An integrated assessment of water quality in an arsenic containing aquifer: Milestones from hydrogeology to public health

5th International Perspective on Water Resources & the Environment Conference (IPWE 2012), MoroccoA multi-disciplinary research is being conducted in Simav Plain, Turkey where an arsenic containing aquifer is at the center of attention. The study is not only aimed to understand the sources and mechanisms of the presence of high arsenic levels in groundwater but also to determine the associated consequences with regards to human health. The high arsenic levels in most groundwater (N=33, avg. 162 ppb), surface water (N=9, avg. 76.6 ppb) and geothermal water (N=3, avg. 406 ppb) samples are strongly related to high occurrences of arsenic in rocks and soils of the plain, which range between 7.1 and 833.9 ppm with an average of 49 ppm. These values correspond to several orders of magnitude higher than international standards and world averages in water and soil, respectively. With this motivation, this research also focuses on human health in the study area associated with exposure to these high arsenic levels via numerous pathways. Consequently, more than 1000 individuals were personally surveyed by public health specialists to determine an inventory of diseases in the area. Furthermore, a verbal autopsy study was also conducted with relatives of the deceased, which were further verified with hospital records, to understand the underlying death cause. As a result, certain cancer rates were found to exceed national averages and the results statistically demonstrated a potential link with high arsenic levels mainly through oral exposure

Corner contribution to cluster numbers in the Potts model

For the two-dimensional Q-state Potts model at criticality, we consider Fortuin-Kasteleyn and spin clusters and study the average number N_Gamma of clusters that intersect a given contour Gamma. To leading order, N_Gamma is proportional to the length of the curve. Additionally, however, there occur logarithmic contributions related to the corners of Gamma. These are found to be universal and their size can be calculated employing techniques from conformal field theory. For the Fortuin-Kasteleyn clusters relevant to the thermal phase transition we find agreement with these predictions from large-scale numerical simulations. For the spin clusters, on the other hand, the cluster numbers are not found to be consistent with the values obtained by analytic continuation, as conventionally assumed.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Simultaneous preconcentration of trace metals in environmental samples using amberlite XAD-2010/8-hydroxyquinoline system

A simple and sensitive system for simultaneous preconcentration of Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) at trace level by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is proposed. Amberlite XAD-2010 packed in a column was used as sorbent. Analyte ions were sorbed in the column as their 8-hydroxyquinoline chelates; they could then be eluted by 1 mol L -1 HNO3 in acetone. The analytical conditions including pH, amounts of 8-hydroxyquinoline, sample volume etc. on the quantitative recoveries of the analytes were investigated. The effects of the concomitants ions on the recoveries of the analytes column were also studied. The detection limits, corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank, were found to be in the range of 0.10-0.40 μg L-1. The accuracy of the procedure was measured by analyte determinations in certified reference materials (CRM NIES No. 7 Tea Leaves and TMDW-500 Drinking Water). The applications of the presented system were performed by the analysis of some environmental samples including water samples

Efficient simulation of the random-cluster model

The simulation of spin models close to critical points of continuous phase transitions is heavily impeded by the occurrence of critical slowing down. A number of cluster algorithms, usually based on the Fortuin-Kasteleyn representation of the Potts model, and suitable generalizations for continuous-spin models have been used to increase simulation efficiency. The first algorithm making use of this representation, suggested by Sweeny in 1983, has not found widespread adoption due to problems in its implementation. However, it has been recently shown that it is indeed more efficient in reducing critical slowing down than the more well-known algorithm due to Swendsen and Wang. Here, we present an efficient implementation of Sweeny's approach for the random-cluster model using recent algorithmic advances in dynamic connectivity algorithms.Comment: RevTeX 4.1, 14 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, version as publishe

On the Coupling Time of the Heat-Bath Process for the Fortuin–Kasteleyn Random–Cluster Model

We consider the coupling from the past implementation of the random-cluster heat-bath process, and study its random running time, or coupling time. We focus on hypercubic lattices embedded on tori, in dimensions one to three, with cluster fugacity at least one. We make a number of conjectures regarding the asymptotic behaviour of the coupling time, motivated by rigorous results in one dimension and Monte Carlo simulations in dimensions two and three. Amongst our findings, we observe that, for generic parameter values, the distribution of the appropriately standardized coupling time converges to a Gumbel distribution, and that the standard deviation of the coupling time is asymptotic to an explicit universal constant multiple of the relaxation time. Perhaps surprisingly, we observe these results to hold both off criticality, where the coupling time closely mimics the coupon collector's problem, and also at the critical point, provided the cluster fugacity is below the value at which the transition becomes discontinuous. Finally, we consider analogous questions for the single-spin Ising heat-bath process

The role of ITO resistivity on current spreading and leakage in InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes

The effect of a transparent ITO current spreading layer on electrical and light output properties of blue InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) is discussed. When finite conductivity of ITO is taken into account, unlike in previous models, the topology of LED die and contacts are shown to significantly affect current spreading and light output characteristics in top emitting devices. We propose an approach for calculating the current transfer length describing current spreading. We show that an inter-digitated electrode configuration with distance between the contact pad and the edge of p-n junction equal to transfer length in the current spreading ITO layer allows one to increase the optical area of LED chip, as compared to the physical area of the die, light output power, and therefore, the LED efficiency for a given current density. A detailed study of unpassivated LEDs also shows that current transfer lengths longer than the distance between the contact pad and the edge of p-n junction leads to increasing surface leakage that can only be remedied with proper passivation. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

A surrogate model for simulation–optimization of aquifer systems subjected to seawater intrusion

This study presents the application of Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (EPR) as a pattern recognition system to predicate the behavior of nonlinear and computationally complex aquifer systems subjected to seawater intrusion (SWI). The developed EPR models are integrated with a multi objective genetic algorithm to examine the efficiency of different arrangements of hydraulic barriers in controlling SWI. The objective of the optimization is to minimize the economic and environmental costs. The developed EPR model is trained and tested for different control scenarios, on sets of data including different pumping patterns as inputs and the corresponding set of numerically calculated outputs. The results are compared with those obtained by direct linking of the numerical simulation model with the optimization tool. The results of the two above-mentioned simulation–optimization (S/O) strategies are in excellent agreement. Three management scenarios are considered involving simultaneous use of abstraction and recharge to control SWI. Minimization of cost of the management process and the salinity levels in the aquifer are the two objective functions used for evaluating the efficiency of each management scenario. By considering the effects of the unsaturated zone, a subsurface pond is used to collect the water and artificially recharge the aquifer. The distinguished feature of EPR emerges in its application as the metamodel in the S/O process where it significantly reduces the overall computational complexity and time. The results also suggest that the application of other sources of water such as treated waste water (TWW) and/or storm water, coupled with continuous abstraction of brackish water and its desalination and use is the most cost effective method to control SWI. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of different external sources of recharge water and different recovery ratios of desalination plant on the optimal results

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge