams of the Central Siberian Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Diemer, L.; McDowell, W. H.; Prokushkin, A. S.

2013-12-01

Arctic boreal streams are undergoing considerable change in carbon and nutrient biogeochemistry due to degrading permafrost and increasing fire activity. Recent studies show that fire increases transport of inorganic solutes from the boreal landscape to arctic streams in some regions; couple this with expected greater labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from deepening active layers, enhanced biomass production, and increased annual precipitation and boreal streams may experience greater in-stream primary production and respiration in the coming century. Little is known about the spatial and temporal dynamics of inorganic nutrients in relation to C availability in headwater streams of a major Arctic region, the Central Siberian Plateau. Our preliminary data of Central Siberian headwater streams show NO3 and PO4 concentrations near or below detection limits (e.g. nine samples taken in spring from a small stream near the Russian settlement of Tura averaged 10 μg/L NO3-N and 9.7 μg/L PO4-P), and recent studies in Central Siberia suggest that bioavailable organic matter and inorganic nutrients such as NO3 will likely increase with climate warming. We examined the fate of nutrients in Central Siberian streams using Tracer for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC) additions of NO3, NH4, and PO4 along with conservative tracer, NaCl, in spring at high and low discharges in streams underlain by continuous permafrost in Central Siberia. We also sampled two sites in spring every 2 hours overnight for 24 hours to document any diel patterns in DOC and inorganic nutrients. Our results thus far show that NO3 uptake length may be strongly correlated with DOC concentration (a function of fire activity). Preliminary results also show that despite high discharge and cold temperatures (4-8°C) in mid to late spring, there appears to be biological activity stimulating a diel signal for NO3 with maximum concentration corresponding to low light (11 PM). Investigating the primary

Wildfire Effects on In-stream Nutrient Processing and Hydrologic Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Rhea, A.; Covino, T. P.; Rhoades, C.; Fegel, T.

2017-12-01

In many forests throughout the Western U.S., drought, climate change, and growing fuel loads are contributing to increased fire frequency and severity. Wildfires can influence watershed nutrient retention as they fundamentally alter the biological composition and physical structure in upland landscapes, riparian corridors, and stream channels. While numerous studies have documented substantial short-term increases in stream nutrient concentrations and export (particularly reactive nitrogen, N) following forest fires, the long-term implications for watershed nutrient cycling remain unclear. For example, recent work indicates that nitrate concentrations and export can remain elevated for a decade or more following wildfire, yet the controls on these processes are unknown. In this research, we use empirical observations from nutrient tracer injections, nutrient diffusing substrates, and continuous water quality monitoring to isolate biological and physical controls on nutrient export across a burn-severity gradient. Tracer results demonstrate substantial stream-groundwater exchange, but little biological nutrient uptake in burned streams. This in part explains patterns of elevated nutrient export. Paired nutrient diffusing substrate experiments allow us to further investigate shifts in N, phosphorus, and carbon limitation that may suppress post-fire stream nutrient uptake. By isolating the mechanisms that reduce the capacity of fire-affected streams to retain and transform nutrient inputs, we can better predict dynamics in post-fire water quality and help prioritize upland and riparian restoration.

The use of radioactive and other tracers in oil and gas measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edmonds, E.A.

1985-01-01

A description and critical discussion of the use of tracer techniques of flowrate measurement in the oil and gas industries. Radioactive tracers are discussed in particular, with emphasis on the practical aspects of their use. Radiotracers suitable for use in industrial environments are described and discussed. The advantages of radiotracers over conventional chemical tracers are reviewed and the logistical problems associated with the use of radioactive materials are considered. The results of measurements conducted using radiotracers on operating plant and on calibration facilities are presented with a discussion of the accuracy of measurement of flowrate which is achievable: potentially, in ideal circumstances, and in practical situations. The modification of tracer techniques of flow measurement to enable residence time distributions to be evaluated and leaks to be located and quantified on operating process plant is illustrated and discussed. The use of specially synthesized radiochemicals for tracing complex petrochemical processes involving chemical reactions and multiproduct streams is described. The use of novel non-radioactive tracers and specialized detection systems is also described, again with practical illustrations of experience in the field. The benefits offered by the use of these tracers and the limitations encountered are discussed. (author)

Nested Tracer Studies In Catchment Hydrology: Towards A Multiscale Understanding of Runoff Generation and Catchment Funtioning

Science.gov (United States)

Soulsby, C.; Rodgers, P.; Malcolm, I. A.; Dunn, S.

Geochemical and isotopic tracers have been shown to have widespread utility in catch- ment hydrology in terms of identifying hydrological source areas and characterising residence time distributions. In many cases application of tracer techniques has pro- vided insights into catchment functioning that could not be obtained from hydromet- ric and/or modelling studies alone. This paper will show how the use of tracers has contributed to an evolving perceptual model of hydrological pathways and runoff gen- eration processes in catchments in the Scottish highlands. In particular the paper will focus on the different insights that are gained at three different scales of analysis; (a) nested sub-catchments within a mesoscale (ca. 200 square kilometers) experimen- tal catchment; (b) hillslope-riparian interactions and (c) stream bed fluxes. Nested hydrometric and hydrochemical monitoring within the mesoscale Feugh catchment identified three main hydrological response units: (i) plateau peatlands which gener- ated saturation overland flow in the catchment headwaters, (ii) steep valley hillslopes which drain from the plateaux into (iii) alluvial and drift aquifers in the valley bottoms. End Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) in 8 nested sub-catchments indicated that that stream water tracer concentrations can be modelled in terms of 2 dominant runoff pro- cesses; overland flow from the peat and groundwater from the drift aquifers. Ground- water contributions generally increased with catchment size, though this was moder- ated by the characteristics of individual sub-basins, with drift cover being particularly important. Hillslope riparian interactions were also examined using tracers, hydromet- ric data and a semi-distributed hydrological model. This revealed that in the glaciated, drift covered terrain of the Scottish highlands, extensive valley bottom aquifers effec- tively de-couple hillslope waters from the river channel. Thus, riparian groundwater appears to significantly

Modelling the fate of six common pharmaceuticals in a small stream: quantification of attenuation and retention in different stream-specific environments

Science.gov (United States)

Riml, Joakim; Wörman, Anders; Kunkel, Uwe; Radke, Michael

2013-04-01

Detection of pharmaceutical residues in streaming waters is common in urbanized areas. Although the occurrence and source of these micropollutants is known, their behavior in these aquatic ecosystems is still only partly understood. Specifically, quantitative information of biogeochemical processes in stream-specific environments where predominant reactions occur is often missing. In an attempt to address this knowledge gap, we performed simultaneous tracer tests in Säva Brook, Sweden, with bezafibrate, clofibric acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, metoprolol and naproxen, as well as with the more inert solutes uranine and Rhodamine WT. The breakthrough curves at five successive sampling stations along a 16 km long stream reach were evaluated using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model framework containing surface water transport together with a representation of transient storage in slow/immobile zones of the stream. The multi-tracer experiment opens for decoupling of hydrological and biogeochemical contribution to the fate, and by linking impact and sensitivity analyses to relative significance of model parameters the most important processes for each contaminant were elucidated. Specifically for Säva Brook, the proposed methodology revealed that the pharmaceutical-contaminated stream water remained in the storage zones for times corresponding to 5-25% of the flow time of the stream. Furthermore, the results indicate a great variability in terms of predominant biogeochemical processes between the different contaminants. Rapid reactions occurring in the transient storage zone attenuated both ibuprofen and clofibric acid, and we conclude that a major degradation pathway for these contaminants was biodegradation in the hyporheic zone. In contrast, bezafibrate, metoprolol, and naproxen were mainly affected by sorption both in the storage zone and the main channel, while diclofenac displayed negligible effects of biogeochemical reactions.

Reactive solute transport in acidic streams

Science.gov (United States)

Broshears, R.E.

1996-01-01

Spatial and temporal profiles of Ph and concentrations of toxic metals in streams affected by acid mine drainage are the result of the interplay of physical and biogeochemical processes. This paper describes a reactive solute transport model that provides a physically and thermodynamically quantitative interpretation of these profiles. The model combines a transport module that includes advection-dispersion and transient storage with a geochemical speciation module based on MINTEQA2. Input to the model includes stream hydrologic properties derived from tracer-dilution experiments, headwater and lateral inflow concentrations analyzed in field samples, and a thermodynamic database. Simulations reproduced the general features of steady-state patterns of observed pH and concentrations of aluminum and sulfate in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream near Leadville, Colorado. These patterns were altered temporarily by injection of sodium carbonate into the stream. A transient simulation reproduced the observed effects of the base injection.

Nitrogen saturation in stream ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Earl, Stevan R; Valett, H Maurice; Webster, Jackson R

2006-12-01

The concept of nitrogen (N) saturation has organized the assessment of N loading in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we extend the concept to lotic ecosystems by coupling Michaelis-Menten kinetics and nutrient spiraling. We propose a series of saturation response types, which may be used to characterize the proximity of streams to N saturation. We conducted a series of short-term N releases using a tracer (15NO3-N) to measure uptake. Experiments were conducted in streams spanning a gradient of background N concentration. Uptake increased in four of six streams as NO3-N was incrementally elevated, indicating that these streams were not saturated. Uptake generally corresponded to Michaelis-Menten kinetics but deviated from the model in two streams where some other growth-critical factor may have been limiting. Proximity to saturation was correlated to background N concentration but was better predicted by the ratio of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) to soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), suggesting phosphorus limitation in several high-N streams. Uptake velocity, a reflection of uptake efficiency, declined nonlinearly with increasing N amendment in all streams. At the same time, uptake velocity was highest in the low-N streams. Our conceptual model of N transport, uptake, and uptake efficiency suggests that, while streams may be active sites of N uptake on the landscape, N saturation contributes to nonlinear changes in stream N dynamics that correspond to decreased uptake efficiency.

Quantification of Groundwater Discharge in a Subalpine Stream Using Radon-222

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Avery

2018-01-01

Full Text Available During the dry months of the water year in Mediterranean climates, groundwater influx is essential to perennial streams for sustaining ecosystem health and regulating water temperature. Predicted earlier peak flow due to climate change may result in decreased baseflow and the transformation of perennial streams to intermittent streams. In this study, naturally occurring radon-222 (222Rn was used as a tracer of groundwater influx to Martis Creek, a subalpine stream near Lake Tahoe, CA. Groundwater 222Rn is estimated based on measurements of 222Rn activity in nearby deep wells and springs. To determine the degassing constant (needed for quantification of water and gas flux, an extrinsic tracer, xenon (Xe, was introduced to the stream and monitored at eight downstream locations. The degassing constant for 222Rn is based on the degassing constant for Xe, and was determined to be 1.9–9.0 m/day. Applying a simple model in which stream 222Rn activity is a balance between the main 222Rn source (groundwater and sink (volatilization, the influx in reaches of the upstream portion of Martis Creek was calculated to be <1 to 15 m3/day/m, which cumulatively constitutes a significant portion of the stream discharge. Experiments constraining 222Rn emanation from hyporheic zone sediments suggest that this should be considered a maximum rate of influx. Groundwater influx is typically difficult to identify and quantify, and the method employed here is useful for identifying locations for focused stream flow measurements, for formulating a water budget, and for quantifying streamwater–groundwater interaction.

Retention and Migration of Fine Organic Particles within an Agricultural Stream: Toenepi, Waikato, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, J. D.; Davies-Colley, R.; Stott, R.; Sukias, J.; Nagels, J.; Sharp, A.; Packman, A. I.

2013-12-01

Fine organic particle dynamics are important to stream biogeochemistry, ecology, and transport of contaminant microbes. These particles migrate downstream through a series of deposition and resuspension events, which results in a wide range of residence times. This retention influences biogeochemical processing and in-stream stores of contaminant microbes that may mobilize during flood events and present a hazard to downstream uses such as water supplies and recreation. We are conducting studies to gain insights into organic particle dynamics in streams, with a campaign of experiments and modeling. The results should improve understanding of nutrient (C, N, P) spiraling and fine sediment movement in streams, and have particular application to microbial hazards. We directly measure microbial transport by including the indicator organism, E. coli, as a tracer, which is compared to a fluorescent inert particle tracer and conservative solute to gain insight on both microbial ecology and waterborne disease transmission. We developed a stochastic model to describe the transport and retention of fine suspended particles in rivers, including advective delivery of particles to the streambed, transport through porewaters, and reversible filtration within the streambed. Because fine particles are only episodically transported in streams, with intervening periods at rest in the bed, this transport process violates conventional advection-dispersion assumptions. Instead we adopt a stochastic mobile-immobile model formulation to describe fine particle transport. We apply this model to measurements of particle transport from multiple tracer experiments in an agricultural stream in the Waikato dairy region of New Zealand, and use the model to improve interpretation of baseflow particle dynamics. Our results show the importance of the benthic and hyporheic regions and in-stream vegetation as a reservoir for fine organic particles in streams.

A stream-based methane monitoring approach for evaluating groundwater impacts associated with unconventional gas development.

Science.gov (United States)

Heilweil, Victor M; Stolp, Bert J; Kimball, Briant A; Susong, David D; Marston, Thomas M; Gardner, Philip M

2013-01-01

Gaining streams can provide an integrated signal of relatively large groundwater capture areas. In contrast to the point-specific nature of monitoring wells, gaining streams coalesce multiple flow paths. Impacts on groundwater quality from unconventional gas development may be evaluated at the watershed scale by the sampling of dissolved methane (CH4 ) along such streams. This paper describes a method for using stream CH4 concentrations, along with measurements of groundwater inflow and gas transfer velocity interpreted by 1-D stream transport modeling, to determine groundwater methane fluxes. While dissolved ionic tracers remain in the stream for long distances, the persistence of methane is not well documented. To test this method and evaluate CH4 persistence in a stream, a combined bromide (Br) and CH4 tracer injection was conducted on Nine-Mile Creek, a gaining stream in a gas development area in central Utah. A 35% gain in streamflow was determined from dilution of the Br tracer. The injected CH4 resulted in a fivefold increase in stream CH4 immediately below the injection site. CH4 and δ(13) CCH4 sampling showed it was not immediately lost to the atmosphere, but remained in the stream for more than 2000 m. A 1-D stream transport model simulating the decline in CH4 yielded an apparent gas transfer velocity of 4.5 m/d, describing the rate of loss to the atmosphere (possibly including some microbial consumption). The transport model was then calibrated to background stream CH4 in Nine-Mile Creek (prior to CH4 injection) in order to evaluate groundwater CH4 contributions. The total estimated CH4 load discharging to the stream along the study reach was 190 g/d, although using geochemical fingerprinting to determine its source was beyond the scope of the current study. This demonstrates the utility of stream-gas sampling as a reconnaissance tool for evaluating both natural and anthropogenic CH4 leakage from gas reservoirs into groundwater and surface water

Non-uniform groundwater discharge across a stream bed: Heat as a tracer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jannick Kolbjørn; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard

2011-01-01

Time series analysis of conO nuous streambed temperature during a period of 47 d revealed that discharge to a stream is nonuniform, with strongly increasing verO cal fl uxes throughout the top 20 cm of the streambed–aquifer interface. An analyO cal soluO on to the transient heat transport equa...... near the streambed. Seepage meter measurements in the middle of the stream oO en resulted in highly variable fl ux esO - mates, which could have been caused by hyporheic fl ow due to the presence of a gravel layer. Discharge and recharge to the stream at the bank near the meadow was relaO vely steady...

Journal: Efficient Hydrologic Tracer-Test Design for Tracer ...

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrological tracer testing is the most reliable diagnostic technique available for the determination of basic hydraulic and geometric parameters necessary for establishing operative solute-transport processes. Tracer-test design can be difficult because of a lack of prior knowledge of the basic hydraulic and geometric parameters desired and the appropriate tracer mass to release. A new efficient hydrologic tracer-test design (EHTD) methodology has been developed to facilitate the design of tracer tests by root determination of the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation (ADE) using a preset average tracer concentration which provides a theoretical basis for an estimate of necessary tracer mass. The method uses basic measured field parameters (e.g., discharge, distance, cross-sectional area) that are combined in functional relatipnships that descrive solute-transport processes related to flow velocity and time of travel. These initial estimates for time of travel and velocity are then applied to a hypothetical continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as an analog for the hydrological-flow system to develop initial estimates for tracer concentration, tracer mass, and axial dispersion. Application of the predicted tracer mass with the hydraulic and geometric parameters in the ADE allows for an approximation of initial sample-collection time and subsequent sample-collection frequency where a maximum of 65 samples were determined to be necessary for descri

Size-sensitive particle trajectories in three-dimensional micro-bubble acoustic streaming flows

Science.gov (United States)

Volk, Andreas; Rossi, Massimiliano; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha; Rallabandi, Bhargav; Kähler, Christian; Marin, Alvaro

2015-11-01

Oscillating microbubbles generate steady streaming flows with interesting features and promising applications for microparticle manipulation. The flow around oscillating semi-cylindrical bubbles has been typically assumed to be independent of the axial coordinate. However, it has been recently revealed that particle motion is strongly three-dimensional: Small tracer particles follow vortical trajectories with pronounced axial displacements near the bubble, weaving a toroidal stream-surface. A well-known consequence of bubble streaming flows is size-dependent particle migration, which can be exploited for sorting and trapping of microparticles in microfluidic devices. In this talk, we will show how the three-dimensional toroidal topology found for small tracer particles is modified as the particle size increases up to 1/3 of the bubble radius. Our results show size-sensitive particle positioning along the axis of the semi-cylindrical bubble. In order to analyze the three-dimensional sorting and trapping capabilities of the system, experiments with an imposed flow and polydisperse particle solutions are also shown.

Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, J.J.; Tank, J.L.; Hamilton, S.K.; Wollheim, W.M.; Hall, R.O.; Mulholland, P.J.; Peterson, B.J.; Ashkenas, L.R.; Cooper, L.W.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Dodds, W.K.; Grimm, N. B.; Johnson, S.L.; McDowell, W.H.; Poole, G.C.; Maurice, Valett H.; Arango, C.P.; Bernot, M.J.; Burgin, A.J.; Crenshaw, C.L.; Helton, A.M.; Johnson, L.T.; O'Brien, J. M.; Potter, J.D.; Sheibley, R.W.; Sobota, D.J.; Thomas, S.M.

2011-01-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N 2O via microbial denitrification that converts N to N2O and dinitrogen (N2). The fraction of denitrified N that escapes as N2O rather than N2 (i.e., the N2O yield) is an important determinant of how much N2O is produced by river networks, but little is known about the N2O yield in flowing waters. Here, we present the results of whole-stream 15N-tracer additions conducted in 72 headwater streams draining multiple land-use types across the United States. We found that stream denitrification produces N2O at rates that increase with stream water nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, but that production, but does not increase the N2O yield. In our study, most streams were sources of N2O to the atmosphere and the highest emission rates were observed in streams draining urban basins. Using a global river network model, we estimate that microbial N transformations (e.g., denitrification and nitrification) convert at least 0.68 Tg??y -1 of anthropogenic N inputs to N2O in river networks, equivalent to 10% of the global anthropogenic N2O emission rate. This estimate of stream and river N2O emissions is three times greater than estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Interactions of solutes and streambed sediment: 1. An experimental analysis of cation and anion transport in a mountain stream

Science.gov (United States)

Bencala, Kenneth E.; Kennedy, Vance C.; Zellweger, Gary W.; Jackman, Alan P.; Avanzino, Ronald J.

1984-01-01

An experimental injection was performed to study the transport of stream water solutes under conditions of significant interaction with streambed sediments in a mountain pool-and-riffle stream. Experiments were conducted in Little Lost Man Creek, Humboldt County, California, in a period of low flow duringwhich only a part of the bank-full channel held active surface flow. The injection of chloride and several trace cations lasted 20 days. In this report we discuss the results of the first 24 hours of the injection and survey the results of the first 10 days. Solute-streambed interactions of two types were observed. First, the physical transport of the conservative tracer, chloride, was affected by intergravel flow and stagnant watt, zones created by the bed relief. Second, the transport of the cations (strontium, potassium, and lithium) was appreciably modified by sorption onto streambed sediment. In the stream the readily observable consequence of the solute-streambed interactions was an attenuation of the dissolved concentration of each of the tracers. The attenuation in the stream channel occurred concurrently with the storage of tracers in the streambed via both physical and chemical processes. All tracers were subsequently present in shallow wells dug several meters from the wetted part of the channel. Sediment samples collected approximately 3 weeks after the start of the injection contained increased concentrations of the injected cations.

Scaling and predicting solute transport processes in streams

Science.gov (United States)

R. González-Pinzón; R. Haggerty; M. Dentz

2013-01-01

We investigated scaling of conservative solute transport using temporal moment analysis of 98 tracer experiments (384 breakthrough curves) conducted in 44 streams located on five continents. The experiments span 7 orders of magnitude in discharge (10-3 to 103 m3/s), span 5 orders of magnitude in...

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

Science.gov (United States)

R.A. Payn; M.N. Gooseff; B.L. McGlynn; K.E. Bencala; S.M. Wondzell

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6-...

Tumoral tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camargo, E.E.

1979-01-01

Direct tumor tracers are subdivided in the following categories:metabolite tracers, antitumoral tracers, radioactive proteins and cations. Use of 67 Ga-citrate as a clinically important tumoral tracer is emphasized and gallium-67 whole-body scintigraphy is discussed in detail. (M.A.) [pt

Radioactive tracers in the sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, W.J.; Livingston, H.D.

1980-01-01

Artificial radionuclides introduced to the oceans during the last four decades have proved invaluable tools for study of many processes in marine water columns and sediments. Both global and close-in fallout of radioactivity from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing have distributed these radionuclides widely, and in amounts sufficient to be useful as tracers. An additional source of considerable significance and tracer potential comes from coastal discharges of European nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes. The nature of these sources, types and amounts of radionuclides introduced and the time histories of their introduction generate a variety of tracer distributions which illuminate a broad spectrum of physical and chemical processes active over a wide range of timescales. Depending on their respective chemistries, artificial radionuclides have been demonstrated to exhibit both conservative and non-conservative properties in the oceans. Some examples are given of the uses made of soluble, conservative tracers for the study of oceanic transport processes and of non-conservative tracers for studies of processes which move them to, and mix them within, marine sediments. Sampling and measurement techniques which have been used in these studies are described

Direct Observation of Heavy-Tailed Storage Times of Bed Load Tracer Particles Causing Anomalous Superdiffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, D. Nathan

2017-12-01

A consensus has formed that the step length distribution of fluvial bed load is thin tailed and that the observed anomalous superdiffusion of bed load tracer particles must arise from heavy-tailed resting times. However, heavy-tailed resting times have never been directly observed in the field over multiple floods. Using 9 years of data from a large bed load tracer experiment, I show that the spatial variance of the tracer plume scales faster than linearly with integrated excess stream power, indicating anomalous superdiffusion. The superdiffusion is caused by a heavy-tailed distribution of observed storage times that is fit with a truncated Pareto distribution with a tail parameter that is predicted by anomalous diffusion theory. The heavy-tailed distribution of storage times causes the tracer virtual velocity to slow over time, indicated by a sublinear increase in the mean displacement that is predicted by the storage time distribution tail parameter.

Application of HEC-RAS water quality model to estimate contaminant spreading in small stream

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halaj, Peter; Bárek, Viliam; Halajová, Anna Báreková; Halajová, Denisa [Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra (Slovakia)

2013-07-01

The paper presents study of some aspects of HEC-RAS water quality model connected to simulation of contaminant transport in small stream. Authors mainly focused on one of the key tasks in process of pollutant transport modelling in streams - determination of the dispersion characteristics represented by longitudinal dispersion coefficient D. Different theoretical and empirical formulas have been proposed for D value determination and they have revealed that the coefficient is variable parameter that depends on hydraulic and morphometric characteristics of the stream reaches. Authors compare the results of several methods of coefficient D assessment, assuming experimental data obtained by tracer studies and compare them with results optimized by HEC-RAS water quality model. The analyses of tracer study and computation outputs allow us to outline the important aspects of longitudinal dispersion coefficient set up in process of the HEC-RAS model use. Key words: longitudinal dispersion coefficient, HEC-RAS, water quality modeling.

Radiochemical tracers in marine biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrocelli, S.R.; Anderson, J.W.; Neff, J.M.

1977-01-01

Tracers have been used in a great variety of experimentation. More recently, labeled materials have been applied in marine biological research. Some of the existing tracer techniques have been utilized directly, while others have been modified to suit the specific needs of marine biologists. This chapter describes some of the uses of tracers in marine biological research. It also mentions the problems encountered as well as offering possible solutions and discusses further applications of these techniques. Only pertinent references are cited and additional information may be obtained by consulting these references. Due to their relative ease of maintenance, freshwater species are also utilized in studies which involve radiotracer techniques. Since most of these techniques e directly applicable to marine species, some of these studies will also be included

Tracer-tracer relations as a tool for research on polar ozone loss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Rolf

2010-07-01

The report includes the following chapters: (1) Introduction: ozone in the atmosphere, anthropogenic influence on the ozone layer, polar stratospheric ozone loss; (2) Tracer-tracer relations in the stratosphere: tracer-tracer relations as a tool in atmospheric research; impact of cosmic-ray-induced heterogeneous chemistry on polar ozone; (3) quantifying polar ozone loss from ozone-tracer relations: principles of tracer-tracer correlation techniques; reference ozone-tracer relations in the early polar vortex; impact of mixing on ozone-tracer relations in the polar vortex; impact of mesospheric intrusions on ozone-tracer relations in the stratospheric polar vortex calculation of chemical ozone loss in the arctic in March 2003 based on ILAS-II measurements; (4) epilogue.

Dating the Tidal Disruption of Globular Clusters with GAIA Data on Their Stellar Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Bose, Sownak; Ginsburg, Idan; Loeb, Abraham

2018-05-01

The Gaia mission promises to deliver precision astrometry at an unprecedented level, heralding a new era for discerning the kinematic and spatial coordinates of stars in our Galaxy. Here, we present a new technique for estimating the age of tidally disrupted globular cluster streams using the proper motions and parallaxes of tracer stars. We evolve the collisional dynamics of globular clusters within the evolving potential of a Milky Way-like halo extracted from a cosmological ΛCDM simulation and analyze the resultant streams as they would be observed by Gaia. The simulations sample a variety of globular cluster orbits, and account for stellar evolution and the gravitational influence of the disk of the Milky Way. We show that a characteristic timescale, obtained from the dispersion of the proper motions and parallaxes of stars within the stream, is a good indicator for the time elapsed since the stream has been freely expanding away due to the tidal disruption of the globular cluster. This timescale, in turn, places a lower limit on the age of the cluster. The age can be deduced from astrometry using a modest number of stars, with the error on this estimate depending on the proximity of the stream and the number of tracer stars used.

Estimation of snow and glacier melt contribution to Liddar stream in a mountainous catchment, western Himalaya: an isotopic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeelani, Gh; Shah, Rouf A; Jacob, Noble; Deshpande, Rajendrakumar D

2017-03-01

Snow- and glacier-dominated catchments in the Himalayas are important sources of fresh water to more than one billion people. However, the contribution of snowmelt and glacier melt to stream flow remains largely unquantified in most parts of the Himalayas. We used environmental isotopes and geochemical tracers to determine the source water and flow paths of stream flow draining the snow- and glacier-dominated mountainous catchment of the western Himalaya. The study suggested that the stream flow in the spring season is dominated by the snowmelt released from low altitudes and becomes isotopically depleted as the melt season progressed. The tracer-based mixing models suggested that snowmelt contributed a significant proportion (5-66 %) to stream flow throughout the year with the maximum contribution in spring and summer seasons (from March to July). In 2013 a large and persistent snowpack contributed significantly (∼51 %) to stream flow in autumn (September and October) as well. The average annual contribution of glacier melt to stream flow is little (5 %). However, the monthly contribution of glacier melt to stream flow reaches up to 19 % in September during years of less persistent snow pack.

Rate equations for tracer studies in recirculating reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Happel, J [Columbia Univ., New York (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

1974-10-01

The employment of isotopic tracers is a useful technique for gaining insight into the rate controlling steps of a complex chemical reaction such as is frequently encountered in heterogeneous catalysis. An effective procedure has been to superpose tracer transfer on a reaction which is occurring under steady state conditions. If tracer transfer is employed in this fashion it is often possible to assess the individual step velocities in an assumed reaction mechanism. If transient transfer of tracer is now introduced it is possible in addition to estimate surface concentrations of chemisorbed species. The purpose of the present paper is to present the mathematical relationships involved when transfer of the tracer is not differential in the investigation. For this purpose a simple example is chosen to illustrate the various possibilities involved.

Rate equations for tracer studies in recirculatinng reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Happel, J.

1974-01-01

The employment of isotopic tracers is a useful technique for gaining insight into the rate controlling steps of a complex chemical reaction such as is frequently encountered in heterogeneous catalysis. An effective procedure has been to superpose tracer transfer on a reaction which is occurring under steady state conditions. If tracer transfer is employed in this fashion it is often possible to assess the individual step velocities in an assumed reaction mechanism. If transient transfer of tracer is now introduced it is possible in addition to estimate surface concentrations of chemisorbed species. The purpose of the present paper is to present the mathematical relationships involved when transfer of the tracer is not differential in the investigation. For this purpose a simple example is chosen to illustrate the various possibilities involved. (auth.)

Low-pass filtered continuum streambed and bedload sediment mass balance laws for an alluvial, gravel-bed stream

Science.gov (United States)

DeTemple, B.; Wilcock, P.

2011-12-01

[1971a,b] and probabilistic approach of Parker et al. [2000], as well as the bottom-up, low-pass filtered continuum approach of Coleman & Nikora [2009] which employed volume and volume-after-time averaging. It accommodates partial transport (e.g., Wilcock & McArdell [1997], Wilcock [1997a,b]). Additionally, it provides: (1) precise definitions of the geometry and kinematics of sediment in a gravel-bed stream required to collect and analyze the high resolution spatial and temporal datasets that are becoming ever more present in both laboratory and field investigations, (2) a mathematical framework for the use of tracer grains in gravel-bed streams, including the fate of streambed-emplaced tracers as well as the dispersion of tracers in the bedload, (3) spatial and temporal averaging uncompromised by the Reynolds rules necessary to assess the nature of scale separation, and (4) a kinematic foundation for hybrid Langrangian-Eulerian models of sediment morphodynamics.

Heat as a tracer to determine streambed water exchanges

Science.gov (United States)

Constantz, J.

2010-01-01

This work reviews the use of heat as a tracer of shallow groundwater movement and describes current temperature-based approaches for estimating streambed water exchanges. Four common hydrologic conditions in stream channels are graphically depicted with the expected underlying streambed thermal responses, and techniques are discussed for installing and monitoring temperature and stage equipment for a range of hydrological environments. These techniques are divided into direct-measurement techniques in streams and streambeds, groundwater techniques relying on traditional observation wells, and remote sensing and other large-scale advanced temperatureacquisition techniques. A review of relevant literature suggests researchers often graphically visualize temperature data to enhance conceptual models of heat and water flow in the near-stream environment and to determine site-specific approaches of data analysis. Common visualizations of stream and streambed temperature patterns include thermographs, temperature envelopes, and one-, two-, and three-dimensional temperature contour plots. Heat and water transport governing equations are presented for the case of transport in streambeds, followed by methods of streambed data analysis, including simple heat-pulse arrival time and heat-loss procedures, analytical and time series solutions, and heat and water transport simulation models. A series of applications of these methods are presented for a variety of stream settings ranging from arid to continental climates. Progressive successes to quantify both streambed fluxes and the spatial extent of streambeds indicate heat-tracing tools help define the streambed as a spatially distinct field (analogous to soil science), rather than simply the lower boundary in stream research or an amorphous zone beneath the stream channel.

A thermodynamic view of tracer plume evolution: Complete mixing condition evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constain A.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available One of most controversial issues of modern tracer theory is the “complete mixing condition” because of its importance in evolution of hazardous solutes in natural flows. This condition named also as “Mixing length” measures the distance from pouring point when tracer particles have spread uniformly on cross section of stream. The point is that until now there is no rational, complete and easy to use formula to calculate it. Rather, this condition is evaluated mostly by means of empirical relationships; among them Ruthven's is one of current usage. Also there are statistical methods that applied by software packages allow to characterize this condition. However a new focus on this issue is important, because is necessary to tie together, generality, easiness and accuracy. This paper puts on discussion a thermodynamics method to understand when a tracer is in this remarkable condition. Herein it is developed the conditions when this method may be applied. It is shown also how the resulting formula is convergent with Ruthven's equation. An experimental demonstration is presented.

Conceptualisation of Snowpack Isotope Dynamics in Spatially Distributed Tracer-Aided Runoff Models in Snow Influenced Northern Cathments

Science.gov (United States)

Ala-aho, P. O. A.; Tetzlaff, D.; Laudon, H.; McNamara, J. P.; Soulsby, C.

2016-12-01

We use the Spatially distributed Tracer-Aided Rainfall-Runoff (STARR) modelling framework to explore non-stationary flow and isotope response in three northern headwater catchments. The model simulates dynamic, spatially variable tracer concentration in different water stores and fluxes within a catchment, which can constrain internal catchment mixing processes, flow paths and associated water ages. To date, a major limitation in using such models in snow-dominated catchments has been the difficulties in paramaterising the isotopic transformations in snowpack accumulation and melt. We use high quality long term datasets for hydrometrics and stable water isotopes collected in three northern study catchments for model calibration and testing. The three catchments exhibit different hydroclimatic conditions, soil and vegetation types, and topographic relief, which brings about variable degree of snow dominance across the catchments. To account for the snow influence we develop novel formulations to estimate the isotope evolution in the snowpack and melt. Algorithms for the isotopic evolution parameterize an isotopic offset between snow evaporation and melt fluxes and the remaining snow storage. The model for each catchment is calibrated to match both streamflow and tracer concentration at the stream outlet to ensure internal consistency of the system behaviour. The model is able to reproduce the streamflow along with the spatio-temporal differences in tracer concentrations across the three studies catchments reasonably well. Incorporating the spatially distributed snowmelt processes and associated isotope transformations proved essential in capturing the stream tracer reponse for strongly snow-influenced cathments. This provides a transferrable tool which can be used to understand spatio-temporal variability of mixing and water ages for different storages and flow paths in other snow influenced, environments.

Effects of urban stream burial on nitrogen uptake and ...

Science.gov (United States)

Urbanization has resulted in extensive burial and channelization of headwater streams, yet little is known about impacts on stream ecosystem functions critical for reducing downstream nitrogen pollution. To characterize the biogeochemical impact of stream burial, we measured NO3- uptake, using 15N-NO3- isotope tracer releases, and whole stream metabolism, during four seasons in three paired buried and open streams reaches within the Baltimore Ecosystem Study Long-term Ecological Research Network. Stream burial increased NO3- uptake lengths, by a factor of 7.5 (p < 0.01) and decreased nitrate uptake velocity and areal nitrate uptake rate by factors of 8.2 (p = 0.01) and 9.6 (p < 0.001), respectively. Stream burial decreased gross primary productivity by a factor of 9.2 (p < 0.05) and decreased ecosystem respiration by a factor of 4.2 (p = 0.06). From statistical analysis of Excitation Emissions Matrices (EEMs), buried streams were also found to have significantly less labile dissolved organic matter. Furthermore, buried streams had significantly lower transient storage and water temperatures. Overall, differences in NO3- uptake and metabolism were primarily explained by decreased transient storage and light availability in buried streams. We estimate that stream burial increases daily watershed nitrate export by as much as 500% due to decreased in-stream retention and may considerably decrease carbon export via decreased primary production. These results

The Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Phosphate: A Tracer for Phosphate Sources and Cycling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mclaughlin, K. [Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, University of California, CA (United States); Young, M. B.; Paytan, A.; Kendall, C. [U.S. Geological Survey, University of California, CA (United States)

2013-05-15

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting macro-nutrient for primary productivity and anthropogenic P-loading to aquatic ecosystems is one of the leading causes of eutrophication in many ecosystems throughout the world. Because P has only one stable isotope, traditional isotope techniques are not possible for tracing sources and cycling of P in aquatic systems. However, much of the P in nature is bonded to four oxygen (O) atoms as orthophosphate (PO{sub 4}{sup 3-}). The P-O bonds in orthophosphate are strongly resistant to inorganic hydrolysis and do not exchange oxygen with water without biological mediation (enzyme-mediated recycling). Thus, the oxygen isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic phosphate ({delta}{sup 18}O{sub p}) may be used as a tracer for phosphate sources and cycling in aquatic ecosystems. Recently, several studies have been conducted utilizing {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} as a tracer for phosphate sources and cycling in various aquatic environments. Specifically, work to date indicates that {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} is useful for determining sources of phosphate to aquatic systems if these sources have unique isotopic signatures and phosphate cycling within the system is limited compared to input fluxes. In addition, because various processes imprint specific fractionation effects, the {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} tracer can be utilized to determine the degree of phosphorous cycling and processing through the biomass. This chapter reviews several of these studies and discusses the potential to utilize the {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} of phosphate in rivers and streams. (author)

The European Tracer Experiment - experimental results and database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nodop, K.; Connolly, R.; Girardi, F.

1997-01-01

As part of the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) two successful atmospheric experiments were carried out in October and November, 1994. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracers were released into the atmosphere in Monterfil, Brittany, and air samples were taken at 168 stations in 17 European countries for 72 hours after the release. Upper air tracer measurements were made from three aircraft. During the first experiment a westerly air flow transported the tracer plume north-eastwards across Europe. During the second release the flow was eastwards. The results from the ground sampling network allowed the determination of the cloud evolution as far as Sweden, Poland and Bulgaria. Typical background concentrations of the tracer used are around 5 to 7 fl/l in ambient air. Concentrations in the plume ranged from 10 to above 200 fl/l. The tracer release characteristics, the tracer concentrations at the ground and in upper air, the routine and additional meteorological observations at the ground level and in upper air, trajectories derived from constant-level balloons and the meteorological input fields for long-range transport (LRT) models are assembled in the ETEX database. The ETEX database is accessible via the Internet

Relation between Streaming Potential and Streaming Electrification Generated by Streaming of Water through a Sandwich-type Cell

OpenAIRE

Maruyama, Kazunori; Nikaido, Mitsuru; Hara, Yoshinori; Tanizaki, Yoshie

2012-01-01

Both streaming potential and accumulated charge of water flowed out were measured simultaneously using a sandwich-type cell. The voltages generated in divided sections along flow direction satisfied additivity. The sign of streaming potential agreed with that of streaming electrification. The relation between streaming potential and streaming electrification was explained from a viewpoint of electrical double layer in glass-water interface.

The stream flow rate measurement using tracer techniques at the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA), Kelantan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daud Mohammad; Abd Razak Hamzah; Wan Abd Aziz Wan Mohamad; Juhari Yusoff; Wan Zakaria Wan Mohd Tahir

1985-01-01

Measuring the flow rate of a water course is one of the basic operations in hydrology, being of general relevance to water problems and of particular importance in the planning of water control schemes. The techniques commonly used in streamflow gauging are either by a current meter of tracer dilution method. This paper describes the latter technique in which radioisotope Tc-99m was used as a tracer in streamflow measurements performed in 1983 in a few selected irrigation canals and pump house under the Kemubu Agriculture Development Authority (KADA), Kelantan. Total count technique and peak-to-peak method were adopted in this study. (author)

Proceedings of Tracer 3. International Conference on Tracers and Tracing Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Tracer 3 conference is a continuation of former Tracer 1 (1998) and Tracer 2 (2001) conferences organized by CNRS - Nancy France. The objective of this 3rd conference is presentation of different aspects of tracer method applications and development of tracer methodology.The new field of activity presented at the Conference was application of stable isotopes as natural tracers for investigations of environmental processes. The conference gave the possibility for scientific information exchange between specialists from different fields of activity such as chemical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, civil engineering, metallurgy, etc. The presentations were divided into groups covering the principal items of Conference. Section A. Fundamental development - RTD and tracer methodology, - RTD methodology and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), - New tracers and detectors. Section B. Industrial applications - Environment, - Geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications, - Civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications, - Food engineering and bioengineering, - Material engineering, - Chemical engineering. During the Conference INIS promotion materials were exposed by INIS liaison officer for Poland

Proceedings of Tracer 3. International Conference on Tracers and Tracing Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

Tracer 3 conference is a continuation of former Tracer 1 (1998) and Tracer 2 (2001) conferences organized by CNRS - Nancy France. The objective of this 3rd conference is presentation of different aspects of tracer method applications and development of tracer methodology.The new field of activity presented at the Conference was application of stable isotopes as natural tracers for investigations of environmental processes. The conference gave the possibility for scientific information exchange between specialists from different fields of activity such as chemical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, civil engineering, metallurgy, etc. The presentations were divided into groups covering the principal items of Conference. Section A. Fundamental development - RTD and tracer methodology, - RTD methodology and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), - New tracers and detectors. Section B. Industrial applications - Environment, - Geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications, - Civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications, - Food engineering and bioengineering, - Material engineering, - Chemical engineering. During the Conference INIS promotion materials were exposed by INIS liaison officer for Poland.

Optimization of copper ore concentration processing by means of radioactive tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petryka, L.; Przewlocki, K.

1989-01-01

Flotation of polymetallic ores in the Polish Lower Silesian Basin was taken as an example for the optimization of copper ore processing using radioactive tracers. An original stochastic mathematical model (stream model) was proposed to minimize copper losses in tailing. A detailed procedure of measurement is presented as well as the experimental data and their interpretation. On the basis of this research copper losses in tailing can be reduced to one third. (author)

Tracer theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margrita, R.

1988-09-01

Tracers are used in many fields of science to investigate mass transfer. The scope of tracers applications in Service of Applications Radioisotopes (S.A.R.-France) is large and concerns natural and industrial systems such as Sciences of earth: hydrology - civil engineering - Sedimentology - environmental studies. Industrial field: chemical engineering - mechanical engineering. A general tracer methodology has been developed in our laboratories from these different applications fields and this paper shows these different points of view in using tracers; our wish is that the methods used in an experimental field can be employed in an another one

Nitrate removal in stream ecosystems measured by 15N addition experiments: Total uptake

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, R.O.; Tank, J.L.; Sobota, D.J.; Mulholland, P.J.; O'Brien, J. M.; Dodds, W.K.; Webster, J.R.; Valett, H.M.; Poole, G.C.; Peterson, B.J.; Meyer, J.L.; McDowell, W.H.; Johnson, S.L.; Hamilton, S.K.; Grimm, N. B.; Gregory, S.V.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Cooper, L.W.; Ashkenas, L.R.; Thomas, S.M.; Sheibley, R.W.; Potter, J.D.; Niederlehner, B.R.; Johnson, L.T.; Helton, A.M.; Crenshaw, C.M.; Burgin, A.J.; Bernot, M.J.; Beaulieu, J.J.; Arangob, C.P.

2009-01-01

We measured uptake length of 15NO-3 in 72 streams in eight regions across the United States and Puerto Rico to develop quantitative predictive models on controls of NO-3 uptake length. As part of the Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment II project, we chose nine streams in each region corresponding to natural (reference), suburban-urban, and agricultural land uses. Study streams spanned a range of human land use to maximize variation in NO-3 concentration, geomorphology, and metabolism. We tested a causal model predicting controls on NO-3 uptake length using structural equation modeling. The model included concomitant measurements of ecosystem metabolism, hydraulic parameters, and nitrogen concentration. We compared this structural equation model to multiple regression models which included additional biotic, catchment, and riparian variables. The structural equation model explained 79% of the variation in log uptake length (S Wtot). Uptake length increased with specific discharge (Q/w) and increasing NO-3 concentrations, showing a loss in removal efficiency in streams with high NO-3 concentration. Uptake lengths shortened with increasing gross primary production, suggesting autotrophic assimilation dominated NO-3 removal. The fraction of catchment area as agriculture and suburban-urban land use weakly predicted NO-3 uptake in bivariate regression, and did improve prediction in a set of multiple regression models. Adding land use to the structural equation model showed that land use indirectly affected NO-3 uptake lengths via directly increasing both gross primary production and NO-3 concentration. Gross primary production shortened SWtot, while increasing NO-3 lengthened SWtot resulting in no net effect of land use on NO- 3 removal. ?? 2009.

Preparation of radioactive tracer for studying sediment movement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, S.D.; Ghauri, G.A.; Qureshi, M.H.; Khan, N.A.

1983-06-01

In order to study the movement of sediment in harbours, estuaries and streams, artificial sediment in the form of glass is prepared. A preselected nuclide is added to the glass during its manufacture. The density and size distribution of the glass particles is method with that of the natural sediment. The activation of the artificial sediment in a reactor changes the nuclide into a radioactive isotope thereby tagging it and making it possible to trace its movement with suitable radiation detector. The method of tracer preparation is described with special reference to sadiment movement studies at Karachi harbour. (authors)

Tracer monitoring of enhanced oil recovery projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kleven R.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In enhanced oil recovery (EOR, chemicals are injected into the oil reservoir, either to increase macroscopic sweep efficiency, or to reduce remaining oil saturation in swept zones. Tracers can be used to identify reservoirs that are specifically suited for EOR operations. Injection of a selection of partitioning tracers, combined with frequent sample analysis of produced fluids, provides information suited for estimation of residual oil saturation. Tracers can also be used to evaluate and optimize the application of EOR chemicals in the reservoir. Suitable tracers will follow the EOR chemicals and assist in evaluation of retention, degradation or trapping. In addition to field applications, tracers also have a large potential as a tool to perform mechanistic studies of EOR chemicals in laboratory experiments. By labelling EOR chemicals with radioactive isotopes of elements such as H, C and S, detailed studies of transport mechanisms can be carried out. Co-injection of labelled compounds in dynamic flooding experiments in porous media will give information about retention or separation of the unique compounds constituting the chemical formulation. Separation of such compounds may be detrimental to obtaining the EOR effect expected. The paper gives new information of specific methods, and discusses current status for use of tracers in EOR operations.

Tracer tests - possibilities and limitations. Experience from SKB fieldwork: 1977-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loefgren, Martin; Crawford, James; Elert, Mark (Kemakta Konsult AB, Stockholm (SE))

2007-09-15

only for the tracer test configuration, but not separate them without introducing additional assumptions. Field scale tracer tests (in flowing fractures) alone cannot deliver individual transport parameters, such as effective diffusivity, flow-wetted surface, etc in the absence of additional supporting information. Lumped or individual transport parameters obtained from inverse modelling of tracer test data are not directly transferable to Safety Assessment flow conditions or timescales. In addition to the above findings, another objective of this report has been to describe and highlight a number of elaborate in situ tracer tests that SKB has performed and reported. Many of these experiments have contributed immeasurably to current process understanding although may not be widely known to the general reader

Determining hyporheic storage using the rSAS model in urban restored streams.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoll, E.; Putnam, S. M.; Cosans, C.; Harman, C. J.

2017-12-01

One aim of stream restoration is to increase the connectivity of the stream with the hyporheic zone, which is important for processes like denitrification. This study analyzed transects of different restoration techniques in an urban stream, Stony Run in Baltimore, Maryland. The extent of the hyporheic zone was determined using a combination of salt slug injection tracer studies to determine the breakthrough curves and the rank StorAge Selection (rSAS) model. Previous studies using salt tracer injections have often focused on the shape of the breakthrough curve and the transit time distributions of streams to infer indicies correlated with hyporheic zone storage. This study uses the rSAS model to determine the volume of storage that must be turning over to produce the breakthrough curve. This study looked at transects of two different restoration techniques, one with floodplain rehabilitation and one without. Both transects had cross vanes and pool and riffle systems and only differed in the steepness of the banks surrounding the stream. The utility and accuracy of rSAS method was found to be heavily dependent on accurate flow rates. To avoid potential skew in the results, normalized, relatively flow rate-independent metric of storage were compared among transects to reduce error resulting from the flow rate. The results suggested that stream water was retained for longer in a larger storage volume in the transect that did not have floodplain rehabilitation. When compared to the storage of a natural stream with similar geomorphologic characteristics, the restored transect without floodplain rehabilitation had a larger storage volume than the natural stream. The restored transect with floodplain rehabilitation not only had a smaller storage volume than the restored section without rehabilitation, but also had a smaller storage volume than the natural stream with similar bank slopes. This suggests that the floodplain restoration does not significantly contribute to

Scaling relationships between bed load volumes, transport distances, and stream power in steep mountain channels

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Johannes M.; Turowski, Jens M.; Rickenmann, Dieter; Hegglin, Ramon; Arrigo, Sabrina; Mao, Luca; Kirchner, James W.

