Showing papers on "Water environment published in 2013"

Enabling graphene oxide nanosheets as water separation membranes.

Abstract: We report a novel procedure to synthesize a new type of water separation membrane using graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets such that water can flow through the nanochannels between GO layers while unwanted solutes are rejected by size exclusion and charge effects. The GO membrane was made via layer-by-layer deposition of GO nanosheets, which were cross-linked by 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride, on a polydopamine-coated polysulfone support. The cross-linking not only provided the stacked GO nanosheets with the necessary stability to overcome their inherent dispensability in water environment but also fine-tuned the charges, functionality, and spacing of the GO nanosheets. We then tested the membranes synthesized with different numbers of GO layers to demonstrate their interesting water separation performance. It was found that the GO membrane flux ranged between 80 and 276 LMH/MPa, roughly 4–10 times higher than that of most commercial nanofiltration membranes. Although the GO membrane in the present deve...

Energy and Environment: Challenges and Achievements in Rapid Urbanization.

Abstract: Nowadays, more than half of the world's population lives in urban areas. It is forecasted that another 20% will move into cities within the next 40 years, most of which will occur in developing countries. It is predicted that the urbanization ratio will increase from the present 52.5% to 70% in 2020 in China. The rapid urbanization questions the sustainability. Cities require huge quantities of energy and materials which produce large quantities of waste products, raising the problems of energy shortage, water pollution, soil pollution, and air quality deterioration. This special issue, of The Scientific World Journal focuses on those problems that we will face during this challenging process. The accepted topics are on the latest research of (1) energy efficient construction and renewable energy use in cities; (2) technologies in waste water treatment; (3) energy saving and pollution control of municipal solid waste incineration; and (4) urban air pollution chemistry, control, and relationship with energy use. Nine papers selected from the submitted nineteen ones are published in this special issue. Some of the papers were unaccepted only because they were beyond the scope of this issue. We would like to express our gratitude to those authors for their support and contributions first in this opening. Out of the nine papers, two were review articles and others were research papers. The topic distributions are two for energy use and saving in cities, three for water pollution control and treatment, one for solid waste treatment, and three for air quality pollution and control. Below is a brief introduction to each of these papers in this special issue. We will introduce the two important review papers at first. The paper “Recent developments of electrochemical promotion of catalysis in the techniques of DeNOX” by X. Tang et al. has summarized many valuable viewpoints related to electrochemical promotion of DeNOX. The removal of NOX is of significant concern in reducing the pollution and protecting the environment at present in China. But up to now, the traditional ways of DeNOX usually need a specific operating temperature window. Because of the situ controllability in the promoter concentration at the surface of a working metal catalyst, the EPOC provides an alternative way to improve catalysts performance. EPOC is quite a recent and remarkable part of catalysis, and hundreds of papers were written on this topic from the pioneering work of C.G. Vayenas in MIT and Patras University. This will be helpful for the development of new catalytic system with low operating temperature and high NOX conversion for the removal of NOX. This paper is valuable for reducing the NOX pollution of industrial exhaust gas and improving environmental quality. The review paper “The hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide at low temperature: a review” by S. Zhao et al. has systematically summarized the development of catalyst for catalytic hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide (COS), reaction kinetics, and reaction mechanism and has analyzed some problems which need to be solved in the development of COS removal technology. COS, which widely exists in natural gas, petroleum gas, and water gas, is normally regarded as a significant poison for industrial catalysis. Furthermore, not only does COS lead to economic problems, but also affects the environment. It has been proven to be a major source of acid rain when oxidized to sulfur oxide and to promote photochemical reactions. Some methods have been developed for the removal of COS, including catalyzed hydrogenation, oxidation, and hydrolysis, in which the hydrolysis of COS is recognized as the most promising process due to mild reaction condition, cheapness, and higher conversion efficiency. This paper provides a possible guidance for the development of the organic sulfur removal technology as well as the air pollution control technologies. In Z.-p. Zhang and F.-h. Du's paper “Optimization and thermoeconomics research of a large reclaimed water source heat pump system,” a large reclaimed water source heat pump is introduced as well as its design principles and techniques. Water source heat pump is considered among the most energy efficient technologies for providing heating and cooling in urban constructions. This paper has presented a detailed process of the design of a large, complicated system including a distributed heat pump heating system and a combination of centralized and decentralized systems. It provides an excellent example and reference for the future application of water source heat pump technology. The paper “Flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and their development laws influenced by ventilation system” written by Y. Wang et al. has applied a numerical model to understand the flow characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and the development laws influenced by ventilation system to eliminate the pollutants effectively. Based on the detailed analysis using the appropriate method, the authors have drawn several remarkable conclusions that would be useful to the pollution control in industries. C. Zhu et al.' paper “Reduction of waste water in Erhai lake based on MIKE21 hydrodynamic and water quality model” has applied the MIKE21 hydrodynamic and water quality model in Erhai Lake to simulate the water quality and water environment capacity. Erhai Lake is one of the most famous lakes in China and has suffered a lot from the water pollution in recent years. It may be of particular interest to the policy makers on water quality improvement of Erhai and other similar lakes in China. The paper “Research on phthalic acid esters removal and its health risk evaluation by combined process for secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plant” by S. Li et al. has discussed the treatment efficiency of “coagulation-sedimentation-O3-biological sand filtration-GAC” combined process on phthalic acid esters in secondary effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plant, and the health risk is analyzed as well. It is informative and useful to the in depth treatment of municipal waste water in Chinese cities. In W. Zhang et al.'s paper “Characterization of urban runoff pollution between dissolved and particulate phases,” the characteristics of urban runoff pollution between dissolved and particulate phases are discussed, using 12 rainfall events monitored in five typical urban catchments. It can provide useful information for the future control of the urban runoff pollutions in China. “Formation of humic substances in weathered MSWI bottom ash” is the only paper dealing with solid waste treatment in this special issue. It has presented an evaluation of humic substances content in the bottom ash of municipal solid waste incinerators and its affecting factors such as incubation time and temperature. It has concluded that the high temperature may be beneficial to the formation of humic acid, while low temperatures are conducive to the accumulation of fulvic acid. Two extraction reagents are compared as well, and the optimal formula is recommended. The paper “Quantifying the sources of the severe haze over the southern Hebei using the CMAQ model” has applied the MM5-Models-3/CMAQ modeling system to quantify the source contributions to the PM2.5 concentrations in the southern Hebei cities, Shijiazhuang and Xingtai, which may be the top one and two polluted cities in China. This paper has examined the importance of each sector to the air pollution in these two cities. It may be of particular interest to the policy makers in the future air pollution control in this area.

