bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drinking water in West Virginia (USA): tap water or bottled water – what is the right choice for college students?
Authors: Levêque Jonas Germain , Burns Robert Clyde
Published: October 2018

West Virginia has had a history of water quality issues. In parallel, the world is facing a plastic pollution crisis. In order to better understand behavioral responses to perceived water quality, a survey was conducted at a major research university to ask participants about water quality perceptions and drinking water behaviors. A total of 4,188 students completed the survey during the Spring 2017 semester. Logistic regression analyses were used to predict behaviors. Results indicated that a third of the student population primarily used bottled water for drinking purposes at home, while 39% used a filter at home and 26% drank water directly from the tap. On campus, bottled water use was reported by 36% of the students, water fountain use represented 31%, and 29% of the students brought their own water with reusable cups/bottles. Health risk perceptions, organoleptic perceptions (i.e., taste, odor, color), and environmental concern were predictors of the different behaviors. Students originally from West Virginia had a higher propensity of using bottled water. We argue that bottled water consumption should be reduced in areas where water quality is not an issue. In this sense, there is a need for education among the student population in West Virginia.
Monitoring levels of viable Helicobacter pylori in surface water by qPCR in Northeast Spain
Authors: Acosta Claudia Patricia , Codony Francesc , Fittipaldi Mariana , Sierra-Torres Carlos Hernán , Morató Jordi
Published: October 2018

Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric carcinoma and lymphoma. Although the infection may be acquired through different transmission routes, the presence and viability of H. pylori in water sources are not well known. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyse the viability of H. pylori cells in urban surface waters collected at the Vallparadís public park in Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. The water samples were analysed by viability quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using propidium monoazide and specific primers for the H. pylori vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA gene). Viable H. pylori were found in 91.3% of the samples analysed, with an average concentration of 3.46 ± 1.06 log cell 100 mL−1. Our work proves a quick and simple procedure for evaluating viable H. pylori cells in environmental samples by qPCR. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that urban surface waters may contain considerable levels of viable H. pylori cells, thus indicating they are a potential source of infection, which represents a public health concern.
What is water? A normative perspective
Authors: Feitelson Eran
Published: October 2018

In the modernist era, water is discussed as a single substance which has multiple uses. I argue that from a normative perspective water should be discussed in the plural term (‘waters’), as they constitute a variety of ‘things’ with a similar chemical composition. Waters are composed of multiple ‘needs’, which are uses with a normative rationale, and of ‘wants’, which are desires that should be seen as economic demands. Moreover, waters should also be differentiated by source: natural, recycled or produced. This new language of water has direct policy implications. Needs, differentiated into direct human needs, spiritual needs, environmental needs and community needs, which may be prioritized, should be supplied regardless of cost considerations. ‘Wants’ and produced water should be priced at the full social cost of supply. Hence, while the rates at which needs are supplied should be determined by affordability, regardless of spatial differentiation in supply cost, the pricing of water supplied for ‘wants’ will vary over space. Thus water which is supplied through the same pipe to the same house may be subject to different pricing logics. However, there are many nuances to these generalizations, which have still to be fleshed out.
Evaluation of low-flow metrics as environmental instream flow standards during long-term average and 2016 drought conditions: Tombigbee River Basin, Alabama and Mississippi, USA
Authors: Praskievicz Sarah , Luo Cehong , Bearden Bennett , Ernest Andrew
Published: October 2018

Environmental instream flows are a common tool for maintaining river flows that are required to sustain both ecosystem and societal needs. Many of the most widely adopted environmental flow standards are based on historical flow, mainly because of the relative simplicity of these methods. Few previous studies, however, have examined the ability of historical flow standards to protect low flows. Here, the low-flow protective ability of five different historical flow methods, using 35 gaging stations in the Tombigbee River Basin of Alabama and Mississippi, was analyzed. The minimum environmental flow thresholds were calculated using the five indices, and the number of times in a recent 32-year period flows fell below each threshold was determined. The Tennant-based threshold was reached most frequently, followed by the modified Tennant. Although other low-flow metrics, such as 7Q10, were triggered infrequently (9% of the time) over the whole period, triggering rates increased to 46% for 7Q10 during the drought of 2016, suggesting that even minimal low-flow standards may provide some benefit during drought. Analyzing historical flow methods to see how often they would result in management actions if implemented is a useful way of developing guidance on the adoption of minimum environmental instream flow standards.
Direct and indirect water use within the Australian economy
Authors: Reutter Beatriz , Lant Paul A. , Lane Joe L.
Published: October 2018

We present the first analysis of water use in the Australian economy to account for inter-state trade, exports and consumption patterns, across all economic sectors and incorporating a temporal analysis. This is achieved by using the environmentally extended input-output technique, combining state-level input-output and water accounts from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Results show that the three big eastern economies (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland) rely mostly on water used within their jurisdictions. Approximately one-third of water consumption is for exported commodities, with the biggest export flows of virtual water being associated with agricultural production. Comparing results across the years (2000–2011), the water consumption associated with the provision of goods and services has decreased by 32% for exports, and by 38% for domestic markets. To date in Australia, the focus for improved trans-boundary water management (within Australia) has been on improved mechanisms for sharing physical allocation of water; these results provide the trans-boundary economic dependencies related to water availability. Recent innovations in the compilation of economic input-output models create an opportunity to progress this analysis, exploring in detail the economy–water interlinkages. It is our intention that the paper shows the value of analysing water flows using the multi-regional input-output techniques.
Assessment of hydrological alteration and environmental flow requirements for Srisailam dam on Krishna River, India
Authors: Uday Kumar A. , Jayakumar K. V.
Published: October 2018