2014-03-01

Bed load transport during storm events is both an agent of geomorphic change and a significant natural hazard in mountain regions. Thus, predicting bed load transport is a central challenge in fluvial geomorphology and natural hazard risk assessment. Bed load transport during storm events depends on the width and depth of bed scour, as well as the transport distances of individual sediment grains. We traced individual gravels in two steep mountain streams, the Erlenbach (Switzerland) and Rio Cordon (Italy), using magnetic and radio frequency identification tags, and measured their bed load transport rates using calibrated geophone bed load sensors in the Erlenbach and a bed load trap in the Rio Cordon. Tracer transport distances and bed load volumes exhibited approximate power law scaling with both the peak stream power and the cumulative stream energy of individual hydrologic events. Bed load volumes scaled much more steeply with peak stream power and cumulative stream energy than tracer transport distances did, and bed load volumes scaled as roughly the third power of transport distances. These observations imply that large bed load transport events become large primarily by scouring the bed deeper and wider, and only secondarily by transporting the mobilized sediment farther. Using the sediment continuity equation, we can estimate the mean effective thickness of the actively transported layer, averaged over the entire channel width and the duration of individual flow events. This active layer thickness also followed approximate power law scaling with peak stream power and cumulative stream energy and ranged up to 0.57 m in the Erlenbach, broadly consistent with independent measurements.

The Influence of Leaf Fall and Organic Carbon Availability on Nitrogen Cycling in a Headwater Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, S. A.; Kristin, A.; Doyle, B.; Goodale, C. L.; Gurwick, N. P.; Lepak, J.; Kulkari, M.; McIntyre, P.; McCalley, C.; Raciti, S.; Simkin, S.; Warren, D.; Weiss, M.

2005-05-01

The study of allochthonous carbon has a long and distinguished history in stream ecology. Despite this legacy, relatively little is known regarding the influence of leaf litter on nutrient dynamics. We conducted 15N-NO3 tracer additions to a headwater stream in upstate New York before and after autumn leaf fall to assess the influence of leaf litter on nitrogen spiraling. In addition, we amended the stream with labile dissolved organic carbon (as acetate) midway through each experiment to examine whether organic carbon availability differentially stimulated nitrogen cycling. Leaf standing stocks increased from 53 to 175 g dry mass m-2 and discharge more than tripled (6 to 20 L s-1) between the pre- and post-leaf fall period. In contrast, nitrate concentration fell from approximately 50 to less then 10 ug L-1. Despite higher discharge, uptake length was shorter following leaf fall under both ambient (250 and 72 m, respectively) and DOC amended (125 and 45 m) conditions. Uptake velocity increased dramatically following leaf fall, despite a slight decline in the areal uptake rate. Dissolved N2 gas samples were also collected to estimate denitrification rates under each experimental condition. The temporal extent of increased nitrogen retention will also be explored.

A comparative modeling study of a dual tracer experiment in a large lysimeter under atmospheric conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpp, C.; Nützmann, G.; Maciejewski, S.; Maloszewski, P.

2009-09-01

SummaryIn this paper, five model approaches with different physical and mathematical concepts varying in their model complexity and requirements were applied to identify the transport processes in the unsaturated zone. The applicability of these model approaches were compared and evaluated investigating two tracer breakthrough curves (bromide, deuterium) in a cropped, free-draining lysimeter experiment under natural atmospheric boundary conditions. The data set consisted of time series of water balance, depth resolved water contents, pressure heads and resident concentrations measured during 800 days. The tracer transport parameters were determined using a simple stochastic (stream tube model), three lumped parameter (constant water content model, multi-flow dispersion model, variable flow dispersion model) and a transient model approach. All of them were able to fit the tracer breakthrough curves. The identified transport parameters of each model approach were compared. Despite the differing physical and mathematical concepts the resulting parameters (mean water contents, mean water flux, dispersivities) of the five model approaches were all in the same range. The results indicate that the flow processes are also describable assuming steady state conditions. Homogeneous matrix flow is dominant and a small pore volume with enhanced flow velocities near saturation was identified with variable saturation flow and transport approach. The multi-flow dispersion model also identified preferential flow and additionally suggested a third less mobile flow component. Due to high fitting accuracy and parameter similarity all model approaches indicated reliable results.

The use of a radioactive tracer for the determination of distillation end point in a coke oven

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgio, N.; Capannesi, G.; Ciavola, C.; Sedda, F.

1995-01-01

A novel high precision detection method for the determination of the distillation end point of the coking process (usually in the 950 deg C range) has been developed. The system is based on the use of a metallic capsule that melts at a fixed temperature and releases a radioactive gas tracer ( 133 Xe) in the stream of the distillation gas. A series of tests on a pilot oven confirmed the feasibility of the method on industrial scale. Application of the radioactive tracer method to the staging and monitoring in the coking process appears to be possible. (author). 6 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs

"Submesoscale Soup" Vorticity and Tracer Statistics During the Lateral Mixing Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Shcherbina, A.; D'Asaro, E. A.; Lee, C. M.; Molemaker, J.; McWilliams, J. C.

2012-12-01

A detailed view of upper-ocean velocity, vorticity, and tracer statistics was obtained by a unique synchronized two-vessel survey in the North Atlantic in winter 2012. In winter, North Atlantic Mode water region south of the Gulf Stream is filled with an energetic, homogeneous, and well-developed submesoscale turbulence field - the "submesoscale soup". Turbulence in the soup is produced by frontogenesis and the surface layer instability of mesoscale eddy flows in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream. This region is a convenient representation of the inertial range of the geophysical turbulence forward cascade spanning scales of o(1-100km). During the Lateral Mixing Experiment in February-March 2012, R/Vs Atlantis and Knorr were run on parallel tracks 1 km apart for 500 km in the submesoscale soup region. Synchronous ADCP sampling provided the first in-situ estimates of full 3-D vorticity and divergence without the usual mix of spatial and temporal aliasing. Tracer distributions were also simultaneously sampled by both vessels using the underway and towed instrumentation. Observed vorticity distribution in the mixed layer was markedly asymmetric, with sparse strands of strong anticyclonic vorticity embedded in a weak, predominantly cyclonic background. While the mean vorticity was close to zero, distribution skewness exceeded 2. These observations confirm theoretical and numerical model predictions for an active submesoscale turbulence field. Submesoscale vorticity spectra also agreed well with the model prediction.

REVISED STREAM CODE AND WASP5 BENCHMARK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, K

2005-01-01

STREAM is an emergency response code that predicts downstream pollutant concentrations for releases from the SRS area to the Savannah River. The STREAM code uses an algebraic equation to approximate the solution of the one dimensional advective transport differential equation. This approach generates spurious oscillations in the concentration profile when modeling long duration releases. To improve the capability of the STREAM code to model long-term releases, its calculation module was replaced by the WASP5 code. WASP5 is a US EPA water quality analysis program that simulates one-dimensional pollutant transport through surface water. Test cases were performed to compare the revised version of STREAM with the existing version. For continuous releases, results predicted by the revised STREAM code agree with physical expectations. The WASP5 code was benchmarked with the US EPA 1990 and 1991 dye tracer studies, in which the transport of the dye was measured from its release at the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam downstream to Savannah. The peak concentrations predicted by the WASP5 agreed with the measurements within ±20.0%. The transport times of the dye concentration peak predicted by the WASP5 agreed with the measurements within ±3.6%. These benchmarking results demonstrate that STREAM should be capable of accurately modeling releases from SRS outfalls

Measuring in-stream retention of copper by means of constant-rate additions.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra, A; Guasch, H; Martí, E; Geiszinger, A

2009-06-01

Human practices entail inputs of nutrients and toxicants such as heavy metals to the fluvial ecosystems. While nutrient dynamics in fluvial ecosystems have been widely studied for over three decades, dynamics of toxicants still remain unclear. In this investigation, the nutrient spiraling concept and associated methodologies to quantify nutrient retention in streams were applied to study copper (Cu) dynamics in streams. The present study aimed to quantify total dissolved Cu retention using a simplified system of indoor channels colonized with fluvial biofilms. Cu retention was studied at sub-toxic concentrations to avoid negative/lethal effects on biota. In addition, Cu retention was compared with retention estimates of a macronutrient, phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), which has been widely studied within the context of the nutrient spiraling concept. The methodology used allowed a successful quantification of Cu and PO(4)(3-) retention. The results showed higher retention efficiency for PO(4)(3-) than for Cu. The biofilm played a key role in retaining both solutes. Although retention efficiency for both solutes was higher in the experiments with colonized substrata compared to uncolonized substrata, we found a positive relationship between uptake rate and chlorophyll-a only for PO(4)(3-). Finally, retention efficiency for both solutes was influenced by water discharge, showing lower retention efficiencies under higher flow conditions. These results suggest that the fate and toxic effects of copper on stream biota may be strongly influenced by the prevailing environmental conditions. Our results indicate that the experimental approach considered can provide new insights into the investigation of retention of toxic compounds in fluvial systems and their controlling mechanisms.

Addition of tracers into the polypropylene in view of automatic sorting of plastic wastes using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezati, F.; Froelich, D.; Massardier, V.; Maris, E.

2010-01-01

This study focused on the detection of rare earth oxides, used as tracers for the identification of polymer materials, using XRF (X-ray fluorescence) spectrometry. The tests were carried out in a test system device which allows the collection of static measurements of the samples' spectrum through the use of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technology. A sorting process based on tracers added into the polymer matrix is proposed in order to increase sorting selectivity of polypropylene during end-of-life recycling. Tracers consist of systems formed by one or by several substances dispersed into a material, to add a selective property to it, with the aim of improving the efficiency of sorting and high speed identification. Several samples containing rare earth oxides (Y 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Nd 2 O 3 , Gd 2 O 3 , Dy 2 O 3 , Er 2 O 3 and Yb 2 O 3 ) in different concentrations were prepared in order to analyse some of the parameters which can influence the detection, such as the concentration of tracers, the acquisition time and the possible overlapping among the tracers. This work shows that by using the XRF test system device, it was possible to detect 5 of the 7 tracers tested for 1 min exposure time and at a concentration level of 1000 ppm. These two parameters will play an important role in the development of an industrial device, which indicates the necessity of further works that needs to be conducted in order to reduce them.

Coupled Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Solute Transport, Metabolism and Nutrient Uptake in Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Kurz, M. J.; Schmidt, C.

2017-12-01

Slower flow velocities and longer residence times within stream transient storage (TS) zones facilitate interaction between solutes and microbial communities, potentially increasing local rates of metabolic activity. Multiple factors, including channel morphology and substrate, variable hydrology, and seasonal changes in biological and physical parameters, result in changes in the solute transport dynamics and reactivity of TS zones over time and space. These changes would be expected to, in turn, influence rates of whole-stream ecosystem functions such as metabolism and nutrient uptake. However, the linkages between solute transport and ecosystem functioning within TS zones, and the contribution of TS zones to whole-stream functioning, are not always so straight forward. This may be due, in part, to methodological challenges. In this study we investigated the influence of stream channel hydro-morphology and substrate type on reach (103 m) and sub-reach (102 m) scale TS and ecosystem functioning. Patterns in solute transport, metabolism and nitrate uptake were tracked from April through October in two contrasting upland streams using several methods. The two streams, located in the Harz Mountains, Germany, are characterized by differing size (0.02 vs. 0.3 m3/s), dominant stream channel substrate (bedrock vs. alluvium) and sub-reach morphology (predominance of pools, riffles and glides). Solute transport parameters and respiration rates at the reach and sub-reach scale were estimated monthly from coupled pulse injections of the reactive tracer resazurin (Raz) and conservative tracers uranine and salt. Raz, a weakly fluorescent dye, irreversibly transforms to resorufin (Rru) under mildly reducing conditions, providing a proxy for aerobic respiration. Daily rates of primary productivity, respiration and nitrate retention at the reach scale were estimated using the diel cycles in dissolved oxygen and nitrate concentrations measured by in-situ sensors. Preliminary

Procedures for determining stream flowrate using radioisotope method in Pesanggrahan River, Indonesia. Prosedur untuk mengukur kadar-alir sungai menggunakan kaedah radioisotop di Sungai Pesanggrahan, Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-08-01

River flow measurements either by a current meter or a tracer dilution are established elsewhere. This report describes the experimental method, calibrations of NaI detector, preparation of radioisotopes and equipment, and safety aspect considerations as well as results interpretation in determining stream flowrate of Pesanggrahan River, Indonesia in which radioisotopes /sup 82/Br and /sup 51/Cr complexed with EDTA were used as tracers. The total count technique of stream flow D=AF/N, developed by Hull, was simplified for the ease of field work purposes and adopted in this study. Discharge results at different water levels during low flows gauged using both radioisotope tracers are comparable. The relationship between water level and discharge value is also plotted although the available data is insufficient.

Sediment motion and velocity in a glacier-fed stream

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, L.; Dell'Agnese, A.; Comiti, F.

2017-08-01

Current understanding of coarse sediment transport (e.g. threshold for motion, travel length and virtual velocity) in mountain rivers is still quite limited, and even less is known about glacial streams. However, the hydrological characteristics of these systems (strong daily discharge fluctuations, high water turbidity) pose challenges to the use of tracers to monitor bed sediment dynamics, as tagged clasts are usually located after bedload events when flow stage has receded, e.g. by means of portable antennas in the case of Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT). The use of stationary antennas, still scarcely in use worldwide, to detect PIT-tagged particles has potential advantages in glacier-fed streams. If water discharge is monitored continuously, a stationary antenna provides real time data on the actual discharge at the moment of tracer particles passage. This study focuses on incipient motion and virtual velocity of bed particles measured by a stationary antennas system in a steep mountain channel (Saldur River, drainage area 18.6 km2, Italian Alps) where significant daily discharge fluctuations and bedload transport occur as a result of a nivo-glacial regime. Four stationary antennas were installed 50-m apart in the study reach. A total of 629 PIT-tagged clasts were inserted in the studied reach between 2011 and 2014, ranging in size from 35 mm to 580 mm, with an overall recovery rate of around 44%. Critical discharge for sediment entrainment was obtained by detecting the movement of tracers placed immediately upstream of antennas. Virtual velocity was derived by knowing distances between the antennas and travel time of tracers. Results on initiation of motion show that the relationship between the size of transported tracers and the discharge measured at the time clasts were passing the stationary antenna is very weak. The influence of antecedent flows on incipient motion was thus investigated by dividing the highest discharge recorded between each PIT

Flow pathways in the Slapton Wood catchment using temperature as a tracer

Science.gov (United States)

Birkinshaw, Stephen J.; Webb, Bruce

2010-03-01

SummaryThis study investigates the potential of temperature as a tracer to provide insights into flow pathways. The approach couples fieldwork and modelling experiments for the Eastergrounds Hollow within the Slapton Wood catchment, South Devon, UK. Measurements in the Eastergrounds Hollow were carried out for soil temperature, spring temperature, and the stream temperature and use was made of an existing 1989-1991 data set for the entire Slapton Wood catchment. The predominant flow in this hollow is a result of subsurface stormflow, and previous work has suggested that the water flows vertically down through the soil and then subsurface stormflow occurs at the soil/bedrock interface where the water is deflected laterally. The depth of the subsurface stormflow was previously thought to be around 2.2 m. However, analysis of the new spring, stream and soil temperature data suggests a deeper pathway for the subsurface stormflow. Modelling of water flow and heat transport was carried out using SHETRAN and this was calibrated to reproduce the water flow in the entire Slapton Wood catchment and soil temperatures in the Eastergrounds Hollow. The model was tested for the entire Eastergrounds Hollow with two different soil depths. A depth of 2.2 m, based on previous knowledge, was unable to reproduce the Eastergrounds spring temperature. A depth of 3.7 m produced an excellent comparison between measured and simulated stream and spring temperatures in the Eastergrounds Hollow. This work suggests that the depth of the flow pathways that produce the subsurface stormflow are deeper than previously thought. It also provides a demonstration on the use of temperature as a tracer to understand flow pathways.

Myosin-Powered Membrane Compartment Drives Cytoplasmic Streaming, Cell Expansion and Plant Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Peremyslov, Valera V; Cole, Rex A; Fowler, John E; Dolja, Valerian V

2015-01-01

Using genetic approaches, particle image velocimetry and an inert tracer of cytoplasmic streaming, we have made a mechanistic connection between the motor proteins (myosins XI), cargo transported by these motors (distinct endomembrane compartment defined by membrane-anchored MyoB receptors) and the process of cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells. It is shown that the MyoB compartment in Nicotiana benthamiana is highly dynamic moving with the mean velocity of ~3 μm/sec. In contrast, Golgi, mitochondria, peroxisomes, carrier vesicles and a cytosol flow tracer share distinct velocity profile with mean velocities of 0.6-1.5 μm/sec. Dominant negative inhibition of the myosins XI or MyoB receptors using overexpression of the N. benthamiana myosin cargo-binding domain or MyoB myosin-binding domain, respectively, resulted in velocity reduction for not only the MyoB compartment, but also each of the tested organelles, vesicles and cytoplasmic streaming. Furthermore, the extents of this reduction were similar for each of these compartments suggesting that MyoB compartment plays primary role in cytosol dynamics. Using gene knockout analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana, it is demonstrated that inactivation of MyoB1-4 results in reduced velocity of mitochondria implying slower cytoplasmic streaming. It is also shown that myosins XI and MyoB receptors genetically interact to contribute to cell expansion, plant growth, morphogenesis and proper onset of flowering. These results support a model according to which myosin-dependent, MyoB receptor-mediated transport of a specialized membrane compartment that is conserved in all land plants drives cytoplasmic streaming that carries organelles and vesicles and facilitates cell growth and plant development.

Predictive value of tracer studies for 131I treatment in hyperthyroid cats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broome, M.R.; Turrel, J.M.; Hays, M.T.

1988-01-01

In 76 cats with hyperthyroidism, peak thyroidal radioiodine ( 131 I) uptakes and effective half-lives were determined after administration of tracer and therapeutic activities of 131 I. In 6 additional hyperthyroid cats, only peak thyroidal uptakes after administration of tracer and therapeutic activities of 131 I were determined. Good correlation was found between peak thyroidal uptakes of tracer and therapeutic 131 I; however, only fair correlation was observed between effective half-lives. In 79% of the cats, the effective half-life for therapeutic 131 I was longer than that for tracer 131 I. After administration of therapeutic activity of 131 I, monoexponential and biphasic decay curves were observed in 51 and 16 cats, respectively. Using therapeutic kinetic data, radiation doses to the thyroid gland were calculated retrospectively on the basis of 2 methods for determining the activity of 131 I administered: (1) actual administration of tracer-compensated activity and (2) hypothetic administration of uniform activity (3 mCi). Because of the good predictive ability of tracer kinetic data for the therapeutic kinetic data, the tracer-compensated radiation doses came significantly (P = 0.008) closer to the therapeutic goal than did the uniform-activity doses. In addition, the use of tracer kinetic information reduced the extent of the tendency for consistently high uniform-activity doses. A manual method for acquiring tracer kinetic data was developed and was an acceptable alternative to computerized techniques. Adoption of this method gives individuals and institutions with limited finances the opportunity to characterize the iodine kinetics in cats before proceeding with administration of therapeutic activities of 131 I

Nutrient additions to mitigate for loss of Pacific salmon: consequences for stream biofilm and nutrient dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Marcarelli, Amy M.; Baxter, Colden V.; Wipfli, Mark S.

2014-01-01

Mitigation activities designed to supplement nutrient and organic matter inputs to streams experiencing decline or loss of Pacific salmon typically presuppose that an important pathway by which salmon nutrients are moved to fish (anadromous and/or resident) is via nutrient incorporation by biofilms and subsequent bottom-up stimulation of biofilm production, which is nutrient-limited in many ecosystems where salmon returns have declined. Our objective was to quantify the magnitude of nutrient incorporation and biofilm dynamics that underpin this indirect pathway in response to experimental additions of salmon carcasses and pelletized fish meal (a.k.a., salmon carcass analogs) to 500-m reaches of central Idaho streams over three years. Biofilm standing crops increased 2–8-fold and incorporated marine-derived nutrients (measured using 15N and 13C) in the month following treatment, but these responses did not persist year-to-year. Biofilms were nitrogen (N) limited before treatments, and remained N limited in analog, but not carcass-treated reaches. Despite these biofilm responses, in the month following treatment total N load was equal to 33–47% of the N added to the treated reaches, and N spiraling measurements suggested that as much as 20%, but more likely 2–3% of added N was taken up by microbes. Design of biologically and cost-effective strategies for nutrient addition will require understanding the rates at which stream microbes take up nutrients and the downstream distance traveled by exported nutrients.

Using radioactive tracer technique in municipal hygiene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yurasova, O.I.

1974-01-01

Work of the A. N. Syrsin Institute of General and Municiapl Hygiene using raidoactive tracers is reviewed. The studies include research on protein metabolism in the living organism following action of unfavorable factors of the environment; determination of the paths of introduction into the organism of substances with an alien composition; and study of the rate of resorption of subcutaneous papuli. Results are shown of radioactive-tracer studies on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the living organism and of migration of alien chemical compounds in the organism and in objects in the environment. It is concluded that the radioactive tracer method has wide application in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology. The absence of laborious operations, economy of time, precision of the experiments, and the possibility of obtaining additional information on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the organism and the low cost of such studies compared with other methods makes the radioactive tracer method economically attractive. The studies made show the various types of use of the method in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology

Using radioactive tracer technique in municipal hygiene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yurasova, O I [Institut Obshchej i Kommunal' noj Gigieny, Moscow (USSR)

1974-01-01

Work of the A. N. Syrsin Institute of General and Municiapl Hygiene using raidoactive tracers is reviewed. The studies include research on protein metabolism in the living organism following action of unfavorable factors of the environment; determination of the paths of introduction into the organism of substances with an alien composition; and study of the rate of resorption of subcutaneous papuli. Results are shown of radioactive-tracer studies on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the living organism and of migration of alien chemical compounds in the organism and in objects in the environment. It is concluded that the radioactive tracer method has wide application in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology. The absence of laborious operations, economy of time, precision of the experiments, and the possibility of obtaining additional information on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the organism and the low cost of such studies compared with other methods makes the radioactive tracer method economically attractive. The studies made show the various types of use of the method in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology.

Predicting Hyporheic Exchange of Water and Solutes in Streams on the Basis of a Priori Estimates of Stream Physical Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, S. H.; Harvey, J.; Packman, A.; Worman, A.

2005-12-01

It is very important to accurately model solute transport in rivers in order to analyze contaminant transport, water quality, and a variety of ecological processes. The purpose of this research is to determine the physical characteristics of a stream or river that are sufficient to predict hyporheic exchange and downstream solute transport. In the fall of 2004, we conducted a bromide tracer injection and made physical measurements in Sugar Creek, a small agricultural stream in northwestern Indiana. As is typical for small mid-western agricultural streams, Sugar Creek has been ditched and straightened, and subsequent downcutting through glacial sediments and slumpage of bank sediments composed of finer grain sizes has created a stream of intermediate complexity. In order to relate the observed solute transport to more basic physical characteristics of the stream, we determined the bathymetry of Sugar Creek over a wide range of scales (centimeters to decameters), and measured velocity profiles, the water elevation surface profile, hydraulic conductivity via in situ measurements, and bed sediment grain size distributions throughout the study reach. Our most detailed topographic measurements revealed fine scale bed variations with wavelengths on the order of ten centimeters, while surveying of the entire study reach characterized large scale meanders with wavelengths on the order of five meters. The distribution of wavelengths influences the driving forces that cause solute to enter the bed and banks. Hydraulic conductivity determines the resistance to flow of stream water through the (meander) stream banks and streambed. We used a scaling approach to relate the geometric and hydrogeologic characteristics of the stream to solute transport and also applied a new analytical solution for the subsurface flows resulting from topographic variations over a wide range of spatial scales. These models captured the main features of the observed solute transport. The greatest

Environmental Tracers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trevor Elliot

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Environmental tracers continue to provide an important tool for understanding the source, flow and mixing dynamics of water resource systems through their imprint on the system or their sensitivity to alteration within it. However, 60 years or so after the first isotopic tracer studies were applied to hydrology, the use of isotopes and other environmental tracers are still not routinely necessarily applied in hydrogeological and water resources investigations where appropriate. There is therefore a continuing need to promote their use for developing sustainable management policies for the protection of water resources and the aquatic environment. This Special Issue focuses on the robustness or fitness-for-purpose of the application and use of environmental tracers in addressing problems and opportunities scientifically, to promote their wider use and to address substantive issues of vulnerability, sustainability, and uncertainty in (groundwater resources systems and their management.

Streaming Velocities and the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Blazek, Jonathan A; McEwen, Joseph E; Hirata, Christopher M

2016-03-25

At the epoch of decoupling, cosmic baryons had supersonic velocities relative to the dark matter that were coherent on large scales. These velocities subsequently slow the growth of small-scale structure and, via feedback processes, can influence the formation of larger galaxies. We examine the effect of streaming velocities on the galaxy correlation function, including all leading-order contributions for the first time. We find that the impact on the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) peak is dramatically enhanced (by a factor of ∼5) over the results of previous investigations, with the primary new effect due to advection: if a galaxy retains memory of the primordial streaming velocity, it does so at its Lagrangian, rather than Eulerian, position. Since correlations in the streaming velocity change rapidly at the BAO scale, this advection term can cause a significant shift in the observed BAO position. If streaming velocities impact tracer density at the 1% level, compared to the linear bias, the recovered BAO scale is shifted by approximately 0.5%. This new effect, which is required to preserve Galilean invariance, greatly increases the importance of including streaming velocities in the analysis of upcoming BAO measurements and opens a new window to the astrophysics of galaxy formation.

Detection of solvent losses (entrainment) in gas streams of process vessels using radioisotope tracing techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Zakaria Wan Muhamad Tahir; Juhari Mohd Yusof

2002-01-01

Liquid droplets (MDEA aqueous solution) entrained in the gas streams can cause severe problems on chemical plants. On-line detection of liquid entrainment (carry over) into gas streams from process vessel is investigated using radioisotope iodine ( 131 I). In order to obtain information on whether there is any carry-over of MDEA in the vapour space leaving from the process system, a number of test and calibration injections involving the released of certain amount of tracer activity (mCi) at the inlet and overhead lines of the process vessels were made using a special injection device. MDEA solvent- tagged tracer in the overhead line of the designated process vessels was monitored using radiation scintillation detectors mounted externally at specified locations of the vessels. Output pulses (response curves) with respect to time of measurements from all detectors were plotted and analysed for the finger prints of solvent losses leaving the vessels. From this study, no distinguishable peaks were detected at the outlet vessels of the overhead lines. Thus, no significant MDEA solvent losses in the form of vapour being discovered along the gas streams due to the process taking place in the system. (Author)

Microbial and Organic Fine Particle Transport Dynamics in Streams - a Combined Experimental and Stochastic Modeling Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, Jen; Davies-Colley, Rob; Stott, Rebecca; Sukias, James; Nagels, John; Sharp, Alice; Packman, Aaron

2014-05-01

Transport dynamics of microbial cells and organic fine particles are important to stream ecology and biogeochemistry. Cells and particles continuously deposit and resuspend during downstream transport owing to a variety of processes including gravitational settling, interactions with in-stream structures or biofilms at the sediment-water interface, and hyporheic exchange and filtration within underlying sediments. Deposited cells and particles are also resuspended following increases in streamflow. Fine particle retention influences biogeochemical processing of substrates and nutrients (C, N, P), while remobilization of pathogenic microbes during flood events presents a hazard to downstream uses such as water supplies and recreation. We are conducting studies to gain insights into the dynamics of fine particles and microbes in streams, with a campaign of experiments and modeling. The results improve understanding of fine sediment transport, carbon cycling, nutrient spiraling, and microbial hazards in streams. We developed a stochastic model to describe the transport and retention of fine particles and microbes in rivers that accounts for hyporheic exchange and transport through porewaters, reversible filtration within the streambed, and microbial inactivation in the water column and subsurface. This model framework is an advance over previous work in that it incorporates detailed transport and retention processes that are amenable to measurement. Solute, particle, and microbial transport were observed both locally within sediment and at the whole-stream scale. A multi-tracer whole-stream injection experiment compared the transport and retention of a conservative solute, fluorescent fine particles, and the fecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli. Retention occurred within both the underlying sediment bed and stands of submerged macrophytes. The results demonstrate that the combination of local measurements, whole-stream tracer experiments, and advanced modeling

The Effect of Beaver Activity on the Ammonium Uptake and Water Residence Time Characteristics of a Third-Order Stream Reach

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, M.; Gooseff, M. N.; Wollheim, W. M.; Peterson, B. J.; Morkeski, K.

2009-12-01

Increasing beaver populations within low gradient basins in the northeastern United States are fundamentally changing the way water and dissolved nutrients are exported through these stream networks to the coast. Beaver dams can increase water residence time and contact with organic material, promote anoxic conditions and enhance both surface and hyporheic transient storage; all of these may have an impact on biogeochemical reactivity and nutrient retention. To quantitatively assess some of these effects we co-injected NaCl and NH4+ into the same 3rd-order stream reach in Massachusetts, USA under pre- and post-dam conditions. These experiments were done at similar discharge rates to isolate the impacts of a large natural beaver dam (7 m X 1.3 m) on the low-gradient (0.002) system where variable discharge also imparts a strong control on residence time. During the post-dam experiment there was an estimated 2300 m3 of water impounded behind the structure, which influenced more than 300 m of the 650 m stream reach. Our results showed that median transport time through the reach increased by 160% after dam construction. Additionally the tracer tailing time normalized to the corresponding median transport time increased from 1.08 to 1.51, indicating a pronounced tailing of the tracer signal in the post-dam condition. Data collected within the beaver pond just upstream of the dam indicated poor mixing and the presence of preferential flow paths through the generally stagnant zone. The uptake length (Sw) for NH4+ was 1250 m under the pre-dam condition, and may have changed for the post-dam reach in part because of the observed changes in residence time. As beaver population growth continues within these basins the consequences may be a smoothing of the outlet hydrograph and increased nutrient and organic matter removal and storage along the stream network.

DOC:NO3- ratios and NO3- uptake in forested headwater streams

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Cardona, Bianca; Wymore, Adam S.; McDowell, William H.

2016-01-01

The underlying mechanisms driving the coupled interactions between inorganic nitrogen uptake and dissolved organic matter are not well understood, particularly in surface waters. To determine the relationship between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) quantity and nitrate (NO3-) uptake kinetics in streams, we performed a series of NO3- Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization experiments in four streams within the Lamprey River Watershed, New Hampshire, across a range in background DOC concentrations (1-8 mg C/L). Experiments were performed throughout the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. Across streams and experimental dates, ambient uptake velocity (Vf) correlated positively with increasing DOC concentrations and DOC:NO3- ratios but was only weakly negatively associated with NO3- concentrations. Ambient NO3- Vf was unrelated to pH, light, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and Specific Ultraviolet Absorbance at 254 nm. Although there were general tendencies across the entire Lamprey River Watershed, individual sites behaved differently in their uptake kinetics. NO3- uptake dynamics in the Lamprey River Watershed are most strongly influenced by DOC concentrations rather than NO3- concentrations or physicochemical parameters, which have been identified as regional- to continental-scale drivers in previous research. Understanding the fundamental relationships between dissolved organic matter and inorganic nutrients will be important as global and climatic changes influence the delivery and production of DOC and NO3- in aquatic ecosystems.

Discharge modulates stream metabolism dependence on fine particulate organic carbon in a Mediterranean WWTP-influenced stream

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, J. D.; Bernal, S.; Meredith, W.; Schumer, R.; Martí Roca, E.

2017-12-01

Waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents constitute point source inputs of fine sediment, nutrients, carbon, and microbes to stream ecosystems. A range of responses to these inputs may be observed in recipient streams, including increases in respiration rates, which augment CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Yet, little is known about which fractions of organic carbon (OC) contribute the most to stream metabolism in WWTP-influenced streams. Fine particulate OC (POC) represents ca. 40% of the total mass of OC in river networks, and is generally more labile than dissolved OC. Therefore, POC inputs from WWTPs could contribute disproportionately to higher rates of heterotrophic metabolism by stream microbial communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of POC inputs from a WWTP effluent on the metabolism of a Mediterranean stream over a wide range of hydrologic conditions. We hypothesized that POC inputs would have a positive effect on respiration rates, and that the response to POC availability would be larger during low flows when the dilution capacity of the recipient stream is negligible. We focused on the easily resuspended fine sediment near the sediment-water interface (top 3 cm), as this region is a known hot spot for biogeochemical processes. For one year, samples of resuspended sediment were collected bimonthly at 7 sites from 0 to 800 m downstream of the WWTP point source. We measured total POC, organic matter (OM) content (%), and the associated metabolic activity of the resuspended sediment using the resazurin-resorufin smart tracer system as a proxy for aerobic ecosystem respiration. Resuspended sediment showed no difference in total POC over the year, while the OM content increased with decreasing discharge. This result together with the decreasing trend of total POC observed downstream of the point source during autumn after a long dry period, suggests that the WWTP effluent was the main contributor to stream POC. Furthermore

Method of determining the characteristics of circulatory systems using tracer particles, making the particles and radioactive particles for use in the method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, F.P.; Gagnon, D.L.

1981-01-01

In the method described tracer particles consist of ion exchange resin cores labelled with suitable radioactive ions or with a nuclide excitable by X-rays, and have a non-leaching polymeric coating. The particles are introduced into the system and are detected by visual inspection, radiation detection or X-ray fluorescence techniques. The cores are labelled using conventional batch ion exchange techniques. Coated tracers are produced by contacting a monomer, preferably furfuryl alcohol, with cores bearing catalytic ions (hydroxyl or hydrogen) on the surface which catalyse the monomer to form a polymer. The tracer particles in a physiologically acceptable liquid carrier are useful in clinical and medical investigations of blood flow. They can also be used for flow measurement in chemical process control streams. (U.K.)

COMPARISON OF THREE TRACER TESTS AT THE RAFT RIVER GEOTHERMAL SITE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Earl D Mattson; Mitchell Plummer; Carl Palmer; Larry Hull; Samantha Miller; Randy Nye

2011-02-01

Three conservative tracer tests have been conducted through the Bridge Fault fracture zone at the Raft River Geothermal (RRG) site. All three tests were conducted between injection well RRG-5 and production wells RRG-1 (790 m distance) and RRG-4 (740 m distance). The injection well is used during the summer months to provide pressure support to the production wells. The first test was conducted in 2008 using 136 kg of fluorescein tracer. Two additional tracers were injected in 2010. The first 2010 tracer injected was 100 kg fluorescein disodium hydrate salt on June, 21. The second tracer (100 kg 2,6-naphthalene disulfonic acid sodium salt) was injected one month later on July 21. Sampling of the two productions wells is still being performed to obtain the tail end of the second 2010 tracer test. Tracer concentrations were measured using HPLC with a fluorescence detector. Results for the 2008 test, suggest 80% tracer recover at the two production wells. Of the tracer recovered, 85% of tracer mass was recovered in well RRG-4 indicating a greater flow pathway connection between injection well and RRG-4 than RRG-1. Fluorescein tracer results appear to be similar between the 2008 and 2010 tests for well RRG-4 with peak concentrations arriving approximately 20 days after injection despite the differences between the injection rates for the two tests (~950 gpm to 475 gpm) between the 2008 and 2010. The two 2010 tracer tests will be compared to determine if the results support the hypothesis that rock contraction along the flow pathway due to the 55 oC cooler water injection alters the flow through the ~140 oC reservoir.

Fluorinated tracers for imaging cancer with positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couturier, Olivier; Chatal, Jean-Francois; Luxen, Andre; Vuillez, Jean-Philippe; Rigo, Pierre; Hustinx, Roland

2004-01-01

2-[ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) is currently the only fluorinated tracer used in routine clinical positron emission tomography (PET). Fluorine-18 is considered the ideal radioisotope for PET imaging owing to the low positron energy (0.64 MeV), which not only limits the dose rate to the patient but also results in a relatively short range of emission in tissue, thereby providing high-resolution images. Further, the 110-min physical half-life allows for high-yield radiosynthesis, transport from the production site to the imaging site and imaging protocols that may span hours, which permits dynamic studies and assessment of potentially fairly slow metabolic processes. The synthesis of fluorinated tracers as an alternative to FDG was initially tested using nucleophilic fluorination of the molecule, as performed when radiolabelling with iodine-124 or bromide-76. However, in addition to being long, with multiple steps, this procedure is not recommended for bioactive molecules containing reactive groups such as amine or thiol groups. Radiochemical yields are also often low. More recently, radiosynthesis from prosthetic group precursors, which allows easier radiolabelling of biomolecules, has led to the development of numerous fluorinated tracers. Given the wide availability of 18 F, such tracers may well develop into important routine tracers. This article is a review of the literature concerning fluorinated radiotracers recently developed and under investigation for possible PET imaging in cancer patients. Two groups can be distinguished. The first includes ''generalist'' tracers, i.e. tracers amenable to use in a wide variety of tumours and indications, very similar in this respect to FDG. These are tracers for non-specific cell metabolism, such as protein synthesis, amino acid transport, nucleic acid synthesis or membrane component synthesis. The second group consists of ''specific'' tracers for receptor expression (i.e. oestrogens or somatostatin), cell

Quantifying solute transport processes: are chemically "conservative" tracers electrically conservative?

Science.gov (United States)

Singha, Kamini; Li, Li; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Regberg, Aaron B.

2012-01-01

The concept of a nonreactive or conservative tracer, commonly invoked in investigations of solute transport, requires additional study in the context of electrical geophysical monitoring. Tracers that are commonly considered conservative may undergo reactive processes, such as ion exchange, thus changing the aqueous composition of the system. As a result, the measured electrical conductivity may reflect not only solute transport but also reactive processes. We have evaluated the impacts of ion exchange reactions, rate-limited mass transfer, and surface conduction on quantifying tracer mass, mean arrival time, and temporal variance in laboratory-scale column experiments. Numerical examples showed that (1) ion exchange can lead to resistivity-estimated tracer mass, velocity, and dispersivity that may be inaccurate; (2) mass transfer leads to an overestimate in the mobile tracer mass and an underestimate in velocity when using electrical methods; and (3) surface conductance does not notably affect estimated moments when high-concentration tracers are used, although this phenomenon may be important at low concentrations or in sediments with high and/or spatially variable cation-exchange capacity. In all cases, colocated groundwater concentration measurements are of high importance for interpreting geophysical data with respect to the controlling transport processes of interest.

Introduction to stream: An Extensible Framework for Data Stream Clustering Research with R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Hahsler

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In recent years, data streams have become an increasingly important area of research for the computer science, database and statistics communities. Data streams are ordered and potentially unbounded sequences of data points created by a typically non-stationary data generating process. Common data mining tasks associated with data streams include clustering, classification and frequent pattern mining. New algorithms for these types of data are proposed regularly and it is important to evaluate them thoroughly under standardized conditions. In this paper we introduce stream, a research tool that includes modeling and simulating data streams as well as an extensible framework for implementing, interfacing and experimenting with algorithms for various data stream mining tasks. The main advantage of stream is that it seamlessly integrates with the large existing infrastructure provided by R. In addition to data handling, plotting and easy scripting capabilities, R also provides many existing algorithms and enables users to interface code written in many programming languages popular among data mining researchers (e.g., C/C++, Java and Python. In this paper we describe the architecture of stream and focus on its use for data stream clustering research. stream was implemented with extensibility in mind and will be extended in the future to cover additional data stream mining tasks like classification and frequent pattern mining.

Quantitative Visualization of Dynamic Tracer Transportation in the Extracellular Space of Deep Brain Regions Using Tracer-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jin; Wang, Wei; Quan, Xianyue; Liang, Wen; Li, Zhiming; Han, Hongbin; Chen, Deji

2017-01-01

Background This study assessed an innovative tracer-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to visualize the dynamic transportation of tracers in regions of deep brain extracellular space (ECS) and to measure transportation ability and ECS structure. Material/Methods Gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) was the chosen tracer and was injected into the caudate nucleus and thalamus. Real-time dynamic transportation of Gd-DTPA in ECS was observed and the results were verified by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Using Transwell assay across the blood-brain barrier, a modified diffusion equation was further simplified. Effective diffusion coefficient D* and tortuosity λ were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis were used to investigate the extracellular matrix contributing to ECS structure. Results Tracers injected into the caudate nucleus were transported to the ipsilateral frontal and temporal cortices away from the injection points, while both of them injected into the thalamus were only distributed on site. Although the caudate nucleus was closely adjacent to the thalamus, tracer transportation between partitions was not observed. In addition, D* and the λ showed statistically significant differences between partitions. ECS was shown to be a physiologically partitioned system, and its division is characterized by the unique distribution territory and transportation ability of substances located in it. Versican and Tenascin R are possible contributors to the tortuosity of ECS. Conclusions Tracer-based MRI will improve our understanding of the brain microenvironment, improve the techniques for local delivery of drugs, and highlight brain tissue engineering fields in the future. PMID:28866708

Quantitative Visualization of Dynamic Tracer Transportation in the Extracellular Space of Deep Brain Regions Using Tracer-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jin; Wang, Wei; Quan, Xianyue; Liang, Wen; Li, Zhiming; Chen, Deji; Han, Hongbin

2017-09-03

BACKGROUND This study assessed an innovative tracer-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to visualize the dynamic transportation of tracers in regions of deep brain extracellular space (ECS) and to measure transportation ability and ECS structure. MATERIAL AND METHODS Gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) was the chosen tracer and was injected into the caudate nucleus and thalamus. Real-time dynamic transportation of Gd-DTPA in ECS was observed and the results were verified by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Using Transwell assay across the blood-brain barrier, a modified diffusion equation was further simplified. Effective diffusion coefficient D* and tortuosity λ were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis were used to investigate the extracellular matrix contributing to ECS structure. RESULTS Tracers injected into the caudate nucleus were transported to the ipsilateral frontal and temporal cortices away from the injection points, while both of them injected into the thalamus were only distributed on site. Although the caudate nucleus was closely adjacent to the thalamus, tracer transportation between partitions was not observed. In addition, D* and the λ showed statistically significant differences between partitions. ECS was shown to be a physiologically partitioned system, and its division is characterized by the unique distribution territory and transportation ability of substances located in it. Versican and Tenascin R are possible contributors to the tortuosity of ECS. CONCLUSIONS Tracer-based MRI will improve our understanding of the brain microenvironment, improve the techniques for local delivery of drugs, and highlight brain tissue engineering fields in the future.

Pharmaceuticals as Groundwater Tracers - Applications and Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Scheytt, T. J.; Mersmann, P.; Heberer, T.

2003-12-01

Pharmaceutically active substances and metabolites are found at concentrations up to the microgram/L-level in groundwater samples from the Berlin (Germany) area and from several other places world wide. Among the compounds detected in groundwater are clofibric acid, propyphenazone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and carbamazepine. Clofibric acid, the active metabolite of clofibrate and etofibrate (blood lipid regulators) is detected in groundwater at maximum concentrations of 7300 ng/L. Among the most important input paths of drugs are excretion and disposal into the sewage system. Groundwater contamination is likely to be due to leaky sewage systems, influent streams, bank filtration, and irrigation with effluent water from sewage treatment plants. There are no known natural sources of the above mentioned pharmaceuticals. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers may include: (a) Quantification of infiltration from underground septic tanks (b) Detection of leaky sewage systems / leaky sewage pipes (c) Estimation of the effectiveness of sewage treatment plants (d) Identification of transport pathways of other organic compounds (e) Quantification of surface water / groundwater interaction (f) Characterization of the biodegradation potential. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers is limited by variations in input. These variations depend on the amount of drugs prescribed and used in the study area, the social structure of the community, the amount of hospital discharge, and temporal concentration variations. Furthermore, the analysis of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals is sophisticated and expensive and may therefore limit the applicability of pharmaceuticals as tracers. Finally, the transport and degradation behavior of pharmaceuticals is not fully understood. Preliminary experiments in the laboratory were conducted using sediment material and groundwater from the Berlin area to evaluate the transport and sorption behavior of selected drugs. Results of the column experiments

Hydraulic characterisation of karst systems with man-made tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, A.

1998-01-01

Tracer experiments using man-made tracers are common in hydrogeological exploration of groundwater aquifers in karst systems. In the present investigation, a convection-dispersion model (multidispersion model with consideration of several flow paths) and a single-cleft model (consideration of the diffusion between the cleft and the surrounding rock matrix) were used for evaluating tracer experiments in the main hydrological system of the saturated zone of karst systems. In addition to these extended analytical solutions, a numerical transport model was developed for investigating the influence of the transient flow rate on the flow and transport parameters. Comparative evaluations of the model approaches for the evaluation of tracer experiments were made in four different karst systems: Danube-Aach, Paderborn, Slowenia and Lurbach, of which the Danube-Aach system was considered as the most important. The investigation also comprised three supplementary experiments in order to enable a complete hydraulic characterisation of the system. (orig./SR) [de

Ptaquiloside from bracken in stream water at base flow and during storm events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clauson-Kaas, Frederik; Ramwell, Carmel; Hansen, Hans Chr. Bruun

2016-01-01

not decrease over the course of the event. In the stream, the throughfall contribution to PTA cannot be separated from a possible below-ground input from litter, rhizomes and soil. Catchment-specific factors such as the soil pH, topography, hydrology, and bracken coverage will evidently affect the level of PTA...... rainfall and PTA concentration in the stream, with a reproducible time lag of approx. 1 h from onset of rain to elevated concentrations, and returning rather quickly (about 2 h) to base flow concentration levels. The concentration of PTA behaved similar to an inert tracer (Cl(-)) in the pulse experiment...

Tracer experiment by using radioisotope in surface water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, K.S.; Kim, K.C.; Chun, I.Y.; Jung, S.H.; Lee, C.W.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. 1. Objective An expansion of industrial activities and urbanization result in still increasing amount of pollutants discharged into surface water. Discharged pollutants in surface water have harmful effects on the ecology of a river system and human beings. Pollutants discharged into surface water is transported and dispersed under conditions characteristic to particular natural water receiver. Radiotracer method is a useful tool for monitoring the pollutant dispersion and description of mixing process taking place in natural streams. A tracer experiment using radioisotope was carried out to investigate the characteristics of a pollutant transport and a determination of the diffusion coefficients in a river system. 2. Methods The upper area of the Keum river was selected for the tracer experiment, which is located in a mid west of Korea. The measurements of the velocity and bathymetry before a tracer experiment were performed to select the sampling lines for a detection of the radioisotope. The radioisotope was instantaneously injected into a flow as a point source by an underwater glass-vial crusher. The detection was made with 60 2inch NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors at 3 transverse lines at a downstream position. The multi-channel data acquisition systems were used to collect and process the signals transmitted from the detectors. Two-dimensional numerical models were used to simulate the hydraulic parameters and the concentration distributions of the radioisotope injected into the river. 3. Results and Conclusion The calculated results such as velocity and concentrations were compared with the measured ones. The dispersion characteristics of the radioisotope were analyzed according to a variation of the flow rate, water level and diffusion coefficients. Also, the diffusion coefficients were calculated by using the measured concentrations and the coefficients obtained from the field experiment were compared with the ones

Application of oxygen-18 tracer techniques to arctic hydrological processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, L.W.; Solis, C.; Kane, D.L.; Hinzman, L.D.

1993-01-01

The δ 18 O value of streamflow at Imnavait Creek, Alaska, shifted dramatically from -30.3 per-thousand on 14 May, the first day of streamflow in 1990, to -22.5 per-thousand on 22 May, at the end of the snowmelt. Nevertheless, independent hydrological measurements of snow redistribution by wind, snow ablation, snow and soil mixture content, and snowmelt runoff indicate there cannot be significant mixing of meltwater with underlying ice-rich soils. An alternative explanation is that isotopic fractionation during the phase change from solid to liquid dominates the isotopic variation in streamflow during snowmelt and prevents a straightforward application of 18 O as a conservative hydrological tracer. By contrast, under dry antecedent conditions in late summer, 18 O appeared to be a suitable tracer following rain contributions to streamflow. Streamflow increased as a result of rainfall, but stream isotopic composition did not change until at least two hours after streamflow increased, implicating a wave, or piston-like mechanism for forcing open-quotes oldclose quotes water into the stream channel. Analyses of the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope composition of various hydrological components within the watershed indicate the importance of evaporation as a dominant factor in the hydrological cycle; soil moisture, alteration as a result of evaporation. The analyses indicate that caution would be advised for any application of stable isotopes to hydrological studies in arctic watersheds. Proportions of snowmelt mixing with underlying soil water may be subject to overestimation because isotopic fractionation as snow melts can be similar in direction and magnitude to the isotopic mixing of snowmelt an soil waters. 40 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Experimental investigation of acoustic streaming in a cylindrical wave guide up to high streaming Reynolds numbers.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyt, Ida; Bailliet, Hélène; Valière, Jean-Christophe

2014-01-01

Measurements of streaming velocity are performed by means of Laser Doppler Velocimetry and Particle Image Velociimetry in an experimental apparatus consisting of a cylindrical waveguide having one loudspeaker at each end for high intensity sound levels. The case of high nonlinear Reynolds number ReNL is particularly investigated. The variation of axial streaming velocity with respect to the axial and to the transverse coordinates are compared to available Rayleigh streaming theory. As expected, the measured streaming velocity agrees well with the Rayleigh streaming theory for small ReNL but deviates significantly from such predictions for high ReNL. When the nonlinear Reynolds number is increased, the outer centerline axial streaming velocity gets distorted towards the acoustic velocity nodes until counter-rotating additional vortices are generated near the acoustic velocity antinodes. This kind of behavior is followed by outer streaming cells only and measurements in the near wall region show that inner streaming vortices are less affected by this substantial evolution of fast streaming pattern. Measurements of the transient evolution of streaming velocity provide an additional insight into the evolution of fast streaming.