On the importance and origin of aromatic interactions in chemistry and biodisciplines.

Abstract: Aromatic systems contain both σ- and π-electrons, which in turn constitute σ- and π-molecular orbitals (MOs). In discussing the properties of these systems, researchers typically refer to the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied MOs, which are π MOs. The characteristic properties of aromatic systems, such as their low ionization potentials and electron affinities, high polarizabilities and stabilities, and small band gaps (in spectroscopy called the N → V1 space), can easily be explained based on their electronic structure. These one-electron properties point to characteristic features of how aromatic systems interact with each other. Unlike hydrogen bonding systems, which primarily interact through electrostatic forces, complexes containing aromatic systems, especially aromatic stacked pairs, are predominantly stabilized by dispersion attraction. The stabilization energy in the benzene dimer is rather small (~2.5 kcal/mol) but strengthens with heteroatom substitution. The stacked interaction of aromatic nucleic acid bases is greater than 10 kcal/mol, and for the most stable stacked pair, guanine and cytosine, it reaches approximately 17 kcal/mol. Although these values do not equal the planar H-bonded interactions of these bases (~29 kcal/mol), stacking in DNA is more frequent than H-bonding and, unlike H-bonding, is not significantly weakened when passing from the gas phase to a water environment. Consequently, the stacking of aromatic systems represents the leading stabilization energy contribution in biomacromolecules and in related nanosystems. Therefore stacking (dispersion) interactions predominantly determine the double helical structure of DNA, which underlies its storage and transfer of genetic information. Similarly, dispersion is the dominant contributor to attractive interactions involving aromatic amino acids within the hydrophobic core of a protein, which is critical for folding. Therefore, understanding the nature of aromatic interactions, which depend greatly on quantum mechanical (QM) calculations, is of key importance in biomolecular science. This Account shows that accurate binding energies for aromatic complexes should be based on computations made at the (estimated) CCSD(T)/complete basis set limit (CBS) level of theory. This method is the least computationally intensive one that can give accurate stabilization energies for all common classes of noncovalent interactions (aromatic-aromatic, H-bonding, ionic, halogen bonding, charge-transfer, etc.). These results allow for direct comparison of binding energies between different interaction types. Conclusions based on lower-level QM calculations should be considered with care.

