SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF TIDAL FLUCTUATIONS IN GROUND WATER LEVEL1

ABSTRACT: Water level data at 16 ground water wells and two sea water gauging stations, coupled with barometric measurements in an alluvial plain in the central‐west region of Taiwan, are analyzed using spectral analysis in the time and frequency domains. The semi‐diurnal component from water level station is observed to be the most noticeable signal while the diurnal component is the less distinct signal recorded at the water level stations. Both semidiurnal and diurnal components are coupled with atmospheric pressure measurements. From the atmospheric pressure data, spectral analysis indicates that both the raw and the pressure adjusted water levels are almost in phase and retain the same amplitude in this area. It implies that the effect of pressure variations is not significant for the sea water and ground water level nearby; the astronomical tidal components, as expected, are the main factor causing fluctuation of ocean water and ground water levels in the Choshuihsi alluvial plain.     

Numerical modelling of uncongested wood transport in the Rienz river

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - The Eulerian–Lagrangian model ORSA2D_WT is employed for the simulation of uncongested wood transport, with reference to a field experiment that studied the...     

Radioactive Isotopes of Strontium, Caesium and Plutonium in Sediments of the Northern Adriatic Sea

Sediment samples of different strata (0-3 and 12-15 cm) were collected between 1990 and 1992 during seasonal cruises in the Northern Adriatic Sea. A complete mapping of the Sr-90, Cs-137, Pu-238 and Pu-239(240) concentrations was obtained for samples covering a wide area, stretching from the Gulf of Trieste towards the Ancona shoreline. Sr-90 concentrations varied between 1.5 and 6.5 Bq kg^-1 dw, Cs-137 was in the range 0.9-38.9 Bq kg^-1 dw, Pu-239(240) in the range 0.08-1.5 Bq kg^-1 dw and Pu-238 around 0.03 Bq kg^-1 dw. Special reference was also put on the comparison between the off-shore environment and data obtained from samples collected inside the Po river delta. in spite of the major accumulation of Cs-137 inside the estuarine environment, higher concentrations of strontium and plutonium isotopes were detected in the offshore environment.     

OPTIMUM STORAGE VOLUME OF ROOFTOP RAIN WATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS FOR DOMESTIC USE1

ABSTRACT: Major parameters and optimum storage volumes of rooftop rain water harvesting systems (RRWHSs) have not been investigated in detail in Taiwan. Accordingly, the four major parameters of RRWHSs were herein identified and elucidated using a simulation method. Because the performance of the RRWHSs is sensitive to the runoff coefficient, a field experiment was conducted to determine the runoff coefficient more precisely for various types of roofs. A simulation model including production theory was developed and employed to estimate the most cost effective combination of the roof area and the storage capacity that best supplies a specific volume of water. Consequently, the expansion path of optimum solutions for different volumetric reliability of water supply can be determined. Additionally, the method based on the marginal rate of substitution can be used for determining the rational volumetric reliability. The procedures developed herein constitute an effective tool for preliminarily estimating the most satisfactory storage capacity of any specific roof area and for determining the rational reliability of a corresponding water supply.     

STATISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE RANDOMNESS OF ANNUAL MAXIMUM DAILY RAINFALL1

ABSTRACT: Annual maximum daily rainfall data from nine stations throughout the southern slopes of the Eastern Italian Alps with record length of 67–68 years have been analyzed with the aim of verifying if their internal structure justifies the assumption of independence and identical distribution, or the “White noise hypothesis.” The approach is to consider the hypothesis H₀ of white noise as the intersection of several sub-hypotheses, each concerning one of the characteristics of a white noise process. To this end the nine series were subjected to various statistical tests regarding randomness, independence, change-points, and predictability. The results are examined first individually and then globally. They indicate that in eight of the nine considered time series the “white noise hypothesis” was rejected.     

Optimal design of predenitrification systems.

A coupled model of biological and settling phases aimed at optimal design of predenitrification systems is presented. Each unknown is obtained in explicit form, and is expressed as a function of the system's required performance. A model, taking into account both suspended and dissolved substrates, is adopted for the biological phase, while the limiting solid flux theory is assumed for the design of the settling phase. Finally, a relationship correlating the two phases is obtained expressing opportunely the sludge recycle flow and the sludge waste flow, without recourse to empirical parameters. The effect of different influent and effluent wastewater characteristics on the model's results is also analyzed.     

Microbiological aspects of humid husk composting

The feasibility of composting as disposal practice of husk mixed with olive mill wastewaters (OMW) was studied in the present research. The process was investigated with regards to some reliable and easy to be determined microbial activity parameters such as the ATP content, the activity of a pool of enzymes and the viable counts, keeping in mind the well known bias of this last technique. Two different composting technologies were compared: static pile and reactor by studying the cured composts obtained. Among the bioindicators tested, the composting process trend was described better by the ATP content and the activity of some enzymes. In fact, the ATP content showed an increase during the thermophilic phase in both the pile and the reactor, and decreased at the end of the process, it was also higher in the bioreactor-pile technology than in the pile. With regard to the enzymatic activity, with the reactor technology experiment, two peaks were evidenced in the thermophilic phase and during the curing phase in pile, and a drop during the transfer of material from the reactor to the pile. The quality of the cured product obtained using the reactor technology has been evaluated considering phytoxicity and hygienic features: the stabilised compost resulted to have neither phytoxical effect, nor faecal indicator contaminants.     

Greening Nigeria's economy for industrial and environmental sustainability: Polyurethane production as a test case

The study focused on Nigeria's polyurethane (PU) production process as a test case. Though it is currently insignificant when viewed from a global perspective, PU production in Nigeria is not eco‐friendly. Traditionally, PU is produced by reacting petro‐based polyol with a poly‐isocyanate, which is made from amines and phosgene and are currently imported into the country. These two materials are detrimental to the human health and environment, indicating that Nigeria's PU industries need to re‐examine their production inputs for environmental compliance. The objective of this study is to review the PU industry for nontoxic reagents that could be sourced locally vis‐à‐vis overcoming sustainable development (greening the economy) challenges in Nigeria. Non‐isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) is preferred to petro‐polyurethane because, in comparison, NIPU has improved thermal and chemical resistance, porosity and water absorption, and is less toxic. Engaging local resources to produce PU is economically feasible; in addition, NIPU is relatively advantageous to human health and the environment. Aside from being economically feasible, production of NIPU in Nigeria has the propensity to greatly enlarge the growth of the existing PU industry to tremendous heights and contribute to diversifying and improving the overall economy.     

Towards sustainable consumption: Predicting the impact of social‐psychological factors on energy conservation intentions in Northern Cyprus

The incessant demand and consumption of energy services among individuals’ is increasing throughout the world. Individuals’ electricity consumption in Northern Cyprus has risen considerably. However, the demand for electrical energy services on the island is heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels has adverse effects on its environment. Therefore, sustainable energy consumption is required and individuals are targeted for energy conservation to reduce electricity consumption. Against this background, using the Structural Equation Modeling approach, this research incorporates social‐psychological factors; personal norms, positive and negative emotions into the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model to assess the relationships among the variables, explain their impact on consumers’ electricity conservation intentions and enhance the explanatory power of the model. Data was conveniently obtained from a quantitative sample of 400 electricity consumers. The results indicate that negative emotions have the strongest significant influence on intentions, but personal norms have the least effect on intentions to save electricity. Furthermore, the study revealed that our expanded TPB model can provide improved explanatory power more than the original TPB. Policy implications, limitations and future research are discussed.