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization project: Quality Assurance Project Plan, Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stetzenbach, K.J.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this work is to identify and characterize candidate conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for experiments to be conducted at the Yucca Mountain C-well complex. During this quarter the main effort was directed towards rewriting the quality assurance program in preparation for a review and audit by the USGS. However, due to budget constraints the review and audit were not carried out. The tracer QA plan and standard operating procedures (SOPs) were revised and copies are included in the report. Instrumental problems were encountered and corrected with the addition of new integration and sample control software. In the sampling, there was an unexplained peak in the chromatograms of the tracers being tested in the light tuff. This was not correctable and these experiments will be repeated in the next quarter

Measurement of the Tracer Gradient and Sampling System Bias of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility Stack Air Monitoring System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glissmeyer, John A.; Flaherty, Julia E.

2011-07-20

This report describes tracer gas uniformity and bias measurements made in the exhaust air discharge of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. The measurements were a follow-up on earlier measurements which indicated a lack of mixing of the two ventilation streams being discharged via a common stack. The lack of mixing is detrimental to the accuracy of air emission measurements. The lack of mixing was confirmed in these new measurements. The air sampling probe was found to be out of alignment and that was corrected. The suspected sampling bias in the air sample stream was disproved.

Dynamic dual-tracer PET reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fei; Liu, Huafeng; Jian, Yiqiang; Shi, Pengcheng

2009-01-01

Although of important medical implications, simultaneous dual-tracer positron emission tomography reconstruction remains a challenging problem, primarily because the photon measurements from dual tracers are overlapped. In this paper, we propose a simultaneous dynamic dual-tracer reconstruction of tissue activity maps based on guidance from tracer kinetics. The dual-tracer reconstruction problem is formulated in a state-space representation, where parallel compartment models serve as continuous-time system equation describing the tracer kinetic processes of dual tracers, and the imaging data is expressed as discrete sampling of the system states in measurement equation. The image reconstruction problem has therefore become a state estimation problem in a continuous-discrete hybrid paradigm, and H infinity filtering is adopted as the estimation strategy. As H infinity filtering makes no assumptions on the system and measurement statistics, robust reconstruction results can be obtained for the dual-tracer PET imaging system where the statistical properties of measurement data and system uncertainty are not available a priori, even when there are disturbances in the kinetic parameters. Experimental results on digital phantoms, Monte Carlo simulations and physical phantoms have demonstrated the superior performance.

Transport and concentration controls for chloride, strontium, potassium and lead in Uvas Creek, a small cobble-bed stream in Santa Clara County, California, U.S.A. 1. Conceptual model

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, V.C.; Jackman, A.P.; Zand, S.M.; Zellweger, G.W.; Avanzino, R.J.

1984-01-01

Stream sediments adsorb certain solutes from streams, thereby significantly changing the solute composition; but little is known about the details and rates of these adsorptive processes. To investigate such processes, a 24-hr. injection of a solution containing chloride, strontium, potassium, sodium and lead was made at the head of a 640-m reach of Uvas Creek in west-central Santa Clara County, California. Uvas Creek is a cobble-bed pool-and-riffle stream draining the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. By September 12, 1973, after a long dry season, Uvas Creek had a low (0.0215 m3s-1 average) flow which varied diurnally, from 0.018 to 0.025 m3s-1. Because stream discharge varied while the injection rate was constant, the concentration of tracers (injected solutes), after mixing in the stream, varied inversely with discharge. Chloride, a nonreactive solute, served as a tracer of water movement. Analysis of extensive chloride concentration data at five sites below the injection point during and after the injection demonstrated that there was considerable underflow of water through the stream gravels; however, the extent of underflow varied greatly within the study reach. Pre-injection water, displaced by tracer-laden water percolating through the gravels, diluted tracers in the stream channel, giving the mistaken impression of groundwater inflow at some points. Accurate measurement of total discharge in such streams requires prolonged tracer injection unless a reach can be found where underflow is negligible. Strontium and potassium were adsorbed by the bed sediments to a moderate extent and lead was strongly adsorbed. A high proportion of these metals could be removed by adsorption from percolating underflow because of extensive and intimate contact with bed sediments. After channel clearing following injection cutoff, 51% of the added strontium and 96% of the lead remained in the study reach, whereas only 19% of the chloride remained. Packets of sized

Development of radioisotope tracer technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Joon Ha; Lee, Myun Joo; Jung, Sung Hee; Park, Soon Chul; Lim, Dong Soon; Kim, Jae Ho; Lee, Jae Choon; Lee, Doo Sung; Cho, Yong Suk; Shin, Sung Kuan

2000-04-01

The purpose of this study is to develop the radioisotope tracer technology, which can be used in solving industrial and environmental problems and to build a strong tracer group to support the local industries. In relation to the tracer technology in 1999, experiments to estimate the efficiencies of a sludge digester of a waste water treatment plant and a submerged biological reactor of a dye industry were conducted. As a result, the tracer technology for optimization of facilities related to wastewater treatment has been developed and is believed to contribute to improve their operation efficiency. The quantification of the experimental result was attempted to improve the confidence of tracer technology by ECRIN program which basically uses the MCNP simulation principle. Using thin layer activation technique, wear of tappet shim was estimated. Thin layer surface of a tappet shim was irradiated by proton beam and the correlation between the measured activity loss and the amount of wear was established. The equipment was developed to adjust the energy of proton which collides with the surface of tappet. The tracer project team has participated into the tracer test for estimating the efficiency of RFCC system in SK cooperation. From the experiment the tracer team has obtained the primary elements to be considered for judging the efficiency of RFCC unit. By developing the tracer techniques to test huge industrial units like RFCC, the tracer team will be able to support the local industries that require technical services to solve any urgent trouble. (author)

Experimental plan for tracer testing in the Culebra Dolomite at the WIPP site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beauheim, R.L.; Davies, P.B.

1992-01-01

This Experimental Plan provides a conceptual description of a proposed series of tracer tests to be conducted in the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation at the WIPP site. The new tracer tests are intended to address deficiencies that have been identified both in the performance and interpretation of previously conducted tracer tests' Tracer tests were conducted at the H-2 hydropad in 1980, at the H-6 hydropad in 1981, 1982, and 1983, at the H-4 hydropad from 1982 to 1984, at the H-3 hydropad in 1984, and at the H-11 hydropad in 1988. These tests were all performed over the entire 7-m thickness of the Culebra and, therefore, provided no information on the effects of vertical heterogeneity within the Culebra on transport. In addition, each of the previous tracer tests provided data only from 1 to 3 flow paths, allowing calibration of interpretive models but not validation of those models. The tracer tests at the H-3, H-6, and H-11 hydropads have been interpreted using a double-porosity continuum model (SWIFT 11) in which advective transport occurs through a uniform network of fractures while diffusion of tracer from the fractures to the porosity in the rock matrix causes a physical retardation of the transport. External reviewers, particularly participants in the international INTRAVAL program, have suggested that alternative mechanisms, such as fracture channeling, could explain the observed physical retardation and have recommended that additional tracer tests be designed and performed to distinguish among these mechanisms. The previous tracer tests also provided no information on chemical-retardation processes within the Culebra, which have been shown through performance-assessment calculations to have a large impact on cumulative releases of radionuclides from the WIPP to the accessible environment

General circulation and tracers: studies in the Western Indian Ocean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamous, Daniel

1991-01-01

The main question addressed in this thesis is how to best use the information obtained from hydro-biogeochemical tracer data, to study the oceanic general circulation in the Western Indian Ocean. First, a principal component analysis is performed on a historical data set. The tracers considered are temperature, salinity, density, oxygen, phosphate and silica. The method reduces the amount of data to be considered by a factor of 5. It reproduces correctly and efficiently the large-scale distributions of these oceanic properties. The analysed data are then used in a finite-difference nonlinear inverse model. The grid has a resolution of 4 deg. by 4 deg.. Dynamical as well as tracer conservation constraints are used. These constraints are well satisfied by the obtained solutions but the associated errors remain large. Additional constraints would be required in order to discuss the different solutions in more detail. Finally, a qualitative study is done on the deep distribution of helium-3. The data show several important features linked to hydrothermal input in the Gulf of Aden and on the Central Indian Ridge, and to the origin of water masses and deep circulation characteristics. However additional data are required in order to clarify the distribution of this tracer in other key areas. (author) [fr

Quadratic tracer dynamical models tobacco growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiang Jiyi; Hua Cuncai; Wang Shaohua

2011-01-01

In order to study the non-uniformly transferring process of some tracer dosages, we assume that the absorption of some tracer by tobacco is a quadratic function of the tracer quantity of the tracer in the case of fast absorption, whereas the exclusion of the tracer from tobacco is a linear function of the tracer quantity in the case of slow exclusion, after the tracer is introduced into tobacco once at zero time. A single-compartment quadratic dynamical model of Logistic type is established for the leaves of tobacco. Then, a two-compartment quadratic dynamical model is established for leaves and calms of the tobacco. Qualitative analysis of the models shows that the tracer applied to the leaves of the tobacco is excluded finally; however, the tracer stays at the tobacco for finite time. Two methods are also given for computing the parameters in the models. Finally, the results of the models are verified by the 32 P experiment for the absorption of tobacco. (authors)

Tracers and tracing methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leclerc, J.P.

2001-01-01

The first international congress on 'Tracers and tracing methods' took place in Nancy in May 2001. The objective of this second congress was to present the current status and trends on tracing methods and their applications. It has given the opportunity to people from different fields to exchange scientific information and knowledge about tracer methodologies and applications. The target participants were the researchers, engineers and technologists of various industrial and research sectors: chemical engineering, environment, food engineering, bio-engineering, geology, hydrology, civil engineering, iron and steel production... Two sessions have been planned to cover both fundamental and industrial aspects: 1)fundamental development (tomography, tracer camera visualization and particles tracking; validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations by tracer experiments and numerical residence time distribution; new tracers and detectors or improvement and development of existing tracing methods; data treatments and modeling; reactive tracer experiments and interpretation) 2)industrial applications (geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications; civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications; chemical engineering; environment; food engineering and bio-engineering). The program included 5 plenary lectures, 23 oral communications and around 50 posters. Only 9 presentations are interested for the INIS database

Development of activable tracers for application in secondary recovering in petroleum reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Polyana Fabricia Fernandes; Moreira, Rubens Martins . Servico de Meio Ambiente e Tecnicas Nucleares.

2007-01-01

Nuclear methods are instrumental in describing detailed flow patterns and other features of oil reservoirs that are unattainable to other methods. Tracer studies in oil fields are performed in a net of injection and producing wells. Thus, the use of only one tracer species would not discriminate the contributions of distinct injection wells to the output of a given production well. Hence, a multi-tracer experiment is required, and the use of activable tracers, capable of being measured by neutron activation analysis (NAA) is here proposed. As additional tracer choices lanthanum (La) and europium (Eu) were chosen from the rare earth series due to their large neutron cross sections and general availability. In order to decrease losses to the oil phase and the retardation of the tracer relatively to the aqueous phase, these elements were complexed with organic chelating ligands: the polyaminocarboxylic acids EDTA, DTPA and DOTA. Infrared spectrometry was used to check complexation. In order to check the partition of the tracer between the aqueous and organic phases, tests were carried stirring the two phases together and measuring the tracer concentrations in the aqueous phase; the partition coefficient (Kao) was then calculated for all the combinations of the two lanthanides and the three ligands. Tests in which the tracer was continuously pumped through reservoir rock samples were also carried out using tritiated water as a reference tracer and the complexed lanthanides. (author)

Persistent Tracers of Historic Ice Flow in Glacial Stratigraphy near Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica

OpenAIRE

Holschuh, Nicholas; Christianson, Knut; Conway, Howard; Jacobel, Robert W.; Welch, Brian C.

2018-01-01

Variations in properties controlling ice flow (e.g., topography, accumulation rate, basal friction) are recorded by structures in glacial stratigraphy. When anomalies that disturb the stratigraphy are fixed in space, the structures they produce advect away from the source, and can be used to trace flow pathways and reconstruct ice-flow patterns of the past. Here we provide an example of one of these persistent tracers: a prominent unconformity in the glacial layering that originates at Mt. Re...

Analyzing indicators of stream health for Minnesota streams

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, U.; Kocian, M.; Wilson, B.; Bolton, A.; Nieber, J.; Vondracek, B.; Perry, J.; Magner, J.

2005-01-01

Recent research has emphasized the importance of using physical, chemical, and biological indicators of stream health for diagnosing impaired watersheds and their receiving water bodies. A multidisciplinary team at the University of Minnesota is carrying out research to develop a stream classification system for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessment. Funding for this research is provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. One objective of the research study involves investigating the relationships between indicators of stream health and localized stream characteristics. Measured data from Minnesota streams collected by various government and non-government agencies and research institutions have been obtained for the research study. Innovative Geographic Information Systems tools developed by the Environmental Science Research Institute and the University of Texas are being utilized to combine and organize the data. Simple linear relationships between index of biological integrity (IBI) and channel slope, two-year stream flow, and drainage area are presented for the Redwood River and the Snake River Basins. Results suggest that more rigorous techniques are needed to successfully capture trends in IBI scores. Additional analyses will be done using multiple regression, principal component analysis, and clustering techniques. Uncovering key independent variables and understanding how they fit together to influence stream health are critical in the development of a stream classification for TMDL assessment.

Tracer dating and ocean ventilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiele, G.; Sarmiento, J.L.

1990-01-01

The interpretation of transient tracer observations depends on difficult to obtain information on the evolution in time of the tracer boundary conditions and interior distributions. Recent studies have attempted to circumvent this problem by making use of a derived quantity, age, based on the simultaneous distribution of two complementary tracers, such as tritium and its daughter, helium 3. The age is defined with reference to the surface such that the boundary condition takes on a constant value of zero. The authors use a two-dimensional model to explore the circumstances under which such a combination of conservation equations for two complementary tracers can lead to a cancellation of the time derivative terms. An interesting aspect of this approach is that mixing can serve as a source or sink of tracer based age. The authors define an idealized ventilation age tracer that is conservative with respect to mixing, and they explore how its behavior compares with that of the tracer-based ages over a range of advective and diffusive parameters

The spatial distribution of silicoflagellates in the region of the Gulf Stream warm-core ring 82B: application to water mass tracer studies

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Kozo; Blackwelder, Patricia L.

1992-03-01

To delineate potential water mass affinities, we investigated silicoflagellates from the region of Gulf Stream warm-core ring (WCR) 82B in the northwestern Atlantic. Silicoflagellates from 202 samples from N-S and an E-W transects across WCR 82B during late April were analysed. Shelf to Sargasso Sea transects, one completed in early May and the other in June 1982 were also examined. Eight to 11 vertical profiles to 200 m comprised each of the transects. Six taxa of silicoflagellates were found in the samples studied and a total of more than 8000 specimens were encountered. Three major taxa dominated standing stocks: Distephanus speculum, Dictyocha messanensis (intermediate-sized form) and D. mandrai. D. speculum, considered a cold-water taxon in the literature, showed a higher standing stock in the cooler high-velocity region (HVR) of the warm-core ring, continental shelf (SH) and slope (SL) waters. Fewer were present in the wanner ring center (RC), Gulf Stream (GS) and Sargasso Sea (SS). D. mandrai showed a similar distribution to that of D. speculum, but its preference for slightly warmer waters (>~10°C) was noted. In contrast, Dictyocha messanensis (intermediate-sized) and Distephanus pulchra, known to be warm-water taxa, were relatively abundant in the warm ring center. In contrast to standing stock data, ratios between cold- and warm-water taxa correlate well with temperature and salinity in the warm-core ring. Since these ratios are not effected by convective loss, they are excellent water mass tracers in this system. Distribution of the silicoflagellate taxa suggests that WCR82B April had a higher affinity with the Gulf Stream than the Sargasso Sea. Scores derived from factor analysis indicate that silicoflagellate species distributions are highly correlative with water masses. This was evident from correlations with temperature, salinity and with distance from ring center. Nutrients were generally not correlated with species data. This may be due to deep

A monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution for research on plant physiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzui, N.; Kawachi, N.; Ishioka, N.; Fujimaki, S.; Yamaguchi, M.

2009-01-01

The mechanism of nutrient uptake in plants has received considerable attention in the field of plant science. Here we describe the development of a new monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution, which enables the noninvasive measurement of radioactive tracer uptake by an intact plant. In addition, we incorporated a weighing instrument into this system in order to simultaneously monitor water uptake by the same plant. For an evaluation of this monitoring system, we conducted a tracer experiment with a rice plant and a positron-emitting radioactive tracer, and successfully obtained continuous data for the amounts of radioactive tracer and water taken up by the intact plant over 36 h. (authors)

A monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution for research on plant physiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzui, N.; Kawachi, N.; Ishioka, N.; Fujimaki, S. [Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Yamaguchi, M. [Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

2009-07-01

The mechanism of nutrient uptake in plants has received considerable attention in the field of plant science. Here we describe the development of a new monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution, which enables the noninvasive measurement of radioactive tracer uptake by an intact plant. In addition, we incorporated a weighing instrument into this system in order to simultaneously monitor water uptake by the same plant. For an evaluation of this monitoring system, we conducted a tracer experiment with a rice plant and a positron-emitting radioactive tracer, and successfully obtained continuous data for the amounts of radioactive tracer and water taken up by the intact plant over 36 h. (authors)

Environmental Monitoring of Agro-Ecosystem Using Environmental Isotope Tracer Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Byung Yeoup; Kim, Jae Sung; Cho, Jae Young

2004-10-01

This report has provided the counterparts the knowledge and skills on the use of environmental isotope tracer technology for obtaining valuable information on agricultural non-point pollution source in agro-ecosystem. The contamination from agricultural watersheds has been brought into attention as a potential contaminant of streams and tributaries, since majority of them caused water quality degradation, eutrophication of reservoir and negative effect on agro-environment. To prevent the contamination from these watersheds, it is necessary to find out the source of the contamination. However, accurate contaminants outflows from various types of non-point sources have not yet been elucidated due to the fact that the extent of non-point source contaminants related to uncontrollable climatic events and irrigation conditions may differ greatly from place to place and year to year. The dominant use of isotopes in environmental ecosystem research in the last few decades has been to trace sources of waters and solutes. The environmental isotope tracer technology using stable isotopes such as oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur has extensively been used for tracing the fate of environmental pollutants and for identification of environmental pollutants sources in agro-ecosystems

Solute transport in streams of varying morphology inferred from a high resolution network of potentiometric wireless chloride sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Klaus, Julian; Smettem, Keith; Pfister, Laurent; Harris, Nick

2017-04-01

There is ongoing interest in understanding and quantifying the travel times and dispersion of solutes moving through stream environments, including the hyporheic zone and/or in-channel dead zones where retention affects biogeochemical cycling processes that are critical to stream ecosystem functioning. Modelling these transport and retention processes requires acquisition of tracer data from injection experiments where the concentrations are recorded downstream. Such experiments are often time consuming and costly, which may be the reason many modelling studies of chemical transport have tended to rely on relatively few well documented field case studies. This leads to the need of fast and cheap distributed sensor arrays that respond instantly and record chemical transport at points of interest on timescales of seconds at various locations in the stream environment. To tackle this challenge we present data from several tracer experiments carried out in the Attert river catchment in Luxembourg employing low-cost (in the order of a euro per sensor) potentiometric chloride sensors in a distributed array. We injected NaCl under various baseflow conditions in streams of different morphologies and observed solute transport at various distances and locations. This data is used to benchmark the sensors to data obtained from more expensive electrical conductivity meters. Furthermore, the data allowed spatial resolution of hydrodynamic mixing processes and identification of chemical 'dead zones' in the study reaches.

Distribution and stability of potential salmonid spawning gravels in steep boulder-bed streams of the eastern Sierra Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondolf, G.M.; Cada, G.F.; Sale, M.J.; Felando, T.

1991-01-01

Interest in small hydroelectric development (< 5 MW) has recently focused attention on steep streams and the resident trout populations they contain. High-gradient boulder-bed streams have been the sites of relatively few studies of salmonid spawning habitat, although they have geomorphic and hydraulic characteristics - and therefore gravel distributions - that are quite different from the more commonly described lower-gradient channels. The authors documented gravel distribution in seven high-gradient stream reaches in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Gravels occurred only in locations characterized by relatively low shear stress; they formed small pockets in sites of low divergence and larger deposits upstream of natural hydraulic controls. In 1986 (a wet year), all tracer gravels placed in gravel pockets at nine sites on four streams were completely swept away, and substantial scour, fill, and other channel changes occurred at many sites. In 1987 (a dry year), tracer gravels and the channel cross sections were generally stable. Periodic mobility of gravel may explain why brown trout Salmo trutta are more abundant than rainbow trout Oncorhychus mykiss in the study reaches, where high flows occur every May and June during snowmelt. Brown trout are fall spawners, and their fry emerge long before the high snowmelt flows, whereas rainbow trout are spring spawners whose eggs are in the gravel, and thus vulnerable to scour, during snowmelt flows

Numerical Simulation of a Tracer Experiment at the Wolsong Nuclear Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyojoon; Kim, Eunhan; Park, Misun; Jeong, Haesun; Hwang, Wontae; Han, Moonhee

2014-01-01

By comparing the concentration of a tracer measured under weather conditions that are disadvantageous to the dilution of radioactive materials released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, with the concentration of a tracer calculated using an air Dispersion model, it is possible to evaluate the characteristics of the air concentrations of radioactive materials estimated with an air Dispersion model, which can then be used in an environmental impact analysis of radioactive materials. Therefore, a field Dispersion experiment has been carried out to figure out the behavioral characteristics of the tracer under weather conditions that are disadvantageous to the dilution of radioactive materials released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea. In addition, through a comparison of the tracer concentrations estimated by the Gaussian plume model with measurements, this study checked the degree of conservative estimation for the Gaussian plume at the Wolsong nuclear site in Korea. A tracer Dispersion experiment using an SF 6 trace was implemented to determine the Dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea. Based on meteorological data and the emission rate of the tracers, this study estimated the tracer concentrations using a Gaussian plume model, and then compared it with the measurement to check the conservative estimation of the Gaussian plume model. The measured concentrations of the tracer tends to be lower than the concentrations estimated by the Gaussian plume model overall

The use of tracer techniques to measure water flow rates in steam turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitfield, O.J.; Blaylock, G.; Gale, R.W.

1979-01-01

Radioactive and chemical tracers offer some unique advantages in detailed flow measurement on steam turbine plant. A series of experiments on a nuclear power station are reported where tracers successfully measured water flow rates and the initial steam moisture with an accuracy suitable for performance and commissioning tests. Both radioactive and chemical tracer methods produced identical results. Straightforward practical procedures were evolved that ensured repeatable accuracy and in addition a quantitative method of detecting heater leaks on load was established. (author)

Effect of the addition of wheat bran stream on dough rheology and bread quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iuliana Banu

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The milling by-products have high nutritional value and can be incorporated into white flour. This study was aimed at comparatively examining the rheological behaviour of the doughs made from wheat white flour with different levels (3-30% of bran streams incorporated and from wholewheat. The results indicated significant correlations between the ash content of the wheat bran streams incorporated into flour and Alveograph, Rheofermentograph and Mixolab parameters. The white flour sample with 25% wheat bran streams had the ash content similar to wholewheat, but the dough rheology was improved. The quality of the white flour bread with 25% wheat bran streams was improved compared to the wholemeal bread.

Stream invertebrate productivity linked to forest subsidies: 37 stream-years of reference and experimental data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, J Bruce; Eggert, Susan L; Meyer, Judy L; Webster, Jackson R

2015-05-01

Riparian habitats provide detrital subsidies of varying quantities and qualities to recipient ecosystems. We used long-term data from three reference streams (covering 24 stream-years) and 13-year whole-stream organic matter manipulations to investigate the influence of terrestrial detrital quantity and quality on benthic invertebrate community structure, abundance, biomass, and secondary production in rockface (RF) and mixed substrates (MS) of forested headwater streams. Using a mesh canopy covering the entire treatment stream, we examined effects of litter ex'clusion, small- and large-wood removal, and addition of artificial wood (PVC) and leaves of varying quality on organic matter standing crops and invertebrate community structure and function. We assessed differences in functional feeding group distribution between substrate types as influenced by organic matter manipulations and long-term patterns of predator and prey production in manipulated vs. reference years. Particulate organic matter standing crops in MS of the treatment stream declined drastically with each successive year of litter exclusion, approaching zero after three years. Monthly invertebrate biomass and annual secondary production was positively related to benthic organic matter in the MS habitats. Rockface habitats exhibited fewer changes than MS habitats across all organic matter manipulations. With leaf addition, the patterns of functional group distribution among MS and RF habitats returned to patterns seen in reference streams. Secondary production per unit organic matter standing crop was greatest for the leaf addition period, followed by the reference streams, and significantly less for the litter exclusion and wood removal periods. These data indicate that the limited organic matter remaining in the stream following litter exclusion and wood removal was more refractory than that in the reference streams, whereas the added leaf material was more labile and readily converted into

Artificial sweeteners as potential tracers of municipal landfill leachate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, James W.; Van Stempvoort, Dale R.; Bickerton, Greg

2014-01-01

Artificial sweeteners are gaining acceptance as tracers of human wastewater in the environment. The 3 artificial sweeteners analyzed in this study were detected in leachate or leachate-impacted groundwater at levels comparable to those of untreated wastewater at 14 of 15 municipal landfill sites tested, including several closed for >50 years. Saccharin was the dominant sweetener in old (pre-1990) landfills, while newer landfills were dominated by saccharin and acesulfame (introduced 2 decades ago; dominant in wastewater). Cyclamate was also detected, but less frequently. A case study at one site illustrates the use of artificial sweeteners to identify a landfill-impacted groundwater plume discharging to a stream. The study results suggest that artificial sweeteners can be useful tracers for current and legacy landfill contamination, with relative abundances of the sweeteners potentially providing diagnostic ability to distinguish different landfills or landfill cells, including crude age-dating, and to distinguish landfill and wastewater sources. -- Highlights: • Artificial sweeteners detected at 14 of 15 municipal landfill sites. • Concentrations comparable to wastewater even at sites closed for >50 yr. • Saccharin elevated at all sites; potentially diagnostic of landfill impacts. • Potential for age-dating recent (past 2 decades) waste with acesulfame. -- Artificial sweeteners may be useful for tracing landfill leachate contamination and distinguishing it from wastewater impacts

Suitability of tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klotz, D.

1999-01-01

Hydrological tracer techniques are a means of making statements on the direction and speed of underground water. One of the simpler tasks is to find out whether there is hydrological communication between two given points. This requires a determination of the direction of flow, which places less exacting demands on the properties of the tracer than does the task of determining the flow velocity of underground water. Tracer methods can serve to infer from flow velocity the distance (flow) velocity, which is defined as the ratio between the distance between two points located in flow direction and the actual time it takes water to flow from one to the other [de

Groundwater Recharge and Flow Regime revealed by multi-tracers approach in a headwater, North China Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Sakakibara, Koichi; Tsujimura, Maki; Song, Xianfang; Zhang, Jie

2014-05-01

Groundwater recharge is a crucial hydrological process for effective water management especially in arid/ semi-arid regions. However, the insufficient number of specific research regarding groundwater recharge process has been reported previously. Intensive field surveys were conducted during rainy season, mid dry season, and end of dry season, in order to clarify comprehensive groundwater recharge and flow regime of Wangkuai watershed in a headwater, which is a main recharge zone of North China Plain. The groundwater, spring, stream water and lake water were sampled, and inorganic solute constituents and stable isotopes of oxygen 18 and deuterium were determined on all water samples. Also the stream flow rate was observed. The solute ion concentrations and stable isotopic compositions show that the most water of this region can be characterized by Ca-HCO3 type and the main water source is precipitation which is affected by altitude effect of stable isotopes. In addition, the river and reservoir of the area seem to recharge the groundwater during rainy season, whereas interaction between surface water and groundwater does not become dominant gradually after the rainy season. The inversion analysis applied in Wangkuai watershed using simple mixing model represents an existing multi-flow systems which shows a distinctive tracer signal and flow rate. In summary, the groundwater recharged at different locations in the upper stream of Wangkuai reservoir flows downward to alluvial fan with a certain amount of mixing together, also the surface water recharges certainly the groundwater in alluvial plain in the rainy season.

Investigating Stream Metabolism and Nutrient Dynamics in Contrasting Ecosystems: The Role of Hydrologic Compartments

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Pinzon, R.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.; Covino, T. P.

2015-12-01

The interactions between mobile and less mobile hydrologic compartments affect the quality and quantity of water in streams and aquifers, and the cycling of dissolved carbon and nutrients. As new laboratory and field techniques become available, new questions and challenges emerge, including: What do we measure, where, and for how long to fully characterize a system? and, What is the ideal cost-maintenance-benefit relationship that we should strive for to maximize knowledge gained in different field settings? We recently performed a series of field experiments to measure aquatic metabolism and nutrient dynamics in two highly contrasting hydrologic systems, i.e., 1) a wetland-stream alpine, tropical system in Colombia (South America) and 2) a dryland river continuum (1st - 5th stream orders) in New Mexico. In this presentation we discuss how multiple lines of evidence can support the analysis of key aquatic processes and how co-interpretation provides a more complete picture of stream complexity. For this analysis, we deployed YSI EXO2 and 6920 sondes, Turner Designs C-sense and C6 sensors, and Onset HOBO water quality data loggers. Parameters measured by these instruments include conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, pCO2, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, fluorescein, CDOM, brighteners and water depth. We also injected conservative tracers (i.e., NaCl and NaBr) and the bioreactive tracer resazurin in both experimental sites, and NO3 in the dryland river continuum. NO3 was measured in-situ with Satlantic Submersible Ultraviolet Nitrate Analyzers (SUNA) sensors and in the laboratory using Ion Chromatograph techniques using stream grab samples. Our results highlight the role of both residence times and chemical fluxes in regulating the effective processing of carbon and nutrients. Our results also demonstrate that stream stimuli from controlled experiments are ideal for maximizing the information content derived from short (hours to days) and mid

Prioritized Contact Transport Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Walter Lee, Jr. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A detection process, contact recognition process, classification process, and identification process are applied to raw sensor data to produce an identified contact record set containing one or more identified contact records. A prioritization process is applied to the identified contact record set to assign a contact priority to each contact record in the identified contact record set. Data are removed from the contact records in the identified contact record set based on the contact priorities assigned to those contact records. A first contact stream is produced from the resulting contact records. The first contact stream is streamed in a contact transport stream. The contact transport stream may include and stream additional contact streams. The contact transport stream may be varied dynamically over time based on parameters such as available bandwidth, contact priority, presence/absence of contacts, system state, and configuration parameters.

Interconnection Studies of Subsurface River Between Bribin and Ngreneng by Using Radioisotope Tracer Iodium-131

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wibagiyo

2004-01-01

Interconnection Studies of Subsurface River Between Bribin and Ngreneng by Using Radioisotope Tracer Iodium-131, carried out in 2002, the similar studies was also conducted in 2000 from subsurface river in Jurang Jero sinkhole, where the radioactivity appeared at Bribin cave 4 hours and 8 hours at Ngreneng cave. There is a question whether a subsurface river is flowing from Jurang Jero sinkhole to Bribin cave and then to Ngreneng cave, or from Jurang Jero sinkhole there is junction to Bribin and to Ngreneng. in 2002 a Germany team founded junction on up stream of river in Bribin cave, from the junction was carried out tracing which monitoring in Ngreneng cave. Where the result a junction connecting with Ngreneng cave, but the main stream in Bribin not connecting with Ngreneng. (author)

Using tracers to understand the hydrology of an abandoned underground coal mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canty, G.A.; Everett, J.W.

1998-01-01

Flooded underground mines pose a difficult problem for remediation efforts requiring hydrologic information. Mine environments are hydraulically complicated due to sinuous travel paths and variable hydraulic gradients. For an acidic mine remediation project, conducted by the University of Oklahoma in conjunction with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, a tracer study was undertaken to identify basic hydrologic properties of a flooded coal mine. The study was conducted to investigate the possibility of in-situ remediation of acidic mine water with the use of alkaline coal combustion by-products. Information on the rate of flow and ''connectiveness'' of injection wells with the discharge point was needed to develop a treatment strategy. Fluorescent dyes are not typically used in mine tracer studies because of the low pH values associated with certain mines and a tendency to adsorb ferric iron precipitates. However, Rhodamine WT was used in one tracer test because it can be detected at low concentrations. Due to poor recovery, a second tracer test was undertaken using a more conservative tracer-chloride. Each tracer produced similar travel time results. Findings from this study suggest that Rhodamine WT can be used under slightly acidic conditions, with mixed results. The more conservative tracer provided somewhat better results, but recovery was still poor. Use of these tracers has provided some valuable information with regard to mine hydrology, but additional questions have been raised

Packet Tracer network simulator

CERN Document Server

Jesin, A

2014-01-01

A practical, fast-paced guide that gives you all the information you need to successfully create networks and simulate them using Packet Tracer.Packet Tracer Network Simulator is aimed at students, instructors, and network administrators who wish to use this simulator to learn how to perform networking instead of investing in expensive, specialized hardware. This book assumes that you have a good amount of Cisco networking knowledge, and it will focus more on Packet Tracer rather than networking.

Use of artificial tracers in hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-05-01

The IAEA has convened an Advisory Group Meeting with the following objectives: To define the role of artificial radioactive tracers for water tracing in comparison with other non-radioactive tracers. To evaluate the real needs of artificial radioactive tracers in hydrology. To identify the fields for which artificial radioactive tracers are useful as well as those in which they can be substituted by other tracers. To discuss the strategy to be adopted to overcome the difficulties derived from the restrictions on the use of radioactive tracers in hydrology. The meeting was held at IAEA Headquarters from 19 to 22 March 1990, and was attended by 30 participants from 15 Member States. The conclusions and recommendations are that the use of artificial radioactive tracers should be restricted to cases where other tracers cannot be used or do not provide the same quality of information. Tritium, iodine-131, bromine-82, chromium-51 in the form of Cr-EDTA, technetium-99m obtained from 99 Mo-generators and gold-198 as an adsorbable tracer are, practically, the only radionuclides used for water tracing. The use of other radionuclides for this purpose does not appear to be necessary, possible and/or convenient. Refs, figs and tabs

Characterization of eco-friendly fluorescent nanoparticle-doped tracers for environmental sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tauro, Flavia; Rapiti, Emiliano; Al-Sharab, Jafar F.; Ubertini, Lucio; Grimaldi, Salvatore; Porfiri, Maurizio

2013-01-01

Particle tracers are extensively used in quantitative flow visualization and environmental sensing. In this paper, we provide a thorough characterization of the novel eco-friendly fluorescent particle tracers formulated in Tauro et al. (AIP Adv 3(3): 032108, 2013). The tracers are synthesized from natural beeswax and are functionalized by encapsulating nontoxic fluorophore nanoparticles in the beads’ matrix through an inexpensive thermal procedure. Visibility and durability studies are conducted through a wide array of techniques to investigate the tracers’ surface morphological microfeatures, crystal nature and size, chemical composition, fluorophore incorporation into the beeswax matrix, and fluorescence response under severe settings resembling exposure to natural environments. Our findings demonstrate that fluorescent nanoparticles ranging from 1.51 to 3.73 nm are homogeneously distributed in the superficial layer (12 nm) of the tracers. In addition, fluorescence emissions are observed up to 26 days of continuous exposure of the tracers to high energy radiation. To demonstrate the particles’ use in environmental flow sensing, a set of proof of concept outdoor tests are conducted, in which image analysis tools are utilized for detecting the fluorescent tracers. Experimental results suggest that fluorescent microparticles deployed in high flow-rate flows (2 m/s) and under direct sunlight can be sensed through commercially available cameras (frame rate set to 30 Hz)

The distribution of copper in stream sediments in an anomalous stream near Steinkopf, Namaqualand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Bruin, D.

1987-01-01

Anomalous copper concentrations detected by the regional stream-sediment programme of the Geological Survey was investigated in a stream near Steinkopf, Namaqualand. A follow-up disclosed the presence of malachite mineralization. However, additional stream-sediment samples collected from the 'anomalous' stream revealed an erratic distribution of copper and also that the malachite mineralization had no direct effect on the copper distribution in the stream sediments. Low partial-extraction yields, together with X-ray diffraction analyses, indicated that dispersion is mainly mechanical and that the copper occurs as cations in the lattice of the biotite fraction of the stream sediments. (author). 8 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

The distribution of copper in stream sediments in an anomalous stream near Steinkopf, Namaqualand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Bruin, D

1987-01-01

Anomalous copper concentrations detected by the regional stream-sediment programme of the Geological Survey was investigated in a stream near Steinkopf, Namaqualand. A follow-up disclosed the presence of malachite mineralization. However, additional stream-sediment samples collected from the 'anomalous' stream revealed an erratic distribution of copper and also that the malachite mineralization had no direct effect on the copper distribution in the stream sediments. Low partial-extraction yields, together with X-ray diffraction analyses, indicated that dispersion is mainly mechanical and that the copper occurs as cations in the lattice of the biotite fraction of the stream sediments. (author). 8 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

Simulation and interpretation of inter-well tracer tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dugstad Øyvind

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In inter-well tracer tests (IWTT, chemical compounds or radioactive isotopes are used to label injection water and gas to establish well connections and fluid patterns in petroleum reservoirs. Tracer simulation is an invaluable tool to ease the interpretation of IWTT results and is also required for assisted history matching application of tracer data. In this paper we present a new simulation technique to analyse and interpret tracer results. Laboratory results are used to establish and test formulations of the tracer conservation equations, and the technique is used to provide simulated tracer responses that are compared with observed tracer data from an extensive tracer program. The implemented tracer simulation methodology use a fast post-processing of previously simulated reservoir simulation runs. This provides a fast, flexible and powerful method for analysing gas tracer behaviour in reservoirs. We show that simulation time for tracers can be reduced by factor 100 compared to solving the tracer flow equations simultaneously with the reservoir fluid flow equations. The post-processing technique, combined with a flexible built-in local tracer-grid refinement is exploited to reduce numerical smearing, particularly severe for narrow tracer pulses.

Tracer techniques for urine volume determination and urine collection and sampling back-up system

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, R. V.

1971-01-01

The feasibility, functionality, and overall accuracy of the use of lithium were investigated as a chemical tracer in urine for providing a means of indirect determination of total urine volume by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. Experiments were conducted to investigate the parameters of instrumentation, tracer concentration, mixing times, and methods for incorporating the tracer material in the urine collection bag, and to refine and optimize the urine tracer technique to comply with the Skylab scheme and operational parameters of + or - 2% of volume error and + or - 1% accuracy of amount of tracer added to each container. In addition, a back-up method for urine collection and sampling system was developed and evaluated. This back-up method incorporates the tracer technique for volume determination in event of failure of the primary urine collection and preservation system. One chemical preservative was selected and evaluated as a contingency chemical preservative for the storage of urine in event of failure of the urine cooling system.

On the use of rhodamine WT for the characterization of stream hydrodynamics and transient storage

Science.gov (United States)

Runkel, Robert L.

2015-01-01

Recent advances in fluorometry have led to increased use of rhodamine WT as a tracer in streams and rivers. In light of this increased use, a review of the dye's behavior in freshwater systems is presented. Studies in the groundwater literature indicate that rhodamine WT is transported nonconservatively, with sorption removing substantial amounts of tracer mass. Column studies document a two-step breakthrough curve in which two structural isomers are chromatographically separated. Although the potential for nonconservative transport is acknowledged in the surface water literature, many studies assume that sorptive losses will not affect the characterization of physical transport processes. A literature review and modeling analysis indicates that this assumption is valid for quantification of physical properties that are based on the bulk of the tracer mass (traveltime), and invalid for the characterization of processes represented by the tracer tail (transient storage attributable to hyporheic exchange). Rhodamine WT should be considered nonconservative in the hyporheic zone due to nonconservative behavior demonstrated for similar conditions in groundwater. As such, rhodamine WT should not be used as a quantitative tracer in hyporheic zone investigations, including the study of long flow paths and the development of models describing hyporheic zone processes. Rhodamine WT may be used to qualitatively characterize storage in large systems, where there are few practical alternatives. Qualitative investigations should rely on early portions of the tracer profile, making use of the temporal resolution afforded by in situ fluorometry, while discarding later parts of the tracer profile that are adversely affected by sorption.

Xanthine tracers and their preparation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groman, E.V.; Cabelli, M.D.

1980-01-01

Compounds useful as tracers in the radioimmunoassay of xanthine derivatives such as theophylline and pharmacologically related drugs are described. They are substituted xanthines in which at least one substituted radical contains radioiodine. The tracers are made by linking radioiodinatable or preradioiodinated radicals to the xanthine derivative which is to be assayed. The tracers may be employed in known radioimmunoassay techniques. (author)

Using stable isotope tracers to assess hydrological flow paths, residence times and landscape influences in a nested mesoscale catchment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Rodgers

2005-01-01

Full Text Available δ18O measurements in precipitation and stream waters were used to investigate hydrological flow paths and residence times at nested spatial scales in the mesoscale (233 km2 River Feugh catchment in the northeast of Scotland over the 2001-2002 hydrological year. Precipitation δ18O exhibited strong seasonal variation, which although significantly damped within the catchment, was reflected in stream water at six sampling sites. This allowed δ18O variations to be used to infer the relative influence of soil-derived storm flows with a seasonally variable isotopic signature, and groundwater of apparently more constant isotopic composition. Periodic regression analysis was then used to examine the sub-catchment difference using an exponential flow model to provide indicative estimates of mean stream water residence times, which varied between approximately 3 and 14 months. This showed that the effects of increasing scale on estimated mean stream water residence time was minimal beyond that of the smallest (ca. 1 km2 headwater catchment scale. Instead, the interaction of catchment soil cover and topography appeared to be the dominant controlling influence. Where sub-catchments had extensive peat coverage, responsive hydrological pathways produced seasonally variable δ18O signatures in runoff with short mean residence times (ca. 3 months. In contrast, areas dominated by steeper slopes, more freely draining soils and larger groundwater storage in shallow valley-bottom aquifers, deeper flow paths allow for more effective mixing and damping of δ18O indicating longer residence times (>12 months. These insights from δ18O measurements extend the hydrological understanding of the Feugh catchment gained from previous geochemical tracer studies, and demonstrate the utility of isotope tracers in investigating the interaction of hydrological processes and catchment characteristics at larger spatial scales.

Fingerprinting captured CO2 using natural tracers: Determining CO2 fate and proving ownership

Science.gov (United States)

Flude, Stephanie; Gilfillan, Stuart; Johnston, Gareth; Stuart, Finlay; Haszeldine, Stuart

2016-04-01

In the long term, captured CO2 will most likely be stored in large saline formations and it is highly likely that CO2 from multiple operators will be injected into a single saline formation. Understanding CO2 behavior within the reservoir is vital for making operational decisions and often uses geochemical techniques. Furthermore, in the event of a CO2 leak, being able to identify the owner of the CO2 is of vital importance in terms of liability and remediation. Addition of geochemical tracers to the CO2 stream is an effective way of tagging the CO2 from different power stations, but may become prohibitively expensive at large scale storage sites. Here we present results from a project assessing whether the natural isotopic composition (C, O and noble gas isotopes) of captured CO2 is sufficient to distinguish CO2 captured using different technologies and from different fuel sources, from likely baseline conditions. Results include analytical measurements of CO2 captured from a number of different CO2 capture plants and a comprehensive literature review of the known and hypothetical isotopic compositions of captured CO2 and baseline conditions. Key findings from the literature review suggest that the carbon isotope composition will be most strongly controlled by that of the feedstock, but significant fractionation is possible during the capture process; oxygen isotopes are likely to be controlled by the isotopic composition of any water used in either the industrial process or the capture technology; and noble gases concentrations will likely be controlled by the capture technique employed. Preliminary analytical results are in agreement with these predictions. Comparison with summaries of likely storage reservoir baseline and shallow or surface leakage reservoir baseline data suggests that C-isotopes are likely to be valuable tracers of CO2 in the storage reservoir, while noble gases may be particularly valuable as tracers of potential leakage.

Stable isotope tracers and exercise physiology: past, present and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, Daniel J; Brook, Matthew S; Smith, Kenneth; Atherton, Philip J

2017-05-01

Stable isotope tracers have been invaluable assets in physiological research for over 80 years. The application of substrate-specific stable isotope tracers has permitted exquisite insight into amino acid, fatty-acid and carbohydrate metabolic regulation (i.e. incorporation, flux, and oxidation, in a tissue-specific and whole-body fashion) in health, disease and response to acute and chronic exercise. Yet, despite many breakthroughs, there are limitations to 'substrate-specific' stable isotope tracers, which limit physiological insight, e.g. the need for intravenous infusions and restriction to short-term studies (hours) in controlled laboratory settings. In recent years significant interest has developed in alternative stable isotope tracer techniques that overcome these limitations, in particular deuterium oxide (D 2 O or heavy water). The unique properties of this tracer mean that through oral administration, the turnover and flux through a number of different substrates (muscle proteins, lipids, glucose, DNA (satellite cells)) can be monitored simultaneously and flexibly (hours/weeks/months) without the need for restrictive experimental control. This makes it uniquely suited for the study of 'real world' human exercise physiology (amongst many other applications). Moreover, using D 2 O permits evaluation of turnover of plasma and muscle proteins (e.g. dynamic proteomics) in addition to metabolomics (e.g. fluxomics) to seek molecular underpinnings, e.g. of exercise adaptation. Here, we provide insight into the role of stable isotope tracers, from substrate-specific to novel D 2 O approaches, in facilitating our understanding of metabolism. Further novel potential applications of stable isotope tracers are also discussed in the context of integration with the snowballing field of 'omic' technologies. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

A study plan for determining recharge rates at the Hanford Site using environmental tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, E.M.; Szercsody, J.E.; Phillips, S.J.

1991-02-01

This report presents a study plan for estimating recharge at the Hanford Site using environmental tracers. Past operations at the Hanford Site have led to both soil and groundwater contamination, and recharge is one of the primary mechanisms for transporting contaminants through the vadose zone and into the groundwater. An alternative to using fixed lysimeters for determining recharge rates in the vadose zone is to use environmental tracers. Tracers that have been used to study water movement in the vadose zone include total chloride, 36 Cl, 3 H, and 2 H/ 18 O. Atmospheric levels of 36 Cl and 3 H increased during nuclear bomb testing in the Pacific, and the resulting ''bomb pulse'' or peak concentration can be measured in the soil profile. Locally, past operations at the Hanford Site have resulted in the atmospheric release of numerous chemical and isotopic tracers, including nitrate, 129 I, and 99 Tc. Seven study sites on the Hanford Site have been selected, in two primary soil types that are believed to represent the extremes in recharge, the Quincy sand and the Warden silt loam. An additional background study site upwind of the Hanford facilities has been chosen at the Yakima Firing Center. Six tracer techniques (total chloride, 36 Cl, 3 H, nitrate, 129 I, and 99 Tc) will be tested on at least one site in the Quincy sand, one site in the Warden silt loam, and the background site, to determine which combination of tracers works best for a given soil type. In subsequent years, additional sites will be investigated. The use of environmental tracers is perhaps the only cost-effective method for estimating the spatial variability of recharge at a site as large as Hanford. The tracer techniques used at Hanford have wide applicability at other arid sites. 166 refs., 41 figs., 16 tabs

IMAGE Project: Results of Laboratory Tests on Tracers for Supercritical Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandvoll, Øyvind; Opsahl Viig, Sissel; Nardini, Isabella; Muller, Jiri

2016-04-01

The use of tracers is a well-established technique for monitoring dynamic behaviour of water and gas through a reservoir. In geothermal reservoirs special challenges are encountered due to high temperatures and pressures. In this work, tracer candidates for monitoring water at supercritical conditions (temperature > 374°C, pressure ca 218 bar), are tested in laboratory experiments. Testing of tracers at supercritical water conditions requires experimental set-ups which tolerate harsh conditions with respect to high temperature and pressure. In addition stringent HES (health, environment and safety) factors have to be taken into consideration when designing and performing the experiments. The setup constructed in this project consists of a pressure vessel, high pressure pump, instrumentation for pressure and temperature control and instrumentation required for accurate sampling of tracers. In order to achieve accurate results, a special focus has been paid to the development of the tracer sampling technique. Perfluorinated cyclic hydrocarbons (PFCs) have been selected as tracer candidates. This group of compounds is today commonly used as gas tracers in oil reservoirs. According to the literature they are stable at temperatures up to 400°C. To start with, five PFCs have been tested for thermal stability in static experiments at 375°C and 108 bar in the experimental setup described above. The tracer candidates will be further tested for several months at the relevant conditions. Preliminary results indicate that some of the PFC compounds show stability after three months. However, in order to arrive at conclusive results, the experiments have to be repeated over a longer period and paying special attention to more accurate sampling procedures.