Leaf-wax n-alkanes record the plant–water environment at leaf flush

Abstract: Leaf-wax n-alkanes 2H/1H ratios are widely used as a proxy in climate reconstruction. Although the broad nature of the relationship between n-alkanes δ2H values and climate is appreciated, the quantitative details of the proxy remain elusive. To examine these details under natural environmental conditions, we studied a riparian broadleaf angiosperm species, Populus angustifolia, growing on water with a constant δ2H value and monitored the δ2H values of leaf-wax n-alkanes and of stem, leaf, stream, and atmospheric waters throughout the entire growing season. Here we found the δ2H values of leaf-wax n-alkanes recorded only a 2-wk period during leaf flush and did not vary for the 19 weeks thereafter when leaves remained active. We found δ2H values of leaf-wax n-alkanes of P. angustifolia record conditions earlier in the season rather than fully integrating the entire growing season. Using these data, we modeled precipitation δ2H values during the time of wax synthesis. We observed that the isotope ratios of this precipitation generally were 2H-enriched compared with mean annual precipitation. This model provides a mechanistic basis of the often-observed 2H-enrichment from the expected fractionation values in studies of broadleaf angiosperm leaf-wax δ2H. In addition, these findings may have implications for the spatial and temporal uses of n-alkane δ2H values in paleoapplications; when both plant community and growth form are known, this study allows the isolation of the precipitation dynamics of individual periods of the growing season.

Plasmonics for pulsed-laser cell nanosurgery: Fundamentals and applications

Abstract: This review describes the fundamental aspects of pulsed laser interaction with plasmonic nanostructures, and its applications to cell nanosurgery, including the destruction, modification or manipulation of molecular, sub-cellular and cellular structures. The review assumes no prior knowledge of the field of plasmonics and begins with a short review of the basic theory of plasmon excitation and optical properties of nanoscale metallic structures. Fundamentals of short and ultrashort laser pulse interaction with plasmonic nanostructures in a water environment are then discussed. Special emphasis is put on the consequences of the irradiation on the surrounding environment of the nanostructure, including heating, low-density plasma generation, pressure wave release and formation of vapor bubbles. The paper is concluded with a review of different applications of pulsed-laser interaction with plasmonic nanostructures for cell nanosurgery, including photothermal therapy, plasmonic enhanced cell transfection, molecular surgery and drug delivery.

Applications of environmental aquatic chemistry : a practical guide

Abstract: Water Quality Defining Environmental Water Quality Sources of Water Impurities Measuring Impurities Contaminant Behavior in the Environment: Basic Principles Behavior of Contaminants in Natural Waters What Are the Fates of Different Pollutants? Processes that Remove Pollutants from Water Some Major Contaminant Groups and Natural Pathways for their Removal from Water Chemical and Physical Reactions in the Water Environment Partitioning Behavior of Pollutants Intermolecular Forces Origins of Intermolecular Forces: Electronegativities, Chemical Bonds, and Molecular Geometry Solubility and Intermolecular Attractions References Major Water Quality Parameters and Applications Interactions Among Water Quality Parameters pH Carbon Dioxide, Bicarbonate, and Carbonate Acidity and Alkalinity Oxidation-Reduction Potential Hardness Dissolved Oxygen Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand Solids (Total, Suspended, and Dissolved) Temperature Drinking Water Treatment References Nutrients and Odors: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Nutrients and Odors Nitrogen: Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate Phosphorus Nutrient (N + P) Contamination: The Eutrophication and Algae Problems Sulfide (S2-) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Odors of Biological Origin in Water (Mostly from Hydrogen Sulfide and Ammonia Products) References Behavior of Metal Species in the Natural Environment Metals in Water Mobility of Metals in Water/Soil Environments General Behavior of Dissolved Metals in Water Adjusting pH to Remove Metals from Water by Precipitation Your Results May Vary How ORP Affects the Solubility of Metals ORP-Sensitive and ORP-Insensitive Metals Metal Water Quality Standards Applications References Soil, Groundwater, and Subsurface Contamination Nature of Soils Soil Profiles Organic Matter in Soil Soil Zones Contaminants Become Distributed in Water, Soil, and Air Partition Coefficients Mobility of Contaminants in the Subsurface Particulate Transport in Groundwater: Colloids Case Study: Clearing Muddy Ponds Ion Exchange Agricultural Water Quality General Properties of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids and the Behavior of Light Nonaqueous Phase Liquids in the Subsurface Types and Properties of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids General Characteristics of Petroleum Liquids: The Most Common LNAPL Behavior of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Subsurface Formation of Petroleum Contamination Plumes Estimating the Amount of LNAPL Free Product in the Subsurface Estimating the Amount of Residual LNAPL Immobilized in the Subsurface Chemical Fingerprinting of LNAPLs Simulated Distillation Curves and Carbon Number Distribution Curves References Behavior of Dense Nonaqueous Liquids in the Subsurface Phase DNAPL Properties DNAPL Free Product Mobility Testing for the Presence of DNAPL Polychlorinated Biphenyls References Biodegradation and Bioremediation of LNAPLs and DNAPLs Biodegradation and Bioremediation Basic Requirements for Biodegradation Biodegradation Processes Natural Aerobic Biodegradation of NAPL Hydrocarbons Determining the Extent of Bioremediation of LNAPL Bioremediation of Chlorinated DNAPLs References Behavior of Radionuclides in the Water and Soil Environment Introduction Radionuclides Emissions and Their Properties Units of Radioactivity and Absorbed Radiation Naturally Occurring Radioisotopes in the Environment Technologies for Removing Uranium, Radium, and Radon from Water References Selected Topics in Environmental Chemistry Treatment of Pollutants in Urban Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Profile of Groundwater in Coal-Bed Methane Formations Indicators of Fecal Contamination: Coliform and Streptococci Bacteria Reusing Municipal Wastewater: The Problem of Pathogens Oil and Grease Analysis Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Environmental Sampling Deicing and Sanding of Roads: Controlling Environmental Effects Appendices A Selective Dictionary of Water Quality Parameters and Pollutants Solubility of Slightly Soluble Metal Salts Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this Book Answers to Selected Chapter Exercises

