Water and environment news. No. 15

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-03-01

This issue of Water and Environment Newsletter is being released to coincide with World Water Day on 22 March 2002. The UN General Assembly in 1992 resolved to observe 22 March of each year as the World Water Day to raise public awareness of freshwater issues. The theme for the WWD this year is 'Water for Development' and the IAEA, for the first time, is the lead agency for coordinating UN system's activities for this day. By being the lead agency, a greater awareness is also being achieved on the role of IAEA in the water sector and on the role of isotopes in hydrology. The IAEA has played a pivotal role in promoting and expanding the field of isotope hydrology over the last four decades. Isotope hydrology today is practiced in most countries although the field began nearly 50 years ago with a few research centres in the developed countries involved in understanding the distribution of isotopes in natural waters. The number of analytical facilities has increased steadily as indicated by the increasing number of laboratories participating in IAEA's inter-laboratory comparisons. A significant number of these laboratories in the developing countries have been established with IAEA's support. In addition to geographical spread, the sheer number of hydrological studies with isotopes has shown a substantial increase. Isotopes were used in less than 100 reports of hydrological research and applications in major scientific journals in the period 1960 to 1954. During 1995-2000, however, more than 7000 such reports were published. The primary field of application in the early reports was related to groundwater, but applications in climate change studies, that were nearly nonexistent in 1960, grew to nearly equal to groundwater applications in 1995-2000.

Water and environment news. No. 15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-03-01

This issue of Water and Environment Newsletter is being released to coincide with World Water Day on 22 March 2002. The UN General Assembly in 1992 resolved to observe 22 March of each year as the World Water Day to raise public awareness of freshwater issues. The theme for the WWD this year is 'Water for Development' and the IAEA, for the first time, is the lead agency for coordinating UN system's activities for this day. By being the lead agency, a greater awareness is also being achieved on the role of IAEA in the water sector and on the role of isotopes in hydrology. The IAEA has played a pivotal role in promoting and expanding the field of isotope hydrology over the last four decades. Isotope hydrology today is practiced in most countries although the field began nearly 50 years ago with a few research centres in the developed countries involved in understanding the distribution of isotopes in natural waters. The number of analytical facilities has increased steadily as indicated by the increasing number of laboratories participating in IAEA's inter-laboratory comparisons. A significant number of these laboratories in the developing countries have been established with IAEA's support. In addition to geographical spread, the sheer number of hydrological studies with isotopes has shown a substantial increase. Isotopes were used in less than 100 reports of hydrological research and applications in major scientific journals in the period 1960 to 1954. During 1995-2000, however, more than 7000 such reports were published. The primary field of application in the early reports was related to groundwater, but applications in climate change studies, that were nearly nonexistent in 1960, grew to nearly equal to groundwater applications in 1995-2000

Environment Of Underground Water And Pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Jeong Sang

1998-02-15

This book deals with environment of underground water and pollution, which introduces the role of underground water in hydrology, definition of related study of under water, the history of hydro-geology, basic conception of underground water such as origin of water, and hydrogeologic characteristic of aquifers, movement of underground water, hydrography of underground water and aquifer test analysis, change of an underground water level, and water balance analysis and development of underground water.

Research on strength attenuation law of concrete in freezing - thawing environment

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, qianhui; Cao, zhiyuan; Li, qiang

2018-03-01

By rapid freezing and thawing method, the experiments of concrete have been 300 freeze-thaw cycles specimens in the water. The cubic compression strength value under different freeze-thaw cycles was measured. By analyzing the test results, the water-binder ratio of the concrete under freeze-thaw environments, fly ash and air entraining agent is selected dosage recommendations. The exponential attenuation prediction model and life prediction model of compression strength of concrete under freezing-thawing cycles considering the factors of water-binder ratio, fly ash content and air-entraining agent dosage were established. The model provides the basis for predicting the durability life of concrete under freezing-thawing environment. It also provides experimental basis and references for further research on concrete structures with antifreeze requirements.

The pluralistic water research concept - a new human-water system research approach

Science.gov (United States)

Evers, Mariele; Höllermann, Britta; Almoradie, Adrian; Taft, Linda; Garcia-Santos, Glenda

2017-04-01

Sustainable water resources management has been and still is a main challenge for decision makers even though for the past number of decades integrative approaches and concepts (e.g. Integrated Water Resources Management - IWRM) have been developed to address problems on floods, droughts, water quality, water quantity, environment and ecology. Although somehow these approaches are aiming to address water related problems in an integrative approach and to some extent include or involve society in the planning and management, they still lack some of the vital components in including the social dimensions and their interaction with water. Understanding these dynamics in a holistic way and how they are shaped by time and space may tackle these shortcomings and provide more effective and sustainable management solutions with respect to a set of potential present social actions and values as well as possible futures. This paper aims to discuss challenges to coherently and comprehensively integrate the social dimensions of different human-water concepts like IWRM, socio-hydrology and waterscape. Against this background it will develop criteria for an integrative approach and present a newly developed concept termed pluralistic water research (PWR) concept. PWR is not only a pluralistic but also an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to acknowledge the social and water dimensions and their interaction and dynamics by considering more than one perspective of a water-related issue, hereby providing a set of multiple (future) developments. Our PWR concept will be illustrated by a case study application of the Canary island La Gomera. Furthermore an outlook on further possible developments of the PWR concept will be presented and discussed.

Preliminary research on quantitative methods of water resources carrying capacity based on water resources balance sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanqiu; Huang, Xiaorong; Gao, Linyun; Guo, Biying; Ma, Kai

2018-06-01

Water resources are not only basic natural resources, but also strategic economic resources and ecological control factors. Water resources carrying capacity constrains the sustainable development of regional economy and society. Studies of water resources carrying capacity can provide helpful information about how the socioeconomic system is both supported and restrained by the water resources system. Based on the research of different scholars, major problems in the study of water resources carrying capacity were summarized as follows: the definition of water resources carrying capacity is not yet unified; the methods of carrying capacity quantification based on the definition of inconsistency are poor in operability; the current quantitative research methods of water resources carrying capacity did not fully reflect the principles of sustainable development; it is difficult to quantify the relationship among the water resources, economic society and ecological environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a better quantitative evaluation method to determine the regional water resources carrying capacity. This paper proposes a new approach to quantifying water resources carrying capacity (that is, through the compilation of the water resources balance sheet) to get a grasp of the regional water resources depletion and water environmental degradation (as well as regional water resources stock assets and liabilities), figure out the squeeze of socioeconomic activities on the environment, and discuss the quantitative calculation methods and technical route of water resources carrying capacity which are able to embody the substance of sustainable development.

Water management: Current and future challenges and research directions

Science.gov (United States)

Cosgrove, William J.; Loucks, Daniel P.

2015-06-01

Water distinguishes our planet compared to all the others we know about. While the global supply of available freshwater is more than adequate to meet all current and foreseeable water demands, its spatial and temporal distributions are not. There are many regions where our freshwater resources are inadequate to meet domestic, economic development and environmental needs. In such regions, the lack of adequate clean water to meet human drinking water and sanitation needs is indeed a constraint on human health and productivity and hence on economic development as well as on the maintenance of a clean environment and healthy ecosystems. All of us involved in research must find ways to remove these constraints. We face multiple challenges in doing that, especially given a changing and uncertain future climate, and a rapidly growing population that is driving increased social and economic development, globalization, and urbanization. How best to meet these challenges requires research in all aspects of water management. Since 1965, the journal Water Resources Research has played an important role in reporting and disseminating current research related to managing the quantity and quality and cost of this resource. This paper identifies the issues facing water managers today and future research needed to better inform those who strive to create a more sustainable and desirable future.

Water and environment news. No. 17

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-03-01

This issue of Water and Environment Newsletter is being released on the occasion of the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan from 16-23 March 2003. The Isotope Hydrology Section is contributing to the Forum through various theme sessions, in particular those related to groundwater and partnerships with other organizations. The Forum aims to increase political commitments for concrete action to improve water availability and sustainable resource management worldwide. A successful Forum will go a long way in improving the present and future water availability on a global scale. The Kyoto Forum will build on the outcomes of the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Agency participated in the WSSD and its side events, and announced a partnership initiative with UNESCO and others on improved capacity building and technology applications for water resource and coastal zone management. The WSSD implementation plan recognizes the following four actions for the sustainable development and management of water resources: 'Develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005, with support to developing countries, through actions at all levels to develop and implement national/regional strategies, plans and programmes with regard to integrated river basin, watershed and groundwater management, ...'; 'Support developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to monitor and assess the quantity and quality of water resources, ...'; 'Improve water resource management and scientific understanding of the water cycle through cooperation in joint observation and research, ...'; 'Promote effective coordination among the various international and intergovernmental bodies and processes working on water-related issues, both within the United Nations system and between the United Nations and international financial institutions, ...' Through recent re-alignments in the Agency

Water and environment news. No. 17

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-03-01

This issue of Water and Environment Newsletter is being released on the occasion of the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan from 16-23 March 2003. The Isotope Hydrology Section is contributing to the Forum through various theme sessions, in particular those related to groundwater and partnerships with other organizations. The Forum aims to increase political commitments for concrete action to improve water availability and sustainable resource management worldwide. A successful Forum will go a long way in improving the present and future water availability on a global scale. The Kyoto Forum will build on the outcomes of the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Agency participated in the WSSD and its side events, and announced a partnership initiative with UNESCO and others on improved capacity building and technology applications for water resource and coastal zone management. The WSSD implementation plan recognizes the following four actions for the sustainable development and management of water resources: 'Develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005, with support to developing countries, through actions at all levels to develop and implement national/regional strategies, plans and programmes with regard to integrated river basin, watershed and groundwater management, ...'; 'Support developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to monitor and assess the quantity and quality of water resources, ...'; 'Improve water resource management and scientific understanding of the water cycle through cooperation in joint observation and research, ...'; 'Promote effective coordination among the various international and intergovernmental bodies and processes working on water-related issues, both within the United Nations system and between the United Nations and international financial institutions, ...' Through recent re-alignments in the Agency

Water Environment Evolution along the China Grand Canal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, F; Wu, Y X; Yang, B F; Li, X J

2014-01-01

The China Grand Canal is one of the earliest canals in the world, having lasted for nearly 3000 years. Even its section canals have a rich history, such as the North-South Grand Canal that was established during the Sui Dynasty, whereas the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal was excavated during the Yuan Dynasty and the east line of the South-to-North Water Diversion. As one of the longest in the world, the China Grand Canal's total length is over 3500 kilometers. This length includes the navigable, unnavigable, and underground sections. Making the best use of situations and according to local conditions, the Chinese people harmoniously constructed the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal with nature. Tens of millions of workers took nearly 3000 years to complete the great shipping system. Navigable sections still exist for up to 900 kilometers and the volume of freight traffic is approximately 300 million tons. The canal remains the main logistical channel of the North-to-South Coal Transportation, South-to-North Water Diversion, and resources circulation. To date, China is promoting the success of heritage application. Part of these efforts is the declaration of the China Grand Canal as a World Cultural Heritage by 2014. In addition, the east route of the South-to-North Water Transfer project is planned to be navigable by 2016. The ancient Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal will usher in the new ecological civilization and cultural revival along the canal. This paper presents technical methods of water environment evolution research on the river system, river, and water quality along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal through the integration of historical literature and modern remote sensing image data. The study carried out water environment investigation and analysis along the Beijing-Hangzhou canal by using ETM, SPOT image data, and GPS measurement data. Spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and regulations of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal regional water environment in the span of

A Review of Water Reclamation Research in China Urban Landscape Design and Planning Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Wei; Zeng, Tianran

2018-04-01

With the continuously growing demand for better living environment, more and more attention and efforts have been paid to the improvement of urban landscape. However, the expansion of green area and water features are at the cost of high consumption of water resources, which has become prominent problems in cities that suffer from water shortage. At the same time, with the water shortage and water environment deterioration problems that shared globally, water conservation has become an inevitable choice to achieve sustainable social development. Urban landscape is not simply a consuming body of water resources, but also are of water-saving potential and able to perform the function of water storage. Thus, recycling the limited water resources becomes a challenge for every landscape designer. This paper is intended to overview the existing effort of reclaimed water recycle research in China landscape designing fields, and raise recommendations for future research and development.

[Assessment of ecological environment benefits of reclaimed water reuse in Beijing].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yu-Peng; Chen, Wei-Ping

2014-10-01

With the rapid development of the social economy and the sustained growth of population, China is facing increasingly serious water problems, and reclaimed water utilization has become an effective measure to solve water shortage problem and to control further deterioration of the ecological environment. Reclaimed water utilization can not only save a lot of fresh water, but also reduce the environmental impact of wastewater discharge, and thus has great ecological environmental benefits, including resource, environmental and human health benefits and so on. This study used the opportunity cost method to construct an evaluation system for ecological environmental benefits of reclaimed water utilization, and Beijing was taken as an example to conduct an estimation of ecological environmental benefits of reclaimed water utilization. Research results indicated that the reclaimed water utilization in Beijing had considerable environmental benefits for ¥ 1.2 billion in 2010, in which replacement of fresh water accounted for the largest share. The benefits of environmental improvement and groundwater recharge were large, while the other benefits were small or negative. The ecological environment benefits of reclaimed water utilization in Beijing was about 1.8 times that of its direct economic benefits, showing that reclaimed water utilization was in accordance with sustainable development. Related methods and results will provide scientific basis to promote the development of reclaimed water utilization in our country.

State of the research environment - 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, Julia Mae; Simmons, Jerry Alvon; Weaver, Karla

2014-02-01

This report describes the condition of the research environment at Sandia National Laboratories and outlines key environment improvement activities undertaken by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer and the Sandia Research Leadership Team during fiscal year 2013. The report also outlines Lab-level objectives related to the research environment for fiscal year 2014.

Installation of the water environment irradiation facility for the IASCC research under the BWR irradiation environment (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okada, Yuji; Magome, Hirokatsu; Hanawa, Hiroshi; Ohmi, Masao; Kanno, Masaru; Iida, Kazuhiro; Ando, Hitoshi; Shibata, Mitsunobu; Yonekawa, Akihisa; Ueda, Haruyasu

2013-10-01

In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, in order to solve the problem in the long-term operation of a light water reactor, preparation which does the irradiation experiment of light-water reactor fuel and material is advanced. JMTR stopped after the 165th operation cycle in August 2006, and is advancing renewal of the irradiation facility towards re-operation. This material irradiation test facility and power ramping test facility for doing the neutron irradiation test of the fuel and material for light water reactors is scheduled to be manufactured and installed between the 2008 fiscal year and the 2012 fiscal year. This report summarizes manufacture and installation of the material irradiation test facility for IASCC research carried out from the 2008 fiscal year to the 2010 fiscal year. (author)

Proceedings of the technical meetings 'Water, radioactivity and environment'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perceval, Olivier; Foulquier, Luc; Canneva, Guillem; Jedor, Beatrice; Genthon, Benedicte; Vicaud, Alain; Skrzypczak, Julien; Gibeaux, Audrey; Phrommavanh, Vannapha; Descostes, Michael; Tognelli, Antoine; Calmet, Dominique; Leprieur, Fabrice; Pignol, David; Thybaud, Eric; Feray, Christine; Leclerc, Elisabeth; Maitre, Melanie; Calmon, Philippe; Marang, Laura; Beaugelin-Seiller, Karine; Garnier-Laplace, Jacqueline; Leprieur, Fabrice; Philippot, Benoit; Hemidy, Pierre-Yves; Devin, Patrick; Perrier, Gilles; CALVEZ, Marianne; Descamps, E.; Preveral, S.; Brutesco, C.; Ginet, N.; Escofier, C.; Garcia, D.; Pignol, D.; Ansaldi, M.; Rodrigue, A.; Bazin, I.; Cholat, P.; Bailly-Du-Bois, Pascal; Fievet, Bruno; Godinot, Claire; Eyrolle-Boyer, Frederique; Antonelli, Christelle; Tournieux, Damien; Augeray, Celine; Galliez, Kevin; Baconet, I.; Cavaliere, N.; Dias Varela, D.; Foulon, L.; Laconici, C.; Lorand, H.; Mouton, M.; Siscard, N.; Tarlette, L.; Loyen, Jeanne; Gleizes, Marc; Vidal, R.; Borgia, Cecile; Hemidy, Pierre-Yves; Fouchet, Loic; Gontier, G.; Grignard, G.; Drozdzak, Jegodz; Leermakers, Martine; Brun, Frederic; Ameon, Roselyne; Gleizes, Marc; Maulard, Alain; Moine, Jerome; Tchilian, Nathalie; Paillard, Herve; Gaid, Abdelkader; Wittmann, Erich; Boucherie, Christophe; Devin, Patrick

2014-12-01

These technical days were organized by the 'Environment section' of the French Society of Radiation Protection (SFRP). Their aim was to review the current state of water use, management and monitoring, in particular in the nuclear industry, both on the radiological and chemical aspects. This document brings together the available presentations (slides) together with their corresponding abstracts (in French) and dealing with: 1 - Environmental issues linked to water and aquatic ecosystems contamination by micropollutants (O. Perceval); 2 - 50 years of radioecology in aquatic environments (L. Foulquier); 3 - Regulation and organisation of the French administration for water and aquatic ecosystems management (G. Canneva); 4 -European and French regulations about the radiological quality of drinking water (B. Jedor); 5 - Water samplings and liquid effluents from nuclear facilities: regulation, authorisations, prescriptions (B. Genthon); 6 - Water needs of a NPP (A. Vicaud); 7 - Water management at old uranium mining sites (A. Gibeaux); 8 - Mobile system for liquid effluents treatment (J. Skrzypczak); 9 - Water: an essential vector for the transfer of radioactive and chemical compounds in the underground (A. Tognelli); 10 - Environmental guide values for aquatic ecosystems protection (E. Thybaud); 11 - Prioritisation work for radioactive and chemical compounds to be monitored in aquatic environments in the framework of the environment perennial lab (E. Leclerc); 12 - Liquid radioactive effluents in continental aquatic environments: why and how estimating the impact? (K. Beaugelin-Seiller); 13 - Sustainable water management: standards, a compulsory tool (D. Calmet); 14 - Water sampling: from theory to practice (F. Leprieur, B. Philippot); 15 - Prototype for the detection of toxic compounds in the environment (D. Pignol); 16 - Nuclear metrology and water: new available and developing techniques (C. Augeray, K. Galliez); 17 - Measurement of the uranium and radium bio

Research development, current hotspots, and future directions of water research based on MODIS images: a critical review with a bibliometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yibo; Zhang, Yunlin; Shi, Kun; Yao, Xiaolong

2017-06-01

Water is essential for life as it provides drinking water and food for humans and animals. Additionally, the water environment provides habitats for numerous species and plays an important role in hydrological, nutrient, and carbon cycles. Among the existing natural resources on Earth's surface, water is the most extensive as it covers more than 70% of the Earth. To gather a comprehensive understanding of the focus of past, present, and future directions of remote sensing water research, we provide an alternative perspective on water research using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery by conducting a comparative quantitative and qualitative analysis of research development, current hotspots, and future directions using a bibliometric analysis. Our study suggests that there has been a rapid growth in the scientific outputs of water research using MODIS imagery over the past 15 years compared to other popular satellites around the world. The analysis indicated that Remote Sensing of Environment was the most active journal, and "remote sensing," "imaging science photographic technology," "environmental sciences ecology," "meteorology atmospheric sciences," and "geology" are the top 5 most popular subject categories. The Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institution with a total of 477 papers, and Hu CM (Chinese) was the most productive author with 76 papers. A keyword analysis indicated that "vegetation index," "evapotranspiration," and "phytoplankton" were the most active research topics throughout the study period. In addition, it is predicted that more attention will be paid to research on climate change and phenology in the future. Based on the keyword analysis and in consideration of current environmental problems, more studies should focus on the following three aspects: (1) develop methods suitable for data assimilation to fully explain climate or phenological phenomena at continental or global scales rather than at

Water and environment news. No. 18

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-08-01

The international symposium on Isotope Hydrology was held in May 2003. This symposium marked the 40th anniversary of these quadrennial IAEA symposia first convened in 1963 and was one of the contributions of the Agency to the International Year of Freshwater. The symposium drew a record 274 participants from 69 countries. The state-of-the-art in isotope techniques and their application to water resources management were reviewed, confirming that groundwater sustainability issues remain the mainstay for isotope applications, while application in climate modelling and watershed management is also becoming increasingly important. Water cycle research is one of the key elements of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation resulting from the World Summit on Sustainable Development. As a result of the Agency's efforts since 2001, isotopes are now being integrated into the GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment) project of WMO/ICSU's World Climate Research Programme project. An IAEA/GEWEX workshop evaluated the potential means of integrating precipitation isotope data in moisture source tracing models and, as a first step, initiated an international inter-comparison of the isotopic modules in different global circulation models. Two new research coordinated projects (CRPs) were recently initiated aimed at investigating the use of isotopes for groundwater sustainability assessment by characterizing the age of river baseflow, and for improved quantification of evaporation-transpiration fluxes by measuring isotopes in air, leaf and stem moisture. Each of these evinced tremendous response for participation by more than 20 research groups. Partnerships with other international agencies and programmes were further strengthened. A strong link was established with the UNEP/Global Environment Monitoring System/Water Programme (GEMS/Water) through a joint project to undertake inter-laboratory comparison exercises for water chemistry aimed at improving the quality of chemical

Some new fatigue tests in high temperature water and liquid sodium environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, Takahiro; Yamauchi, Takayoshi; Kanasaki, Hiroshi; Kondo, Yoshiyuki; Endo, Tadayoshi.

1987-01-01

To evaluate the fatigue strength of structural materials for PWR or FBR plants, fatigue test data must be obtained in an environment of simulated primary and secondary water for PWR or of high temperature liquid sodium for FBR. Generally, such tests make it necessary to prepare expensive facilities, so when large amount of fatigue data are required, it is necessary to rationalize and simplify the fatigue tests while maintaining high accuracy. At the Takasago Research Development Center, efforts to rationalize facilities and maintain accuracy in fatigue tests have been made by developing new test methods and improving conventional techniques. This paper introduces a new method of low cycle fatigue test in high temperature water, techniques for automatic measurement of crack initiation and propagation in high temperature water environment and a multiple type fatigue testing machine for high temperature liquid sodium. (author)

Research on the mechanical characteristic of the bentonite mixture material under the groundwater environment of Horonobe. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaji, Kazuhiko; Shigeno, Yoshimasa; Simogouchi, Takafumi

2005-02-01

In the Horonobe underground research project, various in-situ experiments are conducted in order to confirm the applicability of the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) design techniques shown in H12 report, to understand the long-term effects of EBS, and to improve the reliability of the prediction method. Moreover, since it is assumed that the circumference of Horonobe underground research laboratory is the saline water environment, to understand the mechanical behavior of the bentonite mixture material under the saline water environment is important when influenced in design of in-situ experiments. In this study, unconfined compression tests, consolidated-undrained triaxial compression tests and long-term consolidation tests of the bentonite mixture material were performed using groundwater that is extracted near the Horonobe underground research laboratory, and simulation analyses of EBS over a period of time using the results of laboratory experiments etc. were carried out. Consequently, although compressive strength and the elastic modulus under the saline water environment declined compared with that the fresh water, neither shear deformation behavior under triaxial stress condition nor volume deformation behavior by consolidation test almost had a difference, and it was suggested that there were few possibilities that the saline water had serious influence mechanically also about long-term mechanical behavior. (author)

The Pluralistic Water Research Concept: A New Human-Water System Research Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariele Evers

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The use and management of water systems is influenced by a number of factors, such as economic growth, global change (e.g., urbanization, hydrological-climatic changes, politics, history and culture. Despite noteworthy efforts to develop integrative approaches to analyze water-related problems, human-water research remains a major challenge for scholars and decision makers due to the increasing complexity of human and water systems interactions. Although existing concepts try to integrate the social and water dimensions, they usually have a disciplinary starting point and perspective, which can represent an obstacle to true integration in human-water research. Hence, a pluralistic approach is required to better understand the interactions between human and water systems. This paper discusses prominent human-water concepts (Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM, socio-hydrology, and political ecology/hydrosocial approach and presents a newly developed concept termed pluralistic water research (PWR. This is not only a pluralistic but also an integrative and interdisciplinary approach which aims to coherently and comprehensively integrate human-water dimensions. The different concepts are illustrated in a synopsis, and diverse framing of research questions are exemplified. The PWR concept integrates physical and social sciences, which enables a comprehensive analysis of human-water interactions and relations. This can lead to a better understanding of water-related issues and potentially sustainable trajectories.

Risk assessment and adaptive runoff utilization in water resource system considering the complex relationship among water supply, electricity generation and environment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, J.; Zeng, X.; Mo, L.; Chen, L.; Jiang, Z.; Feng, Z.; Yuan, L.; He, Z.

2017-12-01

Generally, the adaptive utilization and regulation of runoff in the source region of China's southwest rivers is classified as a typical multi-objective collaborative optimization problem. There are grim competitions and incidence relation in the subsystems of water supply, electricity generation and environment, which leads to a series of complex problems represented by hydrological process variation, blocked electricity output and water environment risk. Mathematically, the difficulties of multi-objective collaborative optimization focus on the description of reciprocal relationships and the establishment of evolving model of adaptive systems. Thus, based on the theory of complex systems science, this project tries to carry out the research from the following aspects: the changing trend of coupled water resource, the covariant factor and driving mechanism, the dynamic evolution law of mutual feedback dynamic process in the supply-generation-environment coupled system, the environmental response and influence mechanism of coupled mutual feedback water resource system, the relationship between leading risk factor and multiple risk based on evolutionary stability and dynamic balance, the transfer mechanism of multiple risk response with the variation of the leading risk factor, the multidimensional coupled feedback system of multiple risk assessment index system and optimized decision theory. Based on the above-mentioned research results, the dynamic method balancing the efficiency of multiple objectives in the coupled feedback system and optimized regulation model of water resources is proposed, and the adaptive scheduling mode considering the internal characteristics and external response of coupled mutual feedback system of water resource is established. In this way, the project can make a contribution to the optimal scheduling theory and methodology of water resource management under uncertainty in the source region of Southwest River.

THEORY OF ACTIVE HITTINGS IS IN PROCESSES OF ELECTRO-COAGULATION THE ADMIXTURES IN WATER TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

В.В. Березуцький

2012-10-01

Full Text Available  In the article theoretical bases of electro-coagulation of admixtures are examined in a water technological environment with the use of theory of the active hittings, which are based on the results of the executed researches and analysis of scientific information. Application of theory of the active hittings is in coagulation, provides high efficiency of process of extraction of admixtures from water environments during minimization of energy consumption and expenses of materials.

Solution of tasks concerning protection of underground waters and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubinchuk, V.T.; Polyakov, V.A.

1988-01-01

Use of environment isotopes and indicators in solving problems concerning protection of underground waters and environment is discussed. The applied methods permit to study dynamics of underground waters and to estimate risk of their contamination; to follow the surface and underground waters interrelations using data on infiltration recharge estimation etc. Complex nuclear-geophysical and isotope studies may be applied to detect hindered water exchange zones where liquid industrial waste disposals could be placed with minimum damage to environment. 48 refs.; 74 figs.; 22 tabs

Installation of the water environment irradiation facility for the IASCC research under the BWR/PWR irradiation environment (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magome, Hirokatsu; Okada, Yuji; Hanawa, Hiroshi; Sakuta, Yoshiyuki; Kanno, Masaru; Iida, Kazuhiro; Ando, Hitoshi; Yonekawa, Akihisa; Ueda, Haruyasu; Shibata, Mitsunobu

2014-07-01

In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, in order to solve the problem in the long-term operation of a light water reactor, preparation which does the irradiation experiment of light-water reactor fuel and material was advanced. JMTR stopped after the 165th operation cycle in August 2006, and is advancing renewal of the irradiation facility towards re-operation. The material irradiation test facility was installed from 2008 fiscal year to 2012 fiscal year in JMTR. This report summarizes manufacture and installation of the material irradiation test facility for IASCC research carried out from 2012 to 2014 in the follow-up report reported before (JAEA-Technology 2013-019). (author)

Water hydraulic applications in hazardous environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siuko, M.; Koskinen, K.T.; Vilenius, M.J.

1996-01-01

Water hydraulic technology provides several advantages for devices operating in critical environment. Though water hydraulics has traditionally been used in very rough applications, gives recent strong development of components possibility to build more sophisticated applications and devices with similar capacity and control properties than those of oil hydraulics without the disadvantages of oil hydraulic systems. In this paper, the basic principles, possibilities and advantages of water hydraulics are highlighted, some of the most important design considerations are presented and recent developments of water hydraulic technology are presented. Also one interesting application area, ITER fusion reactor remote handling devices, are discussed. (Author)

Water, soil, crops and radionuclides. Studies on the behavior of radionuclides in the terrestrial environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Shigeo

2008-01-01

In order to predict the migration of artificially-produced radionuclides into a human body and its radiation dose rates of human body and to decrease the exposed radiation doses of human body, the behavior of radionuclides in the environment must be elucidated. In National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), the environmental radioecological research group of Nakaminato Laboratory for Marine Radioecology has progressed the survey and research on the behavior of artificially-produced radionuclides in the terrestrial environment. This article describes the research results (the radioactivity of water, soil, and crops) made so far at Nakaminato Laboratory for Marine Radioecology. (M.H.)

Transient Localization in Shallow Water Environments

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Brune, Joachim

1998-01-01

.... A full-wave PE model is used to produce broadband replicas. Both model-generated synthetic signals, which provide baseline results, and measured pulses in a shallow water environment are analyzed...

[Watershed water environment pollution models and their applications: a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yao; Liang, Zhi-Wei; Li, Wei; Yang, Yi; Yang, Mu-Yi; Mao, Wei; Xu, Han-Li; Wu, Wei-Xiang

2013-10-01

Watershed water environment pollution model is the important tool for studying watershed environmental problems. Through the quantitative description of the complicated pollution processes of whole watershed system and its parts, the model can identify the main sources and migration pathways of pollutants, estimate the pollutant loadings, and evaluate their impacts on water environment, providing a basis for watershed planning and management. This paper reviewed the watershed water environment models widely applied at home and abroad, with the focuses on the models of pollutants loading (GWLF and PLOAD), water quality of received water bodies (QUAL2E and WASP), and the watershed models integrated pollutant loadings and water quality (HSPF, SWAT, AGNPS, AnnAGNPS, and SWMM), and introduced the structures, principles, and main characteristics as well as the limitations in practical applications of these models. The other models of water quality (CE-QUAL-W2, EFDC, and AQUATOX) and watershed models (GLEAMS and MIKE SHE) were also briefly introduced. Through the case analysis on the applications of single model and integrated models, the development trend and application prospect of the watershed water environment pollution models were discussed.

Change of water environment in the inner bay in consideration of heat balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Akira; Miyaike, Katsuto

1983-01-01

The study on the effect of warm water discharged from large capacity thermal and nuclear power stations on the local climate around the power stations is necessary for promoting the development of power resources in harmony with natural environment. In this study, Mikawa Bay was selected as the object of research, and the simulation analysis of water temperature was carried out by the water column model, based on the result of analysis of the local weather and sea observation data. Thus, the amount of heat exchange between the atmosphere and sea water in natural sea area was grasped, and how the change in the amount of heat exchange when the thermal load due to warm water discharge was imposed is ranked in natural sea environment was examined. The variation of surface water temperature in Mikawa Bay tended to be large in summer and small in winter. It was clarified that the factor controlling the water temperature in the bay was the variation of climatic factors. In the sea area where the effect of open sea water was relatively small, the variation of water temperature was able to be expressed by the water column model. The change in the amount of heat exchange in the range of warm water diffusion with 2 deg C temperature rise was determined. (Kato, I.)

Quantitative analysis on the environmental impact of large-scale water transfer project on water resource area in a changing environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. H. Yan

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The interbasin long-distance water transfer project is key support for the reasonable allocation of water resources in a large-scale area, which can optimize the spatio-temporal change of water resources to secure the amount of water available. Large-scale water transfer projects have a deep influence on ecosystems; besides, global climate change causes uncertainty and additive effect of the environmental impact of water transfer projects. Therefore, how to assess the ecological and environmental impact of megaprojects in both construction and operation phases has triggered a lot of attention. The water-output area of the western route of China's South-North Water Transfer Project was taken as the study area of the present article. According to relevant evaluation principles and on the basis of background analysis, we identified the influencing factors and established the diagnostic index system. The climate-hydrology-ecology coupled simulation model was used to simulate and predict ecological and environmental responses of the water resource area in a changing environment. The emphasis of impact evaluation was placed on the reservoir construction and operation scheduling, representative river corridors and wetlands, natural reserves and the water environment below the dam sites. In the end, an overall evaluation of the comprehensive influence of the project was conducted. The research results were as follows: the environmental impacts of the western route project in the water resource area were concentrated on two aspects: the permanent destruction of vegetation during the phase of dam construction and river impoundment, and the significant influence on the hydrological situation of natural river corridor after the implementation of water extraction. The impact on local climate, vegetation ecology, typical wetlands, natural reserves and the water environment of river basins below the dam sites was small.

Quantitative analysis on the environmental impact of large-scale water transfer project on water resource area in a changing environment

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, D. H.; Wang, H.; Li, H. H.; Wang, G.; Qin, T. L.; Wang, D. Y.; Wang, L. H.

2012-08-01

The interbasin long-distance water transfer project is key support for the reasonable allocation of water resources in a large-scale area, which can optimize the spatio-temporal change of water resources to secure the amount of water available. Large-scale water transfer projects have a deep influence on ecosystems; besides, global climate change causes uncertainty and additive effect of the environmental impact of water transfer projects. Therefore, how to assess the ecological and environmental impact of megaprojects in both construction and operation phases has triggered a lot of attention. The water-output area of the western route of China's South-North Water Transfer Project was taken as the study area of the present article. According to relevant evaluation principles and on the basis of background analysis, we identified the influencing factors and established the diagnostic index system. The climate-hydrology-ecology coupled simulation model was used to simulate and predict ecological and environmental responses of the water resource area in a changing environment. The emphasis of impact evaluation was placed on the reservoir construction and operation scheduling, representative river corridors and wetlands, natural reserves and the water environment below the dam sites. In the end, an overall evaluation of the comprehensive influence of the project was conducted. The research results were as follows: the environmental impacts of the western route project in the water resource area were concentrated on two aspects: the permanent destruction of vegetation during the phase of dam construction and river impoundment, and the significant influence on the hydrological situation of natural river corridor after the implementation of water extraction. The impact on local climate, vegetation ecology, typical wetlands, natural reserves and the water environment of river basins below the dam sites was small.

Interactions of Forests, Climate, Water Resources, and Humans in a Changing Environment: Research Needs

OpenAIRE

Sun, Ge; Segura, Catalina

2013-01-01

The aim of the special issue “Interactions of Forests, Climate, Water Resources, and Humans in a Changing Environment” is to present case studies on the influences of natural and human disturbances on forest water resources under a changing climate. Studies in this collection of six papers cover a wide range of geographic regions from Australia to Nigeria with spatial research scale spanning from a tree leaf, to a segment of forest road, and large basins with mixed land uses. T...

The potential water buffering capacity of urban green infrastructure in an arid environment

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z.; Yang, J.

2017-12-01

Urban green infrastructure offers arid cities an attractive means of mitigation/adaptation to environmental challenges of elevated thermal stress, but imposes the requirement of outdoor irrigation that aggravates the stress of water resource management. Future development of cities is inevitably constrained by the limited availability of water resources, under challenges of emergent climate change and continuous population growth. This study used the Weather Research and Forecasting model with urban dynamics to assess the potential water buffering capacity of urban green infrastructure in arid environments and its implications for sustainable urban planning. The Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona, United States, is adopted as a testbed with two hypothetical cases, viz. the water-saving and the fully-greening scenarios investigated. Modifications of the existing green infrastructure and irrigation practices are found to significantly influence the thermal environment of Phoenix. In addition, water saving by xeriscaping (0.77 ± 0.05 × 10^8 m^3) allows the region to support 19.8% of the annual water consumption by the projected 2.62 million population growth by 2050, at a cost of an increase in urban ambient temperature of about 1 o^C.

Water Resources Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Untitled Document  Search Welcome to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Water Resources Research Center At WRRC we concentrate on addressing the unique water and wastewater management problems and issues elsewhere by researching water-related issues distinctive to these areas. We are Hawaii's link in a network

Energy and environment annual report 1974. [Environmental Research programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumstein, C. (ed.)

1974-01-01

Research in the Division's environmental science program includes air pollution, water pollution, and the effects of pollutants on man and natural ecosystems. Work has focused on the chemistry and physics of particle surfaces. Using the technique of electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), surface reactions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds have been studied, and results include the identification of new chemical forms of nitrogen on particle surfaces and evidence for the importance of particle surfaces in the catalysis of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid. The Division's work in water pollution has been devoted to the study of trace metals in the estuarine environment, especially in San Francisco Bay. Studies on the effect of dredging operations on trace metals in the Mare Island ship channel and on the distribution of cadmium in Bay sediments have been performed. Research has also been conducted on the distribution of trace elements between bound states on suspended particles and in solution in Bay waters. Research is being conducted on a variety of problems relating to effects of pollutants. Biological studies seeking to discover effects of specific environmental insults such as oxidants at the cellular level have been done, and epidemiological studies have been initiated on the impacts of trace metals on human health. Theoretical studies in an attempt to develop a basis for assessing the stability of ecological systems are also being undertaken.

Tank bromeliad water: similar or distinct environments for research of bacterial bioactives?

Science.gov (United States)

Carmo, F L; Santos, H F; Peixoto, R S; Rosado, A S; Araujo, F V

2014-01-01

The Atlantic Rainforest does not have a uniform physiognomy, its relief determines different environmental conditions that define the composition of its flora and fauna. Within this ecosystem, bromeliads that form tanks with their leaves hold water reservoirs throughout the year, maintaining complex food chains, based mainly on autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria. Some works concluded that the water held by tank bromeliads concentrate the microbial diversity of their ecosystem. To investigate the bacterial diversity and the potential biotechnology of these ecosystems, tank bromeliads of the Neoregelia cruenta species from the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil were used as models for this research. Bacteria isolated from these models were tested for production of bioactive compounds. DGGE of the water held by tank bromeliads was performed in different seasons, locations and sun exposure to verify whether these environmental factors affect bacterial communities. The DGGE bands profile showed no grouping of bacterial community by the environmental factors tested. Most of the isolates demonstrated promising activities in the tests performed. Collectively, these results suggest that tank bromeliads of the N. cruenta species provide important habitats for a diverse microbial community, suggesting that each tank forms a distinct micro-habitat. These tanks can be considered excellent sources for the search for new enzymes and/or new bioactive composites of microbial origin.

A Liquid Desiccant Cycle for Dehumidification and Fresh Water Supply in Controlled Environment Agriculture

KAUST Repository

Lefers, Ryan

2017-12-01

Controlled environment agriculture allows the production of fresh food indoors from global locations and contexts where it would not otherwise be possible. Growers in extreme climates and urban areas produce food locally indoors, saving thousands of food import miles and capitalizing upon the demand for fresh, tasty, and nutritious food. However, the growing of food, both indoors and outdoors, consumes huge quantities of water - as much as 70-80% of global fresh water supplies. The utilization of liquid desiccants in a closed indoor agriculture cycle provides the possibility of capturing plant-transpired water vapor. The regeneration/desalination of these liquid desiccants offers the potential to recover fresh water for irrigation and also to re-concentrate the desiccants for continued dehumidification. Through the utilization of solar thermal energy, the process can be completed with a very small to zero grid-energy footprint. The primary research in this dissertation focused on two areas: the dehumidification of indoor environments utilizing liquid desiccants inside membrane contactors and the regeneration of these desiccants using membrane distillation. Triple-bore PVDF hollow fiber membranes yielded dehumidification permeance rates around 0.25-0.31 g m-2 h-1 Pa-1 in lab-scale trials. A vacuum membrane distillation unit utilizing PVDF fibers yielded a flux of 2.8-7.0 kg m-2 hr-1. When the membrane contactor dehumidification system was applied in a bench scale controlled environment agriculture setup, the relative humidity levels responded dynamically to both plant transpiration and dehumidification rates, reaching dynamic equilibrium levels during day and night cycles. In addition, recovered fresh water from distillation was successfully applied for irrigation of crops and concentrated desiccants were successfully reused for dehumidification. If applied in practice, the liquid desiccant system for controlled environment agriculture offers the potential to reduce

Optimum combination of water drainage, water supply and eco-environment protection in coal-accumulated basin of North China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

武强; 董东林; 石占华; 武雄; 孙卫东; 叶责钧; 李树文; 刘金韬

2000-01-01

The conflict among water drainage, water supply and eco-environment protection is getting more and more serious due to the irrational drainage and exploitation of ground water resources in coal-accumulated basins of North China. Efficient solutions to the conflict are to maintain long-term dynamic balance between input and output of the ground water basins, and to try to improve resourcification of the mine water. All solutions must guarantee the eco-environment quality. This paper presents a new idea of optimum combination of water drainage, water supply and eco-environment protection so as to solve the problem of unstable mine water supply, which is caused by the changeable water drainage for the whole combination system. Both the management of hydraulic techniques and constraints in economy, society, ecology, environment, industrial structural adjustments and sustainable developments have been taken into account. Since the traditional and separate management of different departments of water drainage,

Investigation of the tritium level in the environment of the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, L.A.; Winter, M.; Schueler, H.; Tachlinski, W.

