Showing papers on "Water environment published in 2010"

Carbon Storage and Fluxes within Freshwater Wetlands: a Critical Review

Abstract: We critically review recent literature on carbon storage and fluxes within natural and constructed freshwater wetlands, and specifically address concerns of readers working in applied science and engineering. Our purpose is to review and assess the distribution and conversion of carbon in the water environment, particularly within wetland systems. A key aim is to assess if wetlands are carbon sinks or sources. Carbon sequestration and fluxes in natural and constructed wetlands located around the world has been assessed. All facets of carbon (solid and gaseous forms) have been covered. We draw conclusions based on these studies. Findings indicate that wetlands can be both sources and sinks of carbon, depending on their age, operation, and the environmental boundary conditions such as location and climate. Suggestions for further research needs in the area of carbon storage in wetland sediments are outlined to facilitate the understanding of the processes of carbon storage and removal and also the factors that influence them.

Toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles to zebrafish embryo: a physicochemical study of toxicity mechanism

Abstract: The biological impact of engineered nanomaterials released into the aquatic environment is a major concern. In this work, the properties of ZnO nanoparticles (nano-ZnO, 30 nm) were characterized in a water suspension (E3 medium), and a zebrafish 96-h post fertilization (hpf) embryo–larval test was performed to assess the toxicity of nano-ZnO suspension. Nano-ZnO was found to readily form aggregates with different sizes; small aggregates (142.4–517.7 nm) were still suspended in E3 medium, but large aggregates (>1 μm) quickly deposited on the bottom of 24-well plates; nano-ZnO was partially dissolved to Zn species (Zn(dis)) in E3 medium. In the nano-ZnO suspension, small aggregates, Zn(dis), and large aggregates might jointly exert influence on the development of zebrafish embryos. The embryo toxicity test revealed that nano-ZnO killed zebrafish embryos (50 and 100 mg/L), retarded the embryo hatching (1–25 mg/L), reduced the body length of larvae, and caused tail malformation after the 96 hpf exposure. Zn(dis) only partially contributed to the toxicity of nano-ZnO. This research highlights the need to further investigate the ecotoxicity of nano-ZnO in the water environment.

Effect of antibiotics in the environment on microbial populations

Abstract: Antibiotics act as an ecological factor in the environment that could potentially affect microbial communities. The effects include phylogenetic structure alteration, resistance expansion, and ecological function disturbance in the micro-ecosystem. Numerous studies have detected changes of microbial community structure upon addition of antibiotics in soil and water environment. However, the causal relationship between antibiotic input and resistance expansion is still under debate, with evidence either supporting or declining the contribution of antibiotics on alteration of antibiotic resistance. Effects of antibiotics on ecological functions have also been discovered, including nitrogen transformation, methanogenesis, and sulfate reduction. In the latter part, this review discusses in detail on factors that influence antibiotic effects on microbial communities in soil and aquatic environment, including concentration of antibiotics, exposure time, added substrates, as well as combined effects of multiple antibiotics. In all, recent research progress offer an outline of effects of antibiotics in the natural environment. However, questions raised in this review need further investigation in order to provide a comprehensive risk assessment on the consequence of anthropogenic antibiotic input.

Environmental issues from coal mining and their solutions

Abstract: The environmental challenges from coal mining include coal mine accidents, land subsidence, damage to the water environment, mining waste disposal and air pollution. These are either environmental pollution or landscape change. A conceptual framework for solving mine environmental issues is proposed. Clean processes, or remediation measures, are designed to address environmental pollution. Restoration measures are proposed to handle landscape change. The total methane drainage from 56 Chinese high methane concentration coal mines is about 101.94 million cubic meters. Of this methane, 19.32 million, 35.58 million and 6.97 million cubic meters are utilized for electricity generation, civil fuel supplies and other industrial purposes, respectively. About 39% of the methane is emitted into the atmosphere. The production of coal mining wastes can be decreased 10% by reuse of mining wastes as underground fills, or by using the waste as fuel for power plants or for raw material to make bricks or other infrastructure materials. The proper use of mined land must be decided in terms of local physical and socio-economical conditions. In European countries more than 50% of previously mined lands are reclaimed as forest or grass lands. However, in China more than 70% of the mined lands are reclaimed for agricultural purposes because the large population and a shortage of farmlands make this necessary. Reconstruction of rural communities or native residential improvement is one environmental problem arising from mining. We suggest two ways to reconstruct a farmer's house in China.

