Channel width,bedform length and turbulence: numerical investigation of flow dynamics over laboratory-scale pool–riffle sequences

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Spatial dimensions of bedforms relative to the flow depth are of great interest for both engineers and geoscientists, and continue to be an active area of research....     

Environmental Exposure of Aquatic and Terrestrial Biota to Triclosan and Triclocarban1

Abstract: The synthetic biocides triclosan (5‐chloro‐2‐(2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)phenol) and triclocarban (3,4,4′‐trichlorocarbanilide) are routinely added to a wide array of antimicrobial personal care products and consumer articles. Both compounds can persist in the environment and exhibit toxicity toward a number of biological receptors. Recent reports of toxicological effects in wildlife, human cell cultures, and laboratory animals have heightened the interest in the occurrence of these biocide and related toxic effects. The present study aimed to summarize published environmental concentrations of biocides and contrast them with toxicity threshold values of susceptible organisms. Environmental occurrences and toxicity threshold values span more than six orders of magnitude in concentration. The highest biocide levels, measured in the mid parts‐per‐million range, were determined to occur in aquatic sediments and in municipal biosolids destined for land application. Crustacea and algae were identified as the most sensitive species, susceptible to adverse effects from biocide exposures in the parts‐per‐trillion range. An overlap of environmental concentrations and toxicity threshold values was noted for these more sensitive organisms, suggesting potential adverse ecological effects in aquatic environments. Affirmative evidence for this is lacking, however, since studies examining environmental occurrences of biocides vis‐à‐vis the health and diversity of aquatic species have not yet been conducted.     

Nicotin-salicylat mit und ohne Tribolumineszenz

The Science of Nature -     

Effect of rotational ambient,discharge and inflow density on the formation and evolution of a density-driven current over a steep slope

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - This numerical study investigates the evolution of constant-flux high density fluid introduced vertically to a rotational low-density ambient through a circular...     

Developing a decision support tool for life-cycle cost assessments

Recent years have seen advancements in the development and use of life-cycle assessment (LCA) analytic techniques. Although these techniques have highlighted the power of LCA to identify the environmental consequences of a product system through its entire life cycle, they have also highlighted a major shortcoming of LCA—the lack of cost information. Because companies make daily decisions that involve trade-offs between economics and the environment, including cost information in LCA is critical for advancing its use as an overall environmental decision-making tool. This article outlines the current state of LCA methodology development, defines key life-cycle cost assessment terms and concepts, and evaluates existing cost assessment techniques with the objective of building an integrated life-cycle cost assessment tool.     

The impact of municipal solid waste management on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States

Technological advancements, environmental regulations, and emphasis on resource conservation and recovery have greatly reduced the environmental impacts of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, including emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This study was conducted using a life-cycle methodology to track changes in GHG emissions during the past 25 years from the management of MSW in the United States. For the baseline year of 1974, MSW management consisted of limited recycling, combustion without energy recovery, and landfilling without gas collection or control. This was compared with data for 1980, 1990, and 1997, accounting for changes in MSW quantity, composition, management practices, and technology. Over time, the United States has moved toward increased recycling, composting, combustion (with energy recovery) and landfilling with gas recovery, control, and utilization. These changes were accounted for with historical data on MSW composition, quantities, management practices, and technological changes. Included in the analysis were the benefits of materials recycling and energy recovery to the extent that these displace virgin raw materials and fossil fuel electricity production, respectively. Carbon sinks associated with MSW management also were addressed. The results indicate that the MSW management actions taken by U.S. communities have significantly reduced potential GHG emissions despite an almost 2-fold increase in waste generation. GHG emissions from MSW management were estimated to be 36 million metric tons carbon equivalents (MMTCE) in 1974 and 8 MMTCE in 1997. If MSW were being managed today as it was in 1974, GHG emissions would be approximately 60 MMTCE.     

Effect of initial excess density and discharge on constant flux gravity currents propagating on a slope

The effect of the upstream conditions on propagation of gravity current over a slope is investigated using three-dimensional numerical simulations. The current produced by constant buoyancy flux, is simulated using a large eddy simulation solver. The dense saline solution used at the inlet is the driving force of the flow. Higher replenishment of the current is possible either by a high inflow discharge or high initial fractional density excess. In the simulations, it is observed that these two parameters affect the flow in different ways. Results show that the front speed of the descending current is proportional to the cube root of buoyancy flux, $(g_o^{\prime } Q)^{1/3}$ , which agrees with the previous experimental and numerical observations. The height of the tail of the current grows linearly in the streamwise direction. Formation of a strong shear layer at the boundary of mixed upper layer and dense lower layer is observed within the body and the tail of the current. Over the tail of the current far enough from the inlet, the vertical velocity and density profiles are compared to the ones from an experimental study. Distance from the bed to the point of maximum velocity increases with an increase in inflow discharge, while it remains practically unchanged with increasing initial fractional excess density in the simulations. Even though the velocity profiles are in good agreement, some discrepancies are observed in fractional excess density profiles among experimental and numerical results. Possible reasons for these discrepancies are discussed. Generally, gravity current type of flows could be expressed in layer-integrated formulation of governing equations. However, layer integration introduces several constants, commonly known as shape factors, to the equations of motion. The values of these shape factors are calculated based on simulation results and compared to the values from experiments and to the favorably used ‘top hat’ assumption.