1976-06-01

Under an IAEA sponsored measurement program the tritium level is investigated in the immediate and more distant environment of the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center. The tritium concentration in precipitations, surface, ground and drinking water is measured within a long-term program. In addition, relationships existing between the tritium concentration of plants and the concentrations of ground water, precipitation, soil and air humidities are investigated at three points in special series of measurement. A summary report is presented on recent measured results. According to these results, the annual mean values for precipitations and surface water tend to rise. In 1975 the annual mean values amounted to 0.89 nCi/l of tritium concentration in precipitations in the more distant environment of the Nuclear Research Center and to 0.68 nCi/l in the Rhine river. In plants tritium concentrations were observed which correspond to that measured in the humidity of the air. The radiation exposure of people living in large towns is calculated to be about 50 μrem/a in the region monitored, due to the presence of tritium in the drinking water. A little group of the population takes up as much as 110 μrem/a. (orig.) [de

Water absorption of superabsorbent polymers in a cementitious environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole Mejlhede

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the water absorption of superabsorbent polymers in a cementitious environment. The paper discusses different techniques to measure the water absorption capacity, and in particular it describes a technique which enables a simple and quick estimation of the water absorption...... capacity in a cementitious environment. The challenges met in defining the concept of water absorption capacity are treated, and the appropriateness of different types of superabsorbent polymers is also briefly dealt with. The concept “water absorption capacity” and its measurement seem straightforwardly...... simple, but a closer examination of the topic discloses many, significant difficulties. However, given proper cautiousness it is possible both to quickly estimate the water absorption capacity through a simple measurement as well as to examine how it will be influenced by different factors....

Optimum combination of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection in coal-accumulated basin of North China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

The conflict among water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection is getting more and more serious due to the irrational drainage and exploitation of ground water resources in coal-accumulated basins of North China.Efficient solutions to the conflict are to maintain long-term dynamic balance between input and output of the ground water basins,and to try to improve resourcification of the mine water.All solutions must guarantee the eco-environment quality.This paper presents a new idea of optimum combination of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection so as to solve the problem of unstable mine water supply,which is caused by the changeable water drainage for the whole combination system.Both the management of hydraulic techniques and constraints in economy,society,ecology,environment,industrial structural adjustments and sustainable developments have been taken into account.Since the traditional and separate management of different departments of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection is broken up,these departments work together to avoid repeated geological survey and specific evaluation calculations so that large amount of national investment can be saved and precise calculation for the whole system can be obtained.In the light of the conflict of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection in a typical sector in Jiaozuo coal mine,a case study puts forward an optimum combination scheme,in which a maximum economic benefit objective is constrained by multiple factors.The scheme provides a very important scientific base for finding a sustainable development strategy.

Who Delivers without Water? A Multi Country Analysis of Water and Sanitation in the Childbirth Environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgia Gon

Full Text Available Hygiene during childbirth is essential to the health of mothers and newborns, irrespective of where birth takes place. This paper investigates the status of water and sanitation in both the home and facility childbirth environments, and for whom and where this is a more significant problem.We used three datasets: a global dataset, with information on the home environment from 58 countries, and two datasets for each of four countries in Eastern Africa: a healthcare facility dataset, and a dataset that incorporated information on facilities and the home environment to create a comprehensive description of birth environments in those countries. We constructed indices of improved water, and improved water and sanitation combined (WATSAN, for the home and healthcare facilities. The Joint Monitoring Program was used to construct indices for household; we tailored them to the facility context-household and facility indices include different components. We described what proportion of women delivered in an environment with improved WATSAN. For those women who delivered at home, we calculated what proportion had improved WATSAN by socio-economic status, education and rural-urban status.Among women delivering at home (58 countries, coverage of improved WATSAN by region varied from 9% to 53%. Fewer than 15% of women who delivered at home in Sub-Saharan Africa, had access to water and sanitation infrastructure (range 0.1% to 37%. This was worse among the poorest, the less educated and those living in rural areas. In Eastern Africa, where we looked at both the home and facility childbirth environment, a third of women delivered in an environment with improved water in Uganda and Rwanda; whereas, 18% of women in Kenya and 7% in Tanzania delivered with improved water and sanitation. Across the four countries, less than half of the facility deliveries had improved water, or improved water and sanitation in the childbirth environment.Access to water and

Retail food environments research in Canada: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Minaker, Leia M; Shuh, Alanna; Olstad, Dana L; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Black, Jennifer L; Mah, Catherine L

2016-06-09

The field of retail food environments research is relatively new in Canada. The objective of this scoping review is to provide an overview of retail food environments research conducted before July 2015 in Canada. Specifically, this review describes research foci and key findings, identifies knowledge gaps and suggests future directions for research. A search of published literature concerning Canadian investigations of retail food environment settings (food stores, restaurants) was conducted in July 2015 using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsychInfo and ERIC. Studies published in English that reported qualitative or quantitative data on any aspect of the retail food environment were included, as were conceptual papers and commentaries. Eighty-eight studies were included in this review and suggest that the field of retail food environments research is rapidly expanding in Canada. While only 1 paper was published before 2005, 66 papers were published between 2010 and 2015. Canadian food environments research typically assessed either the socio-economic patterning of food environments (n = 28) or associations between retail food environments and diet, anthropometric or health outcomes (n = 33). Other papers profiled methodological research, qualitative studies, intervention research and critical commentaries (n = 27). Key gaps in the current literature include measurement inconsistency among studies and a lack of longitudinal and intervention studies. Retail food environments are a growing topic of research, policy and program development in Canada. Consistent methods (where appropriate), longitudinal and intervention research, and close partnerships between researchers and key stakeholders would greatly advance the field of retail food environments research in Canada.

Determination of water environment standards based on water quality criteria in China: Limitations and feasibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tieyu; Zhou, Yunqiao; Bi, Cencen; Lu, Yonglong; He, Guizhen; Giesy, John P

2017-07-01

There is a need to formulate water environment standards (WESs) from the current water quality criteria (WQC) in China. To this end, we briefly summarize typical mechanisms applied in several countries with longer histories of developing WESs, and three limitations to formulating WESs in China were identified. After analyzing the feasibility factors including economic development, scientific support capability and environmental policies, we realized that China is still not ready for a complete change from its current nation-wide unified WES system to a local-standard-based system. Thus, we proposed a framework for transformation from WQC to WESs in China. The framework consists of three parts, including responsibilities, processes and policies. The responsibilities include research authorization, development of guidelines, and collection of information, at both national and local levels; the processes include four steps and an impact factor system to establish water quality standards; and the policies include seven specific proposals. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Focus on CSIR research in water resources: water and human health research in CSIR

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Genthe, Bettina

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The Water and Human Health team researches water related science to address the CSIR’s mandate, national priorities and to improve quality of life for all. The overall aim of the research is to achieve a sustainable balance between the use of water...

Energy-water-environment nexus underpinning future desalination sustainability

KAUST Repository

Shahzad, Muhammad Wakil; Burhan, Muhammad; Ang, Li; Ng, Kim Choon

2017-01-01

Energy-water-environment nexus is very important to attain COP21 goal, maintaining environment temperature increase below 2°C, but unfortunately two third share of CO2 emission has already been used and the remaining will be exhausted by 2050. A

Water quality of hydrologic bench marks; an indicator of water quality in the natural environment

Science.gov (United States)

Biesecker, James E.; Leifeste, Donald K.

1974-01-01

Water-quality data, collected at 57 hydrologic bench-mark stations in 37 States, allow the definition of water quality in the 'natural' environment and the comparison of 'natural' water quality with water quality of major streams draining similar water-resources regions. Results indicate that water quality in the 'natural' environment is generally very good. Streams draining hydrologic bench-mark basins generally contain low concentrations of dissolved constituents. Water collected at the hydrologic bench-mark stations was analyzed for the following minor metals: arsenic, barium, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, and zinc. Of 642 analyses, about 65 percent of the observed concentrations were zero. Only three samples contained metals in excess of U.S. Public Health Service recommended drinking-water standards--two selenium concentrations and one cadmium concentration. A total of 213 samples were analyzed for 11 pesticidal compounds. Widespread but very low-level occurrence of pesticide residues in the 'natural' environment was found--about 30 percent of all samples contained low-level concentrations of pesticidal compounds. The DDT family of pesticides occurred most commonly, accounting for 75 percent of the detected occurrences. The highest observed concentration of DDT was 0.06 microgram per litre, well below the recommended maximum permissible in drinking water. Nitrate concentrations in the 'natural' environment generally varied from 0.2 to 0.5 milligram per litre. The average concentration of nitrate in many major streams is as much as 10 times greater. The relationship between dissolved-solids concentration and discharge per unit area in the 'natural' environment for the various physical divisions in the United States has been shown to be an applicable tool for approximating 'natural' water quality. The relationship between dissolved-solids concentration and discharge per unit area is applicable in all the physical

Problems of the water environment and water consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raetsep, Aavo

1999-01-01

Water extraction and consumption in Ida-Viru County are based mainly on the groundwater and surface water. The major part of the surface water is consumed by power engineering, while households and industry are the main consumers of groundwater. The difference between water extraction and consumption shows that the unused mine water pumped up for draining the oil shale mines and open pits and discharged into rivers forms an essential part (on the average 86%, quantitatively 159-226 millions m 3 /yr.). Serious water supply problems have risen in connection with oil shale mining: numerous village and household wells have been depleted due to a deep drawdown cone, the groundwater of the upper aquifers is polluted with nitrates, phenols and oil products. The poor condition of water-pipes and great leakages (up to 60%) make it difficult to supply townspeople and villagers with high-grade drinking water meeting the Estonian general standard EVS 663:1995. Water pollution is conditioned by poorly treated wastewaters and sewage directed practically into all the major rivers and lakes of the county by industrial and power engineering enterprises and towns and rural settlements. The rivers of the Purtse basin have been continuously under a heavy pollution load: both the mine waters with high minerality and phenolic wastewaters (so-called ash hill waters) of the oil shale thermal processing have been discharged into the rivers. Various water contamination from land areas has led to excessive pollution of Northeast Estonian coastal waters of the Gulf of Finland with toxic organic compounds and nutrients, specially in the regions of Purtse, Saka, Sillamaee and Narva-Joesuu. Up to now, Estonia has not managed completely fulfil the recommendations of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area. In 1998-2010, water management in Ida-Viru County should be directed towards achieving two Principal objectives

Managing Irrigation Water to Enhance Crop Productivity under Water-limiting Conditions: A Role for Isotopic Techniques. Final Report of a Coordinated Research Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-05-01

This publication presents the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project and provides research findings and isotopic methodologies to quantify the soil evaporation component of water losses and determine the transpiration efficiency for several important crop species under a variety of environments. The TECDOC also presents a simple, fast and portable vacuum distillation apparatus for extraction water from soil and plant samples for isotopic analyses for the separation of soil evaporation, which helped to reduce the bottleneck in sample throughput for many soil water and hydrology studies

Water Fountains in Environment Transformation Correcting

Science.gov (United States)

Sidorenko, M. Yu; Ponomareva, Zh V.

2017-11-01

The article provides information on the means and principles for adjusting the process of the urban environment transformation. The interest in the topic is caused by the fact that the surrounding artificial environment is turning into a dangerous factor in the mechanism of human visual perception which requires immediate, effective intervention in the adjustment of the existing modern buildings. The paper considers The correction with the help of new dominants, small architectural forms, in particular, water fountains. Fountains are an important part of the measures to create a comfortable, environmentally friendly urban human environment. Their planning and functional links with the system of streets, squares, traffic arteries can create the urban plan basis.

CAWR: Two institutions join forces in a cluster by addressing the grand challenges of water research

Science.gov (United States)

Jaeckel, Greta; Braeckevelt, Mareike

2017-04-01

The Center for Advanced Water Research (CAWR) brings together the water competences of two German research institutions: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ and the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD). Highly qualified scientists are jointly tackling some of the key challenges in the water sector in an outstanding breadth of research topics and at the same time with a profound disciplinary expertise. Our mission is: "Save water for humans and environment", because water in a good quality and adequate quantity is a fundamental basis of life for humankind and the environment. In many global challenges, such as food or energy security, human health and ecosystems, flood defence and droughts or the provision of drinking water and sanitation systems, water is becoming a very critical element for a sustainable society in Germany, in Europe and worldwide. The CAWR focusses its work on the fields of research, education & training as well as transfer. The CAWR was established in 2013. Over 3 years the activities within the three pillars and the six thematic priority research fields ( 1) Understanding processes: water cycle and water quality, 2): Water quantity and scarcity in the regional context, 3): Urban Water Systems, 4): Methods of data collection and information processing, 5): Societal and climate change, 6): Water governance) were presented within: • the scientific community (newsletters, publication highlights, workshops with different new formats, conferences) • to national and international stakeholders from policy, industry and society (workshops, opinion papers) • public media (TV, radio stations, Newspapers, brochures, videoclips via youtube…) This PICO presentation by Greta Jäckel (scientific management of CAWR) should show which tools for the presentation of research results are useful and which influence they have on different target groups. A bunch of examples for effective and also less successful instruments to present important

Automated corrosion fatigue crack growth testing in pressurized water environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceschini, L.J.; Liaw, P.K.; Rudd, G.E.; Logsdon, W.A.

1984-01-01

This paper describes in detail a novel approach to construct a test facility for developing corrosion fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) properties in aggressive environments. The environment studied is that of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) at 288 0 C (550 0 F) and 13.8 MPa (200 psig). To expedite data generation, each chamber was designed to accommodate two test specimens. A common water recirculation and pressurization system was employed to service two test chambers. Thus, four fatigue crack propagation rate tests could be conducted simultaneously in the pressurized water environment. The data analysis was automated to minimize the typically high labor costs associated with corrosion fatigue crack propagation testing. Verification FCGR tests conducted on an ASTM A469 rotor steel in a room temperature air environment as well as actual PWR environment FCGR tests performed on an ASTM A533 Grade B Class 2 pressure vessel steel demonstrated that the dual specimen test facility is an excellent system for developing the FCGR properties of materials in adverse environments

Studies on the behaviour of some radioactive pollutants into soil-fresh water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayed, M.S.

1989-01-01

The overwhelming increase in the use of nuclear power plants comes to cover many purposes, such as generating of electricity, desalination of sea water, and producing radioactive isotopes in large quantities. There is no doubt that the continuous increase in the production of radioisotope, presents an outstanding potential health hazard to man and its environment. Many radio-nuclide wastes, may be released to the environment from nuclear research reactors, hospitals, universities etc in large quantities and low radioactive level which can contaminate drinking and underground water, plants, animals and air. The present work includes introduction which is a literature survey of uses of natural minerals and clays in the treatment of low level radioactive wastes and the different chemical methods used for their treatment e.g. co-participation, adsorption chromatography, ion exchange , solvent extraction, coagulation and flocculation etc

Research on water pollution induced by coal mining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Q.; Dong, D.; Fu, Y.; Bai, X.; Sun, Z. [China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou (China). Dept of Resource Exploitation Engineering

2002-01-01

Water environment problems induced by mining were studied. Influences of coal mining on runoff of rivers and on water sources were discussed. And the forming mechanism of acid water was analysed. The result shows that the mining activity is gradually changing the co-environment of adjacent areas, especially the water. With the water sources being continually polluted, the underground water has some poisonous or harmful ions in the process of dynamic exchange of water. The falling level of water table results in an increase of depression cone, and the seepage of rivers and the increasing range of acid water have more or less influence on water sources. All these are threatening the normal life of human beings. 11 refs., 2 figs.

Research result information for agriculture and environment. No.12; Nogyo kankyo kenkyu seika joho. 12

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-08-26

Essential purposes of productivity improvement, which human being have desires in agriculture for a long time, can not be discussed without considering relations with the environment, nowadays. In these situations, significant investigations have been created among the researches in the agriculture and environment field in response to the requirements of the time. In this report, results of 41 main researches submitted to the agriculture and environment research promotion conference in FY 1995 are compiled. This field covers the environment and resource characterization, the agrioecology, and the environment assessment and control. The environment and resource characterization field includes studies on the micro-meteorological mechanism of desert expansion due to excess pasturage, the salt removal function of clays, and the protection of ground water quality by grassland. The agrioecology field includes studies on the antimicrobial substance contained in Glycyrrhiza glabra against the soil decease of potatoes caused by Streptomyces scabies and the new plant growth obstruction substance contained in Sphenoclea zeylanica. The environment assessment and control field includes studies on the producing district change prediction of main grains accompanied with global environmental change and the carbon balance in the ecosystem of farm lands and rice fields. This report includes a lot of noticeable papers. 103 figs., 24 tabs.

Effects of modifying water environments on water supply and human health

Science.gov (United States)

Takizawa, S.; Nguyen, H. T.; Takeda, T.; Tran, N. T.

2008-12-01

Due to increasing population and per-capita water demand, demands for water are increasing in many parts of the world. Consequently, overuse of limited water resources leaves only small amounts of water in rivers and is bringing about rapid drawdown of groundwater tables. Water resources are affected by human activities such as excessive inputs of nutrients and other contaminants, agriculture and aquaculture expansions, and many development activities. The combined effects of modifying the water environments, both in terms of quantity and quality, on water supply and human health are presented in the paper with some examples from the Asian countries. In rural and sub-urban areas in Bangladesh and Vietnam, for example, the traditional way of obtaining surface water from ponds had been replaced by taking groundwaters to avert the microbial health risks that had arisen from contamination by human wastes. Such a change of water sources, however, has brought about human health impact caused by arsenic on a massive scale. In Thailand, the industrial development has driven the residents to get groundwater leaden with very high fluoride. Monitoring the urine fluoride levels reveal the risk of drinking fluoride-laden groundwaters. Rivers are also affected by extensive exploitation such as sand mining. As a result, turbidity changes abruptly after a heavy rainfall. In cities, due to shrinking water resources they have to take poor quality waters from contaminated sources. Algal blooms are seen in many reservoirs and lakes due to increasing levels of nutrients. Hence, it is likely that algal toxins may enter the water supply systems. Because most of the water treatment plants are not designed to remove those known and unknown contaminants, it is estimated that quite a large number of people are now under the threat of the public health "gtime bomb,"h which may one day bring about mass-scale health problems. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of modifying the water

Persistent Factors Facilitating Excellence in Research Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Kalpazidou Schmidt, Evanthia; Graversen, Ebbe Krogh

2018-01-01

The study presented here identifies robust and time-invariant features that characterise dynamic and innovative research environments. It takes as its point of departure the results of an empirical study conducted in 2002 which identified the common characteristics of 15 dynamic and innovative public research environments, and focusses on their…

Graphene oxide in the water environment could affect tetracycline-antibiotic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Mei-Ting; Zhang, Guo-Sheng

2017-09-01

In recent years, the influence of new materials like nanoparticles in the water environment on biological substances has been widely studied. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent a new type of pollutant in the environment. Graphene oxide (GO), as a nano material, because of its unique structure, may have an impact on antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) and ARGs; however the research in this area is rarely reported. Therefore, this study mainly investigated the effects of GO on bacterial antibiotic resistance. The results showed that GO had a limited effect on ARB inactivation. A high concentration of GO (>10 mg/L) can damage resistant plasmids to reduce bacterial resistance to antibiotics, but low concentrations of GO (antibiotic resistance needs further investigation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins are present in drinking water impoundments and groundwater wells in desert environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatziefthimiou, Aspassia D; Metcalf, James S; Glover, W Broc; Banack, Sandra A; Dargham, Soha R; Richer, Renee A

2016-05-01

Desert environments and drylands experience a drastic scarcity of water resources. To alleviate dependence on freshwater for drinking water needs, countries have invested in infrastructure development of desalination plants. Collectively, the countries of the Arabian Gulf produce 45% of the world's desalinated water, which is stored in dams, mega-reservoirs and secondary house water tanks to secure drinking water beyond daily needs. Improper storage practices of drinking water in impoundments concomitant with increased temperatures and light penetration may promote the growth of cyanobacteria and accumulation of cyanotoxins. To shed light on this previously unexplored research area in desert environments, we examined drinking and irrigation water of urban and rural environments to determine whether cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins are present, and what are the storage and transportation practices as well as the environmental parameters that best predict their presence. Cyanobacteria were present in 80% of the urban and 33% of the rural water impoundments. Neurotoxins BMAA, DAB and anatoxin-a(S) were not detected in any of the water samples, although they have been found to accumulate in the desert soils, which suggests a bioaccumulation potential if they are leached into the aquifer. A toxic BMAA isomer, AEG, was found in 91.7% of rural but none of the urban water samples and correlated with water-truck transportation, light exposure and chloride ions. The hepatotoxic cyanotoxin microcystin-LR was present in the majority of all sampled impoundments, surpassing the WHO provisional guideline of 1 μg/l in 30% of the urban water tanks. Finally, we discuss possible management strategies to improve storage and transportation practices in order to minimize exposure to cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, and actions to promote sustainable use of limited water resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water hammer research in networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anželika Jurkienė

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Formation of water hammer, its consequences and possible protection measures are rarely topics, however the problem is significant. Water hammer can form in water supply and pressurized sewage networks, for various reasons. The article presents short theory of water hammer and methodology for calculation of specific parameters. Research of water hammer was performed in real water supply and sewer networks of country. Simulation of water hammer was carried out by turning on and off water pumps in pumping station. Successful measurement of water hammer depends on accuracy of the measurement equipment, therefore during the research surge wave fluctuations were measured with especially high resolution pressure meters. Detailed analysis of water hammer and selection of protecting equipment hydraulic model of water supply network was created. Protection against water hammer helps to avoid breaking of the water network and extend operation time.

Discussion of the enabling environments for decentralised water systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Moglia, M; Alexander, K S; Sharma, A

2011-01-01

Decentralised water supply systems are becoming increasingly affordable and commonplace in Australia and have the potential to alleviate urban water shortages and reduce pollution into natural receiving marine and freshwater streams. Learning processes are necessary to support the efficient implementation of decentralised systems. These processes reveal the complex socio-technical and institutional factors to be considered when developing an enabling environment supporting decentralised water and wastewater servicing solutions. Critical to the technological transition towards established decentralised systems is the ability to create strategic and adaptive capacity to promote learning and dialogue. Learning processes require institutional mechanisms to ensure the lessons are incorporated into the formulation of policy and regulation, through constructive involvement of key government institutions. Engagement of stakeholders is essential to the enabling environment. Collaborative learning environments using systems analysis with communities (social learning) and adaptive management techniques are useful in refining and applying scientists' and managers' knowledge (knowledge management).

The Saskatchewan River Basin - a large scale observatory for water security research (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Wheater, H. S.

2013-12-01

The 336,000 km2 Saskatchewan River Basin (SaskRB) in Western Canada illustrates many of the issues of Water Security faced world-wide. It poses globally-important science challenges due to the diversity in its hydro-climate and ecological zones. With one of the world's more extreme climates, it embodies environments of global significance, including the Rocky Mountains (source of the major rivers in Western Canada), the Boreal Forest (representing 30% of Canada's land area) and the Prairies (home to 80% of Canada's agriculture). Management concerns include: provision of water resources to more than three million inhabitants, including indigenous communities; balancing competing needs for water between different uses, such as urban centres, industry, agriculture, hydropower and environmental flows; issues of water allocation between upstream and downstream users in the three prairie provinces; managing the risks of flood and droughts; and assessing water quality impacts of discharges from major cities and intensive agricultural production. Superimposed on these issues is the need to understand and manage uncertain water futures, including effects of economic growth and environmental change, in a highly fragmented water governance environment. Key science questions focus on understanding and predicting the effects of land and water management and environmental change on water quantity and quality. To address the science challenges, observational data are necessary across multiple scales. This requires focussed research at intensively monitored sites and small watersheds to improve process understanding and fine-scale models. To understand large-scale effects on river flows and quality, land-atmosphere feedbacks, and regional climate, integrated monitoring, modelling and analysis is needed at large basin scale. And to support water management, new tools are needed for operational management and scenario-based planning that can be implemented across multiple scales and

Engine Environment Research Facility (EERF)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Description: This facility supports research and development testing of the behavior of turbine engine lubricants, fuels and sensors in an actual engine environment....

Antiquarian books as source of environment historical water data.

Science.gov (United States)

Schram, Jürgen; Schneider, Mario; Horst, Rasmus; Thieme, Hagen

2009-05-01

Historical environment considerations are inevitable also for modern environmental analysis. They alone allow evaluation of anthropogenic impact into the environment. To receive information about the historical environment situation in inhabited regions, we approached this task by examining historical well dated and locatable products of the Homo faber. The work introduced here uses books as a source of environment historical data specially for the environmental compartment of water. The paper of historical books, dated by their printing and allocated by their watermark(1) (Wasserzeichensammlung Piccard, Piccard online, Hauptstaatsarchiv Stuttgart, ) is a trap for traces of heavy metals contaminating their production water in historical times. Great amounts of water were brought into contact with the paper pulp in the historical paper mill process. The cellulose of the pulp acts as an ion exchange material for heavy metals, forming a dynamic equilibrium. A well defined pulp production process, starting with used clothes, allows estimation of the concentration of historical heavy metals (Cu(2+), Pb(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+)) in the production water (river water). Ancient papers from well dated books are eluted without destruction of their paper and the resulting solution is analysed by ETAAS and inverse stripping voltammetry to determine the historical impact of metals. Afterwards in a flow system the eluted paper spot is equilibrated with different concentrations of heavy metals (Cu(2+), Pb(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+)) to plot the adsorption isotherm of that very spot. Both data together allows a calculation of the heavy metal content of the historical river. For different waters of Germany and the Netherlands of the 16th-18th Century the heavy metal load could be estimated. The resulting concentrations were mostly similar to the level of modern surface waters, but in the case of the Dutch waters of the 17th Century, they were e.g. for Pb(2+) significantly higher than modern

Virtual environments simulation in research reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Muhamad, Shalina Bt. Sheik; Bahrin, Muhammad Hannan Bin

2017-01-01

Virtual reality based simulations are interactive and engaging. It has the useful potential in improving safety training. Virtual reality technology can be used to train workers who are unfamiliar with the physical layout of an area. In this study, a simulation program based on the virtual environment at research reactor was developed. The platform used for virtual simulation is 3DVia software for which it's rendering capabilities, physics for movement and collision and interactive navigation features have been taken advantage of. A real research reactor was virtually modelled and simulated with the model of avatars adopted to simulate walking. Collision detection algorithms were developed for various parts of the 3D building and avatars to restrain the avatars to certain regions of the virtual environment. A user can control the avatar to move around inside the virtual environment. Thus, this work can assist in the training of personnel, as in evaluating the radiological safety of the research reactor facility.

Pharmaceuticals in the Built and Natural Water Environment of the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Randhir P. Deo

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The known occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the built and natural water environment, including in drinking water supplies, continues to raise concerns over inadvertent exposures and associated potential health risks in humans and aquatic organisms. At the same time, the number and concentrations of new and existing pharmaceuticals in the water environment are destined to increase further in the future as a result of increased consumption of pharmaceuticals by a growing and aging population and ongoing measures to decrease per-capita water consumption. This review examines the occurrence and movement of pharmaceuticals in the built and natural water environment, with special emphasis on contamination of the drinking water supply, and opportunities for sustainable pollution control. We surveyed peer-reviewed publications dealing with quantitative measurements of pharmaceuticals in U.S. drinking water, surface water, groundwater, raw and treated wastewater as well as municipal biosolids. Pharmaceuticals have been observed to reenter the built water environment contained in raw drinking water, and they remain detectable in finished drinking water at concentrations in the ng/L to μg/L range. The greatest promises for minimizing pharmaceutical contamination include source control (for example, inputs from intentional flushing of medications for safe disposal, and sewer overflows, and improving efficiency of treatment facilities.

Plants Clean Air and Water for Indoor Environments

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

Wolverton Environmental Services Inc., founded by longtime government environmental scientist B.C. "Bill" Wolverton, is an environmental consulting firm that gives customers access to the results of his decades of cutting-edge bioremediation research. Findings about how to use plants to improve indoor air quality have been published in dozens of NASA technical papers and in the book, "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office." The book has now been translated into 12 languages and has been on the shelves of bookstores for nearly 10 years. A companion book, "Growing Clean Water: Nature's Solution to Water Pollution," explains how plants can clean waste water. Other discoveries include that the more air that is allowed to circulate through the roots of the plants, the more effective they are at cleaning polluted air; and that plants play a psychological role in welfare in that people recover from illness faster in the presence of plants. Wolverton Environmental is also working in partnership with Syracuse University, to engineer systems consisting of modular wicking filters tied into duct work and water supplies, essentially tying plant-based filters into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Also, the company has recently begun to assess the ability of the EcoPlanter to remove formaldehyde from interior environments. Wolverton Environmental is also in talks with designers of the new Stennis Visitor's Center, who are interested in using its designs for indoor air-quality filters

CUAHSI Data Services: Tools and Cyberinfrastructure for Water Data Discovery, Research and Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Seul, M.; Brazil, L.; Castronova, A. M.

2017-12-01

CUAHSI Data Services: Tools and Cyberinfrastructure for Water Data Discovery, Research and CollaborationEnabling research surrounding interdisciplinary topics often requires a combination of finding, managing, and analyzing large data sets and models from multiple sources. This challenge has led the National Science Foundation to make strategic investments in developing community data tools and cyberinfrastructure that focus on water data, as it is central need for many of these research topics. CUAHSI (The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc.) is a non-profit organization funded by the National Science Foundation to aid students, researchers, and educators in using and managing data and models to support research and education in the water sciences. This presentation will focus on open-source CUAHSI-supported tools that enable enhanced data discovery online using advanced searching capabilities and computational analysis run in virtual environments pre-designed for educators and scientists so they can focus their efforts on data analysis rather than IT set-up.

Zinc sacrificial anode behavior at elevated temperatures in sodium chloride and tap water environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, Othman Mohsen

2005-01-01

Zinc sacrificial anode coupled to mild steel was tested in sodium chloride and tap water environments at elevated temperatures. The anode failed to protect the mild steel specimens in tap water environment at all temperatures specified for this study. This was partly due to the high resistivity of the medium. The temperature factor did not help to activate the anode in water tap medium. In sodium chloride environment the anode demonstrated good protection for steel cathodes. In tap water environment the anode weight loss was negligible. The zinc anode suffered intergranular corrosion in sodium chloride environment and this was noticed starting at 40 degree centigrade. In tap water environment the zinc anode demonstrated interesting behavior beyond 60 degree centigrade, that could be attributed to the phenomenon of reversal of potential at elevated temperatures. It also showed shallow pitting spots in tap water environment without any sign of intergranular corrosion. Zinc anodes would suffer intergranular corrosion at high temperatures. (author)

Developing the remote sensing-based water environmental model for monitoring alpine river water environment over Plateau cold zone

Science.gov (United States)

You, Y.; Wang, S.; Yang, Q.; Shen, M.; Chen, G.

2017-12-01

Alpine river water environment on the Plateau (such as Tibetan Plateau, China) is a key indicator for water security and environmental security in China. Due to the complex terrain and various surface eco-environment, it is a very difficult to monitor the water environment over the complex land surface of the plateau. The increasing availability of remote sensing techniques with appropriate spatiotemporal resolutions, broad coverage and low costs allows for effective monitoring river water environment on the Plateau, particularly in remote and inaccessible areas where are lack of in situ observations. In this study, we propose a remote sense-based monitoring model by using multi-platform remote sensing data for monitoring alpine river environment. In this study some parameterization methodologies based on satellite remote sensing data and field observations have been proposed for monitoring the water environmental parameters (including chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a), water turbidity (WT) or water clarity (SD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total organic carbon (TOC)) over the china's southwest highland rivers, such as the Brahmaputra. First, because most sensors do not collect multiple observations of a target in a single pass, data from multiple orbits or acquisition times may be used, and varying atmospheric and irradiance effects must be reconciled. So based on various types of satellite data, at first we developed the techniques of multi-sensor data correction, atmospheric correction. Second, we also built the inversion spectral database derived from long-term remote sensing data and field sampling data. Then we have studied and developed a high-precision inversion model over the southwest highland river backed by inversion spectral database through using the techniques of multi-sensor remote sensing information optimization and collaboration. Third, take the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra river as the study area, we validated the key

Biodegradation of poly(ε-caprolactone in natural water environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heimowska Aleksandra

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The environmental degradation of poly(ε-caprolactone[PCL] in natural fresh water (pond and in The Baltic Sea is presented in this paper. The characteristic parameters of both environments were measured during experiment and their influence on the biodegradation of the samples was discussed. The loss of weight and changes of surface morphology of polymer samples were tested during the period of incubation. The poly(ε-caprolactone was more biodegradable in natural sea water than in pond. PCL samples were completely assimilated over the period of six weeks incubation in The Baltic Sea water, but after forty two weeks incubation in natural fresh water the polymer weight loss was about 39%. The results have confirmed that the investigated polymers are susceptible to an enzymatic attack of microorganisms, but their activity depends on environments.

Towards a mature measurement environment: Creating a software engineering research environment

Science.gov (United States)

Basili, Victor R.

1990-01-01

Software engineering researchers are building tools, defining methods, and models; however, there are problems with the nature and style of the research. The research is typically bottom-up, done in isolation so the pieces cannot be easily logically or physically integrated. A great deal of the research is essentially the packaging of a particular piece of technology with little indication of how the work would be integrated with other prices of research. The research is not aimed at solving the real problems of software engineering, i.e., the development and maintenance of quality systems in a productive manner. The research results are not evaluated or analyzed via experimentation or refined and tailored to the application environment. Thus, it cannot be easily transferred into practice. Because of these limitations we have not been able to understand the components of the discipline as a coherent whole and the relationships between various models of the process and product. What is needed is a top down experimental, evolutionary framework in which research can be focused, logically and physically integrated to produce quality software productively, and evaluated and tailored to the application environment. This implies the need for experimentation, which in turn implies the need for a laboratory that is associated with the artifact we are studying. This laboratory can only exist in an environment where software is being built, i.e., as part of a real software development and maintenance organization. Thus, we propose that Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) type activities exist in all organizations to support software engineering research. We describe the SEL from a researcher's point of view, and discuss the corporate and government benefits of the SEL. The discussion focuses on the benefits to the research community.

Virtual research environments from portals to science gateways

CERN Document Server

Allan, Robert N

2009-01-01

Virtual Research Environments examines making Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usable by researchers working to solve "grand challenge” problems in many disciplines from social science to particle physics. It is driven by research the authors have carried out to evaluate researchers' requirements in using information services via web portals and in adapting collaborative learning tools to meet their more diverse needs, particularly in a multidisciplinary study.This is the motivation for what the authors have helped develop into the UK Virtual Research Environments (VRE)

Emerging and potentially emerging viruses in water environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppina La Rosa

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Among microorganisms, viruses are best fit to become emerging pathogens since they are able to adapt not only by mutation but also through recombination and reassortment and can thus become able to infect new hosts and to adjust to new environments. Enteric viruses are among the commonest and most hazardous waterborne pathogens, causing both sporadic and outbreak-related illness. The main health effect associated with enteric viruses is gastrointestinal illness, but they can also cause respiratory symptoms, conjunctivitis, hepatitis, central nervous system infections, and chronic diseases. Non-enteric viruses, such as respiratory and epitheliotrophic viruses are not considered waterborne, as they are not readily transmitted to water sources from infected individuals. The present review will focus on viral pathogens shown to be transmitted through water. It will also provide an overview of viruses that had not been a concern for waterborne transmission in the past, but that may represent potentially emerging waterborne pathogens due to their occurrence and persistence in water environments.

A transdisciplinary account of water research.

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Tobias; Maynard, Carly; Carr, Gemma; Bruns, Antje; Mueller, Eva Nora; Lane, Stuart

2016-01-01

Water research is introduced from the combined perspectives of natural and social science and cases of citizen and stakeholder coproduction of knowledge. Using the overarching notion of transdisciplinarity, we examine how interdisciplinary and participatory water research has taken place and could be developed further. It becomes apparent that water knowledge is produced widely within society, across certified disciplinary experts and noncertified expert stakeholders and citizens. However, understanding and management interventions may remain partial, or even conflicting, as much research across and between traditional disciplines has failed to integrate disciplinary paradigms due to philosophical, methodological, and communication barriers. We argue for more agonistic relationships that challenge both certified and noncertified knowledge productively. These should include examination of how water research itself embeds and is embedded in social context and performs political work. While case studies of the cultural and political economy of water knowledge exist, we need more empirical evidence on how exactly culture, politics, and economics have shaped this knowledge and how and at what junctures this could have turned out differently. We may thus channel the coproductionist critique productively to bring perspectives, alternative knowledges, and implications into water politics where they were not previously considered; in an attempt to counter potential lock-in to particular water policies and technologies that may be inequitable, unsustainable, or unacceptable. While engaging explicitly with politics, transdisciplinary water research should remain attentive to closing down moments in the research process, such as framings, path-dependencies, vested interests, researchers' positionalities, power, and scale. WIREs Water 2016, 3:369-389. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1132 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Water research to support society: past, present and future

Science.gov (United States)

Arheimer, Berit

2014-05-01

Scientists are nowadays claiming that we are leaving the geological era of Holocene and have entered the Anthropocene (the Age of Man), a man-made world, in which humans are not observers of nature but central to its workings and commanding the planet's features, fluxes and material cycles. Both the hydrological and the biogeochemical cycles are radically changed compared to pristine conditions and the biodiversity is radically declining as the human population is growing. The co-evolution between society and environment is complex and not always reversible and we therefore need more research on effects of change to raise awareness and prepare for consequences. Many problems caused by humans are also well recognized and can be remediated. As the society develops also the environmental concerns normally becomes more important leading to remedial measures and pollution control. The change in water quality for many rivers world-wide shows similar flux over time related to level of economic development, going from deterioration to recovery as an effect of improved water management. Water management is of major importance for sustainable development, both for efficient water use and ecosystem protection. Water management should be based on (i) best available site information and (ii) best practices from understanding cause-effect relationships; yet, large areas still remains un-monitored and the relations between processes are complex and often not well understood. These knowledge gaps hamper the societal development and are thus two key challenges to address in the hydrological sciences initiative Panta Rhei. This presentation will address some of these challenges for water research in the past, present and future. Hydrology is by tradition an applied research, in which scientific questions co-evolve with societal needs. This will be exemplified this by giving a brief overview of the shift in research questions at one national institute, SMHI, during the last 100 years

Water, Society and the future of water resources research (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, C. M.

2013-12-01

The subject of water and society is broad, but at heart is the study of water as a resource, essential to human activities, a vital input to food and energy production, the sustaining medium for ecosystems and yet also a destructive hazard. Society demands, withdraws, competes, uses and wastes the resource in dynamic counterpart. The science of water management emerges from this interface, a field at the nexus of engineering and geoscience, with substantial influence from economics and other social sciences. Within this purview are some of the most pressing environmental questions of our time, such as adaptation to climate change, direct and indirect connections between water and energy policy, the continuing dependence of agriculture on depletion of the world's aquifers, the conservation or preservation of ecosystems within increasingly human-influenced river systems, and food security and poverty reduction for the earth's poorest inhabitants. This presentation will present and support the hypothesis that water resources research is a scientific enterprise separate from, yet closely interrelated to, hydrologic science. We will explore the scientific basis of water resources research, review pressing research questions and opportunities, and propose an action plan for the advancement of the science of water management. Finally, the presentation will propose a Chapman Conference on Water and Society: The Future of Water Resources Research in the spring of 2015.

New research on bioregenerative air/water purification systems

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Anne H.; Ellender, R. D.; Watkins, Paul J.

1991-01-01

For the past several years, air and water purification systems have been developed and used. This technology is based on the combined activities of plants and microorganisms as they function in a natural environment. More recently, researchers have begun to address the problems associated with indoor air pollution. Various common houseplants are currently being evaluated for their abilities to reduce concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) such as formaldehyde and benzene. With development of the Space Exploration Initiative, missions will increase in duration, and problems with resupply necessitates implementation of regenerative technology. Aspects of bioregenerative technology have been included in a habitat known as the BioHome. The ultimate goal is to use this technology in conjunction with physicochemical systems for air and water purification within closed systems. This study continued the risk assessment of bioregenerative technology with emphasis on biological hazards. In an effort to evaluate the risk for human infection, analyses were directed at enumeration of fecal streptococci and enteric viruses with the BioHome waste water treatment system.

Water hammer research in networks

OpenAIRE

Anželika Jurkienė; Mindaugas Rimeika

2015-01-01

Formation of water hammer, its consequences and possible protection measures are rarely topics, however the problem is significant. Water hammer can form in water supply and pressurized sewage networks, for various reasons. The article presents short theory of water hammer and methodology for calculation of specific parameters. Research of water hammer was performed in real water supply and sewer networks of country. Simulation of water hammer was carried out by turning on and off water pumps...

Contemporary state of spacecraft/environment interaction research

CERN Document Server

Novikov, L S

1999-01-01

Various space environment effects on spacecraft materials and equipment, and the reverse effects of spacecrafts and rockets on space environment are considered. The necessity of permanent updating and perfection of our knowledge on spacecraft/environment interaction processes is noted. Requirements imposed on models of space environment in theoretical and experimental researches of various aspects of the spacecraft/environment interaction problem are formulated. In this field, main problems which need to be solved today and in the nearest future are specified. The conclusion is made that the joint analysis of both aspects of spacecraft/environment interaction problem promotes the most effective solution of the problem.

