A Bayesian approach for incorporating uncertainty and data worth in environmental projects

A data worth model is presented for the analysis of alternative sampling schemes in a special project where decisions have to be made under uncertainty. This model is part of a comprehensive risk analysis algorthm with the acronym BUDA. The statistical framework in BUDA is Bayesian in nature and incorporates both parameter uncertainty and natural variability. In BUDA a project iterates among the analyst, the decision maker, and the field work. As part of the analysis, a data worth model calculates the value of a data campaign before the actual field work, thereby allowing the identification of an optimum data collection scheme. A goal function which depicts the objectives of a project is used to discriminate among different alternatives. A Latin hypercube sampling scheme is used to propagate parameter uncertainties to the goal function. In our example the uncertain parameters are the parameters which describe the geostatistical properties of saturated hydraulic conductivity in a Molasse environment. Our results indicated that failing to account for parameter uncertainty produces unrealistically optimistic results, while ignoring the spatial structure can lead to an inefficient use of the existing data.     

Three-dimensional ultrasound in evaluating the fetus

In recent years three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound has made a place in clinical practice and has become a major field of research in obstetrics. In this article we will review the diagnostic performance of the most widely used 3D ultrasound applications in the assessment of fetal anomalies, explain the technique to gain correct 3D images and offer some practical advice for their efficient use. Examples are given to demonstrate the applicability and vividness of 3D in daily routine. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The analytical framework of water and armed conflict: a focus on the 2006 Summer War between Israel and Lebanon

This paper develops an analytical framework to investigate the relationship between water and armed conflict, and applies it to the ‘Summer War’ of 2006 between Israel and Lebanon (Hezbollah). The framework broadens and deepens existing classifications by assessing the impact of acts of war as indiscriminate or targeted, and evaluating them in terms of international norms and law, in particular International Humanitarian Law (IHL). In the case at hand, the relationship is characterised by extensive damage in Lebanon to drinking water infrastructure and resources. This is seen as a clear violation of the letter and the spirit of IHL, while the partial destruction of more than 50 public water towers compromises water rights and national development goals. The absence of pre‐war environmental baselines makes it difficult to gauge the impact on water resources, suggesting a role for those with first‐hand knowledge of the hostilities to develop a more effective response before, during, and after armed conflict.     

Automatic detection of shoreline change: case of North Sinai coast,Egypt

This paper introduces an appropriate visualization of how to effectively digitize, quantify and predict shoreline kinematics changes. The method relies mainly on the coupling of Geographic Information System (GIS) with Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). The North Sinai coast in Egypt is selected as a case study. The proposed technique is applied over a quarter-centennial period of 27 years (1989–2016). However, the years 2025, 2035, and 2050 are used for prediction purpose. Histogram threshold of band 5, Histogram threshold of band ratio, and Tasselled Cap Transformation (TCT) are initially tempted as semi-automatic shoreline extraction techniques for Landsat ETM 2010 imagery. Among of them, the TCT is found superior as a digitizing technique that attains the least normalized root mean square errors with the corresponding field data in 2010. Meanwhile, the shoreline change rates in the form of erosion/accretion patterns are automatically quantified by four statistical parameters functioned in DSAS coding. Those, namely end point rate (EPR), net shoreline movement (NSM), linear regression rate (LRR), and least median of squares (LMS). On the basis of the LRR and EPR results, this study offers to the coastal managers a highly reliable decision-support-algorism that can dynamically assist in elaborating strategies to curtail the non-affirmative consequences due to the erosion/accretion of the shoreline.     

Pollution profile of damodar river sediment in Raniganj-Durgapur industrial belt,West Bengal,India

This paper reports on the pollution profile of Damodar river sediment as obtained from analysis of the river sediment at suitable selected sites in the Raniganj-Durgapur industrial belt, West Bengal, India. The parameters measured include (a) silica, mixed oxide, calcium, magnesium, total water-soluble exchangeable cation and anion, chemical oxygen demand, and (b) some toxic and other elements, such as sodium, potassium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, manganese, lead, zinc, cobalt, copper, iron nickel, phosphorus, sulphur, and vanadium. The parameters listed under (a) led to the characterization of the sediment, and those under (b) gave an index of metal pollution of the sediment. The elements were estimated by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry.     

Simultaneous Concentration of Enteric Viruses and Protozoan Parasites: A Protocol Based on Tangential Flow Filtration and Adapted to Large Volumes of Surface and Drinking Waters

A filtration system, based on tangential flow filtration (TFF) followed by ultracentrifugation was developed in order to concentrate simultaneously viruses and parasites from large volumes of water. For TFF, no pre-treatment of the membrane is performed but a post-rinsing step using high pH-beef extract-based eluant. Applying our protocol to 20 l of surface waters spiked with vaccinal poliovirus-1, ϕX174 and MS2 bacteriophages resulted in an averaged viral recovery of 75% by TFF and 91% by ultracentrifugation (total viral recovery of 70%). Our protocol was further applied to 31 environmental samples including surface, ground and drinking waters from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in order to assess the occurrence of protozoan parasites (Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia (oo)cysts), pathogenic viruses (enterovirus, norovirus and adenovirus) and infectious bacteriophages (somatic coliphages and F-specific phages) in these samples. High viral recovery rates of > 70% were confirmed concentrating environmental strains of somatic and F-specific coliphages from non-spiked surface waters. Parasites and enteric viruses were detected in 86 and 40% of the surface waters used for drinking water production, respectively. Infectious bacteriophages were isolated from all surface waters and in two out of seven (29%) groundwaters revealing a susceptibility of the corresponding wells to viral pollution. TFF-based method proved to be efficient for surveying the occurrence of non-bacterial pathogens such as enteric viruses and protozoan parasites in large volumes of environmental waters.     

A critical review with emphasis on recent pieces of evidence of Moringa oleifera biosorption in water and wastewater treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The increasing demand for using competent and inexpensive methods based on biomaterials, like adsorption and biosorption, has given rise...