Impact of Water Projects on River Flow Regimes and Water Quality in Huai River Basin

Abstract: Research on the impact of water projects (dams or floodgates) on river hydrology and the surrounding environment is important in river basin management. However, it is a difficult scientific issue due to its complexity. Huai River Basin is a unique region in China with high densities in both population and water projects and is experiencing a serious pollution problem. Based on the extended SWAT model with consideration of dams & floodgates, this paper proposes a quantitative framework to assess the impact of dams & floodgates on the river flow regimes and water quality in the middle and upper reaches of Huai River Basin. The results show that: (1) The dams & floodgates reduced the basin's annual average flow by 2%, in comparison with the scenario of no water projects in the whole basin during 1991-2000, because of the regulation and storage of dams & floodgates. The flow in the non-flood season reduced 5% while the change of flow in the flood season was not acute. The impact of dams & floodgates on the annual flow are different in wet and dry years. In the wet year (1991), the impact of dams & floodgates is not obvious because the gates were opened to control the floods and their main functions are to change the temporal distribution in a year. In the dry year (1999), the flow reduced remarkably in comparison with the flow without dams & floodgates in the basin because the gates were closed in order to meet the water demand. The flow in the flood season increased by 8% whiles the flow in the non-flood season reduced by 12%. (2) There was a certain impact of dams & floodgates on water quality but they were quite different in the different area. It would be changed from the positive effect to the negative effect from the upriver to downstream. The dams & floodgates in the upper reaches played a positive role to improve water quality. But the ones in the middle and lower reaches played a negative role with contribution from 0 to 0.4. However, the contribution of exceeding pollutant discharge was more than 0.6. (3) The joint operation of dams & floodgates to control water quantity and quality will improve the water environment in Huai River Basin, but the key to improve the basin's water environment is pollution control. This research will guide the anti-pollution and the united water quantity and quality assessment of dams & floodgates in Huai River Basin. Moreover it will provide a foundation to achieve the integrated basin management and sustainability of Huai River Basin.

Degradation of common pharmaceuticals and personal care products in mixed solutions by advanced oxidation techniques.

Abstract: Widespread detection of pharmaceutical compounds in water environment has been a serious concern recently, while conventional sewage treatments are ineffective for their elimination. But, advanced oxidation techniques are very promising to remove varieties of organic contaminants in water. This research aims to elucidate oxidation potentials of sixteen commonly used pharmaceutical compounds in mixed solutions by seven advanced oxidation techniques in laboratory batch experiments. The removal profiles exhibited four distinct patterns: a) easily degradable by all seven techniques, b) not easily degradable by all seven techniques, c) easily degradable by ozone-based techniques, but not by ultraviolet radiation-based techniques and d) easily degradable by ultraviolet radiation-based techniques, but not by ozone-based techniques. Ozone-based techniques rather than ultraviolet radiation-based techniques were very powerful for simultaneous removal of the compounds efficiently. Moreover, ozonation combined with ultraviolet radiation was the most appropriate technique for simultaneous removal of the tested compounds efficiently. Increased ozone dissolution and decomposition with ozone-based techniques did not always enhance the compounds' removal. Physicochemical properties of the compounds and solution pH also presumably played an important role on the removal which merits further attention.

Ultrasound focusing using magnetic resonance acoustic radiation force imaging: Application to ultrasound transcranial therapy

Abstract: Purpose: Magnetic resonance guided ultrasonic therapy is a promising minimally invasive technology for constantly growing variety of clinical applications. Delivery of focused ultrasound (FUS) energy to the targeted point with optimal intensity is highly desired; however, due to tissue aberrations, optimal focal intensity is not always achieved. Especially in transcranial applications, the acoustic waves are shifted and distorted mainly by the skull. In order to verify that magnetic resonance acoustic radiation force imaging (MR-ARFI) can be used as a focusing tool in transcranial treatments, such an imaging was appliedin vivo on a porcine brain via ex vivo human skull. Then, by the use of MR-ARFI technique, an improved ultrasound focusing algorithm is proposed and demonstrated for both transcranial and none brain applications. Methods: MR-ARFI images were acquired on a GE 1.5 T scanner equipped with InSightec FUS systems ExAblate 2000 and ExAblate 4000. Imaging was performed with MR-ARFI sequences of line-scan spin-echo and single-shot gradient-echo echo-planar. The in-plane resolution of both acquisitions was 0.9 × 0.9 mm 2 . The total acquisition time of MR-ARFI image was 31 s by the line-scan sequence and 1 s by the echo-planar sequence. An in vivo experiment was performed using FUS transducer, which is built out of 1024 ultrasound transmitting piezoelectric elements at 220 kHz frequency. The transducer was focused into the brain of a pig, which was wrapped in a human skull, in degassed water environment to resemble human treatments. The pig underwent a wide bilateral craniectomy to prevent a bone heating from the ultrasound beams. Two focusing experiments were performed in phantoms using 1 MHz and 710 kHz FUS transducers working with 208 and 225 elements, respectively. In the first experiment, aberration was added virtually to the apparatus by adding random phases to the phase map of the transducer. A simple focusing correction scheme was used, in which the corrected phase of a group of elements was chosen such that it maximizes the radiation force at the focal point. In the second experiment, aberrations made by a human skull were corrected using geometrical and phase based adjustments on segments of the transducer. Results: A maximum displacement of 10 μ m was obtained using 1.4 kW acoustic power on a live pig’s head that its skull was removed and replaced by ex vivo human skull. Aberration correction using MR-ARFI resulted in near optimal focus, as the radiation force was similar to the nonaberration case. Transcranial, MR-ARFI based aberration correction performed better than CT based aberration correction, a technique that is currently used in brain FUS treatments. Conclusions: In the present work, the authors show for the first time a result of MR-ARFI in a live brain throughex vivo human skull. They have demonstrated that aberration correction could be done using MR-ARFI by measuring the radiation force at the focal point. Aberration correction using MR-ARFI is a promising noninvasive technique for transcranial focusing, which may result in near optimal focus and more reliable and safer brain FUS treatments.