Development and verification of remote research environment based on 'Fusion research grid'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iba, Katsuyuki; Ozeki, Takahisa; Totsuka, Toshiyuki; Suzuki, Yoshio; Oshima, Takayuki; Sakata, Shinya; Sato, Minoru; Suzuki, Mitsuhiro; Hamamatsu, Kiyotaka; Kiyono, Kimihiro

2008-01-01

'Fusion research grid' is a concept that unites scientists and let them collaborate effectively against their difference in time zone and location in a nuclear fusion research. Fundamental technologies of 'Fusion research grid' have been developed at JAEA in the VizGrid project under the e-Japan project at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). We are conscious of needs to create new systems that assist researchers with their research activities because remote collaborations have been increasing in international projects. Therefore we have developed prototype remote research environments for experiments, diagnostics, analyses and communications based on 'Fusion research grid'. All users can access these environments from anywhere because 'Fusion research grid' does not require a closed network like Super SINET to maintain security. The prototype systems were verified in experiments at JT-60U and their availability was confirmed

Third Pole Environment (TPE): a new frontier for interdisciplinary research

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Z.; Yao, T.; Thompson, L. G.; Mosbrugger, V.; Zhang, F.; Ma, Y.; Yang, X.; Wang, W.; Joswiak, D.; Liu, X.; Devkota, L. P.; Tayal, S.; Luo, T.

2013-12-01

The Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain ranges, referred to by scientists as the Third Pole (TP), represent one of the largest ice masses of the Earth. The region is one of the most sensitive areas responding to global climate change due to its high altitude and the presence of permafrost and glaciers. The near 100,000 km2 of glaciers ensure the permanent flow of major rivers in this region and provide water to 1.4 billion people in Asia. Thus, environmental changes taking place on the TP significantly influences social and economic development of countries in this region such as China, India, Nepal, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan. With an average elevation higher than 4,000 metres above sea level, the Third Pole is characterized by complex interactions of atmospheric, cryospheric, hydrological, geological and environmental processes that bear special significance for the Earth's biodiversity, climate and water cycles. For a comprehensive understanding of the environment of the TP and its implications on the development of the region, we need to integrate different disciplines under a them of 'water-ice-air-ecosystem -human' interactions and reveal environmental change processes and mechanisms on the TP and their influences on and regional responses to global changes, and thus to serve for enhancement of human adaptation to the changing environment. Like Antarctica and the Arctic, the Third Pole region is drawing increased attention of the international academic community. A series of observations and monitoring programs in the Third Pole region has been widely implemented. However, data necessary to precisely assess the environmental, societal and economic changes caused by alterations in the Third Pole dynamics are either lacking or insufficient. The Third Pole Environment (TPE) program is thus established as a comprehensive and coordinated international research, monitoring and capacity building initiative, with goals to address the influence

Research by E.D.F. in the field of environment overview and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lepetit, J.P.; Delcambre, J.

1986-01-01

The implementation of a major nuclear development program has needed numerous research efforts in the field of environment and greatly enhanced knowledge both of natural mechanisms and impacts of facilities. On an other hand, in spite of an important reduction of oil fired stations use, studies are still performed in relation with the national and european efforts to improve air quality. The following topics are reviewed: - studies relating to water: thermal impact, effect of heating in the aquatic environment, capture of fish in intake structures and impact of transit, biological fooling, radioactive discharges, hydraulic facilities. - Impact on the atmospheric: applied meteorology, impact of cooling towers, dispersion in the atmospheric and chemical contents of the air, SO2, NOx, particles and trace pollutants, acid rain, release reduction technology, radioactive discharges. - Acoustic environment: noise generation, radiated acoustic levels [fr

Research On Water Quality Used In The Milk Industry In Sibiu County (Transylvania, Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiţa Mihaela

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Dairy wastewater consists of transport water and raw materials washing, technology water, condensation water or cooling water from the washing and disinfecting rooms, manufacturing and packaging equipment cleaning and water from plumbing. These wastewaters are characterized by a high turnover of physico-chemical and microbiological properties due to their composition and origin variety. Because of the composition of protein, fat, and lactose, wastewater cannot be discharged to the sewerage system before their purification, because the mere disposal would pollute the environment. The main purpose of this research is to monitorize the quality of water in the milk processors industry, in order to ensure food security by framing it within the limits permitted by current rules.

Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment: Journal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment: Journal Sponsorship. Journal Home > About the Journal > Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment: Journal Sponsorship. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Archives: Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 1 - 18 of 18 ... Archives: Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment. Journal Home > Archives: Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Water repellence assessment in humid mediterranean carbonated environments: influence of shrubland species

Science.gov (United States)

Oscar, Gonzalez-Pelayo; Vicente, Andreu; Luis, Rubio Jose; Carla Sofia, Ferreira; Dinis, Ferreira Antonio Jose

2010-05-01

The importance of natural or induced (fire) water repellence in terms of water redistribution in the soil profile, reduction in soil infiltration capacity and thus, in runoff magnification, is well established. Hydrophobicity has been identified around the world in different climatic conditions, land covers, soil and vegetation types. Regarding soil and vegetation, many studies are based on coarse acidic soils with pine forest, eucalyptus, deciduous trees, grassland, cropland, chaparral vegetation type, and lately in shrublands. However, few studies are related to shrubland in wet Mediterranean carbonated environments. This work is oriented to the study of soil water repellence in these environments by means of WDPT. The study was carried out in Podentes (Coimbra), central Portugal, on 4 ha of shrubland (mainly Quercus coccifera, Pistacia lentiscus and Arbutus unedo), developed on Umbric leptosol and Calcaric cambisol soil types (WRB). The WDPT was assessed depending on the shrubland type, slope orientation, soil depth (0-2 cm and 2-5 cm) and on different soil fractions (unedo. Soil water repellence decreased with depth. The studied shrubland species showed an increasing trend on the soil hydrophobicity persistence: A. unedo > Q. coccifera ≈ P. lentiscus; and depending on the orientation: NE > SW. Direct relationships were obtained between the soil organic matter content and the log WDPT on almost all the surface soil samples. The soil pH and carbonate content did not display correlation with soil water repellence. The different hydrophobic compounds generated by waxes and resins of the different shrubland types, which could be incorporated to the soil as binding agents, seem to be the explanation for the differences of the WDPT data. The patchy distribution of the vegetation rules the persistence of the natural soil water repellence, restraining water infiltration mainly by micropore flow, being then the soil hydrology controlled by the macropore flow, cracks

Environment for Auditory Research Facility (EAR)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — EAR is an auditory perception and communication research center enabling state-of-the-art simulation of various indoor and outdoor acoustic environments. The heart...

Hydrodynamic analysis of floating platform for special purposes under complex water environment

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Guang-ying; Yao, Yun-long

2018-03-01

This article studied a new floating offshore platform for special purposes, which was assembled by standard floating modules. By using ANSYS AQWA software, the hydrodynamic model of the platform was established. The time history responses of the platform motions and the cable tension forces were calculate under complex water environments, such as wind, wave, current and mooring. The results showed that the tension of the four cables are far less than the breaking tension of the cable, so that the cable will not break. This study can be referenced by the relevant researchers and engineers.

CERR: A computational environment for radiotherapy research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deasy, Joseph O.; Blanco, Angel I.; Clark, Vanessa H.

2003-01-01

A software environment is described, called the computational environment for radiotherapy research (CERR, pronounced 'sir'). CERR partially addresses four broad needs in treatment planning research: (a) it provides a convenient and powerful software environment to develop and prototype treatment planning concepts, (b) it serves as a software integration environment to combine treatment planning software written in multiple languages (MATLAB, FORTRAN, C/C++, JAVA, etc.), together with treatment plan information (computed tomography scans, outlined structures, dose distributions, digital films, etc.), (c) it provides the ability to extract treatment plans from disparate planning systems using the widely available AAPM/RTOG archiving mechanism, and (d) it provides a convenient and powerful tool for sharing and reproducing treatment planning research results. The functional components currently being distributed, including source code, include: (1) an import program which converts the widely available AAPM/RTOG treatment planning format into a MATLAB cell-array data object, facilitating manipulation; (2) viewers which display axial, coronal, and sagittal computed tomography images, structure contours, digital films, and isodose lines or dose colorwash, (3) a suite of contouring tools to edit and/or create anatomical structures, (4) dose-volume and dose-surface histogram calculation and display tools, and (5) various predefined commands. CERR allows the user to retrieve any AAPM/RTOG key word information about the treatment plan archive. The code is relatively self-describing, because it relies on MATLAB structure field name definitions based on the AAPM/RTOG standard. New structure field names can be added dynamically or permanently. New components of arbitrary data type can be stored and accessed without disturbing system operation. CERR has been applied to aid research in dose-volume-outcome modeling, Monte Carlo dose calculation, and treatment planning optimization

Where there is no toilet: water and sanitation environments of domestic and facility births in Tanzania.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenka Benova

Full Text Available Inadequate water and sanitation during childbirth are likely to lead to poor maternal and newborn outcomes. This paper uses existing data sources to assess the water and sanitation (WATSAN environment surrounding births in Tanzania in order to interrogate whether such estimates could be useful for guiding research, policy and monitoring initiatives.We used the most recent Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (DHS to characterise the delivery location of births occurring between 2005 and 2010. Births occurring in domestic environments were characterised as WATSAN-safe if the home fulfilled international definitions of improved water and improved sanitation access. We used the 2006 Service Provision Assessment survey to characterise the WATSAN environment of facilities that conduct deliveries. We combined estimates from both surveys to describe the proportion of all births occurring in WATSAN-safe environments and conducted an equity analysis based on DHS wealth quintiles and eight geographic zones.42.9% (95% confidence interval: 41.6%-44.2% of all births occurred in the woman's home. Among these, only 1.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.2%-2.0% were estimated to have taken place in WATSAN-safe conditions. 74% of all health facilities conducted deliveries. Among these, only 44% of facilities overall and 24% of facility delivery rooms were WATSAN-safe. Combining the estimates, we showed that 30.5% of all births in Tanzania took place in a WATSAN-safe environment (range of uncertainty 25%-42%. Large wealth-based inequalities existed in the proportion of births occurring in domestic environments based on wealth quintile and geographical zone.Existing data sources can be useful in national monitoring and prioritisation of interventions to improve poor WATSAN environments during childbirth. However, a better conceptual understanding of potentially harmful exposures and better data are needed in order to devise and apply more empirical definitions of

Where there is no toilet: water and sanitation environments of domestic and facility births in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Benova, Lenka; Cumming, Oliver; Gordon, Bruce A; Magoma, Moke; Campbell, Oona M R

2014-01-01

Inadequate water and sanitation during childbirth are likely to lead to poor maternal and newborn outcomes. This paper uses existing data sources to assess the water and sanitation (WATSAN) environment surrounding births in Tanzania in order to interrogate whether such estimates could be useful for guiding research, policy and monitoring initiatives. We used the most recent Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to characterise the delivery location of births occurring between 2005 and 2010. Births occurring in domestic environments were characterised as WATSAN-safe if the home fulfilled international definitions of improved water and improved sanitation access. We used the 2006 Service Provision Assessment survey to characterise the WATSAN environment of facilities that conduct deliveries. We combined estimates from both surveys to describe the proportion of all births occurring in WATSAN-safe environments and conducted an equity analysis based on DHS wealth quintiles and eight geographic zones. 42.9% (95% confidence interval: 41.6%-44.2%) of all births occurred in the woman's home. Among these, only 1.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.2%-2.0%) were estimated to have taken place in WATSAN-safe conditions. 74% of all health facilities conducted deliveries. Among these, only 44% of facilities overall and 24% of facility delivery rooms were WATSAN-safe. Combining the estimates, we showed that 30.5% of all births in Tanzania took place in a WATSAN-safe environment (range of uncertainty 25%-42%). Large wealth-based inequalities existed in the proportion of births occurring in domestic environments based on wealth quintile and geographical zone. Existing data sources can be useful in national monitoring and prioritisation of interventions to improve poor WATSAN environments during childbirth. However, a better conceptual understanding of potentially harmful exposures and better data are needed in order to devise and apply more empirical definitions of WATSAN

Novel indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method to detect Total E. coli in water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Na; He Miao; Shi Hanchang

2007-01-01

In order to establish ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method to detect Total E. coli in water environment, E. coli multi-characters antigens in water environment were prepared according to the characters of kinds of E. coli serotypes, including antigen of whole cell, antigen of disrupted whole cell, somatic antigen, flagellar antigen and fimbrial antigen. Total E. coli polyclonal antibodies were obtained from the New Zealand rabbits immunized with these five antigens, respectively. Antibodies generated in this research are with high titers and good purity, can conjugate with antigens, specifically, stably and strongly. Indirect ELISA shows the titers of antibody of whole cell and antibody of disrupted whole cell are both over 1 x 10 5 . The cross-reactivity of the antibody is from 12 to 30% which indicate the specificity of the antibody against Total E. coli. Based on these antibodies, we established indirect ELISA method to detect Total E. coli in water environment. The matrix effects were studied and the results show that there is no significant influence by all the factors. The ELISA result shows that the detection limitation could be 10 4 CFU (colony forming units) L -1 . The indirect ELISA method developed in this study is well suited for Total E. coli analysis in real water samples as a rapid screen method

Study benefit value of utilization water resources for energy and sustainable environment

Science.gov (United States)

Juniah, Restu; Sastradinata, Marwan

2017-11-01

Referring to the concept of sustainable development, the environment is said to be sustainable if the fulfillment of three pillars of development that is economic, social and ecological or the environment itself. The environment can sustained in the principle of ecology or basic principles of environmental science, when the three environmental components, namely the natural environment, the artificial environment (the built environment) and the social environment can be aligned for sustainability. The natural environment in this study is the water resources, the artificial environment is micro hydroelectric power generation (MHPG), and the social environment is the community living around the MHPG. The existence of MHPG is intended for the sustainability of special electrical energy for areas not yet reached by electricity derived from the state electricity company (SEC). The utilization of MHPG Singalaga in South Ogan Komering Ulu (OKUS) district is not only intended for economic, ecological, and social sustainability in Southern OKU district especially those who live in Singalaga Village, Kisam Tinggi District. This paper discusses the economic, ecological and social benefits of water resources utilization in Southern OKU District for MHPG Singalaga. The direct economic benefits that arise for people living around MHPG Singalaga is the cost incurred by the community for the use of electricity is less than if the community uses electricity coming from outside the MHPG. The cost to society in the form of dues amounting to IDR 15,000 a month / household. Social benefits with the absorption of manpower to manage the MHPG is chairman, secretary and 3 members, while the ecological benefits of water resources and sustainable energy as well as the community while maintaining the natural vegetation that is located around the MHPG for the continuity of water resources.

Sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duić, Neven; Guzović, Zvonimir; Kafarov, Vyatcheslav; Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír; Mathiessen, Brian vad; Yan, Jinyue

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► This special issue of contributions presented at the 6th SDEWES Conference. ► Buildings are becoming energy neutral. ► Process integration enables significant improvements of energy efficiency. ► The electrification of transport and measures to increase its efficiency are needed. ► Renewable energy is becoming more viable while being complicated to integrate. -- Abstract: The 6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES Conference), attended by 418 scientists from 55 countries representing six continents. It was held in 2011 and dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of development, regarding energy, transport, water and environment systems and their many combinations.

[Spatiotemporal succession of algae functional groups and the influence of environment change in a deep-water reservoir].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jin-Suo; Hu, Ya-Pan

2013-07-01

Algae functional group has become an important theory and method of algae research in recent years. In order to explore the spatiotemporal succession of algae functional groups and the influence of environment change, water samples were collected in August, 2011 from a deep-water reservoir in Northwest China. The research combined the methods of on-line monitoring and laboratory analysis. The results showed that there were 10 functional groups of algae in the reservoir. They were designated as B, D, P, X1, X3, F, G, J, L(M) and MP. Wherein, the groups B, P, F, X1, MP, D and J were comparatively common functional groups, and the groups X3, G and L(M) were less common. The populations of groups B, D, P, X1 and X3 were larger than those of the others. Besides, the analysis of changes in the environment factors suggested that temperature was the most important factor influencing the spatiotemporal succession of algae functional groups. The strategy of algal growth followed the law: R/CR in spring --> CR/C in late spring and early summer C/CR/R/CS/S in late summer and early autumn --> CR/R in late autumn and winter. The purpose of this article is to provide theoretical support for water withdrawal safety in deep-water reservoirs.

CESAR robotics and intelligent systems research for nuclear environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, R.C.

1992-01-01

The Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) encompasses expertise and facilities to perform basic and applied research in robotics and intelligent systems in order to address a broad spectrum of problems related to nuclear and other environments. For nuclear environments, research focus is derived from applications in advanced nuclear power stations, and in environmental restoration and waste management. Several programs at CESAR emphasize the cross-cutting technology issues, and are executed in appropriate cooperation with projects that address specific problem areas. Although the main thrust of the CESAR long-term research is on developing highly automated systems that can cooperate and function reliably in complex environments, the development of advanced human-machine interfaces represents a significant part of our research. 11 refs

Constraining water uptake depths in semiarid environments using water stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, Matthias; Königer, Paul; Himmelsbach, Thomas

2017-04-01

uptake distribution based on the labeling experiments implies main water uptake occurring in the upper two meters of the soil; however, infrequent uptake up to four meters depth was registered. The HYDRUS 1D model reveals a strong impact of the implemented root distribution on unsaturated zone water transport and transpiration to evaporation rates of 3:1. Lessons learned from this field and modeling study for semiarid environments are: i) Using soil profiles from the dry season are suitable for investigating groundwater use by certain plant species. Soil profiles from or shortly after the rainy season as input for mixing models lead to ambitious results, mainly due to the fact that water sources are too similar; ii) A variety of techniques is required in order to improve the understanding of water uptake in deep unsaturated zones; and iii) Characteristic parameters such as deep percolation are subject to large uncertainties and cannot be modeled accurately if the root distribution on site is not represented correctly. There is an urgent need to incorporate these aspects into any modeling approach and for investigating ecohydrological separation across environments.

Marketing research model of competitive environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krasilya Dmitriy

2015-11-01

Full Text Available To support its competitive advantages in current market conditions, each company needs to choose better ways of guaranteeing its favorable competitive position. In this regard, considerable interest lies in the structuring and algorithmization of marketing research processes that provide the information background of such choice. The article is devoted to modeling the process of marketing research of competitive environment.

Imaging optical probe for pressurized steam-water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, M.R.; Pulfrey, R.E.

1979-01-01

An air-cooled imaging optical probe, with an outside diameter of 25.4 mm, has been developed to provide high resolution viewing of flow regimes in a steam-water environment at 343 0 C and 15.2 MPa. The design study considered a 3-m length probe. A 0.3-m length probe prototype was fabricated and tested. The optical probe consists of a 3.5-mm diameter optics train surrounded by two coaxial coolant flow channels and two coaxial insulating dead air spaces. With air flowing through the probe at 5.7 g/s, thermal analysis shows that no part of the optics train will exceed 93 0 C when a 3-m length probe is immersed in a 343 0 C environment. Computer stress analysis plus actual tests show that the probe can operate successfully with conservative safety factors. The imaging optical probe was tested five times in the design environment at the semiscale facility at the INEL. Two-phase flow regimes in the high temperature, high pressure, steam-water blowdown and reflood experiments were recorded on video tape for the first time with the imaging optical probe

Grey Incidence analyze of Environment Monitoring Data and Research on the Disease Prevention Measures of Longmen Grottoes

Science.gov (United States)

LeiLei, Zheng; XueZhi, Fu; Fei, Chu

2018-05-01

Longmen Grottoes was afflicted with many diseases for a long period such as weathering, seepage water and organism growth. Those adverse factors were threatening to preserve cultural relic. Longmen Grottoes conservation and restoration project being put into effect by UNESCO in 2002. The Longmen Grottoes area environmental monitoring system was built in order to comprehensively master the distribution law of environmental factors over the Longmen Grottoes. The monitoring items contains temperature, humidity, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, light intensity,water content in soil, the rock surface temperature and so on. At the same time, monitoring three experiment caves, monitoring the inside temperature, humidity, seepage water and the wall face temperature etc. So as to analyze the relationship between cave environment and regional environment. We statistical and arrange the data using Excel software, Kgraph software and DPS software. Through the grey incidence analyze, the incidence matrix and the correlation degree of the environmental factors was obtained[1]. The main environment factors for the formation of the disease had been researched. Based on the existing environmental monitor data, the relevance of seepage water and fracture displacement with other environmental factors had been studied, and the relational order was obtained. Corresponding preventive measures were put forward by the formation mechanism analyze of the disease.

Research activities at nuclear research institute in water chemistry and corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kysela, Jan

2000-01-01

Research activities at Nuclear Research Institute Rez (NRI) are presented. They are based on former heavy water reactor program and now on pressurized reactors VVER types which are operated on Czech republic. There is LVR-15 research reactor operated in NRI. The reactor and its experimental facilities is utilized for water chemistry and corrosion studies. NRI services for power plants involve water chemistry optimalization, radioactivity build-up, fuel corrosion and structural materials corrosion tests. (author)

Pavement-Watering for Cooling the Built Environment: A Review

OpenAIRE

Hendel , Martin

2016-01-01

Pavement-watering is being considered by decision-makers in many cities as a means of cooling the built environment and of adapting to rising extreme heat events due to climate change. In this article we review the existing literature on the topic of pavement-watering. We first focus on the methodological choices made in the literature, including study approach and scale, watering methods used as well as how results are analyzed. We then discuss the cooling effects reported, separating micro-...

Physics Research Integrated Development Environment (PRIDE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, J.; Cormell, L.

1993-12-01

Past efforts to implement a Software Engineering approach to High Energy Physics computing have been met with significant resistance and have been, in many cases, only marginally successful. At least a portion of the problem has been the Lick of an integrated development environment, tailored to High Energy Physics and incorporating a suite of Computer Aided Software Engineering tools. The Superconducting Super Collider Physics Research Division Computing Department is implementing pilot projects to develop just such an environment

Research highlights in energy and eco-efficient built environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Airaksinen, M. (ed.)

2012-06-15

This publication presents a compilation of VTT's recent research on energy and eco-efficient built environment. Sustainability as a dominating driver of technology development can also be seen in the R and D portfolio of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. A clear focus of our research for the building sector is sustainable construction, particularly the energy efficiency of the built environment. Buildings and the whole built environment are in a key role when societies are mitigating climate change and adapting to its consequences. Despite the temporary economic downturn, construction globally remains one of the most significant areas of human activities globally. Due to the urgency of measures related to climate change and the need to provide a proper environment for living and working, a large number of national and international measures have been agreed to guarantee the future development of sustainable built environment for all. Indirectly, this has lead to a need to develop existing and completely new technologies and processes for the built environment with a speed faster than ever and with a more holistic performance metrics than ever.

Attributes of a research environment that contribute to excellent research and development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. B. Jordan; L. D. Streit; J. S. Binkley

1999-04-01

This paper presents initial work at two U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories to identify attributes of DOE Laboratory research environments that are most important for fostering excellent research.

Monitoring of Trichloroethene and Tetrachloroethene Content in Soil-Water Environment in Third Phase of Ecological Audit of Land

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pusz Agnieszka

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Trichloroethene (TCE and tetrachloroethene (PCE are chemical compounds which pose a serious threat for human health. Their specific properties make it possible that these substances may linger in soil and water for many years. These are the reasons why wells with water designed for drinking purposes have been subject of monitoring since 2006. This paper presents the results of monitoring research conducted in the soil-water environment within the framework in third phase of an ecological audit of land. The ecological audit of land made it possible to identify the cause and degree of the degradation, and helped formulate rationale for remedy decisions pertaining to the land (remediation/reclamation. The objective of the paper was to determine the pollution status of the soil-water environment and, subsequently, monitor (in years 2008-2010 the contents of the hazardous substances, namely trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, within the area of the potential impact of metallurgical plant located in borders of the Main Underground Water Reservoir Wierzbica-Ostrowiec (GZWP 420 in in voivodeship Świętokrzyskie.

Sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duić, Neven; Guzović, Zvonimir; Kafarov, Vyatcheslav

2013-01-01

The 6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES Conference), attended by 418 scientists from 55 countries representing six continents. It was held in 2011 and dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies...

Direct methods for radionuclides measurement in water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernyaev, A.; Gaponov, I.; Kazennov, A.

2004-01-01

The paper is devoted to the direct method of anthropogenic radionuclide measurement in the water environment. Opportunities of application of submersible gamma-spectrometers for in situ underwater measurements of gamma-radiating nuclides and also the direct method for 90 Sr detection are considered

Water and environment news. No. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

This news bulletin will brief the reader on news related to isotope applications in the water and environment sector. It will bring the reader up to date on what is going on in the various projects constituting the IAEA sub programme entitled D evelopment and Management of Water Resources , and will highlight new results and achievements made in implementing the programme activities, including those jointly carried out with other organizations and institutes. Furthermore, the news bulletin will serve as an international open forum for the exchange of information in isotope hydrology and related fields. The first issue will make readers acquainted with general aspects of the Agency's sub-programme mentioned above, give an overview on past activities and achievements, and highlight current ones. The Agency's staff involved in all these activities is briefly introduced

A review of research programs related to the behavior of plutonium in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartram, B.W.; Wilkinson, M.J.

1983-01-01

Plutonium-fueled radioisotopic heat sources find application in a spectrum of space, terrestrial, and underseas applications to generate electrical power by thermoelectric or dynamic-cycle conversion. Such systems under postulated accident conditions could release radioactivity into the environment resulting in risks to the general population. The released radioactivity could be dispersed into various environmental media, such as air, soil, and water and interact with people through various exposure pathways leading to inhalation, ingestion, and external radiological doses and associated health effects. The authors developed short-term exposure (RISK II) and long-term exposure (RISK III) models for use in safety risk assessments of space missions utilizing plutonium-fueled electric power systems. To effectively use these models in risk assessments, representative input values must be selected for a spectrum of environmental transfer parameters that characterize the behavior of plutonium in the environment. The selection of appropriate transfer parameters to be used in a given analysis will depend on the accident scenarios to be modeled and the terrestrial and aquatic environments to be encountered. The authors reviewed the availability of plutonium environmental data for use in risk assessments and the status of research programs being conducted by various organizations related to the behavior of plutonium in the environment. This report summarizes the research programs presently being conducted at six Department of Energy Laboratories and makes recommendations on areas where further research is needed to fill gaps in the data necessary for risk assessments. 19 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Emerging pollutants in the environment: A challenge for water resource management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violette Geissen

2015-03-01

A combination of regulations and management measures with respect to use/emissions of EPs into the environment, as well as to their occurrence in the environment are fundamental to reach an efficient water resource management.

Research Staff | Water Power | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Research Staff Research Staff Learn more about the expertise and technical skills of the water power research team and staff at NREL. Name Position Email Phone Anstedt, Sheri Professional III-Writer /Editor/Web Content Sheri.Anstedt@nrel.gov 303-275-3255 Baker, Donald Research Technician V-Electrical

Water Resources Research supports water economics submissions

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Ronald C.

2012-09-01

AGU's international interdisciplinary journal Water Resources Research (WRR) publishes original contributions in hydrology; the physical, chemical, and biological sciences; and the social and policy sciences, including economics, systems analysis, sociology, and law. With the rising relevance of water economics and related social sciences, the editors of WRR continue to encourage submissions on economics and policy. WRR was originally founded in the mid 1960s by Walter Langbein and economist Allen Kneese. Several former WRR editors have been economists—including David Brookshire, Ron Cummings, and Chuck Howe—and many landmark articles in water economics have been published in WRR.

Modelling in waters geochemistry. Concepts and applications in environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windt, L. de; Lee, J.V.D.; Schmitt, J.M.

2005-01-01

The aim of this work is to give the main point of the physico-chemical concepts and of the mathematical laws on which are based the geochemical modelling of waters, while presenting concrete and typical applications examples to the problems of environment and of water resources management. In a table (Doc. AF 6530) are gathered the distribution sources of softwares and of thermodynamic data banks. (O.M.)

Environment and safety research status report: 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

The 1993 status report discusses ongoing and planned research activities in the GRI Environment and Safety Program. The objectives and goals, accomplishments, and strategy along with the basis for each project area are presented for the supply, end use, and gas operations subprograms. Within the context of these subprograms, contract status summaries under their conceptual titles are given for the following project areas: Gas Supply Environmental and Safety Research, Air Quality Research, End Use Equipment Safety Research, Gas Operations Safety Research, Liquefied Natural Gas, Safety Research, and Gas Operations Environmental Research

Bibliography of Water Quality Research Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Research and Development.

Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this bibliography of published reports covers information concerning the advancement of water pollution control technology and knowledge. The reports provide a central source of information on the research, development, and demonstration activities in the water research program of the EPA,…

Cooling-water amounts, temperature, and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koops, F.B.J.; Donze, M.; Hadderingh, R.H.

1979-01-01

The release of heat from power plants into a water can take place with relative small quantities of cooling water, highly warmed up accordingly, or with large quantities of cooling water slightly warmed up. The utilization of cooling water is bound to certain guidelines established by the authorities. With the intention to protect the environment, the admissable temperatures and warming-up have been strictly limited by the authorities. In the Netherlands, we have presently temporary cooling water guidelines which allow a max. temperature of the cooling water in the cooling cycle of 30 0 C and a maximum admissible temperature rise in the condenser between 7 0 C during summer and 15 0 C during winter. It has also been determined in these requirements how much cooling water at least has to be used to discharge a specified quantity of heat. Plankton, spawn and young fish are dragged with the cooling water. Harm to these organisms can be caused mechanically by pumps, sieves and the condenser or they can be harmed by the temperature rise in the condenser. Investigations showed that mechanical harm to spawn and young fish in the cooling water flow should not be ignored, and that detectable harm to plankton organisms takes place only at water temperatures above 32 0 C. The cooling water consumption can therefore be optimised as follows: The solution of a greater temperature increase and a slightly higher value for the temperature maximum can reduce the cooling water quantity. This reduction of the cooling water quantity reduces the destruction of the fish quantity, which gets into the cooling water system, especially during the summer. If the temperature rise and the temperature itself are not selected too high, the destruction of fish may be reduced without causing serious damage to the plankton. (orig.) [de

Fair access to water | IDRC - International Development Research ...

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

2013-03-19

Mar 19, 2013 ... ... blocks of the environment on which people, plants, and animals depend. ... the planning and monitoring will ensure fair and safe access to water for all ... Faruqui's work has focused on water management in Islam, and the ...

Past and present management of water resources in karst environments

Science.gov (United States)

Parise, Mario

2010-05-01

Karst is a very peculiar environment, and has a number of intrinsic features that clearly distinguish it from any other natural setting. Hydrology of karst is dominated by absence or very scarce presence of surface runoff, since water rapidly infiltrates underground through the complex network of conduits and fissures that are at the origin of the development of karst caves. The limited presence of water at the surface represented the main problem to be faced by man, starting from the very first historic phases of establishing settlements in karst territories. As often happens in areas with limited natural resources, man was however able to understand the local environment through observations and direct experience, develop technique in order to collect the limited available water resources, and adapt his way of life to the need of the natural environment. In a few words, a sustainable use of the water resources was reached, that went on for many centuries, allowing development of human settlements and agriculture, and, at the same time, protecting and safeguarding the precious hydric resources. Some of the most typical rural architectures built in karst areas of the Mediterranean Basin can be described as examples of such efforts: from the dry stone walls, to many types of storage-houses or dwellings, known with different names, depending upon the different countries and regions. Dry stone walls, in particular, deserve a particular attention, since they had multiple functions: to delimit the fields and properties, to act as a barrier to soil erosion, to allow terracing the high-gradient slopes, to collect and store water. At this latter aim, dry stone walls were build in order to create a small but remarkable micro-environment, functioning as collectors of moisture and water vapour. In the last centuries, with particular regard to the last decades of XX century, the attention paid by man to the need of the natural environment has dramatically changed. This

Water Pollution Prediction in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and Countermeasures for Sustainable Development of the Water Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yinghui; Huang, Shuaijin; Qu, Xuexin

2017-10-27

The Three Gorges Project was implemented in 1994 to promote sustainable water resource use and development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (hereafter "Reservoir Area"). However, massive discharge of wastewater along the river threatens these goals; therefore, this study employs a grey prediction model (GM) to predict the annual emissions of primary pollution sources, including industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater, and oily and domestic wastewater from ships, that influence the Three Gorges Reservoir Area water environment. First, we optimize the initial values of a traditional GM (1,1) model, and build a new GM (1,1) model that minimizes the sum of squares of the relative simulation errors. Second, we use the new GM (1,1) model to simulate historical annual emissions data for the four pollution sources and thereby test the effectiveness of the model. Third, we predict the annual emissions of the four pollution sources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area for a future period. The prediction results reveal the annual emission trends for the major wastewater types, and indicate the primary sources of water pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Based on our predictions, we suggest several countermeasures against water pollution and towards the sustainable development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems - Volume II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neven Duić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems – JSDEWES is an international journal dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from natural resources and replacing them with knowledge based economy, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of development, regarding energy, transport, water, environment and food production systems and their many combinations. In total 32 manuscripts were published in Volume II, all of them reviewed by at least two reviewers. The Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems would like to thank reviewers for their contribution to the quality of the published manuscripts.

Comparative assessment for future prediction of urban water environment using WEAP model: A case study of Kathmandu, Manila and Jakarta

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Pankaj; Yoshifumi, Masago; Ammar, Rafieiemam; Mishra, Binaya; Fukushi, Ken

2017-04-01

Uncontrolled release of pollutants, increasing extreme weather condition, rapid urbanization and poor governance posing a serious threat to sustainable water resource management in developing urban spaces. Considering half of the world's mega-cities are in the Asia and the Pacific with 1.7 billion people do not access to improved water and sanitation, water security through its proper management is both an increasing concern and an imperative critical need. This research work strives to give a brief glimpse about predicted future water environment in Bagmati, Pasig and Ciliwung rivers from three different cities viz. Manila, Kathmandu and Jakarta respectively. Hydrological model used here to foresee the collective impacts of rapid population growth because of urbanization as well as climate change on unmet demand and water quality in near future time by 2030. All three rivers are major source of water for different usage viz. domestic, industrial, agriculture and recreation but uncontrolled withdrawal and sewerage disposal causing deterioration of water environment in recent past. Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model was used to model river water quality pollution future scenarios using four indicator species i.e. Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Nitrate (NO3). Result for simulated water quality as well as unmet demand for year 2030 when compared with that of reference year clearly indicates that not only water quality deteriorates but also unmet demands is increasing in future course of time. This also suggests that current initiatives and policies for water resource management are not sufficient enough and hence immediate and inclusive action through transdisciplinary research.

Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment: Site Map

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment: Site Map. Journal Home > About the Journal > Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment: Site Map. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Where There Is No Toilet: Water and Sanitation Environments of Domestic and Facility Births in Tanzania

Science.gov (United States)

Benova, Lenka; Cumming, Oliver; Gordon, Bruce A.; Magoma, Moke; Campbell, Oona M. R.

2014-01-01

Background Inadequate water and sanitation during childbirth are likely to lead to poor maternal and newborn outcomes. This paper uses existing data sources to assess the water and sanitation (WATSAN) environment surrounding births in Tanzania in order to interrogate whether such estimates could be useful for guiding research, policy and monitoring initiatives. Methods We used the most recent Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to characterise the delivery location of births occurring between 2005 and 2010. Births occurring in domestic environments were characterised as WATSAN-safe if the home fulfilled international definitions of improved water and improved sanitation access. We used the 2006 Service Provision Assessment survey to characterise the WATSAN environment of facilities that conduct deliveries. We combined estimates from both surveys to describe the proportion of all births occurring in WATSAN-safe environments and conducted an equity analysis based on DHS wealth quintiles and eight geographic zones. Results 42.9% (95% confidence interval: 41.6%–44.2%) of all births occurred in the woman's home. Among these, only 1.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.2%–2.0%) were estimated to have taken place in WATSAN-safe conditions. 74% of all health facilities conducted deliveries. Among these, only 44% of facilities overall and 24% of facility delivery rooms were WATSAN-safe. Combining the estimates, we showed that 30.5% of all births in Tanzania took place in a WATSAN-safe environment (range of uncertainty 25%–42%). Large wealth-based inequalities existed in the proportion of births occurring in domestic environments based on wealth quintile and geographical zone. Conclusion Existing data sources can be useful in national monitoring and prioritisation of interventions to improve poor WATSAN environments during childbirth. However, a better conceptual understanding of potentially harmful exposures and better data are needed in order to devise and apply

Skylab fluid mechanics simulations: Oscillation, rotation, collision and coalescence of water droplets under low-gravity environment

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, O. H., Jr.; Hung, R. J.

1975-01-01

Skylab 4 crew members performed a series of demonstrations showing the oscillations, rotations, as well as collision coalescence of water droplets which simulate various physical models of fluids under low gravity environment. The results from Skylab demonstrations provide information and illustrate the potential of an orbiting space-oriented research laboratory for the study of more sophisticated fluid mechanic experiments. Experiments and results are discussed.

Legal Research in a Changing Information Environment

African Journals Online (AJOL)

tduplessis

opportunities for research into constitutional issues, constitutional development and the relationship ... Legal research is a fundamental skill in the legal profession.9 Although all areas of law do not require ..... 1999 Legal RSQ 78. 56 In the print information environment lawyers use standard citation formats, e.g. X v Z 1999.

Economics for the Environment: Research Capacity Building in ...

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

Economics for the Environment: Research Capacity Building in South Asia. This project will enhance environmental economics research capacity in South Asia through a program of research grants, training, and networking. It provides funds to the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics ...

Hierarchical biodiversity and environment impact assessment of South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China

OpenAIRE

Youhua Chen

2013-01-01

In this brief review, the potential environmental and biodiversity impact of South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD) project in China on regional environments was assessed. I used the hierarchical environmental impact assessment to classify the possible impacts into three orders caused by the construction of SNWD and then presented the current research advances on each order of the impacts. Further impact assessments should be reinforced during the construction period of SNDW project for the su...

The heavy water accountancy for research reactors in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshijima, Tetsuo; Tanaka, Sumitoshi; Nemoto, Denjirou

1998-11-01

The three research reactors have been operated by the Department of Research Reactor and used about 41 tons heavy water as coolant, moderator and reflector of research reactors. The JRR-2 is a tank type research reactor of 10MW in thermal power and its is used as moderator, coolant and reflector about 16 tons heavy water. The JRR-3M is a light water cooled and moderated pool type research reactor with a thermal power of 20MW and its is used as reflector about 7.3 tons heavy water. In the JRR-4, which is a light water cooled swimming pool type research reactor with the maximum thermal power of 3.5MW, about 1 ton heavy water is used to supply fully thermalized neutrons with a neutron beam experiment of facility. The heavy water was imported from U.S.A., CANADA and Norway. Parts of heavy water is internationally controlled materials, therefore management of heavy water is necessary for materials accountancy. This report described the change of heavy water inventories in each research reactors, law and regulations for accounting of heavy water in JAERI. (author)

Discharge Fee Policy Analysis: A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model of Water Resources and Water Environments

OpenAIRE

Guohua Fang; Ting Wang; Xinyi Si; Xin Wen; Yu Liu

2016-01-01

To alleviate increasingly serious water pollution and shortages in developing countries, various kinds of policies have been implemented by local governments. It is vital to quantify and evaluate the performance and potential economic impacts of these policies. This study develops a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate the regional economic and environmental effects of discharge fees. Firstly, water resources and water environment factors are separated from the input and out...

Environment, sustainability, and education policy research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McKenzie, Marcia; Rickinson, Mark; Bengtssen, Stefan

Introduction: This session is a two part symposium on the topic of environment and sustainability in relation to educational policy development, enactment, and analysis. This format is modeled on similar formats used in other international conferences, such as the Association of American...... and methodological approaches to policy and policy research. Some key questions to be addressed include:- What kinds of understandings of policy and policy research are informing work in environmental and sustainability education?- Are there interdisiplinary approaches to policy research that can be useful...... for furthering critical education policy analysis?- What are the relationships between policy development and its enactment or implementation? - To what extent has the environmental education field researched policy development and/or enactment?- What might environmental education research have to offer...

A review of research programs related to the behavior of plutonium in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartram, Bart W.; Wilkinson, Martha J.

1983-01-01

Plutonium-fueled radioisotopic heat sources find application in a spectrum of space, terrestrial, and underseas applications to generate electrical power by thermoelectric or dynamic-cycle conversion. Such systems under postulated accident conditions could release radioactivity into the environment resulting in risks to the general population. The released radioactivity could be dispersed into various environmental media, such as air, soil, and water and interact with people through various exposure pathways leading to inhalation, ingestion, and external radiological doses and associated health effects. The authors developed short-term exposure (RISK II) and long-term exposure (RISK III) models for use in safety risk assessments of space missions utilizing plutonium-fueled electric power systems. To effectively use these models in risk assessments, representative input values must be selected for a spectrum of environmental transfer parameters that characterize the behavior of plutonium in the environment. The selection of appropriate transfer parameters to be used in a given analysis will depend on the accident scenarios to be modeled and the terrestrial and aquatic environments to be encountered. The authors reviewed the availability of plutonium in the environment. This report summarizes the research programs presently being conducted at six Department of Energy Laboratories and makes recommendations on areas where further research is needed to fill gaps in the data necessary for risk assessments

Sustainability, Water and Environment in Spain; Sostenibilidad, Agua y Medio Ambiente en Espana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arias, M. M.