Natural flow plays a vital role in forming biotic diversity by controlling essential environmental conditions within the river channel and floodplain. This paper assesses the changes in streamflow and ecology caused on Krishna River by Srisailam dam. Regulated and unregulated river flow discharge data were collected at Nagarjuna Sagar gauge station which is located downstream of Srisailam dam. Flow Health (FH) software developed by the International Water Centre, Brisbane is used to calculate the hydrological alteration and environmental flow requirements due to Srisailam dam. Results show that impoundment of the dam mainly decreases the high flows by storing flood flow for water supply, irrigation purposes, etc., and enhances low flows due to hydropower operation. Regulation of the dam significantly affected the mean flow in August, September, and October. Mean annual flow (MAF) decreased considerably and seasonal flow shifted. The minimum flow released from the dam to downstream was calculated by two options, namely, low risk and medium risk to the environment. Low risk achieved a score of 0.61 FH and 0.5 FH was achieved by high risk, with a MAF volume of 40% (i.e., 7,225 m3) and 30% (5,847 m3), respectively.
Water quality modeling for determination of suitability of water for shrimp farming in tidal rivers
Authors: Farahani Navid Dolatabadi , Shahraiyni Hamid Taheri , Sheikhi Reza
Published: October 2018

In this study, the water quality of the Bahmanshir River and its water channels where Choebdeh Shrimp Farms (the largest shrimp culture complex in Iran) are located were simulated using MIKE11 software. First, an integrated hydraulic and salinity model of the river and its water channels was developed. Then, Manning and dispersion coefficients of the river were calibrated and validated. The most important parameters in the water quality model were determined by sensitivity analysis and these parameters were calibrated using in situ measured water quality data. The errors of salinity, temperature, nitrate, ammonia and dissolved oxygen (DO) models in the verification step were 7.9, 1.2, 0.34, 0.79 and 12%, respectively. Then, two scenarios were applied to the river and the effects of these scenarios on the water quality of the river and its channels were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the site selection of the shrimp culture complex had been performed well because different scenarios could not affect the water quality in the channels. Finally, the water quality in the channels was compared with the standard values of shrimp survival parameters. All of the parameters in the channels were in the range of standard values except DO, which was slightly under the standard value.
Modeling and validation of chlorination breakpoint with nitrite in wastewater treatment
Authors: Khawaga Rehab I. , Al-Asheh Sameer , Jabbar Nabil Abdel , Abouleish Mohamed
Published: October 2018

Chlorination in wastewater treatment is regarded as a complicated process due to its ammonia and nitrite content. Chlorine added to such systems reacts with ammonia undergoing episodes of complex reactions resulting in the chlorination breakpoint behavior. Most of the available chlorination mechanistic models are not easily applied which has restricted their practical utilization in treatment plants. In this study, a new mechanistic model for the chlorination breakpoint in ammonia-nitrite systems is suggested with a user-friendly interface and to be applicable with conditions occurring in wastewater treatment plants. The model was validated against laboratory studies reported in the literature and was also applied to forecast chlorine residual in a wastewater treatment plant in the region. The model simulated both experimental and field data reasonably well.
Modification of tea biochar with Mg, Fe, Mn and Al salts for efficient sorption of PO43− and Cd2+ from aqueous solutions
Authors: Akgül Gökçen , Maden Tuğba Bolat , Diaz Elena , Jiménez Eduardo Moreno
Published: October 2018

There is a requirement to provide more efficient, sensitive, low-cost materials for remediation of contaminated water. Biochar as a sorbent is an effective and low-cost material to remove contaminants in water but its adsorption properties can be improved by impregnation of metals on the surface. In this study, a biochar derived from industrial tea waste was modified with Mg, Fe, Mn and Al salts to create different composites, which were tested for PO43− and Cd2+ sorption. The modifications created biochars with the (hydr)oxides of each metal and changed the characterization parameters and surface functionality. Cd2+ was efficiently removed by all the materials even at high Cd2+ loadings in the water (100 mg Cd2+ L−1), the biochar with Mg being the most efficient in Cd2+ removal. The biochar with Mg also achieved the best sorption of PO43−, sorbing up to 30% at 20 mg PO43− L−1. Tea waste biochar can be modified with metal salts to enhance inorganic pollutant removal from waters, especially with Mg salts.
Effectiveness of termite hill as an economic adsorbent for the adsorption of alizarin red dye
Authors: Ayanda Olushola S. , Amodu Olusola S. , Adubiaro Habibat , Olutona Godwin O. , Ebenezer Oluwapese T. , Nelana Simphiwe M. , Naidoo Eliazer B.
Published: October 2018

