Tag Archives: water
A new procedure to accurately define Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
The Nitrates Directive of the European Union (91/676/EEC) aims to reduce and prevent water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. It establishes that water resources should be considered polluted when nitrate concentration exceeds 50 mg L-1.
Prioritization of unregulated disinfection by-products in water distribution systems
Drinking water contamination has been recognized as a global challenge. Water contamination due to the regrowth of microorganisms, including harmful pathogens, has been recognized as a critical drinking water quality failure pathway. Disinfection is a common process
What are the chemical properties of water in the world’s deepest blue hole?
The Sansha Yongle Blue Hole (SYBH), located on the Yongle Atoll of the Xiasha Islands in the northern South China Sea, has been discovered to be the world’s deepest blue hole. Its depth is 301.19 m, 100
Confronting the paradox of irrigation efficiency
Why does the term ‘efficiency’, when applied to the irrigation sector, cause such confusion and misunderstanding? And why is promotion of increased irrigation efficiency likely to hinder achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: ‘Water for
Moisture slows down propane diffusing through rocky pores
Natural gases emanate from the ground passing through tiny pores and fractures in silica rich rocks. These tiny pores alter the behavior of the gases passing through them. To understand the fundamental processes involved in gas migration
Is the gravimetric water content true? NIR spectroscopy gives an answer for polymers and composites
A common way to measure water content is by weighting the polymer or a composite sample, using a gravimetric method. This method often overlooks that there is already some water inside the initial (mistakenly called “dry”) material.
Sea-level rise: a big push to increase plant root zone’s subsurface water salinity level
In coastal east-central Florida (ECF) in the U.S. (Fig. 1), plant root zone’s (PRZ) subsurface water salinity level is crucial to the survival of various vegetation species because it is one of the dominant factors controlling seed
Head in the trough
A healthy and alert clinician is safer and more effective. It has long been known that doctors and surgeons work long and demanding hours with changing shifts, in an environment where the stakes are high. The risk
New approach for CO2 reduction
Research converting carbon oxide (CO2) into low-molecular-weight organic compounds is extremely important because this research can not only reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere but can also convert CO2 into useful organic compounds. And, no
H+ and OH− in H2O
The effects of H+ and OH− on liquid H2O have attracted much attention by spectroscopic and computer simulation studies. In this work, we offer an alternative approach; from a differential solution thermodynamic. Namely, we use higher order
Friendly supporter or unfriendly disrupter? Understanding extraordinary phenomena under high humidity for novel oxychloride photocatalysts
Water, a strongly polar molecule made up of hydrogen and oxygen, is indispensable for human beings as well as all living organisms. We obtain energy for our activities mostly from oxidation of food, but tracing this back
As simple method for the rapid analysis of radiostrontium in drinking water, river water and seawater
Radiostrontium (mainly strontium-90, 90Sr) belongs to the radionuclides, which are emitted to the environment when nuclear fission gets out of control. The main source is from bomb fallout. Radiostrontium was released to the environment from 1945…1970, when
Bioelectro-Fenton: a sustainable process for the removal of pharmaceuticals residues from water
Water scarcity is one of the main environmental issues humanity is facing. This situation is aggravated by the constant release of refractory contaminants into water reservoirs due to the incessant growth of the industrial activity. These so
Electromembrane extraction and spectrophotometric determination of As(V) in water samples
Arsenic is an important environmental element because of its high toxicity at the level of parts per billion. According to World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on drinking water quality, the maximum permitted concentration of arsenic in drinking
Active ingredients in personal care products detected throughout the environment
On a daily basis, we use a variety of personal care products, including soaps, detergents, sunscreens, fragrances, insect repellents, cosmetics, and shampoos. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average household spends over
Flocculation/sterilization dual-function starch-based water treatment agents
Recently, multi-function water treatment agents have attracted much attention. Traditional water treatment agents usually possess single functionality, resulting in production of a wide variety of agents at high doses, complicated devices, and fussy operations in practical applications.
What is coagulation/flocculation and chitosan-based flocculants used in water treatment?
Insoluble suspended colloids are frequently the main contaminants in raw water which make water look very dirty. Moreover, those colloidal particles are usually small and also surface charged, thus the electrostatic repulsion effects among them cause the
New account of wetting phenomena at the nanoscale
Can you think of any very smooth surface in nature or in the man-made objects surrounding you? How about a glass window? Glass is smooth, right? very smooth? Well in reality standard glass substrates, and any other
A benevolent anionic ZnII-MOF to purify water and make medicines
Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) are well-known crystalline porous materials comprising metal ions or metal clusters bridged by different types of organic linkers. MOFs have been in the spotlight globally owing to their tunable surface area, functionalizable pore surface,
Can solar driven processes effectively control antibiotic resistance and cytotoxicity during drinking water treatment?
Antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes have been detected in various aquatic environments because of the disposal of both treated and untreated wastewater. Their occurrence in water is a threat for human and animal health