2003-07-01

The past June 5, Worldwide Day of the Environment, dedicated to the sweet water, the Spanish Club of the Environment realized, as every year, its particular celebration, with a lunch-colloquium over the situation of the sweet water in Spain. This article purports to order the debate, reflecting the degree of diversity of the discussed subjects. (Author)

In-air and pressurized water reactor environment fatigue experiments of 316 stainless steel to study the effect of environment on cyclic hardening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohanty, Subhasish, E-mail: smohanty@anl.gov; Soppet, William K., E-mail: soppet@anl.gov; Majumdar, Saurindranath, E-mail: majumdar@anl.gov; Natesan, Krishnamurti, E-mail: natesan@anl.gov

2016-05-15

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), under the sponsorship of Department of Energy's Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program, is trying to develop a mechanistic approach for more accurate life estimation of LWR components. In this context, ANL has conducted many fatigue experiments under different test and environment conditions on type 316 stainless steel (316 SS) material which is widely used in the US reactors. Contrary to the conventional S ∼ N curve based empirical fatigue life estimation approach, the aim of the present DOE sponsored work is to develop an understanding of the material ageing issues more mechanistically (e.g. time dependent hardening and softening) under different test and environmental conditions. Better mechanistic understanding will help develop computer-based advanced modeling tools to better extrapolate stress-strain evolution of reactor components under multi-axial stress states and hence help predict their fatigue life more accurately. Mechanics-based modeling of fatigue such as by using finite element (FE) tools requires the time/cycle dependent material hardening properties. Presently such time-dependent material hardening properties are hardly available in fatigue modeling literature even under in-air conditions. Getting those material properties under PWR environment, are even harder. Through this work we made preliminary attempt to generate time/cycle dependent stress-strain data both under in-air and PWR water conditions for further study such as for possible development of material models and constitutive relations for FE model implementation. Although, there are open-ended possibility to further improve the discussed test methods and related material estimation techniques we anticipate that the data presented in this paper will help the metal fatigue research community particularly, the researchers who are dealing with mechanistic modeling of metal fatigue such as using FE tools. In this paper the fatigue

Water Pollution Prediction in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and Countermeasures for Sustainable Development of the Water Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yinghui Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Three Gorges Project was implemented in 1994 to promote sustainable water resource use and development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (hereafter “Reservoir Area”. However, massive discharge of wastewater along the river threatens these goals; therefore, this study employs a grey prediction model (GM to predict the annual emissions of primary pollution sources, including industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater, and oily and domestic wastewater from ships, that influence the Three Gorges Reservoir Area water environment. First, we optimize the initial values of a traditional GM (1,1 model, and build a new GM (1,1 model that minimizes the sum of squares of the relative simulation errors. Second, we use the new GM (1,1 model to simulate historical annual emissions data for the four pollution sources and thereby test the effectiveness of the model. Third, we predict the annual emissions of the four pollution sources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area for a future period. The prediction results reveal the annual emission trends for the major wastewater types, and indicate the primary sources of water pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Based on our predictions, we suggest several countermeasures against water pollution and towards the sustainable development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Water Pollution Prediction in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and Countermeasures for Sustainable Development of the Water Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shuaijin; Qu, Xuexin

2017-01-01

The Three Gorges Project was implemented in 1994 to promote sustainable water resource use and development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (hereafter “Reservoir Area”). However, massive discharge of wastewater along the river threatens these goals; therefore, this study employs a grey prediction model (GM) to predict the annual emissions of primary pollution sources, including industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater, and oily and domestic wastewater from ships, that influence the Three Gorges Reservoir Area water environment. First, we optimize the initial values of a traditional GM (1,1) model, and build a new GM (1,1) model that minimizes the sum of squares of the relative simulation errors. Second, we use the new GM (1,1) model to simulate historical annual emissions data for the four pollution sources and thereby test the effectiveness of the model. Third, we predict the annual emissions of the four pollution sources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area for a future period. The prediction results reveal the annual emission trends for the major wastewater types, and indicate the primary sources of water pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Based on our predictions, we suggest several countermeasures against water pollution and towards the sustainable development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. PMID:29077006

Turning research on the psychosocial working environment into regulatory practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Agnete Meldgaard; Nielsen, Klaus Tranetoft; Starheim, Liv

The psychosocial working environment is an expanding field of research. Within the last decades a lot of knowledge has been developed in the field. The question however remains how this knowledge can be, and is being, utilized in the regulation of the psychosocial working environment. This question...... we understand this process as a translation of knowledge into policies, tools and actors dealing with the psychosocial working environment. Drawing on this understanding we develop a model that illustrates the utility of different types of research on the psychosocial working environment...

Some aspects of research relevant to environment radiochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shi; Ma Mingxie

1997-01-01

The authors suggest some research aspects relevant to environmental radiochemistry from the view point of environmental protection and radiation protection: the migration behavior of radionuclides, their interaction with environment medium and their speciation in environment. The status and prospect of these aspects and the relationship between them are discussed

Rice production with less irrigation water is possible in a Sahelian environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, de M.E.; Rodenburg, J.; Bado, B.V.; Sow, A.; Leffelaar, P.A.; Giller, K.E.

2010-01-01

We investigated the possibility of saving irrigation water in rice production in a Sahelian environment with different nitrogen rates and weed control treatments. A series of field experiments was conducted at Ndiaye (shallow water table, dry and wet season) and at Fanaye (deep water table, wet

Virtual Research Environments: The role of the facilitator

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Bowers, N

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This conference presentation discusses the authors' duties as the facilitators of the POL-SABINA Natural Products Virtual Research Environment. In summary, they facilitated the use and content population of the Natural Products Virtual Research...

Hydrology in a mediterranean mountain environment. The Vallcebre research catchment (north eastern Spain) III. Vegetation and water fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llorens, P.; Poyatos, R.; Muzylo, A.; Rubio, C. M.; Latron, J.; Delgado, J.; Gallart, F.

2009-01-01

The Vallcebre research catchment are located in a Mediterranean mountain area (Pyrenean, range, NE Spain). These catchments were originally covered by Quercus pubescens Willd. and deforested for agricultural use in the past. Nowadays they are covered by mesophyle grasses with spontaneous afforestation by Pinus sylvestris L. In this context, different investigations studying water fluxes in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum have been performed. the main objective of these studies is the analysis and modelling of the role of vegetation cover on the catchment water balance in a framework of climate and land use changes. The dynamics of rainfall interception and transpiration by Scots pines and pubescens oaks, are investigated in terms of their dependence on meteorological conditions, on soil moisture and water table depth. (Author) 13 refs.

Research on evaluation methods for water regulation ability of dams in the Huai River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, G. H.; Lv, S. F.; Ma, K.

2016-08-01

Water environment protection is a global and urgent problem that requires correct and precise evaluation. Evaluation methods have been studied for many years; however, there is a lack of research on the methods of assessing the water regulation ability of dams. Currently, evaluating the ability of dams has become a practical and significant research orientation because of the global water crisis, and the lack of effective ways to manage a dam's regulation ability has only compounded this. This paper firstly constructs seven evaluation factors and then develops two evaluation approaches to implement the factors according to the features of the problem. Dams of the Yin Shang ecological control section in the Huai He River basin are selected as an example to demonstrate the method. The results show that the evaluation approaches can produce better and more practical suggestions for dam managers.

Factors Affecting Research Environment at Syrian Business Faculties: A Student-Perceived Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayan Khalifa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims at investigating the factors that affect the research environment of business postgraduate students, particularly master students, from the perspective of these students. From the same perspective, it also aims at assessing these factors together with the quality of research environment. A questionnaire survey method was employed. The questionnaire was developed by academics from five business faculties based on relevant studies and was distributed to graduate students enrolled in all of the research business programs at the Faculty of Economics, Damascus University, ending up with 88 valid responses. To explore the factors that may affect research environment, exploratory factor analysis was employed. In addition, multiple regression analysis and t-test were applied to respond to the study purposes. Facilities and industry linkage come to be significant factors in the research environment. However, the results show insignificant impact for each of the research courses, networking, and research skills in the overall research environment. Variations in regard to the availability of these factors were identified with low level of availability for the facilities and industry linkage. The study is one of a kind that investigates factors affecting research environment of postgraduate students and particularly master students. Further and to the best of our knowledge, it is the first study that examines such factors in war conditions, which enables us to understand what students perceive as critical factors influencing their research performance in these conditions. Recommendations to policy makers are presented to develop strategies that respond to students’ concerns for a better research environment.

Electrochemistry of lead in simulated ground water environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joerg, E.A.; Devereux, O.F.

1996-01-01

Lead and lead alloys are used commonly as moisture barriers for underground cables. Lead exhibits excellent corrosion resistance in a variety of environments, but areas of localized attack have been found. These can result in able failures. The susceptibility of lead to pitting in several simulated ground water (SGW) environments was assessed using cyclic potentiodynamic pitting scans (PPS) and microscopy. Although general corrosion was observed, PPS demonstrated pitting did not occur in the same sense as in alloys known to be susceptible to pitting (i.e., very localized pit formation without general corrosion). However, areas of nonuniform general attack did occur, resulting in pitted surface morphologies

Nuclear power plants and the environment. Water samplings and releases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, Philippe; Bordet, Francois; Chevalier, Christian; Colin, Jean-Luc; Khalanski, Michel

2013-01-01

This voluminous and illustrated guide aims at giving detailed information on the nature of waters used by nuclear power plants and of releases, on how these samplings and controls are performed, on the associated risks for the environment and public health, and on how public is informed. After a general overview of these issues, a chapter addresses the protection of nature and biodiversity and the actions performed by EDF in this respect. The next chapter deals with public information. The next chapters discuss the water needs of a nuclear power plant, effluent releases and their impacts. Two chapters are dedicated to the monitoring and control of the environment, and to the various techniques of environmental metrology. Legal and regulatory aspects are then presented

Understanding and managing the food-energy-water nexus - opportunities for water resources research

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Ximing; Wallington, Kevin; Shafiee-Jood, Majid; Marston, Landon

2018-01-01

Studies on the food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus lay a shared foundation for researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and stakeholders to understand and manage linked production, utilization, and security of FEW systems. The FEW nexus paradigm provides the water community specific channels to move forward in interdisciplinary research where integrated water resources management (IWRM) has fallen short. Here, we help water researchers identify, articulate, utilize, and extend our disciplinary strengths within the broader FEW communities, while informing scientists in the food and energy domains about our unique skillset. This paper explores the relevance of existing and ongoing scholarship within the water community, as well as current research needs, for understanding FEW processes and systems and implementing FEW solutions through innovations in technologies, infrastructures, and policies. Following the historical efforts in IWRM, hydrologists, water resources engineers, economists, and policy analysts are provided opportunities for interdisciplinary studies among themselves and in collaboration with energy and food communities, united by a common path to achieve sustainability development goals.

Microbial hitchhikers on marine plastic debris: Human exposure risks at bathing waters and beach environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Keswani, Anisha; Oliver, David M; Gutierrez, Tony; Quilliam, Richard S

2016-07-01

Marine plastic debris is well characterized in terms of its ability to negatively impact terrestrial and marine environments, endanger coastal wildlife, and interfere with navigation, tourism and commercial fisheries. However, the impacts of potentially harmful microorganisms and pathogens colonising plastic litter are not well understood. The hard surface of plastics provides an ideal environment for opportunistic microbial colonisers to form biofilms and might offer a protective niche capable of supporting a diversity of different microorganisms, known as the "Plastisphere". This biotope could act as an important vector for the persistence and spread of pathogens, faecal indicator organisms (FIOs) and harmful algal bloom species (HABs) across beach and bathing environments. This review will focus on the existent knowledge and research gaps, and identify the possible consequences of plastic-associated microbes on human health, the spread of infectious diseases and bathing water quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of Seminar on Water Resources and Environment: application of nuclear and related technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Isotope techniques have been used in solving problems in the fields of hydrology and environment since 1950s. It is acknowledged that of all the methods used to understand hydrologic processes, applications of tracers in particular have been the most useful in terms of providing new insights into the processes. Isotope techniques have been applied in the investigation of seepage losses from dams and canals, coastal sediment dynamics, surface water and groundwater resources, groundwater age dating, soil erosion and reservoir sedimentation, sediment movement and transport pathways, streamflow measurements, pollution transport behaviour and others. A total of sixteen papers were presented by Malaysian researchers involved in the field. The papers covered areas in dam surveillance, river management, water resources and stream flow measurement, estuary and coastal studies and slope stability investigations

Approaches to Improvement of Crop Genotypes with High Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Water Scarce Environments. Final Report of a Coordinated Research Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-12-01

Projected global population increase and the impacts of climate change on agriculture highlight the importance of the use of improved crop varieties coupled with better soil, water and fertilizer management practices designed to protect the natural resource base. This publication is the outcome of a coordinated research project (CRP) and focuses on the practical application of nuclear and related techniques, such as mutation induction and the use of stable isotopes of nitrogen [N-15] and carbon [C-13]. The use of such techniques can improve crop productivity with mutant varieties and best-fit soil management practices in diverse agro-ecological zones affected by drought, high temperatures, water scarcity, soil acidity and soil salinity. The findings of the CRP will be highly valuable to agricultural scientists and laboratory technicians of national agricultural research organizations in Member States as a resource for improving soil and crop productivity.

Water resources management in Tanzania: identifying research ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper aims at identifying research gaps and needs and recommendations for a research agenda on water resources management in Tanzania. We reviewed published literature on water resources management in Tanzania in order to highlight what is currently known, and to identify knowledge gaps, and suggest ...

48 CFR 952.223 - Clauses related to environment, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy technologies...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... environment, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy technologies, occupational safety, and drug-free workplace. 952.223 Section 952.223 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CLAUSES AND... related to environment, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy technologies, occupational safety...

Water and environment news. No. 13

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This issue of the newsletter presents Coordinated Research Projects on O rigins of salinity and impacts on fresh groundwater resources: Optimization of isotope techniques . Other topics include monitoring of isotopes in river water, field manual on geothermal investigations, lake studies, and a new vacuum distillation system

Transfer factor for 137Cs in fresh water aquatic environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varughese, K.G.; Ramkumar, S.; John, Jaison T.; Rajan, M.P.; Gurg, R.P.

2002-01-01

137 Cs is one of the most abundant radionuclides produced in nuclear fission and due to its long radiological half-life and chemical similarity to potassium it has greater biological significance. Radioactive waste materials generated at nuclear facilities are generally disposed within the plant premises under its administrative control for effective radiation protection practices. However trace quantities of radionuclides are released into the environment through liquid and gaseous releases under the guidelines of regulatory agencies. The concentration of these radioactive elements in the environment is not detectable under normal circumstances due to the large dispersion and dilutions available in the environment. But these radionuclides can get accumulated in environmental matrices like silt, weed etc. and indicate the presence of radioactivity in the environment. This paper presents the results of a face-controlled studies conducted at Environmental Survey Laboratories at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) and Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) to estimate distribution of low-level radioactivity in the fresh water system. An attempt has been made to derive the Transfer Factor for 137 Cs in fish, weed, and silt and to evaluate the concentration of 137 Cs in water samples, which is otherwise not detectable under normal procedure of measurement. (author)

Environment sensitive cracking in light water reactor pressure boundary materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haenninen, H.; Aho-Mantila, I.

1985-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to review the available methods and the most promising future possibilities of preventive maintenance to counteract the various forms of environment sensitive cracking of pressure boundary materials in light water reactors. Environment sensitive cracking is considered from the metallurgical, mechanical and environmental point of view. The main emphasis is on intergranular stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels and high strenght Ni-base alloys, as well as on corrosion fatigue of low alloy and stainless steels. Finally, some general ideas how to predict, reduce or eliminate environment sensitive cracking in service are presented

A Comparison of the Water Environment Policy of Europe and South Korea in Response to Climate Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heejung Kim

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Climate change not only increases the atmospheric temperature, but also changes the precipitation conditions and patterns, which can lead to an increase in the frequency of occurrence of natural disasters, such as flooding and drought. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC has reported fluctuations in the precipitation levels for each country from 1900 to 2005, based on global climate change, suggesting that environmental changes due to climate change manifest very differently based on the region. According to the results of studies that have been carried out recently, changes in the precipitation patterns based on climate change result in changes in the water environment, including alterations to the vegetation, land use, and river flow, while considerably influencing the rate of development of groundwater as well. In this study, the 3Is, which are the important variables of Ideas, Institutions, and Interests that are universal to the international field of political science, were used to comparatively analyze the water environment policies of South Korea and Europe. The first variable, Ideas, examined the influence of awareness on establishing the water environment policy in response to climate change. In particular, differences in the conceptual awareness of the water environment with regard to hyporheic zones were studied. The second variable, Institutions, examined the differences in the water environment policy within the national administration in response to climate change. The South Korean administration’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the Ministry of Environment were used in a case study. Finally, the results drawn from the third variable, i.e., Interests, for South Korea appear to differ from those of Europe, in terms of water environment policy. In this study, the water environment policy of South Korea was analyzed and compared to that of Europe in order to identify problems in South Korea�

USGS microbiome research

Science.gov (United States)

Kellogg, Christina A.; Hopkins, M. Camille

2017-09-26

Microbiomes are the communities of microorganisms (for example, bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that live on, in, and around people, plants, animals, soil, water, and the atmosphere. Microbiomes are active in the functioning of diverse ecosystems, for instance, by influencing water quality, nutrient acquisition 
and stress tolerance in plants, and stability of soil and aquatic environments. Microbiome research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey spans many of our mission areas. Key research areas include water quality, understanding climate effects on soil and permafrost, ecosystem and wildlife health, invasive species, contaminated environments to improve bioremediation, and enhancing energy production. Microbiome research will fundamentally strengthen the ability to address the global challenges of maintaining clean water, ensuring adequate food supply, meeting energy needs, and preserving human and ecosystem health.

Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio J. Castro

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Globally, environmental and social change in water-scarce regions challenge the sustainability of social-ecological systems. WaterSES, a sponsored working group within the Program for Ecosystem Change and Society, explores and compares the social-ecological dynamics related to water scarcity across placed-based international research sites with contrasting local and regional water needs and governance, including research sites in Spain and Sweden in Europe, South Africa, China, and Alabama, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas in the USA. This paper aims to provide a commentary on insights into conducting future solutions-oriented research on water scarcity based on the understanding of the social-ecological dynamics of water scarce regions.

Environment characterization as an aid to wheat improvement: interpreting genotype-environment interactions by modelling water-deficit patterns in North-Eastern Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chenu, K; Cooper, M; Hammer, G L; Mathews, K L; Dreccer, M F; Chapman, S C

2011-03-01

Genotype-environment interactions (GEI) limit genetic gain for complex traits such as tolerance to drought. Characterization of the crop environment is an important step in understanding GEI. A modelling approach is proposed here to characterize broadly (large geographic area, long-term period) and locally (field experiment) drought-related environmental stresses, which enables breeders to analyse their experimental trials with regard to the broad population of environments that they target. Water-deficit patterns experienced by wheat crops were determined for drought-prone north-eastern Australia, using the APSIM crop model to account for the interactions of crops with their environment (e.g. feedback of plant growth on water depletion). Simulations based on more than 100 years of historical climate data were conducted for representative locations, soils, and management systems, for a check cultivar, Hartog. The three main environment types identified differed in their patterns of simulated water stress around flowering and during grain-filling. Over the entire region, the terminal drought-stress pattern was most common (50% of production environments) followed by a flowering stress (24%), although the frequencies of occurrence of the three types varied greatly across regions, years, and management. This environment classification was applied to 16 trials relevant to late stages testing of a breeding programme. The incorporation of the independently-determined environment types in a statistical analysis assisted interpretation of the GEI for yield among the 18 representative genotypes by reducing the relative effect of GEI compared with genotypic variance, and helped to identify opportunities to improve breeding and germplasm-testing strategies for this region.

Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific - University of Guam Skip to main entered the website of the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) at the CNMI and the FSM. Research Programs Weather and Climate Surface Water & Watersheds Groundwater &

The adjustment of avian metabolic rates and water fluxes to desert environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tieleman, BI; Williams, JB

2000-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that birds in arid environments, where primary productivity is low and surface water is scarce, have reduced energy expenditure and water loss compared with their mesic counterparts. Using both conventional least squares regression and regression based on phylogenetically

Interactions between water, energy, food and environment: evolving perspectives and policy issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hellegers, P.J.G.J.; Zilberman, D.; Steduto, P.; Mc. Cornick, P.

2008-01-01

Major changes are occurring with far reaching implications for the existing equilibria or disequilibria in the water-energy-food-environment interface. The increased demand of energy worldwide will reflect directly and indirectly on water-dependent systems. Direct implications will come from higher

Evaluation of the state water-resources research institutes

Science.gov (United States)

Ertel, M.O.

1988-01-01

Water resources research institutes, as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-242), are located in each state and in the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico , and the Virgin Islands. Public Law 98-242 mandated an onsite evaluation of each of these institutes to determine whether ' . . .the quality and relevance of its water resources research and its effectiveness as an institution for planning, conducting, and arranging for research warrant its continued support in the national interest. ' The results of these evaluations, which were conducted between September 1985 and June 1987, are summarized. The evaluation teams found that all 54 institutes are meeting the basic objectives of the authorizing legislation in that they: (1) use the grant funds to support research that addresses water problems of state and regional concern; (2) provide opportunities for training of water scientists through student involvement on research projects; and (3) promote the application of research results through preparation of technical reports and contributions to the technical literature. The differences among institutes relate primarily to degrees of effectiveness, and most often are determined by the financial, political, and geographical contexts in which the institutes function and by the quality of their leadership. (Lantz-PTT)

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT RESEARCH AT SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rigali, Mark J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Miller, James E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Altman, Susan J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Biedermann, Laura [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brady, Patrick Vane. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kuzio, Stephanie P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Nenoff, Tina M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rempe, Susan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-11-01

Water is the backbone of our economy - safe and adequate supplies of water are vital for agriculture, industry, recreation, and human consumption. While our supply of water today is largely safe and adequate, we as a nation face increasing water supply challenges in the form of extended droughts, demand growth due to population increase, more stringent health-based regulation, and competing demands from a variety of users. To meet these challenges in the coming decades, water treatment technologies, including desalination, will contribute substantially to ensuring a safe, sustainable, affordable, and adequate water supply for the United States. This overview documents Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL, or Sandia) Water Treatment Program which focused on the development and demonstration of advanced water purification technologies as part of the larger Sandia Water Initiative. Projects under the Water Treatment Program include: (1) the development of desalination research roadmaps (2) our efforts to accelerate the commercialization of new desalination and water treatment technologies (known as the 'Jump-Start Program),' (3) long range (high risk, early stage) desalination research (known as the 'Long Range Research Program'), (4) treatment research projects under the Joint Water Reuse & Desalination Task Force, (5) the Arsenic Water Technology Partnership Program, (6) water treatment projects funded under the New Mexico Small Business Administration, (7) water treatment projects for the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), (8) Sandia- developed contaminant-selective treatment technologies, and finally (9) current Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) funded desalination projects.

Research of Cemented Paste Backfill in Offshore Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kun; Yang, Peng; Lyu, Wensheng; Lin, Zhixiang

2018-01-01

To promote comprehensive utilization of mine waste tailings and control ground pressure, filling mine stopes with cement paste backfill (CPB) is becoming the most widely used and applicable method in contemporary underground mining. However, many urgent new problems have arisen during the exploitation in offshore mines owing to the complex geohydrology conditions. A series of rheological, settling and mechanical tests were carried out to study the influences of bittern ions on CPB properties in offshore mining. The results showed that: (1) the bittern ion compositions and concentrations of backfill water sampled in mine filling station were similar to seawater. Backfill water mixed CPB slurry with its higher viscosity coefficient was adverse to pipeline gravity transporting; (2) Bleeding rate of backfill water mixed slurry was lower than that prepared with tap water at each cement-tailings ratio; (3) The UCS values of backfill water mixed samples were higher at early curing ages (3d, 7d) and then became lower after longer curing time at 14d and 28d. Therefore, for mine production practice, the offshore environments can have adverse effects on the pipeline gravity transporting and have positive effects on stope dewatering process and early-age strength growth.

Virtual Environments: Issues and Opportunities for Researching Inclusive Educational Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Sheehy, Kieron

This chapter argues that virtual environments offer new research areas for those concerned with inclusive education. Further, it proposes that they also present opportunities for developing increasingly inclusive research processes. This chapter considers how researchers might approach researching some of these affordances. It discusses the relationship between specific features of inclusive pedagogy, derived from an international systematic literature review, and the affordances of different forms of virtual characters and environments. Examples are drawn from research in Second LifeTM (SL), virtual tutors and augmented reality. In doing this, the chapter challenges a simplistic notion of isolated physical and virtual worlds and, in the context of inclusion, between the practice of research and the research topic itself. There are a growing number of virtual worlds in which identified educational activities are taking place, or whose activities are being noted for their educational merit. These encompasses non-themed worlds such as SL and Active Worlds, game based worlds such as World of Warcraft and Runescape, and even Club Penguin, a themed virtual where younger players interact through a variety of Penguin themed environments and activities. It has been argued that these spaces, outside traditional education, are able to offer pedagogical insights (Twining 2009) i.e. that these global virtual communities have been identified as being useful as creative educational environments (Delwiche 2006; Sheehy 2009). This chapter will explore how researchers might use these spaces to investigative and create inclusive educational experiences for learners. In order to do this the chapter considers three interrelated issues: What is inclusive education?; How might inclusive education influence virtual world research? And, what might inclusive education look like in virtual worlds?

Experience of the Paris Research Consortium Climate-Environment-Society

Science.gov (United States)

Joussaume, Sylvie; Pacteau, Chantal; Vanderlinden, Jean Paul

2016-04-01

It is now widely recognized that the complexity of climate change issues translates itself into a need for interdisciplinary approaches to science. This allows to first achieve a more comprehensive vision of climate change and, second, to better inform the decision-making processes. However, it seems that willingness alone is rarely enough to implement interdisciplinarity. The purpose of this presentation is to mobilize reflexivity to revisit and analyze the experience of the Paris Consortium for Climate-Environment-Society. The French Consortium Climate-Environment-Society aims to develop, fund and coordinate interdisciplinary research into climate change and its impacts on society and environment. Launched in 2007, the consortium relies on the research expertise of 17 laboratories and federation in the Paris area working mainly in the fields of climatology, hydrology, ecology, health sciences, and the humanities and social sciences. As examples, economists and climatologists have studied greenhouse gas emission scenarios compatible with climate stabilization goals. Historical records have provided both knowledge about past climate change and vulnerability of societies. Some regions, as the Mediterranean and the Sahel, are particularly vulnerable and already have to cope with water availability, agricultural production and even health issues. A project showed that millet production in West Africa is expected to decline due to warming in a higher proportion than observed in recent decades. Climate change also raises many questions concerning health: combined effects of warming and air quality, impacts on the production of pollens and allergies, impacts on infectious diseases. All these issues lead to a need for approaches integrating different disciplines. Furthermore, climate change impacts many ecosystems which, in turn, affect its evolution. Our experience shows that interdisciplinarity supposes, in order to take shape, the conjunction between programming

Design research and the globalization of healthcare environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepley, Mardelle McCuskey; Song, Yilin

2014-01-01

Global healthcare practice has expanded in the past 20 years. At the same time the incorporation of research into the design process has gained prominence as a best practice among architects. The authors of this study investigated the status of design research in a variety of international settings. We intended to answer the question, "how pervasive is healthcare design research outside of the United States?" The authors reviewed the international literature on the design of healthcare facilities. More than 500 international studies and conference proceedings were incorporated in this literature review. A team of five research assistants searched multiple databases comparing approximately 16 keywords to geographic location. Some of those keywords included: evidence-based design, salutogenic design, design research, and healthcare environment. Additional articles were gathered by contacting prominent researchers and asking for their personal assessment of local health design research studies. While there are design researchers in most parts of the world, the majority of studies focus on the needs of populations in developed countries and generate guidelines that have significant cost and cultural implications that prohibit their implementation in developing countries. Additionally, the body of literature discussing the role of culture in healthcare environments is extremely limited. Design researchers must address the cultural implications of their studies. Additionally, we need to expand our research objectives to address healthcare design in countries that have not been previous considered. © 2014 Vendome Group, LLC.

Retail food environments research: Promising future with more work to be done.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Daniel; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Muhajarine, Nazeem

2016-06-09

As members of the scientific committee for the Food Environments in Canada conference, we reflect on the current state of food environments research in Canada. We are very encouraged that the field is growing and there have been many collaborative efforts to link researchers in Canada, including the 2015 Food Environments in Canada Symposium and Workshop. We believe there are 5 key challenges the field will need to collectively address: theory and causality; replication and extension; consideration of rural, northern and vulnerable populations; policy analysis; and intervention research. In addressing the challenges, we look forward to working together to conduct more sophisticated, complex and community-driven food environments research in the future.

Astrobiology Field Research in Moon/Mars Analogue Environments: Preface

Science.gov (United States)

Foing, B. H.; Stoker, C.; Ehrenfreund, P.

2011-01-01

Extreme environments on Earth often provide similar terrain conditions to landing/operation sites on Moon and Mars. Several field campaigns (EuroGeoMars2009 and DOMMEX/ILEWG EuroMoonMars from November 2009 to March 2010) were conducted at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah. Some of the key astrobiology results are presented in this special issue on Astrobiology field research in Moon/Mars analogue environments relevant to investigate the link between geology, minerals, organics and biota. Preliminary results from a multidisciplinary field campaign at Rio Tinto in Spain are presented.

Utilization of water by buffaloes in adapting to a wet-tropical environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranawana, S.S.E.; Tilakaratne, M.; Srikandakumar, A.

1984-01-01

In a series of experiments some of the characteristics that might enable water buffaloes to adapt to hot and humid environments were investigated. Total body water and water turnover were related to measurements of respiratory and cutaneous evaporation rates and to rectal temperature. These measurements were made during different seasons in animals maintained in several agro-ecological zones. Water turnover was measured in unweaned Murrah buffalo calves; in growing, pregnant and lactating Surti buffaloes grazed under coconut with wallowing denied and drinking water restricted; in Murrah buffaloes and in Zebu and European cattle during different seasons in the 'wet zone', and on Murrah, Surti and Lanka buffaloes compared under 'dry-zone' conditions. Rates of water turnover in milk-fed buffalo calves were low but in adult buffaloes were higher than in other domestic ruminants. Water turnover was higher at higher air temperatures and during the monsoon when forage contained more water. Lactation and grazing in the sun also increased water turnover. A high rate of cutaneous water loss in buffaloes, apparently due to passive diffusion rather than to true sweating, may have contributed to the high water turnover in this species. A relatively labile body temperature enabled buffaloes to 'store' body heat which was dissipated quickly by wallowing, which was shown to be a major route of heat loss and to help in the maintenance of skin condition. If allowed adequate water for drinking and wallowing, buffaloes can apparently withstand hot humid environments but, in contrast to camels, sheep and goats, they seem unable to conserve water and their productivity is affected by any restriction of water supply. (author)

Discharge Fee Policy Analysis: A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE Model of Water Resources and Water Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guohua Fang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available To alleviate increasingly serious water pollution and shortages in developing countries, various kinds of policies have been implemented by local governments. It is vital to quantify and evaluate the performance and potential economic impacts of these policies. This study develops a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE model to simulate the regional economic and environmental effects of discharge fees. Firstly, water resources and water environment factors are separated from the input and output sources of the National Economic Production Department. Secondly, an extended Social Accounting Matrix (SAM of Jiangsu province is developed to simulate various scenarios. By changing values of the discharge fees (increased by 50%, 100% and 150%, three scenarios are simulated to examine their influence on the overall economy and each industry. The simulation results show that an increased fee will have a negative impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP. However, waste water may be effectively controlled. Also, this study demonstrates that along with the economic costs, the increase of the discharge fee will lead to the upgrading of industrial structures from a situation of heavy pollution to one of light pollution which is beneficial to the sustainable development of the economy and the protection of the environment.

Nutrient Content and Nutritional Water Productivity of Selected Grain Legumes in Response to Production Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chibarabada, Tendai Polite; Modi, Albert Thembinkosi; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe

2017-10-26

There is a need to incorporate nutrition into aspects of crop and water productivity to tackle food and nutrition insecurity (FNS). The study determined the nutritional water productivity (NWP) of selected major (groundnut, dry bean) and indigenous (bambara groundnut and cowpea) grain legumes in response to water regimes and environments. Field trials were conducted during 2015/16 and 2016/17 at three sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Ukulinga, Fountainhill and Umbumbulu). Yield and evapotranspiration (ET) data were collected. Grain was analysed for protein, fat, Ca, Fe and Zn nutrient content (NC). Yield, ET and NC were then used to compute NWP. Overall, the major legumes performed better than the indigenous grain legumes. Groundnut had the highest NWP fat . Groundnut and dry bean had the highest NWP protein . For NWP Fe, Zn and Ca , dry bean and cowpea were more productive. Yield instability caused fluctuations in NWP. Water treatments were not significant ( p > 0.05). While there is scope to improve NWP under rainfed conditions, a lack of crop improvement currently limits the potential of indigenous grain legumes. This provides an initial insight on the nutrient content and NWP of a limited number of selected grain legumes in response to the production environment. There is a need for follow-up research to include cowpea data. Future studies should provide more experimental data and explore effects of additional factors such as management practices (fertiliser levels and plant density), climate and edaphic factors on nutrient content and NWP of crops.

[Study on the types and water pollution driving forces of the typical and medium-small-sized cities in the southern China based on the analysis of water environment].

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Shi-Xing; Wang, La-Chun; Huo, Yu; Chen, Chang-Chun; Teng, Juan

2009-07-15

According to the major pollution sources of urban water environment, 10 indexes such as industrial sewage quantity were closen to establish evaluation indexes system about the types and influencing factors of the typical and medium-small-sized cities in the southern China. Case studies of 16 typical and medium-small-sized cities were taken in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Anhui provinces. Combined with SPSS 11.0 cluster analysis results, city types were divided in reference to the values of water resources comprehensive pollution indexes and economical development indexes. The driving forces about city water environment pollution were studied by principal component analysis method. The result indicates that the 16 cities belong to two categories and four sub-categories, which are rich economy as well as light pollution of water environment and poor economy as well as heavy pollution of water environment. The influencing factors of water environment pollution are in sequence of industrial water pollution, agricultural no-point source pollution and urban domestic water pollution. The main factors of water environment pollution influenced I category cities, II as well as IV category cities and III category cities are industrial water pollution, urban domestic pollution and agricultural no-point source pollution respectively.

Water Resources Research Institute | Mississippi State University

Science.gov (United States)

Welcome The Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute provides a statewide center of expertise in water and associated land-use and serves as a repository of knowledge for use in education private interests in the conservation, development, and use of water resources; to provide training

Mapping of drinking water research: A bibliometric analysis of research output during 1992–2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Hui-Zhen; Wang, Ming-Huang; Ho, Yuh-Shan, E-mail: ysho@asia.edu.tw

2013-01-15

A bibliometric analysis based on the Science Citation Index Expanded from the Web of Science was carried out to provide insights into research activities and tendencies of the global drinking water from 1992 to 2011. Study emphases included performance of publication covering annual outputs, mainstream journals, Web of Science categories, leading countries, institutions, research tendencies and hotspots. The results indicated that annual output of the related scientific articles increased steadily. Water Research, Environmental Science and Technology, and Journal American Water Works Association were the three most common journals in drinking water research. The USA took a leading position out of 168 countries/territories, followed by Japan and Germany. A summary of the most frequently used keywords obtained from words in paper title analysis, author keyword analysis and KeyWords Plus analysis provided the clues to discover the current research emphases. The mainstream research related to drinking water was water treatment methods and the related contaminants. Disinfection process and consequent disinfection by-products attracted much attention. Ozonation and chlorination in disinfection, and adsorption were common techniques and are getting popular. Commonly researched drinking water contaminants concerned arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, lead, and cadmium, and pharmaceuticals emerged as the frequently studied contaminants in recent years. Disease caused by contaminants strongly promoted the development of related research. - Highlights: ► Drinking water research was characterized based on SCI-Expanded during 1992–2011. ► Research emphases were obtained from title, author keywords and KeyWords Plus. ► Ozonation, chlorination and adsorption were common techniques and are getting popular. ► Emerging contaminants concerned arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, lead, and cadmium.

Mapping of drinking water research: A bibliometric analysis of research output during 1992–2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Hui-Zhen; Wang, Ming-Huang; Ho, Yuh-Shan

2013-01-01

A bibliometric analysis based on the Science Citation Index Expanded from the Web of Science was carried out to provide insights into research activities and tendencies of the global drinking water from 1992 to 2011. Study emphases included performance of publication covering annual outputs, mainstream journals, Web of Science categories, leading countries, institutions, research tendencies and hotspots. The results indicated that annual output of the related scientific articles increased steadily. Water Research, Environmental Science and Technology, and Journal American Water Works Association were the three most common journals in drinking water research. The USA took a leading position out of 168 countries/territories, followed by Japan and Germany. A summary of the most frequently used keywords obtained from words in paper title analysis, author keyword analysis and KeyWords Plus analysis provided the clues to discover the current research emphases. The mainstream research related to drinking water was water treatment methods and the related contaminants. Disinfection process and consequent disinfection by-products attracted much attention. Ozonation and chlorination in disinfection, and adsorption were common techniques and are getting popular. Commonly researched drinking water contaminants concerned arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, lead, and cadmium, and pharmaceuticals emerged as the frequently studied contaminants in recent years. Disease caused by contaminants strongly promoted the development of related research. - Highlights: ► Drinking water research was characterized based on SCI-Expanded during 1992–2011. ► Research emphases were obtained from title, author keywords and KeyWords Plus. ► Ozonation, chlorination and adsorption were common techniques and are getting popular. ► Emerging contaminants concerned arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, lead, and cadmium

Water, energy, and biogeochemical budgets investigation at Panola Mountain research watershed, Stockbridge, Georgia; a research plan

Science.gov (United States)

Huntington, T.G.; Hooper, R.P.; Peters, N.E.; Bullen, T.D.; Kendall, Carol

1993-01-01

The Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW), located in the Panola Mountain State Conservation Park near Stockbridge, Georgia has been selected as a core research watershed under the Water, Energy and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) research initiative of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global Climate Change Program. This research plan describes ongoing and planned research activities at PMRW from 1984 to 1994. Since 1984, PMRW has been studied as a geochemical process research site under the U.S. Acid Precipitation Thrust Program. Research conducted under this Thrust Program focused on the estimation of dry atmospheric deposition, short-term temporal variability of streamwater chemistry, sulfate adsorption characteristics of the soils, groundwater chemistry, throughfall chemistry, and streamwater quality. The Acid Precipitation Thrust Program continues (1993) to support data collection and a water-quality laboratory. Proposed research to be supported by the WEBB program is organized in 3 interrelated categories: streamflow generation and water-quality evolution, weathering and geochemical evolution, and regulation of soil-water chemistry. Proposed research on streamflow generation and water-quality evolution will focus on subsurface water movement, its influence in streamflow generation, and the associated chemical changes of the water that take place along its flowpath. Proposed research on weathering and geochemical evolution will identify the sources of cations observed in the streamwater at Panola Mountain and quantify the changes in cation source during storms. Proposed research on regulation of soil-water chemistry will focus on the poorly understood processes that regulate soil-water and groundwater chemistry. (USGS)

Water Jet 2013 - Research, Development, Applications. Proceedings of the Conference on Water Jetting Technology

OpenAIRE

Sitek, Libor

2013-01-01

Water Jet 2013 - Research, Development, Applications is the third international meeting of researchers, manufacturers, end-users, and all those interested in the technology of high-speed water jetting organized by the Department of material disintegration of the Institute of Geonics of the ASCR Ostrava. It provides a basis not only for exchange knowledge, ideas, information and experiences in areas of research, development and applications of water jets, as well as stimulating discussio...

Environment Health & Safety Research Program. Organization and 1979-1980 Publications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1981-01-01

This document was prepared to assist readers in understanding the organization of Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and the organization and functions of the Environment, Health and Safety Research Program Office. Telephone numbers of the principal management staff are provided. Also included is a list of 1979 and 1980 publications reporting on work performed in the Environment, Health and Safety Research Program, as well as a list of papers submitted for publication.