Influence of Beaver Dams on Channel Complexity, Hydrology, and Temperature Regime in a Mountainous Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

2013-12-01

Beaver dams and beaver activity affect hydrologic processes, sediment transport, channel complexity and water quality of streams. Beaver ponds, which form behind beaver dams, increase in-channel water storage affecting the timing and volume of flow and resulting in the attenuation and flattening of the hydrograph. Channel complexity also increases the potential for transient storage (both surface and subsurface) and influences stream temperature. Impacts of beaver dams and beaver activity on stream responses are difficult to quantify because responses are dynamic and spatially variable. Few studies have focused on the reach scale temporal influences on stream responses and further research is needed particularly in quantifying the influence of beaver dams and their role in shaping the stream habitat. This study explores the changing hydrology and temperature regime of Curtis Creek, a mountainous stream located in Northern Utah, in a 560 m long reach where groundwater exchanges and temperature differences were observed over a three-year period. We have collected continuous stream discharge, stream temperature data and performed tracer experiments. During the first year, we were able to capture the pre-beaver activity. In the second year, we captured the impacts of some beaver activity with only a few dams built in the reach, while the third year included the effects of an entire active beaver colony. By the end of the study period, a single thread channel had been transformed into a channel with side channels and backwaters at multiple locations therefore increasing channel complexity. The cumulative influence of beaver dams on reach scale discharge resulted in a slightly losing reach that developed into a gaining reach. At the smaller sub-reach scale, both losing to gaining and gaining to losing transformations were observed. Temperature differences showed a warming effect of beaver dams at the reach scale. The reach stream temperature difference increased on

Emission quantification using the tracer gas dispersion method: The influence of instrument, tracer gas species and source simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delre, Antonio; Mønster, Jacob; Samuelsson, Jerker

2018-01-01

The tracer gas dispersion method (TDM) is a remote sensing method used for quantifying fugitive emissions by relying on the controlled release of a tracer gas at the source, combined with concentration measurements of the tracer and target gas plumes. The TDM was tested at a wastewater treatment...... plant for plant-integrated methane emission quantification, using four analytical instruments simultaneously and four different tracer gases. Measurements performed using a combination of an analytical instrument and a tracer gas, with a high ratio between the tracer gas release rate and instrument...... precision (a high release-precision ratio), resulted in well-defined plumes with a high signal-to-noise ratio and a high methane-to-tracer gas correlation factor. Measured methane emission rates differed by up to 18% from the mean value when measurements were performed using seven different instrument...

In-stream nutrient uptake kinetics along stream size and development gradients in a rapidly developing mountain resort watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Covino, T.; McGlynn, B.; McNamarra, R.; Gardner, K.

2012-04-01

Land use / land cover (LULC) change including mountain resort development often lead to increased nutrient loading to streams, however the potential influence on stream ecosystem nutrient uptake kinetics and transport remain poorly understood. Given the deleterious impacts elevated nutrient loading can have on aquatic ecosystems, it is imperative to improve understanding of nutrient retention capacities across stream scales and watershed development intensities. We performed seventeen nutrient addition experiments on six streams across the West Fork Gallatin Watershed, Montana, USA, to quantify nitrogen (N) uptake kinetics and retention dynamics across stream sizes (1st to 4th order) and along a mountain resort development gradient. We observed that stream N uptake kinetics and spiraling parameters varied across streams of different development intensity and scale. In more developed watersheds we observed a fertilization affect, however, none of the streams exhibited saturation with respect to N. Additionally, we observed that elevated loading led to increased biomass and retentive capacities in developed streams that helped maintain export at low levels during baseflow. Our results indicate that LULC can enhance in-stream uptake of limiting nutrients and highlight the value of characterizing uptake kinetic curves from ambient to saturation.

Groundwater, springs, and stream flow generation in an alpine meadow of a tropical glacierized catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, R.; Lautz, L. K.; McKenzie, J. M.; Mark, B. G.; Chavez, D.

2013-12-01

Melting tropical glaciers supply approximately half of dry season stream discharge in glacierized valleys of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. The remainder of streamflow originates as groundwater stored in alpine meadows, moraines and talus slopes. A better understanding of the dynamics of alpine groundwater, including sources and contributions to streamflow, is important for making accurate estimates of glacial inputs to the hydrologic budget, and for our ability to make predictions about future water resources as glaciers retreat. Our field study, conducted during the dry season in the Llanganuco valley, focused on a 0.5-km2 alpine meadow complex at 4400 m elevation, which includes talus slopes, terminal moraines, and a debris fan. Two glacial lakes and springs throughout the complex feed a network of stream channels that flow across the meadow (~2 km total length). We combined tracer measurements of stream and spring discharge and groundwater-surface water exchange with synoptic sampling of water isotopic and geochemical composition, in order to characterize and quantify contributions to streamflow from different geomorphic features. Surface water inputs to the stream channels totaled 58 l/s, while the stream gained an additional 57 l/s from groundwater inputs. Water chemistry is primarily controlled by flowpath type (surface/subsurface) and length, as well as bedrock lithology, while stable water isotopic composition appears to be controlled by water source (glacial lake, meadow or deep groundwater). Stream water chemistry is most similar to meadow groundwater springs, but isotopic composition suggests that the majority of stream water, which issues from springs at the meadow/fan interface, is from the same glacial source as the up-gradient lake. Groundwater sampled from piezometers in confined meadow aquifers is unique in both chemistry and isotopic composition, but does not contribute a large percentage of stream water exiting this small meadow, as quantified by

A temporal stable isotopic (d18O, dD, d-excess) comparison in glacier meltwater streams, Taylor Valley, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

In this paper, we describe the importance of hyporheic dynamics within Andersen Creek and Von Guerard Stream, Taylor Valley, Antarctica, from the 2010-11 melt season using natural tracers. Water collection started at flow onset and continued, with weekly hyporheic zone sampling. The water d18O and d...

Isotopic marking and tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morel, F.

1997-01-01

The use of radioactive isotopes as tracers in biology has been developed thanks to the economic generation of the required isotopes in accelerators and nuclear reactors, and to the multiple applications of tracers in the life domain; the most usual isotopes employed in biology are carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus and sulfur isotopes, because these elements are present in most of organic molecules. Most of the life science knowledge appears to be dependent to the extensive use of nuclear tools and radioactive tracers; the example of the utilization of radioactive phosphorus marked ATP to study the multiple reactions with proteins, nucleic acids, etc., is given

Study of solid and liquid behavior in large copper flotation cells (130 m2) using radioactive tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, F.; Jimenez, O.; Yianatos, J.; Contreras, F.

2013-01-01

The behavior of the solid and liquid phases, in large flotation cells, was characterized by means of the radioactive tracer technique. The use of radioactive tracers enabled the identification of the Residence Time Distribution, of floatable and non-floatable solid, from continuous (on-line) measuring at the output streams of the flotation cells. For this study, the proper radioactive tracers were selected and applied in order to characterize the different phases; i.e. for liquid phase Br-82 as Ammonium Bromide, for floatable solid recovered in the concentrate Cu-64, and for non-floatable solid in three particle size classes (coarse: >150 μm, intermediate: 45 μm, and fine: <45 μm), Na-24. The experimental results confirmed the strong effect of particle size on the Residence Time Distribution, and mean residence time of solids in larger flotation cells, and consequently in flotation hydrodynamics. From a hydrodynamic point of view, the experimental data confirmed that a single mechanical flotation cells, of large size, can deviate significantly from perfect mixing. The experimental work was developed in a 130 m3 industrial flotation cell of the rougher circuit at El Teniente Division, Codelco-Chile. (authors)

The role of remediation, natural alkalinity sources and physical stream parameters in stream recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Natalie A; DeRose, Lisa; Korenowsky, Rebekah; Bowman, Jennifer R; Lopez, Dina; Johnson, Kelly; Rankin, Edward

2013-10-15

Acid mine drainage (AMD) negatively impacts not only stream chemistry, but also aquatic biology. The ultimate goal of AMD treatment is restoration of the biological community, but that goal is rarely explicit in treatment system design. Hewett Fork in Raccoon Creek Watershed, Ohio, has been impacted by historic coal mining and has been treated with a calcium oxide doser in the headwaters of the watershed since 2004. All of the acidic inputs are isolated to a 1.5 km stretch of stream in the headwaters of the Hewett Fork watershed. The macroinvertebrate and fish communities have begun to recover and it is possible to distinguish three zones downstream of the doser: an impaired zone, a transition zone and a recovered zone. Alkalinity from both the doser and natural sources and physical stream parameters play a role in stream restoration. In Hewett Fork, natural alkaline additions downstream are higher than those from the doser. Both, alkaline additions and stream velocity drive sediment and metal deposition. Metal deposition occurs in several patterns; aluminum tends to deposit in regions of low stream velocity, while iron tends to deposit once sufficient alkalinity is added to the system downstream of mining inputs. The majority of metal deposition occurs upstream of the recovered zone. Both the physical stream parameters and natural alkalinity sources influence biological recovery in treated AMD streams and should be considered in remediation plans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using heat to characterize streambed water flux variability in four stream reaches

Science.gov (United States)

Essaid, H.I.; Zamora, C.M.; McCarthy, K.A.; Vogel, J.R.; Wilson, J.T.

2008-01-01

Estimates of streambed water flux are needed for the interpretation of streambed chemistry and reactions. Continuous temperature and head monitoring in stream reaches within four agricultural watersheds (Leary Weber Ditch, IN; Maple Creek, NE; DR2 Drain, WA; and Merced River, CA) allowed heat to be used as a tracer to study the temporal and spatial variability of fluxes through the streambed. Synoptic methods (seepage meter and differential discharge measurements) were compared with estimates obtained by using heat as a tracer. Water flux was estimated by modeling one-dimensional vertical flow of water and heat using the model VS2DH. Flux was influenced by physical heterogeneity of the stream channel and temporal variability in stream and ground-water levels. During most of the study period (April-December 2004), flux was upward through the streambeds. At the IN, NE, and CA sites, high-stage events resulted in rapid reversal of flow direction inducing short-term surface-water flow into the streambed. During late summer at the IN site, regional ground-water levels dropped, leading to surface-water loss to ground water that resulted in drying of the ditch. Synoptic measurements of flux generally supported the model flux estimates. Water flow through the streambed was roughly an order of magnitude larger in the humid basins (IN and NE) than in the arid basins (WA and CA). Downward flux, in response to sudden high streamflows, and seasonal variability in flux was most pronounced in the humid basins and in high conductivity zones in the streambed. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Bromide as a tracer for studying water movement and nitrate displacement in soils: comparison with stable isotope tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russow, R.; Knappe, S.

1999-01-01

Tracers are an ideal means of studying water movement and associated nitrate displacement. Often bromide is preferred as a tracer because it is considered a representative tracer for water and because, being a conservative tracer (i.e. not involved in chemical and biological soil processes), it can be used for studying anion transport in soils. Moreover, it is less expensive and easier to measure than the stable isotopes deuterium and 15 N. Its great advantage over radioactive tracers (e.g. tritium), which outweighs their extreme sensitivity and ease of measurement and which it has in common with stable isotopes, is that it does not require radiation protection measures. However, there are also constraints on the use of bromide as a tracer in soil/water/plant systems. Our own studies on different soils using D 2 O, bromide and [ 15 N]-nitrate in lysimeters suggest that the above assumptions on bromide tracers need not always be valid under conditions as they prevail in biologically active soils. As the present paper shows, these studies permit a good assessment of the possibilities and limits to these tracers [de

Tracer attenuation in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Cvetkovic, Vladimir

2011-12-01

The self-purifying capacity of aquifers strongly depends on the attenuation of waterborne contaminants, i.e., irreversible loss of contaminant mass on a given scale as a result of coupled transport and transformation processes. A general formulation of tracer attenuation in groundwater is presented. Basic sensitivities of attenuation to macrodispersion and retention are illustrated for a few typical retention mechanisms. Tracer recovery is suggested as an experimental proxy for attenuation. Unique experimental data of tracer recovery in crystalline rock compare favorably with the theoretical model that is based on diffusion-controlled retention. Non-Fickian hydrodynamic transport has potentially a large impact on field-scale attenuation of dissolved contaminants.

Effluent dispersion in natural water receivers (tracer examination)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szpilowski, S.; Owczarczyk, A.; Chmielewski, A.G.

1993-01-01

Tracer methods constitute very convenient means for observation and examination of effluent dispersion and dilution processes in natural water receivers. In the report there are presented methods developed and used by the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT) to measure mixing parameters in natural streams to determine distances of complete transverse mixing as well as to assess and predict dispersion of sewage in large water reservoirs. There are also presented the methods of predicting initial stage of dispersion of sewage discharged into large water reservoirs through underwater out falls and the method for determining the decomposition rates of effluent entering a natural water receiver. The methods presented can be used in analysis of pollution in a given water region, in selection of optimal sewage out fall locations as well as in prediction of effluent dilution intensity at different hydro- and meteorological conditions. (author). 27 refs, 15 figs, 2 tabs

Hyporheic exchange and fulvic acid redox reactions in an alpine stream/wetland ecosystem, Colorado front range

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Matthew P.; McKnight, Diane M.; Cory, R.M.; Williams, Mark W.; Runkel, Robert L.

2006-01-01

The influence of hyporheic zone interactions on the redox state of fulvic acids and other redox active species was investigated in an alpine stream and adjacent wetland, which is a more reducing environment. A tracer injection experiment using bromide (Br-) was conducted in the stream system. Simulations with a transport model showed that rates of exchange between the stream and hyporheic zone were rapid (?? ??? 10-3 s -1). Parallel factor analysis of fluorescence spectra was used to quantify the redox state of dissolved fulvic acids. The rate coefficient for oxidation of reduced fulvic acids (?? = 6.5 ?? 10-3 s -1) in the stream indicates that electron-transfer reactions occur over short time scales. The rate coefficients for decay of ammonium (?? = 1.2 ?? 10-3 s-1) and production of nitrate (?? = -1.0 ?? 10-3 s-1) were opposite in sign but almost equal in magnitude. Our results suggest that fulvic acids are involved in rapid electron-transfer processes in and near the stream channel and may be important in determining ecological energy flow at the catchment scale. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

Stream hydraulics and temperature determine the metabolism of geothermal Icelandic streams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Demars B. O.L.

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Stream ecosystem metabolism plays a critical role in planetary biogeochemical cycling. Stream benthic habitat complexity and the available surface area for microbes relative to the free-flowing water volume are thought to be important determinants of ecosystem metabolism. Unfortunately, the engineered deepening and straightening of streams for drainage purposes could compromise stream natural services. Stream channel complexity may be quantitatively expressed with hydraulic parameters such as water transient storage, storage residence time, and water spiralling length. The temperature dependence of whole stream ecosystem respiration (ER, gross primary productivity (GPP and net ecosystem production (NEP = GPP − ER has recently been evaluated with a “natural experiment” in Icelandic geothermal streams along a 5–25 °C temperature gradient. There remained, however, a substantial amount of unexplained variability in the statistical models, which may be explained by hydraulic parameters found to be unrelated to temperature. We also specifically tested the additional and predicted synergistic effects of water transient storage and temperature on ER, using novel, more accurate, methods. Both ER and GPP were highly related to water transient storage (or water spiralling length but not to the storage residence time. While there was an additional effect of water transient storage and temperature on ER (r2 = 0.57; P = 0.015, GPP was more related to water transient storage than temperature. The predicted synergistic effect could not be confirmed, most likely due to data limitation. Our interpretation, based on causal statistical modelling, is that the metabolic balance of streams (NEP was primarily determined by the temperature dependence of respiration. Further field and experimental work is required to test the predicted synergistic effect on ER. Meanwhile, since higher metabolic activities allow for higher pollutant degradation or uptake

Coefficients of tracer transfer through membranes. Pt. 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorabialska, A; Hawlicka, E; Plonka, A [Politechnika Lodzka (Poland)

1974-01-01

The doubled value of the tracer transfer coefficient in the self-diffusion process is equal to the sum of tracer transfer coefficients in the diffusion and interfusion processes. The fundamental phenomenological relation can be deduced for the coefficients of tracer transfer between two phases of electrolyte solutions spearated by a virtual boundary. Indeed, the doubled value of the tracer mobility in the self-diffusion experiment (no concentration gradient of the traced substance) is equal to the sum of the tracer mobilities in the diffusion (tracer movement along with the concentration gradient of the traced substance) and interfusion experiments (tracer movement against the concentration gradient of the traced substance). Thus the doubled value of the tracer transfer coefficient in the self-diffusion process should be equal to the sum of tracer transfer coefficients in the diffusion and interfusion processes. The experimental verification of that fundamental relation is presented.

Long residence times - bad tracer tests?

Science.gov (United States)

Ghergut, Julia; Behrens, Horst; Sauter, Martin

2015-04-01

Tracer tests conducted at geothermal well doublets or triplets in the Upper Rhine Rift Valley [1] all face, with very few exceptions so far, one common issue: lack of conclusive tracer test results, or tracer signals still undetectable for longer than one or two years after tracer injection. While the reasons for this surely differ from site to site (Riehen, Landau, Insheim, Bruchsal, ...), its effects on how the usefulness of tracer tests is perceived by the non-tracer community are pretty much the same. The 'poor-signal' frustration keeps nourishing two major 'alternative' endeavours : (I) design and execute tracer tests in single-well injection-withdrawal (push-pull), 'instead of' inter-well flow-path tracing configurations; (II) use 'novel' tracer substances instead of the 'old' ones which have 'obviously failed'. Frustration experienced with most inter-well tracer tests in the Upper Rhine Rift Valley has also made them be regarded as 'maybe useful for EGS' ('enhanced', or 'engineered' geothermal systems, whose fluid RTD typically include a major share of values below one year), but 'no longer worthwhile a follow-up sampling' in natural, large-scale hydrothermal reservoirs. We illustrate some of these arguments with the ongoing Bruchsal case [2]. The inter-well tracer test conducted at Bruchsal was (and still is!) aimed at assessing inter-well connectivity, fluid residence times, and characterizing the reservoir structure [3]. Fluid samples taken at the geothermal production well after reaching a fluid turnover of about 700,000 m3 showed tracer concentrations in the range of 10-8 Minj per m3, in the liquid phase of each sample (Minj being the total quantity of tracer injected as a short pulse at the geothermal re-injection well). Tracer signals might actually be higher, owing to tracer amounts co-precipitated and/or adsorbed onto the solid phase whose accumulation in the samples was unavoidable (due to pressure relief and degassing during the very sampling

Halon-1301, a new Groundwater Age Tracer

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, Monique; van der Raaij, Rob; Morgenstern, Uwe; Jackson, Bethanna

2015-04-01

Groundwater dating is an important tool to assess groundwater resources in regards to direction and time scale of groundwater flow and recharge and to assess contamination risks and manage remediation. To infer groundwater age information, a combination of different environmental tracers, such as tritium and SF6, are commonly used. However ambiguous age interpretations are often faced, due to a limited set of available tracers and limitations of each tracer method when applied alone. There is a need for additional, complementary groundwater age tracers. We recently discovered that Halon-1301, a water soluble and entirely anthropogenic gaseous substance, may be a promising candidate [Beyer et al, 2014]. Halon-1301 can be determined along with SF6, SF5CF3 and CFC-12 in groundwater using a gas chromatography setup with attached electron capture detector developed by Busenberg and Plummer [2008]. Halon-1301 has not been assessed in groundwater. This study assesses the behaviour of Halon-1301 in water and its suitability as a groundwater age tracer. We determined Halon-1301 in 17 groundwater and various modern (river) waters sites located in 3 different groundwater systems in the Wellington Region, New Zealand. These waters have been previously dated with tritium, CFC-12, CFC-11 and SF6 with mean residence times ranging from 0.5 to over 100 years. The waters range from oxic to anoxic and some show evidence of CFC contamination or degradation. This allows us to assess the different properties affecting the suitability of Halon-1301 as groundwater age tracer, such as its conservativeness in water and local contamination potential. The samples are analysed for Halon-1301 and SF6simultaneously, which allows identification of issues commonly faced when using gaseous tracers such as contamination with modern air during sampling. Overall we found in the assessed groundwater samples Halon-1301 is a feasible new groundwater tracer. No sample indicated significantly elevated

Innovative use of a microbial tracer for measuring groundwater through a fractured matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong-Gunderson, J.M.

1995-01-01

Site characterization for ground water remediation activities is limited by the one's ability to visualize the complexity of the subsurface environment. Currently, a variety of dyes, colloids, gases, etc., are used to monitor and estimate ground water flow and contaminant transport. The author has recently identified a new, innovative colloidal tracer that is a non-hazardous bacterium that is detectable at very low concentrations (ng/kg), and can provide real-time analysis (3--5 min) for measuring colloid transport. The tracer is the ice nucleating active (INA) bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. The assay conditions require measuring the freezing point of the sample (e.g., ground water and soil slurries). Typically, 10--100 microL drops of water will not freeze until -15 to -20 C. However, if the tracer is present the water will freeze at -3 to -7 C. This increase in the freezing point can only be due to the presence of the tracer and this phenomenon is well documented in the plant pathology and low-temperature biology literature but has only now been applied to site characterization and remediation activities. Laboratory experiments have identified the stability of the tracer in the presence of a variety of ground water contaminants (> 100 ppm) and it is stable over a pH range of 2.3--10.0. The tracer has been demonstrated in conjunction with other commonly used tracers at a variety of field sites: (1) a drilling tracer to identify potential cross contamination, and as a colloid/bacterial tracer in (2) a hydrofracturing demonstration, (3) a horizontal recirculation well system, (4) a fractured karst matrix, and (5) a radioactive contaminated site. The data from these demonstrations have provided additional information about site characteristics including faster ground water flow rates than previously identified and due to its low sensitivities better distribution into a clay matrix than estimated by the bromide tracer

Modification of semiconductor materials using laser-produced ion streams additionally accelerated in the electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosinski, M.; Badziak, B.; Parys, P.; Wolowski, J.; Pisarek, M.

2009-01-01

The laser-produced ion stream may be attractive for direct ultra-low-energy ion implantation in thin layer of semiconductor for modification of electrical and optical properties of semiconductor devices. Application of electrostatic fields for acceleration and formation of laser-generated ion stream enables to control the ion stream parameters in broad energy and current density ranges. It also permits to remove the useless laser-produced ions from the ion stream designed for implantation. For acceleration of ions produced with the use of a low fluence repetitive laser system (Nd:glass: 2 Hz, pulse duration: 3.5 ns, pulse energy:∼0.5 J, power density: 10 10 W/cm 2 ) in IPPLM the special electrostatic system has been prepared. The laser-produced ions passing through the diaphragm (a ring-shaped slit in the HV box) have been accelerated in the system of electrodes. The accelerating voltage up to 40 kV, the distance of the diaphragm from the target, the diaphragm diameter and the gap width were changed for choosing the desired parameters (namely the energy band of the implanted ions) of the ion stream. The characteristics of laser-produced Ge ion streams were determined with the use of precise ion diagnostic methods, namely: electrostatic ion energy analyser and various ion collectors. The laser-produced and post-accelerated Ge ions have been used for implantation into semiconductor materials for nanocrystal fabrication. The characteristics of implanted samples were measured using AES

Synthesis of radiolabelled organic compounds for use as water tracers in oil reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksen, D.Oe.; Bjoernstad, V.

1999-01-01

Injection of water into oil containing strata to maintain field pressure and to replace oil is usually the primary choice to enhance oil-recovery. Use of tracer methods is becoming an important part of the oil companies' basis for making economical decisions. Such water tracing requires passive tracers, i.e. compounds that behave exactly like the substance studied under the conditions of interest. This implies that a water-tracer in a water-flooded oil-field must fulfil requirements like no absorption to reservoir rock, no partitioning (or distribution) with respect to the other fluids present, long time thermal stability, microbial resistance and high detectability. In addition, the tracer compound has to be environmentally acceptable and available at a reasonable cost. Among the extensive number of compounds tested according to these criteria in the laboratory we have qualified four compounds as tracers for water in oil reservoirs. For three of them we propose radiolabelling syntheses with 14 C as radioactive label to lower detection limits. The compounds are benzene 1,2- and 1,3-dicarboxylic acids and benzene 1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid. (author)

Wairakei tracer tests 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, W.J.; Barry, B.J.

1984-05-01

Tracer tests, with and without, hot water reinjection into WK213 showed returns of tracer iodine-131; in wells in both the Waiora Valley and the eastern end of the field. The effect of reinjection at a rate of 200 cu. m/h was to reduce the arrived time from 15 to 7 days. Increasing the rate of reinjection into WK62 from 30 cu. m/h to 200 cu. m/h seemed to increase the initial velocity of the tracer wave and the distance it moved. However, returns were recorded only in the adjacent wells WK61 and WK63 with a very small, and three days delayed, response in WK43

Statistically Based Morphodynamic Modeling of Tracer Slowdown

Science.gov (United States)

Borhani, S.; Ghasemi, A.; Hill, K. M.; Viparelli, E.

2017-12-01

Tracer particles are used to study bedload transport in gravel-bed rivers. One of the advantages associated with using of tracer particles is that they allow for direct measures of the entrainment rates and their size distributions. The main issue in large scale studies with tracer particles is the difference between tracer stone short term and long term behavior. This difference is due to the fact that particles undergo vertical mixing or move to less active locations such as bars or even floodplains. For these reasons the average virtual velocity of tracer particle decreases in time, i.e. the tracer slowdown. In summary, tracer slowdown can have a significant impact on the estimation of bedload transport rate or long term dispersal of contaminated sediment. The vast majority of the morphodynamic models that account for the non-uniformity of the bed material (tracer and not tracer, in this case) are based on a discrete description of the alluvial deposit. The deposit is divided in two different regions; the active layer and the substrate. The active layer is a thin layer in the topmost part of the deposit whose particles can interact with the bed material transport. The substrate is the part of the deposit below the active layer. Due to the discrete representation of the alluvial deposit, active layer models are not able to reproduce tracer slowdown. In this study we try to model the slowdown of tracer particles with the continuous Parker-Paola-Leclair morphodynamic framework. This continuous, i.e. not layer-based, framework is based on a stochastic description of the temporal variation of bed surface elevation, and of the elevation specific particle entrainment and deposition. Particle entrainment rates are computed as a function of the flow and sediment characteristics, while particle deposition is estimated with a step length formulation. Here we present one of the first implementation of the continuum framework at laboratory scale, its validation against

Asian Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project: Draft Field Work Plan for the Asian Long-Range Tracer Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

2007-08-01

This report provides an experimental plan for a proposed Asian long-range tracer study as part of the international Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project. The TEAM partners are China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Optimal times of year to conduct the study, meteorological measurements needed, proposed tracer release locations, proposed tracer sampling locations and the proposed durations of tracer releases and subsequent sampling are given. Also given are the activities necessary to prepare for the study and the schedule for completing the preparation activities leading to conducting the actual field operations. This report is intended to provide the TEAM members with the information necessary for planning and conducting the Asian long-range tracer study. The experimental plan is proposed, at this time, to describe the efforts necessary to conduct the Asian long-range tracer study, and the plan will undoubtedly be revised and refined as the planning goes forward over the next year.

Partitioning Hydrologic and Biological Drivers of Discharge Loss in Arctic Headwater Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, J. C.; Carey, M.; O'Donnell, J. A.; Records, M. K.; Sjoberg, Y.; Zimmerman, C. E.

2017-12-01

The Arctic-Boreal transition (ABT) zone of Alaska is experiencing unprecedented warming, leading to permafrost thaw and vegetation change. Both of these processes are likely to affect streams and stream ecosystems, but there is little direct empirical evidence regarding the magnitude of these effects and their relative importance. To understand how permafrost thaw and vegetation are affecting streams at the ABT, we monitored 8 first-order streams that drain catchments varying in elevation, aspect, and vegetation cover. Data were obtained from meteorological stations, continuous stream discharge, seepage runs, and stream tracer experiments. Hydrograph analysis indicated that runoff ratios in south-facing catchments were lower than north-facing catchments and decreased over the season. Seepage runs indicated that south-facing catchments lost a large portion of water (up to 50% per km stream reach) in the late summer, while north-facing catchments were gaining water. All streams displayed diel variability in discharge, but with different daily and seasonal trends related to aspect and elevation. South-facing, forested catchment streams showed diel discharge timing consistent with cycles in evapotranspiration rates, while the signal in north-facing catchments and those dominated by tundra was more consistent with thermal controls on water viscosity and groundwater discharge to streams. Together, these signals indicate that the warmer, south-facing catchments are losing a large portion of water to a combination of infiltration and evapotranspiration. The seasonal trends are consistent with higher infiltration rates beneath south-facing streams as the ground thaws over the summer. The magnitude and seasonal dynamics of the diel signatures help separate biological (i.e. evapotranspiration) vs. physical controls (i.e. frozen ground hydrology) on stream-catchment interactions, which vary depending on aspect, elevation, and vegetation cover. Warming, and subsequent increases

Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Leadville NTMS Quadrangle, Colorado, including concentrations of forty-two additional elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Planner, H.N.

1980-10-01

A total of 1797 locations was sampled over a 19 330-km 2 area, providing an average density of one sample location per 11 km 2 . This report contains results for uranium in water samples and uranium and 42 additional elements in sediment samples. A total of 1279 water samples was collected from streams (1125) and springs (154). Uranium concentrations for all water samples range from below the detection limit of 0.02 ppB to 37.56 ppB. Mean concentrations in streams and springs are 1.05 ppB and 1.19 ppB, respectively. A total of 1784 sediment samples was collected from streams (1590), springs (193), and one pond. Uranium concentrations in sediments range from 1.27 to 223.80 ppM. Statistical mean uranium concentrations for wet stream (8.55 ppM) and spring (7.51 ppM) sediments are found to be greater than their dry counterparts (5.13 ppM and 4.96 ppM, respectively). Field data, recorded at the collection site, are reported with the elemental concentrations for each water and sediment sample listed. These data include a scintillometer determination of the equivalent uranium, pH and conductivity measurements, and geographic and weather information

Tracer research in process engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iller, E.

1992-01-01

The book is a review of modern applications of tracer techniques in chemical and process engineering studies. The next topics have been extensively presented: 1) media flow through apparatus; 2) the tracers in the study of media flow dynamics through apparatus; 3) mathematical interpretation of experimental data from impulse-response method; 4) the models of media flow through chemical reactors and apparatus; 5) radiotracers in mass transport study; 6) examples of practical applications of tracer methods in industrial objects. 84 refs, 96 figs, 31 tabs

Meteorological tracers in regional planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, K.H.

1974-11-01

Atmospheric tracers can be used as indicators to study both the ventilation of an urban region and its dispersion meteorology for air pollutants. A correlation analysis applied to the space-time dependent tracer concentrations is able to give transfer functions, the structure and characteristic parameters of which describe the meteorological and topographical situation of the urban region and its surroundings in an integral manner. To reduce the number of persons usually involved in a tracer experiment an automatic air sampling system had to be developed

New SPECT tracers: Example of tracers of proteoglycans and melanin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cachin, F.; Mestas, D.; Kelly, A.; Merlin, C.; Veyre, A.; Maublant, J.; Cachin, F.; Chezal, J.M.; Miot-Noirault, E.; Moins, N.; Auzeloux, P.; Vidal, A.; Bonnet-Duquennoy, M.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Madelmont, J.C.; Maublant, J.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Redini, F.; Filaire, M.

2009-01-01

The majority of research program on new radiopharmaceuticals turn to tracers used for positron emission tomography (PET). Only a few teams work on new non fluorine labeled tracers. However, the coming of SPECT/CT gamma cameras, the arrival of semi-conductors gamma cameras should boost the development of non-PET tracers. We exhibit in this article the experience acquired by our laboratory in the conception and design of two new non fluorine labelled compounds. The 99m Tc-N.T.P. 15-5 (N.T.P. 15-5 for N-[tri-ethyl-ammonium]-3-propyl-[15]ane-N5) which binds to proteoglycans could be used for the diagnosis and staging of osteoarthritis and chondrosarcoma. The iodo benzamides, specific to the melanin, are nowadays compared to 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose in a phase III clinical trial for the diagnosis and detection of melanoma metastasis. Our last development focus on N-[2-(diethyl-amino)ethyl]-4 and 2-iodo benzamides respectively B.Z.A. and B.Z.A.2 hetero-aromatic analogues usable for melanoma treatment. (authors)

Keeping the secret: Insights from repeated catchment-scale tracer experiments under transient conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Bogner, Christina; Hauhs, Michael; Lange, Holger

2016-04-01

Catchment-level tracer experiments are generally performed to identify site-specific hydrological response functions of the catchment. The existence and uniqueness of these response functions are hardly ever questioned. Here, we report on a series of replicated tracer experiments in two small first-order catchments, G1 (0.6 ha, roofed) and F4 (2.3 ha, without roof) at Gårdsjön in SW Sweden. The soils in both catchments are shallow (500 m2) the experiments were done without a roof mostly at transient conditions. The catchment F4 was equipped with a sprinkler system with a watering capacity of around 38-45 m3 day-1. Natural rainfall comes in addition. A bromide tracer solution was injected to groundwater at a single location about 40 m upstream the weir over a period of less than an hour, and was monitored using a set of groundwater tubes and the weir at the outlet over the following 4 days. In addition, discharge was measured. The experiments were repeated each summer from 2007 to 2015. While steady state conditions were guaranteed in G1, steady runoff has been achieved only four times in F4. We investigated tracer recovery rates against cumulated runoff since tracer application. Substantially different transit times and qualitatively different behaviour of the breakthrough curves were observed, even under steady state conditions. In G1, no single system response function could be identified in 5 replicates. Similarly, the catchment response functions in F4 under steady state differed between experiments. However, they remained in a similar range as in G1. Based on these results, we question the identifiability of flow paths and system properties, such as saturated water content or hydrologic transmissivity, at the catchment scale using tracer experiments. Rather, the series demonstrate the utter importance of the initial and boundary conditions which largely determine the response of the system to inert tracer pulses.

Compilation and analyses of results from cross-hole tracer tests with conservative tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hjerne, Calle; Nordqvist, Rune; Harrstroem, Johan (Geosigma AB (Sweden))

2010-09-15

Radionuclide transport in hydrogeological formations is one of the key factors for the safety analysis of a future repository of nuclear waste. Tracer tests have therefore been an important field method within the SKB investigation programmes at several sites since the late 1970's. This report presents a compilation and analyses of results from cross-hole tracer tests with conservative tracers performed within various SKB investigations. The objectives of the study are to facilitate, improve and reduce uncertainties in predictive tracer modelling and to provide supporting information for SKB's safety assessment of a final repository of nuclear waste. More specifically, the focus of the report is the relationship between the tracer mean residence time and fracture hydraulic parameters, i.e. the relationship between mass balance aperture and fracture transmissivity, hydraulic diffusivity and apparent storativity. For 74 different combinations of pumping and injection section at six different test sites (Studsvik, Stripa, Finnsjoen, Aespoe, Forsmark, Laxemar), estimates of mass balance aperture from cross-hole tracer tests as well as transmissivity were extracted from reports or in the SKB database Sicada. For 28 of these combinations of pumping and injection section, estimates of hydraulic diffusivity and apparent storativity from hydraulic interference tests were also found. An empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity was estimated, although some uncertainties for individual data exist. The empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity presented in this study deviates considerably from other previously suggested relationships, such as the cubic law and transport aperture as suggested by /Dershowitz and Klise 2002/, /Dershowitz et al. 2002/ and /Dershowitz et al. 2003/, which also is discussed in this report. No clear and direct empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and hydraulic

Estimates of interhemispheric transport of radioactive debris by the east African low-level jet stream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangarajan, C.; Eapen, C.D.

1981-01-01

The movement of air masses across the equator by way of the east African low-level jet stream has been studied using fission products from the French nuclear tests of the South Pacific as tracers. The studies show that the transit time of air masses from Malagasy to India is 3--6 days and about 75% of the air mass on the west coast of India is from the southern hemisphere

ACTION-SPACE CLUSTERING OF TIDAL STREAMS TO INFER THE GALACTIC POTENTIAL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanderson, Robyn E.; Helmi, Amina [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Hogg, David W., E-mail: robyn@astro.columbia.edu [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Department of Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States)

2015-03-10

We present a new method for constraining the Milky Way halo gravitational potential by simultaneously fitting multiple tidal streams. This method requires three-dimensional positions and velocities for all stars to be fit, but does not require identification of any specific stream or determination of stream membership for any star. We exploit the principle that the action distribution of stream stars is most clustered when the potential used to calculate the actions is closest to the true potential. Clustering is quantified with the Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD), which also provides conditional uncertainties for our parameter estimates. We show, for toy Gaia-like data in a spherical isochrone potential, that maximizing the KLD of the action distribution relative to a smoother distribution recovers the input potential. The precision depends on the observational errors and number of streams; using K III giants as tracers, we measure the enclosed mass at the average radius of the sample stars accurate to 3% and precise to 20%-40%. Recovery of the scale radius is precise to 25%, biased 50% high by the small galactocentric distance range of stars in our mock sample (1-25 kpc, or about three scale radii, with mean 6.5 kpc). 20-25 streams with at least 100 stars each are required for a stable confidence interval. With radial velocities (RVs) to 100 kpc, all parameters are determined with ∼10% accuracy and 20% precision (1.3% accuracy for the enclosed mass), underlining the need to complete the RV catalog for faint halo stars observed by Gaia.

Tracer filamentation at an unstable ocean front

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yen Chia; Mahadevan, Amala; Thiffeault, Jean-Luc; Yecko, Philip

2017-11-01

A front, where two bodies of ocean water with different physical properties meet, can become unstable and lead to a flow with high strain rate and vorticity. Phytoplankton and other oceanic tracers are stirred into filaments by such flow fields, as can often be seen in satellite imagery. The stretching and folding of a tracer by a two-dimensional flow field has been well studied. In the ocean, however, the vertical shear of horizontal velocity is typically two orders of magnitude larger than the horizontal velocity gradient. Theoretical calculations show that vertical shear alters the way in which horizontal strain affects the tracer, resulting in thin, sloping structures in the tracer field. Using a non-hydrostatic ocean model of an unstable ocean front, we simulate tracer filamentation to identify the effect of vertical shear on the deformation of the tracer. In a complementary laboratory experiment, we generate a simple, vertically sheared strain flow and use dye and particle image velocimetry to quantify the filamentary structures in terms of the strain and shear. We identify how vertical shear alters the tracer filaments and infer how the evolution of tracers in the ocean will differ from the idealized two-dimensional paradigm. Support of NSF DMS-1418956 is acknowledged.

Tracer dispersion - experiment and CFD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zitny, R.

2004-01-01

Description of tracer distribution by means of dispersion models is a method successfully used in process engineering for fifty years. Application of dispersion models in reactor engineering for characterization of flows in column apparatus, heat exchangers, etc. is summarized and experimental tracer techniques as well as CFD methods for dispersion coefficients evaluation are discussed. Possible extensions of thermal axial dispersion model (ADM) and a core-wall ADM model suitable for description of tracer dispersion in laminar flows are suggested as well as CFD implementation as 1D finite elements. (author)

Selection of tracers for oil and gas evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjoernstad, T.

1991-08-01

The importance of tracer tests in reservoir descriptions is increasingly acknowledged by reservoir engineers as a method to obtain valuable dynamic information from the reservoir. The report describes the ''state-of-the art'' on tracer technology for interwell investigations. Experiences gained from a number of reported field tracer tests are reviewed, and results from detailed laboratory investigations on the static and dynamic behavior of various tracer molecules are discussed. A critical evaluation of the applicability of the various identified tracers is provided. Present and future trends in the development of tracer technology for reservoir description are sketched. 64 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

Freeze core sampling to validate time-lapse resistivity monitoring of the hyporheic zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Toran, Laura; Hughes, Brian; Nyquist, Jonathan; Ryan, Robert

2013-01-01

A freeze core sampler was used to characterize hyporheic zone storage during a stream tracer test. The pore water from the frozen core showed tracer lingered in the hyporheic zone after the tracer had returned to background concentration in collocated well samples. These results confirmed evidence of lingering subsurface tracer seen in time-lapse electrical resistivity tomographs. The pore water exhibited brine exclusion (ion concentrations in ice lower than source water) in a sediment matrix, despite the fast freezing time. Although freeze core sampling provided qualitative evidence of lingering tracer, it proved difficult to quantify tracer concentration because the amount of brine exclusion during freezing could not be accurately determined. Nonetheless, the additional evidence for lingering tracer supports using time-lapse resistivity to detect regions of low fluid mobility within the hyporheic zone that can act as chemically reactive zones of importance in stream health. © 2012, The Author(s). GroundWater © 2012, National Ground Water Association.

Shade and flow effects on ammonia retention in macrophyte-rich streams: implications for water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilcock, Robert J.; Scarsbrook, Mike R.; Cooke, James G.; Costley, Kerry J.; Nagels, John W.

2004-01-01

Controlled releases of NH 4 -N and conservative tracers (Br - and Cl - ) to five reaches of four streams with contrasting macrophyte communities have shown differing retentions, largely as a result of the way plants interact with stream flow and velocity. First-order constants (k) were 1.0-4.8 d -1 and retention of NH 4 -N was 6-71% of amounts added to each reach. Distance travelled before a 50% reduction in concentration was achieved were 40-450 m in three streams under low-flow conditions, and 2400-3800 m at higher flows. Retention (%) of NH 4 -N can be approximated by a simple function of travel time and k, highlighting the importance of the relationship between macrophytes and stream velocity on nutrient processing. This finding has significant management implications, particularly with respect to restoration of riparian shade. Small streams with predominantly marginal emergent plants are likely to have improved retention of NH 4 -N as a result of shading or other means of reducing plant biomass. Streams dominated by submerged macrophytes will have impaired NH 4 -N retention if plant biomass is reduced because of reduced contact times between NH 4 -N molecules and reactive sites. In these conditions water resource managers should utilise riparian shading in concert with unshaded vegetated reaches to achieve a balance between enhanced in-stream habitat and nutrient processing capacity

3D Electrical resistivity tomography monitoring of an artificial tracer injected within the hyporheic zone

Science.gov (United States)

Houzé, Clémence; Pessel, Marc; Durand, Veronique

2016-04-01

Due to the high complexity level of hyporheic flow paths, hydrological and biogeochemical processes which occur in this mixing place are not fully understood yet. Some previous studies made in flumes show that hyporheic flow is strongly connected to the streambed morphology and sediment heterogeneity . There is still a lack of practical field experiment considering a natural environment and representation of natural streambed heterogeneities will be always limited in laboratories. The purpose of this project is to propose an innovative method using 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) monitoring of an artificial tracer injection directly within the streambed sediments in order to visualize the water pathways within the hyporheic zone. Field experiment on a small stream was conducted using a plastic tube as an injection piezometer and home-made electrodes strips arranged in a rectangular form made of 180 electrodes (15 strips of 12 electrodes each). The injection of tracer (NaCl) lasted approximatively 90 minutes, and 24h monitoring with increasing step times was performed. The physical properties of the water are controlled by CTD probes installed upstream and downstream within the river. Inverse time-lapse tomographs show development and persistence of a conductive water plume around the injection point. Due to the low hydraulic conductivity of streambed sediments (clay and overlying loess), the tracer movement is barely visible, as it dilutes gradually in the pore water. Impact of boundary conditions on inversion results can lead to significant differences on images, especially in the shallow part of the profiles. Preferential paths of transport are not highlighted here, but this experiment allows to follow spatially and temporarily the evolution of the tracer in a complex natural environment .

Improvement of the qualitative and quantitative detection of simultaneously present fluorescent tracers by systematic sample treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behrens, H.

1982-01-01

The selective instrumental detection of individual fluorescent tracers in mixtures containing further fluorescent dyes is limited by spectral interferences. Therefore additional separations or other suitable procedures have to be included into the analytic technique. With the method described below, the respective tracer to be detected remains with its initial concentration in the sample and is analysed under the appropriate conditions, whereas the interfering tracers are separated or suppressed. The techniques applied for this base on the facts that 1) the fluorescence intensity of the tracers varies differently when the pH-value changes; 2) the tracers show different absorption behaviour and 3) they provide different degrees of light sensitivity. The procedures permit for example to detect uranin when eosin is present in a higher concentration or to detect eosin when amidorhodamin G is present. (orig.) [de

Tracer techniques in microelectronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flachowsky, J.; Freyer, K.

1981-01-01

Tracer technique and neutron activation analysis are capable of measuring impurities in semiconductor material or on the semiconductor surface in a very low concentration range. The methods, combined with autoradiography, are also suitable to determine dopant distributions in silicon. However, both techniques suffer from certain inherent experimental difficulties and/or limitations which are discussed. Methods of tracer technique practicable in the semiconductor field are described. (author)

How well do different tracers constrain the firn diffusivity profile?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. M. Trudinger

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Firn air transport models are used to interpret measurements of the composition of air in firn and bubbles trapped in ice in order to reconstruct past atmospheric composition. The diffusivity profile in the firn is usually calibrated by comparing modelled and measured concentrations for tracers with known atmospheric history. However, in most cases this is an under-determined inverse problem, often with multiple solutions giving an adequate fit to the data (this is known as equifinality. Here we describe a method to estimate the firn diffusivity profile that allows multiple solutions to be identified, in order to quantify the uncertainty in diffusivity due to equifinality. We then look at how well different combinations of tracers constrain the firn diffusivity profile. Tracers with rapid atmospheric variations like CH₃CCl₃, HFCs and ¹⁴CO₂ are most useful for constraining molecular diffusivity, while &delta:¹⁵N₂ is useful for constraining parameters related to convective mixing near the surface. When errors in the observations are small and Gaussian, three carefully selected tracers are able to constrain the molecular diffusivity profile well with minimal equifinality. However, with realistic data errors or additional processes to constrain, there is benefit to including as many tracers as possible to reduce the uncertainties. We calculate CO₂ age distributions and their spectral widths with uncertainties for five firn sites (NEEM, DE08-2, DSSW20K, South Pole 1995 and South Pole 2001 with quite different characteristics and tracers available for calibration. We recommend moving away from the use of a firn model with one calibrated parameter set to infer atmospheric histories, and instead suggest using multiple parameter sets, preferably with multiple representations of uncertain processes, to assist in quantification of the uncertainties.

Tracers of air-sea gas exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liss, P.S.

1988-01-01

The flux of gas across the air-sea interface is determined by the product of the interfacial concentration difference driving the exchange and a rate constant, often termed the transfer velocity. The concentration-difference term is generally obtained by direct measurement, whereas more indirect approaches are required to estimate the transfer velocity and its variation as a function of controlling parameters such as wind and sea state. Radioactive tracers have proved particularly useful in the estimation of air-sea transfer velocities and, recently, stable purposeful tracers have also started to be used. In this paper the use of the following tracers to determine transfer velocities at the sea surface is discussed: natural and bomb-produced 14 C, dissolved oxygen, 222 Rn and sulphur hexafluoride. Other topics covered include the relation between transfer velocity and wind speed as deduced from tracer and wind-tunnel studies, and the discrepancy between transfer velocities determined by using tracers and from eddy correlation measurements in the atmosphere. (author)

Modelling tracer transport in fractured rock at Stripa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbert, A.

1992-01-01

We present the results of a modelling study, making predictions for tracer transport experiments carried out within the H-zone feature in the Stripa mine. We use a direct fracture network approach to represent the system of interconnected flow-conducting fractures comprising this zone. It is a highly fractured granite, and our fracture-network models include up to 60000 fractures. We have had to develop efficient algorithms to calculate the flow and transport through these networks; these techniques are described and justified. The first stage of modelling addressed two saline injection experiments. The results of these were known to us and so in addition to 'predicting' the results of these experiments, we used them to calibrate a flow model of the experimental site. This model was then used to make true 'blind' predictions for a set of tracer experiments carried out in the natural head-field, caused by an open drift. Where our flow model was good, our predictions were found to be very accurate, explaining the dispersion in the tracer breakthrough in terms of the fracture network geometry. Discrepancies for experiments in less well characterised regions of the H-zone are presented, and we suggest that the errors in these predictions are a consequence of the inaccuracies of the flow-field. We have demonstrated the use of large-scale fracture network modelling. It has proved very successful, and made very accurate predictions of field experiments carried out at the Stripa mine. The measured dispersion of tracers can be accounted for by the geometry of the fracture network flow system. (14 refs.) (au)

High-dilution on-stream isotopic tracer techniques; Emploi d'indicateurs radioactifs tres dilues pour le controle les courants; Metody primeneniya sil'no razbavlennykh v potokakh izotopnykh indikatorov; Empleo de indicadores radiactivos muy diluidos en el control de corrientes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnston, W H; Findeis, A F; Vestal, M [William H . Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Baltimore, MD (United States)

1962-01-15

The present paper concerns large-scale tracer applications in which isotope tagging is done on a component of main flowing fluid or stream without subsequent mainline separation. Equations are derived which relate the required levels of tracer concentrations, the instrumental background, the efficiency of the detector, the required statistical reliability, the time desired for the measurements of sample and background, the stream flow rates, and the tracer nuclide. These equations are shown graphically and allow a ready selection of the tracer concentrations for specific applications. The sampling programme for large-scale tracer applications is analysed for steady state and pulse injections. In the latter case, the longitudinal mixing is treated by the concept of eddy diffusion coefficients. By estimating certain parameters, the longitudinal tracer detection range and the first arrival time are obtained as a function of distance between injection and collection. l'or high-dilution on-stream radiotracing with beta-emitters, the detectors are large low-level internal-gas-tube counters, foil-flow counters, and plastic scintillators. New anticoincidence counters are presented. The advantages of low-atomic-number shielding are emphasized. Recent developments in stable transistorized electronics for low-level counting are shown. A new amplifier and a new tunnel-diode adder circuit are described. Examples are given of several new applications of high-dilution on-stream tracers to problems of source-identification of pollutions in rivers and streams. (author) [French] Le memoire traite de l'emploi a grande echelle d'indicateurs pour le marquage isotopique des eaux d'un courant affluent qui ne se separe pas ensuite du courant principal. Les auteurs ont etabli des equations indiquant les rapports entre le taux de concentration des indicateurs, le bruit de fond du aux instruments, l'efficacite du detecteur, la qualite que l'on attend des donnees statistiques obtenues, le

Radioactive tracer technique in process optimization: applications in the chemical industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlton, J.S.