The adsorption of alizarin red (AR) dye onto termite hill sample (THs) was investigated. Prior to the adsorption studies, the elemental, morphological, surface and structural properties of THs were examined by modern analytical methods. Instrumental analysis showed that the homogenous micro-structured THs are comprised of iron oxide, silica oxide, and alumina as major components. Experiments showed that the adsorption capacity of AR decreases with increasing pH and initial AR concentrations, and increases with increasing contact time, stirring speed and temperature. The equilibrium study obeyed the Langmuir adsorption model and the kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model. About 95.0% AR reduction (1.425 mg/g) was achieved when 0.8 g of THs was mixed with 30 mL of 40 mg/L AR solution for 120 min at 400 rpm and a pH of 2. Thermodynamic study suggested that AR adsorption onto THs is spontaneous at higher temperatures of 323 K and above (ΔGo values are negative). However, ΔGo are positive at lower temperatures of 293–313 K, which implies that the adsorption process is not spontaneous at these temperatures. This study showed that THs could be used as alternative, low-cost, natural adsorbents for the removal of dyes from wastewater.
Pipe replacement by age only, how misleading could it be?
Authors: Pardo M. A. , Valdes-Abellan J.
Published: October 2018

Traditional methods for prioritizing the renewal of water are based on heuristic models, such as the number of breaks per length, rule-of-thumb, and records held by the water utility companies. Efficient management of water distribution networks involves factoring in water and energy losses as the key criteria for planning pipe renewal. Prioritizing the replacement of a pipe according to the highest value of unit headloss due to ageing does not consider the impact on water and energy consumption for the whole network. Thus, this paper proposes a methodology to prioritize pipe replacement according to water and energy savings per monetary unit invested – economic prioritization. This renewal plan shows different results if comparing with replacing pipelines with regard to age and it requires calculating water and energy audits of the water distribution networks. Moreover, the required time to recover the investment performed needs to be calculated. The methodology proposed in this work is compared with the unit headloss criterion used in a real water-pressurized network. The results demonstrate that using the unit headloss criterion neither water, energy nor the investment is optimized. Significant water and energy savings are not fully exploited.
Discharge capacity evaluation and hydraulic design of a piano key weir
Authors: Guo Xinlei , Liu Zhiping , Wang Tao , Fu Hui , Li Jiazhen , Xia Qingfu , Guo Yongxin
Published: October 2018

A piano key weir (PKW) is a new type of labyrinth weir that increases the unit discharge at the unregulated spillway inlet of the weir. It is considered to be an important structure in water supply and drainage systems. However, its complex geometry makes it difficult to achieve an optimal hydraulic design, and only a few design equations and criteria are available. This study investigates the discharge capacity of a PKW and evaluates the characteristics of its discharge using various sources of experimental data from a database. First, previously proposed discharge capacity formulas are summarized and analyzed. Then, a new formula that integrates the existing test data with the results of dimensional analysis and multiparameter optimization is proposed. The weir characteristics are evaluated using the proposed formula and a mathematical model. The results show that both the proposed formula and numerical model are promising approaches to evaluate the discharge capacity of an A-type PKW and can guide its design.
Variations in the key hydrological elements of the Yarlung Zangbo River basin
Authors: Li Dian , Li Jia , Zhang Linglei , Deng Yun , Zhang Yaowen
Published: October 2018

Based on the monthly water level, runoff, precipitation and evaporation data from the four main hydrometric stations in the middle section of the Yarlung Zangbo River basin from 1956 to 2000, the periodic oscillations, trends and transformation characteristics at different time-scales are investigated via wavelet analysis. Moreover, the main periods of each time-series are identified by estimating the wavelet variance. The results show that the transformation scales of the monthly variation of the key hydrological elements over the last 44 years were 80–120, 40–70 and 16–24 months and that a high level of consistency was maintained at 16–24 months, where the periodic oscillation was the most significant. In addition, the first and second main periods of all hydrological elements were 18 and 9 months, respectively.
Optimal water allocation in Iran: a dynamic bi-level programming model
Authors: Yao Liming , Xu Zhongwen , Moudi Mahdi , Li Zongmin
Published: October 2018

Water resource scarcity increases societal instability, poverty, and economic recession. Therefore, sound water resource management is vital to alleviating water crises in the agricultural, domestic, and industrial sectors. Southeast Iran, which currently lacks good water resource management, is experiencing a severe water crisis. Taking Zabol and Zahedan as examples, this paper seeks to optimize water allocation between the two cities using a dynamic bi-level programming model; the upper level objective minimizes the deviation between water demand and supply, and the lower level objective maximizes the net economic benefits in each sector. A sensitivity analysis is then conducted on the different sources of available water to provide more information on water allocation over time.
Modified tannins and their application in wastewater treatment
Authors: Arismendi W. A. , Ortiz-Ardila Andrés E. , Delgado C. V. , Lugo Lorena , Sequeda-Castañeda Luis G. , Celis-Zambrano Crispín A.
Published: October 2018