Co-ordinated research project on health impacts of mercury cycling in contaminated environments studied by nuclear techniques. Report on the second research co-ordination meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

The specific research objective of this coordinated research project is to study and assess the factors influencing the dynamics of Hg cycling and its impact on human health in mercury contaminated ecosystems, especially in tropical environments, using radioisotopes and enriched stable isotope tracers and/or complementary analytical techniques. Areas of research include: Evaluation of the relevant environmental factors influencing mercury transformations, transportation (mass balances), and partitioning in ecosystems; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg methylation and de-methylation rates in various environmental compartments; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg fluxes at natural interfaces such as sediment-water, water-air, land-air, plant-air, and saline-water-fresh-water, etc.; Determination and evaluation of the human exposure to Hg using bio-indicators such as hair, blood, and urine in light of epidemiological requirements; Preparation of an appropriate test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies. Expected research outputs are: Recommended approaches for the determination of mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and flux measurements; A compilation of reliable data on mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and fluxes in contaminated tropical ecosystems for comparison with existing data from temperate regions; Generated knowledge on factors influencing mercury transformations, transport and partitioning in various ecosystems; Test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies; Database of bio-indicator measurements (hair, blood, and urine, etc.) of human Hg exposure in contaminated tropical ecosystems; and Recommended countermeasures for the prevention and/or reduction of mercury contamination in polluted areas. This compilation contains country reports on the Second Research Coordination Meeting, Minamata

Co-ordinated research project on health impacts of mercury cycling in contaminated environments studied by nuclear techniques. Report on the second research co-ordination meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The specific research objective of this coordinated research project is to study and assess the factors influencing the dynamics of Hg cycling and its impact on human health in mercury contaminated ecosystems, especially in tropical environments, using radioisotopes and enriched stable isotope tracers and/or complementary analytical techniques. Areas of research include: Evaluation of the relevant environmental factors influencing mercury transformations, transportation (mass balances), and partitioning in ecosystems; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg methylation and de-methylation rates in various environmental compartments; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg fluxes at natural interfaces such as sediment-water, water-air, land-air, plant-air, and saline-water-fresh-water, etc.; Determination and evaluation of the human exposure to Hg using bio-indicators such as hair, blood, and urine in light of epidemiological requirements; Preparation of an appropriate test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies. Expected research outputs are: Recommended approaches for the determination of mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and flux measurements; A compilation of reliable data on mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and fluxes in contaminated tropical ecosystems for comparison with existing data from temperate regions; Generated knowledge on factors influencing mercury transformations, transport and partitioning in various ecosystems; Test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies; Database of bio-indicator measurements (hair, blood, and urine, etc.) of human Hg exposure in contaminated tropical ecosystems; and Recommended countermeasures for the prevention and/or reduction of mercury contamination in polluted areas. This compilation contains country reports on the Second Research Coordination Meeting, Minamata

Sustainability concept for energy, water and environment systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afgan, N.H.

2004-01-01

This review is aimed to introduce historical background for the sustainability concept development for energy, water and environment systems. In the assessment of global energy and water resources attention is focussed in on the resource consumption and its relevancy to the future demand. In the review of the sustainability concept development special emphasize is devoted to the definition of sustainability and its relevancy to the historical background of the sustainability idea. In order to introduce measuring of sustainability the attention is devoted to the definition of respective criteria. There have been a number of attempts to define the criterions for the assessment of the sustainability of the market products. Having those criterions as bases, it was introduced a specific application in the energy system design

An investigation into environment dependent nanomechanical properties of shallow water shrimp (Pandalus platyceros) exoskeleton

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, Devendra; Tomar, Vikas, E-mail: tomar@purdue.edu

2014-11-01

The present investigation focuses on understanding the influence of change from wet to dry environment on nanomechanical properties of shallow water shrimp exoskeleton. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) based measurements suggest that the shrimp exoskeleton has Bouligand structure, a key characteristic of the crustaceans. As expected, wet samples are found to be softer than dry samples. Reduced modulus values of dry samples are found to be 24.90 ± 1.14 GPa as compared to the corresponding values of 3.79 ± 0.69 GPa in the case of wet samples. Hardness values are found to be 0.86 ± 0.06 GPa in the case of dry samples as compared to the corresponding values of 0.17 ± 0.02 GPa in the case of wet samples. In order to simulate the influence of underwater pressure on the exoskeleton strength, constant load creep experiments as a function of wet and dry environments are performed. The switch in deformation mechanism as a function of environment is explained based on the role played by water molecules in assisting interface slip and increased ductility of matrix material in wet environment in comparison to the dry environment. - Highlights: • Environment dependent (dry-wet) properties of shrimp exoskeleton are analyzed. • Mechanical properties are correlated with the structure and composition. • Presence of water leads to lower reduced modulus and hardness. • SEM images shows the Bouligand pattern based structure. • Creep-relaxation of polymer chains, interface slip is high in presence of water.

An investigation into environment dependent nanomechanical properties of shallow water shrimp (Pandalus platyceros) exoskeleton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Devendra; Tomar, Vikas

2014-01-01

The present investigation focuses on understanding the influence of change from wet to dry environment on nanomechanical properties of shallow water shrimp exoskeleton. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) based measurements suggest that the shrimp exoskeleton has Bouligand structure, a key characteristic of the crustaceans. As expected, wet samples are found to be softer than dry samples. Reduced modulus values of dry samples are found to be 24.90 ± 1.14 GPa as compared to the corresponding values of 3.79 ± 0.69 GPa in the case of wet samples. Hardness values are found to be 0.86 ± 0.06 GPa in the case of dry samples as compared to the corresponding values of 0.17 ± 0.02 GPa in the case of wet samples. In order to simulate the influence of underwater pressure on the exoskeleton strength, constant load creep experiments as a function of wet and dry environments are performed. The switch in deformation mechanism as a function of environment is explained based on the role played by water molecules in assisting interface slip and increased ductility of matrix material in wet environment in comparison to the dry environment. - Highlights: • Environment dependent (dry-wet) properties of shrimp exoskeleton are analyzed. • Mechanical properties are correlated with the structure and composition. • Presence of water leads to lower reduced modulus and hardness. • SEM images shows the Bouligand pattern based structure. • Creep-relaxation of polymer chains, interface slip is high in presence of water

Co-ordinated research project on health impacts of mercury cycling in contaminated environments studied by nuclear techniques. Report on the first research co-ordination meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The specific research objective of this coordinated research project is to study and assess the factors influencing the dynamics of Hg cycling and its impact on human health in mercury contaminated ecosystems, especially in tropical environments, using radioisotopes and enriched stable isotope tracers and/or complementary analytical techniques. Areas of research include: Evaluation of the relevant environmental factors influencing mercury transformations, transportation (mass balances), and partitioning in ecosystems; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg methylation and de-methylation rates in various environmental compartments; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg fluxes at natural interfaces such as sediment-water, water-air, land-air, plant-air, and saline-water-fresh-water, etc.; Determination and evaluation of the human exposure to Hg using bio-indicators such as hair, blood, and urine in light of epidemiological requirements; Preparation of an appropriate test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies. Expected research outputs are: Recommended approaches for the determination of mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and flux measurements; A compilation of reliable data on mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and fluxes in contaminated tropical ecosystems for comparison with existing data from temperate regions; Generated knowledge on factors influencing mercury transformations, transport and partitioning in various ecosystems; Test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies; Database of bio-indicator measurements (hair, blood, and urine, etc.) of human Hg exposure in contaminated tropical ecosystems; and Recommended countermeasures for the prevention and/or reduction of mercury contamination in polluted areas

Co-ordinated research project on health impacts of mercury cycling in contaminated environments studied by nuclear techniques. Report on the first research co-ordination meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

The specific research objective of this coordinated research project is to study and assess the factors influencing the dynamics of Hg cycling and its impact on human health in mercury contaminated ecosystems, especially in tropical environments, using radioisotopes and enriched stable isotope tracers and/or complementary analytical techniques. Areas of research include: Evaluation of the relevant environmental factors influencing mercury transformations, transportation (mass balances), and partitioning in ecosystems; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg methylation and de-methylation rates in various environmental compartments; Development, validation and application of appropriate methodologies for the measurement of Hg fluxes at natural interfaces such as sediment-water, water-air, land-air, plant-air, and saline-water-fresh-water, etc.; Determination and evaluation of the human exposure to Hg using bio-indicators such as hair, blood, and urine in light of epidemiological requirements; Preparation of an appropriate test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies. Expected research outputs are: Recommended approaches for the determination of mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and flux measurements; A compilation of reliable data on mercury methylation and de-methylation rates and fluxes in contaminated tropical ecosystems for comparison with existing data from temperate regions; Generated knowledge on factors influencing mercury transformations, transport and partitioning in various ecosystems; Test sample of tropical sediment for comparability studies; Database of bio-indicator measurements (hair, blood, and urine, etc.) of human Hg exposure in contaminated tropical ecosystems; and Recommended countermeasures for the prevention and/or reduction of mercury contamination in polluted areas.

The Sophia-Antipolis Conference: General presentation and basic documents. [remote sensing for agriculture, forestry, water resources, and environment management in France

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The procedures and techniques used in NASA's aerospace technology transfer program are reviewed for consideration in establishing priorities and bases for joint action by technicians and users of remotely sensed data in France. Particular emphasis is given to remote sensing in agriculture, forestry, water resources, environment management, and urban research.

Research into fisheries and the marine environment 1989-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This biannual report includes notes on the work of the Aquatic Environment Protection Division of the Directorate of Fisheries Research, Lowestoft in relation to assessment and monitoring of radioactive waste disposal and research into the environmental behaviour of radionuclides. (UK)

Distribution of {sup 129}I in terrestrial surface water environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xuegao [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Gong, Meng [College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Yi, Peng, E-mail: pengyi1915@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Aldahan, Ala [Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Geology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain (United Arab Emirates); Yu, Zhongbo [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Possnert, Göran [Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Chen, Li [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China)

2015-10-15

The global distribution of the radioactive isotope iodine-129 in surface waters (lakes and rivers) is presented here and compared with the atmospheric deposition and distribution in surface marine waters. The results indicate relatively high concentrations in surface water systems in close vicinity of the anthropogenic release sources as well as in parts of Western Europe, North America and Central Asia. {sup 129}I level is generally higher in the terrestrial surface water of the Northern hemisphere compared to the southern hemisphere. The highest values of {sup 129}I appear around 50°N and 40°S in the northern and southern hemisphere, separately. Direct gaseous and marine atmospheric emissions are the most likely avenues for the transport of {sup 129}I from the sources to the terrestrial surface waters. To apply iodine-129 as process tracer in terrestrial surface water environment, more data are needed on {sup 129}I distribution patterns both locally and globally.

Research Award: Climate Change and Water

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

Corey Piccioni

2013-08-07

Aug 7, 2013 ... IDRC is one of the world's leaders in generang new knowledge to ... CCW encourages the development of research on specific tools to cope with water stress, ... CCW also seeks to build research capacity to help vulnerable ...

Hygrothermal effect of salt water environments on mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Young Eun; Yoon, Sung Ho [Kumoh Nat' l Institute of Technology, Gumi (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

In this study, salt water immersion tests were experimentally performed for up to 12 months to investigate the hygrothermal effect of salt water environments on the mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy composites. The composites were manufactured by laminating prepregs composed of carbon plain woven fabric and epoxy resin. The specimens were subjected to temperatures of 35, 55, and 75 .deg. C while being exposed to the salt water environments. Mechanical test results showed that the tensile modulus and tensile strength decreased at a small rate, and the compressive modulus and compressive strength decreased at a relatively larger rate, as the exposure temperature and time increased. The rate of decrease in compressive strength became larger as the exposure temperature became higher. This is because a higher environmental temperature accelerates the salt water uptake; this, in turn, reduces the compressive strength more rapidly.

Hygrothermal effect of salt water environments on mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Young Eun; Yoon, Sung Ho

2012-01-01

In this study, salt water immersion tests were experimentally performed for up to 12 months to investigate the hygrothermal effect of salt water environments on the mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy composites. The composites were manufactured by laminating prepregs composed of carbon plain woven fabric and epoxy resin. The specimens were subjected to temperatures of 35, 55, and 75 .deg. C while being exposed to the salt water environments. Mechanical test results showed that the tensile modulus and tensile strength decreased at a small rate, and the compressive modulus and compressive strength decreased at a relatively larger rate, as the exposure temperature and time increased. The rate of decrease in compressive strength became larger as the exposure temperature became higher. This is because a higher environmental temperature accelerates the salt water uptake; this, in turn, reduces the compressive strength more rapidly

Advances in energy and environment. Vol. 2: Air quality, water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sharkawy, A.L.; Kummler, R.H.

1996-01-01

The 5th conference of energy and environment was held on 3-6 June 1996 in Cairo. The specialists discussed the effects of advances in energy and environment. The applications of solar energy, heat transfer, thermal application, storage and bio-conversion, fuels, energy and development. This second volume covers papers presented on the subjects air pollution, environmental protection, solid and hazardous wastes, water and wastewater treatment. tabs., figs

Study on reciprocal relation of pore water pressure with genetic algorithm and neural network model (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seno, Shoji; Nakajima, Makoto; Toida, Masaru; Kunimaru, Takanori; Watanabe, Kunio; Sohail Ahmed Rai

2009-12-01

Horonobe Underground Research Center has carried out the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project which is a comprehensive research project to investigate the deep geological environment within sedimentary rock. In this project, long-term observation of the pore water pressure has been conducted with monitoring systems introduced in 9 of 11 boreholes drilled in phase I (surface-based investigation). Since August 2003 the monitoring systems have been settled successively in the boreholes, and a certain amount of the pore water pressure data has been already accumulated. Using 6 borehole data (HDB-1,3,6,7,8,9) among this, this report summarized the result of a study on reciprocal relation of pore water pressure to investigate the hydrogeological environment of this site. At first, to exclude the influences of working of nature such as tide and atmospheric pressure from the source data, an analysis with Bayesian model was progressed. As the result of the estimation of these influences calculated by BAYTAP-G (Bayesian Tidal Analysis Program Grouping Model), it was found that the influence of the atmospheric pressure was comparatively large and that of tide was comparatively small. Secondly, an analysis on the reciprocal relation of the pore water pressure was carried out to investigate the relation between the different depth points of the same borehole and the relation between different boreholes. As the result of the calculations with genetic algorithm (GA) and neural network models (BPANN, GAANN), it was found that estimation by GA models was better than other models in the case where analyzing data included radical changes. And the result also showed that in regions lower than GL.-400m of HDB-3,6,7,8, the pore water pressures change in the same manner. These results indicate the effectiveness of this analysis method. (author)

Water Recovery with the Heat Melt Compactor in a Microgravity Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Golliher, Eric L.; Goo, Jonathan; Fisher, John

2015-01-01

The Heat Melt Compactor is a proposed utility that will compact astronaut trash, extract the water for eventual re-use, and form dry square tiles that can be used as additional ionizing radiation shields for future human deep space missions. The Heat Melt Compactor has been under development by a consortium of NASA centers. The downstream portion of the device is planned to recover a small amount of water while in a microgravity environment. Drop tower low gravity testing was performed to assess the effect of small particles on a capillary-based water/air separation device proposed for the water recovery portion of the Heat Melt Compactor.

A scientometric examination of the water quality research in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishy, P; Saroja, Renuka

2018-03-16

Water quality has emerged as a fast-developing research area. Regular assessment of research activity is necessary for the successful R&D promotion. Water quality research work carried out in different countries increased over the years, and the USA ranked first in productivity while India stands in the seventh position in quantity and occupies the ninth position in quality of the research output. India observes a steady growth in the water quality research. Four thousand six hundred sixteen articles from India assessed from the aspect of citations received distributions of source countries, institutes, journals, impact factor, words in the title, author keywords. The qualitative and quantitative analysis identifies the contributions of the major institutions involved in research. Much of the country's water quality research is carried out by universities, public research institutions and science councils, whereas the contribution from Ministry of water resources not so significant. A considerable portion of Indian research is communicated through foreign journals, and the most active one is Environmental Monitoring and Assessment journal. Twenty-one percent of work is reported in journals published from India and around 7% ages in open access journals. The study highlights that international collaborative research resulted in high-quality papers. The authors meticulously analyse the published research works to gain a deeper understanding of focus areas through word cluster analyses on title words and keywords. When many papers deal with 'contamination', 'assessment' and 'treatment', enough studies done on 'water quality index', 'toxicity', considerable work is carried out in environmental, agricultural, industrial and health problems related to water quality. This detailed scientometric study from 1,09,766 research works from SCI-E during 1986-2015 plots the trends and identifies research hotspots for the benefit to scientists in the subject area. This study

Controlling Chemical Reactions in Confined Environments: Water Dissociation in MOF-74

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika M. A. Fuentes-Fernandez

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The confined porous environment of metal organic frameworks (MOFs is an attractive system for studying reaction mechanisms. Compared to flat oxide surfaces, MOFs have the key advantage that they exhibit a well-defined structure and present significantly fewer challenges in experimental characterization. As an example of an important reaction, we study here the dissociation of water—which plays a critical role in biology, chemistry, and materials science—in MOFs and show how the knowledge of the structure in this confined environment allows for an unprecedented level of understanding and control. In particular, combining in-situ infrared spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we show that the water dissociation reaction can be selectively controlled inside Zn-MOF-74 by alcohol, through both chemical and physical interactions. Methanol is observed to speed up water dissociation by 25% to 100%, depending on the alcohol partial pressure. On the other hand, co-adsorption of isopropanol reduces the speed of the water reaction, due mostly to steric interactions. In addition, we also investigate the stability of the product state after the water dissociation has occurred and find that the presence of additional water significantly stabilizes the dissociated state. Our results show that precise control of reactions within nano-porous materials is possible, opening the way for advances in fields ranging from catalysis to electrochemistry and sensors.

How Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) can help rural and urban environments improve their resilience?

Science.gov (United States)

Siauve, Sonia

2016-04-01

promoting best practice on NWRM in Europe. The project aimed to move from local environmental expertise and dispersed knowledge to a technically sound and structured system allowing NWRM implementation within a European context. The International Office for Water (IOW), which has coordinated this project, has developed, with the consortium of 11 partners throughout Europe, the new official European Platform on NWRM (www.nwrm.eu) which gathers the available knowledge about these measures. The catalogue of NWRM is composed of 53 measures divided in 4 sectors: urban, hydromorphology, forest and agriculture. A catalogue of case studies with data and lessons learnt is also available and is destined to rise continuously. In 2016, the IOW is mandated by the EC to continue looking for new case studies and also to improve the web-platform in order to transfer it to the Joint Research Center (JRC) who is going to host the platform in the future. IOW will explain how NWRM can help improving the resilience of rural, semi-urban and urban environments by presenting the 12 urban measures and the 14 rural ones (among the list of 53 NWRM identified), their benefits on biophysical impact and the ecosystem services they cover. Then, by the presentation of 2 case studies, IOW will show the multiple benefits of NWRM, not only on biophysical aspects such as water quantity and flooding and drought mitigation but also on SPI aspects because of the need to mobilise a wider set of actors from stakeholders to policy makers to implement them.

The cellular environment of cancerous human tissue. Interfacial and dangling water as a "hydration fingerprint".

Science.gov (United States)

Abramczyk, Halina; Brozek-Pluska, Beata; Krzesniak, Marta; Kopec, Monika; Morawiec-Sztandera, Alina

2014-08-14

Despite a large number of publications, the role of water in the cellular environment of biological tissue has not been clarified. Characterizing the biological interface is a key challenge in understanding the interactions of water in the tissue. Although we often assume that the properties of the bulk water can be translated to the crowded biological environment, this approach must be considerably revised when considering the biological interface. To our knowledge, few studies have directly monitored the interactions and accumulation of water in the restricted environments of the biological tissue upon realistic crowding conditions. The present study focuses on a molecular picture of water molecules at the biological interface, or specifically, water molecules adjacent to the hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces of normal and cancerous tissues. We recorded and analyzed the IR and Raman spectra of the νs(OH) stretching modes of water at the biological interfaces of the human breast and neck tissues. The results revealed dramatic changes in the water content in the tissue and are potentially relevant to both the fundamental problems of interfacial water modeling and the molecular diagnostics of cancer as a 'hydration fingerprint'. Herein, we will discuss the origin of the vibrational substructures observed for the νs(OH) stretching modes of water, showing that the interfacial water interacting via H-bond with other water molecules and biomolecules at the biological surface and free OH vibration of the dangling water are sensitive indicators of the pathology between the normal (noncancerous) and cancerous tissue and cancer types. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining the Relationship between the Research Training Environment, Course Experiences, and Graduate Students’ Research Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Chesnut

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study examined the relationship between graduate students’ research training environment, course experience, and research self-efficacy beliefs. The findings of the descriptive and regression analyses suggest that graduate students’ (n = 161 general research, quantitative, and qualitative research self-efficacy beliefs varied and that these beliefs were related to different aspects of the research training environment and course experiences, including their own personal research experiences. While course experience variables were significant predictors of quantitative and qualitative research self-efficacy, they were not predictive of general research methods self-efficacy. Also, while mentorship was a significant predictor of general research methods self-efficacy, it was not a significant predictor of quantitative and qualitative research self-efficacy. The implications of this study for research and graduate education are discussed.

Environment sensitive cracking in pressure boundary materials of light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanninen, H.; Aho-Mantila, I.; Torronen, K.

1987-08-01

A review of the various forms of environment sensitive cracking in pressure boundary materials of light water reactors is presented. The available methods and the most promising future possibilities of preventive maintenance to counteract the environmental degradation are evaluated. Environment sensitive cracking is considered from the metallurgical, mechanical and environmental point of view. The main emphasis is on intergranular stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels and high strength Ni-base alloys as well as on corrosion fatigue of low alloy and stainless steels. Additionally, some general ideas on how to predict, reduce, monitor or eliminate environment sensitive cracking in service are presented

Imaging optical probe for pressurized 6200K steam-water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, M.R.; Pulfrey, R.E.; Merrill, S.K.

1979-01-01

An air-cooled imaging optical probe, 0.3 m long with a 25.4-mm outside diameter, has been built to provide high resolution viewing of flow regimes in a steam-water environment at 620 0 K and 15.5 MPa. The probe consists of a 3.5-mm-diameter rod lens borescope, surrounded by two coaxial coolant flow channels and two coaxial insulating dead air spaces. With air flowing through the probe at 5.7 g/s, thermal analysis shows that no part of the optical borescope will exceed 366 0 K when the probe is immersed in a 620 0 K environment. The objective lens is protected by a sapphire window which tests have shown can survive over 200 hours in 620 0 K water or steam with negligible loss of resolution and contrast. Condensation on the protective window is boiled off by electrically heating the window. Computer stress analysis, plus actual tests, shows that the probe can operate successfully with conservative safety factors

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

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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

HESS Opinions "Urgent water challenges are not sufficiently researched"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. P. Darvis

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In this opinion paper we submit that water experts conduct comparatively little research on the more urgent challenges facing the global community. Five specific biases are identified. First, research in the field of water and sanitation is heavily biased against sanitation. Second, research on food security is biased in favour of conventional irrigation and fails to address the problems and opportunities of rainfed agriculture. Third, insufficient water research is dedicated to developmental compared to environmental issues. Fourth, too little research is conducted on adaptation to climate change by developing countries. And finally, research on water governance has a fascination for conflict but too little eye for cooperation and meeting basic needs. This paper illustrates these biases with bibliometric indicators extracted from the ISI Web of Science. There is a stark mismatch between the global demand for knowledge and the supply of it. This mismatch is identified here as a problem that we water scientists must confront and resolve. We still lack a full understanding why this divergence between demand and supply occurs and persists; an understanding that is required to guide us towards aligning our research priorities to societal demands. The paper, however, makes some inferences. On the one hand, we should promote the global South to create its own research biases and allow it to develop alternative solutions. Simultaneously we would benefit from critical examination of our own research practice. Although this paper addresses a critical challenge it does not aim to be exhaustive or definitive. We merely identify the persistence of intransigent water problems as a valid research object in itself.

Water and environment news. No. 12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-10-01

This issue of the newsletter focuses on an international workshop on T racing Isotopic Composition of Past and Present Precipitation: Opportunities for Climate and Water Studies , which was held from 4 to 6 September 2000 in Hamburg, Germany. The final meetings on ''Coordinated Research Project on the Use of Isotope Techniques in Problems Associated with Geothermal Exploitation' and ''Isotope Application in Urban Hydrology' are also reported

ERATOSTHENES: excellence research Centre for Earth surveillance and space-based monitoring of the environment, the EXCELSIOR Horizon 2020 teaming project

Science.gov (United States)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Kontoes, Haris; Schreier, Gunter; Ansmann, Albert; Komodromos, George; Themistocleous, Kyriacos; Mamouri, Rodanthi; Michaelides, Silas; Nisantzi, Argyro; Papoutsa, Christiana; Neocleous, Kyriacos; Mettas, Christodoulos; Tzouvaras, Marios; Evagorou, Evagoras; Christofe, Andreas; Melillos, George; Papoutsis, Ioannis

2017-10-01

The aim of this paper is to present the strategy and vision to upgrade the existing ERATOSTHENES Research Centre (ERC) established within the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) into a sustainable, viable and autonomous Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment, which will provide the highest quality of related services on the National, European and International levels. EXCELSIOR is a Horizon 2020 Teaming project which addresses a specific challenge defined by the work program, namely, the reduction of substantial disparities in the European Union by supporting research and innovation activities and systems in low performing countries. It also aims at establishing long-term and strategic partnerships between the Teaming partners, thus reducing internal research and innovation disparities within European Research and Innovation landscape. The proposed CoE envisions the upgrading of the existing ERC into an inspiring environment for conducting basic and applied research and innovation in the areas of the integrated use of remote sensing and space-based techniques for monitoring the environment. Environment has been recognized by the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus as the first horizontal priority for future growth of the island. The foreseen upgrade will regard the expansion of this vision to systematic monitoring of the environment using Earth Observation, space and ground based integrated technologies. Such an approach will lead to the systematic monitoring of all three domains of the Environment (Air, Land, Water). Five partners have united to upgrade the existing ERC into a CoE, with the common vision to become a world-class innovation, research and education centre, actively contributing to the European Research Area (ERA). More specifically, the Teaming project is a team effort between the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT, acting as the coordinator), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the

Research requirements related to radioactivity in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fry, F.A.; Hill, M.D.; Wilkins, B.; Cooper, J.R.

1988-05-01

A set of papers identifying perceived national research requirements to 1989 had been prepared by various organisations for the Radioactivity, Research and Environmental Monitoring Committee. The Committee had also received a set of papers describing the research to be carried out or commissioned by Government Departments, advisory bodies and the nuclear industry in 1987-9. The purpose of the present report in the general area of radioactivity in the environment is to consider those papers and identify any gaps or overlaps in the national research effort to 1989. Five gaps are identified and their significance is commented upon. (author)

Assessment of Nuclear Power Plant Impact to the Environment: Effect of Sea Water Temperature Increase on Plankton Population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tjahaja, I P; Pujadi; Supriharyono; Aviati, N; Ruswahyun; Busono, H

1996-01-01

Research to study the effect of sea water temperature increase on plankton population had been carried out to predict nuclear power plant impact to the environment. Plankton collected from Jepara waters, Muria Peninsula, was grown on growth medium i.e. sea water enriched with silicate fertilizer. Plankton growth was maintained at temperature varied from 34oC to 46oC and the amount of plankton individu was counted twice a day until it was reduced about 95%. The results showed that the reduction of amount of plankton individu occurred on the medium with temperature above the ambient temperature (34oC). The rate of reduction is linear to the temperature increase. There is no plankton survived at temperature above 40oC for more than 24 hours

Shallow transient liquid water environments on present-day mars, and their implications for life

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Eriita G.

2018-05-01

The identification and characterisation of subsurface liquid water environments on Mars are of high scientific interest. Such environments have the potential to support microbial life, and, more broadly, to develop our understanding of the habitability of planets and moons beyond Earth. Given our current state of knowledge of life on Earth, three pre-requisites are necessary for an environment to be considered 'habitable' and therefore capable of supporting terrestrial-like life: energy, biogenic elements, and liquid water with a sufficiently high water activity. The surface of Mars today is predominately cold and dry, and any liquid water exposed to the atmosphere will vaporise or freeze on timescales of hours to days. These conditions have likely persisted for much of the last 10 million years, and perhaps longer. Despite this, briny liquid water flows (Recurrent Slope Linea) have been observed in a number of locations in the present-day. This review examines evidence from the Phoenix Lander (2008) and the Mars Science Laboratory (2012-current), to assess the occurrence of habitable conditions in the shallow Martian regolith. It will be argued that shallow, transient, liquid water brines are potentially habitable by microbial life, are likely a widespread occurrence on Mars, and that future exploration aimed at finding present-day habitable conditions and potential biology should 'follow the salt'.

Quality assurance mechanisms for the unregulated research environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedl, Denise Hanway; Dunn, Michael K

2013-10-01

Discussions on research quality and reproducibility are appearing in the pages of scientific journals with heightened significance and gaining media attention. Many institutions have developed guidelines to address the topic of quality in basic research, but questions remain about how best to implement and monitor compliance. Herein we present quality assurance (QA) mechanisms developed specifically for the unregulated discovery research environment to preempt growing concerns arising in both academia and industry for data-driven applications of biotechnology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The hydrodynamics of plant spacing distance: Optimizing consumptive and non-consumptive water use in water-limited environments

Science.gov (United States)

Trautz, A.; Illangasekare, T. H.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.; Howington, S. E.

2017-12-01

The availability of soil moisture in water-stressed environments is one of the primary factors controlling plant performance and overall plant community productivity and structure. The minimization of non-consumptive water loss, or water not utilized by plants (i.e. consumptive use), to bare soil evaporation is a key plant survival strategy and important agricultural consideration. Competitive (negative) and facilitative (positive) interactions between individual plants play a pivotal role in controlling the local coupled soil-plant-atmosphere hydrodynamics that affect both consumptive and non-consumptive water use. The strength of these two types of interactions vary with spacing distance between individuals. In a recent PNAS publication, we hypothesized that there exists a quantifiable spacing distance between plants that optimizes the balance between competition and facilitation, and hence maximizes water conservation. This study expands upon on our previous work, for which only a subset of the data generated was used, through the development and testing of a numerical model that can test a conceptual model we presented. The model simulates soil-plant-atmosphere continuum heat and mass transfer hydrodynamics, taking into account the complex feedbacks that exist between the near-surface atmosphere, subsurface, and plants. This model has been developed to explore the combined effects of subsurface competition and micro-climatic amelioration (i.e., facilitation) on local soil moisture redistribution and fluxes in the context of water-stressed environments that experienced sustained winds. We believe the results have the potential to provide new insights into climatological, ecohydrological, and hydrological problems pertaining to: the extensively used and much debated stress-gradient hypothesis, plant community population self-organization, agricultural best practices (e.g., water management), and spatial heterogeneity of land-atmosphere fluxes.

Numerical Simulation of the Effects of Water Surface in Building Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guangyao; Pan, Yuqing; Yang, Li

2018-03-01

Water body could affect the thermal environment and airflow field in the building districts, because of its special thermal characteristics, evaporation and flat surface. The thermal influence of water body in Tongji University Jiading Campus front area was evaluated. First, a suitable evaporation model was selected and then was applied to calculate the boundary conditions of the water surface in the Fluent software. Next, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted on the models both with and without water, following the CFD practices guidelines. Finally, the outputs of the two simulations were compared with each other. Results showed that the effect of evaporative cooling from water surface strongly depends on the wind direction and temperature decrease was about 2∼5°C. The relative humidity within the enclosing area was affected by both the building arrangement and surrounding water. An increase of about 0.1∼0.2m/s of wind speed induced by the water evaporation was observed in the open space.

Roundtable on Urban Living Environment Research (RULER).

Science.gov (United States)

Vlahov, David; Agarwal, Siddharth Raj; Buckley, Robert M; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira; Corvalan, Carlos F; Ezeh, Alex Chika; Finkelstein, Ruth; Friel, Sharon; Harpham, Trudy; Hossain, Maharufa; de Faria Leao, Beatriz; Mboup, Gora; Montgomery, Mark R; Netherland, Julie C; Ompad, Danielle C; Prasad, Amit; Quinn, Andrew T; Rothman, Alexander; Satterthwaite, David E; Stansfield, Sally; Watson, Vanessa J

2011-10-01

For 18 months in 2009-2010, the Rockefeller Foundation provided support to establish the Roundtable on Urban Living Environment Research (RULER). Composed of leading experts in population health measurement from a variety of disciplines, sectors, and continents, RULER met for the purpose of reviewing existing methods of measurement for urban health in the context of recent reports from UN agencies on health inequities in urban settings. The audience for this report was identified as international, national, and local governing bodies; civil society; and donor agencies. The goal of the report was to identify gaps in measurement that must be filled in order to assess and evaluate population health in urban settings, especially in informal settlements (or slums) in low- and middle-income countries. Care must be taken to integrate recommendations with existing platforms (e.g., Health Metrics Network, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) that could incorporate, mature, and sustain efforts to address these gaps and promote effective data for healthy urban management. RULER noted that these existing platforms focus primarily on health outcomes and systems, mainly at the national level. Although substantial reviews of health outcomes and health service measures had been conducted elsewhere, such reviews covered these in an aggregate and perhaps misleading way. For example, some spatial aspects of health inequities, such as those pointed to in the 2008 report from the WHO's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, received limited attention. If RULER were to focus on health inequities in the urban environment, access to disaggregated data was a priority. RULER observed that some urban health metrics were already available, if not always appreciated and utilized in ongoing efforts (e.g., census data with granular data on households, water, and sanitation but with little attention paid to the spatial dimensions of these data). Other less obvious elements

Wildland Fire Research: Water Supply and Ecosystem Protection

Science.gov (United States)

Research is critical to better understand how fires affect water quality and supply and the overall health of an ecosystem. This information can be used to protect the safety of drinking water and assess the vulnerability of water supplies.

The Performance test of Mechanical Sodium Pump with Water Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Chungho; Kim, Jong-Man; Ko, Yung Joo; Jeong, Ji-Young; Kim, Jong-Bum; Ko, Bock Seong; Park, Sang Jun; Lee, Yoon Sang

2015-01-01

As contrasted with PWR(Pressurized light Water Reactor) using water as a coolant, sodium is used as a coolant in SFR because of its low melting temperature, high thermal conductivity, the high boiling temperature allowing the reactors to operate at ambient pressure, and low neutron absorption cross section which is required to achieve a high neutron flux. But, sodium is violently reactive with water or oxygen like the other alkali metal. So Very strict requirements are demanded to design and fabricate of sodium experimental facilities. Furthermore, performance testing in high temperature sodium environments is more expensive and time consuming and need an extra precautions because operating and maintaining of sodium experimental facilities are very difficult. The present paper describes performance test results of mechanical sodium pump with water which has been performed with some design changes using water test facility in SAM JIN Industrial Co. To compare the hydraulic characteristic of model pump with water and sodium, the performance test of model pump were performed using vender's experimental facility for mechanical sodium pump. To accommodate non-uniform thermal expansion and to secure the operability and the safety, the gap size of some parts of original model pump was modified. Performance tests of modified mechanical sodium pump with water were successfully performed. Water is therefore often selected as a surrogate test fluid because it is not only cheap, easily available and easy to handle but also its important hydraulic properties (density and kinematic viscosity) are very similar to that of the sodium. Normal practice to thoroughly test a design or component before applied or installed in reactor is important to ensure the safety and operability in the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). So, in order to estimate the hydraulic behavior of the PHTS pump of DSFR (600 MWe Demonstraion SFR), the performance tests of the model pump such as performance

New results on water in bulk, nanoconfined, and biological environments

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, H. E.; Kumar, Pradeep; Xu, Limei; Yan, Zhenyu; Mazza, Marco G.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Chen, S.-H.; Mallamace, F.

2007-12-01

Water is perhaps the most ubiquitous, and the most essential, of any molecule on earth. Despite decades of research, however, water's puzzling properties are not understood and 63 anomalies that distinguish water from other liquids remain unsolved. We present evidence from experiments and computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water displays polyamorphism, i.e., water separates into two distinct liquid phases. This concept of a new liquid-liquid critical point is finding application to other liquids as well as water, such as silicon and silica. We also discuss related puzzles, such as the mysterious behavior of water near a biomolecule.

The economy of the environment in 2009. Report of the Commission of the accounting and economy of the environment. 2011 Edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

This report presents and comments the various expenses in the different sectors related to the protection of the environment: air protection, used water purification, waste management, soil, underground water and surface water protection and purification, struggle against noise, biodiversity and landscapes, radioactive waste management, research and development for the protection of the environment, general administration. Then, it presents and comments the expenses related to the management of natural resources (water sampling and distribution, water recovery). Some additional information are given and commented about expenses for urban green spaces, for renewable energies, for eco-activities and environmental jobs, and about the environmental job market

30 CFR 402.6 - Water-Resources Research Program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... productivity of water when used for agricultural, municipal, and commercial purposes; and (8) The economic, legal, engineering, social, recreational, biological, geographic, ecological, and other aspects of water... interpreting the results of scientific and engineering research on water-resources problems. (10) Providing...

Forest - water dynamics in a Mediterranean mountain environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Eliades, Marinos; Bruggeman, Adriana; Lange, Manfred; Camera, Corrado; Christou, Andreas

2015-04-01

In semi-arid Mediterranean mountain environments, the soil layer is very shallow or even absent due to the steep slopes. Soil moisture in these environments is limited, but still vegetation thrives. There is limited knowledge about where the vegetation extracts the water from, how much water it uses, and how it interacts with other processes in the hydrological cycle. The main objective of this study is to quantify the water balance components of a Pinus brutia forest at tree level, by measuring the tree transpiration and the redistribution of the water from trees to the soil and the bedrock fractures. The study area is located on a forested hill slope on the outside edge of Peristerona watershed in Cyprus. The site was mapped with the use of a total station and a differentially-corrected GPS, in order to create a high resolution DEM and soil depth map of the area. Soil depth was measured at a 1-m grid around the trees. Biometric measurements were taken from a total of 45 trees. Four trees were selected for monitoring. Six sap flow sensors are installed in the selected trees for measuring transpiration and reverse flows. Two trees have two sensors each to assess the variability. Four volumetric soil moisture sensors are installed around each tree at distances 1 m and 2 m away from the tree trunk. An additional fifth soil moisture sensor is installed in soil depths exceeding 20-cm depth. Four throughfall rain gauges were installed randomly around each tree to compute interception losses. Stemflow is measured by connecting an opened surface plastic tube collar at 1.6 m height around each tree trunk. The trunk surface gaps were filled with silicon glue in order to avoid any stemflow losses. The plastic collar is connected to a sealed surface rain gauge. A weather station monitors all meteorological variables on an hourly basis. Results showed a maximum sap flow volume of 77.9 L/d, from November to January. The sensors also measured a maximum negative flow of 7.9 L

FORMATION OF THE TEACHER-RESEARCHER ACADEMIC CULTURE IN A DIGITAL CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena M. Semenoh

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article outlines conceptual foundations of the future teachers-researchers academic culture formation in a digital creative environment. Academic culture of the researcher as an integral personal characteristic that is manifested in the culture of creative-critical thinking, academic virtue, scientific linguistic, narrative-digital culture has been investigated. The formation of the academic culture of the future teacher-researcher in terms of digital creative environment is seen as a complex, multidimensional process of qualitative changes, which happens in stages. The digital creative environment as a learning environment that involves the purposeful use of tools, technologies and information resources that enable creative expression of personality by means of digital technologies, integrating information and communication technologies, intellectual systems, human sensitivity and contextual experience of scientific and pedagogical activity has been defined.

Water environment and water preservation technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoda, M.; Ofuchi, M.; Tsuzuki, K. (Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1993-12-01

Technologies on monitoring, purification, and simulation were described concerning water quality preservation, especially in closed water bodies such as lakes. In order to detect an increase in plankton bloom causing unpleasant taste and order, a water quality monitoring system using image analysis was developed. The main feature of this system is the use of a microscope to obtain images of plankton, coupled with a high speed image processor containing VLSI circuits used exclusively for image processing. The original gray image, obtained from the ITV in the microscope, is treated in the image processor, which extracts the features of isolated plankton, then classifies them, based on data previously input into the memory. As one of the water purification measures for lakes, a sprinkler system was developed. The sprinkler system has a pump in a boat-like structure set on a lake. It pumps up large quantities of cold water from depth of 10 m, then jets and sprays it from many nozzles after pressurization. In addition, a simulation technique was developed which can forecast the extent of water pollution and the effects of purification systems using the finite element method. 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Survey on research environment for young researchers in the U.S.. What attractive environment is for young researchers; Beikoku ni okeru wakate kenkyusha no kenkyu kankyo ni kansuru chosa. Wakate kenkyusha ni totte miryokutekina kankyo towa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-28

A survey was conducted on 'what attractive research environment is for young researchers' as a theme. The young researchers are referred to as those who are registered on a master's or doctor's degree courses and what is called postdoctoral scholars who received a doctor's degree. In the survey, a few common comments were seen in over interviews on the U.S. research environment. The comments were such that, needless to say, subsidies are indispensable for researches but economic aspects of treatment are not necessarily satisfactory, that the research environment is generally good, allowing freedom in research, and that results tend to be achieved by providing a subsidy for experienced knowledgeable researchers rather than directly subsidizing young researchers with a large sum, while programs with individuality such as a fellowship are desired more. It is apparent that the interests of postdoctoral scholars are economic stability; in fact, uneasiness and dissatisfaction in the status and the treatment are pointed out in a survey by the U.S. Science Academy. (NEDO)

Environmental health research in the UK and European Union : research priorities in water and air pollution control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ince, M; Wheatley, A [Loughborough Univ. of Technology (United Kingdom). Dept. of Civil Engineering

1997-12-31

The contents are involvement of the European community, integration of research and development programmes ; surface water quality and pollution incidents; surface water pollution in the UK ; eutrophication ; drinking water quality ; causes and current treatment for removal of pollutants ; future causes of water pollution ; and , water and wastewater research.

Environmental health research in the UK and European Union : research priorities in water and air pollution control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ince, M.; Wheatley, A.

