Springs Water Quality Assessment for Drinking Purposes: A Case Study of Bsaira, Jordan

Water scarcity is one of the biggest challenges to Jordan. Jordan is considered one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of freshwater availability. The protection of freshwater springs from pollution is among the possible solutions that can help in mitigating the water scarcity problem. In this study, the quality and quantity of water flowing from three springs namely Um Sarab, Dana, and Gharandl within Bsaira area that is located in Tafilah governorate in Jordan were evaluated as potential drinking water sources. During the spring period (March to June 2021), several water samples from the springs were collected and tested for biological, physical, and chemical parameters. Spring water samples were tested for (Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Zn, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), pH, total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total solids, total coliforms, and E-coli. Results indicated that all the physical and chemical parameters of water in the three springs are within the acceptable standard limits according to Jordanian standards for drinking water. However, the biological parameters (i.e. total coliforms and E-coli) exceeded the permissible limits, and this is more significant in Gharandl spring. The field investigation of the study area showed that the main sources of pollution are the presence of many septic tanks and agricultural activities in the surrounding areas of the springs. Therefore, applying Jordanian regulations for the protection of groundwater resources can significantly improve the quality of water in these springs. The total quantity of water from these springs exceeds 1300 m3/day which is considered a significant source of drinking water after local treatment and disinfection

Utilisation of raw oil shale as fine aggregate to replace natural sand in concrete: Microstructure, surface chemistry and macro properties

Data availability: Data will be made available on request.Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This study set out to examine the unconventional use of raw oil shale (OS) as fine aggregate in concrete instead of its traditional utilisation as a pollutant energy source aiming to hinder the depletion of natural resources. Oil shale particles have been used to replace sand in concrete with 30 wt.-% and 50 wt.-% ratios. Part of the used OS particles was treated with silane prior to their addition in concrete. The fresh, mechanical, and durability properties, along with the micro-properties and surface chemistry of mixtures, were analysed by running the slump, compressive strength, permeability, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests, respectively. Five concrete mixtures consisting of 30 samples with the size of 150 mm x 150 mm x 150 mm were prepared to serve the testing programme of the study. The results revealed the formation of a well-bonded interfacial transition zone between untreated OS particles and the cementitious matrix due to the presence of pozzolanic materials in OS. However, micro cracks and enlarged capillary pores were witnessed in treated OS mixtures along with a weak interfacial transition zone between the treated OS and the cementitious matrix. Moreover, the use of 30 wt.-% untreated OS reduced the water absorption of concrete by 9% (absorption rate of 9.5%), while other mixtures experienced an increase in their water absorption with a maximum increase of 42% when using 50 wt.-% treated OS (absorption rate of 10.7%). All mixtures attained a reduction in their compressive strength compared to control sample when employing treated and untreated OS in concrete, with a minimum reduction of 13% when using 30 wt.-% untreated OS (compressive strength of 26 MPa). The strength reduction in untreated OS mixtures is due to the formation of free CaO and free SiO2, which promote concrete expansion. The interference between silane and kerogen in OS was the main reason behind the strength reduction in treated OS mixtures. However, this reduction in mixtures’ strength is considered minimal, allowing for their potential use in different construction applications like rigid pavement.Deanship of Academic Research at Mutah University (Fund No.: 428/2021)

Comprehensive investigation of recycled waste glass in concrete using silane treatment for performance improvement

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. An in-depth investigation of the incorporation of silane-treated and untreated glass waste in concrete is presented in this research. Coarse and fine aggregates were replaced with glass waste in 30 wt.-% and 50 wt.-% ratios, while glass powder was employed as an additive to concrete with 2 wt.-% and 5 wt.-% ratios. Physical, mechanical, microstructural and surface chemical properties of the produced concrete samples were studied by conducting water absorption test, compressive and splitting tensile strength tests, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, respectively. The results showed that the combined influence of glass waste and silane coupling agent enhanced the impermeability of concrete by 87% when replacing sand with 50 wt.-% glass. In addition, all modified mixtures showed a reduction in their 28 days’ compressive strength compared to the control, except mixtures where untreated glass powder was used as an additive, which led to an increase in their compressive strength by 1%. Moreover, replacing sand with 50 wt.-% glass enhanced the splitting tensile strength of concrete by 25%. Microstructural analysis revealed a delaminated interface between glass and cement paste when using silane-treated coarse glass and the formation of Ettringite at later ages.Deanship of Academic Research at Mutah University (Fund No.: 404/2021)