The bio-flocculants used in this study were synthesised by the Mannich reaction, which includes three reagents: a substrate (tannin extracts of Acacia, Quebracho, and Castanea), formaldehyde, and an amine derivative (ethanolamine, diethanolamine, ammonium chloride). Nine natural flocculants were prepared by combining extracts and amines; these products were evaluated in three different wastewater samples in two experimental phases. In phase I, five physicochemical parameters were analysed. From the data obtained, a multivariate, completely randomised design (CRD-Manava) was used, with a factorial arrangement and mean plots. In phase II, the three bio-flocculants with the most statistically significant responses and their mixtures were examined, evaluating 14 biological and physicochemical parameters. Statistical analysis was guided in this phase by CRD blocks, finding a significant removal in the physicochemical parameters analysed in the different types of wastewater and obtaining removal rates between 50 and 90%, depending on the parameter. At the end of both phases, the bio-flocculants acacia-ammonium chloride and quebracho-diethanolamine were the most efficient in the removal of turbidity (34–99%), true colour (93–100%) and total solids (12–99%). In addition, the natural flocculants showed low mutagenicity index (MI: 0.33–0.93) compared to aluminium sulphate (MI: 4.87–8.81).
Co3O4/TiO2 hetero-structure for methyl orange dye degradation
Authors: Chowdhury Mahabubur , Kapinga Sarah , Cummings Franscious , Fester Veruscha
Published: October 2018

Advanced oxidation processes based on sulphate radical generated by peroxymonosulphate (PMS) activation is a promising area for environmental remediation. One of the biggest drawbacks of heterogeneous PMS activation is catalyst instability and metal ion leaching. In this study, a simple organic binder mediated route was explored to substitute Ti4+ ions into the Co3O4 host lattice structure to create a Co-O-Ti bond to minimise cobalt leaching during methyl orange degradation. The catalyst was characterised by X-ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The as-prepared catalysts with Co3O4:TiO2 ratio of 70:30 exhibited minimal leaching (0.9 mg/L) compared to other ratios studied. However, the pristine Co3O4 exhibited highest catalytic activity (rate constant = 0.41 min−1) and leaching (26.7 mg/L) compared to composite material (70:30 Co3O4:TiO2). Interestingly, the morphology of the composite and leaching of Co2+ ions were found to be temperature dependent, as an optimum temperature ensured strong Co-O-Ti bond for prevention of Co2+ leaching. The classical quenching test was utilised to determine the presence and role of radical species on methyl orange degradation. The fabricated catalyst also exhibited good catalytic activity in degrading mixed dyes and good recyclability, making it a potential candidate for commercial application.
Removal of methyl orange dye and copper (II) ions from aqueous solution using polyaniline-coated kapok (Ceiba pentandra) fibers
Authors: Herrera Marvin U. , Futalan Cybelle M. , Gapusan Rontgen , Balela Mary Donnabelle L.
Published: October 2018

Hollow tubular structured kapok fibers (Ceiba pentandra) were coated with polyaniline (PANI) molecules using an in situ oxidative polymerization technique. The tubular morphology of the kapok fibers was retained after PANI coating. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum of the PANI-coated kapok fibers illustrated the vibration modes associated with the presence of PANI molecules. The PANI-treated kapok fibers achieved complete wettability with water molecules (zero water contact angle) from initially being highly hydrophobic (contact angle = 120°). In the present work, the removal of contaminants such as methyl orange dye and Cu(II) from aqueous solution using polyaniline-coated kapok fibers was investigated. Isotherm studies show that the removal of methyl orange dye (R2 ≥ 0.959) and Cu(II) (R2 ≥ 0.972) using PANI-coated kapok fibers follow the Langmuir isotherm model with maximum sorption capacities determined to be 75.76 and 81.04 mg/g, respectively. Based from thermodynamic studies, the sorption of methyl orange dye and Cu(II) are endothermic, feasible and spontaneous. Furthermore, kinetic studies show that the both processes follow a pseudo-second-order model, implying that the rate-determining step is chemisorption.
Quantification of water purification in South African palmiet wetlands
Authors: Rebelo Alanna J. , Emsens Willem-Jan , Esler Karen J. , Meire Patrick
Published: October 2018

Despite the importance of water purification to society, it is one of the more difficult wetland ecosystem services to quantify. It remains an issue in ecosystem service assessments where rapid estimates are needed, and poor-quality indicators are overused. We attempted to quantify the water purification service of South African palmiet wetlands (valley-bottom peatlands highly threatened by agriculture). First, we used an instantaneous catchment-scale mass balance sampling approach, which compared the fate of various water quality parameters over degraded and pristine sections of palmiet wetlands. We found that pristine palmiet wetlands acted as a sink for water, major cations, anions, dissolved silicon and nutrients, though there was relatively high variation in these trends. There are important limitations to this catchment-scale approach, including the fact that at this large scale there are multiple mechanisms (internal wetland processes as well as external inputs) at work that are impossible to untangle with limited data. Therefore, secondly, we performed a small field-scale field survey of a wetland fragment to corroborate the catchment-scale results. There was a reasonable level of agreement between the results of the two techniques. We conclude that it appears possible to estimate the water purification function of these valley-bottom wetlands using this catchment-scale approach.
Application of the advanced oxidative process on the degradation of the green leaf and purple açaí food dyes with kinetic monitoring and artificial neural network modelling
Authors: Charamba Lívia Vieira Carlini , da Rocha Santana Rayany Magali , do Nascimento Graziele Elisandra , Charamba Bruno Vieira Carlini , de Moura Maiara Celine , Coelho Luana Cassandra Breitenbach Barroso , de Oliveira Julierme Gomes Correia , Duarte Marta Maria Menezes Bezerra , Napoleão Daniella Carla
Published: October 2018