1996-01-01

The contents are involvement of the European community, integration of research and development programmes ; surface water quality and pollution incidents; surface water pollution in the UK ; eutrophication ; drinking water quality ; causes and current treatment for removal of pollutants ; future causes of water pollution ; and , water and wastewater research

Heat dissipation in controlled environment enclosures through the application of water screens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warrington, I.J.; Halligan, E.A.; Ruby, L.C.; McNaughton, K.G. [Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Ltd., Palmerston North (New Zealand)

1994-12-31

The use of plate glass-water thermal barriers in controlled environment facilities effectively reduces the thermal load within the plant growth chamber. This allows high PPFs to be provided for plant growth and development studies, adequate simulation of daily light integrals, and simulation of peak PPFs. Further, substantial amounts of incandescent lamp supplementation can be used to achieve simulation of daylight R:FR ratios which are needed to ensure adequate stem development in some species. While the focus in this paper has been on the use of entire thermal barriers which separate the lighting enclosure from the plant growth chamber, the same principles apply to the use of water jackets for cooling individual lamps (such as can occur with xenon-arc lamps). In this instance, the barrier separating the lamps from the plant chamber can be much simpler (e.g., plexiglas) as the main function of the barrier is to separate the air ventilation of the lamp enclosure from the air system within the plant growth chamber. The main advantage of water as a thermal barrier is the negligible absorption of radiation in the photosynthetically-active and near infra-red wavebands. Consequently, plate glass-water barriers typically allow transmission of approximately 90% of radiation in these regions. While ventilated double and triple glazing systems appear to be attractive alternative to water barriers from an operating standpoint, their significant absorption in the biologically-important wavebands (7 - 12 %) with each glass layer and longer-wave cut-offs (typically 2500 - 4000 nm) makes them a much less attractive alternative. The data presented demonstrate clearly that measurement of PPF alone is not an adequate representation of the radiation environment being used in a controlled environment study.

Mentoring for Responsible Research: The Creation of a Curriculum for Faculty to Teach RCR in the Research Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Plemmons, Dena K; Kalichman, Michael W

2018-02-01

Despite more than 25 years of a requirement for training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR), there is still little consensus about what such training should include, how it should be delivered, nor what constitutes "effectiveness" of such training. This lack of consensus on content, approaches and outcomes is evident in recent data showing high variability in the development and implementation of RCR instruction across universities and programs. If we accept that one of the primary aims of instruction in RCR/research ethics is "to foster a community of social responsibility" (Antes et al. 2009: 398), then it makes sense to consider the research environment itself-where learning one's science happens where one also engages in social interaction around that science. In order to take the best advantage of that already existing/naturally occurring research environment, the authors, through a deliberative, collaborative, and integrative process, crafted a workshop curriculum meant to arm research faculty with concrete and specific tools to effectively introduce research ethics in the context of the research environment.

The advancement of the built environment research through employment of structural equation modeling (SEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Wasilah, S.; Fahmyddin, T.

2018-03-01

The employment of structural equation modeling (SEM) in research has taken an increasing attention in among researchers in built environment. There is a gap to understand the attributes, application, and importance of this approach in data analysis in built environment study. This paper intends to provide fundamental comprehension of SEM method in data analysis, unveiling attributes, employment and significance and bestow cases to assess associations amongst variables and constructs. The study uses some main literature to grasp the essence of SEM regarding with built environment research. The better acknowledgment of this analytical tool may assist the researcher in the built environment to analyze data under complex research questions and to test multivariate models in a single study.

The UNEP State of the Environment Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Dale

1990-01-01

Presents information from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) 1989 State of the World Environment Report. Provides an overview of global environmental concerns, including overpopulation, air and water pollution, global warming, hazardous waste disposal, and species extinction. Reaffirms the need to dedicate research and development…

Water quality data for national-scale aquatic research: The Water Quality Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Read, Emily K.; Carr, Lindsay; DeCicco, Laura; Dugan, Hilary; Hanson, Paul C.; Hart, Julia A.; Kreft, James; Read, Jordan S.; Winslow, Luke

2017-01-01

Aquatic systems are critical to food, security, and society. But, water data are collected by hundreds of research groups and organizations, many of which use nonstandard or inconsistent data descriptions and dissemination, and disparities across different types of water observation systems represent a major challenge for freshwater research. To address this issue, the Water Quality Portal (WQP) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council to be a single point of access for water quality data dating back more than a century. The WQP is the largest standardized water quality data set available at the time of this writing, with more than 290 million records from more than 2.7 million sites in groundwater, inland, and coastal waters. The number of data contributors, data consumers, and third-party application developers making use of the WQP is growing rapidly. Here we introduce the WQP, including an overview of data, the standardized data model, and data access and services; and we describe challenges and opportunities associated with using WQP data. We also demonstrate through an example the value of the WQP data by characterizing seasonal variation in lake water clarity for regions of the continental U.S. The code used to access, download, analyze, and display these WQP data as shown in the figures is included as supporting information.

Horonobe underground research program. Research report of 2002 FY investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-06-01

Main results of investigation about Horonobe deep underground research center in 2002 FY were reported. It consists of six chapters: introduction, main results, selection of research center area, underground science research, R and D of geological disposal, and the environmental survey and research center on the ground. The research center area at about 3 km north of Horonobe (B1) was selected in the four areas: A, B1, B2 and C on the basis of data, researches in the sky, aboveground and underground and other conditions. The model of geological environment was constructed by physical, geological, surface water supply researches. Development of geological environment monitoring techniques, investigation of long stabilization of geological environment and design of underground facilities are reported. The basic design of preparation of research center was investigated. (S.Y.)

Light water reactor safety research project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markoczy, G.; Aksan, S.N.; Behringer, K.; Prodan, M.; Stierli, F.; Ullrich, G.

1980-07-01

The research and development activities for the safety of Light Water Power Reactors carried out 1979 at the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research are described. Considerations concerning the necessity, objectives and size of the Safety Research Project are presented, followed by a detailed discussion of the activities in the five tasks of the program, covering fracture mechanics and nondestructive testing, thermal-hydraulics, reactor noise analysis and pressure vessel steel surveillance. (Auth.)

Zwitterionization of glycine in water environment: Stabilization mechanism and NMR spectral signatures

Science.gov (United States)

Valverde, Danillo; da Costa Ludwig, Zélia Maria; da Costa, Célia Regina; Ludwig, Valdemir; Georg, Herbert C.

2018-01-01

At physiological conditions, myriads of biomolecules (e.g., amino acids, peptides, and proteins) exist predominantly in the zwitterionic structural form and their biological functions will result in these conditions. However these geometrical structures are inaccessible energetically in the gas phase, and at this point, stabilization of amino-acids in physiological conditions is still under debate. In this paper, the electronic properties of a glycine molecule in the liquid environment were studied by performing a relaxation of the glycine geometry in liquid water using the free energy gradient method combined with a sequential quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach. A series of Monte Carlo Metropolis simulations of the glycine molecule embedded in liquid water, followed by only a quantum mechanical calculation in each of them were carried out. Both the local and global liquid environments were emphasized to obtain nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters for the glycine molecule in liquid water. The results of the equilibrium structure in solution and the systematic study of the hydrogen bonds were used to discard the direct proton transfer from the carboxyl group to the ammonium group of the glycine molecule in water solution. The calculations of the Density Functional Theory (DFT) were performed to study the polarization of the solvent in the parameters of nuclear magnetic resonance of the glycine molecule in liquid water. DFT calculations predicted isotropic chemical changes on the H, C, N, and O atoms of glycine in liquid water solution which agree with the available experimental data.

Low-Cost Solar Water Heating Research and Development Roadmap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hudon, K.; Merrigan, T.; Burch, J.; Maguire, J.

2012-08-01

The market environment for solar water heating technology has changed substantially with the successful introduction of heat pump water heaters (HPWHs). The addition of this energy-efficient technology to the market increases direct competition with solar water heaters (SWHs) for available energy savings. It is therefore essential to understand which segment of the market is best suited for HPWHs and focus the development of innovative, low-cost SWHs in the market segment where the largest opportunities exist. To evaluate cost and performance tradeoffs between high performance hot water heating systems, annual energy simulations were run using the program, TRNSYS, and analysis was performed to compare the energy savings associated with HPWH and SWH technologies to conventional methods of water heating.

1998 research cooperation project. Research cooperation on environment-compatible type water resource effective-utilization system; 1998 nendo kankyo taiogata mizushigen yuko riyo system ni kansuru kenkyu kyoryoku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

For the purpose of securing water stably and preventing water pollution in the Philippines, R and D were carried out on a wastewater treatment and water reclamation and reuse system which is easy to operate and maintain and low in cost through the research cooperation between the Philippine Industrial Technology Development Institute and Japan. According to the survey result of statistical data concerning water pollution load structure by industrial wastewater classified by the industry in the Philippines, enumerated are the food manufacturing industry, paper pulp manufacturing industry, and the textile dyeing industry as those greatly affecting water pollution in BOD exhaust and wastewater, etc. Consequently, with Ram Food Product Co. of vegetable processing and Solid Mill Co., of textile dyeing as plants to be studied, a wastewater treatment test was performed in a laboratory scale. From the result of the test, the pilot plant was basically designed to have 'anaerobic + aerobic treatment + tertiary treatment' for the treatment process, with an one-tank type UASB method used as the anaerobic treatment, with a sand filtration + activated charcoal treatment as the tertiary treatment, and with the cost effectiveness for water reuse set to be examined. (NEDO)

Improving the Health of Workers in Indoor Environments: Priority Research Needs for a National Occupational Research Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Mendell, Mark J.; Fisk, William J.; Kreiss, Kathleen; Levin, Hal; Alexander, Darryl; Cain, William S.; Girman, John R.; Hines, Cynthia J.; Jensen, Paul A.; Milton, Donald K.; Rexroat, Larry P.; Wallingford, Kenneth M.

2002-01-01

Indoor nonindustrial work environments were designated a priority research area through the nationwide stakeholder process that created the National Occupational Research Agenda. A multidisciplinary research team used member consensus and quantitative estimates, with extensive external review, to develop a specific research agenda. The team outlined the following priority research topics: building-influenced communicable respiratory infections, building-related asthma/allergic diseases, and nonspecific building-related symptoms; indoor environmental science; and methods for increasing implementation of healthful building practices. Available data suggest that improving building environments may result in health benefits for more than 15 million of the 89 million US indoor workers, with estimated economic benefits of $5 to $75 billion annually. Research on these topics, requiring new collaborations and resources, offers enormous potential health and economic returns. PMID:12197969

Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment lays emphasis on ... issues in different aspects of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Management, Agriculture, ... Ethnobotanical assessment of plants used for the treatment of endocrine disorder ... esculenta Crantz) cultivated in crude-oil- contaminated soil in Nigeria ...

A Miniaturized Sensor for Microbial Monitoring of Spacecraft Water Environment, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Accurate real-time microbial monitoring of water environment is of paramount importance to crew health as well as to ensure proper functioning and control of the...

Modern technologies and equipment for environment and sustainable development at ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preda, Marius Cristian; Patrascu, Mihai; Pop, Artimisia; Chilom, Rodica

2004-01-01

At ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant, the sustainable development concept incorporates as a priority the environmental protection through the production process technology. Norway's Prime Minister, Mr. Gro Harlem Brundtland used the concept of 'sustainable development' in 1987, when as President of International Commission for Environment and Sustainable Development, he presented his report 'Our common future'. Sustainable development means that development that allows satisfying our present needs without spoiling the next generation capacity to meet their own needs. Any technology has both advantages and disadvantages; when considering the concept of sustainable development we have to take into account all the aspects, namely: - causes identification and review; - results evaluation; - corrective and preventive actions. Thus, ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant has implemented a typical environment management system by means of what the general and specific objectives have been established, these objectives being stated in an Environment Policy Declaration: - Environment Management System as per SR EN ISO 14001/1997; - Quality Management System as per SR EN ISO 9001/2000; - IQNet- The International Certification Network. The paper presents the modern equipment for emissions and in-missions management with real time data transmission, for air and water as environment elements. Section two deals with trial of modern technology for industrial discharged wastewater treatment using the method of controlled batching of surface-active materials. Investigations on method application and laboratory testing as well as findings are given. As a conclusion, one can state that ROMAG-PROD Heavy Water Plant, has as one of its main concern keeping on high standards the safety of its equipment operation, sustainable development and risk eliminating so that neither environment or the population in vicinity is affected. (authors)

Water and environment news. No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This issue of the bulletin lists projects in the IAEA's sub-programme D evelopment and Management of Water Resources , presents plan of the IAEA Isotope Hydrology Section for the 1999-2000, reports on the activities of current co-ordinated research projects and technical co-operation projects. This publication also highlights some basic aspects of the measurement of chlorofluorocarbons; the use of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes for investigating past and current climate changes; exploration of geothermal resources in Asia

Effects of micro-water on decomposition of the environment-friendly insulating medium C5F10O

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Song Xiao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available SF6 is widely used in all kinds of high-voltage electrical equipment because of its excellent insulation and arc-extinguishing performance. However, this compound leads to serious greenhouse effect, which harms the environment. Many research institutions are now actively in search of SF6 alternative gas. C5F10O has attracted much attention as an alternative gas with low global warming potential (GWP and excellent dielectric strength. In this paper, we analyzed the possible decomposition paths of C5F10O under micro-water environment through density functional theory. We also evaluated the ionization parameters and toxicity of the decomposition products. The results show that OH• and H• produced by H2O exhibited a catalytic effect on the decomposition of C5F10O. CF4, C2F6, C3F6, C3F8, C4F10, C5F12, C6F14, C3F7COH, C3F7OH, CF3COH, C3F7H, and CF3OH were produced in the micro-water environment. Based on molecular configuration calculation, the ionization parameters of these products were inferior to perfluorocarbons, such as C3F8, leading to reduced insulation performance of the system. Moreover, CF2O and HF are hazardous to human health and equipment safety. Results will provide a basis for further study of the insulation characteristic of the C5F10O gas mixture under micro-water condition to guide the formulation of their relevant international standards prior to engineering applications.

Effects of micro-water on decomposition of the environment-friendly insulating medium C5F10O

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Song; Li, Yi; Zhang, Xiaoxing; Tian, Shuangshuang; Deng, Zaitao; Tang, Ju

2017-06-01

SF6 is widely used in all kinds of high-voltage electrical equipment because of its excellent insulation and arc-extinguishing performance. However, this compound leads to serious greenhouse effect, which harms the environment. Many research institutions are now actively in search of SF6 alternative gas. C5F10O has attracted much attention as an alternative gas with low global warming potential (GWP) and excellent dielectric strength. In this paper, we analyzed the possible decomposition paths of C5F10O under micro-water environment through density functional theory. We also evaluated the ionization parameters and toxicity of the decomposition products. The results show that OH• and H• produced by H2O exhibited a catalytic effect on the decomposition of C5F10O. CF4, C2F6, C3F6, C3F8, C4F10, C5F12, C6F14, C3F7COH, C3F7OH, CF3COH, C3F7H, and CF3OH were produced in the micro-water environment. Based on molecular configuration calculation, the ionization parameters of these products were inferior to perfluorocarbons, such as C3F8, leading to reduced insulation performance of the system. Moreover, CF2O and HF are hazardous to human health and equipment safety. Results will provide a basis for further study of the insulation characteristic of the C5F10O gas mixture under micro-water condition to guide the formulation of their relevant international standards prior to engineering applications.

Frontiers of interfacial water research :workshop report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cygan, Randall Timothy; Greathouse, Jeffery A.

2005-10-01

Water is the critical natural resource of the new century. Significant improvements in traditional water treatment processes require novel approaches based on a fundamental understanding of nanoscale and atomic interactions at interfaces between aqueous solution and materials. To better understand these critical issues and to promote an open dialog among leading international experts in water-related specialties, Sandia National Laboratories sponsored a workshop on April 24-26, 2005 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The ''Frontiers of Interfacial Water Research Workshop'' provided attendees with a critical review of water technologies and emphasized the new advances in surface and interfacial microscopy, spectroscopy, diffraction, and computer simulation needed for the development of new materials for water treatment.

Advancing cancer control research in an emerging news media environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Katherine C; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Blake, Kelly D; Cappella, Joseph N

2013-12-01

Cancer is both highly feared and highly newsworthy, and there is a robust body of research documenting the content and effects of cancer news coverage on health behaviors and policy. Recent years have witnessed ongoing, transformative shifts in American journalism alongside rapid advances in communication technology and the public information environment. These changes create a pressing need to consider a new set of research questions, sampling strategies, measurement techniques, and theories of media effects to ensure continued relevance and adaptation of communication research to address critical cancer control concerns. This paper begins by briefly reviewing what we know about the role of cancer news in shaping cancer-related beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and policies. We then outline challenges and opportunities, both theoretical and methodological, posed by the rapidly changing news media environment and the nature of audience engagement. We organize our discussion around three major shifts associated with the emerging news media environment as it relates to health communication: 1) speed and dynamism of news diffusion, 2) increased narrowcasting of media content for specialized audiences, and 3) broadened participation in shaping media content. In so doing, we articulate a set of questions for future theory and research, in an effort to catalyze innovative communication scholarship to improve cancer prevention and control.

Challenges associated with performing environmental research on titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aquatic environments

Science.gov (United States)

There are challenges associated with performing research on titanium dioxide NPs in aquatic environments particularly marine systems. A critical focus for current titanium dioxide NP research in aquatic environments needs to be on optimizing methods for differentiating naturally...

Electron-induced hydrogen loss in uracil in a water cluster environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smyth, M.; Kohanoff, J.; Fabrikant, I. I.

2014-01-01

Low-energy electron-impact hydrogen loss due to dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to the uracil and thymine molecules in a water cluster environment is investigated theoretically. Only the A ′ -resonance contribution, describing the near-threshold behavior of DEA, is incorporated. Calculations are based on the nonlocal complex potential theory and the multiple scattering theory, and are performed for a model target with basic properties of uracil and thymine, surrounded by five water molecules. The DEA cross section is strongly enhanced when the attaching molecule is embedded in a water cluster. This growth is due to two effects: the increase of the resonance lifetime and the negative shift in the resonance position due to interaction of the intermediate negative ion with the surrounding water molecules. A similar effect was earlier found in DEA to chlorofluorocarbons

A Review of Research on Facebook as an Educational Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Selami

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to present a review of Facebook as an educational environment, as research on its use within education is relatively new. The study is categorized into six sections: Facebook users; reasons people use Facebook; harmful effects of Facebook; Facebook as an educational environment; Facebook's effects on culture, language,…

Occupational health and environment research 1983: Health, Safety, and Environment Division. Progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voelz, G.L.

1985-05-01

The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environmental protection. These activities are designed to protect the workers, the public, and the environment. Evaluation of respiratory protective equipment included the XM-30 and M17A1 military masks, use of MAG-1 spectacles in respirators, and eight self-contained units. The latter units were used in an evaluation of test procedures used for Bureau of Mines approval of breathing apparatuses. Analyses of air samples from field studies of a modified in situ oil shale retorting facility were performed for total cyclohexane extractables and selected polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Aerosols generation and characterization of effluents from oil shale processing were continued as part of an inhalation toxicology study. Additional data on plutonium excretion in urine are presented and point up problems in using the Langham equation to predict plutonium deposition in the body from long-term excretion data. Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1983 showed the highest estimated radiation dose from Laboratory operations to be about 26% of the natural background radiation dose. Several studies on radionuclides and their transport in the Los Alamos environment are described. The chemical quality of surface and ground water near the geothermal hot dry rock facility is described. Short- and long-term consequences to man from releases of radionuclides into the environment can be simulated by the BIOTRAN computer model, which is discussed brirfly

Waste water pilot plant research, development, and demonstration permit application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-10-01

Waste waters have been generated as result of operations conducted at the Hanford Facility for over 40 years. These waste waters were previously discharged to cribs, ponds, or ditches. Examples of such waste waters include steam condensates and cooling waters that have not been in contact with dangerous or mixed waste and process condensates that may have been in contact with dangerous or mixed waste. Many measures have been taken to reduce the amount of contamination being discharged in these effluents. However, some of these waste waters still require additional treatment before release to the environment. Systems are being designed and built to treat these waste waters along with any future waste waters resulting from remediation activities on the Hanford Facility

Water quality data for national-scale aquatic research: The Water Quality Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Read, Emily K.; Carr, Lindsay; De Cicco, Laura; Dugan, Hilary A.; Hanson, Paul C.; Hart, Julia A.; Kreft, James; Read, Jordan S.; Winslow, Luke A.

2017-02-01

xml:id="wrcr22485-sec-1001" numbered="no">Aquatic systems are critical to food, security, and society. But, water data are collected by hundreds of research groups and organizations, many of which use nonstandard or inconsistent data descriptions and dissemination, and disparities across different types of water observation systems represent a major challenge for freshwater research. To address this issue, the Water Quality Portal (WQP) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council to be a single point of access for water quality data dating back more than a century. The WQP is the largest standardized water quality data set available at the time of this writing, with more than 290 million records from more than 2.7 million sites in groundwater, inland, and coastal waters. The number of data contributors, data consumers, and third-party application developers making use of the WQP is growing rapidly. Here we introduce the WQP, including an overview of data, the standardized data model, and data access and services; and we describe challenges and opportunities associated with using WQP data. We also demonstrate through an example the value of the WQP data by characterizing seasonal variation in lake water clarity for regions of the continental U.S. The code used to access, download, analyze, and display these WQP data as shown in the figures is included as supporting information.

Water cooled reactor technology: Safety research abstracts no. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The Commission of the European Communities, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD publish these Nuclear Safety Research Abstracts within the framework of their efforts to enhance the safety of nuclear power plants and to promote the exchange of research information. The abstracts are of nuclear safety related research projects for: pressurized light water cooled and moderated reactors (PWRs); boiling light water cooled and moderated reactors (BWRs); light water cooled and graphite moderated reactors (LWGRs); pressurized heavy water cooled and moderated reactors (PHWRs); gas cooled graphite moderated reactors (GCRs). Abstracts of nuclear safety research projects for fast breeder reactors are published independently by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD and are not included in this joint publication. The intention of the collaborating international organizations is to publish such a document biannually. Work has been undertaken to develop a common computerized system with on-line access to the stored information

Next generation environment for collaborative research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collados, D.; Denis, G.; Galvez, P.; Newman, H.

2001-01-01

Collaborative environments supporting point to point and multipoint video-conferencing, document and application sharing across both local and wide area networks, video on demand (broadcast and playback) and interactive text facilities will be a crucial element for the development of the next generation of HEP experiments by geographically dispersed collaborations. The 'Virtual Room Video conferencing System' (VRVS) has been developed since 1995, in order to provide a low cost, bandwidth-efficient, extensible means for video conferencing and remote collaboration over networks within the High Energy and Nuclear Physics communities. The VRVS provides worldwide videoconferencing service and collaborative environment to the research and education communities. VRVS uses the Internet2 and ESnet high-performance networks infrastructure to deploy its Web-based system, which now includes more than 5790 registered hosts running VRVS software in more than 50 different countries. VRVS hosts an average of 100-multipoint videoconference and collaborative sessions worldwide every month. There are around 35 reflectors that manage the traffic flow, at HENP labs and universities in the US and Europe. So far, there are 7 Virtual Rooms for World Wide Conferences (involving more than one continent), and 4 Virtual Rooms each for intra-continental conferences in the US, Europe and Asia. VRVS continues to expand and implement new digital video technologies, including H.323 ITU standard integration, MPEG-2 videoconferencing integration, shared environments, and Quality of Service

A historical review and bibliometric analysis of research on lead in drinking water field from 1991 to 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Jie; Ma, Yuwei [Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology (Netherlands); Zhang, Liang [Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077 (China); Gan, Fuxing [School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079 (China); Ho, Yuh-Shan, E-mail: ysho@asia.edu.tw [Water Research Centre, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan (China); Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan (China)

2010-03-01

A bibliometric analysis based on Science Citation Index (SCI) published by Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) was carried out to identify the global research related to lead in drinking water field from 1991 to 2007 and to improve the understanding of research trends in the same period. The results from this analysis indicate that there have been an increasing number of annual publications mainly during two periods: from 1992 to 1997 and from 2004 to 2007. United States produced 37% of all pertinent articles followed by India with 8.0% and Canada with 4.8%. Science of the Total Environment published the most articles followed by Journal American Water Works Association and Toxicology. Summary of the most frequently used keywords are also provided. 'Cadmium' was the most popular author keyword in the 17 years. Furthermore based on bibliometric results four research aspects were summarized in this paper and the historical research review was also presented.

Water and Environment News, No. 28, February 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-02-01

The IAEA Director General has selected Water to be his priority theme for 2011 in order to promote the role of IAEA in this field. The Director General intends to increase Member State awareness in this area of IAEA's work and strengthen partnerships with bi-lateral and other donor agencies. This is an excellent development for our programme and we aim to make use of this opportunity to help Member States integrate isotope hydrology into their water resource management efforts. To this end, we hosted a Side Event at the 2010 General Conference of the IAEA to inform Member States of the importance of using groundwater age for aquifer assessment and modelling of large, regional aquifers. Guest speakers included senior representatives from India and the USA. A 'water tasting' was held with water ranging in age from modern to approximately one million years and a physical model demonstrated the concept of groundwater age. The event attracted a large number of visitors and based on feedback from them, it is considered to be successful in conveying the intended message. During this 'water year', the Section will focus on implementation of the IAEA's WAVE project. This project is aimed at comprehensive assessment of water resources. The first pilot study of this project will be conducted in the Philippines. After several years in development, the noble gas laboratory this year will begin to be used for a number of field studies to estimate groundwater age and recharge in shallow aquifers. We will also convene the quadrennial IAEA Symposium on Isotope Hydrology in March. This year's symposium will be held jointly with our Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco on the occasion of the Laboratory's 50th anniversary

Research of leaching of disseminated copper-nickel ores in their interaction with mine waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetlov A. V.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available A great amount of mine waste creates serious problems for economy and ecology in mining regions. Keeping of dumps and tailings storages requires huge capital costs and material inputs. Removal of overburden volumes cause ecological disequilibrium, ingress of chemical agents and heavy metals in ground and surface water have an adverse influence on eco-systems and human health. These hazards are particularly high under extreme climatic conditions, when mines create vast desert lands around themselves. Foreign researchers use the terms "acid mine drainage" (AМD and "acid rock drainage" (ARD when speaking on mine water oxidation and contamination of the environment with heavy metals. AMD is induced by underground mine drainage, natural sulfide-bearing rock exposures, etc. The processes occurring in the interaction the mine water with fine dust particles, as well as water filtering through the thick sulfide rocks have been studied. It has been shown that the reduction in potential environmental hazard of mine water of JSC "Kola MMC" is achieved through precipitation of heavy metals by iron hydroxide and magnesium hydrosilicate. Preliminary assessment of the feasibility of hydrometallurgical processing of disseminated copper-nickel ores has been made

Farmer perceptions on factors influencing water scarcity for goats in resource-limited communal farming environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Mdletshe, Zwelethu Mfanafuthi; Ndlela, Sithembile Zenith; Nsahlai, Ignatius Verla; Chimonyo, Michael

2018-05-09

The objective of the study was to compare factors influencing water scarcity for goats in areas where there are seasonal and perennial rivers under resource-limited communal farming environments. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire (n = 285) administered randomly to smallholder goat farmers from areas with seasonal and perennial rivers. Ceremonies was ranked as the major reason for keeping goats. Water scarcity was ranked the major constraint to goat production in areas with seasonal rivers when compared to areas with perennial rivers (P goat drinking in areas with seasonal and perennial river systems during cool dry and rainy seasons. Rivers were ranked as an important water source for goat drinking where there are seasonal and perennial river systems during the cool dry season. Households located close (≤ 3 km) to the nearest water source reported drinking water for goats a scarce resource. These results show that river systems, season and distance to the nearest water source from a household were factors perceived by farmers to influence water scarcity for goats in resource-limited communal farming environments. Farmers should explore water-saving strategies such as recycling wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms as an alternative water source. The government may assist farmers through sinking boreholes to supply water for both humans and livestock.

Soil and water science in an arid environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillel, D.

1974-01-01

Nuclear technology plays an important part in the study and development of the soil/water interaction. Tracing and measuring techniques using radioisotopes are vital tools in the elucidation of flows and processes, in order to produce the required knowledge. On the other end of the scale, it will be desalination plants tied to nuclear reactors which will become important in producing sweet water in volume, and at an acceptable cost. Valuable work in both these directions is being furthered by the IAEA, and by governmental and academic research centres in Israel. (author)

The Forsmark biotest basin. An instrument for environmental research. Experiences of large cooling water discharges in Sweden (1969-1993) and research perspectives for the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snoeijs, P.

1994-01-01

This report presents the Biotest basin at Forsmark (Sweden) as an instrument for experimental environmental research, and indicates possibilities for its future use. the basin consists of a 1 km 2 artificial enclosure in the Baltic Sea that receives cooling water discharge from the Forsmark nuclear power plant. Cooling water discharge was initiated in 1980, and since then the basin has been serving as the main Swedish instrument for field studies on the effects of enhanced temperature and low-dose radioactivity on aquatic ecosystems. Environmental effects of large cooling water discharges from power plants to the sea have been studied at other sites in Sweden too, and for the sake of completeness of background information this report provides a survey and an extensive bibliography of all previous research on cooling water discharges in Sweden during the last 25 years. The aim of scientific research in the Biotest basin is to provide an independent academically-based assessment of the effects of the discharges of heat to the aquatic environment and of the pathways of pollutants through the ecosystems. Until now the research has mainly been describing the ecological effects of the cooling water flow through the basin under normal operation of the power plant. In the future it will be possible to manipulate the basin for large field experiments. An important perspective for the future is that of climatic change; the Forsmark Biotest basin provides excellent conditions for field studies on possible biological effects. This includes e.g. temperature effects on basic biological processes (growth, metabolism, reproduction etc.), population genetics, and combination effects of heat and toxic substances. 60 refs, 3 figs, 6 tabs

Bioenergy Sorghum Crop Model Predicts VPD-Limited Transpiration Traits Enhance Biomass Yield in Water-Limited Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Truong, Sandra K; McCormick, Ryan F; Mullet, John E

2017-01-01

Bioenergy sorghum is targeted for production in water-limited annual cropland therefore traits that improve plant water capture, water use efficiency, and resilience to water deficit are necessary to maximize productivity. A crop modeling framework, APSIM, was adapted to predict the growth and biomass yield of energy sorghum and to identify potentially useful traits for crop improvement. APSIM simulations of energy sorghum development and biomass accumulation replicated results from field experiments across multiple years, patterns of rainfall, and irrigation schemes. Modeling showed that energy sorghum's long duration of vegetative growth increased water capture and biomass yield by ~30% compared to short season crops in a water-limited production region. Additionally, APSIM was extended to enable modeling of VPD-limited transpiration traits that reduce crop water use under high vapor pressure deficits (VPDs). The response of transpiration rate to increasing VPD was modeled as a linear response until a VPD threshold was reached, at which the slope of the response decreases, representing a range of responses to VPD observed in sorghum germplasm. Simulation results indicated that the VPD-limited transpiration trait is most beneficial in hot and dry regions of production where crops are exposed to extended periods without rainfall during the season or to a terminal drought. In these environments, slower but more efficient transpiration increases biomass yield and prevents or delays the exhaustion of soil water and onset of leaf senescence. The VPD-limited transpiration responses observed in sorghum germplasm increased biomass accumulation by 20% in years with lower summer rainfall, and the ability to drastically reduce transpiration under high VPD conditions could increase biomass by 6% on average across all years. This work indicates that the productivity and resilience of bioenergy sorghum grown in water-limited environments could be further enhanced by development

Living in contained environments: Research implications from undersea habitats. [undersea habitats

Science.gov (United States)

Helmreich, Robert L.

1986-01-01

A cost-reward model is used to frame a discussion of differences in observed behavior of individuals and groups in confined environments. It has been observed that the high cost of functioning in a stressful environment is likely to produce poor performance when anticipated rewards are low but that participants can manage the stress and achieve high performance if they anticipate high rewards. The high-reward environment is exemplified by early undersea habitats such as Sealab and Tektite and by early space missions. Other aspects of behavior occur in all confined environments and point to an important area for future research. Of particular interest are intergroup conflicts arising between the confined group and its external control. Also, individual differences in personality seem always to have an impact in confined environments. Recent research has focused on: (1) predicting performance and adjustment based on instrumental and expressive aspects of the self; (2) the differential predictive power of achievement striving and irritation/irritability in Type A personalities; and (3) the nature and role of leadership in small, isolated groups.

Electron-induced hydrogen loss in uracil in a water cluster environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smyth, M.; Kohanoff, J. [Atomistic Simulation Centre, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Fabrikant, I. I., E-mail: ifabrikant1@unl.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA and Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)

2014-05-14

Low-energy electron-impact hydrogen loss due to dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to the uracil and thymine molecules in a water cluster environment is investigated theoretically. Only the A{sup ′}-resonance contribution, describing the near-threshold behavior of DEA, is incorporated. Calculations are based on the nonlocal complex potential theory and the multiple scattering theory, and are performed for a model target with basic properties of uracil and thymine, surrounded by five water molecules. The DEA cross section is strongly enhanced when the attaching molecule is embedded in a water cluster. This growth is due to two effects: the increase of the resonance lifetime and the negative shift in the resonance position due to interaction of the intermediate negative ion with the surrounding water molecules. A similar effect was earlier found in DEA to chlorofluorocarbons.

Water Cycle Dynamics in a Changing Environment: Advancing Hydrologic Science through Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Sivapalan, M.; Kumar, P.; Rhoads, B. L.; Wuebbles, D.

2007-12-01

synthesis through research efforts aimed at "improving predictability of water cycle dynamics in a changing environment." The synthesis activities have brought together inter-disciplinary scientific teams to address specific open problems such as: (i) human-nature interactions and adaptations; (ii) role of the biosphere in water cycle dynamics; (iii) human induced changes to water cycle dynamics; and (iv) structure of landscapes and their evolution through time. All synthesis activities will be underpinned by common unifying themes: (a) hydrology as the science of interacting processes; (b) variability as the driver of interactions and ecosystem functioning; (c) search for emergent behavior and organizing principles; and (d) complexity theory and non- equilibrium thermodynamics.

Research project on the thermal pollution of waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinlein; Becker

1977-01-01

The results of essentially completed and current research and development projects - as far as available in a short time - are explained in the present study, compared and their practicle applicability indicated. The number of publications in the literature index is split up into the single specialist fields as follows: 13% hydrodynamics (propagation caculations, models, measurements); 45% biology-chemistry (effects on micro and macro fauna of waters, on water contents, mathematical models of oxygen balance and biocenosis); 31% hydrometeorology including problems on the thermal economy of the waters as well as special thermal load calculations; 5% heat introduction into ground water; 6% others e.g. use of remote sensing for temperature measurement. The current research projects in the FRG are split up into the following single specialist fields: 16% hydromechanics; 42% biology-chemistry; 24% hydrometeorology including thermal economy; 10% use of ground water; 8% others (almost exclusively problems in connection with the use of remote sensing methods). (orig.) [de

A bibliometric analysis of drinking water research in Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-10-04

Oct 4, 2016 ... Keywords: Africa, bibliometric review, drinking water, publications, research ...... and 'heavy metal water pollution' (1 article) with 89 citations. The high ..... KHAN MA and HO YS (2011) Arsenic in drinking water: A review on.

Collaborative Research for Water Resource Management under Climate Change Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Brundiers, K.; Garfin, G. M.; Gober, P.; Basile, G.; Bark, R. H.

2010-12-01

We present an ongoing project to co-produce science and policy called Collaborative Planning for Climate Change: An Integrated Approach to Water-Planning, Climate Downscaling, and Robust Decision-Making. The project responds to motivations related to dealing with sustainability challenges in research and practice: (a) state and municipal water managers seek research that addresses their planning needs; (b) the scientific literature and funding agencies call for more meaningful engagement between science and policy communities, in ways that address user needs, while advancing basic research; and (c) empirical research contributes to methods for the design and implementation of collaborative projects. To understand how climate change might impact water resources and management in the Southwest US, our project convenes local, state, and federal water management practitioners with climate-, hydrology-, policy-, and decision scientists. Three areas of research inform this collaboration: (a) the role of paleo-hydrology in water resources scenario construction; (b) the types of uncertainties that impact decision-making beyond climate and modeling uncertainty; and (c) basin-scale statistical and dynamical downscaling of climate models to generate hydrologic projections for regional water resources planning. The project engages all participants in the research process, from research design to workshops that build capacity for understanding data generation and sources of uncertainty to the discussion of water management decision contexts. A team of “science-practice translators” facilitates the collaboration between academic and professional communities. In this presentation we contextualize the challenges and opportunities of use-inspired science-policy research collaborations by contrasting the initial project design with the process of implementation. We draw from two sources to derive lessons learned: literature on collaborative research, and evaluations provided by

Conversion of tritium gas to tritiated water in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noguchi, Hiroshi; Kato, Shohei

1985-01-01

The literature on conversion of tritium gas to tritiated water in various environments is reviewed. The conversion mechanisms and the conversion rates are as follows. 1. In the oxidation with oxygen and the isotopic exchange with water, tritium β-rays and metal catalyst are effective. The oxidation rate is ∼ 0.02 %/day at initial tritium concentration ≤ 10 -2 Ci/l and ∼ 2 %/day at 1 Ci/l. In the presence of oxygen and water, it is not clear whether the exchange reaction occurs or not because of the small amount of data. 2. For biological conversion, soil microorganisms contribute significantly. The conversion rate is greater than 10 %/hr. The tritium gas deposition velocity, which includes the uptake rate of tritium gas by soil and the conversion rate, ranges from 0.0025 to 0.11 cm/sec and is influenced by temperature and moisture of the soil. 3. Tritium gas is converted to the tritiated water through the reaction with hydroxyl radical produced by sunlight in the atmosphere. (author)

Knowledge Building in an Online Environment: A Design-Based Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qing

2009-01-01

This article explores knowledge-building in an online distance-learning environment. The research examines how knowledge-building principles can be translated into online classroom practice for graduate students. Specifically, how do the course components and the online learning environments created in two online graduate courses contribute to…

The perceptions of research values and priorities in water resource ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Research has played an important role in water resource management and a consensus on research objectives would increase the efficiency of these practices. In this paper we aimed to elicit the views of attendees of the 3rd Orange River Basin Symposium regarding water-related research, by using both quantitative and ...

Role of EPA in Asset Management Research – The Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program

Science.gov (United States)

This slide presentation provides an overview of the EPA Office of Research and Development’s Aging Water infrastructure Research Program (AWIRP). The research program origins, goals, products, and plans are described. The research program focuses on four areas: condition asses...

Efficient Assessment of the Environment for Integral Urban Water Management

Science.gov (United States)

Rost, Grit; Londong, Jörg

2015-04-01

required subjects/disciplines implies first sight expert knowledge or provided open access data. In the case of the need for a more detailed screening the next steps consist of scientifically based analysis and legal statutory analysis. Indexes (indicators) or benchmarks for each assessment scale will be summarized and linked to suitable measures. The trans- and interdisciplinary approach makes sure that technical, informative and administrative measures will be involved. A rating between the current situation and the determined target situation will help for effective derivation of measures. Conclusion: The claim of the stepwise assessment is to make the data possible to handle, and to summarize the knowledge of expert's effective environmental assessment methods. The universe, comprehensive assessment will be feasible by using the toolbox. The toolbox will be a planning tool for sustainable urban water management and closed loop recycling water management. GWP, INBO (2009) A Handbook for Integrated Water Resources Management in Basins. 104. Karthe D, Heldt S, Rost G, et al (2014) Modular Concept for Municipal Water Management in the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia. Environ. Sci. Price RK, Vojinović Z (2011) Urban Hydroinformatics Data, Models and Decision Support for Integrated Urban Water Management. 520. Rost G, Londong J, Dietze S, Osor G (2013) Integrated urban water management - an adapted management approach for planning and implementing measures: Case study area Darkhan , Kharaa catchment, Mongolia. Submitt to Environ Earth Sci 19. Stäudel J, Schalkwyk B Van, Gibbens M (2014) Methods and strategies for community-based enhancement & up-scaling of sanitation & waste management in peri-urban areas in South Africa. SANO. Rhombos-Verlag, Weimar, pp 1-13

Environment-friendly wood fibre composite with high bonding strength and water resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Xiaodi; Dong, Yue; Nguyen, Tat Thang; Chen, Xueqi; Guo, Minghui

2018-04-01

With the growing depletion of wood-based materials and concerns over emissions of formaldehyde from traditional wood fibre composites, there is a desire for environment-friendly binders. Herein, we report a green wood fibre composite with specific bonding strength and water resistance that is superior to a commercial system by using wood fibres and chitosan-based adhesives. When the mass ratio of solid content in the adhesive and absolute dry wood fibres was 3%, the bonding strength and water resistance of the wood fibre composite reached the optimal level, which was significantly improved over that of wood fibre composites without adhesive and completely met the requirements of the Chinese national standard GB/T 11718-2009. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterizations revealed that the excellent performance of the binder might partly be due to the amide linkages and hydrogen bonding between wood fibres and the chitosan-based adhesive. We believe that this strategy could open new insights into the design of environment-friendly wood fibre composites with high bonding strength and water resistance for multifunctional applications.

Determination and behaviour of plutonium emitted with liquid effluents and exhaust air into the environment of the Nuclear Research Centre Karlsruhe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuettelkopf, H.; Pimpl, M.