Fundamental Analysis of Piezocatalysis Process on the Surfaces of Strained Piezoelectric Materials

Abstract: Recently, the strain state of a piezoelectric electrode has been found to impact the electrochemical activity taking place between the piezoelectric material and its solution environment. This effect, dubbed piezocatalysis, is prominent in piezoelectric materials because the strain state and electronic state of these materials are strongly coupled. Herein we develop a general theoretical analysis of the piezocatalysis process utilizing well-established piezoelectric, semiconductor, molecular orbital and electrochemistry frameworks. The analysis shows good agreement with experimental results, reproducing the time-dependent voltage drop and H2 production behaviors of an oscillating piezoelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-32PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) cantilever in deionized water environment. This study provides general guidance for future experiments utilizing different piezoelectric materials, such as ZnO, BaTiO3, PbTiO3, and PMN-PT. Our analysis indicates a high piezoelectric coupling coefficient and a low electrical conductivity are desired for enabling high electrochemical activity; whereas electrical permittivity must be optimized to balance piezoelectric and capacitive effects.

Advances in LID BMPs research and practice for urban runoff control in China

Abstract: China is at present experiencing a very rapid urbanization process, which has brought a number of adverse impacts upon the water environment. In particular, urban runoff quantity and quality control have emerged as one of the key concerns for municipal officials. One of the strategies being considered is the use of a Low Impact Development type of Best Management Practices (LID BMPs) for urban storm water runoff quantity and quality control. In this paper, the situation surrounding urban runoff control in China is reviewed first. Then the conventional strategy and technologies for the construction and management of urban drainage systems are discussed, while exploring their inherent dilemmas. The LID BMPs are then introduced to control urban runoff in the context of urban sustainable water systems. After the comprehensive analysis of the various LID BMPs, the advances in LID BMPs research and practice for urban runoff control in China are investigated and summarized. At last, the difficulties of implementing LID BMPs in China are discussed, and a direction for the future is proposed.

Haematological and serum protein profiles of Mugil cephalus: effect of two different habitats

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of two different habitats, Faro Lake (group A) and Tyrrhenian Sea (group B), on the haematological and serum protein profiles of Mugil cephalus. Our results showed significant differences of white blood cells, total proteins, prealbumin, albumin and α-globulins between groups A and B. These findings suggest that changes in haematological and serum protein profiles are important indices in monitoring the effects of aquatic habitat changes, representing an adaptive physiological response to different habitats of M. cephalus.

Interface architecture for superthick carbon-based films toward low internal stress and ultrahigh load-bearing capacity.

Abstract: Superthick diamond-like carbon (DLC) films [(Six-DLC/Siy-DLC)n/DLC] were deposited on 304 stainless steel substrates by using a plane hollow cathode plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. The structure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Chemical bonding was examined by Raman, Auger electron, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. Mechanical and tribological properties were evaluated using nanoindentation, scratch, interferometry, and reciprocating-sliding friction testing. The results showed that implantation of a silicon ion into the substrate and the architecture of the tensile stress/compressive stress structure decreased the residual stress to almost 0, resulting in deposition of (Six-DLC/Siy-DLC)n/DLC films with a thickness of more than 50 μm. The hardness of the film ranged from 9 to 23 GPa, and the adhesion strength ranged from 4.6 to 57 N depending on the thickness of the film. Friction coefficients were determined in three tested environments, namely, air, water, and oil. Friction coefficients were typically below 0.24 and as low as 0.02 in a water environment. The as-prepared superthick films also showed an ultrahigh load-bearing capacity, and no failure was detected in the reciprocating wear test with contact pressure higher than 3.2 GPa. Reasons for the ultrahigh load-bearing capacity are proposed in combination with the finite-element method.