The study evaluated the advanced oxidative processes concerning the degradation of green leaf and purple açaí dyes, as well as the prediction of data through artificial neural networks (ANNs). It was verified that percentage of degradation on the wavelengths (λ) of 215, 248, 523 and 627 nm was 5.95, 49.99, 98.17 and 95.99%, respectively, when UV/H2O2 action and UV-C radiation was applied. A non-linear kinetic model proposed by Chan and Chu presented a good fit to the experimental data, reaching an R2 value between 0.978 and 0.999, for the studied λ. Within the ANN simulations through Statistica 6.0, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) (3-9-4) presented a better fit to the experimental data. However, higher values of R² were obtained when utilizing the sklearn package with Python language and an MLP (4-5-4) model. Assays with Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pyogenes bacteria isolates were performed and it was verified that after employing the UV/H2O2 process, there was a decrease in the toxicity of the solution of dyes. In evaluating S. aureus toxicity, normal growth was observed. However, for S. pyogenes bacteria, it was found that when using the UV/H2O2 process, toxicity was evidenced at post-treatment solution concentrations of 100, 70 and 50%.
Effects of the bottom slope and guiding wall length on the performance of a vortex drop inlet
Authors: Rhee Dong Sop , Park Yong Sung , Park Inhwan
Published: October 2018

Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the performance of a vortex drop inlet with a spiral intake in subcritical and supercritical flow conditions. The water surface elevation at multiple locations was measured for different flowrates by varying the extent of the guiding wall and the longitudinal and radial bottom slopes. The measurements show that a steeper longitudinal bottom slope decreases the water surface elevation at the beginning of the intake, resulting in a transcritical flow in the intake structure. However, a steeper longitudinal bottom slope also causes the maximum water surface elevation to occur within the spiral intake. For an effective vortex drop inlet design, achieving a low water surface elevation throughout the entire spiral intake structure is required. Experimental results show that the two seemingly conflicting design criteria, namely, achieving a low water surface elevation in the approach channel and reducing the maximum water surface elevation in the intake structure, can be simultaneously achieved by adding a radial bottom slope.
Performance and bacterial diversity of bioreactors used for simultaneous removal of sulfide, solids and organic matter from UASB reactor effluents
Authors: Azevedo L. S. , Castro I. M. P. , Leal C. D. , Araújo J. C. , Chernicharo C. A. L.
Published: October 2018

Two bioreactors were investigated as an alternative to post-treatment of effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating domestic sewage, with an aim of oxidizing sulfide into elemental sulfur, and removal of solid and organic material. The bioreactors were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (6, 4, and 2 h) and in the presence or absence (control) of packing material (polypropylene rings). Greater sulfide removal efficiencies – 75% (control reactor) and 92% (packed reactor) – were achieved in both reactors for an HRT of 6 h. Higher organic matter (COD) and solid (TSS) removal levels were observed in the packed reactor, which produced effluent with low COD (100 mg CODL−1) and TSS concentrations (30 mg TSSL−1). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis results revealed that a metabolically diverse bacterial community was present in both bioreactors, with sequences related to heterotrophic bacteria, sulfur bacteria (Thiocapsa, Sulfurimonas sp., Chlorobaculum sp., Chromatiales and Sulfuricellales), phototrophic purple non-sulfur bacteria (Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodocyclus sp.) and cyanobacteria. The packed reactor presented higher extracellular sulfur formation and potential for elemental sulfur recovery was seen. Higher efficiencies related to the packed reactor were attributed to the presence of packing material and higher cell retention time. The studied bioreactors seemed to be a simple and low-cost alternative for the post-treatment of anaerobic effluent.
Alternative use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as indicator for greywater disinfection
Authors: Teodoro Anderson , Júnior Amilcar Machulek , Boncz Marc Árpád , Paulo Paula Loureiro
Published: October 2018

Greywater presents great potential for reuse; if treated correctly and efficiently, it can be used for several residential uses. The objective of this work was to test advanced oxidation for greywater disinfection through UV/TiO2, UV/TiO2/H2O2, photo-Fenton, UV/H2O2 and photolysis (UV) processes, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an alternative indicator. In general, the processes with hydrogen peroxide (150 mg.L−1) mixed in the pretreated greywater and exposed to solar radiation or artificial radiation from UV lamps were the most efficient in the disinfection experiments, with total inactivation of P. aeruginosa. These processes (UV/H2O2 and photo-Fenton) were better fitted to the log-linear/caudal decay model with remaining microorganism for the hydrogen peroxide concentration of 25 mg.L−1. The use of P. aeruginosa as an alternative indicator for the greywater disinfection was very promising due to its high resistance and high natural concentration in the effluent used in the experiments. The treatment applied with the UV/H2O2 process with the hydrogen peroxide concentration at 150 mg.L−1 was the only one that showed acute toxicity, even though it removed a good part of the surfactant concentration from the pre-treated greywater.
Grit particle characterization: influence of sample pretreatment and sieving method
Authors: Plana Q. , Carpentier J. , Tardif F. , Pauléat A. , Gadbois A. , Lessard P. , Vanrolleghem P. A.
Published: October 2018