1989-01-01

Process optimization is concerned with the selection of the most appropriate technological design of the process and with controlling its operation to obtain maximum benefit. The role of radioactive tracers in process optimization is discussed and the various circumstances under which such techniques may be beneficially applied are identified. Case studies are presented which illustrate how radioisotopes may be used to monitor plant performance under dynamic conditions to improve production efficiency and to investigate the cause of production limitations. In addition, the use of sealed sources to provide information complementary to the tracer study is described. (author)

Use of natural geochemical tracers to improve reservoir simulation models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huseby, O.; Chatzichristos, C.; Sagen, J.; Muller, J.; Kleven, R.; Bennett, B.; Larter, S.; Stubos, A.K.; Adler, P.M.

2005-01-01

This article introduces a methodology for integrating geochemical data in reservoir simulations to improve hydrocarbon reservoir models. The method exploits routine measurements of naturally existing inorganic ion concentration in hydrocarbon reservoir production wells, and uses the ions as non-partitioning water tracers. The methodology is demonstrated on a North Sea field case, using the field's reservoir model, together with geochemical information (SO{sub 4}{sup 2}, Mg{sup 2+} K{sup +}, Ba{sup 2+}, Sr{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+}, Cl{sup -} concentrations) from the field's producers. From the data-set we show that some of the ions behave almost as ideal sea-water tracers, i.e. without sorption to the matrix, ion-exchange with the matrix or scale-formation with other ions in the formation water. Moreover, the dataset shows that ion concentrations in pure formation-water vary according to formation. This information can be used to allocate produced water to specific water-producing zones in commingled production. Based on an evaluation of the applicability of the available data, one inorganic component, SO{sub 4}{sup 2}, is used as a natural seawater tracer. Introducing SO{sub 4}{sup 2} as a natural tracer in a tracer simulation has revealed a potential for improvements of the reservoir model. By tracking the injected seawater it was possible to identify underestimated fault lengths in the reservoir model. The demonstration confirms that geochemical data are valuable additional information for reservoir characterization, and shows that integration of geochemical data into reservoir simulation procedures can improve reservoir simulation models. (author)

Waste streams from reprocessing operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, B.; Ericsson, A.-M.

1978-03-01

The three main products from reprocessing operations are uranium, plutonium and vitrified high-level-waste. The purpose of this report is to identify and quantify additional waste streams containing radioactive isotops. Special emphasis is laid on Sr, Cs and the actinides. The main part, more than 99 % of both the fission-products and the transuranic elements are contained in the HLW-stream. Small quantities sometimes contaminate the U- and Pu-streams and the rest is found in the medium-level-waste

Doublet Tracer Testing in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gudmundsson, J S; Johnson, S E; Horne, R N; Jackson, P B [Pet. Eng. Dept., Stanford University; Culver, G G [Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

0000-12-30

A tracer test was carried out in a geothermal doublet system to study the injection behavior of a developed reservoir known to be fractured. The doublet produces about 320 gpm of 160 degrees Fahrenheit water that is used for space heating and then injected; the wells are spaced 250 ft apart. Tracer breakthrough was observed in 2 hours and 45 minutes in the production well, indicating fracture flow. However, the tracer concentrations were low and indicated porous media flow; the tracers mixed with a reservoir volume much larger than a fracture.

Tracer a application in marine outfall studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genders, S.

1979-01-01

The applicability of radioactive and fluorescent tracers for field studies to predict or investigate waste water transport and dispersion from marine outfalls is evaluated. The application of either instantaneous or continuous tracer release, 'in situ' detection of tracers and data processing are considered. The necessity of a combined use of tracer techniques and conventional hydrographic methods for a statistical prediction of transport and dillution of waste water are pointed out. A procedure to determine an outlet distance from the coast, which satisfy bathing water criteria is outlined. (M.A.) [pt

Doublet Tracer Testing in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gudmundsson, J.S.; Johnson, S.E.; Horne, R.N.; Jackson, P. B. [Pet. Eng. Dept., Stanford University; Culver, G.G. [Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

0001-01-01

A tracer test was carried out in a geothermal doublet system to study the injection behavior of a developed reservoir known to be fractured. The doublet produces about 320 gpm of 160 degrees Fahrenheit water that is used for space heating and then injected; the wells are spaced 250 ft apart. Tracer breakthrough was observed in 2 hours and 45 minutes in the production well, indicating fracture flow. However, the tracer concentrations were low and indicated porous media flow; the tracers mixed with a reservoir volume much larger than a fracture.

Process for humidifying a gaseous fuel stream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sederquist, R. A.

1985-01-01

A fuel gas stream for a fuel cell is humidified by a recirculating hot liquid water stream using the heat of condensation from the humidified stream as the heat to vaporize the liquid water. Humidification is accomplished by directly contacting the liquid water with the dry gas stream in a saturator to evaporate a small portion of water. The recirculating liquid water is reheated by direct contact with the humidified gas stream in a condenser, wherein water is condensed into the liquid stream. Between the steps of humidifying and condensing water from the gas stream it passes through the fuel cell and additional water, in the form of steam, is added thereto

Bromide as a tracer for studying water movement and nitrate displacement in soils: comparison with stable isotope tracers; Bromid als Tracer zur Untersuchung der Wasserbewegung und der Nitratverlagerung in Boeden: Vergleich mit stabilisotopen Tracern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russow, R.; Knappe, S. [UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Bad Lauchstaedt (Germany). Sektion Bodenforschung

1999-02-01

Tracers are an ideal means of studying water movement and associated nitrate displacement. Often bromide is preferred as a tracer because it is considered a representative tracer for water and because, being a conservative tracer (i.e. not involved in chemical and biological soil processes), it can be used for studying anion transport in soils. Moreover, it is less expensive and easier to measure than the stable isotopes deuterium and {sup 15}N. Its great advantage over radioactive tracers (e.g. tritium), which outweighs their extreme sensitivity and ease of measurement and which it has in common with stable isotopes, is that it does not require radiation protection measures. However, there are also constraints on the use of bromide as a tracer in soil/water/plant systems. Our own studies on different soils using D{sub 2}O, bromide and [{sup 15}N]-nitrate in lysimeters suggest that the above assumptions on bromide tracers need not always be valid under conditions as they prevail in biologically active soils. As the present paper shows, these studies permit a good assessment of the possibilities and limits to these tracers. [Deutsch] Fuer die Untersuchung der Wasserbewegung sowie der daran gekoppelten Nitrat-Verlagerung ist der Einsatz von Tracern das Mittel der Wahl. Dabei wird Bromid als Tracer haeufig bevorzugt, da es allgemein als ein repraesentativer Tracer fuer Wasser und als konservativer Tracer (nicht involviert in chemische und biologische Bodenprozesse) zur Untersuchung des Anionentransportes in Boeden angesehen wird und es gegenueber den stabilen Isotopen Deuterium und {sup 15}N billiger und einfacher zu bestimmen ist. Gegenueber den radioaktiven Tracern (z.B. Tritium), die zwar sehr empfindlich und einfach messbar sind, besteht der grosse Vorteil, dass, wie bei den stabilen Isotopen, keine Strahlenschutzmassnahmen ergriffen werden muessen. Es gibt jedoch auch einschraenkende Hinweise fuer die Verwendung von Bromid als Tracer im System Boden

Food web of a tropical high mountain stream: Effects of nutrient addition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro Rebolledo, Maria Isabel; Munoz Gracia, Isabel; Donato Rondon, John Charles

2014-01-01

Using a nutrient enrichment experiment in an Andean mountain stream, we used stable isotope ratios (δ 15n and δ13c) to analyze different trophic compartments: 1) basal level: CPOM and biofilm; 2) primary consumers - macro invertebrates: collector-gatherers(heterelmissp, thraulodessp andtrichorythodessp), and collector-filterers (simuliumsp); 3) predators - fish (oncorhynchusmykiss and trichomycterusbogotensis). the average fractionation of nitrogen among the primary consumers with respect to CPOM was 4.7 and 1.7 with respect to biofilm. predators incremented their δ15n signal by 5.9% with respect to primary consumers. A depletion of δ15n was observed in impact with respect to control reach after fertilization in different compartments (biofilm, heterelmissp., simuliumsp. andtricorythodessp.), while depletion was not significant for top predators. In most cases, the δ13c signal of biofilm overlapped with that of primary consumers, but a clear enrichment was observed with respect to CPOM. The macro invertebrates referred to were selected to analyze their gut content and the results showed us that fine detritus is the most abundant food in invertebrates, and onlyheterelmis sp. showed significant differences in fine detritus and vegetal matter between control and impact reaches after the nutrient addition.

Tracers vs. trajectories in a coastal region

Science.gov (United States)

Engqvist, A.; Döös, K.

2008-12-01

Two different methods of estimating the water exchange through a Baltic coastal region have been used, consisting of particle trajectories and passive tracers. Water is traced from and to a small discharge region near the coast. The discharge material in this region is treated as zero dimensional particles or tracers with neutral buoyancy. The real discharge material could be a leakage of radio-nuclides through the sea floor from an underground repository of nuclear waste. Water exchange rates between the discharge region and the model domain are estimated using both forward and backward trajectories as well as passive tracers. The Lagrangian trajectories can account for the time evolution of the water exchange while the tracers give one average age per model grid box. Water exchange times such as residence time, age and transient times have been calculated with trajectories but only the average age (AvA) for tracers. The trajectory calculations provide a more detailed time evolution than the tracers. On the other hand the tracers are integrated "on-line" simultaneously in the sea circulation model with the same time step while the Lagrangian trajectories are integrated "off-line" from the stored model velocities with its inherent temporal resolution, presently one hour. The sub-grid turbulence is parameterised as a Laplacian diffusion for the passive tracers and with an extra stochastic velocity for trajectories. The importance of the parameterised sub-grid turbulence for the trajectories is estimated to give an extra diffusion of the same order as the Laplacian diffusion by comparing the Lagrangian dispersions with and without parameterisation. The results of the different methods are similar but depend on the chosen diffusivity coefficient with a slightly higher correlation between trajectories and tracers when integrated with a lower diffusivity coefficient.

USE OF PERFLUOROCARBON TRACER (PFT) TECHNOLOGY FOR SUBSURFACE BARRIER INTEGRITY VERIFICATION AT THE WALDO TEST SITE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SULLIVAN,T.; HEISER,J.; SENUM,G.; MILLIAN,L.

2000-02-27

Researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) tested perfluorocarbon (PFT) gas tracers on a subsurface barrier with known flaws at the Waldo test facility [operated by Science and Engineering Associates, Inc (SEA)]. The tests involved the use of five unique PFT tracers with a different tracer injected along the interior of each wall of the barrier. A fifth tracer was injected exterior to the barrier to examine the validity of diffusion controlled transport of the PFTs. The PFTs were injected for three days at a nominal flow rate of 15 cm{sup 3}/min and a concentrations in the range of a few hundred ppm. Approximately 65 liters of air laced with tracer was injected for each tracer. The tracers were able to accurately detect the presence of the engineered flaws. Two flaws were detected on the north and east walls and lane flaw was detected on the south and west walls. In addition, one non-engineered flaw at the seam between the north and east walls was also detected. The use of multiple tracers provided independent confirmation of the flaws and permitted a distinction between tracers arriving at a monitoring port after being released from a nearby flaw and non-engineered flaws. The PFTs detected the smallest flaw, 0.5 inches in diameter. Visual inspection of the data showed excellent agreement with the known flaw locations and the relative size of the flaws was accurately estimated.

Detecting groundwater discharge dynamics from point-to-catchment scale in a lowland stream

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, J. R.; Sebök, Éva; Duque, C.

2015-01-01

was quantified using differential gauging with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). At the catchment scale (26–114 km2), runoff sources during main rain events were investigated by hydrograph separations based on electrical conductivity (EC) and stable isotopes 2H/1H. Clear differences in runoff sources...... response to precipitation events. This shows a large variability in groundwater discharge to the stream, despite the similar lowland characteristics of sub-catchments indicating the usefulness of environmental tracers for obtaining information about integrated catchment functioning during precipitation...

Component flow processes at four streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York, analysed using episodic concentration/discharge relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, C.; Davies, T.D.; Murdoch, Peter S.

1999-01-01

Plots of solute concentration against discharge have been used to relate stream hydrochemical variations to processes of flow generation, using data collected at four streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York, during the Episodic Response Project of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results suggest that a two-component system of shallow and deep saturated subsurface flow, in which the two components respond simultaneously during hydrologic events, may be applicable to the study basins. Using a large natural sea-salt sodium input as a tracer for precipitation, it is argued that an additional distinction can be made between pre-event and event water travelling along the shallow subsurface flow path. Pre-event water is thought to be displaced by infiltrating event water, which becomes dominant on the falling limb of the hydrograph. Where, as appears to be the case for sulfate, a solute equilibrates rapidly within the soil, the pre-event-event water distinction is unimportant. However, for some solutes there are clear and consistent compositional differences between water from the two sources, evident as a hysteresis loop in concentration-discharge plots. Nitrate and acidity, in particular, appear to be elevated in event water following percolation through the organic horizon. Consequently, the most acidic, high nitrate conditions during an episode generally occur after peak discharge. A simple conceptual model of episode runoff generation is presented on the basis of these results.Plots of solute concentration against discharge have been used to relate stream hydrochemical variations to processes of flow generation, using data collected at four streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York, during the Episodic Response Project of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results suggest that a two-component system of shallow and deep saturated subsurface flow, in which the two components respond simultaneously during hydrologic events, may be applicable to the

Monitoring TASCC Injections Using A Field-Ready Wet Chemistry Nutrient Autoanalyzer

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, L. E.; Herstand, M. R.; Bowden, W. B.

2011-12-01

Quantification of nutrient cycling and transport (spiraling) in stream systems is a fundamental component of stream ecology. Additions of isotopic tracer and bulk inorganic nutrient to streams have been frequently used to evaluate nutrient transfer between ecosystem compartments and nutrient uptake estimation, respectively. The Tracer Addition for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC) methodology of Covino et al. (2010) instantaneously and simultaneously adds conservative and biologically active tracers to a stream system to quantify nutrient uptake metrics. In this method, comparing the ratio of mass of nutrient and conservative solute recovered in each sample throughout a breakthrough curve to that of the injectate, a distribution of spiraling metrics is calculated across a range of nutrient concentrations. This distribution across concentrations allows for both a robust estimation of ambient spiraling parameters by regression techniques, and comparison with uptake kinetic models. We tested a unique sampling strategy for TASCC injections in which samples were taken manually throughout the nutrient breakthrough curves while, simultaneously, continuously monitoring with a field-ready wet chemistry autoanalyzer. The autoanalyzer was programmed to measure concentrations of nitrate, phosphate and ammonium at the rate of one measurement per second throughout each experiment. Utilization of an autoanalyzer in the field during the experiment results in the return of several thousand additional nutrient data points when compared with manual sampling. This technique, then, allows for a deeper understanding and more statistically robust estimation of stream nutrient spiraling parameters.

Multiple stressors in agricultural streams: a mesocosm study of interactions among raised water temperature, sediment addition and nutrient enrichment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy J Piggott

Full Text Available Changes to land use affect streams through nutrient enrichment, increased inputs of sediment and, where riparian vegetation has been removed, raised water temperature. We manipulated all three stressors in experimental streamside channels for 30 days and determined the individual and pair-wise combined effects on benthic invertebrate and algal communities and on leaf decay, a measure of ecosystem functioning. We added nutrients (phosphorus+nitrogen; high, intermediate, natural and/or sediment (grain size 0.2 mm; high, intermediate, natural to 18 channels supplied with water from a nearby stream. Temperature was increased by 1.4°C in half the channels, simulating the loss of upstream and adjacent riparian shade. Sediment affected 93% of all biological response variables (either as an individual effect or via an interaction with another stressor generally in a negative manner, while nutrient enrichment affected 59% (mostly positive and raised temperature 59% (mostly positive. More of the algal components of the community responded to stressors acting individually than did invertebrate components, whereas pair-wise stressor interactions were more common in the invertebrate community. Stressors interacted often and in a complex manner, with interactions between sediment and temperature most common. Thus, the negative impact of high sediment on taxon richness of both algae and invertebrates was stronger at raised temperature, further reducing biodiversity. In addition, the decay rate of leaf material (strength loss accelerated with nutrient enrichment at ambient but not at raised temperature. A key implication of our findings for resource managers is that the removal of riparian shading from streams already subjected to high sediment inputs, or land-use changes that increase erosion or nutrient runoff in a landscape without riparian buffers, may have unexpected effects on stream health. We highlight the likely importance of intact or restored buffer

An uncertainty inclusive un-mixing model to identify tracer non-conservativeness

Science.gov (United States)

Sherriff, Sophie; Rowan, John; Franks, Stewart; Fenton, Owen; Jordan, Phil; hUallacháin, Daire Ó.

2015-04-01

Sediment fingerprinting is being increasingly recognised as an essential tool for catchment soil and water management. Selected physico-chemical properties (tracers) of soils and river sediments are used in a statistically-based 'un-mixing' model to apportion sediment delivered to the catchment outlet (target) to its upstream sediment sources. Development of uncertainty-inclusive approaches, taking into account uncertainties in the sampling, measurement and statistical un-mixing, are improving the robustness of results. However, methodological challenges remain including issues of particle size and organic matter selectivity and non-conservative behaviour of tracers - relating to biogeochemical transformations along the transport pathway. This study builds on our earlier uncertainty-inclusive approach (FR2000) to detect and assess the impact of tracer non-conservativeness using synthetic data before applying these lessons to new field data from Ireland. Un-mixing was conducted on 'pristine' and 'corrupted' synthetic datasets containing three to fifty tracers (in the corrupted dataset one target tracer value was manually corrupted to replicate non-conservative behaviour). Additionally, a smaller corrupted dataset was un-mixed using a permutation version of the algorithm. Field data was collected in an 11 km2 river catchment in Ireland. Source samples were collected from topsoils, subsoils, channel banks, open field drains, damaged road verges and farm tracks. Target samples were collected using time integrated suspended sediment samplers at the catchment outlet at 6-12 week intervals from July 2012 to June 2013. Samples were dried (affected whereas uncertainty was only marginally impacted by the corrupted tracer. Improvement of uncertainty resulted from increasing the number of tracers in both the perfect and corrupted datasets. FR2000 was capable of detecting non-conservative tracer behaviour within the range of mean source values, therefore, it provided a more

Using Tracer Technology to Characterize Contaminated Pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maresca, Joseph, W., Jr., Ph.D.; Bratton, Wesley, L., Ph.D., P.E.; Dickerson, Wilhelmina; Hales, Rochelle

2005-12-30

The Pipeline Characterization Using Tracers (PCUT) technique uses conservative and partitioning, reactive or other interactive tracers to remotely determine the amount of contaminant within a run of piping or ductwork. The PCUT system was motivated by a method that has been successfully used to characterize subsurface soil contaminants and is similar in operation to that of a gas chromatography column. By injecting a ?slug? of both conservative and partitioning tracers at one end (or section) of the piping and measuring the time history of the concentration of the tracers at the other end (or another section) of the pipe, the presence, location, and amount of contaminant within the pipe or duct can be determined. The tracers are transported along the pipe or duct by a gas flow field, typically air or nitrogen, which has a velocity that is slow enough so that the partitioning tracer has time to interact with the contaminant before the tracer slug completely passes over the contaminate region. PCUT not only identifies the presence of contamination, it also can locate the contamination along the pipeline and quantify the amount of residual. PCUT can be used in support of deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of piping and ducts that may have been contaminated with hazardous chemicals such as chlorinated solvents, petroleum products, radioactive materials, or heavy metals, such as mercury.

Using tracer-derived groundwater transit times to assess storage within a high-elevation watershed of the upper Colorado River Basin, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Georgek, Jennifer L.; Kip Solomon, D.; Heilweil, Victor M.; Miller, Matthew P.

2018-03-01

Previous watershed assessments have relied on annual baseflow to evaluate the groundwater contribution to streams. To quantify the volume of groundwater in storage, additional information such as groundwater mean transit time (MTT) is needed. This study determined the groundwater MTT in the West Fork Duchesne watershed in Utah (USA) with lumped-parameter modeling of environmental tracers (SF6, CFCs, and 3H/3He) from 21 springs. Approximately 30% of the springs exhibited an exponential transit time distribution (TTD); the remaining 70% were best characterized by a piston-flow TTD. The flow-weighted groundwater MTT for the West Fork watershed is about 40 years with approximately 20 years in the unsaturated zone. A cumulative distribution of these ages revealed that most of the groundwater is between 30 and 50 years old, suggesting that declining recharge associated with 5-10-year droughts is less likely to have a profound effect on this watershed compared with systems with shorter MTTs. The estimated annual baseflow of West Fork stream flow based on chemical hydrograph separation is 1.7 × 107 m3/year, a proxy for groundwater discharge. Using both MTT and groundwater discharge, the volume of mobile groundwater stored in the watershed was calculated to be 6.5 × 108 m3, or 20 m thickness of active groundwater storage and recharge of 0.09 m/year (assuming porosity = 15%). Future watershed-scale assessments should evaluate groundwater MTT, in addition to annual baseflow, to quantify groundwater storage and more accurately assess watershed susceptibility to drought, groundwater extraction, and land-use change.

Turnover Time in the Hyporheic Zone as Assessed by 3D Geophysical Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, B.; Hall, R. O., Jr.; Carr, B.

2017-12-01

The hyporheic zone (HZ) is a region of interest in stream hydrology and ecology, however, its heterogeneity across small spatial scales and difficulty to directly measure has hampered researchers' efforts to understand its specific contribution to processes such as solute transport and nutrient retention and removal. In recent years researchers have combined geophysical imaging, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), with tracer additions to directly measure exchange between surface waters and the HZ without physically disrupting natural subsurface flow paths. We conducted constant-rate tracer additions in two small headwater mountain streams while collecting 3D ERT images downstream before, during, after each tracer addition to yield spatially comprehensive models of solute exchange with the HZ through time. From our 3D HZ models, we calculated the active volume of the HZ, normalized to the maximum measured size, for each time step giving a breakthrough curve of tracer abundance in the HZ through time. We then described the tracer's turnover time in the HZ by applying exponential and power decay models to the breakthrough curve of HZ volume in a similar manner that one would for a tracer breakthrough curve in surface waters. Our models suggest that the flushing of solutes from the HZ exhibit multi-domain behavior, where advective and diffusive exchange between HZ and surface waters occur simultaneously and operate at distinctly different rates.

Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Socorro NRMS Quadrangle, New Mexico, including concentrations of forty-two additional elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Planner, H.N.; Fuka, M.A.; Hanks, D.E.; Hansel, J.M.; Minor, M.M.; Montoya, J.D.; Sandoval, W.F.

1980-10-01

Results for uranium in water samples and uranium and 42 additional elements in sediment samples are given. A total of 650 water samples was collected from wells (525), springs (99), streams (25), and one pond. Uranium concentrations for all water samples range from below the detection limit to 157.20 parts per billion (ppB). Mean concentrations in springs and well waters are 4.91 ppB and 5.04 ppB, respectively, compared to a value of 2.78 ppB in stream waters. Of the 1384 sediment samples collected, 1246 are from dry stream beds. The remaining 138 samples are from springs (68), ponds (50), and flowing streams (20). Uranium concentrations in sediments range from 0.84 to 13.40 parts per million (ppM) with the exception of a single 445.10-ppM concentration. The mean uranium content of all sediments is 3.12 ppM. Field data, recorded at the collection site, are reported with the elemental concentrations for each water and sediment sample listed in Appendixes I-A and I-B. These data include a scintillometer determination of the equivalent uranium, pH and conductivity measurements, and geographic and weather information. Appendix II explains the codes used in Appendix I and describes the standard field and analytical procedures used by the LASL in the HSSR program

Principles and techniques of gamma ray tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claxton, K.T.

1978-01-01

Radioactive tracer techniques provide a very sensitive means of studying physical and chemical processes in a whole variety of different media. Some of the techniques and principles of radioactive tracers and their application to practical engineering systems are discussed. Information which has been found useful in the design of high temperature liquid sodium facilities employing radio-tracers, is presented. The report deals solely with the use of gamma-emitting species as the tracer. These find particular application for in-situ studies on engineering systems where the highly penetrating properties of gamma rays are needed for detection through strongly absorbent media such as stainless steel pepe walls. (author)

Toxicity of fluorescent tracers and their degradation byproducts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philippe Gombert

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tracer tests are frequently used to delineate catchment area of water supply springs in karstic zones. In the karstic chalk of Normandy, the main tracers used are fluorescent: uranine, sulforhodamine B, naphtionate, and Tinopal®. In this area, a statistical analysis shows that less than half of the injected tracers joins the monitored restitution points and enters the drinking water system where they undergo chlorination. Most of the injected tracers is absorbed in the rock matrix or is thrown out of the aquifer via karstic springs: then it can join superficial waters where it is degraded due to the sun and air action. The paper presents firstly the laboratory degradation of a first batch of fluorescent tracers in contact with chlorine, in order to simulate their passage through a water treatment system for human consumption. A second batch of the same tracers is subjected to agents of natural degradation: ultraviolet illumination, sunlight and air sparging. Most tracers is degraded, and toxicity and ecotoxicity tests (on rats, daphniae and algae are performed on degradation byproducts. These tests do not show any acute toxicity but a low to moderate ecotoxicity. In conclusion, the most used fluorescent tracers of the Normandy karstic chalk and their artificial and natural degradation byproducts do not exhibit significant toxicity to humans and the aquatic environment, at the concentrations generally noted at the restitution points.

A New Kind of Single-Well Tracer Test for Assessing Subsurface Heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, S. K.; Vesselinov, V. V.; Lu, Z.; Reimus, P. W.; Katzman, D.

2017-12-01

Single-well injection-withdrawal (SWIW) tracer tests have historically been interpreted using the idealized assumption of tracer path reversibility (i.e., negligible background flow), with background flow due to natural hydraulic gradient being an un-modeled confounding factor. However, we have recently discovered that it is possible to use background flow to our advantage to extract additional information about the subsurface. To wit: we have developed a new kind of single-well tracer test that exploits flow due to natural gradient to estimate the variance of the log hydraulic conductivity field of a heterogeneous aquifer. The test methodology involves injection under forced gradient and withdrawal under natural gradient, and makes use of a relationship, discovered using a large-scale Monte Carlo study and machine learning techniques, between power law breakthrough curve tail exponent and log-hydraulic conductivity variance. We will discuss how we performed the computational study and derived this relationship and then show an application example in which our new single-well tracer test interpretation scheme was applied to estimation of heterogeneity of a formation at the chromium contamination site at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Detailed core hole records exist at the same site, from which it was possible to estimate the log hydraulic conductivity variance using a Kozeny-Carman relation. The variances estimated using our new tracer test methodology and estimated by direct inspection of core were nearly identical, corroborating the new methodology. Assessment of aquifer heterogeneity is of critical importance to deployment of amendments associated with in-situ remediation strategies, since permeability contrasts potentially reduce the interaction between amendment and contaminant. Our new tracer test provides an easy way to obtain this information.

Cheap and Cheerful Stream Restoration - An Example of System Wide Woody Addition Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Wheaton, J. M.; Bennett, S. N.; Bouwes, N.; Camp, R.

2012-12-01

Stream restoration has been plagued with high price tags, limited spatial extents, and questionable effectiveness in light of largely absent monitoring efforts. One prominent example is the placement of large woody debris (LWD) structures and engineered log jams that are frequently employed to promote heterogeneity of instream habitat. Ironically, many of these treatments attempt to lock in place and over-engineer the woody structures as opposed to allowing them to adjust and rearrange themselves as natural LWD would have. We are in the midst of a large scale restoration experiment using LWD to recover ESA-listed steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations in the Asotin Creek Watershed of Southeast Washington. The project is an Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) where the restoration treatment and monitoring use a hierarchal staircase design maximizing the power to detect a population level response in steelhead. We are treating over 12 km of stream with enough LWD input (> 200 pieces per km) to mimic the historic background wood loading and encourage the stream to reshape and regularly rework itself leaving. We are using hundreds of structures we call DWS (dynamic woody structures), which generally consist of a series of wooden fence posts driven into the stream bed and complex LWD anchored between them to invoke a specific hydrogeomorphic response. The real advantage of these DWS are their cost. They can be installed quickly (15-30 minutes each) and cheaply (adjust. This dynamic switching between alternative stable states, we postulate will maintain a diversity of habitat types, and support increased steelhead production. In the short-term, we have a host of explicit design hypotheses about the physical and biotic response and a multi-scalar monitoring program geared to test each of these. We will present findings from a preliminary pilot project on three of the study creeks, which was subjected to a major flood, and tests many of these hypotheses

Nitrogen Dynamics Along a Headwater Stream Draining a Fen, Swamp, and Marsh in a Fractured Dolomite Watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Duval, T. P.; Waddington, J. M.

2009-05-01

Stream-wetland interaction has been shown to have a significant effect on nutrient cycling and downstream water quality. Additionally, connection to regional groundwater systems can dilute or enrich stream water with a number of dissolved constituents. This study demonstrates the resultant downstream change in dissolved nitrogen species as a hardwater stream emerges from a calcareous aquifer and traverses a calcareous fen, a cedar swamp, and a cattail marsh over two growing seasons, a very dry 2006 and a very wet 2007. Upon emergence at a number of groundwater seeps, the water contained appreciable nitrate levels averaging 2.72±0.42 mg NO3-N L-1, minimal organic nitrogen, and ammonium below detectable levels. Through the gently sloping calcareous fen, with a stream residence time of ~ 5 hours, NO3-N concentration decreases of 0.35 mg L-1 were observed. Concomitantly, stream recharge into the dolomite bedrock depressed stream discharge values significantly, further removing nitrate from the stream system. This resulted in the fen-bedrock system acting as an estimated net sink of 432 kg of NO3-N in the early summer of 2007, for example. In contrast, the hydrological-biogeochemical systems became decoupled through the swamp during the same period, where concentrations increased from 2.58±0.34 mg L-1 entering the swamp to 2.65±0.58 mg L-1 exiting, but streamflow decreased in general by 5 L s- 1. This resulted in the swamp, with its large depression storage, acting as a small net sink of nitrate (75 kg through the early summer), which would not be detected simply from concentration changes. The concentration-discharge relation realigned through the marsh, where significant groundwater entered the wetland, increasing both concentration and discharge, yielding a small export of 93 kg over the same time period. A series of tracer injections in each wetland type will be presented to compare the streamflow- concentration patterns with the measured nutrient spiralling

Exploring Hydrofluorocarbons as Groundwater Age Tracers (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Haase, K. B.; Busenberg, E.; Plummer, L. N.; Casile, G.; Sanford, W. E.

2013-12-01

Groundwater dating tracers are an essential tool for analyzing hydrologic conditions in groundwater systems. Commonly used tracers for dating post-1940's groundwater include sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), 3H-3He, and other isotopic tracers (85Kr, δ2H and δ18O isotopes, etc.). Each tracer carries a corresponding set of advantages and limitations imposed by field, analytical, and interpretive methods. Increasing the number available tracers is appealing, particularly if they possess inert chemical properties and unique temporal emission histories from other tracers. Atmospherically derived halogenated trace gases continue to hold untapped potential for new tracers, as they are generally inert and their emission histories are well documented. SF5CF3, and CFC-13 were previously shown to have application as dating tracers, though their low mixing ratios and low solubility require large amounts of water to be degassed for their quantification. Two related groups of compounds, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are hypothesized to be potential age tracers, having similar mixing ratios to the CFCs and relatively high solubility. However, these compounds yield gas chromatography electron capture detector (GC-ECD) responses that are 10-2 -10-5 less than CFC-12, making purge and trap or field stripping GC-ECD approaches impractical. Therefore, in order to use dissolved HCFCs and HFCs as age tracers, different approaches are needed. To solve this problem, we developed an analytical method that uses an atomic emission detector (GC-AED) in place of an ECD to detect fluorinated compounds. In contrast to the ECD, the AED is a universally sensitive, highly linear, elementally specific detector. The new GC-AED system is being used to measure chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), and other fluorinated compounds in one liter water samples to study their potential as age dating tracers. HCFC-22 is a

TU-AB-202-11: Tumor Segmentation by Fusion of Multi-Tracer PET Images Using Copula Based Statistical Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapuyade-Lahorgue, J; Ruan, S; Li, H; Vera, P

2016-01-01

Purpose: Multi-tracer PET imaging is getting more attention in radiotherapy by providing additional tumor volume information such as glucose and oxygenation. However, automatic PET-based tumor segmentation is still a very challenging problem. We propose a statistical fusion approach to joint segment the sub-area of tumors from the two tracers FDG and FMISO PET images. Methods: Non-standardized Gamma distributions are convenient to model intensity distributions in PET. As a serious correlation exists in multi-tracer PET images, we proposed a new fusion method based on copula which is capable to represent dependency between different tracers. The Hidden Markov Field (HMF) model is used to represent spatial relationship between PET image voxels and statistical dynamics of intensities for each modality. Real PET images of five patients with FDG and FMISO are used to evaluate quantitatively and qualitatively our method. A comparison between individual and multi-tracer segmentations was conducted to show advantages of the proposed fusion method. Results: The segmentation results show that fusion with Gaussian copula can receive high Dice coefficient of 0.84 compared to that of 0.54 and 0.3 of monomodal segmentation results based on individual segmentation of FDG and FMISO PET images. In addition, high correlation coefficients (0.75 to 0.91) for the Gaussian copula for all five testing patients indicates the dependency between tumor regions in the multi-tracer PET images. Conclusion: This study shows that using multi-tracer PET imaging can efficiently improve the segmentation of tumor region where hypoxia and glucidic consumption are present at the same time. Introduction of copulas for modeling the dependency between two tracers can simultaneously take into account information from both tracers and deal with two pathological phenomena. Future work will be to consider other families of copula such as spherical and archimedian copulas, and to eliminate partial volume

Seasonal Stream Partitioning and Critical Zone Feedbacks within a Colorado River Headwater Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, R. W. H.; Bearup, L. A.; Williams, K. H.; Brown, W. S.; Dong, W.; Bill, M.

2017-12-01

Groundwater contribution to streams can modulate discharge response to climate extremes, thereby protecting ecosystem health and water supply for downstream users. However, much uncertainty exists on the role of groundwater contribution in snow-dominated, mountainous systems. To better understand seasonal stream source, we employ the empirical approach of end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) using a suite of natural chemical and isotopic observations within the East River; a headwater catchment of the Colorado River and recently designated as a Science Focus Area with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. EMMA relies on principal component analysis to reduce the number of dimensions of variability (U-space) for use in hydrograph separation. The mixing model was constructed for the furthest downstream and most heavily characterized stream gauge in the study site (PH; 84.7 km2). Potential tracers were identified from PH discharge as near linear (Mg, Ca, Sr, U, SO4, DIC, δ2H and δ18O) with alternative groupings evaluated. The best model was able to describe 97% of the tracer variance in 2-dimensions with low error and lack of residual structure. U-space positioning resulted in seasonal stream water source contributions of rain (8-16%), snow (48-74%) and groundwater (18-42%). EMMA developed for PH did not scale across 10 nested sub-basins (ranging from 0.38 km2 to 69.9 km2). Differences in mixing ratios are attributable to feedbacks in the critical zone with a focus on (1) source rock contributions of SO4 and U; (2) biogeochemical processes of enhanced SO4 reduction in the floodplain sediments, (3) flow path length as expressed by carbonate weathering, and (4) enhanced groundwater contributions as related to snow distribution and ecosystem structure. EMMA is an initial step to elucidate source contributions to streamflow and address scalability and applicability of mixing processes in a complex, highly heterogeneous, snow-dominated catchment. Work will aid hydrologic

Improving Marine Ecosystem Models with Biochemical Tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Pethybridge, Heidi R.; Choy, C. Anela; Polovina, Jeffrey J.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.

2018-01-01

Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.

Scintigraphy of inflammation with nanometer-sixed colloidal tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Schrijver, M.

1989-01-01

This book describes a novel approach to the scintigraphy of inflammatory processes of the extremities. It presents a method specially developed to bring this diagnostic modality whithin the reach of every nuclear medicine centre without requiring a special infrastructure or extensively trained personnel. The author revieuws the existing nuclear medicine techniques and critically analyses their relative advantages and pitfalls before proceeding to a detailed account of the use of a colloidal tracer for detecting and monitoring inflammation. The author identifies the pathophysiological basis of his concept and gives extensive preclinical data prior to discussing a number of comparative clinical studies with the new technique. Additional benefits are brought by the book's emphasis on the importance of a solid radiopharmacological foundation to the medically used tracers and demonstrates with a few suprising examples how shortcomings at this level may lead to misleading findings in the daily practive of nuclear medicine, even with routinely used radiopharmaceuticals. (author). refs.; figs.; tabs

Lagrangian mass-flow investigations of inorganic contaminants in wastewater-impacted streams

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, L.B.; Antweiler, Ronald C.; Flynn, J.L.; Keefe, S.H.; Kolpin, D.W.; Roth, D.A.; Schnoebelen, D.J.; Taylor, Howard E.; Verplanck, P.L.

2011-01-01

Understanding the potential effects of increased reliance on wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents to meet municipal, agricultural, and environmental flow requires an understanding of the complex chemical loading characteristics of the WWTPs and the assimilative capacity of receiving waters. Stream ecosystem effects are linked to proportions of WWTP effluent under low-flow conditions as well as the nature of the effluent chemical mixtures. This study quantifies the loading of 58 inorganic constituents (nutrients to rare earth elements) from WWTP discharges relative to upstream landscape-based sources. Stream assimilation capacity was evaluated by Lagrangian sampling, using flow velocities determined from tracer experiments to track the same parcel of water as it moved downstream. Boulder Creek, Colorado and Fourmile Creek, Iowa, representing two different geologic and hydrologic landscapes, were sampled under low-flow conditions in the summer and spring. One-half of the constituents had greater loads from the WWTP effluents than the upstream drainages, and once introduced into the streams, dilution was the predominant assimilation mechanism. Only ammonium and bismuth had significant decreases in mass load downstream from the WWTPs during all samplings. The link between hydrology and water chemistry inherent in Lagrangian sampling allows quantitative assessment of chemical fate across different landscapes. ?? 2011 American Chemical Society.

Axonal collateral-collateral transport of tract tracers in brain neurons: false anterograde labelling and useful tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, S; Aston-Jones, G

1998-02-01

It is well established that some neuroanatomical tracers may be taken up by local axonal terminals and transported to distant axonal collaterals (e.g., transganglionic transport in dorsal root ganglion cells). However, such collateral-collateral transport of tracers has not been systematically examined in the central nervous system. We addressed this issue with four neuronal tracers--biocytin, biotinylated dextran amine, cholera toxin B subunit, and Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin--in the cerebellar cortex. Labelling of distant axonal collaterals in the cerebellar cortex (indication of collateral-collateral transport) was seen after focal iontophoretic microinjections of each of the four tracers. However, collateral-collateral transport properties differed among these tracers. Injection of biocytin or Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin in the cerebellar cortex yielded distant collateral labelling only in parallel fibres. In contrast, injection of biotinylated dextran amine or cholera toxin B subunit produced distant collateral labelling of climbing fibres and mossy fibres, as well as parallel fibres. The present study is the first systematic examination of collateral-collateral transport following injection of anterograde tracers in brain. Such collateral-collateral transport may produce false-positive conclusions regarding neural connections when using these tracers for anterograde transport. However, this property may also be used as a tool to determine areas that are innervated by common distant afferents. In addition, these results may indicate a novel mode of chemical communication in the nervous system.

Use of Helium-3 and Tritium tracers in oceanography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrie, Chantal

1987-01-01

As tritium considered as a transient tracer has become one of the most promising tool for the study of oceanic circulation and of the ocean capacity to absorb anthropogenic carbon, and as the simultaneous use of its radioactive descendant, Helium-3, brings an additional information (together, these tracers build up a clock in the study of water masses), and as all helium-3 and tritium measurements are made by mass spectroscopy, this research thesis addresses the analytical process, the detection limit, and the method reproducibility associated with this use of both tracers. The author reports and discusses helium-3 data obtained during a measurement campaign which allowed the localisation of an active source and the evidence of an intermediate back current, and tritium data obtained during another measurement campaign which allowed the description of the high time variability of convection processes, and an assessment of water renewal delays and of some deep water circulations. He also reports and discusses the simultaneous use of helium-3 data and tritium data to localize areas where convection processes occur. A theoretical approach to this simultaneous use is proposed which uses a mixing model which distinguishes the venting transit time. Measurement campaigns were performed in Red Sea, western Mediterranean Sea, and north-eastern Atlantic Ocean [fr

Feasibility of a tracer gas technique for containment leakage characterization at Bruce NGS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, V.P.

1985-11-01

Methods for tracer gas test have been conceived and are proposed for use in conjunction with other techniques used during off-power pressurization tests. During pressurization tests is appears possible to quantify leaks through containment boundaries which make up one of the walls in adjacent rooms but quantification of leaks to open areas will require further development. Several gases may be used as tracers during pressurization tests but the preferred tracer gas is sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) at an in-vault concentration of 100 μL/L if open area sampling is to be carried out of 10 μL/L if only closed room sampling is to be performed. Large values of the ratio (tracer gas concentration in containment/lower detection limit) are necessary for identification of leak sites in open areas having significant ventilation flow. It is recommended that in-station trials be carried out to test the validity of this technique. In addition, a tracer gas technique for use during on-power operation is also proposed but leak site identification and quantification during on-power tests is only possible for containment boundaries which make up the wall(s) of adjacent rooms. The use of SF 6 is required for tests conducted during on-power operation. The recommended in-vault concentration is 10 μL/L. Recommendations are made for future work, including leak tests during on-power operation

Streams with Strahler Stream Order

Data.gov (United States)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Stream segments with Strahler stream order values assigned. As of 01/08/08 the linework is from the DNR24K stream coverages and will not match the updated...

Decoupling of unpolluted temperate forests from rock nutrient sources revealed by natural 87Sr/86Sr and 84Sr tracer addition

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Martin J.; Hedin, Lars O.; Derry, Louis A.

2002-01-01

An experimental tracer addition of 84Sr to an unpolluted temperate forest site in southern Chile, as well as the natural variation of 87Sr/86Sr within plants and soils, indicates that mechanisms in shallow soil organic horizons are of key importance for retaining and recycling atmospheric cation inputs at scales of decades or less. The dominant tree species Nothofagus nitida feeds nearly exclusively (>90%) on cations of atmospheric origin, despite strong variations in tree size and location in the forest landscape. Our results illustrate that (i) unpolluted temperate forests can become nutritionally decoupled from deeper weathering processes, virtually functioning as atmospherically fed ecosystems, and (ii) base cation turnover times are considerably more rapid than previously recognized in the plant available pool of soil. These results challenge the prevalent paradigm that plants largely feed on rock-derived cations and have important implications for understanding sensitivity of forests to air pollution. PMID:12119394

Dynamics of nitrate production and removal as a function of residence time in the hyporheic zone

Science.gov (United States)

Jay P. Zarnetske; Roy Haggerty; Steven M. Wondzell; Michelle A. Baker

2011-01-01

Biogeochemical reactions associated with stream nitrogen cycling, such as nitrification and denitrification, can be strongly controlled by water and solute residence times in the hyporheic zone (HZ). We used a whole-stream steady state 15N-Iabeled nitrate and conservative tracer addition to investigate the spatial and temporal physiochemical...

Combining tracer flux ratio methodology with low-flying aircraft measurements to estimate dairy farm CH4 emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Daube, C.; Conley, S.; Faloona, I. C.; Yacovitch, T. I.; Roscioli, J. R.; Morris, M.; Curry, J.; Arndt, C.; Herndon, S. C.

2017-12-01

Livestock activity, enteric fermentation of feed and anaerobic digestion of waste, contributes significantly to the methane budget of the United States (EPA, 2016). Studies question the reported magnitude of these methane sources (Miller et. al., 2013), calling for more detailed research of agricultural animals (Hristov, 2014). Tracer flux ratio is an attractive experimental method to bring to this problem because it does not rely on estimates of atmospheric dispersion. Collection of data occurred during one week at two dairy farms in central California (June, 2016). Each farm varied in size, layout, head count, and general operation. The tracer flux ratio method involves releasing ethane on-site with a known flow rate to serve as a tracer gas. Downwind mixed enhancements in ethane (from the tracer) and methane (from the dairy) were measured, and their ratio used to infer the unknown methane emission rate from the farm. An instrumented van drove transects downwind of each farm on public roads while tracer gases were released on-site, employing the tracer flux ratio methodology to assess simultaneous methane and tracer gas plumes. Flying circles around each farm, a small instrumented aircraft made measurements to perform a mass balance evaluation of methane gas. In the course of these two different methane quantification techniques, we were able to validate yet a third method: tracer flux ratio measured via aircraft. Ground-based tracer release rates were applied to the aircraft-observed methane-to-ethane ratios, yielding whole-site methane emission rates. Never before has the tracer flux ratio method been executed with aircraft measurements. Estimates from this new application closely resemble results from the standard ground-based technique to within their respective uncertainties. Incorporating this new dimension to the tracer flux ratio methodology provides additional context for local plume dynamics and validation of both ground and flight-based data.

Dynamical modeling of tidal streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bovy, Jo

2014-01-01

I present a new framework for modeling the dynamics of tidal streams. The framework consists of simple models for the initial action-angle distribution of tidal debris, which can be straightforwardly evolved forward in time. Taking advantage of the essentially one-dimensional nature of tidal streams, the transformation to position-velocity coordinates can be linearized and interpolated near a small number of points along the stream, thus allowing for efficient computations of a stream's properties in observable quantities. I illustrate how to calculate the stream's average location (its 'track') in different coordinate systems, how to quickly estimate the dispersion around its track, and how to draw mock stream data. As a generative model, this framework allows one to compute the full probability distribution function and marginalize over or condition it on certain phase-space dimensions as well as convolve it with observational uncertainties. This will be instrumental in proper data analysis of stream data. In addition to providing a computationally efficient practical tool for modeling the dynamics of tidal streams, the action-angle nature of the framework helps elucidate how the observed width of the stream relates to the velocity dispersion or mass of the progenitor, and how the progenitors of 'orphan' streams could be located. The practical usefulness of the proposed framework crucially depends on the ability to calculate action-angle variables for any orbit in any gravitational potential. A novel method for calculating actions, frequencies, and angles in any static potential using a single orbit integration is described in the Appendix.

Can radiocaesium be used as a tracer for vegetal nutrients?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anjos, R. M.; Mosquera, B.; Carvalho, C.; Sanches, N.; Bastos, J.; Macario, K.; Vezzone, M.; Gomes, P.R.S.

