Measurement of the Quality of Water

If the problem of the measurement of the quality of water were as simple as it was once held in the judicial opinion of the Mississippi jurist Doctor Mason tells about, (1) there would not be the slightest excuse for this paper. It was the opinion of the court that any ordinary mortal could judge for himself whether or not a water was satisfactory for drinking purposes

Swimming Pool Sanitation at the University of Iowa

The University of Iowa has operated two swimming pools since January, 1916, and a third pool since February, 1927. The operation of these pools has been under the direction of the writer, and close supervision by laboratory examination has been regularly applied by means of samples collected daily. The experience at the University of Iowa shows that the quality of swimming pool waters is liable to very rapid fluctuation and that if the pools are to be maintained in sanitary condition close watch must be kept upon the quality of the water and the treatment applied must be based upon such results

Some Experiences with Laboratory Control of Field Water Supplies

The Water Analysis Laboratories of the American Expeditionary Forces began their work in January and February, 1918. The personnel consisted of Engineer and Medical Department officers and men. The Medical Department representatives were almost entirely from the Sanitary Corps and were furnished to the Engineer Department under provisions of G. 0. 108, War Department, Washington, 1917. The organization formed a part of the Water Supply Service which was built around the 26th Engineers, the Water Supply Regiment, as a nucleus

Swimming Pool Sanitation

The swimming pool, being really a sort of common bath, rapidly departs from a sanitary condition, unless prompt and adequate measures are taken to maintain a reasonable degree of purity in the water. Moreover, since various types of intestinal infections, infections of the respiratory system, eye and ear infections, gonorrheal infections and skin infections have been traced to the waters of swimming pools, the protection of the bathers by means of proper treatment of the water and rigid inspection of all entrants into the pool is essential to safety

Waterworks Laboratories

The material which I have put into this paper is a part of the data which I have been gathering for an article on the control of waterworks plants by laboratory methods. The audience which I am considering in the preparation of that paper is one which is interested specifically in the problems and technique of the waterworks plant. Numerical results of operation and quantity weights are naturally of greater interest to them than they are to you. Indeed, the tabulations and deductions which I have to offer to you today are of a rather special interest

Some Problems of Water Supply for Troops

The problems of water supply under field conditions are very different from those of the average city or town, even though the same fundamental principles apply to both. The city or town will in all probability make an extensive and careful survey of all water supply prospects and then choose that source which seems likely to offer the cheapest means of getting enough water that will be safe to use for drinking and other domestic purposes. Once the source is decided upon, expensive pumping and purification plants are erected and a complex distribution system is installed. A high degree of physical attractiveness is required in addition to the bacterial safety of the water so that the plant must be kept operating at a high degree of efficiency. This, of course, requires a trained staff of operators

Influences of lithology on water quality: a study of the Ngam and Mou watersheds in West Cameroon (Central Africa)

The Ngam and Mou Rivers belong to the river system of the central part of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. The Ngam River watershed comprises 51 Ma old basalts, while the Mou River watershed comprises younger, \u3c 5 Ma pyroclastic basalts. The physico-chemical characteristics of water samples from both watersheds indicated pH between 4.2 and 8.2, and 4.2 to 7.5, and very low mineralization between 11 and 246 μS/cm and 45 to 165 μS/cm, respectively, for the Ngam River and the Mou River. Chemical data showed that waters from old, highly weathered plateau basalts (Ngam River watershed) were dominated by calcium and sodium (signatures of feldpars from syenites and orthogneisses), while waters in the Mou River watershed were dominated by magnesium (signature of olivines and pyroxenes from basalts). Mineralizations in the two watersheds are thus primarily controlled by lithology rather than anthropic activities. These results are promising for identifying potential potable water resources in these areas

Ammonia and Organic Nitrogen Determinations in Stream Pollutions Studies

Determinations of ammonia in water supplies go back to the time of Chevreul in 1811. Titration procedures for the estimation of the substance were worked out by Boussingault (2), Bineau (1) and Thompson (9) during the 18SO\u27s. And there are already numerous modifications of the method for the estimation of total organic nitrogen developed by Johann Kjelclahl (6) in the Carlsberg Laboratory, in Copenhagen, in 1883. It is not meant to imply, by the title given this paper that basically new and original methods for the determination of nitrogen as ammonia or in its organic compounds are to be presented. Only modifications of the procedures and of the apparatus commonly employed in these determinations will be described. However these modifications have been found helpful in our laboratory work on specimens of sewage and of stream waters and it is believed that other persons who are required to analyze large numbers of such samples may also find the modifications advantageous

Giant hydronephrosis mimicking progressive malignancy

BACKGROUND: Cases of giant hydronephroses are rare and usually contain no more than 1–2 litres of fluid in the collecting system. We report a remarkable case of giant hydronephrosis mimicking a progressive malignant abdominal tumour. CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old cachectic woman presented with an enormous abdominal tumour, which, according to the patient, had slowly increased in diameter. Medical history was unremarkable except for a hysterectomy >30 years before. A CT scan revealed a giant cystic tumour filling almost the entire abdominal cavity. It was analysed by two independent radiologists who suspected a tumour originating from the right kidney and additionally a cystic ovarian neoplasm. Subsequently, a diagnostic and therapeutic laparotomy was performed: the tumour presented as a cystic, 35 × 30 × 25 cm expansive structure adhesive to adjacent organs without definite signs of invasive growth. The right renal hilar vessels could finally be identified at its basis. After extirpation another tumourous structure emerged in the pelvis originating from the genital organs and was also resected. The histopathological examination revealed a >15 kg hydronephrotic right kidney, lacking hardly any residual renal cortex parenchyma. The second specimen was identified as an ovary with regressive changes and a large partially calcified cyst. There was no evidence of malignant growth. CONCLUSION: Although both clinical symptoms and the enormous size of the tumour indicated malignant growth, it turned out to be a giant hydronephrosis. Presumably, a chronic obstruction of the distal ureter had caused this extraordinary hydronephrosis. As demonstrated in our case, an accurate diagnosis of giant hydronephrosis remains challenging due to the atrophy of the renal parenchyma associated with chronic obstruction. Therefore, any abdominal cystic mass even in the absence of other evident pathologies should include the differential diagnosis of a possible hydronephrosis. Diagnostic accuracy might be increased by a combination of endourological techniques such as retrograde pyelography and modern imaging modalities