Grit causes problems in water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs): clogging pipes, damaging pumps, and reducing the active volume of aeration tanks and anaerobic digesters by grit accumulation. Grit chambers are built to remove these particles. However, no standardized methodology exists to characterize grit particles for grit chamber design and operation despite the large observed variability in grit composition. Therefore, this paper proposes a combination and adaptation of existing methods to sample and characterize grit particles in view of proper grit chamber design and its modelling to ultimately optimize the efficiency of this important WRRF unit process. Characteristics evaluated included particle size distribution from sieving after different sample pretreatments, organic/inorganic fractions, and density.
Enhanced removal of chromium (VI) from wastewater using active carbon derived from Lantana camara plant as adsorbent
Authors: Ravulapalli Sujitha , Kunta Ravindhranath
Published: October 2018

Activate carbon prepared from the stems of Lantana camara plant (ACSLC) is investigated as adsorbent for the removal of chromium (Cr) (VI) from polluted water using batch methods of extraction. Various extraction conditions such as pH, initial concentration of Cr (VI), sorbent dosage, temperature, equilibration time and presence of co-ions are optimized. The adsorption capacity is found to be 26.25 mg/g and is more than hitherto reported sorbents in the literature. The spent adsorbent can be regenerated and reused with a marginal reduction in its adsorption capacity. The active carbon is characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) studies. The sorption mechanism is investigated using various isotherm models and found that the Freundlich model describes the adsorption process well. Thermodynamic studies reveal the endothermic and spontaneous nature of physisorption. The kinetics of adsorption is well defined by the pseudo-second-order model. The methodology developed is successfully applied to effluent samples collected at various industries.
Performance and uncertainties of TSS stormwater sampling strategies from online time series
Authors: Sandoval Santiago , Bertrand-Krajewski Jean-Luc , Caradot Nicolas , Hofer Thomas , Gruber Günter
Published: October 2018

The event mean concentrations (EMCs) that would have been obtained by four different stormwater sampling strategies are simulated by using total suspended solids (TSS) and flowrate time series (about one minute time-step and one year of data). These EMCs are compared to the reference EMCs calculated by considering the complete time series. The sampling strategies are assessed with datasets from four catchments: (i) Berlin, Germany, combined sewer overflow (CSO); (ii) Graz, Austria, CSO; (iii) Chassieu, France, separate sewer system; and (iv) Ecully, France, CSO. A sampling strategy in which samples are collected at constant time intervals over the rainfall event and sampling volumes are pre-set as proportional to the runoff volume discharged between two consecutive sample leads to the most representative results. Recommended sampling time intervals are of 5 min for Berlin and Chassieu (resp. 100 and 185 ha area) and 10 min for Graz and Ecully (resp. 335 and 245 ha area), with relative sampling errors between 7% and 20% and uncertainties in sampling errors of about 5%. Uncertainties related to sampling volumes, TSS laboratory analyses and beginning/ending of rainstorm events are reported as the most influent sources in the uncertainties of sampling errors and EMCs.
Enhanced ammonium removal efficiency by ion exchange process of synthetic zeolite after Na+ and heat pretreatment
Authors: Ham Kyujin , Kim Beom Seok , Choi Kwon-Young
Published: October 2018

In this study, the optimum ammonium removal by activation of synthetic zeolite in the aqueous phase was investigated by batch ion exchange adsorption assay, and its surface changes due to activation modification was elucidated accordingly. Among the adsorbents examined, modified synthetic zeolite A-4 was the most effective at ammonium removal. The best activation condition of zeolite A-4 was established by Na+ and 300 °C heat treatment at pH around 6 to 7. Besides, the removal efficiency was investigated under various reaction conditions of pH, adsorbent dosage, stirring speed, and initial ammonium concentration. Finally, the adsorptive capacity Qe of synthetic zeolite A-4 activated by Na+ and heat treatment was determined as 31.9 mg/g at 1,000 mg-N/L of ammonium, whereas that of natural zeolite was measured as 16.0 mg/g. The obtained adsorption data was fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and the Langmuir isotherm model provided a better correspondence than the Freundlich isotherm. Finally, regeneration cycles for synthetic zeolite A-4 was determined for further industrial applications and efficient ammonium removal.
Elimination of typical polycyclic musks in a full-scale membrane bioreactor combined with anaerobic–anoxic–oxic process in municipal wastewater treatment plant
Authors: Wu Chun-Ying , Bai Lu , Gu Feng , Wei Wei , Guo Li-Xiu , Wen Dong-Mei
Published: October 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate the removal of 11 synthetic polycyclic musks in a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Jilin, China, by using a membrane bioreactor combined with anaerobic–anoxic–oxic process. The analysis of synthetic polycyclic musks was conducted with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction. The removal efficiency of 11 synthetic polycyclic musks ranged from 65.9% (3-methylcyclopentadecanone) to 84.6% (Galoxolide) in the influent. Along the treatment process, it was observed that the anaerobic tank could remove the synthetic polycyclic musks effectively whereas the role of the membrane was to the musks, which could be ascribed to the relatively strong hydrophobic property of the musks. The sludge–water distribution coefficients (Kd values) as indicator of adsorption propensity for the sludge from anaerobic, anoxic, oxic and membrane tanks were measured. The high value of Kd, above 5.0 litres per gram of suspended solids, showed most of the musks could be removed by sludge through the adsorption process; thus the removal rate from the water phase caused by adsorption in the wastewater treatment plant can be predicted.
Advanced analysis methods applied to reconstructed and simulated paleoclimatic time series
Authors: Herrero C. , García Olivares A.
Published: October 2018