Adsorption kinetics of herbicide paraquat in aqueous solution onto a low-cost adsorbent, swine-manure-derived biochar

Abstract: Biochars have received increasing attention in recent years because of their significant properties such as carbon sequestration, soil fertility, and contaminant immobilization In this work, the adsorptive removal of paraquat (1,1 0 -dimethyl-4,4 0 -dipyridinium chloride, one of the most widely used herbicides) from aqueous solution onto the swine-manure-derived biochar has been studied at 25 C in a batch adsorption system The adsorption rate has been investigated under the controlled process parameters including initial pH (ie, 45, 60, 75, and 90), paraquat concentration (ie, 05, 10, 20, 40, and 60 mg/L), and biochar dosage (ie, 010, 015, 020, 025, and 030 g/L) Based on the adsorption affinity between cationic paraquat and carbon-like adsorbent, a pseudo-second order model has been developed using experimental data to predict the adsorption kinetic constant and equilibrium adsorption capacity The results showed that the adsorption process could be satisfactorily described with the reaction model and were reasonably explained by assuming an adsorption mechanism in the ion exchange process Overall, the results from this study demonstrated that the biomass- derived char can be used as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of environmental cationic organic pollutants from the water environment

Toxic heavy metal contamination and risk assessment of street dust in small towns of Shanghai suburban area, China

Abstract: The aims of this paper were to quantify the heavy metal concentrations in street dust of small towns in Shanghai suburban area compared with those in urban area, and examine their seasonal and spatial variations, and to assess their risks to water environment and local populations. Street dust samples were collected from three small towns and urban area in Shanghai in different seasons. Levels of heavy metals were determined by atomic adsorption spectrophotometer analyzer. The method of potential ecological risk index and the health risk assessment model were used to evaluate the potential risks to water bodies and local residents, respectively. The mean metal concentrations in street dust of small towns were far above soil background values but still lower than those in the urban area. No significant seasonal change was observed except for Cr, Ni, and Zn concentrations. Higher metal concentrations tended to be located in central area of towns and township roads. The integrated metal contamination was high and posed a strong potential ecological risk. Children had greater health risk than adults. The carcinogenic risk probabilities were under the acceptable level. The hazard index values to children were close to the safe level. Street dust from the studied area has been contaminated by heavy metals. The contamination of these elements is related more to the pollution source than seasonal change. The combination of the six metals may threaten the water environment and has non-cancer health risk to children, but not to adults.

Review of Campylobacter spp. in drinking and environmental waters

Abstract: Consumption of contaminated drinking water is a significant cause of Campylobacter infections. Drinking water contamination is known to result from septic seepage and wastewater intrusion into non-disinfected sources of groundwater and occasionally from cross-connection into drinking water distribution systems. Wastewater effluents, farm animals and wild birds are the primary sources contributing human-infectious Campylobacters in environmental waters, impacting on recreational activities and drinking water sources. Culturing of Campylobacter entails time-consuming steps that often provide qualitative or semi-quantitative results. Viable but non-culturable forms due to environmental stress are not detected, and thus may result in false-negative assessments of Campylobacter risks from drinking and environmental waters. Molecular methods, especially quantitative PCR applications, are therefore important to use in the detection of environmental Campylobacter spp. Processing large volumes of water may be required to reach the desired sensitivity for either culture or molecular detection methods. In the future, applications of novel molecular techniques such as isothermal amplification and high-throughput sequencing applications are awaited to develop and become more affordable and practical in environmental Campylobacter research. The new technologies may change the knowledge on the prevalence and pathogenicity of the different Campylobacter species in the water environment.

