774 research outputs found
Continuous-flow laboratory simulation of stream water quality changes downstream of an untreated wastewater discharge.
In regions of the world with poor provision of wastewater treatment, raw sewage
is often discharged directly into surface waters. This paper describes an
experimental evaluation of the fate of two organic chemicals under these
conditions using an artificial channel cascade fed with a mix of settled sewage
and river water at its upstream end and operated under continuous steady-state
conditions. The experiments underpin an environmental risk assessment
methodology based on the idea of an “impact zone” (IZ) – the zone downstream of
wastewater emission in which water quality is severely impaired by high
concentrations of unionised ammonia, nitrite and biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD). Radiolabelled dodecane-6-benzene sulphonate (DOBS) and aniline
hydrochloride were used as the model chemical and reference compound
respectively. Rapid changes in 14C counts were observed with flow-time for both
these materials. These changes were most likely to be due to complete
mineralisation. A dissipation half-life of approximately 7.1 h was observed for
the 14C label with DOBS. The end of the IZ was defined as the point at which the
concentration of both unionised ammonia and nitrite fell below their respective
predicted no-effect concentrations for salmonids. At these points in the
cascade, approximately 83 and 90% of the initial concentration of 14C had been
removed from the water column, respectively. A simple model of mineral nitrogen
transformations based on Michaelis–Menten kinetics was fitted to observed
concentrations of NH4, NO2 and NO3. The cascade is intended to provide a
confirmatory methodology for assessing the ecological risks of chemicals under
direct discharge co
Collective polarization exchanges in collisions of photon clouds
The one-loop "vacuum" Heisenberg-Euler coupling of four electromagnetic
fields can lead to interesting collective effects in the collision of two
photon clouds, on a time scale orders of magnitude faster than one estimates
from the cross-section and density. We estimate the characteristic time for
macroscopic transformation of positive to negative helicity in clouds that are
initially totally polarized and for depolarization of a polarized beam
traversing an unpolarized cloud.Comment: Recapitulates much that is in hep-ph/0402127, with new results in the
last section, and the first section drastically reduced in view of the
previous work of Kotkin and Serbo. Typo corrected in eq. 1
Natuur als luxe of noodzaak: natuurbeleid in beweging
Over het natuurbeleid wordt momenteel volop gediscussieerd. Wat de samenleving in de toekomst verwacht van het natuurbeleid is nog niet zo duidelijk. De wensen voor natuur lijken divers, zo blijkt bijvoorbeeld uit de progamma's van de politieke partijen. Het planbureau voor de Leefomgeving brengt samen met Wageningen UR de maatschappelijke keuzes in kaart. Daartoe zijn vanuit verschillende maatschappelijke opgaven vier oriëntaties op natuur ontwikkeld. Dit op basis van 2 verschenen publicaties: IBO natuur; Brede heroverweging leefomgeving en natuu
Joint replacement in an operational planning phase
We consider the problem of combining replacements of multiple components in an operational planning phase. Within an infinite or finite time horizon, decisions concerning replacement of components are made at discrete time epochs. The optimal solution of this problem is limited to only a small number of components. We present a heuristic rolling horizon approach that decomposes the problem; at each decision epoch an initial plan is made tha
Vertical variation of mixing within porous sediment beds below turbulent flows
River ecosystems are influenced by contaminants in the water column, in the pore water and adsorbed to sediment particles. When exchange across the sediment-water interface (hyporheic exchange) is included in modelling, the mixing coefficient is often assumed to be constant with depth below the interface. Novel fibre-optic fluorometers have been developed and combined with a modified EROSIMESS system to quantify the vertical variation in mixing coefficient with depth below the sediment-water interface. The study considered a range of particle diameters and bed shear velocities, with the permeability PĂ©clet number, image between 1,000 and 77,000 and the shear Reynolds number, image between 5 and 600. Different parameterisation of both an interface exchange coefficient and a spatially variable in-sediment mixing coefficient are explored. The variation of in-sediment mixing is described by an exponential function applicable over the full range of parameter combinations tested. The empirical relationship enables estimates of the depth to which concentrations of pollutants will penetrate into the bed sediment, allowing the region where exchange will occur faster than molecular diffusion to be determined
Beleidsboodschappen Natuurverkenning 2010-2040
Het natuurbeleid bevindt zich in een overgangsfase. Zowel rijk als provincies, maatschappelijke organisaties en het bedrijfsleven zijn op zoek naar verbetering van het bestaande natuurbeleid en hun positie daarbinnen. Het gaat daarbij niet alleen om natuurbeleid in de strikte zin, maar onder meer ook om het landschaps-, ruimtelijk, energie- en voedselbeleid. Dit artikel draagt bouwstenen voor die zoektocht aan op basis van vier kijkrichtingen die zijn ontwikkeld in de Natuurverkenning 2010-2040
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