Evaluating the In-Site Sorting of Solid Waste in Selected Educational Institutions – A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the process of in-site sorting of the generated solid waste (SW) in some educational institutions in Ma'an city, Jordan. The study included eight schools and one University. The students and employees of seven schools, as well as the students and employees of the University, had received the awareness campaigns concerning the importance and benefits of in-site sorting of SW. As a control, one school student and employee who had not received awareness campaigns were involved. The institutions were provided with four bins at each collection site (glass and plastic, paper and cardboard, metals, and bread). The content of bins in each institution was collected and sorted manually to evaluate the efficiency of the conducted awareness campaigns on onsite sorting behavior. The mass ratios of many SW components in their designated bins in the reference school (control) were higher than the average ratios in the assigned bins for the same component in all schools. As for the University, the results of the manual sorting showed that all bins included a mix of SW in different ratios; moreover, the proportions of glass and plastic, and metals were lower than the proportions of other components. On the basis of the above mentioned results, it can be concluded that the awareness campaigns did not achieve the stated goals; subsequently, the in-site sorting failed in the schools and the University. Thus, different awareness campaigns should be assessed to identify the best approach positively affect the SW sorting and disposal habits of people

Pyrolysis of Domestic Sewage Sludge: Effect of Process Parameters on Biochar Calorific Value

This research aims to look into a sustainable technique for the treatment, reuse and disposal of domestic sewage sludge (DSS). The purpose of the study was to examine the operating factors that influence the calorific value of the produced biochar from the pyrolysis of DSS. Based on the analysis of the full factorial design, the impacts of the pyrolysis conditions, specifically: temperature, heating rate, and isothermal time on the calorific value of biochar were evaluated. When the pyrolysis temperature was raised from 300 to 500 oC, the calorific value of biochar was decreased by 34%. A 14% decrease in the calorific content of the biochar was also noticed when the heating rate was increased from 5 to 35 oC/min. When the isothermal time was increased from 45 to 120 minutes, the calorific value of the biochar remained essentially unchanged. No interaction effects among process variables were found using the factorial design methodology. A first-order regression model was developed to predict the calorific value of biochar using the magnitude of the effects of the process factors and their interactions. The model predictions agreed very well with the obtained experimental results

Improvement of ornamental stone wastes as sand replacement in concrete using silane coupling agent

This study investigates the replacement of fine aggregates in concrete with untreated and silane-treated marble and granite waste (MGW) in different ratios of 3 wt.-%, 5 wt.-%, 10 wt.-% and 30 wt.-%. Fresh, mechanical, durability, microstructural, and synergistic properties of all concrete mixtures were assessed by conducting slump test, compressive strength test, water absorption test, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, respectively. The results illustrated that mixtures with untreated MGW aggregates achieved a maximum reduction of 58 % in their water absorption when replacing sand with 3 wt.-% MGW, while a maximum reduction of 30 % in the water absorption of concrete was achieved when replacing sand with 30 wt.-% treated MGW. Moreover, all mixtures with MGW (treated and untreated) showed an improvement in their compressive strength at 28 days compared to the control, where a maximum increase of 20 % was achieved when replacing sand with 5 % silane-treated MGW. Microstructural and synergistic analyses revealed that mixtures with untreated MGW appeared to develop fewer microcracks, less distribution of hydration crystals (i.e., ettringite), and higher content of C–S–H than the control. In addition, as appeared in the SEM analysis, the incorporation of treated MGW into concrete resulted in the formation of microcracks that are more noticeable and prominent than the microcracks that were formed in concrete with untreated MGW

A Techno-Economic Analysis of Sustainable Material Recovery Facilities: The Case of Al-Karak Solid Waste Sorting Plant, Jordan

Solid waste sorting facilities are constructed and operated to properly manage solid waste for both material and energy recovery. This paper investigates the possible technical and economic performance of the Al-Karak solid waste sorting plant in order to achieve financial sustainability and increase the profits that return on the plant to cover its operating costs. A standard procedure was followed to quantify and characterize the input materials of commercial solid waste by determining the recyclable materials in the sorting products. Thus, possible different equipment and material flows through the plant were proposed. An economic model was used in order to know the feasibility of the proposed options of the plant according to three economic factors, which are net present worth (NPW), return on investment (ROI), and payback period values. The results inferred that the characterization of the input materials contains a high portion of recyclable materials of paper, cardboard, plastic, and metals, which accounted for 63%. In this case, the mass of rejected waste to be landfilled was 9%. Results for the proposed options showed that the economic analysis is feasible when working loads on three and two shifts with ROI values of 4.4 and 3.5 with a payback period of the initial cost in 2 and 3 years, respectively. Working load on one shift was not feasible, which resulted in an ROI value of less than 2 and a payback period larger than 5 years. This paper recommended operating the sorting plant at a higher input feed with a working load on three shifts daily to ensure a maximum profit and to reduce the amount of commercial solid waste prior to landfilling through the concept of sorting and recycling