Milestones in Water Reuse: The Best Success Stories

Abstract: Table of contents: Introduction: Challenges of Sustainable Water Reuse and Choice of Water Reuse Applications, Valentina Lazarova and Takashi Asano Production of Multiquality Recycling Water for Reuse Purposes: Lessons Learned from the 15-Year Experience of the Eduard C. Little Water Recycling Facility (USA), Joe Walters, Gregg Oealker and Rich Nagel Role of Water Reuse for the City of Future (Singapore), Lim Mong Hoo and Harry Seah Integration of water reuse in the management of water resources in the Costa Brava (Spain), Lluis Sala Integration of wastewater reuse, for the sustainable management of water resources in Cyprus (Cyprus), Iacovos Papaiacovou, Athina Papatheodoulou Semi-centralized urban water management as prerequisite for water reuse - results of the demonstration unit DEUS 21 in Knittlingen/ Germany, Marius Mohr and Walter Trosch Water for Life: Diversification and water reuse are key ingredients in Sydney's integrated water plan (Australia), John Anderson Role of water reuse for a megacity suffering from serious water shortage in China-Tianjin, Yu Zhang, Min Yang Irrigation of High Value Food Crops (the WWTP of Nosedo, Milano, Italy), Roberto Mazzini, Luca Pedrazzi and Valentina Lazarova Key of success of water reuse for agricultural irrigation: the case of Noirmoutier (France), Antoine Fazio and Valentina Lazarova The Role of Recycled Water for Agriculture in Thessaloniki (Greece), A. Soupilas and A. Angelakis Irrigation of Food Crops in Australia (Australia), Daryl Stevens and John Anderson The keys for success of water reuse in tourist areas - the case of the Island of Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Valentina Lazarova, Vincent Sturny and Gaston Tong Sang The exciting challenge of water reuse in the regional community of Madrid (Spain), Avelino Martinez Herrero, Jesus Diez de Ulzurrun Mosquera, Gregorio Arias Sanchez and Andres Deza de la Casa Water reuse in Hawaii: City and County of Honolulu (USA), Scott A. Edwards Australia's urban and residential water reuse schemes (Australia), John Anderson Recycling of secondary refinery and naphta cracker effluents employing advanced multi barrier systems - Panipat, India, J. Lahnsteiner, G. Srinivasan, R.D. Mittal, (Indian Oil Corporation) Closing loops - Industrial water management in Germany, Prof. Karl-Heinz Rosenwinkel and Axel Borchmann The role of industrial reuse for the sustainability of water reuse schemes: the example of San Luis Potisi (Mexico), Alberto Rojas, Lucina Equihua, Carlos Arevalo and Fernando Gonzalez High Purity Recycled Water for Refinery Boiler Feedwater, Alice Towey, Jan Lee, Sanjay Reddy and James H. Clark Restoration of River Flow in Mega cities: the example of Tokyo (Japan), Naoyuki Funamizu Water reuse for environmental restoration at the Texoco Lake (Mexico), Blanca Jiminez Creation of a New Recreation Water Environment: the example of Beijing Olympic Park (China), Hong-Ying HU, YingXue SUN (Tsinghua University, China), Josef Lahnsteiner (WABAG), and Yiping GAN (the Beijing Drainage Group, China) Japanese Practices for Greywater recycling in Buildings (Japan), Naoyuki Funamizu In-building Water Recycling in New York City (USA), Yanjin Liu, Eugenio Giraldo, and Mark LeChevallier Semi-decentralized Water Recycling in Mega cities: the example of Tokyo Shinjuku (Japan), Naoyuki Funamizu Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System (California), R. Chalmer, P. Mehul and D. Thompson Lessons Learned from the Torreele Groundwater Recharge (Belgium), Emmanuel Van Houtte The Occoquan Experience - First and Most Mature Planned, Surface Water, Potable Reuse Project in the World (USA), Robert Angelotti The water reuse scheme of Western Corridor (Australia), Troy Walker et al More than 40 years of direct potable reuse experience in Windhoek, (Namibia), J. Lahnsteiner, P. du Pisani, J. Menge, J. Esterhuize.

Colloidal diatomite, radionickel, and humic substance interaction: a combined batch, XPS, and EXAFS investigation

Abstract: This work determined the influence of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) on the interaction mechanism and microstructure of Ni(II) onto diatomite by using batch experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) methods. Macroscopic and spectroscopic experiments have been combined to see the evolution of the interaction mechanism and microstructure of Ni(II) in the presence of HA/FA as compared with that in the absence of HA/FA. The results indicated that the interaction of Ni(II) with diatomite presents the expected solution pH edge at 7.0, which is modified by addition of HA/FA. In the presence of HA/FA, the interaction of Ni(II) with diatomite increased below solution pH 7.0, while Ni(II) interaction decreased above solution pH 7.0. XPS analysis suggested that the enrichment of Ni(II) onto diatomite may be due to the formation of (≡SO)2Ni. EXAFS results showed that binary surface complexes and ternary surface complexes of Ni(II) can be simultaneously formed in the presence of HA/FA, whereas only binary surface complexes of Ni(II) are formed in the absence of HA/FA, which contribute to the enhanced Ni(II) uptake at low pH values. The results observed in this work are important for the evaluation of Ni(II) and related radionuclide physicochemical behavior in the natural soil and water environment.

Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals in river water in Japan and assessment of their environmental risk

Abstract: The existence of pharmaceuticals in the water environment is thought to be a potential problem for aquatic organisms. In this study, we conducted a nationwide survey to clarify the occurrence of 24 selected pharmaceuticals in major Japanese rivers and evaluated their environmental risk to aquatic organisms. We found a total of 22 substances in river waters at concentrations from several nanograms per liter to several micrograms per liter. We found the highest, which was 2.4 μg/L of caffeine, followed by 1.5 μg/L of crotamiton and 1.4 μg/L of sulpiride. We conducted an environmental risk assessment of the 22 pharmaceuticals detected in river water, for which predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) values for crustacea and algae had been obtained. The measured environmental concentration/PNEC values of four substances, caffeine, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, and ketoprofen, exceeded 0.1 with the maximum value of 9.0 for clarithromycin. As clarithromycin exhibits a high environmental risk to aquatic organisms, particular attention is required.