1986-01-01

The plutonium concentrations in the surroundings of the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Centre (KfK) are in the range of variation of the global plutonium contamination caused by fallout of atmospheric nuclear tests. Exclusively in the sediments of the Old River Rhine, which serves as main canal for the liquid effluents, higher plutonium concentrations could be detected. The dose exposure of the population living in the environment of the KfK caused by the measured plutonium concentrations is negligible low. From the Karlsruhe Reprocessing Plant (WAK) and the facilities needed to decontaminate radioactive wastes 0.48 GBq (13 mCi) plutonium alpha activity has been emitted within 11 years of operation until 1982 - 1/3 with the liquid effluents and 2/3 with the exhaust air. Following the pathway with the exhaust air, plutonium concentrations in the environment of the Karlsruhe Reprocessing Plant were measured in groundlevel air, in soil, in plants, in food and in animal tissues. Radioecological parameters like dispersion factors, deposition velocities, migration velocities in soil and transfer soil-to-plant were investigated. Following the pathway with the liquid effluents, plutonium concentrations were measured in surface waters, sediments, water plants, plankton and animals. Dilution and sedimentation behaviour were studied as well as the transfer water-to-plant and water-to-animals. (orig.) [de

Children Researching Their Urban Environment: Developing a Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Hacking, Elisabeth Barratt; Barratt, Robert

2009-01-01

"Listening to children: environmental perspectives and the school curriculum" (L2C) was a UK research council project based in schools in a socially and economically deprived urban area in England. It focused on 10/12 year old children's experience of their local community and environment, and how they made sense of this in relation both…

Medical students' perceptions of their learning environment during a mandatory research project.

Science.gov (United States)

Möller, Riitta; Ponzer, Sari; Shoshan, Maria

2017-10-20

To explore medical students´ perceptions of their learning environment during a mandatory 20-week scientific research project. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2011 and 2013. A total of 651 medical students were asked to fill in the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision, and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) questionnaire, and 439 (mean age 26 years, range 21-40, 60% females) returned the questionnaire, which corresponds to a response rate of 67%. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the research environments. The item My workplace can be regarded as a good learning environment correlated strongly with the item There were sufficient meaningful learning situations (r= 0.71, psatisfaction with supervision correlated strongly with the items interaction (r=0.78, p work in close collaboration.

The Ever-Est Virtual Research Environment Infrastructure for Marine - the Sea Monitoring Virtual Research Community (vrc) Use Case

Science.gov (United States)

Foglini, F.

2016-12-01

The EVER-EST project aims to develop a generic Virtual Research Environment (VRE) tailored to the needs and validated by the Earth Science domain. To achieve this the EVER-EST VRE provides earth scientists with the means to seamlessly manage both the data involved in their computationally intensive disciplines and the scientific methods applied in their observations and modellings, which lead to the specific results that need to be attributable, validated and shared within the community e.g. in the form of scholarly communications. Central to this approach is the concept of Research Objects (ROs) as semantically rich aggregations of resources that bring together data, methods and people in scientific investigations. ROs enable the creation of digital artifacts that can encapsulate scientific knowledge and provide a mechanism for sharing and discovering assets of reusable research and scientific assets as first-class citizens. The EVER-EST VRE is the first RO-centric native infrastructure leveraging the notion of ROs and their application in observational rather than experimental disciplines and particularly in Earth Science. The Institute of MARine Science (ISMAR-CNR) is a scientific partner of the EVER-EST project providing useful and applicable contributions to the identification and definition of variables indicated by the European Commission in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) to achieve the Good Environment Status (GES). The VRC is willing to deliver practical methods, procedures and protocols to support coherent and widely accepted interpretation of the MSFD. The use case deal with 1. the Posidonia meadows along the Apulian coast, 2. the deep-sea corals along the Apulian continenatal slope and 3. the jellyfish abundance in the Italian water. The SeaMonitoring VRC created specific RO for asesing deep sea corals suitabilty, Posidonia meadows occurrences and for detecting jelly fish density aloing the italian coast. The VRC developed specific RO

Assessing exposure and health consequences of chemicals in drinking water: current state of knowledge and research needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Villanueva, Cristina M; Kogevinas, Manolis; Cordier, Sylvaine; Templeton, Michael R; Vermeulen, Roel; Nuckols, John R; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Levallois, Patrick

2014-03-01

exposure and health consequences of chemicals in drinking water: current state of knowledge and research needs. Environ Health Perspect 122:213–221; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206229

Alaska communities and forest environments: a problem analysis and research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Linda E. Kruger; Rhonda L. Mazza

2006-01-01

This problem analysis describes a variety of human-resource interaction issues and identifies related social science research and development needs that serve as the foundation for the Alaska Communities and Forest Environments Team within the Pacific Northwest Research Station. The document lays out a research agenda that focuses on understanding relations between...

Water and environment news. No. 25, September 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-08-01

A team from the IAEA's Water Resources Programme (WRP) joined water specialists in Istanbul, Turkey, during the world's biggest water event of the year, the 5th World Water Forum. The forum, aimed at water experts and decision makers, was held from 16-22 March. The IAEA joined a display organized by UN Water, allowing visitors the opportunity to become familiar with various UN programmes. The Deputy Director General was on hand and participated in the World Water Forum ministerial meetings. The IAEA's exhibit included handouts and equipment, which drew many visitors. The WRP also contributed to a technical session on hydrological data requirements for water resource management. Another high point in 2009 has been the completion of the 5th laser training course. Approximately a year after launching training and distribution of a new laser spectrometer, the section is receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from counterparts. The instruments have lower initial and maintenance costs, are easy to operate, and allow countries the opportunity to analyse more samples much faster than before. Member States have been provided with this instrument through technical cooperation programmes, enabling more researchers to determine isotope ratios independently. Two items are being released to support users in this venture: a new IAEA Training Course Series publication about laser spectroscopy installation, analysis and testing, and a multimedia DVD, including a video demonstrating assembly, operation and maintenance. Finally, the series of publications on isotope hydrology atlases will be expanded this year with a new edition on the Americas

Research and Development of Heavy Wall DNV485FDU Pipeline Plate for 3500M Deep Water Pipe Applications at Shougang

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Wenhua; Li, Shaopo; Li, Jiading; Li, Qun; Chen, Tieqiang; Zhang, Hai

In recent years, there has been development of several significant pipeline projects for the transmission of oil and gas from deep water environments. The production of gas transmission pipelines for application demands heavy wall, high strength, good lower temperature toughness and good weldability. To overcome the difficulty of producing consistent mechanical property in heavy wall pipe Shougang Steel Research in cooperation with the Shougang Steel Qinhuangdao China (Shouqin) 4.3m heavy wide plate mill research was conducted.

Pollution of the environment by tannery and textile waste waters in the areas of Antananarivo, Madagascar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasoazanany, E.O.; Raoelina Andriambololona; Andrianarivo, R.R.; Randriamanivo, L.V.; Raboanary, R.

2007-01-01

Waste water pollution is a major problem throughout the world. It has affected the health and the environment in Antananarivo (capital of Madagascar). Undesirable and toxic heavy metals contained in waste water samples are measured by the technique of total reflection X-ray fluorescence. Chromium is a toxic metal for the environment associated to the tannery. Its concentration (2712.1 μg.L -1 ) is superior to the national norm (2000 μg.L -1 ). Regarding textile factories, the highest value of the conductivity (4670 μS.cm -1 ) is 23 times the national norm (200 μS.cm -1 ). The concentration of lead (251.0 μg.L -1 ) is higher than the national norm (200 μg.L -1 ) and the Belgium norm (100 μg.L -1 ). The present study illustrates the importance of the treatment of waste water of the factories before pouring them in the environment.

Paradigm Shift in Transboundary Water Management Policy: Linking Water Environment Energy and Food (weef) to Catchment Hydropolitics - Needs, Scope and Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

RAI, S.; Wolf, A.; Sharma, N.; Tiwari, H.

2015-12-01

The incessant use of water due to rapid growth of population, enhanced agricultural and industrial activities, degraded environment and ecology will in the coming decades constrain the socioeconomic development of humans. To add on to the precarious situation, political boundaries rarely embrace hydrological boundaries of lakes, rivers, aquifers etc. Hydropolitics relate to the ability of geopolitical institutions to manage shared water resources in a politically sustainable manner, i.e., without tensions or conflict between political entities. Riparian hydropolitics caters to differing objectives, needs and requirements of states making it difficult to administer the catchment. The diverse riparian objectives can be merged to form a holistic catchment objective of sustainable water resources development and management. It can be proposed to make a paradigm shift in the present-day transboundary water policy from riparian hydropolitics (in which the focal point of water resources use is hinged on state's need) to catchment hydropolitics (in which the interest of the basin inhabitants are accorded primacy holistically over state interests) and specifically wherein the water, environment, energy and food (WEEF) demands of the catchment are a priority and not of the states in particular. The demands of the basin pertaining to water, food and energy have to be fulfilled, keeping the environment and ecology healthy in a cooperative political framework; the need for which is overwhelming. In the present scenario, the policy for water resources development of a basin is segmented into independent uncoordinated parts controlled by various riparians; whereas in catchment hydropolitics the whole basin should be considered as a unit. The riparians should compromise a part of national interest and work in collaboration on a joint objective which works on the principle of the whole as against the part. Catchment hydropolitics may find greater interest in the more than 250

Shallow water radio-magnetotelluric (RMT) measurements in urban environment: A case study from Stockholm city

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Suman; Bastani, Mehrdad; Malehmir, Alireza; Wang, Shunguo; Pedersen, Laust

2014-05-01

The Radio-MagnetoTelluric (RMT) method uses the electromagnetic signal from distant radio transmitters in the frequency range 15 to 250 kHz. RMT applications in near-surface studies have already been well established. Two components of electric field and three components of magnetic field are measured. These measured components are related to each other via transfer functions which contain detailed information about the variation of electrical resistivity of the subsurface. The present study is carried out in the frame of TRUST (TRansparent Underground STructure) project supported by several research and public organizations as well as industry. The study area is located close to central Stockholm in Sweden where the Swedish traffic authority has planned to construct a 21-km long motorway to bypass the city. In order to reduce the impact on natural and cultural environments, 18 km of the motorway will be located in tunnels. The main objective of this study is thus to identify potential fracture zones and faults as well as the general geological settings. The proposed path of the tunnel partly passes under the Lake Mälaren at a depth of about 60 m. Thus a challenge was posed on the applicability of RMT method in shallow water environments. Successful applications of RMT measurements using the Uppsala University's EnviroMT system on land encouraged us to modify the system to acquire data over lake water especially in urban areas. Pioneered by the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU), RMT data were collected over the Lake Mälaren in spring 2012. The prototype acquisition system did not only turn out to be appropriate for such a challenging environment, but it was also much more efficient as compared with land surveys. Fifty two lines including 1160 stations with an average spacing of 15 m were covered in three days. Cultural noise associated with the city-related environment had to be identified and filtered out before inversion could be carried out. Reliable estimates

Research on environmental impact of water-based fire extinguishing agents

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuai

2018-02-01

This paper offers current status of application of water-based fire extinguishing agents, the environmental and research considerations of the need for the study of toxicity research. This paper also offers systematic review of test methods of toxicity and environmental impact of water-based fire extinguishing agents currently available, illustrate the main requirements and relevant test methods, and offer some research findings for future research considerations. The paper also offers limitations of current study.

Research on the Phenomenon of Chinese Residents’ Spiritual Contagion for the Reuse of Recycled Water Based on SC-IAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanliang Fu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Recycled water has been widely recognized in the world as an effective approach to relieve the issue of water shortage. Meanwhile, with several decades of development, the insufficiency of technology is no longer the primary factor that restricts the popularization of recycled water. What makes it difficult to promote the concept of reusing recycled water in China? To solve this issue, a special experiment on the public’s attitude towards the reuse of recycled water was designed based on a Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT, so as to avoid factors like social preference that can influence the survey results, and to gain the public’s negative implicit attitude towards reusing recycled water reuse, which is close to the public’s real attitude to it. From the perspective of implicit attitude, this research testifies the “spiritual contagion” phenomenon of the public, which refers to refusing recycled water reuse because recycled water is made from sewage treatment. By comparing the implicit attitude to recycled water reuse with the explicit attitude that is acquired from self-reporting questionnaires about reusing recycled water, this research finds that the implicit attitude is more positive than the explicit attitude, which accounts for the phenomenon of “best game no one played” in the promotion of the recycled water reuse, that is, the public though applauding the environment-friendly policy, will not actually use the recycled water.

Peer review, basic research, and engineering: Defining a role for QA professionals in basic research environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bodnarczuk, M.

1989-02-01

Within the context of doing basic research, this paper seeks to answer four major questions: (1) What is the authority structure of science. (2) What is peer review. (3) Where is the interface between basic physics research and standard engineering. and (4) Given the conclusions to the first three questions, what is the role of the QA professional in a basic research environment like Fermilab. 23 refs.

Research of water resources allocation of South-to-North Water Diversion East Route Project in Jiangsu Province ,Eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, C.

2015-12-01

Optimized allocation of water resources is the important means of solving regional water shortage and can improve the utilization of water resources. Water resources allocation in the large-scale water diversion project area is the current research focus. This research takes the east route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in Jiangsu province as the research area, based on the hydrological model, agricultural irrigation quota model, and water project scheduling model, a water resources allocation model was constructed. The research carried on generalized regional water supply network, simulated the water supply, water demand and water deficit in agriculture, industry, life, ecology and lock under the status quo and planning engineering conditions. According to the results, the east route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project is helpful to improve regional water shortage situation. The results showed that pump output increase by 2.8 billion cubic meters of water. On the conditions of P = 95%, 75% and 50%, compared with the benchmark year, water demand increases slightly due to the need of social and economic development in planning years, and water supply increased significantly because of new diversion ability. Water deficit are greatly reduced by 74.9% especially in the commonly drought condition because of the new project operation and optimized allocation of water resources.

Accessing National Water Model Output for Research and Application: An R package

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, M.; Coll, J.

2017-12-01

With the National Water Model becoming operational in August of 2016, the need for a open source way to translate a huge amount of data into actionable intelligence and innovative research is apparent. The first step in doing this is to provide a package for accessing, managing, and writing data in a way that is both interpretable, portable, and useful to the end user in both the R environment, and other applications. This can be as simple as subsetting the outputs and writing to a CSV, but can also include converting discharge output to more meaningful statistics and measurements, and methods to visualize data in ways that are meaningful to a wider audience. The NWM R package presented here aims to serve this need through a suite of functions fit for researchers, first responders, and average citizens. A vignette of how this package can be applied to real-time flood mapping will be demonstrated.

REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY OF URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF SETTLEMENTS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuriy Alekseevich Sumerkin

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Many millenia have passed since the appearance of cities, and, as cities form a specific type of social-spatial organization of population, they feature a great number of environmental problems. Only a few of those problems were solved successfully: centralized water supply and drainage system; centralized disposal of liquid and solid household waste. Mass production of automotive transportation solved the problem of pollution of the city streets with draft, package, and mount animals, while introducing other hazardous factors. This article features a summary of scientific research on environmental safety of urban environment in the largest settlements of the Russian Federation under conditions of declared stable development of society (self reproduction of natural environment in the last 15 years. It stresses the necessity for more integrated approach to assessment of environmental safety not only in the Russian Federation, but in all countries due to the fact that influence of human activities on natural environment is increasing, and more active measures should be taken in order to create comfortable living environment in the urban areas.

AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH PROGRAM: ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE THROUGH INNOVATION

Science.gov (United States)

A driving force behind the Sustainable Water Infrastructure (SI) initiative and the Aging Water Infrastructure (AWI) research program is the Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis. In this report, EPA estimated that if operation, maintenance, and capital inves...

Water and sediment temperature dynamics in shallow tidal environments: The role of the heat flux at the sediment-water interface

Science.gov (United States)

Pivato, M.; Carniello, L.; Gardner, J.; Silvestri, S.; Marani, M.

2018-03-01

In the present study, we investigate the energy flux at the sediment-water interface and the relevance of the heat exchanged between water and sediment for the water temperature dynamics in shallow coastal environments. Water and sediment temperature data collected in the Venice lagoon show that, in shallow, temperate lagoons, temperature is uniform within the water column, and enabled us to estimate the net heat flux at the sediment-water interface. We modeled this flux as the sum of a conductive component and of the solar radiation reaching the bottom, finding the latter being negligible. We developed a "point" model to describe the temperature dynamics of the sediment-water continuum driven by vertical energy transfer. We applied the model considering conditions characterized by negligible advection, obtaining satisfactory results. We found that the heat exchange between water and sediment is crucial for describing sediment temperature but plays a minor role on the water temperature.

China's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research environment: A snapshot.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xueying; Appelbaum, Richard P

2018-01-01

In keeping with China's President Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream," China has set a goal of becoming a world-class innovator by 2050. China's higher education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) research environment will play a pivotal role in influencing whether China is successful in transitioning from a manufacturing-based economy to an innovation-driven, knowledge-based economy. Past studies on China's research environment have been primarily qualitative in nature or based on anecdotal evidence. In this study, we surveyed STEM faculty from China's top 25 universities to get a clearer understanding of how faculty members view China's overall research environment. We received 731 completed survey responses, 17% of which were from individuals who received terminal degrees from abroad and 83% of which were from individuals who received terminal degrees from domestic institutions of higher education. We present results on why returnees decided to study abroad, returnees' decisions to return to China, and differences in perceptions between returnees and domestic degree holders on the advantages of having a foreign degree. The top five challenges to China's research environment identified by survey respondents were: a promotion of short-term thinking and instant success (37% of all respondents); research funding (33%); too much bureaucratic or governmental intervention (31%); the evaluation system (27%); and a reliance on human relations (26%). Results indicated that while China has clearly made strides in its higher education system, there are numerous challenges that must be overcome before China can hope to effectively produce the kinds of innovative thinkers that are required if it is to achieve its ambitious goals. We also raise questions about the current direction of education and inquiry in China, particularly indications that government policy is turning inward, away from openness that is central to innovative thinking.

Retail food environments in Canada: Maximizing the impact of research, policy and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Minaker, Leia M

2016-06-09

Retail food environments are gaining national and international attention as important determinants of population dietary intake. Communities across Canada are beginning to discuss and implement programs and policies to create supportive retail food environments. Three considerations should drive the selection of food environment assessment methods: relevance (What is the problem, and how is it related to dietary outcomes?); resources (What human, time and financial resources are required to undertake an assessment?); and response (How will policy-makers find meaning out of and act on the information gained through the food environment assessment?). Ultimately, food environment assessments should be conducted in the context of stakeholder buy-in and multi-sectoral partnerships, since food environment solutions require multi-sectoral action. Partnerships between public health actors and the food and beverage industry can be challenging, especially when mandates are not aligned. Clarifying the motivations, expectations and roles of all stakeholders takes time but is important if the impact of food environment research, policy and practice is to be maximized. The articles contained in this special supplementary issue describe ongoing food environments research across Canada and fill some of the important gaps in the current body of Canadian food environments literature.

Remote Mine Detection Technologies for Land and Water Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoover, Eddie R.

1999-05-11

The detection of mines, both during and after hostilities, is a growing international problem. It limits military operations during wartime and unrecovered mines create tragic consequences for civilians. From a purely humanitarian standpoint an estimated 100 million or more unrecovered mines are located in over 60 countries worldwide. This paper presents an overview of some of the technologies currently being investigated by Sandia National Laboratories for the detection and monitoring of minefields in land and water environments. The three technical areas described in this paper are: 1) the development of new mathematical techniques for combining or fusing the data from multiple sources for enhanced decision-making; 2) an environmental fate and transport (EF&T) analysis approach that is central to improving trace chemical sensing technique; and 3) the investigation of an underwater range imaging device to aid in locating and characterizing mines and other obstacles in coastal waters.

Resilience of the Nexus of Competitive Water Consumption between Human Society and Environment Development: Regime Shifts and Early Warning Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Z.; Liu, P.; Feng, M.; Zhang, J.

2017-12-01

Based on the modeling of the water supply, power generation and environment (WPE) nexus by Feng et al. (2016), a refined theoretical model of competitive water consumption between human society and environment has been presented in this study, examining the role of technology advancement and social environmental awareness growth-induced pollution mitigation to the environment as a mechanism for the establishment and maintenance of the coexistence of both higher social water consumption and improved environment condition. By coupling environmental and social dynamics, both of which are represented by water consumption quantity, this study shows the possibility of sustainable situation of the social-environmental system when the benefit of technology offsets the side effect (pollution) of social development to the environment. Additionally, regime shifts could be triggered by gradually increased pollution rate, climate change-induced natural resources reduction and breakdown of the social environmental awareness. Therefore, in order to foresee the pending abrupt regime shifts of the system, early warning signals, including increasing variance and autocorrelation, have been examined when the system is undergoing stochastic disturbance. ADDIN EN.REFLIST Feng, M. et al., 2016. Modeling the nexus across water supply, power generation and environment systems using the system dynamics approach: Hehuang Region, China. J. Hydrol., 543: 344-359.

Building partnerships for healthy environments: research, leadership and education.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Susan; Kent, Jennifer; Lyons, Claudine

2014-12-01

As populations across the globe face an increasing health burden from rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle-related diseases, health professionals are collaborating with urban planners to influence city design that supports healthy ways of living. This paper details the establishment and operation of an innovative, interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together urban planning and health. Situated in a built environment faculty at one of Australia's most prestigious universities, the Healthy Built Environments Program (HBEP) partners planning academics, a health non-government organisation, local councils and private planning consultants in a state government health department funded consortium. The HBEP focuses on three strategic areas: research, workforce development and education, and leadership and advocacy. Interdisciplinary research includes a comprehensive literature review that establishes Australian-based evidence to support the development, prioritisation and implementation of healthy built environment policies and practices. Another ongoing study examines the design features, social interventions and locational qualities that positively benefit human health. Formal courses, workshops, public lectures and e-learning develop professional capacity, as well as skills in interdisciplinary practice to support productive collaborations between health professionals and planners. The third area involves working with government and non-government agencies, and the private sector and the community, to advocate closer links between health and the built environment. Our paper presents an overview of the HBEP's major achievements. We conclude with a critical review of the challenges, revealing lessons in bringing health and planning closer together to create health-supportive cities for the 21st century.

Influences of Creative Personality and Working Environment on the Research Productivity of Business School Faculty

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kihwan; Choi, Suk Bong

2017-01-01

Previous research on creative working environments has focused on business organizations. This study examined the influence of creative personality and creative working environment on the research productivity of business faculty. It was hypothesized that creative personality, family support, colleague support, research resources, and workload…

Educational Technology Research Journals: "Interactive Learning Environments," 2004-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Steven S.; Andrews, Carolyn; Harris, Scott P.; Lloyd, Adam; Turley, Chad; West, Richard E.

2015-01-01

This study examined the journal "Interactive Learning Environments" to discover trends from 2004-2013. The authors looked at trends in article topics, research methods, authorship, citations, keyword frequencies, phrase counts of article abstracts, and article citations according to Google Scholar. Evidence is provided of the journal's…

Securing water quality and quantity: Research and development perspective

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Pienaar, H

2012-10-01

Full Text Available : ? economic growth & development ? human & environmental needs ? meeting international obligations ? energy needs (strategic water users) ? ensuring availability and allocation (all other users) ? CSIR 2012 Slide 3 Background ? SA 30th driest country... and quantity: Research and development perspective 4th Biennial Conference Harrison Pienaar 10 October 2012 Presentation outline ? Introduction and background to water in South Africa ? Transboundary water resource aspects ? Water related challenges...

Potential research money available from the Acid Deposition Program and Alberta Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Primus, C.L.

1992-01-01

It is exceedingly difficult to demonstrate definitive long-term changes in animal health as a result of acid-forming emissions from sour gas wells. A summary is presented of current research in Alberta, followed by the potential for research funding by the Alberta Government/Industry Acid Deposition Program (ADRP). The Alberta Environment research budget consists of four programs in addition to the ADRP: acid deposition effects research in the Athabasca oil sands; western and northern Canada long-range transport of air pollutants; departmental monitoring; and inhalation toxicology and animal health. Animal health research, although a component of the acid deposition issue, is beyond the mandate of Alberta Environment, and the ADRP members committee does not forsee becoming involved in the long-term and complex research required to address the effects of acid-forming emissions on livestock. Funds for additional animal health research must come from other government departments and agencies whose mandate covers this area

Pharmaceutical products as emerging contaminant in water: relevance for developing nations and identification of critical compounds for Indian environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chinnaiyan, Prakash; Thampi, Santosh G; Kumar, Mathava; Mini, K M

2018-04-17

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are contaminants of emerging concern and have been detected worldwide in water bodies in trace concentrations. Most of these emerging contaminants are not regulated in water quality standards except a few in the developed countries. In the case of developing countries, research in this direction is at a nascent stage. For the effective management of Pharmaceutical contaminants (PC) in developing countries, the relevance of PCs as an emerging contaminant has to be analyzed followed by regular monitoring of the environment. Considering the resource constraints, this could be accomplished by identifying the priority compounds which is again region specific and dependent on consumption behavior and pattern. In this work, relevance of pharmaceutical compound as emerging contaminant in water for a developing country like India is examined by considering the data pertaining to pharmaceutical consumption data. To identify the critical Pharmaceutical Contaminants to be monitored in the Indian environment, priority compounds from selected prioritization methods were screened with the compounds listed in National List of Essential Medicine (NLEM), India. Further, information on the number of publications on the compound as an emerging contaminant, data on monitoring studies in India and the number of brands marketing the compound in India were also analyzed. It is found that out of 195 compounds from different prioritization techniques, only 77 compounds were found relevant to India based on NLEM sorting.

Ecohydrology in water-limited environment using quantitative remote sensing - the Heihe River basin (China) case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jin, X.

2009-01-01

Water-limited environments exist on all continents of the globe and they cover more than
30% of the Earth’s land surface. The eco-environments of these regions tend to be fragile and
they are changing in a dramatic way through processes like land desertification, shrinking of

Corrosion of research reactor aluminium clad spent fuel in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-12-01

A large variety of research reactor spent fuel with different fuel meats, different geometries and different enrichments in 235 U are presently stored underwater in basins located around the world. More than 90% of these fuels are clad in aluminium or aluminium based alloys that are notoriously susceptible to corrosion in water of less than optimum quality. Some fuel is stored in the reactor pools themselves, some in auxiliary pools (or basins) close to the reactor and some stored at away-from-reactor pools. Since the early 1990s, when corrosion induced degradation of the fuel cladding was observed in many of the pools, corrosion of research reactor aluminium clad spent nuclear fuel stored in light water filled basins has become a major concern, and programmes were implemented at the sites to improve fuel storage conditions. The IAEA has since then established a number of programmatic activities to address corrosion of research reactor aluminium clad spent nuclear fuel in water. Of special relevance was the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Corrosion of Research Reactor Aluminium Clad Spent Fuel in Water (Phase I) initiated in 1996, whose results were published in IAEA Technical Reports Series No. 418. At the end of this CRP it was considered necessary that a continuation of the CRP should concentrate on fuel storage basins that had demonstrated significant corrosion problems and would therefore provide additional insight into the fundamentals of localized corrosion of aluminium. As a consequence, the IAEA started a new CRP entitled Corrosion of Research Reactor Aluminium Clad Spent Fuel in Water (Phase II), to carry out more comprehensive research in some specific areas of corrosion of aluminium clad spent nuclear fuel in water. In addition to this CRP, one of the activities under IAEA's Technical Cooperation Regional Project for Latin America Management of Spent Fuel from Research Reactors (2001-2006) was corrosion monitoring and surveillance of research

INNOVATION AND RESEARCH FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY RESEARCH PLAN

Science.gov (United States)

This plan has been developed to provide the Office of Research and Development (ORD) with a guide for implementing a research program that addresses high priority needs of the Nation relating to its drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. By identifying these critical need...

Some topics on radioecological research in marine environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Makoto

1993-01-01

In Japan, systematic researches on marine environmental radioactivity started in 1954 when 'Bikini incidence' occurred. After several years of handling emergency situations, basic studies were carried out to understand processes and mechanisms of contamination of aquatic organisms by radionuclides. At this period 'Hiyama Group' had a large contribution to the development of this new field of research. Important concepts and items have already been dealt with in this Grant Group. Toward the end of 'Hiyama Group', a new project started in Nuclear Safety Research Association. This project, so-called 'Kaihohtoku', aimed at gathering necessary information for safety assessment on the release of low-level radioactive liquid wastes from a newly planned spent-fuel reprocessing plant at Tokai. NIRS-Nakaminato Branch was established first as Marine Radioecological Station in this project. The term 'radioecology' got popularity also in this period. Many important results were obtained and scientific basis of the safety assessment was established in this project. Today we have not any urgent matter to be handled concerning radioecology in our coastal environment. Nuclides found are exclusively of fallout and of a quite low level. We have also established methodology of radiological assessment. So, what is the problem? The problem is 'from conservative to realistic', which is the trend in the world. Here, from this viewpoint, some topics such as models and parameters including concentration factors and their validation and verification in the natural environment were discussed. (author)

Evaluation of Water Treatment Problems: Case Study of Maiduguri Water Treatment Plant (MWTP and Maiduguri Environs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. N. Idris

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Water remains the most useful universal solvent to human being and other animals, because of its derivative importance. However, effort to improve on raw water treatment would continue to be a subject of concern, because the process procedures are been violated or not properly upheld. This study was carried out in order to identify peculiar problems associate with water treatment at the Maiduguri Water Treatment Plant (MWTP. This research study was based on prompt time-schedules and plant site-visits, interviewed questions were made and accessing the technology adopted in the process stages. Analytical data were obtained through the use of sampling bottles, camera, record sheets and other necessary laboratory equipment. The analysis showed that treated water contained excess chlorine and aluminum with 1.10mg/l and 0.68mg/l respectively. From this study, the following are the root causes: poor facility lay out, poor organizational and functional structures, wear of pump impellers and surface deterioration in the transmission line, lack of calibration test, constant head system not operation properly, lack of jar test conduction, improper maintenance of filter system, and the use of chemical coagulant. Inferences were made at the end of the research to enhance process efficiency, healthier and more economical treatment MWTP.

A Virtual Research Environment for a Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Wiedenbeck, M.; Schäfer, L.; Klump, J.; Galkin, A.

2013-12-01

Overview: This poster describes the development of a Virtual Research Environment for the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS) at GFZ Potsdam. Background: Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometers (SIMS) are extremely sensitive instruments for analyzing the surfaces of solid and thin film samples. These instruments are rare, expensive and experienced operators are very highly sought after. As such, measurement time is a precious commodity, until now only accessible to small numbers of researchers. The challenge: The Virtual SIMS Project aims to set up a Virtual Research Environment for the operation of the CAMECA IMS 1280-HR instrument at the GFZ Potsdam. The objective of the VRE is to provide SIMS access not only to researchers locally present in Potsdam but also to scientists working with SIMS cooperation partners in e.g., South Africa, Brazil or India. The requirements: The system should address the complete spectrum of laboratory procedures - from online application for measurement time, to remote access for data acquisition to data archiving for the subsequent publication and for future reuse. The approach: The targeted Virtual SIMS Environment will consist of a: 1. Web Server running the Virtual SIMS website providing general information about the project, lab access proposal forms and calendar for the timing of project related tasks. 2. LIMS Server, responsible for scheduling procedures, data management and, if applicable, accounting and billing. 3. Remote SIMS Tool, devoted to the operation of the experiment within a remote control environment. 4. Publishing System, which supports the publication of results in cooperation with the GFZ Library services. 5. Training Simulator, which offers the opportunity to rehearse experiments and to prepare for possible events such as a power outages or interruptions to broadband services. First results: The SIMS Virtual Research Environment will be mainly based on open source software, the only exception being the CAMECA IMS

Procedural Zelda : A PCG Environment for Player Experience Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijne, Norbert; Bakkes, Sander

2017-01-01

To contribute to the domain of player experience research, this paper presents a new PCG environment with a relatively wide expressive range that builds upon the iconic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past action-RPG game; it contributes by providing the openly-available Procedural Zelda

Black Sea ecology. Pollution research in Turkey of the marine environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topcuoglu, Sayhan

2000-01-01

Scientific research is leading to answers that can help protect the Black Sea marine environment. Through projects supported by the IAEA and other cooperative channels, countries in the Black Sea region are applying their expertise and capabilities to expand scientific knowledge of chemical and radioactive pollution. Turkey stands among the countries engaged in studies of the Black Sea, for a number of reasons related to environmental, economic, and health issues. Our scientific knowledge of pollution problems in the marine environment promises to expand in years ahead. Advances in the integration of biokinetic, ecotoxicology and risk analysis with environmental monitoring studies could make it possible to eventually determine the sensitivity to pollutants of human populations and marine organisms. Such integrated studies are being conducted by the Radioecology Laboratory of Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (CNAEM) in Turkey. The Laboratory has gained considerable experience over the years, including through its collaboration since 1970 with the IAEA's Marine Environment Laboratory (MEL) in Monaco. Agency technical cooperation projects and research programmes additionally have benefited the laboratory. This article highlights selected Turkish studies of the Black Sea related to both radioactive and chemical pollution

Tensile properties of ADI material in water and gaseous environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajnovic, Dragan, E-mail: draganr@uns.ac.rs [Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg D. Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad (Serbia); Balos, Sebastian; Sidjanin, Leposava [Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg D. Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad (Serbia); Eric Cekic, Olivera [Innovation Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16, 11120 Belgrade (Serbia); Grbovic Novakovic, Jasmina [Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)

2015-03-15

Austempered ductile iron (ADI) is an advanced type of heat treated ductile iron, having comparable mechanical properties as forged steels. However, it was found that in contact with water the mechanical properties of austempered ductile irons decrease, especially their ductility. Despite considerable scientific attention, the cause of this phenomenon remains unclear. Some authors suggested that hydrogen or small atom chemisorption causes the weakening of the surface atomic bonds. To get additional reliable data of that phenomenon, in this paper, two different types of austempered ductile irons were tensile tested in various environments, such as: argon, helium, hydrogen gas and water. It was found that only the hydrogen gas and water gave a statistically significant decrease in mechanical properties, i.e. cause embrittlement. Furthermore, the fracture surface analysis revealed that the morphology of the embrittled zone near the specimen surface shares similarities to the fatigue micro-containing striation-like lines, which indicates that the morphology of the brittle zone may be caused by cyclic local-chemisorption, micro-embrittlement and local-fracture. - Highlights: • In contact with water and other liquids the ADI suddenly exhibits embrittlement. • The embrittlement is more pronounced in water than in the gaseous hydrogen. • The hydrogen chemisorption into ADI surface causes the formation of a brittle zone. • The ADI austempered at lower temperatures (300 °C) is more resistant to embrittlement.

Obesity, physical activity, and the urban environment: public health research needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lopez Russell P

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Persistent trends in overweight and obesity have resulted in a rapid research effort focused on built environment, physical activity, and overweight. Much of the focus of this research has been on the design and form of suburbs. It suggests that several features of the suburban built environment such as low densities, poor street connectivity and the lack of sidewalks are associated with decreased physical activity and an increased risk of being overweight. But compared to suburban residents, inner city populations have higher rates of obesity and inactivity despite living in neighborhoods that are dense, have excellent street connectivity and who's streets are almost universally lined with sidewalks. We suggest that the reasons for this apparent paradox are rooted in the complex interaction of land use, infrastructure and social factors affecting inner city populations. Sometimes seemingly similar features are the result of very different processes, necessitating different policy responses to meet these challenges. For example, in suburbs, lower densities can result from government decision making that leads to restrictive zoning and land use issues. In the inner city, densities may be lowered because of abandonment and disinvestment. In the suburbs, changes in land use regulations could result in a healthier built environment. In inner cities, increasing densities will depend on reversing economic trends and investment decisions that have systematically resulted in distressed housing, abandoned buildings and vacant lots. These varying issues need to be further studied in the context of the totality of urban environments, incorporating what has been learned from other disciplines, such as economics and sociology, as well as highlighting some of the more successful inner city policy interventions, which may provide examples for communities working to improve their health. Certain disparities among urban and suburban populations in

The impact of distraction in natural environments on user experience research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greifeneder, Elke

2012-01-01

Laboratories have long been seen as reasonable proxies for user experience research. Yet, this assumption may have become unreliable. The trend toward multiple activities in the users' natural environment, where people simultaneously use a digital library, join a chat or read an incoming Facebook....... The existence and impact of distraction is measured in a standard laboratory setting and in a remote setting that explicitly allows users to work in their own natural environment. The data indicates that there are significant differences between results from the laboratory and natural environment setting...

Examining Student Research Choices and Processes in a Disintermediated Searching Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Rempel, Hannah Gascho; Buck, Stefanie; Deitering, Anne-Marie

2013-01-01

Students today perform research in a disintermediated environment, which often allows them to struggle directly with the process of selecting research tools and choosing scholarly sources. The authors conducted a qualitative study with twenty students, using structured observations to ascertain the processes students use to select databases and…

Enhancement of fatigue crack growth rates in pressure boundary materials due to light-water-reactor environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VanDerSluys, W.A.; Emanuelson, R.H.

1988-01-01

The high level of reliability required of the primary-coolant pressure boundary in a nuclear reactor system leads to a continuing interest in the interaction among the coolant, pressure boundary materials, and service loadings. One area of concern involves the possible enhancement of the growth rate of fatigue cracks due to the coolant. Advances have occurred recently toward a better understanding of the variables influencing the material/environment interactions and methods of addressing this interaction. Sulfur now appears to be one of the principal agents responsible for the observed enhancement of the fatigue crack growth rates in light-water-reactor (LWR) environments. This paper presents the results of investigations on the effect of sulfur in the steel, bulk water environment, and at the crack tip

Genetic diversity of Escherichia coli isolates from surface water and groundwater in a rural environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambero, Maria Laura; Blarasin, Monica; Bettera, Susana; Giuliano Albo, Jesica

2017-10-01

The genetic characteristics among Escherichia coli strains can be grouped by origin of isolation. Then, it is possible to use the genotypes as a tool to determine the source of water contamination. The aim of this study was to define water aptitude for human consumption in a rural basin and to assess the diversity of E. coli water populations. Thus, it was possible to identify the main sources of fecal contamination and to explore linkages with the hydrogeological environment and land uses. The bacteriological analysis showed that more than 50% of samples were unfit for human consumption. DNA fingerprinting analysis by BOX-PCR indicated low genotypic diversity of E. coli isolates taken from surface water and groundwater. The results suggested the presence of a dominant source of fecal contamination. The relationship between low genotypic diversity and land use would prove that water contamination comes from livestock. The genetic diversity of E. coli isolated from surface water was less than that identified in groundwater because of the different hydraulic features of both environments. Furthermore, each one of the two big strain groups identified in this basin is located in different sub-basins, showing that hydrological dynamics exerts selective pressure on bacteria DNA.

New findings and setting the research agenda for soil and water conservation for sustainable land management

Science.gov (United States)

Keesstra, Saskia; Argaman, Eli; Gomez, Jose Alfonso; Quinton, John

2014-05-01

The session on soil and water conservation for sustainable land management provides insights into the current research producing viable measures for sustainable land management and enhancing the lands role as provider of ecosystem services. The insights into degradation processes are essential for designing and implementing feasible measures to mitigate against degradation of the land resource and adapt to the changing environment. Land degradation occurs due to multiple pressures on the land, such as population growth, land-use and land-cover changes, climate change and over exploitation of resources, often resulting in soil erosion due to water and wind, which occurs in many parts of the world. Understanding the processes of soil erosion by wind and water and the social and economic constraints faced by farmers forms an essential component of integrated land development projects. Soil and water conservation measures are only viable and sustainable if local environmental and socio-economic conditions are taken into account and proper enabling conditions and policies can be achieved. Land degradation increasingly occurs because land use, and farming systems are subject to rapid environmental and socio-economic changes without implementation of appropriate soil and water conservation technologies. Land use and its management are thus inextricably bound up with development; farmers must adapt in order to sustain the quality of their, and their families, lives. In broader perspective, soil and water conservation is needed as regulating ecosystem service and as a tool to enhance food security and biodiversity. Since land degradation occurs in many parts of the world and threatens food production and environmental stability it affects those countries with poorer soils and resilience in the agriculture sector first. Often these are the least developed countries. Therefore the work from researchers from developing countries together with knowledge from other disciplines

Potential of Waste Water Use for Jatropha Cultivation in Arid Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Folkard Asch

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Water is crucial for socio-economic development and healthy ecosystems. With the actual population growth and in view of future water scarcity, development calls for improved sectorial allocation of groundwater and surface water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use. Instead of intensifying the pressure on water resources, leading to conflicts among users and excessive pressure on the environment, sewage effluents, after pre-treatment, provide an alternative nutrient-rich water source for agriculture in the vicinity of cities. Water scarcity often occurs in arid and semiarid regions affected by droughts and large climate variability and where the choice of crop to be grown is limited by the environmental factors. Jatropha has been introduced as a potential renewable energy resource since it is claimed to be drought resistant and can be grown on marginal sites. Sewage effluents provide a source for water and nutrients for cultivating jatropha, a combined plant production/effluent treatment system. Nevertheless, use of sewage effluents for irrigation in arid climates carries the risk of salinization. Thus, potential irrigation with sewage effluents needs to consider both the water requirement of the crop and those needed for controlling salinity build-up in the top soil. Using data from a case study in Southern Morocco, irrigation requirements were calculated using CROPWAT 8.0. We present here crop evapotranspiration during the growing period, required irrigation, the resulting nutrient input and the related risk of salinization from the irrigation of jatropha with sewage effluent.