The results of a simulated CO2 (C) and a global ice volume (V) time series, derived from a simple relaxation model of the glacial-interglacial cycles (García-Olivares and Herrero, 2013), have been analyzed using linear and non-linear techniques to evaluate the ability of the model on simulating the dynamics embedded on the climate system. On a first approximation, we have compared simulated time series with the corresponding paleoclimatic reconstructions, obtaining correlations of 0.88 between proxy-record δ18O (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005) and simulated V, and 0.79 between reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentration (Petit et al., 1999; Indermuhle et al., 2000; Monnin et al., 2001; Siegenthaler et al., 2005; Luthi et al., 2008) and simulated C. Spectral analysis using Fourier transform and continuous wavelet transform are useful tools to quantify the performance of a model for reproducing the dynamics embedded in reconstructed time series. The analysis shows that the model reproduces closely the dynamics embedded in the ice volume time series, but the coherence between the simulated and reconstructed CO2 is only sporadic, indicating that both time series do not follow the same dynamical behaviour, although in the deglacial periods the two carbon series become dynamically close. The analysis reinforces the hypothesis that some specific mechanisms included in the model are able to closely reproduce the glacial-interglacial oscillations and thus suggests which specific mechanisms should be more seriously investigated in the climate system. These techniques may be applied to other climatic time series to quantify the performance of a model simulating the dynamics of the climate system.
Estimation of the significance of the Foster’s wavelet spectrum by means of a permutation test and its application for paleoclimate records
Authors: Polanco-Martínez J.M. , Faria S.H.
Published: October 2018

Here we propose a permutation test -a non-parametric computing-intensive test- to evaluate the statistical significance of the Foster’s wavelet spectrum by means of Monte Carlo simulations. A procedure (algorithm) is introduced in order to carry out this aim. The Foster’s wavelet is an adequate method to cope directly with unevenly spaced paleoclimatic time series. We have conducted time series simulations to study the performance of the Foster’s wavelet spectrum and applied the permutation test to localize periodic signals known a priori by randomly increasing the fraction of missing data (from 25% to 75% of the total amount of data of an evenly spaced time series). We found that the periodic signals are progressively lost as larger amounts of data are removed. This loss becomes noticeable at circa 50% of the missing data and gets more evident when 75% of the data is removed. The signal loss is more pronounced in the high-frequency range, due to an intrinsic bias in the wavelet spectrum. Notwithstanding, the Foster’s wavelet spectrum and the permutation test succeeded in locating the periodic signals, even with a moderate amount of missing data. Finally, we applied our procedure to the oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) data of the GISP2 deep ice core (Greenland) and we were able to detect the main spectral signature of the unevenly spaced time series of the GISP2 δ18O record, i.e., the spectral peak around 1,470 years.
Социометрическая экспертная методика выявления сотрудников органов внутренних дел, склонных к искажению служебной информации
Authors: Марьин Михаил Иванович , Ефимкина Надежда Владимировна
Published: October 2018

The article highlights the materials on the development the sociometric expert methodology for detection of employees in Internal Affairs Agencies, disposed to distort the confidential information at the execution of their duties. The questionnaire consisting of seven questions three of which reflect the relation of the estimated employees to distortion of office information is presented; three questions estimate actions of employees for ensuring reliability of office information and one question integrally reflects valuable orientations and legal installations. The criteria of evaluation the inclination to the distortion of information have been set, they are confirmed by the indexes of behavior manifestations and by the disciplinary practice; the directions of investigations of defining the professional and psychological mechanisms of the studied phenomenon have been defined.

438 employees of 14 territorial authorities and divisions of internal affairs acted as experts, the estimated employees in these bodies and divisions there were only 262 persons. On the basis of results of the statistical analysis the surveyed selection of employees is divided into three groups of rather integrated indicator defining expressiveness of such psychological quality as tendency to distortion of office infor- mation. High level of an integrated indicator (SP ≥ 0,826); low level of an integrated indicator (SP ≤ 0,537) and intermediate group into which employees with the level of an integrated indicator from 0,538 to 0,827 entered. Further research was carried out with two polar groups, which included: studying of features of their office behavior, psychological characteristics, conditions of disciplinary practice, psychodiagnostic inspection of the valuable and semantic sphere, etc.