The occurrence of Campylobacter in river water and waterfowl within a watershed in southern Ontario, Canada

Abstract: Aims: Quantitative PCR and a culture method were used to investigate Campylobacter occurrence over 3 years in a watershed located in southern Ontario, Canada that is used as a source of drinking water. Methods and Results: Direct DNA extraction from river water followed by quantitative PCR analysis detected thermophilic campylobacters at low concentrations (<130 cells 100 ml−1) in 57–79% of samples taken from five locations. By comparison, a culture-based method detected Campylobacter in 0–23% of samples. Water quality parameters such as total Escherichia coli were not highly correlated with Campylobacter levels, although higher pathogen concentrations were observed at colder water temperatures (<10°C). Strains isolated from river water were primarily nalidixic acid-susceptible Campylobacter lari, and selected isolates were identified as Campylobacter lari ssp. concheus. Campylobacter from wild birds (seagulls, ducks and geese) were detected at a similar rate using PCR (32%) and culture-based (29%) methods, and although Campylobacter jejuni was isolated most frequently, C. lari ssp. concheus was also detected. Conclusions: Campylobacter were frequently detected at low concentrations in the watershed. Higher prevalence rates using quantitative PCR was likely because of the formation of viable but nonculturable cells and low recovery of the culture method. In addition to animal and human waste, waterfowl can be an important contributor of Campylobacter in the environment. Significance and Impact of the Study: Results of this study show that Campylobacter in surface water can be an important vector for human disease transmission and that method selection is important in determining pathogen occurrence in a water environment.

Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract: Fully revised and updated, this three-volume set from the Water Environment Federation and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers presents the current plant planning, configuration, and design practices of wastewater engineering professionals, augmented by performance information from operating facilities. Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, Fifth Edition, includes design approaches that reflect the experience of more than 300 authors and reviewers from around the world. Coverage includes: Integrated facility design; Sustainability and energy management; Plant hydraulics and pumping; Odor control and air emissions; Thoroughly updated information on biofilm reactors; Biological, physical, and chemical liquid treatment; Membrane bioreactors, IFAS, and other integrated biological processes; Nutrient removal; Sidestream treatment; Wastewater disinfection; Solids minimization, treatment, and stabilization, including thermal processing; and Biosolids use and disposal.

Water quality assessment of Wei River, China using fuzzy synthetic evaluation

Abstract: Wei River is the major source of water for the urban residents, industrial production and agricultural activities in the central Shaanxi plain of China. Water quality of the Wei River was determined by collecting water samples from 25 locations along the Baoji Xi’an reach and analyzing for pH, EC, BOD5, DO, COD, F, Se, As, and Hg. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation with the entropy method for weight determination was used to assess the water quality of the river. Results indicate that the water quality of 23 sampling sites fall into the fifth grade (bad level), whereas two sampling sites are in the fourth grade (poor level). The comparison of this method with the typical fuzzy synthetic evaluation shows that it is effective in water quality assessment. The assessment results indicate that the Wei River is heavily polluted at most of the sampling locations, with mercury as the major pollutant. Strict enforcement of the regulations for domestic and industrial wastewater discharges is vital to avoid damage to the water environment and to protect human and ecological health.