Quality evaluation of commercially sold table water samples in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria and surrounding environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.O. Okorie

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria (MOUAU and surrounding environments, table water of different brands is commercially hawked by vendors. To the best of our knowledge, there is no scientific documentation on the quality of these water samples. Hence this study which evaluated the quality of different brands of water samples commercially sold in MOUAU and surrounding environments. The physicochemical properties (pH, total dissolved solids (TDS, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, total hardness, dissolved oxygen, Cl, NO3, ammonium nitrogen (NH3N, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS, Ca, Mg, Na and K of the water samples as indices of their quality were carried out using standard techniques. Results obtained from this study indicated that most of the chemical constituents of these table water samples commercially sold in Umudike environment conformed to the standards given by the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS, World Health Organization (WHO and American Public Health Association (APHA, respectively, while values obtained for ammonium nitrogen in these water samples calls for serious checks on methods of their production and delivery to the end users.

Experimental Studies of Spray Deposition on a Flat Surface in a Vacuum Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Golliher, Eric L.; Yao, S. C.

2015-01-01

Cooling of spacecraft components in the space environment is an on-going research effort. The electronics used in modern spacecraft are always changing and the heat flux is increasing. New, one-of-a-kind missions require new approaches to thermal control. In this research, under vacuum conditions, a pulsed water spray impinged on a small disc, while a high speed data acquisition system recorded the temperature histories of this copper disc. The water droplets froze quickly and accumulated on the disc as the spray continued. After the spray stopped, the frozen water that remained on the disc then sublimated into the vacuum environment and cooled the disc. This paper examines two important aspects of this process: 1) the difference in spray start up and shutdown in a vacuum environment versus in a standard atmospheric pressure environment, and 2) the water utilization efficiency in a vacuum environment due to the effects of drop trajectories and drop bouncing on the surface. Both phenomena play a role during spray cooling in a vacuum. This knowledge should help spacecraft designers plan for spray cooling as an option to cool spacecraft electronics, human metabolic generated heat, and heat from other sources.

Thermodynamic properties of water in confined environments: a Monte Carlo study

Science.gov (United States)

Gladovic, Martin; Bren, Urban; Urbic, Tomaž

2018-05-01

Monte Carlo simulations of Mercedes-Benz water in a crowded environment were performed. The simulated systems are representative of both composite, porous or sintered materials and living cells with typical matrix packings. We studied the influence of overall temperature as well as the density and size of matrix particles on water density, particle distributions, hydrogen bond formation and thermodynamic quantities. Interestingly, temperature and space occupancy of matrix exhibit a similar effect on water properties following the competition between the kinetic and the potential energy of the system, whereby temperature increases the kinetic and matrix packing decreases the potential contribution. A novel thermodynamic decomposition approach was applied to gain insight into individual contributions of different types of inter-particle interactions. This decomposition proved to be useful and in good agreement with the total thermodynamic quantities especially at higher temperatures and matrix packings, where higher-order potential-energy mixing terms lose their importance.

Final LDRD report :ultraviolet water purification systems for rural environments and mobile applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banas, Michael Anthony; Crawford, Mary Hagerott; Ruby, Douglas Scott; Ross, Michael P.; Nelson, Jeffrey Scott; Allerman, Andrew Alan; Boucher, Ray

2005-11-01

We present the results of a one year LDRD program that has focused on evaluating the use of newly developed deep ultraviolet LEDs in water purification. We describe our development efforts that have produced an LED-based water exposure set-up and enumerate the advances that have been made in deep UV LED performance throughout the project. The results of E. coli inactivation with 270-295 nm LEDs are presented along with an assessment of the potential for applying deep ultraviolet LED-based water purification to mobile point-of-use applications as well as to rural and international environments where the benefits of photovoltaic-powered systems can be realized.

Photolytic degradation of methyl-parathion and fenitrothion in ice and water: Implications for cold environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Jan [Lancaster Environment Centre, Centre for Chemicals Management, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Kurkova, Romana; Klanova, Jana [RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Klan, Petr, E-mail: klan@sci.muni.c [Dept of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5/A8, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Halsall, Crispin J., E-mail: c.halsall@lancaster.ac.u [Lancaster Environment Centre, Centre for Chemicals Management, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom)

2009-12-15

Here we investigate the photodegradation of structurally similar organophosphorus pesticides; methyl-parathion and fenitrothion in water (20 deg. C) and ice (-15 deg. C) under environmentally-relevant conditions with the aim of comparing these laboratory findings to limited field observations. Both compounds were found to be photolyzed more efficiently in ice than in aqueous solutions, with quantum yields of degradation being higher in ice than in water (fenitrothion > methyl-parathion). This rather surprising observation was attributed to the concentration effect caused by freezing the aqueous solutions. The major phototransformation products included the corresponding oxons (methyl-paraoxon and fenitroxon) and the nitrophenols (3-methyl-nitrophenol and nitrophenol) in both irradiated water and ice samples. The presence of oxons in ice following irradiation, demonstrates an additional formation mechanism of these toxicologically relevant compounds in cold environments, although further photodegradation of oxons in ice indicates that photochemistry of OPs might be an environmentally important sink in cold environments. - Photodegradation of methyl-parathion and fenitrothion in water and ice under environmentally-relevant conditions is described.

Environment report 1990 of the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The 'Environment Report 1990' describes the environmental situation in the Federal Republic of Germany; draws a balance of environmental policy measures taken and introduced; gives information on future fields of action in environmental policy. The 'Environment Report 1990' also deals with the 'Environment Expert Opinion 1987', produced by the board of experts on environmental questions. It contains surveys of the following sectors: Protection against hazardous materials air pollution abatement, water management, waste management, nature protection and preservation of the countryside, soil conservation, noise abatement, radiation protection, reactor safety. A separate part of the 'Environment Report 1990' deals with the progress made in 'interdisciplinary fields' (general law on the protection of the environment, instruments of environmental policy, environmental information and environmental research, transfrontier environmental policy). (orig./HP) [de

Occurrence of Legionella pneumophila and Hartmannella vermiformis in fresh water environments and their interactions in biofilms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiper, M.W.

2006-01-01

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, is widespread in natural fresh water environments and is also frequently found in man-made water systems. Microbial biofilms and protozoa are known to play a major role in the proliferation of L. pneumophila. Biofilms provide

Multi-modal virtual environment research at Armstrong Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Eggleston, Robert G.

1995-01-01

One mission of the Paul M. Fitts Human Engineering Division of Armstrong Laboratory is to improve the user interface for complex systems through user-centered exploratory development and research activities. In support of this goal, many current projects attempt to advance and exploit user-interface concepts made possible by virtual reality (VR) technologies. Virtual environments may be used as a general purpose interface medium, an alternative display/control method, a data visualization and analysis tool, or a graphically based performance assessment tool. An overview is given of research projects within the division on prototype interface hardware/software development, integrated interface concept development, interface design and evaluation tool development, and user and mission performance evaluation tool development.

Pilot research on a pupil’s psychological safety in the multicultural educational environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kulikova, Tatyana I.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the modern world, the environment of any educational institution represents a spectrum of ethnic groups and subcultures: a multicultural educational environment. Pupils who are aware of their national identity often demonstrate intolerance toward students of other nationalities, which threatens pupils’ psychological safety. In this article, we present the results of pilot research examining the level of a pupil’s psychological safety in the multicultural educational environment and identifying the criteria that influence a pupil’s psychological safety. The research sample comprised 127 pupils aged 13–14 years from different schools living in various places that differed by the type of settlement, industrial development and level of science and culture. We isolated the following criteria for a pupil’s psychological safety in the multicultural educational environment: satisfaction with the educational environment, protection from psychological abuse and self-confidence. According to pupils, the essential characteristics of safety in the educational environment, regardless of school category and type, are being able to ask for help, protection of personal dignity, interactions with other students, and self-respect. Empirical data reveal the current status of the psychological safety of the entire sample group (n = 127 and compare indices of psychological safety in the educational institutions under study. Analysis of the results of our research indicates that protecting a pupil’s personality in the multicultural educational environment has the greatest influence on his/her psychological safety. In addition, a comfortable psychological atmosphere, mutual aid and support of pupils and low levels of classmates’ and coevals’ aggression positively influence the protection experience.

Quality of the working environment and productivity : research findings and case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Greef, M. de; Broek, K. van den; Jongkind, R.; Kenny, L.; Shechtman, O.; Kuhn, K.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this working paper, prepared by the Topic Centre on Research - Work and Health of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, is to look at the link between a good working environment and productivity. A better understanding of positive effects of a good working environment

结合水的研究%Research on combination water

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王沛一

2015-01-01

简要对比了结合水的工程学与矿物学定义，对结合水概念作了进一步划分，同时概括分析了目前在结合水测量和水土作用领域的研究动态，对于从事粘土中结合水的研究具有一定的借鉴意义。%This paper briefly compared the definition of combination water engineering and mineralogy,further divided the combination water con-cept,also summarized and analyzed the research dynamic condition of present combination water measurements and water-soil interaction field, had certain reference significance to combination water research.

Norway's centres for environment-friendly energy research (CEERs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-07-01

In February 2009 Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy announced the establishment of eight new Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (CEERs). The centres form national teams within the areas of offshore wind energy, solar energy, energy efficiency, bio energy, energy planning and design, and carbon capture and storage. These centres are: BIGCCS Centre - International CCS Research Centre; Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable Energy (CEDREN); Bioenergy Innovation Centre (CenBio); Norwegian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy (NORCOW E); Norwegian Research Centre for Offshore Wind Technology (NOWITECH); The Norwegian Research Centre for Solar Cell Technology; SUbsurface CO{sub 2} storage - Critical Elements and Superior Strategy (SUCCESS) The Research Centre on Zero Emission Buildings - ZEB (AG)

Research progress on expansive soil cracks under changing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Bei-xiao; Zheng, Cheng-feng; Wu, Jin-kun

2014-01-01

Engineering problems shunned previously rise to the surface gradually with the activities of reforming the natural world in depth, the problem of expansive soil crack under the changing environment becoming a control factor of expansive soil slope stability. The problem of expansive soil crack has gradually become a research hotspot, elaborates the occurrence and development of cracks from the basic properties of expansive soil, and points out the role of controlling the crack of expansive soil strength. We summarize the existing research methods and results of expansive soil crack characteristics. Improving crack measurement and calculation method and researching the crack depth measurement, statistical analysis method, crack depth and surface feature relationship will be the future direction.

Water and environment news. No. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-04-01

This issue of the bulletin highlights the Agency's activities in the field of development and distribution of reference materials including natural and chemically pure compounds for stable isotope ratio analysis of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur, as well as for the radiocarbon activity measurement at natural levels. The publication includes information on the final research co-ordination meeting (CRM) held at the IAEA in Vienna from 2-5 December 1997 which concluded the co-ordinated research project (CRP) on the Application of Isotope Techniques to Investigate Groundwater Pollution; achievements of the CRP are presented. The publication highlights also a CRM of the CRP on Isotope Based Assessment of Groundwater Renewal and Related Anthropogenic Effects in Water Scarce Regions held on 8-12 December 1997 at the IAEA in Vienna. The publication reports on an interlaboratory comparison exercise on measurement of environmental levels of Cs-137 and/or Pb-210/Ra-226 in soil and sediment samples prepared by the Chemistry Unit of the Agency's Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria

Anthropology and Geosciences: Training and Collaboration Advancing Interdisciplinary Research of Human-environment Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Brondizio, E.; Moran, E.

2005-05-01

Over the past thirteen years the Anthropological Center for Training and Research on Global Environmental Change (ACT) at Indiana University has pioneered the use of anthropological and environmental research approaches to address issues of land use change, and population-environment interaction, particularly in the Amazon. Our research and training objectives focus on how particular local populations manage resources and how those activities may be studied by integrating time-tested ethnographic methods, survey instruments, ecological field studies, and the spatial and temporal perspectives of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems. The globalization of the environment crisis bears the risk of the research and training at universities being purely global or large scale in nature. This would fail to take into account the highly variable local causes of human activities or to discover sustainable solutions to the use, conservation, and restoration of human ecosystems. Our approach combines institutional and international collaboration, formal and hands-on laboratory and field activities developed within an interdisciplinary environment, but based on the strength of disciplinary programs. Over the past years, we have particularly emphasized collaboration between American and Brazilian scholars and students and intense work with local farmers and communities both during data collection and field research, as well as in returning data and results using different formats. In this paper, we address our experience, the challenges and advantages of theoretical and methodological development for students approaching interdisciplinary problems, innovations in linking levels of analysis, and new opportunities for international and collaborative training and research on human-environment interaction.

Presence in a Three-Dimensional Test Environment: Benefit or Threat to Market Research?

OpenAIRE

Alma Berneburg

2008-01-01

In market research, the adoption of interactive virtual reality-techniques could be expected to contain many advantages: artificial lab environments could be designed in a more realistic manner and the consideration of “time to the market”-factors could be improved. On the other hand, with an increasing degree of presence and the notional attendance in a simulated test environment, the market research task could fall prey to the tensing virtual reality adventure. In...

Integrated subsurface water solutions for coastal environments through integrated pump&treat and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Perdikaki, Martha; Kallioras, Andreas; Christoforidis, Christophoros; Iossifidis, Dimitris; Zafeiropoulos, Anastasios; Dimitriadis, Klisthenis; Makropoulos, Christos; Raat, Klaasjan; van den Berg, Gerard

2016-04-01

Coastal wetlands in semi-arid regions, as in Circum-Mediterranean, are considered important ecosystems that provide valuable services to human population and the environment, such as: flood protection, erosion control, wildlife habitat, water quality, recreation and carbon sequestration. Un-managed surface and groundwater exploitation in these areas usually leads to deterioration of such sensitive ecosystems by means of water resources degradation and/or increased salinity. Groundwater usually plays a vital role for the sustainability of these hydrological systems, as the underlying aquifers operate as regulators for both quantity and quality of their waters. Multi-layer and multi-objective Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) systems can be proved effective groundwater engineered solutions for the restoration of deteriorated coastal wetlands in semi- and arid regions. The plain of Marathon is a typical Mediterranean environment that hosts a naturally occurring -and today degraded- coastal wetland with the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem linked to a typical coastal hydrogeological system of a semi-arid region; and therefore can serve as a model for similar systems world-wide. The geo-hydrological setting of the area involves a multi-layer aquifer system consisting of (i) an upper un-consolidated formation of depositional unit dominated mostly by fluvial sediments and (ii) the surrounding and underlying karstified marbles; both being linked to the investigated wetland and also subjected to seawater encroachment. A smart engineered MAR system via an optimised Pump & Treat system integrated with an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) scheme in this area would include the abstraction of brackish groundwater from the deeper karst aquifer at a location close to the shoreline and direct treatment with Reverse Osmosis (RO). for desalination. Two-fold re-use scheme of the purified effluent can then be engineered for (i) the restoration of the coastal wetland; and (ii

Research on biomass energy and environment from the past to the future: A bibliometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Guozhu; Huang, Ning; Chen, Lu; Wang, Hongmei

2018-09-01

The development and utilization of biomass energy can help to change the ways of energy production and consumption and establish a sustainable energy system that can effectively promote the development of the national economy and strengthen the protection of the environment. Here,we perform a bibliometric analysis of 9514 literature reports in the Web of Science Core Collection searched with the key words "Biomass energy" and "Environment*" date from 1998 to 2017; hot topics in the research and development of biomass energy utilization, as well as the status and development trends of biomass energy utilization and the environment, were analyzed based on content analysis and bibliometrics. The interaction between biomass energy and the environment began to become a major concern as the research progressively deepened. This work is of great significance for the development and utilization of biomass energy to put forward specific suggestions and strategies based on the analysis and demonstration of relationships and interactions between biomass energy utilization and environment. It is also useful to researchers for selecting the future research topics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research and Development Roadmap for Water Heating Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goetzler, William [Navigant Consulting Inc.; Gagne, Claire [Navigant Consulting Inc.; Baxter, Van D [ORNL; Lutz, James [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Merrigan, Tim [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

2011-10-01

Although water heating is an important energy end-use in residential and commercial buildings, efficiency improvements in recent years have been relatively modest. However, significant advancements related to higher efficiency equipment, as well as improved distribution systems, are now viable. DOE support for water heating research, development and demonstration (RD&D) could provide the impetus for commercialization of these advancements.

International Water Center

Science.gov (United States)

The urban district of Nancy and the Town of Nancy, France, have taken the initiative of creating an International Center of Water (Centre International de l'Eau à Nancy—NAN.C.I.E.) in association with two universities, six engineering colleges, the Research Centers of Nancy, the Rhine-Meuse Basin Agency, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The aim of this center is to promote research and technology transfer in the areas of water and sanitation. In 1985 it will initiate a research program drawing on the experience of 350 researchers and engineers of various disciplines who have already been assigned to research in these fields. The research themes, the majority of which will be multidisciplinary, concern aspects of hygiene and health, the engineering of industrial processes, water resources, and the environment and agriculture. A specialist training program offering five types of training aimed at university graduates, graduates of engineering colleges, or experts, will start in October 1984.

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems – Volume IV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neven Duić

2016-12-01

In total 32 manuscripts were published in Volume IV, all of them reviewed by at least two reviewers. The Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems would like to thank reviewers for their contribution to the quality of the published manuscripts.

14. Internal symposium on secular change of structural materials for nuclear energy. Secular change mechanism in light water reactor environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

At this symposium, lectures were given on the embrittlement by neutron irradiation of LWR pressure vessel steel, the effect that neutron irradiation exerts to austenitic stainless steel becoming sensitive, the mechanism of the occurrence and development of stress corrosion cracking in the water environment of LWRs, the effect that the water environment of LWRs exerts to fatigue life, and the environment-promoted cracking in LWR environment and its forecast. Thereafter, panel discussion was held by the lecturers. In this book, the summaries of the lectures are collected. (K.I.)

Using Photovoice as a Community Based Participatory Research Tool for Changing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Behaviours in Usoma, Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elijah Bisung

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recent years have witnessed an increase in the use of community based participatory research (CBPR tools for understanding environment and health issues and facilitating social action. This paper explores the application and utility of photovoice for understanding water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH behaviours and catalysing community led solutions to change behaviours. Between June and August 2013, photovoice was conducted with eight (8 women in Usoma, a lakeshore community in Western Kenya with a follow-up community meeting (baraza in May 2014 to discuss findings with the community members and government officials. In the first part of the study, photovoice one-on-one interviews were used to explore local perceptions and practices around water-health linkages and how the ecological and socio-political environment shapes these perceptions and practices. This paper, which is the second component of the study, uses photovoice group discussions to explore participants’ experiences with and (reaction to the photographs and the photovoice project. The findings illustrate that photovoice was an effective CBPR methodology for understanding behaviours, creating awareness, facilitating collective action, and engaging with local government and local health officials at the water-health nexus.

76 FR 38399 - Assessing the Current Research, Policy, and Practice Environment in Public Health Genomics

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Docket Number CDC-2011-0008] Assessing the Current Research, Policy, and Practice Environment in Public Health... information helpful to assess the current research, policy, and practice environment in public health genomics...

Research on evaluating water resource resilience based on projection pursuit classification model

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dong; Zhao, Dan; Liang, Xu; Wu, Qiuchen

2016-03-01

Water is a fundamental natural resource while agriculture water guarantees the grain output, which shows that the utilization and management of water resource have a significant practical meaning. Regional agricultural water resource system features with unpredictable, self-organization, and non-linear which lays a certain difficulty on the evaluation of regional agriculture water resource resilience. The current research on water resource resilience remains to focus on qualitative analysis and the quantitative analysis is still in the primary stage, thus, according to the above issues, projection pursuit classification model is brought forward. With the help of artificial fish-swarm algorithm (AFSA), it optimizes the projection index function, seeks for the optimal projection direction, and improves AFSA with the application of self-adaptive artificial fish step and crowding factor. Taking Hongxinglong Administration of Heilongjiang as the research base and on the basis of improving AFSA, it established the evaluation of projection pursuit classification model to agriculture water resource system resilience besides the proceeding analysis of projection pursuit classification model on accelerating genetic algorithm. The research shows that the water resource resilience of Hongxinglong is the best than Raohe Farm, and the last 597 Farm. And the further analysis shows that the key driving factors influencing agricultural water resource resilience are precipitation and agriculture water consumption. The research result reveals the restoring situation of the local water resource system, providing foundation for agriculture water resource management.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND ENVIRONMENT MONITORING ISSUES IN THE PROJECTS OF SUBGLACIAL LAKES STUDIES IN ANTARCTICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. A. Alekhina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Antarctic subglacial lakes can represent extreme natural habitats for microorganisms from the position of their evolution and adaptation, as well as they can contain the information on Antarctic ice sheet history and climatic changes in their sediments. Now only direct measurements and sampling from these habitats can answer on many fundamental questions. Special precaution should be complied at penetration into these unique relic environments without unfavorable impacts and contamination. A number of recommendations were developed on levels of cleanliness and sterility during direct exploration and research of subglacial environments. Documents considered in the article are the first and necessary steps for appropriate and long-term ecological management of subglacial Antarctic environments. Today there are three projects of subglacial aquatic environment research which are in preparation and realization – the Russian project of Lake Vostok, the similar British project of Lake Ellsworth and the American project on Whillans Ice Stream. The programs of ecological stewardship for direct exploration of these lakes are discussed. All these subglacial aquatic objects of further exploration and research are so various on their structure, age and regime, that only results of all programs as a whole can help to draw us a uniform picture of a subglacial ecological system. Ecological stewardship of these should provide the minimal ecological impact with maximal scientific results. On the basis of existing documents and recommendations the general approaches and the program of ecological stewardship for Lake Vostok research are discussed. Study of drilling fluid, drilling chips, Vostok ice core and the fresh frozen water will allow to make an assessment of biological and chemical contamination as a result of the first penetration and to modify the further stewardship program for the second penetration and direct exploration of lake water.

The water almanac 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, R.

1991-01-01

The Water Almanac 1992 - a yearbook for the entire water field - presents contributions on current topics in water engineering and in water law and environmental law and information on FRG public authorities or institutions responsible for water resources management or water research, as well as on educational facilities in this field in the FRG, Austria and Switzerland, including independent scientific institutions. The contribution on the consequences of the Chernobyl reactor accident for the environment in western Europe has been analysed as a separate document for retrieval from the database. (BBR) [de

Nuclear techniques for a cleaner environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

Highlights of the major IAEA programme for nuclear techniques and research which have direct contribution towards improvement of the environment are presented. These include topics in the areas of food and agriculture, hydrology, environmental monitoring, and marine sciences. Joint IAEA and FAO programmes in food and agriculture covers topics such as: control of insects and pests, monitoring of pesticides in ecosystem and food irradiation. In hydrology, development and management of water resources, water pollution assessment, cleaning of flue gases and sewage sludge, etc are being undertaken primarily in developing countries. Environmental monitoring is conducted with particular emphasis to when there is an accidental release of radioactivity into the environment, as happened to the Chernobyl accident

Environmental Impact on the Quality of Water from Hand-Dug Wells in Yola Environs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Onoja PATRICK

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The impact of environmental conditions on the quality of water from seven hand-dug wells in Vinikilang, Shinko, Demsawo and Girei was studied. Monthly physical and chemical analyses were carried out on the well water samples. The results revealed that the environment has direct impact on the quality of water and also the type of contamination of the well water samples. Water samples from the wells have higher levels of heavy metals: Fe, Zn, Cu and Pb, above the permissible limits of (0.1 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 0.5 mg/l and 0.05 mg/l for Fe, Zn, Cu and Pb respectively WHO specifications, except well 1 whose Zn level was lower than the permissible limit. Wells close to abattoir, pit latrine, domestic refuse dumps, stagnant water and drainage showed higher amounts of coliform bacteria.

Potential Foraging Decisions by a Desert Ungulate to Balance Water and Nutrient Intake in a Water-Stressed Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gedir, Jay V; Cain, James W; Krausman, Paul R; Allen, Jamison D; Duff, Glenn C; Morgart, John R

2016-01-01

Arid climates have unpredictable precipitation patterns, and wildlife managers often provide supplemental water to help desert ungulates endure the hottest, driest periods. When surface water is unavailable, the only source of water for ungulates comes from the forage they consume, and they must make resourceful foraging decisions to meet their requirements. We compared two desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) populations in Arizona, USA: a treatment population with supplemental water removed during treatment, and a control population. We examined whether sheep altered their seasonal diets without supplemental water. We calculated water and nutrient intake and metabolic water production from dry matter intake and forage moisture and nitrogen content, to determine whether sheep could meet their seasonal daily water and nutrient requirements solely from forage. Diets of sheep were higher in protein (all seasons) and moisture (autumn and winter) during treatment compared to pretreatment. During treatment, sheep diet composition was similar between the treatment and control populations, which suggests, under the climatic conditions of this study, water removal did not influence sheep diets. We estimated that under drought conditions, without any surface water available (although small ephemeral potholes would contain water after rains), female and male sheep would be unable to meet their daily water requirements in all seasons, except winter, when reproductive females had a nitrogen deficit. We determined that sheep could achieve water and nutrient balances in all seasons by shifting their total diet proportions by 8-55% from lower to higher moisture and nitrogen forage species. We elucidate how seasonal forage quality and foraging decisions by desert ungulates allow them to cope with their xeric and uncertain environment, and suggest that, with the forage conditions observed in our study area during this study period, providing supplemental water during

Potential foraging decisions by a desert ungulate to balance water and nutrient intake in a water-stressed environment

Science.gov (United States)

Gedir, Jay V.; Cain, James W.; Krausman, Paul R.; Allen, Jamison D.; Duff, Glenn C.; Morgart, John R.

2016-01-01

Arid climates have unpredictable precipitation patterns, and wildlife managers often provide supplemental water to help desert ungulates endure the hottest, driest periods. When surface water is unavailable, the only source of water for ungulates comes from the forage they consume, and they must make resourceful foraging decisions to meet their requirements. We compared two desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) populations in Arizona, USA: a treatment population with supplemental water removed during treatment, and a control population. We examined whether sheep altered their seasonal diets without supplemental water. We calculated water and nutrient intake and metabolic water production from dry matter intake and forage moisture and nitrogen content, to determine whether sheep could meet their seasonal daily water and nutrient requirements solely from forage. Diets of sheep were higher in protein (all seasons) and moisture (autumn and winter) during treatment compared to pretreatment. During treatment, sheep diet composition was similar between the treatment and control populations, which suggests, under the climatic conditions of this study, water removal did not influence sheep diets. We estimated that under drought conditions, without any surface water available (although small ephemeral potholes would contain water after rains), female and male sheep would be unable to meet their daily water requirements in all seasons, except winter, when reproductive females had a nitrogen deficit. We determined that sheep could achieve water and nutrient balances in all seasons by shifting their total diet proportions by 8–55% from lower to higher moisture and nitrogen forage species. We elucidate how seasonal forage quality and foraging decisions by desert ungulates allow them to cope with their xeric and uncertain environment, and suggest that, with the forage conditions observed in our study area during this study period, providing supplemental water during

Potential Foraging Decisions by a Desert Ungulate to Balance Water and Nutrient Intake in a Water-Stressed Environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jay V Gedir

Full Text Available Arid climates have unpredictable precipitation patterns, and wildlife managers often provide supplemental water to help desert ungulates endure the hottest, driest periods. When surface water is unavailable, the only source of water for ungulates comes from the forage they consume, and they must make resourceful foraging decisions to meet their requirements. We compared two desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni populations in Arizona, USA: a treatment population with supplemental water removed during treatment, and a control population. We examined whether sheep altered their seasonal diets without supplemental water. We calculated water and nutrient intake and metabolic water production from dry matter intake and forage moisture and nitrogen content, to determine whether sheep could meet their seasonal daily water and nutrient requirements solely from forage. Diets of sheep were higher in protein (all seasons and moisture (autumn and winter during treatment compared to pretreatment. During treatment, sheep diet composition was similar between the treatment and control populations, which suggests, under the climatic conditions of this study, water removal did not influence sheep diets. We estimated that under drought conditions, without any surface water available (although small ephemeral potholes would contain water after rains, female and male sheep would be unable to meet their daily water requirements in all seasons, except winter, when reproductive females had a nitrogen deficit. We determined that sheep could achieve water and nutrient balances in all seasons by shifting their total diet proportions by 8-55% from lower to higher moisture and nitrogen forage species. We elucidate how seasonal forage quality and foraging decisions by desert ungulates allow them to cope with their xeric and uncertain environment, and suggest that, with the forage conditions observed in our study area during this study period, providing supplemental

Research Methods Identifying Correlation Between Physical Environment of Schools and Educational Paradigms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grėtė Brukštutė

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The article is analysing the research that was already carried out in order to determine correlation between a physical environment of schools and educational paradigms. While selecting materials for the analysis, the attention was focused on studies conducted in the USA and European countries. Based on these studies the methodological attitudes towards coherence of the education and spatial structures were tried to identify. Homogeneity and conformity of an educational character and a physical learning environment became especially important during changes of educational conceptions. The issue how educational paradigms affect the architecture of school buildings is not yet analysed in Lithuania, therefore the results of this research could actualize a theme on correlation between educational paradigms and the architecture of school buildings and form initial guidelines for the development of the modern physical learning environment.

Corrosion of research reactor aluminium clad spent fuel in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This report describes research performed in ten laboratories within the framework of the IAEA Co-ordinated Research Project on Corrosion of Research Reactor Aluminium Clad Spent Fuel in Water. The project consisted of exposure of standard racks of corrosion coupons in the spent fuel pools of the participating research reactor laboratories and the evaluation of the coupons after predetermined exposure times, along with periodic monitoring of the storage water. A group of experts in the field contributed a state of the art review and provided technical supervision of the project. Localized corrosion mechanisms are notoriously difficult to understand, and it was clear from the outset that obtaining consistency in the results and their interpretation from laboratory to laboratory would depend on the development of an excellent set of experimental protocols. These experimental protocols are described in the report together with guidelines for the maintenance of optimum water chemistry to minimize the corrosion of aluminium clad research reactor fuel in wet storage. A large database on corrosion of aluminium clad materials has been generated from the CRP and the SRS corrosion surveillance programme. An evaluation of these data indicates that the most important factors contributing to the corrosion of the aluminium are: (1) High water conductivity (100-200 μS/cm); (2) Aggressive impurity ion concentrations (Cl - ); (3) Deposition of cathodic particles on aluminium (Fe, etc.); (4) Sludge (containing Fe, Cl - and other ions in concentrations greater than ten times the concentrations in the water); (5) Galvanic couples between dissimilar metals (stainless steel-aluminium, aluminium-uranium, etc); (6) Scratches and imperfections (in protective oxide coating on cladding); (7) Poor water circulation. These factors operating both independently and synergistically may cause corrosion of the aluminium. The single most important key to preventing corrosion is maintaining good

Evaluation of trace elements distribution in water, sediment, soil and cassava plant in Muria peninsula environment by NAA method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muryono, H.; Sumining; Agus Taftazani; Kris Tri Basuki; Sukarman, A.

1999-01-01

The evaluation of trace elements distribution in water, sediment, soil and cassava plant in Muria peninsula by NAA method were done. The nuclear power plant (NPP) and the coal power plant (CPP) will be built in Muria peninsula, so, the Muria peninsula is an important site for samples collection and monitoring of environment. River-water, sediment, dryland-soil and cassava plant were choosen as specimens samples from Muria peninsula environment. The analysis result of trace elements were used as a contributed data for environment monitoring before and after NPP was built. The trace elements in specimens of river-water, sediment, dryland-soil and cassava plant samples were analyzed by INAA method. It was found that the trace elements distribution were not evenly distributed. Percentage of trace elements distribution in river-water, sediment, dryland-soil and cassava leaves were 0.00026-0.037% in water samples, 0.49-62.7% in sediment samples, 36.29-99.35% in soil samples and 0.21-99.35% in cassava leaves. (author)

Evaluation of trace elements distribution in water, sediment, soil and cassava plant in Muria peninsula environment by NAA method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muryono, H.; Sumining; Agus Taftazani; Kris Tri Basuki; Sukarman, A. [Yogyakarta Nuclear Research Center, Yogyakarta (Indonesia)

1999-10-01

The evaluation of trace elements distribution in water, sediment, soil and cassava plant in Muria peninsula by NAA method were done. The nuclear power plant (NPP) and the coal power plant (CPP) will be built in Muria peninsula, so, the Muria peninsula is an important site for samples collection and monitoring of environment. River-water, sediment, dryland-soil and cassava plant were choosen as specimens samples from Muria peninsula environment. The analysis result of trace elements were used as a contributed data for environment monitoring before and after NPP was built. The trace elements in specimens of river-water, sediment, dryland-soil and cassava plant samples were analyzed by INAA method. It was found that the trace elements distribution were not evenly distributed. Percentage of trace elements distribution in river-water, sediment, dryland-soil and cassava leaves were 0.00026-0.037% in water samples, 0.49-62.7% in sediment samples, 36.29-99.35% in soil samples and 0.21-99.35% in cassava leaves. (author)

Measurements of gaseous mercury exchanges at the sediment-water, water-atmosphere and sediment-atmosphere interfaces of a tidal environment (Arcachon Bay, France).

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchet, Sylvain; Tessier, Emmanuel; Monperrus, Mathilde; Bridou, Romain; Clavier, Jacques; Thouzeau, Gerard; Amouroux, David

2011-05-01

The elemental mercury evasion from non-impacted natural areas is of significant importance in the global Hg cycle due to their large spatial coverage. Intertidal areas represent a dynamic environment promoting the transformations of Hg species and their subsequent redistribution. A major challenge remains in providing reliable data on Hg species variability and fluxes under typical transient tidal conditions found in such environment. Field experiments were thus carried out to allow the assessment and comparison of the magnitude of the gaseous Hg fluxes at the three interfaces, sediment-water, sediment-atmosphere and water-atmosphere of a mesotidal temperate lagoon (Arcachon Bay, Aquitaine, France) over three distinct seasonal conditions. The fluxes between the sediment-water and the sediment-atmosphere interfaces were directly evaluated with field flux chambers, respectively static or dynamic. Water-atmosphere fluxes were evaluated from ambient concentrations using a gas exchange model. The fluxes at the sediment-water interface ranged from -5.0 to 5.1 ng m(-2) h(-1) and appeared mainly controlled by diffusion. The occurrence of macrophytic covers (i.e.Zostera noltii sp.) enhanced the fluxes under light radiations. The first direct measurements of sediment-atmosphere fluxes are reported here. The exchanges were more intense and variable than the two other interfaces, ranging between -78 and 40 ng m(-2) h(-1) and were mostly driven by the overlying atmospheric Hg concentrations and superficial sediment temperature. The exchanges between the water column and the atmosphere, computed as a function of wind speed and gaseous mercury saturation ranged from 0.4 to 14.5 ng m(-2) h(-1). The flux intensities recorded over the intertidal sediments periodically exposed to the atmosphere were roughly 2 to 3 times higher than the fluxes of the other interfaces. The evasion of elemental mercury from emerged intertidal sediments is probably a significant pathway for Hg evasion in

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2017-11-24

Nov 24, 2017 ... Environment/ Water Resources Research Center, Naresuan University, Thailand. .... compounds that show ovicidal, repellent, antifeedant, sterilization and toxic effects in insects. [13]. The toxicity ... 3.1 Materials and Methods.

Fiscal Year 1988 program report: Alaska Water Research Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, D.L.

1990-01-01

The contents of this study includes: water problems and issues of Alaska; program goals and priorities; research project synopses are: radium levels in, and removal from, ground waters of interior alaska; assessment of stream-flow sediment transport for engineering projects; productivity within deep glacial gravels under subarctic Alaska rivers; nitrogen-cycle dynamics in a subarctic lake; and the use of peat mounds for treatment of household waste water

Environmental Quality Laboratory Research Report, 1985-1987

OpenAIRE

Brooks, Norman H.

1988-01-01

The Environmental Quality Laboratory at Caltech is a center for research on large-scale systems problems of natural resources and environmental quality. The principal areas of investigation at EQL are: 1. Air quality management. 2. Water resources and water quality management. 3. Control of hazardous substances in the environment. 4. Energy policy, including regulation, conservation and energy-environment tradeoffs. 5. Resources policy (other than energy); residuals m...

WATERPROTECT: Innovative tools enabling drinking water protection in rural and urban environments

Science.gov (United States)

Seuntjens, Piet; Campling, Paul; Joris, Ingeborg; Wauters, Erwin; Lopez de Alda, Miren; Kuczynska, Anna; Lajer Hojberg, Anker; Capri, Ettore; Brabyn, Cristina; Boeckaert, Charlotte; Mellander, Per Erik; Pauwelyn, Ellen; Pop, Edit

2017-04-01

High-quality, safe, and sufficient drinking water is essential for life: we use it for drinking, food preparation and cleaning. Agriculture is the biggest source of pesticides and nitrate pollution in European fresh waters. The overarching objective of the recently approved H2020 project WATERPROTECT is to contribute to effective uptake and realisation of management practices and mitigation measures to protect drinking water resources. Therefore WATERPROTECT will create an integrative multi-actor participatory framework including innovative instruments that enable actors to monitor, to finance and to effectively implement management practices and measures for the protection of water sources. We propose seven case studies involving multiple actors in implementing good practices (land management, farming, product stewardship, point source pollution prevention) to ensure safe drinking water supply. The seven case studies cover different pedo-climatic conditions, different types of farming systems, different legal frameworks, larger and smaller water collection areas across the EU. In close cooperation with actors in the field in the case studies (farmers associations, local authorities, water producing companies, private water companies, consumer organisations) and other stakeholders (fertilizer and plant protection industry, environment agencies, nature conservation agencies, agricultural administrations) at local and EU level, WATERPROTECT will develop innovative water governance models investigating alternative pathways from focusing on the 'costs of water treatment' to 'rewarding water quality delivering farming systems'. Water governance structures will be built upon cost-efficiency analysis related to mitigation and cost-benefit analysis for society, and will be supported by spatially explicit GIS analyses and predictive models that account for temporal and spatial scaling issues. The outcome will be improved participatory methods and public policy instruments

Annual report 90 Environment Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This is the second annual report of the Environment Institute of the Joint Research Centre, Ispra Site, of the Commission of the European Communities. The report summarizes the progress accomplished in the course of 1990 in the various projects included in the multiannual (1988-91) Specific Research Programmes tackled by the Institute i.e. Environment Protection and Radioactive Waste Management, the former being focused on environmental chemicals, air pollution and pollutant transport, water pollution, chemical waste, food and drug analysis, the latter on safety assessment for waste disposal in geological formations. The scientific support given to the Commission Services for the implementation of EC directives dealing with chemicals, air pollution, water pollution, chemical waste and radioactive environmental monitoring (REM) is also described. Lastly the outcome of various activities related to work for third parties and to the participation of the Institute in EUREKA and COST projects is shortly outlined. The report includes data on the Institute Structure, human and budget resources and large installations operated by the Institute

Research overview at USDA-ARS Coastal Plains, Soil, Water and Plant Research Center, and potential collaborative research projects with RDA - NIAS

Science.gov (United States)

The Center at Florence is one of the ninety research units of the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). The mission of the Center is to conduct research and transfer solutions that improve agricultural production, protect the environment, and enhance the...

The interaction of wind and water in the desertification environment

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobberger, P. A.

1987-01-01

An appropriate process/response model for the physical basis of desertification is provided by the interactions of wind and water in the desert fringe environment. Essentially, the process of desertification can be thought of as a progressive environmental transition from predominantly fluvial to aeolian processes. This is a simple but useful way of looking at desertification; in this context, desertification is morphogenetic in character. To illustrate the model, a study of drought-related changes in central Mali will serve to trace the interrelated responses of geomorphologic processes to drought conditions.

Genotype x environment interaction for grain yield of wheat genotypes tested under water stress conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sail, M.A.; Dahot, M.U.; Mangrio, S.M.; Memon, S.

2007-01-01

Effect of water stress on grain yield in different wheat genotypes was studied under field conditions at various locations. Grain yield is a complex polygenic trait influenced by genotype, environment and genotype x environment (GxE) interaction. To understand the stability among genotypes for grain yield, twenty-one wheat genotypes developed Through hybridization and radiation-induced mutations at Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA) TandoJam were evaluated with four local check varieties (Sarsabz, Thori, Margalla-99 and Chakwal-86) in multi-environmental trails (MET/sub s/). The experiments were conducted over 5 different water stress environments in Sindh. Data on grain yield were recorded from each site and statistically analyzed. Combined analysis of variance for all the environments indicated that the genotype, environment and genotype x environment (GxE) interaction were highly significant (P greater then 0.01) for grain yield. Genotypes differed in their response to various locations. The overall highest site mean yield (4031 kg/ha) recorded at Moro and the lowest (2326 kg/ha) at Thatta. Six genotypes produced significantly (P=0.01) the highest grain yield overall the environments. Stability analysis was applied to estimate stability parameters viz., regression coefficient (b), standard error of regression coefficient and variance due to deviation from regression (S/sub 2/d) genotypes 10/8, BWS-78 produced the highest mean yield over all the environments with low regression coefficient (b=0.68, 0.67 and 0.63 respectively and higher S/sup 2/ d value, showing specific adaptation to poor (un favorable) environments. Genotype 8/7 produced overall higher grain yield (3647 kg/ha) and ranked as third high yielding genotype had regression value close to unity (b=0.9) and low S/sup d/ value, indicating more stability and wide adaptation over the all environments. The knowledge of the presence and magnitude of genotype x environment (GE) interaction is important to

Toward the second 50 years of Water Resources Research