2007-01-01

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the evaluation of nutrient fluxes and radioactive contaminants in forest and agricultural ecosystems. Several studies on forest ecosystems have been carried out, mostly in Europe, after the Chernobyl accident. These studies have been performed mainly in the development of models for predicting the radiocaesium behavior in the soil and plant compartments of forest systems. However, research on the use of radiocaesium as a tracer for vegetal nutrients has shown that, despite the fact that caesium is a weakly hydrated alkaline metal and has chemical similarities to potassium and ammonium, this is still a complex problem requiring, then, more experimental results. Additionally, very little is known about the mechanisms involved in the radionuclide uptake and retention by tropical plants. In order to contribute to the understanding of the relative behavior of caesium, potassium and ammonium and to investigate whether radiocaesium can be used as a tracer for vegetal nutrients, the Laboratory of Radioecology (LARA) of the Federal Fluminense University has been performing analysis of 137 Cs, 40 K and NH 4 concentrations in several vegetal compartments of agricultural tropical plants, such as guava (Psidium guajava), mango (Mangifera indica), avocado (Persea americana), pomegranate (Punica granatum), papaya (Carica Papaya), banana (Musa paradisiaca), manioc (Manihot Esculenta), and chili pepper (Capsicum fructescens) trees. Measurements of 137 Cs, 40 K and NH 4 concentrations show that these elements can be very mobile within a plant, exhibiting the highest values of concentration in the growing parts of the trees: fruits, leaves, twigs, barks and the outer growth layers. On the other hand, our results indicate that for wood trees (such as guava, mango, avocado, pomegranate and chili pepper trees) do both caesium and the vegetal nutrients have simultaneously higher concentrations in the youngest rather than in the oldest

Tracer Testing for Estimating Heat Transfer Area in Fractured Reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pruess, Karsten; van Heel, Ton; Shan, Chao

2004-05-12

A key parameter governing the performance and life-time of a Hot Fractured Rock (HFR) reservoir is the effective heat transfer area between the fracture network and the matrix rock. We report on numerical modeling studies into the feasibility of using tracer tests for estimating heat transfer area. More specifically, we discuss simulation results of a new HFR characterization method which uses surface-sorbing tracers for which the adsorbed tracer mass is proportional to the fracture surface area per unit volume. Sorption in the rock matrix is treated with the conventional formulation in which tracer adsorption is volume-based. A slug of solute tracer migrating along a fracture is subject to diffusion across the fracture walls into the adjacent rock matrix. Such diffusion removes some of the tracer from the fluid in the fractures, reducing and retarding the peak in the breakthrough curve (BTC) of the tracer. After the slug has passed the concentration gradient reverses, causing back-diffusion from the rock matrix into the fracture, and giving rise to a long tail in the BTC of the solute. These effects become stronger for larger fracture-matrix interface area, potentially providing a means for estimating this area. Previous field tests and modeling studies have demonstrated characteristic tailing in BTCs for volatile tracers in vapor-dominated reservoirs. Simulated BTCs for solute tracers in single-phase liquid systems show much weaker tails, as would be expected because diffusivities are much smaller in the aqueous than in the gas phase, by a factor of order 1000. A much stronger signal of fracture-matrix interaction can be obtained when sorbing tracers are used. We have performed simulation studies of surface-sorbing tracers by implementing a model in which the adsorbed tracer mass is assumed proportional to the fracture-matrix surface area per unit volume. The results show that sorbing tracers generate stronger tails in BTCs, corresponding to an effective

New Potentiometric Wireless Chloride Sensors Provide High Resolution Information on Chemical Transport Processes in Streams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith Smettem

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Quantifying the travel times, pathways, and dispersion of solutes moving through stream environments is critical for understanding the biogeochemical cycling processes that control ecosystem functioning. Validation of stream solute transport and exchange process models requires data obtained from in-stream measurement of chemical concentration changes through time. This can be expensive and time consuming, leading to a need for cheap distributed sensor arrays that respond instantly and record chemical transport at points of interest on timescales of seconds. To meet this need we apply new, low-cost (in the order of a euro per sensor potentiometric chloride sensors used in a distributed array to obtain data with high spatial and temporal resolution. The application here is to monitoring in-stream hydrodynamic transport and dispersive mixing of an injected chemical, in this case NaCl. We present data obtained from the distributed sensor array under baseflow conditions for stream reaches in Luxembourg and Western Australia. The reaches were selected to provide a range of increasingly complex in-channel flow patterns. Mid-channel sensor results are comparable to data obtained from more expensive electrical conductivity meters, but simultaneous acquisition of tracer data at several positions across the channel allows far greater spatial resolution of hydrodynamic mixing processes and identification of chemical ‘dead zones’ in the study reaches.

A stable isotope tracer study of the influences of adjacent land use and riparian condition on fates of nitrate in streams

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel J. Sobota; Sherri L. Johnson; Stan V. Gregory; Linda R. Ashkenas

2012-01-01

The influence of land use on potential fates of nitrate in stream ecosystems, ranging from denitrification to storage in organic matter, has not been documented extensively. Here, we describe the Pacific Northwest component of Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment, phase II (LINX II) to examine how land-use setting influences fates of nitrate in streams.

Lanthanide-based fluorescent tracers in complex media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brichart, Thomas

2014-01-01

Tracers are objects allowing the determination of the position or the distribution of a product; tracers are currently used in a great variety of domains. Despite the fact that each field has it's own specifications, it is possible to find tracers in medicine (contrast agents), anti-counterfeiting or geological exploration. We have developed lanthanide complex tracers for oil field injection waters. Those tracers, derived from the DOTA, have been detected at concentration lower than 1 ppb, thanks to a simple and compact apparatus. This detection has been made possible by the use of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, this technique allows us to get rid of the background noise created by the intrinsic fluorescence of oil residues that are present in production waters. We also demonstrated how we can, through a reverse microemulsion synthesis, encapsulate several different dyes inside a single nanoparticle composed of a gold core and a silica shell. We showed as well, how those particles can be used as smart tracers to gather data, such as temperature, pH, solvents, etc. inside the well. Finally the use of lanthanides and scale inhibitors properties allowed us to create a simple and fast dosing protocol of such scale inhibitors in injection waters. This dosage will then allow the quick adjustment of their concentration inside each well. (author) [fr

Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) transport and retention in tropical, rain forest streams draining a volcanic landscape in Costa Rica: In situ SRP amendment to streams and laboratory studies

Science.gov (United States)

Triska, F.; Pringle, C.M.; Duff, J.H.; Avanzino, R.J.; Zellweger, G.

2006-01-01

Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) transport/retention was determined in two rain forest streams (Salto, Pantano) draining La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. There, SRP levels can be naturally high due to groundwater enriched by geothermal activity within the surfically dormant volcanic landscape, and subsequently discharged at ambient temperature. Combined field and laboratory approaches simulated high but natural geothermal SRP input with the objective of estimating the magnitude of amended SRP retention within high and low SRP settings and determining the underlying mechanisms of SRP retention. First, we examined short-term SRP retention/transport using combined SRP-conservative tracer additions at high natural in situ concentrations. Second, we attempted to observe a DIN response during SRP amendment as an indicator of biological uptake. Third, we determined SRP release/retention using laboratory sediment assays under control and biologically inhibited conditions. Short-term in situ tracer-SRP additions indicated retention in both naturally high and low SRP reaches. Retention of added SRP mass in Upper Salto (low SRP) was 17% (7.5 mg-P m-2 h-1), and 20% (10.9 mg-P m-2 h -1) in Lower Salto (high SRP). No DIN response in either nitrate or ammonium was observed. Laboratory assays using fresh Lower Salto sediments indicated SRP release (15.4 ?? 5.9 ??g-P g dry wt.-1 h -1), when incubated in filter sterilized Salto water at ambient P concentration, but retention when incubated in filter sterilized river water amended to 2.0 mg SRP l-1 (233.2 ?? 5.8 ??g-P g dry wt. -1 h-1). SRP uptake/release was similar in both control- and biocide-treated sediments indicating predominantly abiotic retention. High SRP retention even under biologically saturated conditions, absence of a DIN response to amendment, patterns of desorption following amendment, and similar patterns of retention and release under control and biologically inhibited conditions all indicated

Impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes in a mountain stream

Science.gov (United States)

Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

2015-08-01

Beaver dams affect hydrologic processes, channel complexity, and stream temperature in part by inundating riparian areas, influencing groundwater-surface water interactions, and changing fluvial processes within stream systems. We explored the impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes at different spatial and temporal scales within a mountain stream in northern Utah over a 3-year period spanning pre- and post-beaver colonization. Using continuous stream discharge, stream temperature, synoptic tracer experiments, and groundwater elevation measurements, we documented pre-beaver conditions in the first year of the study. In the second year, we captured the initial effects of three beaver dams, while the third year included the effects of ten dams. After beaver colonization, reach-scale (~ 750 m in length) discharge observations showed a shift from slightly losing to gaining. However, at the smaller sub-reach scale (ranging from 56 to 185 m in length), the discharge gains and losses increased in variability due to more complex flow pathways with beaver dams forcing overland flow, increasing surface and subsurface storage, and increasing groundwater elevations. At the reach scale, temperatures were found to increase by 0.38 °C (3.8 %), which in part is explained by a 230 % increase in mean reach residence time. At the smallest, beaver dam scale (including upstream ponded area, beaver dam structure, and immediate downstream section), there were notable increases in the thermal heterogeneity where warmer and cooler niches were created. Through the quantification of hydrologic and thermal changes at different spatial and temporal scales, we document increased variability during post-beaver colonization and highlight the need to understand the impacts of beaver dams on stream ecosystems and their potential role in stream restoration.

Bioassessment in nonperennial streams: Hydrologic stability influences assessment validity

Science.gov (United States)

Mazor, R. D.; Stein, E. D.; Schiff, K.; Ode, P.; Rehn, A.

2011-12-01

Nonperennial streams pose a challenge for bioassessment, as assessment tools developed in perennial streams may not work in these systems. For example, indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) developed in perennial streams may give improper indications of impairment in nonperennial streams, or may be unstable. We sampled benthic macroinvertebrates from 12 nonperennial streams in southern California. In addition, we deployed loggers to obtain continuous measures of flow. 3 sites were revisited over 2 years. For each site, we calculated several metrics, IBIs, and O/E scores to determine if assessments were consistent and valid throughout the summer. Hydrology varied widely among the streams, with several streams drying between sampling events. IBIs suggested good ecological health at the beginning of the study, but declined sharply at some sites. Multivariate ordination suggested that, despite differences among sites, changes in community structure were similar, with shifts from Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera to Coleoptera and more tolerant organisms. Site revisits revealed a surprising level of variability, as 2 of the 3 revisited sites had perennial or near-perennial flow in the second year of sampling. IBI scores were more consistent in streams with stable hydrographs than in those with strongly intermittent hydrographs. These results suggest that nonperennial streams can be monitored successfully, but they may require short index periods and distinct metrics from those used in perennial streams. In addition, better approaches to mapping nonperennial streams are required.

Acoustic Streaming and Its Suppression in Inhomogeneous Fluids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsen, Jonas Tobias; Qiu, Wei; Augustsson, Per

2018-01-01

We present a theoretical and experimental study of boundary-driven acoustic streaming in an inhomogeneous fluid with variations in density and compressibility. In a homogeneous fluid this streaming results from dissipation in the boundary layers (Rayleigh streaming). We show...... that in an inhomogeneous fluid, an additional nondissipative force density acts on the fluid to stabilize particular inhomogeneity configurations, which markedly alters and even suppresses the streaming flows. Our theoretical and numerical analysis of the phenomenon is supported by ultrasound experiments performed...

USING PERFLUOROCARBON TRACERS FOR VERIFICATION OF CAP AND COVER SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HEISER, J.; SULLIVAN, T.

2001-01-01

subsurface barriers (1,2). The technology uses perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) to determine flaws (e.g., holes or cracks) and high permeability areas in subsurface barriers. Gaseous tracers are injected on one side of the barrier and searched for on the opposite side of the barrier. The sampling grid, concentration, and time of arrival of the tracer(s) on the opposite side are used to determine the size and location of flaws and relative permeability of the barrier. In addition, there are multiple tracers available, which allows different tracers to be injected in different quadrants of the barrier. This yields additional information on transport phenomena of the barrier

Plutonium as a tracer for soil erosion assessment in northeast China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yihong [School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Qiao, Jixin [Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Pan, Shaoming, E-mail: span@nju.edu.cn [School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Hou, Xiaolin, E-mail: xiho@dtu.dk [Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Xi' an AMS Center, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, CAS, Xi' an 710075 (China); Roos, Per [Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Cao, Liguo [School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China)

2015-04-01

Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental and agricultural problems faced by human society. Assessing intensity is an important issue for controlling soil erosion and improving eco-environmental quality. The suitability of the application of plutonium (Pu) as a tracer for soil erosion assessment in northeast China was investigated by comparing with that of {sup 137}Cs. Here we build on preliminary work, in which we investigated the potential of Pu as a soil erosion tracer by sampling additional reference sites and potential erosive sites, along the Liaodong Bay region in northeast China, for Pu isotopes and {sup 137}Cs. {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atomic ratios in all samples were approximately 0.18, which indicated that the dominant source of Pu was the global fallout. Pu showed very similar distribution patterns to those of {sup 137}Cs at both uncultivated and cultivated sites. {sup 239+240}Pu concentrations in all uncultivated soil cores followed an exponential decline with soil depth, whereas at cultivated sites, Pu was homogenously distributed in plow horizons. Factors such as planted crop types, as well as methods and frequencies of irrigation and tillage were suggested to influence the distribution of radionuclides in cultivated land. The baseline inventories of {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 137}Cs were 88.4 and 1688 Bq m{sup −2} respectively. Soil erosion rates estimated by {sup 239+240}Pu tracing method were consistent with those obtained by the {sup 137}Cs method, confirming that Pu is an effective tracer with a similar tracing behavior to that of {sup 137}Cs for soil erosion assessment. - Highlights: • The potential for the use of Pu as a soil erosion tracer was investigated. • Pu would be a good tracer given its long half-life. • Depth profiles of Pu in soils were systematically studied and compared to {sup 137}Cs. • Pu is an effective soil erosion tracer with behavior similar to that of {sup 137}Cs. • Thus, Pu provides a means of

Industrial tracer application in people's republic of china

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Maoyi

1987-01-01

A number of important applications of radioisotopes and their compounds used as tracers in petroleum industry, metallurgical industry, mechanical industry, chemical industry, electronic industry, hydrology and water conservancy in China are introduced in this paper. And the tracer technique applied to entomology is also mentioned. The industrial tracer applications are successful and beneficial in People's Republic of China from the examples given. (author)

Journal: A Review of Some Tracer-Test Design Equations for ...

Science.gov (United States)

Determination of necessary tracer mass, initial sample-collection time, and subsequent sample-collection frequency are the three most difficult aspects to estimate for a proposed tracer test prior to conducting the tracer test. To facilitate tracer-mass estimation, 33 mass-estimation equations are reviewed here, 32 of which were evaluated using previously published tracer-test design examination parameters. Comparison of the results produced a wide range of estimated tracer mass, but no means is available by which one equation may be reasonably selected over the others. Each equation produces a simple approximation for tracer mass. Most of the equations are based primarily on estimates or measurements of discharge, transport distance, and suspected transport times. Although the basic field parameters commonly employed are appropriate for estimating tracer mass, the 33 equations are problematic in that they were all probably based on the original developers' experience in a particular field area and not necessarily on measured hydraulic parameters or solute-transport theory. Suggested sampling frequencies are typically based primarily on probable transport distance, but with little regard to expected travel times. This too is problematic in that tends to result in false negatives or data aliasing. Simulations from the recently developed efficient hydrologic tracer-test design methodology (EHTD) were compared with those obtained from 32 of the 33 published tracer-

Tracer tests Wairakei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, W.J.; Manning, M.R.; Barry, B.J.

1980-07-01

The report summarises the radioactive tracer tests, using iodine-131 and bromine-82, made in the Wairakei geothermal field over the period 1978-80. Injection of tracer into three wells with strong cool water downflows at about 300-400m below ground level, produced strong rapid responses from the only deep wells feeding from about 800-1000m and lying in the south-westerly direction from the injection wells, i.e. parallel to the fault planes. Shallower wells, even though in some cases much closer to the injection well, reacted much more slowly. Velocities, as measured by peak arrival times, as high as 22m/h over 200m and 11m/h over 650m, were found. The flow patterns for the cool water feeds to the production area are discussed

TRACER - TRACING AND CONTROL OF ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, P. R.

1994-01-01

TRACER (Tracing and Control of Engineering Requirements) is a database/word processing system created to document and maintain the order of both requirements and descriptive material associated with an engineering project. A set of hierarchical documents are normally generated for a project whereby the requirements of the higher level documents levy requirements on the same level or lower level documents. Traditionally, the requirements are handled almost entirely by manual paper methods. The problem with a typical paper system, however, is that requirements written and changed continuously in different areas lead to misunderstandings and noncompliance. The purpose of TRACER is to automate the capture, tracing, reviewing, and managing of requirements for an engineering project. The engineering project still requires communications, negotiations, interactions, and iterations among people and organizations, but TRACER promotes succinct and precise identification and treatment of real requirements separate from the descriptive prose in a document. TRACER permits the documentation of an engineering project's requirements and progress in a logical, controllable, traceable manner. TRACER's attributes include the presentation of current requirements and status from any linked computer terminal and the ability to differentiate headers and descriptive material from the requirements. Related requirements can be linked and traced. The program also enables portions of documents to be printed, individual approval and release of requirements, and the tracing of requirements down into the equipment specification. Requirement "links" can be made "pending" and invisible to others until the pending link is made "binding". Individuals affected by linked requirements can be notified of significant changes with acknowledgement of the changes required. An unlimited number of documents can be created for a project and an ASCII import feature permits existing documents to be incorporated

Tracer migration experiments in the Stripa mine 1980-1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birgersson, L.; Widen, H.; Aagren, T.; Neretnieks, I.

1992-05-01

During more than 10 years, tracer experiments have been performed in the Stripa mine as part of the Stripa project to investigate the properties of both 'average' fractured rock and fracture zones. Experiments have been performed that have ranged from a few decimeters, to examine the diffusion into the rock matrix, up to tracer migration to a drift more than 50 meters from the injection point. This report compiles the results and experience that have been gained from all these tracer experiments. The experiments that are described in this report are: * The in-situ diffusion experiment where simultaneous flow and diffusion of tracers in undisturbed rock were studied over more than 3 years to validate diffusivities obtained under laboratory conditions. * Migration in a single fracture where water flow distribution and tracer transport were studied using both conservative and sorbing tracers over migration distances up to 10 meters. * The 3-D migration experiment where water inflow and tracer transport to a drift covered with 350 plastic sheet were investigated to get information on flow porosity, dispersion and channeling. The transport distances were between 10 and 56 meters from the injection points to the drift. * The channeling experiments in which the aim was to examine the channeling properties of single fractures in detail. Pressure pulse tests and tracer experiments were performed over a distances of 2 meters. * The tracer migration experiment in the validation drift where the tracer were injected mainly in a fracture zone and the collection was inside both a drift covered with plastic sheets similar to in the 3-D experiment as well as in a borehole. The distances between injection and sampling location were between 10 and 25 meters. (57 refs.) (au)

Radioisotope tracer applications in industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, S.M.

1987-01-01

Radioisotope tracers have many advantages in industrial trouble-shooting and studies on process kinetics. The applications are mainly of two types: one leading to qualitative (Yes or No type) information and the other to quantitative characterisation of flow processes through mass balance considerations and flow models. ''Yes or No'' type methods are mainly used for leakage and blockage locations in pipelines and in other industrial systems and also for location of water seepage zones in oil wells. Flow measurements in pipelines and mercury inventory in electrolytic cells are good examples of tracer methods using the mass balance approach. Axial dispersion model and Tanks-in-Series model are the two basic flow models commonly used with tracer methods for the characterisation of kinetic processes. Examples include studies on flow processes in sugar crystallisers as well as in a precalcinator in a cement plant. (author). 18 figs

Kinetics of exchange of a tracer in soil and clay samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zanotti, J C; Facetti, J F [Asuncion Nacional Univ. (Paraguay). Inst. de Ciencias

1971-01-01

The kinetics of exchange of a Na tracer in soil and clay samples, provides with a reliable and convenient method for the determination of the different soil fraction ahd their CEC values, In addition, the analysis of the exchanges curves can be used for the identification of the clay present in the soil.

Kinetics of exchange of a tracer in soil and clay samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zanotti, J.C.; Facetti, J.F.

1971-01-01

The kinetics of exchange of a Na tracer in soil and clay samples, provides with a reliable and convenient method for the determination of the different soil fraction ahd their CEC values, In addition, the analysis of the exchanges curves can be used for the identification of the clay present in the soil

Measurements of waste tank passive ventilation rates using tracer gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huckaby, J.L.; Olsen, K.B.; Sklarew, D.S.; Evans, J.C.; Remund, K.M.

1997-09-01

This report presents the results of ventilation rate studies of eight passively ventilated high-level radioactive waste tanks using tracer gases. Head space ventilation rates were determined for Tanks A-101, AX-102, AX-103, BY-105, C-107, S-102, U-103, and U-105 using sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) and/or helium (He) as tracer gases. Passive ventilation rates are needed for the resolution of several key safety issues. These safety issues are associated with the rates of flammable gas production and ventilation, the rates at which organic salt-nitrate salt mixtures dry out, and the estimation of organic solvent waste surface areas. This tracer gas study involves injecting a tracer gas into the tank headspace and measuring its concentration at different times to establish the rate at which the tracer is removed by ventilation. Tracer gas injection and sample collection were performed by SGN Eurisys Service Corporation and/or Lockheed Martin Hanford Corporation, Characterization Project Operations. Headspace samples were analyzed for He and SF 6 by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The tracer gas method was first demonstrated on Tank S-102. Tests were conducted on Tank S-102 to verify that the tracer gas was uniformly distributed throughout the tank headspace before baseline samples were collected, and that mixing was sufficiently vigorous to maintain an approximately uniform distribution of tracer gas in the headspace during the course of the study. Headspace samples, collected from a location about 4 in away from the injection point and 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the injection of He and SF 6 , indicated that both tracer gases were rapidly mixed. The samples were found to have the same concentration of tracer gases after 1 hour as after 24 hours, suggesting that mixing of the tracer gas was essentially complete within 1 hour

Applying tracer techniques to NPP liquid effluents for estimating the maximum concentration of soluble pollutants in a man-made canal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varlam, Carmen; Stefanescu, Ioan; Varlam, Mihai; Raceanu, Mircea; Enache, Adrian; Faurescu, Ionut; Patrascu, Vasile; Bucur, Cristina

2006-01-01

Full text: The possibility of a contamination agent being accidentally or intentionally spilled upstream from a water supply is a constant concern to those diverting and using water from a channel. A method of rapidly estimating the travel-time or dispersion is needed for pollution control or warning system on channels where data are scarce. Travel-time and mixing of water within a stream are basic streamflow characteristics needed in order to predict the rate of movement and dilution of pollutants that could be introduced in the stream. In this study we propose using tritiated liquid effluents from CANDU type nuclear power plant as a tracer, to study hydrodynamics on Danube-Black Sea Canal. This canal is ideal for this kind of study, because wastewater evacuations occur occasionally due to technical operations of nuclear power plant. Tritiated water can be used to simulate the transport and dispersion of solutes in Danube-Black Sea Canal because they have the same physical characteristics as the water. Measured tracer-response curves produced from injection of a known amount of soluble tracer provide an efficient method of obtaining the necessary data. This method can estimate: (1) the rate of movement of a solute through the canal reach: (2) the rate of peak attenuation concentration of a conservative solute in time; and (3) the length of time required for the solute plume to pass a point in the canal. This paper presents the mixing length calculation for particular conditions (lateral branch of the canal, and lateral injection of wastewater from the nuclear power plant). A study of published experimentally-obtained formulas was used to determine proper mixing length. Simultaneous measurements in different locations of the canal confirm the beginning of the experiment. Another result used in a further experiment concerns the tritium level along the Danube-Black Sea Canal. We measured tritium activity concentration in water sampled along the Canal between July

Nanoparticle tracers in calcium carbonate porous media

KAUST Repository

Li, Yan Vivian; Cathles, Lawrence M.; Archer, Lynden A.

2014-01-01

the fractures or channels where flow occurs and thus take much less time to travel between two points. In combination with a chemical tracer they can measure the degree of flow concentration. A prerequisite for tracer applications is that the particles

Tracers of cancer cells in nuclear oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamgac, F.; Baillet, G.; Moretti, J.L.; Safi, N.; Weinmann, P.; Beco, V. de

1997-01-01

Evaluating the extent of disease is important in planning cancer treatment. Different types of tracers are used in vivo to diagnose tumors and these tracers can give supplementary information on the differentiation degree of tumors and response to therapy. (authors)

Symmetries, invariants and generating functions: higher-order statistics of biased tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Munshi, Dipak

2018-01-01

Gravitationally collapsed objects are known to be biased tracers of an underlying density contrast. Using symmetry arguments, generalised biasing schemes have recently been developed to relate the halo density contrast δh with the underlying density contrast δ, divergence of velocity θ and their higher-order derivatives. This is done by constructing invariants such as s, t, ψ,η. We show how the generating function formalism in Eulerian standard perturbation theory (SPT) can be used to show that many of the additional terms based on extended Galilean and Lifshitz symmetry actually do not make any contribution to the higher-order statistics of biased tracers. Other terms can also be drastically simplified allowing us to write the vertices associated with δh in terms of the vertices of δ and θ, the higher-order derivatives and the bias coefficients. We also compute the cumulant correlators (CCs) for two different tracer populations. These perturbative results are valid for tree-level contributions but at an arbitrary order. We also take into account the stochastic nature bias in our analysis. Extending previous results of a local polynomial model of bias, we express the one-point cumulants Script SN and their two-point counterparts, the CCs i.e. Script Cpq, of biased tracers in terms of that of their underlying density contrast counterparts. As a by-product of our calculation we also discuss the results using approximations based on Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT).

Chemotherapeutic agent and tracer composition and use thereof

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babb, A. L.

1985-01-01

A therapeutic composition suitable for extracorporeal treatment of whole blood comprises a dialyzable chemotherapeutic agent and a dialyzable fluorescable tracer means. The removal rate of the fluorescable tracer compound from treated blood during hemodialysis is a function of the removal rate of unreacted chemotherapeutic agent present. The residual chemotherapeutic agent concentration after hemodialysis is ascertained by measuring the concentration of the fluorescable tracer compound in a dialysate using fluorometric techniques

Cellular Subcompartments through Cytoplasmic Streaming.

Science.gov (United States)

Pieuchot, Laurent; Lai, Julian; Loh, Rachel Ann; Leong, Fong Yew; Chiam, Keng-Hwee; Stajich, Jason; Jedd, Gregory

2015-08-24

Cytoplasmic streaming occurs in diverse cell types, where it generally serves a transport function. Here, we examine streaming in multicellular fungal hyphae and identify an additional function wherein regimented streaming forms distinct cytoplasmic subcompartments. In the hypha, cytoplasm flows directionally from cell to cell through septal pores. Using live-cell imaging and computer simulations, we identify a flow pattern that produces vortices (eddies) on the upstream side of the septum. Nuclei can be immobilized in these microfluidic eddies, where they form multinucleate aggregates and accumulate foci of the HDA-2 histone deacetylase-associated factor, SPA-19. Pores experiencing flow degenerate in the absence of SPA-19, suggesting that eddy-trapped nuclei function to reinforce the septum. Together, our data show that eddies comprise a subcellular niche favoring nuclear differentiation and that subcompartments can be self-organized as a consequence of regimented cytoplasmic streaming. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PET tracers for somatostatin receptor imaging of neuroendocrine tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnbeck, Camilla Bardram; Knigge, Ulrich; Kjær, Andreas

2014-01-01

Neuroendocrine tumors have shown rising incidence mainly due to higher clinical awareness and better diagnostic tools over the last 30 years. Functional imaging of neuroendocrine tumors with PET tracers is an evolving field that is continuously refining the affinity of new tracers in the search...... these PET tracers further....

Acoustic Streaming and Its Suppression in Inhomogeneous Fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsen, Jonas T; Qiu, Wei; Augustsson, Per; Bruus, Henrik

2018-02-02

We present a theoretical and experimental study of boundary-driven acoustic streaming in an inhomogeneous fluid with variations in density and compressibility. In a homogeneous fluid this streaming results from dissipation in the boundary layers (Rayleigh streaming). We show that in an inhomogeneous fluid, an additional nondissipative force density acts on the fluid to stabilize particular inhomogeneity configurations, which markedly alters and even suppresses the streaming flows. Our theoretical and numerical analysis of the phenomenon is supported by ultrasound experiments performed with inhomogeneous aqueous iodixanol solutions in a glass-silicon microchip.

Biological tracer for waste site characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong-Gunderson, J.

1995-01-01

Remediating hazardous waste sites requires detailed site characterization. In groundwater remediation, characterizing the flow paths and velocity is a major objective. Various tracers have been used for measuring groundwater velocity and transport of contaminants, colloidal particles, and bacteria and nutrients. The conventional techniques use dissolved solutes, dyes. and gases to estimate subsurface transport pathways. These tracers can provide information on transport and diffusion into the matrix, but their estimates for groundwater flow through fractured regions are very conservative. Also, they do not have the same transport characteristics as bacteria and suspended colloid tracers, both of which must be characterized for effective in-place remediation. Bioremediation requires understanding bacterial transport and nutrient distribution throughout the acquifer, knowledge of contaminants s mobile colloidal particles is just essential

Dispersion of dissolved tracers released at the seafloor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupferman, S.L.; Moore, D.E.

1983-01-01

The authors present scenarios that describe the temporal and spatial development of a concentration field of a dissolved tracer released at the seafloor for one Pacific and two Atlantic study areas. The scenarios are closely tied to available data by means of simple analytical models, and they proceed in stages from short time and space scales in the immediate vicinity of a release point to those scales characteristic of entire ocean basins. They introduce and discuss the concepts of internal mixing time and residence time in the benthic mixed layer, which are useful for developing an intuitive feeling for the behavior of a tracer. They also introduce the concept of domain of occupation, which is useful in drawing distinctions between mixing and stirring in the ocean. From this study it is apparent that reliable estimation of mixing will require careful consideration of the dynamics of the eddy fields in the ocean. In addition they urgently need more information that relates isopycnal structure and bottom topography to local near-bottom circulation

Tracer applications in oil reservoirs in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, R.M.; Ferreira Pinto, A.M.

2004-01-01

Radiotracer applications in oil reservoirs in Brazil started in 1997 at the request of the State Oil Company (Petrobras) at the Carmoplois oilfield. 1 Ci of HTO was injected in a regular five-spot plot and the results obtained were quite satisfactory. Shortly after this test one other request asked for distinguishing the contribution of different injection wells to a production well. It was then realized that other tracers should be available. As a first choice 35 SCN - has been selected since it could be produced at CDTN. An alternative synthesis path was defined which shortened post-irradiation manipulations. The tracer was tested in core samples and a field injection, simultaneously with HTO, was carried out at the Buracica field; again the HTO performed well but 35 SCN - showed up well ahead. Presently the HTO applications are being done on a routine basis. All in all, four tests were performed (some are still ongoing), and the detection limits for both 3 H and 35 S were optimized by refining the sample preparation stage. Lanthanide complexes used as activable tracers are also an appealing option, however core tests performed so far with La-, Ce- and Eu-EDTA indicated some delay of the tracer, so other complexants such as DOTA are to be tried in further laboratory tests and in a field application. Thus, a deeper understanding of their complexation chemistry and carefully conducted tests must be performed before lanthanide complexes can be qualified as reliable oil reservoir tracers. More recently, Petrobras has been asking for partitioning tracers intended for SOR measurement

Test plan for determining breathing rates in single shell tanks using tracer gases. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, J.A.

1997-01-01

This test plan specifies the requirements and conditions for the injection of tracer gas (Helium (He)) into single shell tanks to determine breathing rates using periodic sampling. The eight tanks which have been selected at the time this Test Plan was developed are A-101, AX-102, AX-103, BY-105, C-107, U-103 (U-103 is counted twice, once during the winter months and once during the summer), and U-105. Other tanks to be sampled will be assigned by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at a later date in the study process as resources allow, the document shall be revised as required. The sampling of headspace for each of these tanks shall be performed using available risers or the Standard Hydrogen Monitoring System (SHMS) cabinet as available. The tank farm vapor cognizant engineer shall assign the injection and sample testing point for each tank and document the point in the field work package. SUMMA TMI canisters, equipped in-line with dual particulate air filters and two silica gel sorbent traps will be used to collect the gas samples. The purpose of dual particulate air filters is to ensure no radioactive particulates are transferred to the SUMMA TMI canisters. The silica gel sorbent traps will effectively eliminate any tritiated water vapor that may be present in the sample gas stream. PNNL shall supply the tracer gases injection system and shall perform the analysis on the headspace samples. TWRS Characterization project shall inject the tracer gas and perform the sampling. Refer to Engineering Task Plan HNF-SD-TWR-ETP-002 for a detailed description of the responsibilities for this task

Tracer dispersion in planar multipole flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koplik, J.; Redner, S.; Hinch, E.J.

1994-01-01

We study the motion of passive Brownian tracer particles in steady two-dimensional potential flows between sources and sinks. Our primary focus is understanding the long-time properties of the transit time probability distribution for the tracer to reach the sink p(t) and the influence of the flow geometry on this probability. A variety of illustrative case studies is considered. For radial potential flow in an annular region, competition between convection and diffusion leads to nonuniversal decay of the transit time probability. Dipolar and higher multipole flows are found to exhibit generic features, such as a power-law decay in p(t) with an exponent determined by the multipole moment, an exponential cutoff related to stagnation points, and a ''shoulder'' in p(t) that is related to reflection from the system boundaries. For spatially extended sinks, it is also shown that the spatial distribution of the collected tracer is independent of the overall magnitude of the flow field and that p(t) decays as a power law with a geometry-dependent exponent. Our results may offer the possibility of using tracer measurements to characterize the flow geometry of porous media

New radioactive tracers can help find cause of jaundice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrard, G.

1987-01-01

Radioactive tracers for the investigation of a condition known as persistent jaundice of the newborn, have been designed, prepared and tested at ANSTO. The tracers are chemical compounds of the radioactive elements gallium-67 and indium-111. They given lower radiation doses than the conventional radioactive tracer, iodine-131, used in these studies

Laplace transform in tracer kinetic modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hauser, Eliete B., E-mail: eliete@pucrs.br [Instituto do Cerebro (InsCer/FAMAT/PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS, (Brazil). Faculdade de Matematica

2013-07-01

The main objective this paper is to quantify the pharmacokinetic processes: absorption, distribution and elimination of radiopharmaceutical(tracer), using Laplace transform method. When the drug is administered intravenously absorption is complete and is available in the bloodstream to be distributed throughout the whole body in all tissues and fluids, and to be eliminated. Mathematical modeling seeks to describe the processes of distribution and elimination through compartments, where distinct pools of tracer (spatial location or chemical state) are assigned to different compartments. A compartment model is described by a system of differential equations, where each equation represents the sum of all the transfer rates to and from a specific compartment. In this work a two-tissue irreversible compartment model is used for description of tracer, [{sup 18}F]2-fluor-2deoxy-D-glucose. In order to determine the parameters of the model, it is necessary to have information about the tracer delivery in the form of an input function representing the time-course of tracer concentration in arterial blood or plasma. We estimate the arterial input function in two stages and apply the Levenberg-Marquardt Method to solve nonlinear regressions. The transport of FDG across de arterial blood is very fast in the first ten minutes and then decreases slowly. We use de Heaviside function to represent this situation and this is the main contribution of this study. We apply the Laplace transform and the analytical solution for two-tissue irreversible compartment model is obtained. The only approach is to determinate de arterial input function. (author)

Benefits of important industrial tracer applications in the GDR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonhardt, J.W.; Goeldner, R.; Koennecke, H.G.; Kupsch, H.; Luther, D.; Otto, R.; Reinhardt, R.; Ulrich, H.

1990-01-01

Tracers can be used to label substances or objects in order to discriminate between them, to follow their movement, to record changes of concentration and distribution between phases, etc. The main advantages of tracer investigations are the contactless recording of signals without influencing the observed process (also under rigorous operation conditions), the high detection sensitivity, the large number of available tracer nuclides (problems of all branches of industry can be solved) and the fact that tracer investigation can be carried out on operating production units, so that they provide valuable checks of the validity of design and process data. The cost-to-benefit ratio can be as low as 1:50. In the following some selected examples of tracer applications and their benefits will be presented. (orig./BBR) [de

An independent method for input accountability in reprocessing plants : magnesium tracer technique for the accountability of plutonium (MAGTRAP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, C.K.; Jain, H.C.; Chitambar, S.A.; Kavimandan, V.D.; Aggarwal, S.K.

1975-01-01

A new technique 'MAGTRAP' for the measurement of the total plutonium in an accountability tank is described which does not require knowledge of either the total volume of solution in the tank or the size of the sample aliquot. The method depends on the addition of natural magnesium as a tracer and the subsequent isotope dilution of an aliquot using a spike with known 26 Mg/ 242 Pu ratio. Using only the isotopic ratios of 26 Mg/ 24 Mg and 239 Pu/ 242 Pu in the mixture, the quantity of the plutonium in the accountability tank can be calculated. In order to correct for magnesium blank, an additional measurement is required before tracer addition. The magnesium tracer technique can also be used to check the volume (or weight) calibration of the tank. Several experiments were carried out in the input accountability tank of the Fuel Reprocessing Plant at Tarapur to assess the accuracy of this method. The weight (or volume) of the solution in the tank could be measured independently with an accuracy of better than 0.5%. An experiment was also conducted to measure the total uranium in the accountability tank using MAGTRAP. The accuracy was better than 1%. The tracer technique was also used to arrive at optimum sparging times to ensure the homogeneity of the solution in the tank. Chemical procedures developed for the separation of plutonium and magnesium from dissolver solutions are also discussed. (author)

Secure remote service execution for web media streaming

OpenAIRE

Mikityuk, Alexandra

2017-01-01

Through continuous advancements in streaming and Web technologies over the past decade, the Web has become a platform for media delivery. Web standards like HTML5 have been designed accordingly, allowing for the delivery of applications, high-quality streaming video, and hooks for interoperable content protection. Efficient video encoding algorithms such as AVC/HEVC and streaming protocols such as MPEG-DASH have served as additional triggers for this evolution. Users now employ...

Semianalytical solutions of radioactive or reactive tracer transport in layered fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moridis, G.J.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

2001-01-01

In this paper, semianalytical solutions are developed for the problem of transport of radioactive or reactive tracers (solutes or colloids) through a layered system of heterogeneous fractured media with misaligned fractures. The tracer transport equations in the matrix account for (a) diffusion, (b) surface diffusion (for solutes only), (c) mass transfer between the mobile and immobile water fractions, (d) linear kinetic or equilibrium physical, chemical, or combined solute sorption or colloid filtration, and (e) radioactive decay or first order chemical reactions. Any number of radioactive decay daughter products (or products of a linear, first-order reaction chain) can be tracked. The tracer-transport equations in the fractures account for the same processes, in addition to advection and hydrodynamic dispersion. Additionally, the colloid transport equations account for straining and velocity adjustments related to the colloidal size. The solutions, which are analytical in the Laplace space, are numerically inverted to provide the solution in time and can accommodate any number of fractured and/or porous layers. The solutions are verified using analytical solutions for limiting cases of solute and colloid transport through fractured and porous media. The effect of important parameters on the transport of 3 H, 237 Np and 239 Pu (and its daughters) is investigated in several test problems involving layered geological systems of varying complexity. 239 Pu colloid transport problems in multilayered systems indicate significant colloid accumulations at straining interfaces but much faster transport of the colloid than the corresponding strongly sorbing solute species

Programmable stream prefetch with resource optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, Peter; Christ, Norman; Gara, Alan; Mawhinney, Robert; Ohmacht, Martin; Sugavanam, Krishnan

2013-01-08

A stream prefetch engine performs data retrieval in a parallel computing system. The engine receives a load request from at least one processor. The engine evaluates whether a first memory address requested in the load request is present and valid in a table. The engine checks whether there exists valid data corresponding to the first memory address in an array if the first memory address is present and valid in the table. The engine increments a prefetching depth of a first stream that the first memory address belongs to and fetching a cache line associated with the first memory address from the at least one cache memory device if there is not yet valid data corresponding to the first memory address in the array. The engine determines whether prefetching of additional data is needed for the first stream within its prefetching depth. The engine prefetches the additional data if the prefetching is needed.

Extracting a respiratory signal from raw dynamic PET data that contain tracer kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Schleyer, P J; Thielemans, K; Marsden, P K

2014-08-07

Data driven gating (DDG) methods provide an alternative to hardware based respiratory gating for PET imaging. Several existing DDG approaches obtain a respiratory signal by observing the change in PET-counts within specific regions of acquired PET data. Currently, these methods do not allow for tracer kinetics which can interfere with the respiratory signal and introduce error. In this work, we produced a DDG method for dynamic PET studies that exhibit tracer kinetics. Our method is based on an existing approach that uses frequency-domain analysis to locate regions within raw PET data that are subject to respiratory motion. In the new approach, an optimised non-stationary short-time Fourier transform was used to create a time-varying 4D map of motion affected regions. Additional processing was required to ensure that the relationship between the sign of the respiratory signal and the physical direction of movement remained consistent for each temporal segment of the 4D map. The change in PET-counts within the 4D map during the PET acquisition was then used to generate a respiratory curve. Using 26 min dynamic cardiac NH3 PET acquisitions which included a hardware derived respiratory measurement, we show that tracer kinetics can severely degrade the respiratory signal generated by the original DDG method. In some cases, the transition of tracer from the liver to the lungs caused the respiratory signal to invert. The new approach successfully compensated for tracer kinetics and improved the correlation between the data-driven and hardware based signals. On average, good correlation was maintained throughout the PET acquisitions.

Tracer verification and monitoring of containment systems (II)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, C.V.; Dunn, S.D.; Lowry, W.E.

1997-01-01

A tracer verification and monitoring system, SEAtrace trademark, has been designed and field tested which uses gas tracers to evaluate, verify, and monitor the integrity of subsurface barriers. This is accomplished using an automatic, rugged, autonomous monitoring system combined with an inverse optimization code. A gaseous tracer is injected inside the barrier and an array of wells outside the barrier are monitored. When the tracer gas is detected, a global optimization code is used to calculate the leak parameters, including leak size, location, and when the leak began. The multipoint monitoring system operates in real-time, can be used to measure both the tracer gas and soil vapor contaminants, and is capable of unattended operation for long periods of time (months). The global optimization code searches multi-dimensional open-quotes spaceclose quotes to find the best fit for all of the input parameters. These parameters include tracer gas concentration histories from multiple monitoring points, medium properties, barrier location, and the source concentration. SEAtrace trademark does not attempt to model all of the nuances associated with multi-phase, multi-component flow, but rather, the inverse code uses a simplistic forward model which can provide results which are reasonably accurate. The system has calculated leak locations to within 0.5 meters and leak radii to within 0.12 meters

Predictions of tracer transport in interwell tracer tests at the C-Hole complex. Yucca Mountain site characterization project report milestone 4077

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, P.W.

1996-09-01

This report presents predictions of tracer transport in interwell tracer tests that are to be conducted at the C-Hole complex at the Nevada Test Site on behalf of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The predictions are used to make specific recommendations about the manner in which the tracer test should be conducted to best satisfy the needs of the Project. The objective of he tracer tests is to study flow and species transport under saturated conditions in the fractured tuffs near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the site of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository. The potential repository will be located in the unsaturated zone within Yucca Mountain. The saturated zone beneath and around the mountain represents the final barrier to transport to the accessible environment that radionuclides will encounter if they breach the engineered barriers within the repository and the barriers to flow and transport provided by the unsaturated zone. Background information on the C-Holes is provided in Section 1.1, and the planned tracer testing program is discussed in Section 1.2

Mapping fracture flow paths with a nanoscale zero-valent iron tracer test and a flowmeter test

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Po-Yu; Chia, Yeeping; Chiu, Yung-Chia; Teng, Mao-Hua; Liou, Sofia Ya Hsuan

2018-02-01

The detection of preferential flow paths and the characterization of their hydraulic properties are important for the development of hydrogeological conceptual models in fractured-rock aquifers. In this study, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles were used as tracers to characterize fracture connectivity between two boreholes in fractured rock. A magnet array was installed vertically in the observation well to attract arriving nZVI particles and identify the location of the incoming tracer. Heat-pulse flowmeter tests were conducted to delineate the permeable fractures in the two wells for the design of the tracer test. The nZVI slurry was released in the screened injection well. The arrival of the slurry in the observation well was detected by an increase in electrical conductivity, while the depth of the connected fracture was identified by the distribution of nZVI particles attracted to the magnet array. The position where the maximum weight of attracted nZVI particles was observed coincides with the depth of a permeable fracture zone delineated by the heat-pulse flowmeter. In addition, a saline tracer test produced comparable results with the nZVI tracer test. Numerical simulation was performed using MODFLOW with MT3DMS to estimate the hydraulic properties of the connected fracture zones between the two wells. The study results indicate that the nZVI particle could be a promising tracer for the characterization of flow paths in fractured rock.

Suitability of tracers; Eignung von Tracern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klotz, D. [GSF - Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit GmbH, Neuherberg (Germany). Inst. fuer Hydrologie

1999-02-01

Hydrological tracer techniques are a means of making statements on the direction and speed of underground water. One of the simpler tasks is to find out whether there is hydrological communication between two given points. This requires a determination of the direction of flow, which places less exacting demands on the properties of the tracer than does the task of determining the flow velocity of underground water. Tracer methods can serve to infer from flow velocity the distance (flow) velocity, which is defined as the ratio between the distance between two points located in flow direction and the actual time it takes water to flow from one to the other. [Deutsch] Mit Hilfe der hydrologischen Markierungstechniken koennen Aussagen ueber die Richtung und die Geschwindigkeit von Bewegungen des unterirdischen Wassers gemacht werden. Der einfachere Fall liegt vor, wenn festgestellt werden soll, ob zwischen zwei Punkten eine hydrologische Verbindung besteht. Bei dieser Fliessrichtungsbestimmung sind die Forderungen an die Eigenschaften der einzusetzenden Tracer geringer als bei der Bestimmung der Geschwindigkeit des unterirdischen Wassers. Von den Geschwindigkeiten des unterirdischen Wassers ist die Abstands-(Fliess)geschwindigkeit, die definiert ist durch das Verhaeltnis aus dem Abstand und der wahren Fliesszeit zwischen zwei in Bewegungsrichtung gelegenen Punkten, durch Tracermethoden zu bestimmen. (orig.)

Pipeline leak detection using volatile tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, G.M.; Golding, R.D.

1993-01-01

A method of leak detection for underground storage tanks and pipelines adds volatile tracers to the products in the tanks and analyzes the surrounding shallow soil gases for tracer vapors. This method has several advantages: the success of the test is not limited by the size and structural design of the vessels, tanks can be tested at any fill level without taking the tank out of service, the location of a leak along a pipeline is clearly marked by the location of the tracer, and liquid leaks as small as 0.2 liters per hour (lph) can be detected. A limitation is: the backfill material must have some degree of air permeability in the zone above the water table. Several field tests document the success achieved using this method. A tracer leak detection system was installed at Homestead AFB after several other testing methods failed to locate a leak at a valve pit location along approximately 4 kilometers of fuel transfer piping. The leak was detected to the side of the valve pit at a depth of approximately 2.5 meters below the ground surface. Another installation of Edwards AFB involved the collection of 415 soil gas samples along approximately 3,050 meters of 15.25-centimeter fiberglass pipeline. Fourteen separate leaks were detected

Multiscale investigation of catchment functioning using environmental tracers: Insights from the mesoscale Attert basin in Luxembourg

Science.gov (United States)

Wrede, S.; Pfister, L.; Krein, A.; Bogaard, T. A.; Savenije, H. H. G.; Uhlenbrook, S.

2009-04-01

Experimental hydrology focuses traditionally on field investigations at smaller spatial and temporal scales and research is driven by small-scale, detailed and complex investigations of densely instrumented research sites. However, to improve operational water management and protection of water resources at the river basin scale, it is necessary to study the hydrological processes across a range of scales. Empirical studies investigating catchment structure and functioning across multiple scales are still rare and urgently needed. Besides geomorphologic and climatic catchment descriptors, environmental tracers have been recognized as a fundamental tool in experimental hydrology to assess the scaling gap, as they provide an independent and integrative perspective of catchment functioning and scaling. A three year tracer study is being carried out in the Attert river basin in Luxembourg to identify how major controls of runoff generation change across scales and to investigate the spatial and temporal functioning of larger basins. The mesoscale (300 km²) Attert catchment is located in the Midwestern part of Luxembourg and lies at the transition zone of contrasting bedrock lithology that is a major control for runoff generation: The Northern part is characterized by Devonian schist of the Ardennes massif, while sedimentary deposits of sandstone and marls dominate in the Southern part of the basin. Major hydrochemical tracers including stable water isotopes were grab sampled fortnightly and, where possible, also event-based at 13 nested stream locations ranging in size from 0.5 to 300 km² throughout the basin. Results using Deuterium and a range of hydrochemical tracers confirm the major role of bedrock lithology for runoff response of different geological parts of the basins: Hydrological response of schistose basins is characterized by seasonal variation and a delayed shallow groundwater component originating from a saprolitic zone, sandstone basins exhibit a

Wirelessly powered micro-tracer enabled by miniaturized antenna and microfluidic channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan, G; Zhao, X; Seren, H R; Chen, C; Zhang, X

2015-01-01

A miniaturized antenna, 380μm by 380μm in size, was fabricated and integrated with a commercialized passive RFID chip to form a micro-tracer, whose size was 2mm by 1mm in total. The micro-tracer was wirelessly powered and interrogated by a single layer spiral reader antenna through near field coupling. To maximize the working distance, the resonant frequency of micro-tracer and reader antenna were matched at 840MHz. Due to the ultra small size of the tracer antenna, power transfer efficiency decreased dramatically as the distance between tracer antenna and reader antenna increased, thus the working distance of the microtracer was limited within 1mm. To achieve massive operation of the micro-tracer, a microfluidic platform was fabricated with in channel focusing and separation. Acrylic sheets were laser cut to define the channel and cover structure, then bonded together layer by layer with a glass substrate, on which reader antenna was integrated. Pump oil was used as the fluidic media carrying the micro-tracer flowing inside the microfluidic channel. The wireless power transfer and real-time communication was demonstrated with the micro-tracer flowing above the reader antenna, as the ID of the micro-tracer was retrieved and displayed on a computer screen. (paper)

Sampling the stream landscape: Improving the applicability of an ecoregion-level capture probability model for stream fishes

Science.gov (United States)

Mollenhauer, Robert; Mouser, Joshua B.; Brewer, Shannon K.