Sensing in 15 s for aqueous fluoride anion by water-insoluble fluorescent probe incorporating hydrogel.

Abstract: Anion recognition and sensing via artificial receptors have attracted a great deal of attention since they play a fundamental and important role in chemical, biological, medical, and environmental processes. Fluoride, as one of the smallest anions, is of particular interest because of its role in dental care and the analysis of drinking water. Herein, we invented a new method for F– detection by adopting the hydrogel as the supporter of reaction between a water insoluble fluorescent probe and F– in the water environment. This method is highly rapid, selective, and sensitive, which can determine F– levels in 15 s at the drinking water standard. A novel compound N-(3-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyloxy)phenyl) acetamide (BTBPA) was synthesized as the fluorescent probe because of the significant fluorescent color change from blue to green after the reaction with F–. This method does not require the probe substances to be water-soluble, which greatly expands the range of the specific fluoresc...

Coal mining impacts on water environs around the Barapukuria coal mining area, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Abstract: The present research makes an effort towards awareness of the impact of underground coal mining on water environment around the Barapukuria coal mining area, Dinajpur by direct field investigation, questionnaire survey and laboratory analysis. For this research, the three foremost errands have been mulled over which are the water level data analysis for 10 years from 2001 to 2011, ground water major parametric analysis and the questionnaire survey on the availability of ground water before and after coal mining operation. The results of field and laboratory analysis show that the characteristics and concentrations of all the major physical and chemical parameters such as pH, EC, Temperature, HCO3 −, NO3 −, SO4 2−, Cl−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and Fe(total) are still tolerable for all purposes and also within the standard limit. On the other hand, the questionnaire survey and water level data analysis confirm almost similar results regarding the depletion of water level. The water level has depleted more than 5 m from 2001 to 2011. Therefore, currently the availability of ground water is normal in the rainy and winter seasons but is slight problematic in the dry season where ground water was available at all times prior to coal mining in the area. From these scenarios, it is comprehensible that the ground water level moves downwards than earlier because of the excess pumping of water from the mine area. Besides the natural recharge condition is not enough and somewhere breaks off while some of the mines out areas are subsided, consequently the upper part of the water bearing formations (aquifer) loses its porous and permeable properties resulting water recharging problem which is directly responsible for depleting the ground water level over the area. Moreover, the water levels will also decline relative to the location, depth, recharge, and discharge conditions of the mine both aerially and vertically while there is a typical relationship between the depth of mining and static water level which is water levels will decline more as the mine goes deeper. Therefore, taking into account the current ground water condition and the depth of Barapukuria coal mine, this research implied that the water level will deplete more in day coming and the water crisis will be more for future. Thus, this research recommends a sustainable guideline for long-term planning and also suggests that regular monitoring with time to time more detail qualitative and quantitative assessments of water bodies in the area.

Dolomite formation in the shallow seas of the Alpine Triassic

Abstract: The Alpine Triassic units of Switzerland, Northern Italy and Western Austria offer an extensive geological archive, in which the enigmatic process of dolomite formation can be studied in a palaeoenvironmental context. Recent studies clearly demonstrate that large amounts of the Alpine Triassic dolomites are late diagenetic or hydrothermal. Nevertheless, as part of multiple generations of diagenetic overprint, some generations of fine-crystalline, Ca-rich dolomite appear strictly confined to their depositional facies and show signs of very early formation at surface temperatures in specific ancient depositional environments. In this review, three cases of Alpine Triassic dolomites are discussed, where dolomite rocks may have formed during or soon after sedimentation. The sedimentary facies indicate contrasting palaeoenvironmental conditions and, hence, document three different possible processes of dolomite formation: (i) In the Dolomite Mountains (Northern Italy), dolomite beds of the partly isolated Middle Triassic (Anisian/Ladinian) Latemar Platform are confined to the very top of shallowing-upward lagoonal facies cycles. (ii) Dolomite beds of the San Giorgio Basin (Southern Switzerland), an intra-platform basin that opened during the Anisian/Ladinian transition, are associated with organic carbon-rich shales, which were deposited in a deeper water environment under anoxic conditions. (iii) In the entirely dolomitized platform facies of the Dolomia Principale (Hauptdolomit Formation), a very early generation of fine-crystalline dolomite occurs in the shallowest part of evaporative peritidal cycles. This platform extended over thousands of square kilometres along the Tethys margin during the Late Triassic (Carnian and Norian) and large amounts of carbonate were deposited under hypersaline sabkha-like conditions. Representing three distinct depositional environments, these three different Triassic systems show features in common with several dolomitization models developed from the study of modern dolomite-forming environments; for example, the sabkha model, the evaporative lagoon/lake model, the organogenic model and the microbial model. Although these actualistic models may be applicable to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions during dolomite formation, dolomite-forming processes during the Triassic were apparently quite different from the modern world in terms of distribution and scale. Recent developments in stable-isotope geochemistry and high-resolution geochemical probing offer the possibility to make better reconstructions of Triassic palaeoceanographic conditions and suggest a non-actualistic approach to better understand dolomite formation during the Triassic.

