Assessing the Water Energy Nexus and Sustainability Benefits of a Closed Loop Water Treatment System in Qatar

Qatar has very limited freshwater resources. This paper assesses the sustainability implications of using bore water and treated sewage effluent (TSE) for residential water supply (for non-drinking purposes) in a residential compound in Doha, Qatar. The treated bore water was considered for non-drinking domestic applications in kitchens and bathrooms, while the TSE was considered for use in air conditioning cooling systems. Excess TSE was also considered for irrigation use. Water quality from the aquifer in the Al Waab area of Doha was used to design a pre-treatment and desalination process to produce potable water for a local residential compound consisting of 113 villas. The wastewater from these villas consisted of both grey and black water and was proposed to be treated in a sewage treatment plant to produce TSE to operate the cooling systems in the compound. The reject brine from the desalination process was designed to be discharged to sea through the storm water network and the blowdown water from the cooling systems was considered for use in irrigation in surrounding areas. A lifecycle assessment of this closed loop water recycling system was conducted to assess the potential sustainability benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, embodied energy consumption, and water consumption, together with cost savings and employment generation from these water recycling options

Organic haloamines in chlorine-based disinfected water systems: A critical review

This paper is a critical review of current knowledge of organic chloramines in water systems, including their formation, stability, toxicity, analytical methods for detection, and their impact on drinking water treatment and quality. The term organic chloramines may refer to any halogenated organic compounds measured as part of combined chlorine (the difference between the measured free and total chlorine concentrations), and may include N-chloramines, N-chloramino acids, N-chloraldimines and N-chloramides. Organic chloramines can form when dissolved organic nitrogen or dissolved organic carbon react with either free chlorine or inorganic chloramines. They are potentially harmful to humans and may exist as an intermediate for other disinfection by-products. However, little information is available on the formation or occurrence of organic chloramines in water due to a number of challenges. One of the biggest challenges for the identification and quantification of organic chloramines in water systems is the lack of appropriate analytical methods. In addition, many of the organic chloramines that form during disinfection are unstable, which results in difficulties in sampling and detection. To date research has focussed on the study of organic monochloramines. However, given that breakpoint chlorination is commonly undertaken in water treatment systems, the formation of organic dichloramines should also be considered. Organic chloramines can be formed from many different precursors and pathways. Therefore, studying the occurrence of their precursors in water systems would enable better prediction and management of their formation

Mechanical Effects of Fine-Wire Climbing on the Hindlimb Skeleton of Mice

poster abstractHigh-impact exercise (running/jumping) can stimulate multiple anabolic responses (increased trabecular bone volume, BV/TV) in the skeleton, but is also linked to an increased incidence of skeletal fracture. Thus, it is not an appropriate treatment for patients with elevated fracture risks. However, multi-directional offaxis mechanical loading can also elicit anabolic responses, even when magnitudes are relatively low. This represents a potential alternative to high-impact exercise for improving skeletal mechanical properties. To test this hypothesis, we raised twelve weanling female C57BL/6 mice to 4 months of age in custom enclosures that prevent (control) or require (experimental) manual and pedal grasping while balancing and climbing above narrow wire substrates. At sacrifice, we measured whole mouse bone density (DEXA) and performed architectural (μCT) and mechanical (4-pt bending) analyses of the femur and tibia. Body mass was similar between groups, although exercised mice were leaner (-35% fat mass). Bone mineral density was also similar, while bone mineral content was increased (+7%) in the exercised mice. Femoral midshaft polar moment of inertia was similar between groups, but exercised mice had lower BV/TV (-46%) of the distal femur and greater trabecular spacing (+21%). Exercised femora showed more total displacement (+58%) and post yield displacement (+115%) in bending than controls, and increased material toughness (+40%). Patterns were similar for the tibia. Mechanical data are consistent with high-impact exercise studies, but architectural data are not. Together they suggest that our exercise model may improve bone mechanical properties by redistributing mineral within the skeleton, and not by increasing net bone formation

Validation of Dual Membrane Treatment for Indirect Potable Reuse

The Western Australia's Premier's Collaborative Research Program (PCRP) project 'Characterising Treated Wastewater for Drinking Purposes Following Reverse Osmosis Treatment' commenced in October 2005, to determine the potential risks of replenishing drinking water aquifers with MF/RO treated secondary wastewater from Perth?s wastewater treatment plants. A brief report on the project won the Michael Flynn Award for the best poster paper at Ozwater 10. The results included those published in Water, February 2010, by Rodriguez et al, entitled Efficiency of RO for removal of Chemical Contaminants. Consequently, this version has been drafted to cover the other aspects of the study, principally the identification of suitable indicators which could be used to validate treatment performance

The patriotism of gentlemen with red hair: European Jews and the liberal state, 1789–1939

European Jewish history from 1789–1939 supports the view that construction of national identities even in secular liberal states was determined not only by modern considerations alone but also by ancient patterns of thought, behaviour and prejudice. Emancipation stimulated unprecedented patriotism, especially in wartime, as Jews strove to prove loyalty to their countries of citizenship. During World War I, even Zionists split along national lines, as did families and friends. Jewish patriotism was interchangeable with nationalism inasmuch as Jews identified themselves with national cultures. Although emancipation implied acceptance and an end to anti-Jewish prejudice in the modern liberal state, the kaleidoscopic variety of Jewish patriotism throughout Europe inadvertently undermined the idea of national identity and often provoked anti-Semitism. Even as loyal citizens of separate states, the Jews, however scattered, disunited and diverse, were made to feel, often unwillingly, that they were one people in exile

An Improved Crutch.

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