Comparison of dose calculation methods for brachytherapy of intraocular tumors

Abstract: Purpose: To investigate dosimetric differences among several clinical treatment planning systems (TPS) and Monte Carlo(MC) codes for brachytherapy of intraocular tumors using I 125 or P 103 d plaques, and to evaluate the impact on the prescription dose of the adoption of MC codes and certain versions of a TPS (Plaque Simulator with optional modules). Methods: Three clinical brachytherapy TPS capable of intraocular brachytherapytreatment planning and two MC codes were compared. The TPS investigated were Pinnacle v8.0dp1, BrachyVision v8.1, and Plaque Simulator v5.3.9, all of which use the AAPM TG-43 formalism in water. The Plaque Simulator software can also handle some correction factors from MC simulations. The MC codes used areMCNP5 v1.40 and BrachyDose/EGSnrc. Using these TPS and MC codes, three types of calculations were performed: homogeneous medium with point sources (for the TPS only, using the 1D TG-43 dose calculation formalism); homogeneous medium with line sources (TPS with 2D TG-43 dose calculation formalism and MC codes); and plaque heterogeneity-corrected line sources (Plaque Simulator with modified 2D TG-43 dose calculation formalism and MC codes). Comparisons were made of doses calculated at points-of-interest on the plaque central-axis and at off-axis points of clinical interest within a standardized model of the right eye. Results: For the homogeneous water medium case, agreement was within ∼ 2 % for the point- and line-source models when comparing between TPS and between TPS and MC codes, respectively. For the heterogeneous medium case, dose differences (as calculated using the MC codes and Plaque Simulator) differ by up to 37% on the central-axis in comparison to the homogeneous water calculations. A prescription dose of 85 Gy at 5 mm depth based on calculations in a homogeneous medium delivers 76 Gy and 67 Gy for specific I 125 and P 103 d sources, respectively, when accounting for COMS-plaque heterogeneities. For off-axis points-of-interest, dose differences approached factors of 7 and 12 at some positions for I 125 and P 103 d , respectively. There was good agreement ( ∼ 3 % ) among MC codes and Plaque Simulator results when appropriate parameters calculated using MC codes were input into Plaque Simulator. Plaque Simulator and MC users are perhaps at risk of overdosing patients up to 20% if heterogeneity corrections are used and the prescribed dose is not modified appropriately. Conclusions: Agreement within 2% was observed among conventional brachytherapy TPS and MC codes for intraocular brachytherapydose calculations in a homogeneous water environment. In general, the magnitude of dose errors incurred by ignoring the effect of the plaque backing and Silastic insert (i.e., by using the TG-43 approach) increased with distance from the plaque’s central-axis. Considering the presence of material heterogeneities in a typical eye plaque, the best method in this study for dose calculations is a verified MC simulation.

Effect of bias voltage on microstructure and properties of Ti-doped graphite-like carbon films synthesized by magnetron sputtering

Abstract: Ti-doped graphite-like carbon (GLC) films with different microstructures and compositions were fabricated using magnetron sputtering technique. The influence of bias voltages on microstructure, hardness, internal stress, adhesion strength and tribological properties of the as-deposited GLC films were systemically investigated. The results showed that with increasing bias voltage, the graphite-like structure component (sp2 bond) in the GLC films increased, and the films gradually became much smoother and denser. The nanohardness and compressive internal stress increased significantly with the increase of bias voltage up to ?300 V and were constant after ?400 V. GLC films deposited with bias voltages in the range of -300–-400 V exhibited optimum adhesion strength with the substrates. Both the friction coefficients and the wear rates of GLC films in ambient air and water decreased with increasing voltages in the lower bias range (0–-300 V), however, they were constant for higher bias values (beyond ?300 V). In addition, the wear rate of GLC films under water-lubricated condition was significantly higher for voltages below ?300 V but lower at high voltage than that under dry friction condition. The excellent tribological performance of Ti-doped GLC films prepared at higher bias voltages of ?300–-400 V are attributed to their high hardness, tribo-induced lubricating top-layers and planar (2D) graphite-like structure.

QM/MM calculation of solvent effects on absorption spectra of guanine

Abstract: Electronic spectra of guanine in the gas phase and in water were studied by quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods. Geometries for the excited-state calculations were extracted from ground-state molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the self-consistent-charge density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method for the QM region and the TIP3P force field for the water environment. Theoretical absorption spectra were generated from excitation energies and oscillator strengths calculated for 50 to 500 MD snapshots of guanine in the gas phase (QM) and in solution (QM/MM). The excited-state calculations used time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and the DFT-based multireference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI) method of Grimme and Waletzke, in combination with two basis sets. Our investigation covered keto-N7H and keto-N9H guanine, with particular focus on solvent effects in the low-energy spectrum of the keto-N9H tautomer. When compared with the vertical excitation energies of gas-phase guanine at the optimized DFT (B3LYP/TZVP) geometry, the maxima in the computed solution spectra are shifted by several tenths of an eV. Three effects contribute: the use of SCC-DFTB-based rather than B3LYP-based geometries in the MD snapshots (red shift of ca. 0.1 eV), explicit inclusion of nuclear motion through the MD snapshots (red shift of ca. 0.1 eV), and intrinsic solvent effects (differences in the absorption maxima in the computed gas-phase and solution spectra, typically ca. 0.1-0.3 eV). A detailed analysis of the results indicates that the intrinsic solvent effects arise both from solvent-induced structural changes and from electrostatic solute-solvent interactions, the latter being dominant.