An approach to modelling the impact of 14C release from reactor graphite in a geological disposal facility

Carbon-14 (C-14) is a key radionuclide in the assessment of a geological disposal facility (GDF) for radioactive waste. In the UK a significant proportion of the national C-14 inventory is associated with reactor core graphite generated by the decommissioning of the UK’s Magnox and AGR reactors. There are a number of uncertainties associated with the fate and transport of C-14 in a post-closure disposal environment that need to be considered when calculating the radiological impacts of C-14 containing wastes. Some of these uncertainties are associated with the distribution of C-14 containing gaseous species such as 14CH4 and 14CO2 between the groundwater and gaseous release pathways. As part of the C14-BIG programme, a modelling framework has been developed to investigate these uncertainties. This framework consists of a biogeochemical near-field evolution model, incorporating a graphite carbon-14 release model, which interfaces with a geosphere/biosphere model. The model highlights the potential impact of the microbial reduction of 14CO2 to 14CH4, through the oxidation of H2, on C-14 transport. The modelling results could be used to inform the possible segregation of reactor graphite from other gas generating wastes

Systems analysis approach to the design of efficient water pricing policies under the EU Water Framework Directive

Economic theory suggests that water pricing can contribute to efficient management of water scarcity. The European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a major legislative effort to introduce the use of economic instruments to encourage efficient water use and achieve environmental management objectives. However, the design and implementation of economic instruments for water management, including water pricing, has emerged as a challenging aspect of WFD implementation. This study demonstrates the use of a systems analysis approach to designing and comparing two economic approaches to efficient management of groundwater and surface water given EU WFD ecological flow requirements. Under the first approach, all wholesale water users in a river basin face the same volumetric price for water. This water price does not vary in space or in time, and surface water and groundwater are priced at the same rate. Under the second approach, surface water is priced using a volumetric price, while groundwater use is controlled through adjustments to the price of energy, which is assumed to control the cost of groundwater pumping. For both pricing policies, optimization is used to identify optimal prices, with the objective of maximizing welfare while reducing human water use in order to meet constraints associated with EU WFD ecological and groundwater sustainability objectives. The systems analysis approach demonstrates the successful integration of economic, hydrologic, and environmental components into an integrated framework for the design and testing of water pricing policies. In comparison to the first pricing policy, the second pricing policy, in which the energy price is used as a surrogate for a groundwater price, shifts a portion of costs imposed by higher water prices from low-value crops to high-value crops and from small urban/domestic locations to larger locations. Because growers of low-value crops will suffer the most from water price increases, the use of energy costs to control groundwater use offers the advantage of reducing this burden.The authors would like to thank the Danish Research School of Water Resources (FIVA) for financial support. Three anonymous reviewers made helpful suggestions that were incorporated into the revised version.Riegels, N.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Doulgeris, C.; Sturm, V.; Jensen, R.; Moller, F.; Bauer-Gottwein, P. (2013). Systems analysis approach to the design of efficient water pricing policies under the EU Water Framework Directive. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management. 139(5):574-582. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000284S574582139

Assessing the Ecological Water Level: The Case of Four Mediterranean Lakes

The ecological water regime in lake water bodies refers to the water levels that enable the fulfillment of the ecosystem’s multiple functions. Therefore, assessing the ecological water regime necessitates the consideration of hydrological, economic, social, and ecological factors. The present research is focused on the assessment of the ecological water level of four Mediterranean natural lake ecosystems, considering their morphological and biological features. Initially, suggestions on the ecological water regime of the studied lakes were made based on an analysis of the lakes’ morphometry. Further, the ecological and biological requirements of the present fish fauna and aquatic macrophytic vegetation were considered. For the latter, mapping was conducted by extensive sampling according to international standards, in order to assess macrophyte composition, abundance, and chorology, as well as species sensitivity to water level fluctuations. The above guided the proposals on the optimal water level regime that should be met by each lake regarding the macrophytic and fish communities’ sustainability, also taking into account the unique hydromorphological features of each lake. The differences in the outcoming results revealed that hydromorphological and biological approaches should be combined for assessing lakes’ ecological water regimes

Assessment of Minimum Water Level in Lakes and Reservoirs Based on Their Morphological and Hydrological Features

The sustainable management of lakes and reservoirs requires the determination of their minimum environmental water level. Even though the assessment of minimum water level depends on a number of biotic and abiotic factors of the lake ecosystem, in many cases these factors are not entirely known and, furthermore, their evaluation is usually a challenging and laborious task. On the other hand, the lakes/reservoirs may comprise an important water resource to meet the requirements arising from economic activities. In this paper, the morphological and hydrological features of four lakes of northern Greece were analysed in order to assess their minimum environmental water level. The hydromorphological analysis was based on the relationship of the lake surface area and volume with water level as well as the water inflow from the lake’s hydrological catchment area, considering as the lake’s critical volume storage, the annual water volume flowing into a lake from its hydrological catchment area with a probability of exceedance 50% of a long time series of hydrological years. By combining morphological and hydrological features, the proposed methodology aimed to extend the analysis based solely on morphological features, and assess more comprehensively the minimum environmental water level in the four lakes, ensuring also the rising from the minimum level to the maximum (overflow) level for most of the hydrological years

Geochemical Modelling of Inorganic Nutrients Leaching from an Agricultural Soil Amended with Olive-Mill Waste Biochar