2018-01-01

Temporal and spatial variability in streams result in heterogeneous gear capture probability (i.e., the proportion of available individuals identified) that confounds interpretation of data used to monitor fish abundance. We modeled tow-barge electrofishing capture probability at multiple spatial scales for nine Ozark Highland stream fishes. In addition to fish size, we identified seven reach-scale environmental characteristics associated with variable capture probability: stream discharge, water depth, conductivity, water clarity, emergent vegetation, wetted width–depth ratio, and proportion of riffle habitat. The magnitude of the relationship between capture probability and both discharge and depth varied among stream fishes. We also identified lithological characteristics among stream segments as a coarse-scale source of variable capture probability. The resulting capture probability model can be used to adjust catch data and derive reach-scale absolute abundance estimates across a wide range of sampling conditions with similar effort as used in more traditional fisheries surveys (i.e., catch per unit effort). Adjusting catch data based on variable capture probability improves the comparability of data sets, thus promoting both well-informed conservation and management decisions and advances in stream-fish ecology.

Use of radioactive tracers in dynamic sedimentology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tola, Francois.

1982-01-01

In the first part, developments in the use of radioactive tracers in sedimentology are recalled together with the corresponding fields of application and the identities of the main users. The state-of-the-art in France is also discussed; The main characteristics of the method are then described and compared with those of more classical methods. The results that can be obtained with tracer methods are then outlined. The criteria employed to establish the granulometry characteristics of the tracer, the particular radioisotope to be used, and the masses and activities involved, are treated. A list is then given of the main isotopes available in France and their characteristics. The various different labelling techniques employed are studied together with their respective advantages and disadvantages. The special case of pelitic sediments is mentioned. The use of reduced model isotope generators, double labelling and applications to studies of the mud plug in the Gironde Estuary are also discussed. The methods and materials used for injecting and detecting tracers are described, emphasis being given to the economic factors associated with the use of radioactive tracers in sedimentology. The second part of the report contains two chapters: - studies of transport by driftage: presentation and analysis of results and the application of the Count Rate Balance method to obtain quantitative information on transport; - studies of in-suspension transport of fine sediments in the sea: the procedures adopted from the moment when the tracer is introduced up to the time when the results are analyzed and interpreted, enables the trajectories and mean velocities of the transported sediments to be determined together with their degree of dilution and their settling speeds and rates; it is also possible to investigate the evolution and horizontal dispersion of the sediments in this way. Results from recent experiments are presented in both parts of the report

Natural tracer profiles across argillaceous formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazurek, Martin; Alt-Epping, Peter; Bath, Adrian; Gimmi, Thomas; Niklaus Waber, H.; Buschaert, Stephane; Canniere, Pierre De; Craen, Mieke De; Gautschi, Andreas; Savoye, Sebastien; Vinsot, Agnes; Wemaere, Isabelle; Wouters, Laurent

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Solute transport processes in clay and shale formations at nine sites are examined. → Conservative pore-water tracers (e.g. Cl - , δ 18 O, δ 2 H, He) show regular profiles. → These indicate the dominance of diffusive transport over times of 10 5 -10 6 years. → The contribution of vertical advection to transport is limited or negligible. → Modelled evolution times are in line with independent palaeo-hydrogeological data. - Abstract: Argillaceous formations generally act as aquitards because of their low hydraulic conductivities. This property, together with the large retention capacity of clays for cationic contaminants, has brought argillaceous formations into focus as potential host rocks for the geological disposal of radioactive and other waste. In several countries, programmes are under way to characterise the detailed transport properties of such formations at depth. In this context, the interpretation of profiles of natural tracers in pore waters across the formations can give valuable information about the large-scale and long-term transport behaviour of these formations. Here, tracer-profile data, obtained by various methods of pore-water extraction for nine sites in central Europe, are compiled. Data at each site comprise some or all of the conservative tracers: anions (Cl - , Br - ), water isotopes (δ 18 O, δ 2 H) and noble gases (mainly He). Based on a careful evaluation of the palaeo-hydrogeological evolution at each site, model scenarios are derived for initial and boundary pore-water compositions and an attempt is made to numerically reproduce the observed tracer distributions in a consistent way for all tracers and sites, using transport parameters derived from laboratory or in situ tests. The comprehensive results from this project have been reported in . Here the results for three sites are presented in detail, but the conclusions are based on model interpretations of the entire data set. In essentially all cases, the

Using neural networks to describe tracer correlations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. J. Lary

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Neural networks are ideally suited to describe the spatial and temporal dependence of tracer-tracer correlations. The neural network performs well even in regions where the correlations are less compact and normally a family of correlation curves would be required. For example, the CH4-N2O correlation can be well described using a neural network trained with the latitude, pressure, time of year, and methane volume mixing ratio (v.m.r.. In this study a neural network using Quickprop learning and one hidden layer with eight nodes was able to reproduce the CH4-N2O correlation with a correlation coefficient between simulated and training values of 0.9995. Such an accurate representation of tracer-tracer correlations allows more use to be made of long-term datasets to constrain chemical models. Such as the dataset from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE which has continuously observed CH4  (but not N2O from 1991 till the present. The neural network Fortran code used is available for download.

Continental hydrosystem modelling: the concept of nested stream-aquifer interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Flipo, N.; Mouhri, A.; Labarthe, B.; Biancamaria, S.; Rivière, A.; Weill, P.

2014-08-01

Coupled hydrological-hydrogeological models, emphasising the importance of the stream-aquifer interface, are more and more used in hydrological sciences for pluri-disciplinary studies aiming at investigating environmental issues. Based on an extensive literature review, stream-aquifer interfaces are described at five different scales: local [10 cm-~10 m], intermediate [~10 m-~1 km], watershed [10 km2-~1000 km2], regional [10 000 km2-~1 M km2] and continental scales [>10 M km2]. This led us to develop the concept of nested stream-aquifer interfaces, which extends the well-known vision of nested groundwater pathways towards the surface, where the mixing of low frequency processes and high frequency processes coupled with the complexity of geomorphological features and heterogeneities creates hydrological spiralling. This conceptual framework allows the identification of a hierarchical order of the multi-scale control factors of stream-aquifer hydrological exchanges, from the larger scale to the finer scale. The hyporheic corridor, which couples the river to its 3-D hyporheic zone, is then identified as the key component for scaling hydrological processes occurring at the interface. The identification of the hyporheic corridor as the support of the hydrological processes scaling is an important step for the development of regional studies, which is one of the main concerns for water practitioners and resources managers. In a second part, the modelling of the stream-aquifer interface at various scales is investigated with the help of the conductance model. Although the usage of the temperature as a tracer of the flow is a robust method for the assessment of stream-aquifer exchanges at the local scale, there is a crucial need to develop innovative methodologies for assessing stream-aquifer exchanges at the regional scale. After formulating the conductance model at the regional and intermediate scales, we address this challenging issue with the development of an

Methods of 15N tracer research in biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, K.; Faust, H.

1985-01-01

The application of the stable isotope 15 N is of increasing importance in different scientific disciplines, especially in medicine, agriculture, and the biosciences. The close correlation between the growing interest and improvements of analytical procedures resulted in remarkable advances in the 15 N tracer technique. On the basis of the latest results of 15 N tracer research in life sciences and agriculture methods of 15 N tracer research in biological systems are compiled. The 15 N methodology is considered under three headings: Chemical analysis with a description of methods of sample preparation (including different separation and isolation methods for N-containing substances of biological and agricultural origin) and special procedures converting ammonia to molecular nitrogen. Isotopic analysis with a review on the most important methods of isotopic analysis of nitrogen: mass spectrometry (including the GC-MS technique), emission spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and other analytical procedures. 15 N-tracer techniques with a consideration of the role of the isotope dilution analysis as well as different labelling techniques and the mathematical interpretation of tracer data (modelling, N turnover experiments). In these chapters also sources of errors in chemical and isotopic analysis, the accuracy of the different methods and its importance on tracer experiments are discussed. Procedures for micro scale 15 N analysis and aspects of 15 N analysis on the level of natural abundance are considered. Furthermore some remarks on isotope effects in 15 N tracer experiments are made. (author)

Neotropical Amphibian Declines Affect Stream Ecosystem Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Connelly, S.; Pringle, C. M.; Bixby, R. J.; Whiles, M. R.; Lips, K. R.; Brenes, R.; Colon-Gaud, J. C.; Kilham, S.; Hunte-Brown, M.

2005-05-01

Global declines of amphibians are well documented, yet effects of these dramatic losses on ecosystem structure and function are poorly understood. As part of a larger collaborative project, we compared two upland Panamanian streams. Both streams are biologically and geologically similar; however, one stream (Fortuna) has recently experienced almost complete extirpation of stream-dwelling frogs, while the other (Cope) still has intact populations. We experimentally excluded tadpoles from localized areas in each stream. We then compared chlorophyll a, algal community composition, ash-free dry mass (AFDM), inorganic matter, and insect assemblages in control and exclusion areas. Additionally, we sampled the natural substrate of both streams monthly for chlorophyll a, algal community composition, AFDM, and inorganic matter. At Cope, chlorophyll a, AFDM, and inorganic matter were greater in areas where tadpoles were excluded than in their presence. Numbers of dominant algal species (e.g., Nupela praecipua and Eunotia siolii) were greater in the exclusion versus control treatments. Monthly sampling of natural substrate indicated higher chlorophyll a and AFDM at Cope compared to Fortuna. Our data suggest that stream-dwelling anuran larvae have significant impacts on algal communities. These results also have implications for predicting the relevance of short-term experimental manipulations to long-term, whole-stream processes.

Determination of retention period of sewage in a filtration plant using radiotracer technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eapen, A.C.; Jain, S.K.; Kirti

1979-01-01

A radiotracer investigation was carried out at Dadar sewage purification plant, Bombay, for measuring the retention period of a trickling filter unit. The method is based on the addition of 82 Br tracer in the form of NH 4 Br solution at the inlet and continuous recording of the tracer at the flow stream. Results obtained in the actual investigation are also given. (auth.)

Using isotopes to constrain water flux and age estimates in snow-influenced catchments using the STARR (Spatially distributed Tracer-Aided Rainfall–Runoff model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Ala-aho

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Tracer-aided hydrological models are increasingly used to reveal fundamentals of runoff generation processes and water travel times in catchments. Modelling studies integrating stable water isotopes as tracers are mostly based in temperate and warm climates, leaving catchments with strong snow influences underrepresented in the literature. Such catchments are challenging, as the isotopic tracer signals in water entering the catchments as snowmelt are typically distorted from incoming precipitation due to fractionation processes in seasonal snowpack. We used the Spatially distributed Tracer-Aided Rainfall–Runoff (STARR model to simulate fluxes, storage, and mixing of water and tracers, as well as estimating water ages in three long-term experimental catchments with varying degrees of snow influence and contrasting landscape characteristics. In the context of northern catchments the sites have exceptionally long and rich data sets of hydrometric data and – most importantly – stable water isotopes for both rain and snow conditions. To adapt the STARR model for sites with strong snow influence, we used a novel parsimonious calculation scheme that takes into account the isotopic fractionation through snow sublimation and snowmelt. The modified STARR setup simulated the streamflows, isotope ratios, and snow pack dynamics quite well in all three catchments. From this, our simulations indicated contrasting median water ages and water age distributions between catchments brought about mainly by differences in topography and soil characteristics. However, the variable degree of snow influence in catchments also had a major influence on the stream hydrograph, storage dynamics, and water age distributions, which was captured by the model. Our study suggested that snow sublimation fractionation processes can be important to include in tracer-aided modelling for catchments with seasonal snowpack, while the influence of fractionation during snowmelt

A Study Plan for Determining Recharge Rates at the Hanford Site Using Environmental Tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, E. M.; Szecsody, J. E.; Phillips, S. J.

1991-02-01

. Seven study sites on the Hanford Site have been selected, in two primary soil types that are believed to represent the extremes in recharge, the Quincy sand and the Warden silt loam. An additional background study site upwind of the Hanford facilities has been chosen at the Yakima Firing Center. Study sites at Hanford were chosen close to micrometeorology stations on downwind transects from the operational facilities. Initial testing will be done on sites that lack perennial vegetation. Six tracer techniques (total chlortde, {sup 36}Cl, {sup 3}H, nitrate, {sup 129}I, and {sup 99}Tc) will be tested on at least one site in the Quincy sand, one site in the Warden si~ loam, and the background site, to determine which combination of tracers wortks best for a given soil type. In subsequent years, additional sites will be investigated to determine the effect of vegetation on recharge estimates and on the performance of individual tracers. The use of environmental tracers is perhaps the only cost-effective method for estimating the spatial vartability of recharge at a site as large as Hanford. The tracer techniques used at Hanford have wide applicability at other and sites operated by the U.S. Department of Energy as well as at low-level radioactive waste disposal sites.

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain Site characterization study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dombrowski, T.; Stetzenbach, K.

1993-01-01

This report is in two parts one for the fluorinated benzoic acids and one for the fluorinated aliphatic acids. The assumptions made in the report regarding the amount of tracer that will be used, dilution of the tracer during the test and the length of exposure (if any) to individuals drinking the water were made by the authors. These assumptions must really come from the USGS hydrologists in charge of the c-well tracer testing program. Accurate estimates of dilution of the tracer during the test are also important because of solubility limitations of some of the tracers. Three of the difluorobenzoic acids have relatively low solubilities and may not be usable if the dilution estimates are large. The toxicologist that reviewed the document agreed with our conclusion that the fluorinated benzoic and toluic acids do not represent a health hazard if used under the conditions as outlined in the report. We are currently testing 15 of these compounds, and if even if three difluorobenzoic acids cannot be used because of solubility limitations we will still have 12 tracers. The toxicologist felt that the aliphatic fluorinated acids potentially present more of a health risk than the aromatic. This assessment was based on the fact of a known allergic response to halothane anesthetic. This risk, although minimal, is known and he felt that was enough reason to recommend against their use. The authors feel that the toxicologists interpretation of this risk was overly conservative, however, we will not go against his recommendation at this time for the following reasons. First, without the aliphatic compounds we still have 12 to 15 fluorinated aromatic acids which, should be enough for the c-well tests. Second, to get a permit to use aliphatic compounds would undoubtedly require a hearing which could be quite lengthy

3-D migration experiment - report 2: Instrumentation and tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abelin, H.; Birgersson, L.; Gidlund, J.

1987-11-01

This report is one of the four reports describing the Stripa 3D experiment where water and tracer flow has been monitored in a specially excavated drift in the Stripa mine. The experiment was performed in a specially excavated drift at the 360 m level in granite. The whole ceiling and upper part of the walls were covered with more than 350 individual plastic sheets where the water flow into the drift could be collected. 11 different tracers were injected at distances between 11 and 50 m from the ceiling of the drift. The flow rate and tracer monitoring was kept up for more than two years. The tracer breakthrough curves and flow rate distributions were used to study the flow paths, velocities, hydraulic conductivities, dispersivities and channeling effects in the rock. The report describes the instrumentation developed and used as well as the tracers that were tested and used in the experiment. (orig.)

Three-dimensionally spiral structure of the water stream induced by a centrifugal stirrer in large aqua-cultural ponds

Science.gov (United States)

Itano, Tomoaki; Inagaki, Taishi; Nakamura, Choji; Sugihara-Seki, Masako; Hyodo, Jinsuke

2017-11-01

We have conducted measurements of the water stream produced by a mechanical stirrer (diameter 2.4[m], electric power 50[W]) located in shallow rectangular reservoirs (small 0.7[ha], large 3.7[ha]), which may be employed as a cost-efficient aerator for the aqua-cultural purpose, with the aid of both particle tracking velocimetry by passive tracers floating on the surface and direct measurement by electro-magnetic velocimeter under the surface. The present measurements indicate that the stirrer drives primarily the horizontally rotating water stream and secondarily the vertical convection between the surface and the bottom of the reservoir, which results in the three-dimensionally spiral-shaped water streams scaled vertically by just a meter but horizontally by more than ten meters. It is suggested that the spiral structure driven by the stirrer may activate the underwater vertical mixing and enhance dissolved oxygen at the bottom of aqua-cultural pond more effectively than the paddle-wheel aerators commonly used in aqua-cultural ponds. This research was financially supported in part by the Kansai University Fund for Supporting Young Scholars, 2016-2017.

Radioisotope tracers in industrial flow studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Easey, J.F.

1987-01-01

The scope of radioisotope tracer work carried out by ANSTO has involved most sectors of Australian industry including iron and steel coal, chemical, petrochemical, natural gas, metallurgical, mineral, power generation, liquified air plant, as well as port authorities, water and sewerage instrumentalities, and environmental agencies. A major class of such studies concerns itself with flow and wear studies involving industrial equipment. Some examples are discussed which illustrate the utility of radioisotope tracer techniques in these applications

Extracting a respiratory signal from raw dynamic PET data that contain tracer kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schleyer, P J; Thielemans, K; Marsden, P K

2014-01-01

Data driven gating (DDG) methods provide an alternative to hardware based respiratory gating for PET imaging. Several existing DDG approaches obtain a respiratory signal by observing the change in PET-counts within specific regions of acquired PET data. Currently, these methods do not allow for tracer kinetics which can interfere with the respiratory signal and introduce error. In this work, we produced a DDG method for dynamic PET studies that exhibit tracer kinetics. Our method is based on an existing approach that uses frequency-domain analysis to locate regions within raw PET data that are subject to respiratory motion. In the new approach, an optimised non-stationary short-time Fourier transform was used to create a time-varying 4D map of motion affected regions. Additional processing was required to ensure that the relationship between the sign of the respiratory signal and the physical direction of movement remained consistent for each temporal segment of the 4D map. The change in PET-counts within the 4D map during the PET acquisition was then used to generate a respiratory curve. Using 26 min dynamic cardiac NH 3 PET acquisitions which included a hardware derived respiratory measurement, we show that tracer kinetics can severely degrade the respiratory signal generated by the original DDG method. In some cases, the transition of tracer from the liver to the lungs caused the respiratory signal to invert. The new approach successfully compensated for tracer kinetics and improved the correlation between the data-driven and hardware based signals. On average, good correlation was maintained throughout the PET acquisitions. (paper)

Tracers Detect Aquifer Contamination

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Enfield, Carl

1995-01-01

The EPA's National Laboratory (NRMRL) at Ada, OK, along with the University of Florida and the University of Texas, have developed a tracer procedure to detect the amount of contamination in aquifer formations...

STREAMS - Supporting Underrepresented Groups in Earth Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho-Knighton, K.; Johnson, A.

2009-12-01

In Fall 2008, STREAMS (Supporting Talented and Remarkable Environmental And Marine Science students) Scholarship initiative began at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, the only public university in Pinellas County. STREAMS is a partnership between the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s (USFSP) Environmental Science and Policy Program and University of South Florida’s (USF) College of Marine Science. The STREAMS Student Scholarship Program has facilitated increased recruitment, retention, and graduation of USFSP environmental science and USF marine science majors. The STREAMS program has increased opportunities for minorities and women to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees, gain valuable research experience and engage in professional development activities. STREAMS scholars have benefited from being mentored by USFSP and USF faculty and as well as MSPhDs students and NSF Florida-Georgia LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate graduate fellows. In addition, STREAMS has facilitated activities designed to prepare student participants for successful Earth system science-related careers. We will elucidate the need for this initiative and vision for the collaboration.

Elements and inorganic ions as source tracers in recent Greenland snow

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Alexandra M.; Shafer, Martin M.; Dibb, Jack E.; Polashenski, Chris M.; Schauer, James J.

2017-09-01

Atmospheric transport of aerosols leads to deposition of impurities in snow, even in areas of the Arctic as remote as Greenland. Major ions (e.g. Na+, Ca2+, NH4+, K+, SO42-) are frequently used as tracers for common aerosol sources (e.g. sea spray, dust, biomass burning, anthropogenic emissions). Trace element data can supplement tracer ion data by providing additional information about sources. Although many studies have considered either trace elements or major ions, few have reported both. This study determined total and water-soluble concentrations of 31 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Dy, Eu, Fe, Gd, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Nb, Nd, Pb, Pr, S, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, U, Y, Zn) in shallow snow pits at 22 sampling sites in Greenland, along a transect from Summit Station to sites in the northwest. Black carbon (BC) and inorganic ions were measured in colocated samples. Sodium, which is typically used as a tracer of sea spray, did not appear to have any non-marine sources. The rare earth elements, alkaline earth elements (Mg, Ca, Sr), and other crustal elements (Fe, Si, Ti, V) were not enriched above crustal abundances relative to Al, indicating that these elements are primarily dust sourced. Calculated ratios of non-sea salt Ca (nssCa) to estimated dust mass affirm the use of nssCa as a dust tracer, but suggest up to 50% uncertainty in that estimate in the absence of other crustal element data. Crustal enrichment factors indicated that As, Cd, Pb, non-sea-salt S, Sb, Sn, and Zn were enriched in these samples, likely by anthropogenic sources. Principal component analysis indicated more than one crustal factor, and a variety of factors related to anthropogenically enriched elements. Analysis of trace elements alongside major tracer ions does not change interpretation of ion-based source attribution for sources that are well-characterized by ions, but is valuable for assessing uncertainty in source attribution and identifying sources not represented by major ions.

Feasibility of perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) in atmospheric source-receptor experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietz, R.N.; Senum, G.I.

1984-03-01

A brief description of the perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) system, which includes the tracers and the release equipment, the air samplers and the analyzers, is presented along with details on the research needs to provide a viable system for MATEX-scenario experiments. The present family of 2 viable PFTs needs to be increased to 5 to 6. Given the present precision of the analysis system, a one year long tracer experiment consisting of 4 hour releases every 60 hours from 5 different sites would require nearly 150 metric tons of PFTs at a cost of $15,000,000. Shortcomings in the programmable sampler include the pump, the sampling sequence control flexibility, data storage and retrieval, and the lack of remote communication capability; sampler adsorbent studies are also needed. The analytical system, including the catalyst processing bed, the chromatography column resolution, and the linearity of the detector, is in need of significant improvement. A higher resolution analysis system could significantly reduce analysis time but, more importantly, reduce tracer requirements more than 10-fold, for a cost savings potential of more than $13,000,000. A model is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of tracer material balances. Assessment of earlier long-range tracer experiments indicates the need for possibly 400 ground sampling sites requiring $8 to $14 million worth of samplers for a one-year tracer experiment. As many as six aircraft would be needed to conduct airborne model validation and material balance studies for each tracer plume

Modelling climate change impacts on stream habitat conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boegh, Eva; Conallin, John; Karthikeyan, Matheswaran

Impact from groundwater abstraction on freshwater resources and ecosystems is an issue of sincere concern in Denmark and many other countries worldwide. In addition, climate change projections add complexity to the existing conflict between water demands to satisfy human needs and water demands...... required to conserve streams as biologically diverse and healthy ecosystems. Solutions to this intensifying conflict require a holistic approach whereby stream biota is related to their physical environment at catchment scale, as also demanded by the EU Water Framework Directive. In the present study......, climate impacts on stream ecological conditions were quantified by combining a heat and mass stream flow with a habitat suitability modelling approach. Habitat suitability indices were developed for stream velocity, water depth, water temperature and substrate. Generally, water depth was found...

Root zone effects on tracer migration in arid zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, S.W.; Walker, G.R.

1994-01-01

The study of groundwater recharge and soil water movement in arid regions has received increased attention in the search for safe disposal sites for hazardous wastes. In passing through the upper 1 to 2 m of most soil profiles, tracers indicative of recharge such as Cl, 2 H, 18 O, Br, 3 H, and 56 Cl are subjected to a wide range of processes not encountered deeper in the profile. This transition zone, where water enters as precipitation and leaves as recharge, is often ignored when environmental tracers are used to estimate deep soil water flux and recharge, yet its effect may be profound. In this work, we reexamine the processes of root extraction and its effect on the velocity and distribution of tracers. Examples are presented for idealized conditions, which show clearly the relation between the root zone processes and the deep drainage or recharge. The results indicate that, when recharge is small and root zone processes are not accounted for, tracer techniques can significantly overestimate recharge until the tracer has moved well below the root zone. By incorporating simple models of root zone processes, a clearer understanding of tracer distributions and a more accurate estimate of recharge can then be made. 11 refs., 9 figs

Hybrid tracers for sentinel node biopsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Den Berg, N. S.; Kleinjan, G. I.; Valdés-Olmos, R. A.; Buckle, T.; Van Leeuwen, F. I.; Klop, W. M.; Horenblas, S.; Van Der Poel, H. G.

2014-01-01

Conventional sentinel node (SN) mapping is performed by injection of a radiocolloid followed by lymphoscintigraphy to identify the number and location of the primary tumor draining lymph node(s), the so-called SN(s). Over the last decade research has focused on the introduction of new imaging agents that can further aid (surgical) SN identification. Different tracers for SN mapping, with varying sizes and isotopes have been reported, most of which have proven their value in a clinical setting. A major challenge lies in transferring this diagnostic information obtained at the nuclear medicine department to the operating theatre thereby providing the surgeon with (image) guidance. Conventionally, an intraoperative injection of vital blue dye or a fluorescence dye is given to allow intraoperative optical SN identification. However, for some indications, the radiotracer-based approach remains crucial. More recently, hybrid tracers, that contain both a radioactive and fluorescent label, were introduced to allow for direct integration of pre- and intraoperative guidance technologies. Their potential is especially high when they are used in combination with new surgical imaging modalities and navigation tools. Next to a description of the known tracers for SN mapping, this review discusses the application of hybrid tracers during SN biopsy and how the introduction of these new techniques can further aid in translation of nuclear medicine information into the operating theatre.

Use of (3H) and (125I) tracers in steroid radioimmunoassays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffcoate, S.L.

1975-01-01

The comparative use of 3 H and 125 I tracers in steroid radioimmunoassays will be discussed around the following points: - 3 H. Advantages: they can be purchased commercially and have a long shelf-life. Disadvantages: they may have reduced affinity for antibodies due to ''isotope effects''; the counting of β-emitters is more expensive and difficult; 3 H tracers are not available for all steroids. - 125 I. Advantages: gamma-counting is cheaper, simpler and more precise; 125 I tracers may have higher affinity for antibodies than unlabelled steroids; 125 I can be used to label any steroid. Disadvantages: 125 I tracers have a limited shelf-life (n.b. six months for 125 I histamine tracers). The high affinity of some tracers will be a big disadvantage if the unlabelled steroid cannot compete effectively

Effect of wind and currents on gas exchange in an estuarine system. Final technical report, 1 August 1986-31 July 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broecker, W.S.; Ledwell, J.R.; Bopp, R.

1987-11-01

The objectives were to develop a non-volatile tracer to use in gas exchange experiments in laterally unconfined systems and to study applications of deliberate tracers in limnology and oceanography. Progress was made on both fronts but work on the development of the non-volatile tracer proved to be more difficult and labor intensive that anticipated so no field experiments using non-volatile tracers was performed as yet. In the search for a suitable non-volatile tracer for an ocean scale gas exchange experiment a tracer was discovered which does not have the required sensitivity for a large scale experiment, but is very easy to analyze and will be well suited for smaller experiments such as gas exchange determinations on rivers and streams. Sulfur hexafluoride, SF 6 , was used successfully as a volatile tracer along with tritium as a non-volatile tracer to study gas exchange rates from a primary stream. This is the first gas exchange experiment in which gas exchange rates were determined on a head water stream where significant groundwater input occurs along the reach. In conjunction with SF 6 , Radon-222 measurements were performed on the groundwater and in the stream. The feasibility of using a combination of SF 6 and radon is being studied to determine groundwater inputs and gas exchange of rates in streams with significant groundwater input without using a non-volatile tracer

Systems approach to tracer data in groundwater hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saxena, R.K.

1977-01-01

A brief review of current mathematical methods for the analysis of tracer data in groundwater hydrology has been given. The description of the hydrological cycle as a whole or in part, by a system (compartment) or sub-system under linear and stationary conditions is discussed. Basic concepts of transit time, residence time, their distributions in time and response characteristics of a system are outlined. From the knowledge of tracer input, output and systems response function for a generalised system, reservoir capacity and storage for given period can be estimated. Use of a time series model for environmental tracer data in discreet time scale aimed at the solution of hydrological problems e.g. mean transit time and reservoir capacity is also explored. It is concluded that the combination of tracer data with systems approach can go a long way in the study of some complex hydrological problems. (author)

Evaluating remedial alternatives for an acid mine drainage stream: Application of a reactive transport model

Science.gov (United States)

Runkel, R.L.; Kimball, B.A.

2002-01-01

A reactive transport model based on one-dimensional transport and equilibrium chemistry is applied to synoptic data from an acid mine drainage stream. Model inputs include streamflow estimates based on tracer dilution, inflow chemistry based on synoptic sampling, and equilibrium constants describing acid/base, complexation, precipitation/dissolution, and sorption reactions. The dominant features of observed spatial profiles in pH and metal concentration are reproduced along the 3.5-km study reach by simulating the precipitation of Fe(III) and Al solid phases and the sorption of Cu, As, and Pb onto freshly precipitated iron-(III) oxides. Given this quantitative description of existing conditions, additional simulations are conducted to estimate the streamwater quality that could result from two hypothetical remediation plans. Both remediation plans involve the addition of CaCO3 to raise the pH of a small, acidic inflow from ???2.4 to ???7.0. This pH increase results in a reduced metal load that is routed downstream by the reactive transport model, thereby providing an estimate of post-remediation water quality. The first remediation plan assumes a closed system wherein inflow Fe(II) is not oxidized by the treatment system; under the second remediation plan, an open system is assumed, and Fe(II) is oxidized within the treatment system. Both plans increase instream pH and substantially reduce total and dissolved concentrations of Al, As, Cu, and Fe(II+III) at the terminus of the study reach. Dissolved Pb concentrations are reduced by ???18% under the first remediation plan due to sorption onto iron-(III) oxides within the treatment system and stream channel. In contrast, iron(III) oxides are limiting under the second remediation plan, and removal of dissolved Pb occurs primarily within the treatment system. This limitation results in an increase in dissolved Pb concentrations over existing conditions as additional downstream sources of Pb are not attenuated by

Novel tracer for radiation treatment planning; Welche neuen PET-Tracer braucht die Strahlentherapie?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwarzenboeck, S.; Krause, B.J. [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Herrmann, K.; Gaertner, F.; Souvatzoglou, M. [Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Klaesner, B. [Klinikum Bogenhausen, Muenchen (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin

2011-07-15

PET and PET/CT with innovative tracers gain increasing importance in diagnosis and therapy management, and radiation treatment planning in radio-oncology besides the widely established FDG. The introduction of [{sup 18}F]Fluorothymidine ([{sup 18}F]FLT) as marker of proliferation, [{sup 18}F]Fluoromisonidazole ([{sup 18}F]FMISO) and [{sup 18}F]Fluoroazomycin-Arabinoside ([{sup 18}F]FAZA) as tracer of hypoxia, [{sup 18}F]Fluoroethyltyrosine ([{sup 18}F]FET) and [{sup 11}C]Methionine for brain tumour imaging, [{sup 68}Ga]DOTATOC for somatostatin receptor imaging, [{sup 18}F]FDOPA for dopamine synthesis and radioactively labeled choline derivatives for imaging phospholipid metabolism have opened novel approaches to tumour imaging. Some of these tracers have already been implemented into radio-oncology: Amino acid PET and PET/CT have the potential to optimise radiation treatment planning of brain tumours through accurate delineation of tumour tissue from normal tissue, necrosis and edema. Hypoxia represents a major therapeutic problem in radiation therapy. Hypoxia imaging is very attractive as it may allow to increase the dose in hypoxic tumours potentially allowing for a better tumour control. Advances in hybrid imaging, i.e. the introduction of MR/PET, may also have an impact in radio-oncology through synergies related to the combination of molecular signals of PET and a high soft tissue contrast of MRI as well as functional MRI capabilities. (orig.)

On parameterization of the inverse problem for estimating aquifer properties using tracer data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowalsky, M. B.; Finsterle, Stefan A.; Williams, Kenneth H.; Murray, Christopher J.; Commer, Michael; Newcomer, Darrell R.; Englert, Andreas L.; Steefel, Carl I.; Hubbard, Susan

2012-01-01

We consider a field-scale tracer experiment conducted in 2007 in a shallow uranium-contaminated aquifer at Rifle, Colorado. In developing a reliable approach for inferring hydrological properties at the site through inverse modeling of the tracer data, decisions made on how to parameterize heterogeneity (i.e., how to represent a heterogeneous distribution using a limited number of parameters that are amenable to estimation) are of paramount importance. We present an approach for hydrological inversion of the tracer data and explore, using a 2D synthetic example at first, how parameterization affects the solution, and how additional characterization data could be incorporated to reduce uncertainty. Specifically, we examine sensitivity of the results to the configuration of pilot points used in a geostatistical parameterization, and to the sampling frequency and measurement error of the concentration data. A reliable solution of the inverse problem is found when the pilot point configuration is carefully implemented. In addition, we examine the use of a zonation parameterization, in which the geometry of the geological facies is known (e.g., from geophysical data or core data), to reduce the non-uniqueness of the solution and the number of unknown parameters to be estimated. When zonation information is only available for a limited region, special treatment in the remainder of the model is necessary, such as using a geostatistical parameterization. Finally, inversion of the actual field data is performed using 2D and 3D models, and results are compared with slug test data.

(210)Pb as a tracer of soil erosion, sediment source area identification and particle transport in the terrestrial environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Matisoff, Gerald

2014-12-01

Although (137)Cs has been used extensively to study soil erosion and particle transport in the terrestrial environment, there has been much less work using excess or unsupported (210)Pb ((210)Pbxs) to study the same processes. Furthermore, since (137)Cs activities in soils are decreasing because of radioactive decay, some locations have an added complication due to the addition of Chernobyl-derived (137)Cs, and the activities of (137)Cs in the southern hemisphere are low, there is a need to develop techniques that use (210)Pbxs to provide estimates of rates of soil erosion and particle transport. This paper reviews the current status of (210)Pbxs methods to quantify soil erosion rates, to identify and partition suspended sediment source areas, and to determine the transport rates of particles in the terrestrial landscape. Soil erosion rates determined using (210)Pbxs are based on the unsupported (210)Pb ((210)Pbxs) inventory in the soil, the depth distribution of (210)Pbxs, and a mass balance calibration ('conversion model') that relates the soil inventory to the erosion rate using a 'reference site' at which neither soil erosion nor soil deposition has occurred. In this paper several different models are presented to illustrate the effects of different model assumptions such as the timing, depth and rates of the surface soil mixing on the calculated erosion rates. The suitability of model assumptions, including estimates of the depositional flux of (210)Pbxs to the soil surface and the post-depositional mobility of (210)Pb are also discussed. (210)Pb can be used as one tracer to permit sediment source area identification. This sediment 'fingerprinting' has been extended far beyond using (210)Pb as a single radioisotope to include numerous radioactive and stable tracers and has been applied to identifying the source areas of suspended sediment based on underlying rock type, land use (roads, stream banks, channel beds, cultivated or uncultivated lands, pasture lands

Study of particle movement in conical fluidized beds using the tracer method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penkalla, H. J.; Gyarmati, E.; Nickel, H.

1976-01-15

In the work reported here, a method is described which enables the path and speed of the particles during fluidization to be measured using a tracer particle technique. Using statistical methods, it is then possible to determine the path-time diagram, the rate of circulation of the particles, the transport capacity, the extent of mixing and the relative residence time of the particles in a given zone of the bed. Measurements were made at room temperature in a 3'' model fluidized bed as a first step in evaluating the feasibility of the test method. Criteria for the type of coating, the growth rate of the coatings and the coating potential of the coating as were correlated with the relative dwell time of the particles and the dwell-time spectrum of the coating gases in a given part of the bed. It was therefore necessary to know the streaming behavior of the fluidizing gas, and so such an analysis was first carried out.

Application of separable parameter space techniques to multi-tracer PET compartment modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jeff L; Michael Morey, A; Kadrmas, Dan J

2016-01-01

Multi-tracer positron emission tomography (PET) can image two or more tracers in a single scan, characterizing multiple aspects of biological functions to provide new insights into many diseases. The technique uses dynamic imaging, resulting in time-activity curves that contain contributions from each tracer present. The process of separating and recovering separate images and/or imaging measures for each tracer requires the application of kinetic constraints, which are most commonly applied by fitting parallel compartment models for all tracers. Such multi-tracer compartment modeling presents challenging nonlinear fits in multiple dimensions. This work extends separable parameter space kinetic modeling techniques, previously developed for fitting single-tracer compartment models, to fitting multi-tracer compartment models. The multi-tracer compartment model solution equations were reformulated to maximally separate the linear and nonlinear aspects of the fitting problem, and separable least-squares techniques were applied to effectively reduce the dimensionality of the nonlinear fit. The benefits of the approach are then explored through a number of illustrative examples, including characterization of separable parameter space multi-tracer objective functions and demonstration of exhaustive search fits which guarantee the true global minimum to within arbitrary search precision. Iterative gradient-descent algorithms using Levenberg–Marquardt were also tested, demonstrating improved fitting speed and robustness as compared to corresponding fits using conventional model formulations. The proposed technique overcomes many of the challenges in fitting simultaneous multi-tracer PET compartment models. (paper)

Constraining Glacial Runoff Contributions to Water Resources in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia using Environmental Tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Guido, Z.; McIntosh, J. C.; Papuga, S. A.

2013-12-01

Warming temperatures in recent decades have contributed to substantial reductions in glaciers in many mountain regions around the globe, including the South American Andes. Melting of these glaciers taps water resources accumulated in past climates, and the diminishing ice marks a decrease in a nonrenewable water source that begs the question: how will future water supplies be impacted by climate change. Water resource management and climate adaptation efforts can be informed by knowledge of the extent to which glaciers contribute to seasonal streamflows, but remote locations and scant monitoring often limit this quantification. In Bolivia, more than two million people draw water from watersheds fed, in part, by glaciers. The amount to which these glaciers contribute to the water supply, however, is not well constrained. We apply elemental and isotopic tracers in an end-member mixing model to quantify glacial runoff contributions to local water supplies. We present oxygen and deuterium isotopes and major anion concentrations (sulfate and chloride) of shallow groundwater, streams, reservoirs, small arroyos, and glacial runoff. Isotopic and anion mixing models suggest between 45-67% of the water measured in high altitude streams originated from within the glacial footprint during the 2011 wet season, while glacial runoff contributed about 42-53% of the water in reservoirs in the 2012 dry season. Data also show that shallow groundwater is connected to glacial-fed streams. Any future decrease in glacial runoff may contribute to a reduction in surface water supplies and lower groundwater levels downstream, perhaps below the depth of hand-dug wells common in rural communities.

Comparison of oral iodine-131-cellulose and indium-111-DTPA as tracers for colon transit scintigraphy: Analysis by colon activity profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smart, R.C.; McLean, R.G.; Gaston-Parry, D.; Barbagallo, S.; Bruck, C.E.; King, D.W.; Lubowski, D.Z.; Talley, N.A.

1991-01-01

In 11 normal subjects and 11 patients with a clinical diagnosis of constipation, oral 131I-cellulose and 111In-DTPA were compared simultaneously as tracers for radionuclide colon transit scintigraphy. Visual assessment of the images revealed no differences between tracers. Quantitation was performed using total and segmental percent retention and the derived value of clearance half-time. In addition, profiles of the activity distribution along the length of the colon were generated and the mean position of the activity in the colon calculated. For all indices, the results were similar in both normal subjects and constipated patients when comparing tracers, although marked differences were present between normal subjects and constipated patients for each tracer. Indium-111-DTPA was easy to administer and dosimetry was more acceptable than for 131I-cellulose, especially in constipated patients. It is concluded that 111In-DTPA is the preferred tracer for oral colon transit scintigraphy

Laboratory studies into the use of the scandium-46-EDTA complex as a tracer for groundwater flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, H.; Nixon, S.C.

1988-01-01

Gamma ray emitting metal radionuclides, when complexed with an appropriate complexing agent, provide a wide choice of water tracers particularly for groundwater studies where a radionuclide of appropriate half-life suited to the particular study can be selected. Scandium-46 has easily detectable gamma emission and a suitable half-life (84 days) for medium term studies. It has been widely and successfully used as a tracer in studies of sediment movement but has not yet been introduced as a groundwater tracer. In our experiments the chemical aspects of the preparation of Sc-46-EDTA were studied in some detail and its behaviour in various mineralogical environments was evaluated with reference to the standard tracer, tritiated water. The experimental results have shown that the scandium cation can be easily complexed with EDTA to form soluble SC-EDTA. The complex is very stable in a wide range of pH; the adsorptive properties of Sc-EDTA in the batch studies and the retardation and recovery in the column tests in comparison with tritiated water are quite satisfactory. In general Sc-46-EDTA is a promising tracer for groundwater studies. In the report the appropriate conditions, procedures and some rational and efficient methods for testing the purity of Sc-46-EDTA in the preparation of the tracer solution of Sc-46-EDTA are described. In addition, it has been found that the formation of the metal hydroxide colloids is the major reason for the great loss in groundwater aquifers of most trivalent metal nuclide tracers in the cationic form including scandium-46. (author). 29 refs, 11 figs, 12 tabs

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization study. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stetzenbach, K.; Farnham, I.

1996-01-01

Extensive tracer testing is expected to take place at the C-well complex in the Nevada Test Site as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The C-well complex consists of one pumping well, C3, and two injection wells, C1 and C2 into which tracer will be introduced. The goal of this research was to provide USGS with numerous tracers to completed these tests. Several classes of fluorinated organic acids have been evaluated. These include numerous isomers of fluorinated benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and salicylic acids. Also several derivatives of 2-hydroxy nicotinic acid (pyridone) have been tested. The stability of these compounds was determined using batch and column tests. Ames testing (mutagenicity/carcinogenicity) was conducted on the fluorinated benzoic acids and a literature review of toxicity of the fluorobenzoates and three perfluoro aliphatic acids was prepared. Solubilities were measured and method development work was performed to optimize the detection of these compounds. A Quality Assurance (QA) Program was developed under existing DOE and USGS guidelines. The program includes QA procedures and technical standard operating procedures. A tracer test, using sodium iodide, was performed at the C-well complex. HRC chemists performed analyses on site, to provide real time data for the USGS hydrologists and in the laboratories at UNLV. Over 2,500 analyses were performed. This report provides the results of the laboratory experiments and literature reviews used to evaluate the potential tracers and reports on the results of the iodide C-well tracer test

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization study. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stetzenbach, K.; Farnham, I.

1996-06-01

Extensive tracer testing is expected to take place at the C-well complex in the Nevada Test Site as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The C-well complex consists of one pumping well, C3, and two injection wells, C1 and C2 into which tracer will be introduced. The goal of this research was to provide USGS with numerous tracers to completed these tests. Several classes of fluorinated organic acids have been evaluated. These include numerous isomers of fluorinated benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and salicylic acids. Also several derivatives of 2-hydroxy nicotinic acid (pyridone) have been tested. The stability of these compounds was determined using batch and column tests. Ames testing (mutagenicity/carcinogenicity) was conducted on the fluorinated benzoic acids and a literature review of toxicity of the fluorobenzoates and three perfluoro aliphatic acids was prepared. Solubilities were measured and method development work was performed to optimize the detection of these compounds. A Quality Assurance (QA) Program was developed under existing DOE and USGS guidelines. The program includes QA procedures and technical standard operating procedures. A tracer test, using sodium iodide, was performed at the C-well complex. HRC chemists performed analyses on site, to provide real time data for the USGS hydrologists and in the laboratories at UNLV. Over 2,500 analyses were performed. This report provides the results of the laboratory experiments and literature reviews used to evaluate the potential tracers and reports on the results of the iodide C-well tracer test.

Tritium and deuterium as water tracers in hydrologic systems. Completion report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, G.L.; Stetson, J.R.

1975-05-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of deuterium and tritium as tracers to depict water and pollutant movement in porous media. This involved studying the interaction of these tracers with soil materials and evaluating this interaction in terms of retardation in tracer flow velocity, compared to bulk water flow. Previous work had suggested that tritium and deuterium interact with soils and are removed from tracer solution during flow. The data presented clearly show that a tracing front becomes diluted in tracer during infiltration into oven-dried soil. There appears to be very little difference between the degree of tritium and deuterium interaction. The source of interaction is demonstrated to be primarily hydroxyl associated with the clay minerals. These exchange sites are destroyed by heating soil to 70C which eliminates tracer loss during infiltration

Data on the solute concentration within the subsurface flows of Little Lost Man Creek in response to a transport experiment, Redwood National Park, northwest California

Science.gov (United States)

Zellweger, Gary W.; Kennedy, V.C.; Bencala, K.E.; Avanzino, R.J.; Jackman, A.P.; Triska, F.J.

1986-01-01

A solute transport experiment was conducted on a 327-m reach of Little Lost Man Creek, a small stream in Humboldt County, California. Solutes were injected for 20 days. Chloride was used as a conservative tracer; lithium, potassium, and strontium were used as reactive tracers. In addition, nitrate and phosphate were added as biological reactants. Eighteen shallow wells were dug along the length of the study reach, 1-10 m laterally from the edge of the stream. The wells and sites in the stream were monitored for the injected solutes during and after the injection. Solute concentrations in the wells and stream are indicative of transport properties of stream and subsurface channel flow. This report presents the results of the analyses of the well samples and chemical data relevant to the interpretation of hydrological and chemical interaction between the stream and adjacent channel subsurface flows in the streambed. Calculations of the percentage of streamwater in the wellwater were made from conservative tracer measurements. The composition of wellwater ranged from 47% to 100% streamwater with most values above 90%. The time for water to travel from the beginning of the study reach to the wells was approximately three times as great as the travel time in the stream at the same distance down the reach. The three conclusions that can be drawn are (1) water in the stream exchanges extensively with water in the rest of the channel; (2) the interstitial water in the channel gravels achieves almost the same composition as the stream; and (3) under low flow conditions the stream gravels contain a significant portion of the stream volume. Plots of normalized chloride, lithium, and strontium concentrations at three stream sites are included. (Author 's abstract)

Analysis of some laboratory tracer runs in natural fissures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, L.; Neretnieks, I.

1984-01-01

Tracer tests in natural fissures performed in the laboratory are analysed by means of fitting two different models. In the experiments, sorbing and non-sorbing tracers were injected into a natural fissure running parallel to the axis of a drill core. The models take into account advection, diffusion into the rock matrix, sorption onto the rock surface and dispersion. For the last mechanism, one of the models considers hydrodynamic dispersion while the other model assumes channeling dispersion. The models take into account time delays in the inlet and outlet channels. The dispersion characteristics and water residence time were determined from the experiments with non-sorbing tracers. Surface and volume sorption coefficients and data on diffusion into the rock matrix were determined for the sorbing tracers. The results are compared with values independently determined in the laboratory. Good agreement was obtained using either model. When these models are used for prediction of tracer transport over larger distances, the results will depend on the model. The model with channeling dispersion will show a greater dispersion than the model with hydrodynamic dispersion. (author)

New SPECT and PET dementia tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vergote, J.; Chalon, S.; Emond, P.; Vercouillie, J.; Guilloteau, D.; Vergote, J.; Guilloteau, D.; Pappata, J.S.

2009-01-01

Single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are techniques to study in vivo neurotransmitter systems, neuro inflammation and amyloid deposits in normal human brain and in dementia. These methods used to explore the integrity of dopaminergic, cholinergic and serotonergic systems in Alzheimer's disease and in other dementias allowed to understand how the neurotransmission was modified in these disorders. Progress in the understanding of pathophysiological and clinical signs of dementia requires an evolution of the radioligands used to carry out an increasingly early and differential diagnosis in addition to monitoring the progression of disease and the effects of therapies. New emerging radiotracers for neuro inflammation or amyloid deposits are essential. In this article, new SPECT and PET tracers are presented. (authors)

The Stream-Catchment (StreamCat) and Lake-Catchment ...