In the conclusion the directions for studying of personal features of the staff of Department of Internal Affairs inclined to distortion of office information are defined.
HIV Prevalence and Correlations in Prisons in Different Regions of the World: A Review Article
Authors: Golrokhi Raheleh , Farhoudi Behnam , Taj Leila , Pahlaviani Fatemeh Golsoorat , Mazaheri-Tehrani Elham , Cossarizza Andrea , SeyedAlinaghi SeyedAhmad , Mohraz Minoo , Voltarelli Fabrício Azevedo
Published: October 2018

The prevalence of HIV is substantially higher among prisoners than the general population, while the incidence varies considerably in different regions around the world. If we consider Sub-Saharan Africa as one region with the highest prevalence of HIV, data on African prisoners would be limited. Despite the low prevalence of HIV in the Middle East and North Africa, its incidence is rising in these regions with a few exceptions; there are insufficient data on HIV prevalence in prisons. A similar situation is present in both Pacific and Central Asia as well as in Eastern Europe. A high rate of infection is mainly observed among prisoners in Western and Central parts of Europe, since the data from these are more available than other parts. Nowadays, the sexual transmission mode and tattooing are important ways in HIV risks among prisoners after injecting drug use as the most common route of HIV transmission in all regions. However, it is difficult to compare and analyze the prevalence of HIV among prisoners in different regions regarding the limited data and different methods which they used in collecting data. Eventually, it can certainly be said that prisons are one of the high-risk places for HIV transmission; on the other hand, can be a suitable place for implementing HIV case-finding, linkage to treatment and harm reduction programs.
Стан інвалідності внаслідок травм верхньої кінцівки в Україні за 2017 рік
Authors: Naumenko L.Yu. , Ipatov A.V. , Zub T.O. , Mametyev A.O.
Published: October 2018

Актуальність. Травми верхньої кінцівки мають значну питому вагу у структурі травматизму. Складна анатомічна будова верхньої кінцівки та високі вимоги до координації рухів є однією з причин складності лікування постраждалих. Мета роботи — узагальнення даних з інвалідності внаслідок травм верхньої кінцівки в Україні за 2017 рік. Матеріали та методи. У роботі проведено детальний аналіз показників первинної та накопиченої інвалідності внаслідок травм верхньої кінцівки у 2017 році в Україні за даними щорічних звітів обласних медико-соціальних експертних комісій (МСЕК). Вивчалися показники інвалідності за сегментами верхньої кінцівки та нозологіями. Хворі групи дослідження були розподілені за статтю, віком, окремо виділені наслідки виробничих травм. Також проведений аналіз розподілу пацієнтів на групи інвалідності. Результати. Було виявлено, що в структурі первинної інвалідності наслідки травм верхньої кінцівки становлять 9,6 % від усіх травматичних ушкоджень. Поширеність наслідків травм верхньої кінцівки на 10 тисяч населення — 0,39 для первинної інвалідності та 0,77 — для накопиченої. Переважну більшість у групі становлять чоловіки працездатного віку. Визнані інвалідами без терміну переогляду 17,9 % осіб при первинному огляді та 18,9 % — при повторному, ця категорія інвалідів має необоротні зміни анатомії та функції кінцівки. Виробничі травми стали причиною інвалідизації у 13,7 % при первинному огляді та у 8,9 % — при повторному освідченні на МСЕК. У структурі груп інвалідності домінує ІІІ група. Було виявлено, що найбільша кількість уражень локалізована в ділянці плеча та плечового суглоба, при повторному огляді на МСЕК збільшується питома вага інвалідизуючих наслідків пошкоджень кисті та променево-зап’ясткового суглоба. Інвалідизуючі наслідки переломів кісток становлять 51 % серед травм плеча з плечовим суглобом, 41,3 % — серед травм передпліччя з ліктьових суглобом і 25,3 % — серед травм кисті з променево-зап’ястковим суглобом. Висновки. У структурі первинної інвалідності наслідки травм верхньої кінцівки становлять 9,6 % від усіх травм. У досліджуваній групі переважають особи чоловічої статі працездатного віку, які мають ІІІ групу інвалідності. Кожна п’ята або шоста особа з інвалідизуючими наслідками травм верхньої кінцівки має незворотні зміни анатомії або функції. Від проксимальних відділів кінцівки до дистальних збільшується питома вага наслідків травм м’яких тканин, а питома вага наслідків переломів кісток, навпаки, зменшується.
Структура інвалідності серед постраждалих унаслідок дорожньо-транспортних пригод в Україні
Authors: Guriev S.O. , Yaroviy D.M. , Kushnir V.A.
Published: October 2018

Статтю присвячено проблемі інвалідизації постраждалих внаслідок дорожньо-транспортних пригод (ДТП), проаналізована структура інвалідності в аспекті клініко-епідеміологічних характеристик та за ознакою участі в дорожньому русі. Проаналізовано 140 випадків первинної інвалідності, яку постраждалі отримали внаслідок дорожньо-транспортних пригод.