This work examines in silico the dominant geochemical processes that control inorganic nutrients (Ca, Mg, Na, K) availability in irrigated agricultural soil amended with potassium-enriched biochar (from olive mill wastes) at mass doses of 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 10%. The geochemical modelling step was supported by analytical measurements regarding the physicochemical characteristics of the irrigation water, the agricultural soil and the biochar. Two geochemical approaches, namely equilibrium exchange (E.E.) and kinetic exchange (K.E.) models were applied and compared to assess nutrient release with an emphasis on potassium availability. Equilibrium exchange perspective assumed that nutrient release is controlled by ion-exchange reactions onto the biochar surface, whilst kinetic exchange perspective assumed the contribution of both ion-exchange and dissolution of salts. Results indicated that for the E.E. model, the soluble amount of potassium is readily available for transport within the pores of the porous media, and therefore is leached from the column within only 10 days. For the K.E. model that assumes a kinetically controlled release of potassium due to interactions occurring at the solid-solution interface, the assessed retention times were more realistic and significantly higher (up to 100 days). Concerning the applied doses of biochar, for a 2% biochar fraction mixed with soil, for example, the available K for plants doubled compared with the available K in the soil without biochar. In any case, the use of numerical modeling was proven helpful for a quick assessment of biochar performance in soil, by avoiding time-consuming and laborious experimental set-ups. Validation of the models by experimental data will further establish the proposed mechanisms

Geochemical Modelling of Inorganic Nutrients Leaching from an Agricultural Soil Amended with Olive-Mill Waste Biochar

This work examines in silico the dominant geochemical processes that control inorganic nutrients (Ca, Mg, Na, K) availability in irrigated agricultural soil amended with potassium-enriched biochar (from olive mill wastes) at mass doses of 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 10%. The geochemical modelling step was supported by analytical measurements regarding the physicochemical characteristics of the irrigation water, the agricultural soil and the biochar. Two geochemical approaches, namely equilibrium exchange (E.E.) and kinetic exchange (K.E.) models were applied and compared to assess nutrient release with an emphasis on potassium availability. Equilibrium exchange perspective assumed that nutrient release is controlled by ion-exchange reactions onto the biochar surface, whilst kinetic exchange perspective assumed the contribution of both ion-exchange and dissolution of salts. Results indicated that for the E.E. model, the soluble amount of potassium is readily available for transport within the pores of the porous media, and therefore is leached from the column within only 10 days. For the K.E. model that assumes a kinetically controlled release of potassium due to interactions occurring at the solid-solution interface, the assessed retention times were more realistic and significantly higher (up to 100 days). Concerning the applied doses of biochar, for a 2% biochar fraction mixed with soil, for example, the available K for plants doubled compared with the available K in the soil without biochar. In any case, the use of numerical modeling was proven helpful for a quick assessment of biochar performance in soil, by avoiding time-consuming and laborious experimental set-ups. Validation of the models by experimental data will further establish the proposed mechanisms

Olive mill wastewater: From a pollutant to green fuels, agricultural and water source and bio-fertilizer -Hydrothermal carbonization

International audienceHydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is considered as a promising technique for wastes conversion into carbon rich materials for various energetic, environmental and agricultural applications. In this work, the HTC of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) was investigated at different temperatures (180-220°C) and both, the solid (i.e., hydrochars) and the final process liquid derived from the thermal conversion process were deeply analyzed. Results showed that the solid yield was affected by the temperature, i.e., decrease from 57% to 25% for temperatures of 180°C and 220°C, respectively. Furthermore, the hydrochars presented an increasing fixed carbon percentage with the increase of the carbonization temperature, suggesting that decarboxylation is the main reaction driving the HTC process. The decrease in the O/C ratio promoted an increase of the high heating value (HHV) by 32% for hydrochar prepared at 220°C. The process liquids were sampled and their organic contents were analyzed using GC-MS technique. Acids, alcohols, phenols and sugar derivatives were detected and their concentrations varied with carbonization temperatures. The assessment of the physico-chemical properties of the generated HTC by-products suggested the possible application of the hydrochars for energetic insights while the liquid fraction could be practical for in agricultural field

Hydrologic and Geochemical Research at Pinios Hydrologic Observatory: Initial Results

The Pinios Hydrologic Observatory (PHO) is located in the River Pinios basin, which is one of the most productive basins in Greece. The PHO was established to develop deep knowledge of water balance at the river basin scale and to improve understanding of the major hydrodynamic mechanisms to improve hydrological modeling and ultimately sustainable water resource management. The PHO comprises three meteorological stations, 12 groundwater monitoring sites, and one soil moisture monitoring site, which includes frequency domain reflectometry sensors (SoilNet) and a cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS) probe. Although the PHO was recently established (at the end of 2015), the preliminary findings from data analysis are promising. Calculated reference evapotranspiration (ETo) gradients demonstrate differences regarding their annual cycle, total amount, and altitude level. Moreover, climate analysis indicates nocturnal mountain-valley winds. Groundwater level spatial distribution indicates the dominant recharge mechanisms to the alluvial aquifer system. These findings are also supported by the hydrochemical data analysis (electrical conductivity and, secondarily, NO distribution). Locally elevated NO concentrations are attributed to agricultural activities and call for review of the adopted farming practices. Results from the soil moisture monitoring site indicate a very good match between the CRNS probe and the average SoilNet data. Future perspectives of the PHO include geophysical surveys to accurately delineate the geometry of the groundwater system, the expansion of groundwater and soil moisture observation networks, and the application of the mGROWA hydrologic model to accurately simulate the hydrological processes in the PHO and upscale in the entire River Pinios basin. Finally, in support of the local farmers, we plan to develop and implement a distributed irrigation programming protocol in the entire area of the PHO