Science.gov (United States)

Background/Question/MethodsLake and stream conditions respond to both natural and human-related landscape features. Characterizing these features within contributing areas (i.e., delineated watersheds) of streams and lakes could improve our understanding of how biological conditions vary spatially and improve the use, management, and restoration of these aquatic resources. However, the specialized geospatial techniques required to define and characterize stream and lake watersheds has limited their widespread use in both scientific and management efforts at large spatial scales. We developed the StreamCat and LakeCat Datasets to model, predict, and map the probable biological conditions of streams and lakes across the conterminous US (CONUS). Both StreamCat and LakeCat contain watershed-level characterizations of several hundred natural (e.g., soils, geology, climate, and land cover) and anthropogenic (e.g., urbanization, agriculture, mining, and forest management) landscape features for ca. 2.6 million stream segments and 376,000 lakes across the CONUS, respectively. These datasets can be paired with field samples to provide independent variables for modeling and other analyses. We paired 1,380 stream and 1,073 lake samples from the USEPAs National Aquatic Resource Surveys with StreamCat and LakeCat and used random forest (RF) to model and then map an invertebrate condition index and chlorophyll a concentration, respectively. Results/ConclusionsThe invertebrate

Radionuclides as tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganatra, R.D.

1992-01-01

Importance of radioisotopes in medicine is because of their two characteristics: their biological behaviour is identical to their stable counterparts, and because they are radioactive their emissions can be detected by a suitable instrument. All isotopes of iodine will behave in the same way and will concentrate in the thyroid gland. There is no way of detecting the stable, natural iodine in the thyroid gland, but the presence of radioactive iodine can be detected externally in vivo by a detector. Thus, the radioactive iodine becomes a tracer, a sport of a spy, which mimics the behaviour of natural iodine and relays information to a detector. The radioactive tracers are popular because of the ease with which they can be detected in vivo and the fact that the measurement of their presence in the body can be in quantitative terms. The measurement can be very accurate and sensitive. Whenever the measurements can be done in vivo, the information is obtained in dynamic terms, as it is happening, as if the physiological events become transparent

The fluorescent tracer experiment on Holiday Beach near Mugu Canyon, Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsman, Nicole; Xu, J. P.

2012-01-01

After revisiting sand tracer techniques originally developed in the 1960s, a range of fluorescent coating formulations were tested in the laboratory. Explicit steps are presented for the preparation of the formulation evaluated to have superior attributes, a thermoplastic pigment/dye in a colloidal mixture with a vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer. In September 2010, 0.59 cubic meters of fluorescent tracer material was injected into the littoral zone about 4 kilometers upcoast of Mugu submarine canyon in California. The movement of tracer was monitored in three dimensions over the course of 4 days using manual and automated techniques. Detailed observations of the tracer's behavior in the coastal zone indicate that this tracer successfully mimicked the native beach sand and similar methods could be used to validate models of tracer movement in this type of environment. Recommendations including how to time successful tracer studies and how to scale the field of view of automated camera systems are presented along with the advantages and disadvantages of the described tracer methodology.

Enhanced Oil Recovery: Aqueous Flow Tracer Measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joseph Rovani; John Schabron

2009-02-01

A low detection limit analytical method was developed to measure a suite of benzoic acid and fluorinated benzoic acid compounds intended for use as tracers for enhanced oil recovery operations. Although the new high performance liquid chromatography separation successfully measured the tracers in an aqueous matrix at low part per billion levels, the low detection limits could not be achieved in oil field water due to interference problems with the hydrocarbon-saturated water using the system's UV detector. Commercial instrument vendors were contacted in an effort to determine if mass spectrometry could be used as an alternate detection technique. The results of their work demonstrate that low part per billion analysis of the tracer compounds in oil field water could be achieved using ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

Dynamics and mechanics of bed-load tracer particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. B. Phillips

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding the mechanics of bed load at the flood scale is necessary to link hydrology to landscape evolution. Here we report on observations of the transport of coarse sediment tracer particles in a cobble-bedded alluvial river and a step-pool bedrock tributary, at the individual flood and multi-annual timescales. Tracer particle data for each survey are composed of measured displacement lengths for individual particles, and the number of tagged particles mobilized. For single floods we find that measured tracer particle displacement lengths are exponentially distributed; the number of mobile particles increases linearly with peak flood Shields stress, indicating partial bed load transport for all observed floods; and modal displacement distances scale linearly with excess shear velocity. These findings provide quantitative field support for a recently proposed modeling framework based on momentum conservation at the grain scale. Tracer displacement is weakly negatively correlated with particle size at the individual flood scale; however cumulative travel distance begins to show a stronger inverse relation to grain size when measured over many transport events. The observed spatial sorting of tracers approaches that of the river bed, and is consistent with size-selective deposition models and laboratory experiments. Tracer displacement data for the bedrock and alluvial channels collapse onto a single curve – despite more than an order of magnitude difference in channel slope – when variations of critical Shields stress and flow resistance between the two are accounted for. Results show how bed load dynamics may be predicted from a record of river stage, providing a direct link between climate and sediment transport.

Effects of Gravel Bars on Nutrient Spiraling in Bedrock-Alluvium Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Iobst, B. R.; Carroll, E. P.; Furbish, D. J.

2007-05-01

The importance of the connection between nutrient transport and local stream geomorphology is becoming increasingly important. Studies have shown that the interconnectivity of nutrient cycles in the downstream direction is in part controlled by the distribution and size of gravel bars in low order streams, as hyporheic flow occurs dominantly through alternate and mid-channel gravel bars. For this investigation multiple gravel bars in a 3rd order bedrock-alluvium stream were studied to determine general relationships between nutrient spiraling and hyporheic flow. The first goal was to understand (1) the extent to which water moves through hyporheic zones and (2) the basic chemistry of the hyporheic water. The second part of the study was to understand how nutrients, notably nitrogen, are affected in their cycling by the relatively long residence times encountered in gravel bars during hyporheic flow. Wells were installed along a 600 m reach of Panther Creek, KY in selected bars, as well as in a secondary location involving a grid installation pattern in one large bar. Results have shown that hyporheic flow through gravel bars is an important factor in influencing stream chemistry. Background water chemistry surveys have shown that certain parameters, specifically ammonium and nitrogen concentrations vary downstream, and that the dominant control over these changes is gravel bar location. Rhodamine WT was used in field tracer tests to track the travel times of water through bars as well as partitioning of water between the open channel and hyporheic flows. Further tests will be conducted utilizing a stable isotope study to determine how nitrogen is affected by hyporheic flow, and what implications this has for nutrient transport. We expect results to show that the spacing and size of gravel bars is a dominant control in key nutrient spiraling parameters, namely uptake lengths and overall nitrogen cycling rates. This has implications for how natural systems will

Methods for conduct of atmospheric tracer studies at ANSTO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, G H; Stone, D J.M.; Pascoe, J H [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia). Environment Division

2000-07-01

A perfluorocarbon atmospheric tracer system has been developed to investigate atmospheric dispersion processes in the region surrounding the Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre. This report discusses the tracer release, sampling and analysis methods.

Stratospheric temperatures and tracer transport in a nudged 4-year middle atmosphere GCM simulation

Science.gov (United States)

van Aalst, M. K.; Lelieveld, J.; Steil, B.; Brühl, C.; Jöckel, P.; Giorgetta, M. A.; Roelofs, G.-J.

2005-02-01

We have performed a 4-year simulation with the Middle Atmosphere General Circulation Model MAECHAM5/MESSy, while slightly nudging the model's meteorology in the free troposphere (below 113 hPa) towards ECMWF analyses. We show that the nudging 5 technique, which leaves the middle atmosphere almost entirely free, enables comparisons with synoptic observations. The model successfully reproduces many specific features of the interannual variability, including details of the Antarctic vortex structure. In the Arctic, the model captures general features of the interannual variability, but falls short in reproducing the timing of sudden stratospheric warmings. A 10 detailed comparison of the nudged model simulations with ECMWF data shows that the model simulates realistic stratospheric temperature distributions and variabilities, including the temperature minima in the Antarctic vortex. Some small (a few K) model biases were also identified, including a summer cold bias at both poles, and a general cold bias in the lower stratosphere, most pronounced in midlatitudes. A comparison 15 of tracer distributions with HALOE observations shows that the model successfully reproduces specific aspects of the instantaneous circulation. The main tracer transport deficiencies occur in the polar lowermost stratosphere. These are related to the tropopause altitude as well as the tracer advection scheme and model resolution. The additional nudging of equatorial zonal winds, forcing the quasi-biennial oscillation, sig20 nificantly improves stratospheric temperatures and tracer distributions.

Streaming Pool: reuse, combine and create reactive streams with pleasure

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

When connecting together heterogeneous and complex systems, it is not easy to exchange data between components. Streams of data are successfully used in industry in order to overcome this problem, especially in the case of "live" data. Streams are a specialization of the Observer design pattern and they provide asynchronous and non-blocking data flow. The ongoing effort of the ReactiveX initiative is one example that demonstrates how demanding this technology is even for big companies. Bridging the discrepancies of different technologies with common interfaces is already done by the Reactive Streams initiative and, in the JVM world, via reactive-streams-jvm interfaces. Streaming Pool is a framework for providing and discovering reactive streams. Through the mechanism of dependency injection provided by the Spring Framework, Streaming Pool provides a so called Discovery Service. This object can discover and chain streams of data that are technologically agnostic, through the use of Stream IDs. The stream to ...

Evaluation of Parameter Uncertainty Reduction in Groundwater Flow Modeling Using Multiple Environmental Tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, B. W.; Gardner, P.

2013-12-01

Calibration of groundwater flow models for the purpose of evaluating flow and aquifer heterogeneity typically uses observations of hydraulic head in wells and appropriate boundary conditions. Environmental tracers have a wide variety of decay rates and input signals in recharge, resulting in a potentially broad source of additional information to constrain flow rates and heterogeneity. A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the reduction in uncertainty during model calibration using observations of various environmental tracers and combinations of tracers. A synthetic data set was constructed by simulating steady groundwater flow and transient tracer transport in a high-resolution, 2-D aquifer with heterogeneous permeability and porosity using the PFLOTRAN software code. Data on pressure and tracer concentration were extracted at well locations and then used as observations for automated calibration of a flow and transport model using the pilot point method and the PEST code. Optimization runs were performed to estimate parameter values of permeability at 30 pilot points in the model domain for cases using 42 observations of: 1) pressure, 2) pressure and CFC11 concentrations, 3) pressure and Ar-39 concentrations, and 4) pressure, CFC11, Ar-39, tritium, and He-3 concentrations. Results show significantly lower uncertainty, as indicated by the 95% linear confidence intervals, in permeability values at the pilot points for cases including observations of environmental tracer concentrations. The average linear uncertainty range for permeability at the pilot points using pressure observations alone is 4.6 orders of magnitude, using pressure and CFC11 concentrations is 1.6 orders of magnitude, using pressure and Ar-39 concentrations is 0.9 order of magnitude, and using pressure, CFC11, Ar-39, tritium, and He-3 concentrations is 1.0 order of magnitude. Data on Ar-39 concentrations result in the greatest parameter uncertainty reduction because its half-life of 269

A model for the origin of solar wind stream interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hundhausen, A.J.; Burlaga, L.F.

1975-01-01

The basic variations in solar wind properties that have been observed at 'stream interfaces' near 1 AU are explained by a gas dynamic model in which a radially propagating stream, produced by a temperature variation in the solar envelope, steepens nonlinearly while moving through interplanetary space. The region thus identified with the stream interface separates the ambient solar wind from the fresh hot material originally in the stream. However, the interface regions given by the present model are thicker than most stream interfaces observed in the solar wind, a fact suggesting that some additional physical process may be important in determining that thickness. Variations in the density, speed, or Alfven pressure alone appear not to produce streams with such an interface

Interaction between stream temperature, streamflow, and groundwater exchanges in alpine streams

Science.gov (United States)

Constantz, James E.

1998-01-01

Four alpine streams were monitored to continuously collect stream temperature and streamflow for periods ranging from a week to a year. In a small stream in the Colorado Rockies, diurnal variations in both stream temperature and streamflow were significantly greater in losing reaches than in gaining reaches, with minimum streamflow losses occurring early in the day and maximum losses occurring early in the evening. Using measured stream temperature changes, diurnal streambed infiltration rates were predicted to increase as much as 35% during the day (based on a heat and water transport groundwater model), while the measured increase in streamflow loss was 40%. For two large streams in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, annual stream temperature variations ranged from 0° to 25°C. In summer months, diurnal stream temperature variations were 30–40% of annual stream temperature variations, owing to reduced streamflows and increased atmospheric heating. Previous reports document that one Sierra stream site generally gains groundwater during low flows, while the second Sierra stream site may lose water during low flows. For August the diurnal streamflow variation was 11% at the gaining stream site and 30% at the losing stream site. On the basis of measured diurnal stream temperature variations, streambed infiltration rates were predicted to vary diurnally as much as 20% at the losing stream site. Analysis of results suggests that evapotranspiration losses determined diurnal streamflow variations in the gaining reaches, while in the losing reaches, evapotranspiration losses were compounded by diurnal variations in streambed infiltration. Diurnal variations in stream temperature were reduced in the gaining reaches as a result of discharging groundwater of relatively constant temperature. For the Sierra sites, comparison of results with those from a small tributary demonstrated that stream temperature patterns were useful in delineating discharges of bank storage following

Using Video to Communicate Scientific Findings -- Habitat Connections in Urban Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Harned, D. A.; Moorman, M.; Fitzpatrick, F. A.; McMahon, G.

2011-12-01

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) provides information about (1) water-quality conditions and how those conditions vary locally, regionally, and nationally, (2) water-quality trends, and (3) factors that affect those conditions. As part of the NAWQA Program, the Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems (EUSE) study examined the vulnerability and resilience of streams to urbanization. Completion of the EUSE study has resulted in over 20 scientific publications. Video podcasts are being used in addition to these publications to communicate the relevance of these scientific findings to more general audiences such as resource managers, educational groups, public officials, and the general public. An example of one of the podcasts is a film examining effects of urbanization on stream habitat. "Habitat Connections in Urban Streams" explores how urbanization changes some of the physical features that provide in-stream habitat and examines examples of stream restoration projects designed to improve stream form and function. The "connections" theme is emphasized, including the connection of in-stream habitats from the headwaters to the stream mouth; connections between stream habitat and the surrounding floodplains, wetlands and basin; and connections between streams and people-- resource managers, public officials, scientists, and the general public. Examples of innovative stream restoration projects in Baltimore Maryland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland Oregon are shown with interviews of managers, engineers, scientists, and others describing the projects. The film is combined with a website with links to extended film versions of the stream-restoration project interviews. The website and films are an example of USGS efforts aimed at improving science communication to a general audience. The film is available for access from the EUSE website: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/html/podcasts.html. Additional films are

Verification of mid-ocean ballast water exchange using naturally occurring coastal tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, Kathleen; Boehme, Jennifer; Coble, Paula; Cullen, Jay; Field, Paul; Moore, Willard; Perry, Elgin; Sherrell, Robert; Ruiz, Gregory

2004-04-01

We examined methods for verifying whether or not ships have performed mid-ocean ballast water exchange (BWE) on four commercial vessels operating in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. During BWE, a ship replaces the coastal water in its ballast tanks with water drawn from the open ocean, which is considered to harbor fewer organisms capable of establishing in coastal environments. We measured concentrations of several naturally occurring chemical tracers (salinity, six trace elements, colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence and radium isotopes) along ocean transects and in ballast tanks subjected to varying degrees of BWE (0-99%). Many coastal tracers showed significant concentration changes due to BWE, and our ability to detect differences between exchanged and unexchanged ballast tanks was greatest under multivariate analysis. An expanded dataset, which includes additional geographic regions, is now needed to test the generality of our results.

Verification of mid-ocean ballast water exchange using naturally occurring coastal tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, Kathleen; Boehme, Jennifer; Coble, Paula; Cullen, Jay; Field, Paul; Moore, Willard; Perry, Elgin; Sherrell, Robert; Ruiz, Gregory

2004-01-01

We examined methods for verifying whether or not ships have performed mid-ocean ballast water exchange (BWE) on four commercial vessels operating in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. During BWE, a ship replaces the coastal water in its ballast tanks with water drawn from the open ocean, which is considered to harbor fewer organisms capable of establishing in coastal environments. We measured concentrations of several naturally occurring chemical tracers (salinity, six trace elements, colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence and radium isotopes) along ocean transects and in ballast tanks subjected to varying degrees of BWE (0-99%). Many coastal tracers showed significant concentration changes due to BWE, and our ability to detect differences between exchanged and unexchanged ballast tanks was greatest under multivariate analysis. An expanded dataset, which includes additional geographic regions, is now needed to test the generality of our results

Molecular dynamics investigation of tracer diffusion in a simple liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ould-Kaddour, F.; Barrat, J.L.

1991-05-01

Extensive Molecular-Dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out for a model trace-solvent system made up of 100 solvent molecules and 8 tracer molecules interacting through truncated Lennard-Jones potentials. The influence of the size ratio between solute and solvent, of their mass ratio and of the solvent viscosity on the diffusivity of a small tracer were investigated. Positive deviations from a Stokes-Einstein behaviour are observed, in qualitative agreement with experimental observations. It was also observed that as tracer and solvent become increasingly dissimilar, their respective dynamics becomes decoupled. We suggest that such decouplings can be interpreted by writing their mobility of the tracer as the sum of two terms, the first one arising from a coupling between tracer dynamics and hydrodynamics modes of the solvent, and the second one describing jump motion in a locally nearly frozen environment. (author). 17 refs, 4 figs, 6 tabs

Geologic flow characterization using tracer techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klett, R.D.; Tyner, C.E.; Hertel, E.S. Jr.

1981-04-01

A new tracer flow-test system has been developed for in situ characterization of geologic formations. This report describes two sets of test equipment: one portable and one for testing in deep formations. Equations are derived for in situ detector calibration, raw data reduction, and flow logging. Data analysis techniques are presented for computing porosity and permeability in unconfined isotropic media, and porosity, permeability and fracture characteristics in media with confined or unconfined two-dimensional flow. The effects of tracer pulse spreading due to divergence, dispersion, and porous formations are also included

A comparison of measurements and calculations for the Stripa tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgkinson, D.P.; Copper, N.S.

1992-03-01

This paper presents a comparison of measurements and predictions for migration of tracers from boreholes to the validation drift and to other boreholes in the Site Characterisation and Validation (SCV) block. The comparison was carried out on behalf of the Stripa task force on fracture flow modelling. The paper summarises the radar/saline tracer experiments, the tracer migration experiment observations and reviews the fracture flow and tracer transport modelling approaches and predictions made by AEA Technology, Fracflow Consultants, Golder Associates and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The predictions are compared with the observed breakthrough curves on the basis of the validation process and criteria defined by the task force. The results of all four modelling groups met the validation criteria, with the predictions of the tracer breakthrough concentrations and times being within an order of magnitude of the observations. Also the AEA and Golder approaches allow the spatial distribution of tracer breakthrough into the validation drift to be predicted and these predictions also showed reasonable accuracy. The successful completion of this project demonstrates the feasibility of discrete fracture flow and tracer transport modelling. (36 refs.) (au)

Isotopic and geochemical tracers for fingerprinting process-affected waters in the oil sands industry: a pilot study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gibson, J.J.; Birks, S.J.; Moncur, M.; Yi, Y.; Tattrie, K.; Jasechko, S.; Richardson, K.; Eby, P. [Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures (Canada)

2011-04-15

During 2009 and 2010, Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures carried out a pilot study for Alberta Environment to examine the possibility of labeling process affected water from oil sands operations with isotropic and geochemical tracers. For the study, 3 oil sands operators furnished logistical support and personnel, 39 samples were gathered and several isotope tracers were measured. In addition, geotechnical analyses were performed and the presence of organic compounds in the samples was scanned using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Results showed that the selected tracers were able to label water sources in some locations, however they cannot be used as a universal method and a case by case approach needs to be adopted. This study pointed out that Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry is the best way to construct a dataset for use in identification of process affected waters.

Drag reduction by natural polymeric additives in PMDS microchannel: Effect of types of additives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Fiona W.M.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Drag reduction technology was used in medical applications to enhance the blood flow in semiclogged blood streams which can be an alternative treatment for atherosclerosis. In this present study, natural polymeric drag reducing additives (DRA was introduced to replace synthetic polymer which has the possibility of bringing side effects to human health. Three different sources, namely okra, aloe vera and hibiscus were utilized to extract the natural polymeric additives which were then tested in custom made microchannel simulating human heart blood vessels. The performance of different types of additives was evaluated using pressure measurements. The maximum drag reduction up to 63.48% is achieved using 300 ppm of hibiscus mucilage at operating pressure of 50 mbar. In this present work, hibiscus showed the best drag reduction performance, giving the highest %FI in most of the cases. This experimental results proved that these natural polymeric additives could be utilized as DRA in enhancing the blood flow in semiclogged blood streams.

A tracer liquid image velocimetry for multi-layer radial flow in bioreactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yu-Bao; Liang, Jiu-Xing; Luo, Yu-Xi; Yan, Jia

2015-02-13

This paper presents a Tracer Liquid Image Velocimetry (TLIV) for multi-layer radial flow in bioreactors used for cells cultivation of tissue engineering. The goal of this approach is to use simple devices to get good measuring precision, specialized for the case in which the uniform level of fluid shear stress was required while fluid velocity varied smoothly. Compared to the widely used Particles Image Velocimetry (PIV), this method adopted a bit of liquid as tracer, without the need of laser source. Sub-pixel positioning algorithm was used to overcome the adverse effects of the tracer liquid deformation. In addition, a neighborhood smoothing algorithm was used to restrict the measurement perturbation caused by diffusion. Experiments were carried out in a parallel plates flow chamber. And mathematical models of the flow chamber and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation were separately employed to validate the measurement precision of TLIV. The mean relative error between the simulated and measured data can be less than 2%, while in similar validations using PIV, the error was around 8.8%. TLIV avoided the contradiction between the particles' visibility and following performance with tested fluid, which is difficult to overcome in PIV. And TLIV is easier to popularize for its simple experimental condition and low cost.

Guidebook on radioisotope tracers in industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The idea of using tracers (chemical, dyes, etc.) in the investigation of complex physical phenomena has always attracted the attention of scientists and engineers. When radioactive isotopes became available it was immediately recognized that they offered an almost ideal solution to tracer selection. This book is devoted to reviewing the present status of the tracer method as such and to its applications to those branches of industry which have derived large benefits from the use of this modern technology. The main objectives of the IAEA's Industrial Applications and Chemistry Section is to help Member States in introducing to their own industries the different isotope and radiation techniques which have become available as a result of developments in the nuclear sciences. This section proposed the preparation of this guidebook, putting together various radiotracer methods and the experience obtained so far in their industrial use. Chapters 2 to 4 cover the general concept of tracers, technology and safety aspects, as well as data evaluation and interpretation. In chapter 5, therefore, general applications are discussed. In chapter 6, specialists in selected fields discuss their experience in radiotracer applications in various types of industrial activity. Most case studies are illustrated by at least one detailed example of an experiment carried out at an industrial installation. Current trends in the development of radiotracer methods are discussed in chapter 7, from both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint. Some possible new RTT applications in the future are also discussed here. Sealed radioactive sources are used almost as often as radioisotope tracers in industrial measurements. Annex I gives a short review of these techniques. Readers who are interested in the basic principles of radioisotope production will find the necessary information in Annex II. Annexes III, V and VI provide a demonstration of fundamental relations and properties; useful

Peak and Tail Scaling of Breakthrough Curves in Hydrologic Tracer Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Aquino, T.; Aubeneau, A. F.; Bolster, D.

2014-12-01

Power law tails, a marked signature of anomalous transport, have been observed in solute breakthrough curves time and time again in a variety of hydrologic settings, including in streams. However, due to the low concentrations at which they occur they are notoriously difficult to measure with confidence. This leads us to ask if there are other associated signatures of anomalous transport that can be sought. We develop a general stochastic transport framework and derive an asymptotic relation between the tail scaling of a breakthrough curve for a conservative tracer at a fixed downstream position and the scaling of the peak concentration of breakthrough curves as a function of downstream position, demonstrating that they provide equivalent information. We then quantify the relevant spatiotemporal scales for the emergence of this asymptotic regime, where the relationship holds, in the context of a very simple model that represents transport in an idealized river. We validate our results using random walk simulations. The potential experimental benefits and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Rotenone persistence model for montane streams

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Peter J.; Zale, Alexander V.

2012-01-01

The efficient and effective use of rotenone is hindered by its unknown persistence in streams. Environmental conditions degrade rotenone, but current label instructions suggest fortifying the chemical along a stream based on linear distance or travel time rather than environmental conditions. Our objective was to develop models that use measurements of environmental conditions to predict rotenone persistence in streams. Detailed measurements of ultraviolet radiation, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, pH, oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), substrate composition, amount of organic matter, channel slope, and travel time were made along stream segments located between rotenone treatment stations and cages containing bioassay fish in six streams. The amount of fine organic matter, biofilm, sand, gravel, cobble, rubble, small boulders, slope, pH, TDS, ORP, light reaching the stream, energy dissipated, discharge, and cumulative travel time were each significantly correlated with fish death. By using logistic regression, measurements of environmental conditions were paired with the responses of bioassay fish to develop a model that predicted the persistence of rotenone toxicity in streams. This model was validated with data from two additional stream treatment reaches. Rotenone persistence was predicted by a model that used travel time, rubble, and ORP. When this model predicts a probability of less than 0.95, those who apply rotenone can expect incomplete eradication and should plan on fortifying rotenone concentrations. The significance of travel time has been previously identified and is currently used to predict rotenone persistence. However, rubble substrate, which may be associated with the degradation of rotenone by adsorption and volatilization in turbulent environments, was not previously considered.

Temporal scaling of groundwater level fluctuations near a stream

Science.gov (United States)

Schilling, K.E.; Zhang, Y.-K.

2012-01-01

Temporal scaling in stream discharge and hydraulic heads in riparian wells was evaluated to determine the feasibility of using spectral analysis to identify potential surface and groundwater interaction. In floodplains where groundwater levels respond rapidly to precipitation recharge, potential interaction is established if the hydraulic head (h) spectrum of riparian groundwater has a power spectral density similar to stream discharge (Q), exhibiting a characteristic breakpoint between high and low frequencies. At a field site in Walnut Creek watershed in central Iowa, spectral analysis of h in wells located 1 m from the channel edge showed a breakpoint in scaling very similar to the spectrum of Q (~20 h), whereas h in wells located 20 and 40 m from the channel showed temporal scaling from 1 to 10,000 h without a well-defined breakpoint. The spectral exponent (??) in the riparian zone decreased systematically from the channel into the floodplain as groundwater levels were increasingly dominated by white noise groundwater recharge. The scaling pattern of hydraulic head was not affected by land cover type, although the number of analyses was limited and site conditions were variable among sites. Spectral analysis would not replace quantitative tracer or modeling studies, but the method may provide a simple means of confirming potential interaction at some sites. ?? 2011, The Author(s). Ground Water ?? 2011, National Ground Water Association.

Stream habitat structure influences macroinvertebrate response to pesticides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jes; Wiberg-Larsen, Peter; Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette

2012-01-01

Agricultural pesticide contamination in surface waters is increasingly threatening to impair the surface water ecosystems. Agricultural streams are furthermore often heavily maintained to optimise the transport of water away from fields. The physical habitat degradation that result from heavy...... stream maintenance probably introduce additional stress that may act in concert with pesticide stress. We surveyed pesticide contamination and macroinvertebrate community structure in 14 streams along a gradient of expected pesticide exposure. A paired-reach approach was applied to differentiate...... the effects of pesticides between sites with degraded and more undisturbed physical properties. The effect of pesticides on macroinvertebrate communities (measured as the relative abundance of SPEcies At Risk) was increased at stream sites with degraded physical habitats primarily due to the absence...

Implementation and Analysis of Real-Time Streaming Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos-González, Iván; Rivero-García, Alexandra; Molina-Gil, Jezabel; Caballero-Gil, Pino

2017-04-12

Communication media have become the primary way of interaction thanks to the discovery and innovation of many new technologies. One of the most widely used communication systems today is video streaming, which is constantly evolving. Such communications are a good alternative to face-to-face meetings, and are therefore very useful for coping with many problems caused by distance. However, they suffer from different issues such as bandwidth limitation, network congestion, energy efficiency, cost, reliability and connectivity. Hence, the quality of service and the quality of experience are considered the two most important issues for this type of communication. This work presents a complete comparative study of two of the most used protocols of video streaming, Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and the Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC). In addition, this paper proposes two new mobile applications that implement those protocols in Android whose objective is to know how they are influenced by the aspects that most affect the streaming quality of service, which are the connection establishment time and the stream reception time. The new video streaming applications are also compared with the most popular video streaming applications for Android, and the experimental results of the analysis show that the developed WebRTC implementation improves the performance of the most popular video streaming applications with respect to the stream packet delay.

Nanoparticle tracers in calcium carbonate porous media

KAUST Repository

Li, Yan Vivian

2014-07-15

Tracers are perhaps the most direct way of diagnosing subsurface fluid flow pathways for ground water decontamination and for natural gas and oil production. Nanoparticle tracers could be particularly effective because they do not diffuse away from the fractures or channels where flow occurs and thus take much less time to travel between two points. In combination with a chemical tracer they can measure the degree of flow concentration. A prerequisite for tracer applications is that the particles are not retained in the porous media as the result of aggregation or sticking to mineral surfaces. By screening eight nanoparticles (3-100 nm in diameter) for retention when passed through calcium carbonate packed laboratory columns in artificial oil field brine solutions of variable ionic strength we show that the nanoparticles with the least retention are 3 nm in diameter, nearly uncharged, and decorated with highly hydrophilic polymeric ligands. The details of these column experiments and the tri-modal distribution of zeta potential of the calcite sand particles in the brine used in our tests suggests that parts of the calcite surface have positive zeta potential and the retention of negatively charged nanoparticles occurs at these sites. Only neutral nanoparticles are immune to at least some retention. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media.

Field measurements of tracer gas transport by barometric pumping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagus, P.L.; McKinnis, W.B.; Hearst, J.R.; Burkhard, N.R.; Smith, C.F.

1994-01-01

Vertical gas motions induced by barometric pressure variations can carry radioactive gases out of the rubblized region produced by an underground nuclear explosion, through overburden rock, into the atmosphere. To better quantify transit time and amount of transport, field experiments were conducted at two sites on Pahute Mesa, Kapelli and Tierra, where radioactive gases had been earlier detected in surface cracks. At each site, two tracer gases were injected into the rubblized chimney 300-400 m beneath the surface and their arrival was monitored by concentration measurements in gas samples extracted from shallow collection holes. The first ''active'' tracer was driven by a large quantity of injected air; the second ''passive'' tracer was introduced with minimal gas drive to observe the natural transport by barometric pumping. Kapelli was injected in the fall of 1990, followed by Tierra in the fall of 1991. Data was collected at both sites through the summer of 1993. At both sites, no surface arrival of tracer was observed during the active phase of the experiment despite the injection of several million cubic feet of air, suggesting that cavity pressurization is likely to induce horizontal transport along high permeability layers rather than vertical transport to the surface. In contrast, the vertical pressure gradients associated with barometric pumping brought both tracers to the surface in comparable concentrations within three months at Kapelli, whereas 15 months elapsed before surface arrival at Tierra. At Kapelli, a quasisteady pumping regime was established, with tracer concentrations in effluent gases 1000 times smaller than concentrations thought to exist in the chimney. Tracer concentrations observed at Tierra were typically an order of magnitude smaller. Comparisons with theoretical calculations suggest that the gases are traveling through ∼1 millimeter vertical fractures spaced 2 to 4 meters apart. 6 refs., 18 figs., 3 tabs

Low-cost, High Flexibility I-V Curve Tracer for Photovoltaic Modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibirriaga, Julen Joseba Maestro; Pena, Xabier Miquelez de Mendiluce; Opritescu, Adrian

2010-01-01

This work presents the design, construction and test of an in-door low cost, high flexibility I-V curve tracer for photovoltaic modules. The tracer is connected to a Xenon lamp based flashing solar simulator. The designed tracer is able to deal with the very fast changing irradiation conditions...

Dual-gas tracers for subsurface characterization and NAPL detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauglitz, P.A.; Peurrung, L.M.; Mendoza, D.P.; Pillay, G.

1994-11-01

Effective design of in situ remediation technologies often requires an understanding of the mass transfer limitations that control the removal of contaminants from the soil. In addition, the presence of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in soils will affect the ultimate success or failure of remediation processes. Knowing the location of NAPLs within the subsurface is critical to designing the most effective remediation approach. This work focuses on demonstrating that gas tracers can detect the location of the NAPLs in the subsurface and elucidating the mass transfer limitations associated with the removal of contaminants from soils

Our experience of blood flow measurements using radioactive tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danet, Bernard.

1974-01-01

A critical study of blood flow measuring methods is proposed. After a review of the various diffusible and non-diffusible radioactive tracers and the corresponding detector systems, the principles which allow to measure blood flow from the data so obtained, are studied. There is a different principle of flow measurement for each type of tracer. The theory of flow measurement using non-diffusible tracers (human serum albumin labelled with 131 I or sup(99m)Tc, 113 In-labelled siderophiline) and its application to cardiac flow measurement are described first. Then the theory of flow measurement using diffusible tracers ( 133 Xe, 85 Kr) and its application to measurement of blood flow through tissues (muscles and kidney particularly) are described. A personal experience of this various flow measurements is reported. The results obtained, the difficulties encountered and the improvments proposed are developed [fr

Analysis of infiltration through mill tailings using a bromide tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, G.J.; Stephens, D.B.

1985-01-01

Infiltration of precipitation into tailings impoundments as a means of recharge to underlying materials is often considered insignificant, particularly in arid and semi-arid environments. A series of experiments was performed to investigate the behavior of infiltrated precipitation into tailing soils, by the use of a bromide tracer. A bromide tracer was applied to the surface of columns driven into the tailings to monitor downward advancement of tracer-laden water. Controlled laboratory experiments on the behavior of the bromide tracer under varying precipitation events and initial soil moisture contents were also conducted. Results indicate that a definite downward migration of infiltrated precipitation occurs, particularly with large magnitude precipitation events, and that, eventually, some fraction of the infiltrated precipitation may continue downward below the zone affected by evaporation. The use of an artificially applied bromide tracer to monitor depth of infiltration of precipitation is a simple, safe technique that can provide valuable information for long-term tailings management strategies at low cost

StreamMap: Smooth Dynamic Visualization of High-Density Streaming Points.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chenhui; Baciu, George; Han, Yu

2018-03-01

Interactive visualization of streaming points for real-time scatterplots and linear blending of correlation patterns is increasingly becoming the dominant mode of visual analytics for both big data and streaming data from active sensors and broadcasting media. To better visualize and interact with inter-stream patterns, it is generally necessary to smooth out gaps or distortions in the streaming data. Previous approaches either animate the points directly or present a sampled static heat-map. We propose a new approach, called StreamMap, to smoothly blend high-density streaming points and create a visual flow that emphasizes the density pattern distributions. In essence, we present three new contributions for the visualization of high-density streaming points. The first contribution is a density-based method called super kernel density estimation that aggregates streaming points using an adaptive kernel to solve the overlapping problem. The second contribution is a robust density morphing algorithm that generates several smooth intermediate frames for a given pair of frames. The third contribution is a trend representation design that can help convey the flow directions of the streaming points. The experimental results on three datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of StreamMap when dynamic visualization and visual analysis of trend patterns on streaming points are required.

Slew-rate dependence of tracer magnetization response in magnetic particle imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Saqlain A.; Ferguson, R. M.; Krishnan, K. M.

2014-10-01

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a new biomedical imaging technique that produces real-time, high-resolution tomographic images of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle tracers. Currently, 25 kHz and 20 mT/μ0 excitation fields are common in MPI, but lower field amplitudes may be necessary for patient safety in future designs. Here, we address fundamental questions about MPI tracer magnetization dynamics and predict tracer performance in future scanners that employ new combinations of excitation field amplitude (Ho) and frequency (ω). Using an optimized, monodisperse MPI tracer, we studied how several combinations of drive field frequencies and amplitudes affect the tracer's response, using Magnetic Particle Spectrometry and AC hysteresis, for drive field conditions at 15.5, 26, and 40.2 kHz, with field amplitudes ranging from 7 to 52 mT/μ0. For both fluid and immobilized nanoparticle samples, we determined that magnetic response was dominated by Néel reversal. Furthermore, we observed that the peak slew-rate (ωHo) determined the tracer magnetic response. Smaller amplitudes provided correspondingly smaller field of view, sometimes resulting in excitation of minor hysteresis loops. Changing the drive field conditions but keeping the peak slew-rate constant kept the tracer response almost the same. Higher peak slew-rates led to reduced maximum signal intensity and greater coercivity in the tracer response. Our experimental results were in reasonable agreement with Stoner-Wohlfarth model based theories.

Minimum Additive Waste Stabilization (MAWS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-02-01

In the Minimum Additive Waste Stabilization(MAWS) concept, actual waste streams are utilized as additive resources for vitrification, which may contain the basic components (glass formers and fluxes) for making a suitable glass or glassy slag. If too much glass former is present, then the melt viscosity or temperature will be too high for processing; while if there is too much flux, then the durability may suffer. Therefore, there are optimum combinations of these two important classes of constituents depending on the criteria required. The challenge is to combine these resources in such a way that minimizes the use of non-waste additives yet yields a processable and durable final waste form for disposal. The benefit to this approach is that the volume of the final waste form is minimized (waste loading maximized) since little or no additives are used and vitrification itself results in volume reduction through evaporation of water, combustion of organics, and compaction of the solids into a non-porous glass. This implies a significant reduction in disposal costs due to volume reduction alone, and minimizes future risks/costs due to the long term durability and leach resistance of glass. This is accomplished by using integrated systems that are both cost-effective and produce an environmentally sound waste form for disposal. individual component technologies may include: vitrification; thermal destruction; soil washing; gas scrubbing/filtration; and, ion-exchange wastewater treatment. The particular combination of technologies will depend on the waste streams to be treated. At the heart of MAWS is vitrification technology, which incorporates all primary and secondary waste streams into a final, long-term, stabilized glass wasteform. The integrated technology approach, and view of waste streams as resources, is innovative yet practical to cost effectively treat a broad range of DOE mixed and low-level wastes

Estimation of the dilution field near a marine outfall by using effluent turbidity as an environmental tracer and comparison with dye tracer data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pecly, José Otavio Goulart

2018-01-01

The alternative use of effluent turbidity to determine the dilution field of a domestic marine outfall located off the city of Rio de Janeiro was evaluated through field work comprising fluorescent dye tracer injection and tracking with simultaneous monitoring of sea water turbidity. A preliminary laboratory assessment was carried out with a sample of the outfall effluent whose turbidity was measured by the nephelometric method before and during a serial dilution process. During the field campaign, the dye tracer was monitored with field fluorometers and the turbidity was observed with an optical backscattering sensor interfaced to an OEM data acquisition system. About 4,000 samples were gathered, covering an area of 3 km × 3 km near the outfall diffusers. At the far field - where a drift towards the coastline was observed - the effluent plume was adequately labeled by the dye tracer. The turbidity plume was biased due to the high and variable background turbidity of sea water. After processing the turbidity dataset with a baseline detrending method, the plume presented high correlation with the dye tracer plume drawn on the near dilution field. However, dye tracer remains more robust than effluent turbidity.

RESPONSE OF NUTRIENTS, BIOFILM, AND BENTHIC INSECTS TO SALMON CARCASS ADDITION

Science.gov (United States)

Salmon carcass addition to streams is expected to increase stream productivity at multiple trophic levels. This study examined stream nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon), epilithic biofilm (ash-free dry mass and chlorophyll a), leaf-litter decomposition, and macroinverte...

Tracer gas diffusion sampling test plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohay, V.J.

1993-01-01

Efforts are under way to employ active and passive vapor extraction to remove carbon tetrachloride from the soil in the 200 West Area an the Hanford Site as part of the 200 West Area Carbon Tetrachloride Expedited Response Action. In the active approach, a vacuum is applied to a well, which causes soil gas surrounding the well to be drawn up to the surface. The contaminated air is cleaned by passage through a granular activated carbon bed. There are questions concerning the radius of influence associated with application of the vacuum system and related uncertainties about the soil-gas diffusion rates with and without the vacuum system present. To address these questions, a series of tracer gas diffusion sampling tests is proposed in which an inert, nontoxic tracer gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), will be injected into a well, and the rates of SF 6 diffusion through the surrounding soil horizon will be measured by sampling in nearby wells. Tracer gas tests will be conducted at sites very near the active vacuum extraction system and also at sites beyond the radius of influence of the active vacuum system. In the passive vapor extraction approach, barometric pressure fluctuations cause soil gas to be drawn to the surface through the well. At the passive sites, the effects of barometric ''pumping'' due to changes in atmospheric pressure will be investigated. Application of tracer gas testing to both the active and passive vapor extraction methods is described in the wellfield enhancement work plan (Rohay and Cameron 1993)

Partitioning tracers for measuring residual NAPL: Field-scale test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Annable, M.D.; Rao, P.S.C.; Hatfield, K.; Graham, W.D.; Wood, A.L.; Enfield, C.G.

1998-01-01

The difficult task of locating and quantifying nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) present in the vadose and saturated zones has prompted the development of innovative, nondestructive characterization techniques. The use of the interwell partitioning tracer's (IWPT) test, in which tracers that partition into the NAPL phase are displaced through the aquifer, is an attractive alternative to traditional coring and analysis. The first field test of IWPT was conducted in a hydraulically isolated test cell to quantify the total amount of a complex NAPL (a mixture of JP-4 jet fuel and chlorinated solvents) trapped within a 1.5-m smear zone in a shallow, unconfined sand and gravel aquifer at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. Tracer breakthrough curves (BTCs) were measured in three extraction wells (EWs) following a tracer pulse introduction through four injection wells (IWs). The measured retardation of the partitioning tracer (2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanol) relative to the nonreactive tracer (bromide) was used to quantify the NAPL present. The EW data were used to estimate an average NAPL saturation of 4.6--5.4% within the test cell. NAPL saturations estimated by using measured concentrations in soil cores of two significant compounds present in the NAPL were 3.0 and 4.6%

Models for tracer flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuber, A.

1983-01-01

A review and discussion is given of mathematical models used for interpretation of tracer experiments in hydrology. For dispersion model, different initial and boundary conditions are related to different injection and detection modes. Examples of applications of various models are described and commented. (author)

Key aspects of stratospheric tracer modeling using assimilated winds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Bregman

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This study describes key aspects of global chemistry-transport models and their impact on stratospheric tracer transport. We concentrate on global models that use assimilated winds from numerical weather predictions, but the results also apply to tracer transport in general circulation models. We examined grid resolution, numerical diffusion, air parcel dispersion, the wind or mass flux update frequency, and time interpolation. The evaluation is performed with assimilated meteorology from the "operational analyses or operational data" (OD from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF. We also show the effect of the mass flux update frequency using the ECMWF 40-year re-analyses (ERA40. We applied the three-dimensional chemistry-transport Tracer Model version 5 (TM5 and a trajectory model and performed several diagnoses focusing on different transport regimes. Covering different time and spatial scales, we examined (1 polar vortex dynamics during the Arctic winter, (2 the large-scale stratospheric meridional circulation, and (3 air parcel dispersion in the tropical lower stratosphere. Tracer distributions inside the Arctic polar vortex show considerably worse agreement with observations when the model grid resolution in the polar region is reduced to avoid numerical instability. The results are sensitive to the diffusivity of the advection. Nevertheless, the use of a computational cheaper but diffusive advection scheme is feasible for tracer transport when the horizontal grid resolution is equal or smaller than 1 degree. The use of time interpolated winds improves the tracer distributions, particularly in the middle and upper stratosphere. Considerable improvement is found both in the large-scale tracer distribution and in the polar regions when the update frequency of the assimilated winds is increased from 6 to 3 h. It considerably reduces the vertical dispersion of air parcels in the tropical lower stratosphere. Strong

Tracer techniques in food industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pertsovskij, E.S.; Sakharov, Eh.V.; Dolinin, V.A.

1980-01-01

The appicability of radioactive tracer techniques to process control in food industry are considered. Investigations in the field of food industry carried out using the above method are classified. The 1 class included investigations with preliminary preparation of a radioactive indicator and its following introduction in the system studied. The 2 class includes investigations based on the introduction in the system studied of a non-active indicator which is activated in a neutron flux being in samples selected in or after the process investigated. The 3 class includes studies based on investigations of natural radioactivity of certain nuclides in food stuff. The application of tracer techniques to the above classes of investigations in various fields of food industry and the equipment applied are considered in detail [ru

Assessing preferential flow by simultaneously injecting nanoparticle and chemical tracers

KAUST Repository

Subramanian, S. K.; Li, Yan; Cathles, L. M.

2013-01-01

The exact manner in which preferential (e.g., much faster than average) flow occurs in the subsurface through small fractures or permeable connected pathways of other kinds is important to many processes but is difficult to determine, because most chemical tracers diffuse quickly enough from small flow channels that they appear to move more uniformly through the rock than they actually do. We show how preferential flow can be assessed by injecting 2 to 5 nm carbon particles (C-Dots) and an inert KBr chemical tracer at different flow rates into a permeable core channel that is surrounded by a less permeable matrix in laboratory apparatus of three different designs. When the KBr tracer has a long enough transit through the system to diffuse into the matrix, but the C-Dot tracer does not, the C-Dot tracer arrives first and the KBr tracer later, and the separation measures the degree of preferential flow. Tracer sequestration in the matrix can be estimated with a Peclet number, and this is useful for experiment design. A model is used to determine the best fitting core and matrix dispersion parameters and refine estimates of the core and matrix porosities. Almost the same parameter values explain all experiments. The methods demonstrated in the laboratory can be applied to field tests. If nanoparticles can be designed that do not stick while flowing through the subsurface, the methods presented here could be used to determine the degree of fracture control in natural environments, and this capability would have very wide ranging value and applicability.

The ClusTree : indexing micro-clusters for anytime stream mining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kranen, Philipp; Assent, Ira; Baldauf, Corinna

2011-01-01

-arrival times of the stream. Likewise, memory is limited, making it impossible to store all data. For clustering, we are faced with the challenge of maintaining a current result that can be presented to the user at any given time. In this work, we propose a parameter-free algorithm that automatically adapts...... introduce the ClusTree, a compact and self-adaptive index structure for maintaining stream summaries. Additionally we present solutions to handle very fast streams through aggregation mechanisms and propose novel descent strategies that improve the clustering result on slower streams as long as time permits...

Stream ciphers and number theory

CERN Document Server

Cusick, Thomas W; Renvall, Ari R

2004-01-01

This is the unique book on cross-fertilisations between stream ciphers and number theory. It systematically and comprehensively covers known connections between the two areas that are available only in research papers. Some parts of this book consist of new research results that are not available elsewhere. In addition to exercises, over thirty research problems are presented in this book. In this revised edition almost every chapter was updated, and some chapters were completely rewritten. It is useful as a textbook for a graduate course on the subject, as well as a reference book for researchers in related fields. · Unique book on interactions of stream ciphers and number theory. · Research monograph with many results not available elsewhere. · A revised edition with the most recent advances in this subject. · Over thirty research problems for stimulating interactions between the two areas. · Written by leading researchers in stream ciphers and number theory.

Macroinvertebrate community structure and function along gradients of physical stream quality and pesticide contamination in Danish streams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jes

to stream are surface runoff and tile drainage giving rise to short pulses of acute contamination strongly coinciding with high levels of precipitation. Field studies indicate that macroinvertebrate community structure can be impacted by pesticides during spraying seasons in May and June, but also...... was calculated for 1 km2 catchments (produced from topographical maps) on Funen, Denmark. The physical condition (substrate, meandering etc.) of 1st and 2nd order streams (based on existing data from the National Monitoring Programme and personal exploring) draining these catchments was, additionally, assessed...

STREAM2016: Streaming Requirements, Experience, Applications and Middleware Workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, Geoffrey [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Jha, Shantenu [Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Ramakrishnan, Lavanya [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-10-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) facilities including accelerators, light sources and neutron sources and sensors that study, the environment, and the atmosphere, are producing streaming data that needs to be analyzed for next-generation scientific discoveries. There has been an explosion of new research and technologies for stream analytics arising from the academic and private sectors. However, there has been no corresponding effort in either documenting the critical research opportunities or building a community that can create and foster productive collaborations. The two-part workshop series, STREAM: Streaming Requirements, Experience, Applications and Middleware Workshop (STREAM2015 and STREAM2016), were conducted to bring the community together and identify gaps and future efforts needed by both NSF and DOE. This report describes the discussions, outcomes and conclusions from STREAM2016: Streaming Requirements, Experience, Applications and Middleware Workshop, the second of these workshops held on March 22-23, 2016 in Tysons, VA. STREAM2016 focused on the Department of Energy (DOE) applications, computational and experimental facilities, as well software systems. Thus, the role of “streaming and steering” as a critical mode of connecting the experimental and computing facilities was pervasive through the workshop. Given the overlap in interests and challenges with industry, the workshop had significant presence from several innovative companies and major contributors. The requirements that drive the proposed research directions, identified in this report, show an important opportunity for building competitive research and development program around streaming data. These findings and recommendations are consistent with vision outlined in NRC Frontiers of Data and National Strategic Computing Initiative (NCSI) [1, 2]. The discussions from the workshop are captured as topic areas covered in this report's sections. The report

Testing a community water supply well located near a stream for susceptibility to stream contamination and low-flows.