Who possesses drug resistance genes in the aquatic environment?: sulfamethoxazole (SMX) resistance genes among the bacterial community in water environment of Metro-Manila, Philippines.

Abstract: Recent evidence has shown that antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) are ubiquitous in natural environments, including sites considered pristine. To understand the origin of ARGs and their dynamics, we must first define their actual presence in the natural bacterial assemblage. Here we found varying distribution profiles of sul genes in “colony forming bacterial assemblages” and “natural bacterial assemblages”. Our monitoring for antibiotic contamination revealed that sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a major contaminant in aquatic environments of Metro-Manila, which would have been derived from human and animal use, and subsequently decreased through the process of outflow from source to the sea. The SMX-resistant bacterial rate evaluated by the colony forming unit showed 10 to 86 % of the total colony numbers showed higher rates from freshwater sites compared to marine sites. When sul genes were quantified by qPCR, colony-forming bacteria conveyed sul1 and sul2 genes in freshwater and seawater (10-5-10-2 copy/16S) but not sul3. Among the natural bacterial assemblage, all sul1, sul2 and sul3 were detected (10-5-10-3 copy/16S), whereas all sul genes were at an almost non-detectable level in the freshwater assemblage. This study suggests that sul1 and sul2 are main sul genes in culturable bacteria, whereas sul3 is conveyed by non-culturable bacteria in the sea. As a result marine bacteria possess sul1, sul2 and sul3 genes in the marine environment.

Polystyrene nanofiber materials modified with an externally bound porphyrin photosensitizer.

Abstract: Polystyrene ion-exchange nanofiber materials with large surface areas and adsorption capacities were prepared by electrospinning followed by the sulfonation and adsorption of a cationic 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMPyP) photosensitizer on the nanofiber surfaces. The morphology, structure, and photophysical properties of these nanofiber materials were characterized by microscopic methods and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and absorption spectroscopies. The externally bound TMPyP can be excited by visible light to form triplet states and singlet oxygen O2((1)Δg) and singlet oxygen-sensitized delayed fluorescence (SODF). The photophysical properties of the nanofibers were strongly dependent on the amount of bound TMPyP molecules and their organization on the nanofiber surfaces. The nanofibers demonstrated photooxidative activity toward inorganic and organic molecules and antibacterial activity against E. coli due to the sensitized formation of O2((1)Δg) that is an effective oxidation/cytotoxic agent. The nanofiber materials also adsorbed heavy metal cations (Pb(2+)) and removed them from the water environment.

Probing water micro-solvation in proteins by water catalysed proton-transfer tautomerism

Abstract: Detailed knowledge of the water environment within proteins may lead to an increased understanding of protein folding and function. Here the authors present a tryptophan analogue with remarkable water catalysed proton-transfer properties that may be exploited for site-specific water sensing.

The multi-configuration self-consistent field method within a polarizable embedded framework.

Abstract: We present a detailed derivation of Multi-Configuration Self-Consistent Field (MCSCF) optimization and linear response equations within the polarizable embedding scheme: PE-MCSCF. The MCSCF model enables a proper description of multiconfigurational effects in reaction paths, spin systems, excited states, and other properties which cannot be described adequately with current implementations of polarizable embedding in density functional or coupled cluster theories. In the PE-MCSCF scheme the environment surrounding the central quantum mechanical system is represented by distributed multipole moments and anisotropic dipole-dipole polarizabilities. The PE-MCSCF model has been implemented in DALTON. As a preliminary application, the low lying valence states of acetone and uracil in water has been calculated using Complete Active Space Self-Consistent Field (CASSCF) wave functions. The dynamics of the water environment have been simulated using a series of snapshots generated from classical Molecular Dynamics. The calculated shifts from gas-phase to water display between good and excellent correlation with experiment and previous calculations. As an illustration of another area of potential applications we present calculations of electronic transitions in the transition metal complex, [Fe(NO)(CN)5]2 − in a micro-solvated environment. This system is highly multiconfigurational and the influence of solvation is significant.