Abstract: Acid mine water from in situ chemical leaching of uranium (Straz pod Ralskem, Czech Republic) was treated in laboratory scale experiments by zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI). For the first time, nZVI were applied for the treatment of the real acid water system containing the miscellaneous mixture of pollutants, where the various removal mechanisms occur simultaneously. Toxicity of the treated saline acid water is caused by major contaminants represented by aluminum and sulphates in a high concentration, as well as by microcontaminants like As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, U, V, and Zn. Laboratory batch experiments proved a significant decrease in concentrations of all the monitored pollutants due to an increase in pH and a decrease in oxidation–reduction potential related to an application of nZVI. The assumed mechanisms of contaminants removal include precipitation of cations in a lower oxidation state, precipitation caused by a simple pH increase and co-precipitation with the formed iron oxyhydroxides. The possibility to control the reaction kinetics through the nature of the surface stabilizing shell (polymer vs. FeO nanolayer) is discussed as an important practical aspect.

Abstract: Engineering heritage refers to a broad variety of items of social, economic, aesthetic or historic relevance, including roads, dams, buildings and supply networks. Due to their utilitarian nature, their heritage value is often overlooked. This occurs even with those infrastructures that have played an essential role in underpinning the daily existence of entire civilizations. Underground water-supply networks provide an excellent example. Although there are exceptions, water networks tend to be functional in design, rather than monumental. Moreover, they present intricate linear layouts that often span several kilometres. This means they are costly to maintain once their operational life is over, and that they are prone to abandonment and destruction. Devising a priori protection strategies is important to preserve these valuable cultural assets. The following pages present a method to map linear structures based on archive records and sparse material remains. The method is illustrated through its application to the Amaniel qanat, a water-supply gallery built in Madrid, Spain, in the early 17th Century. An appraisal of the known remains was carried out first, leading to an inventory of galleries, shafts, shaft caps and deposits. This was followed by a thorough survey of over one thousand handwritten manuscripts, including physical descriptions of the aqueduct, budget accounts or water metering campaigns, among other documents. Known remains and written evidence were matched against original and auxiliary maps to reconstruct the itinerary of the aqueduct. This led to the identification of sectors where it is still possible to find remains in good condition. Thus, a priori mapping is advocated a valuable technique to locate and preserve these remains, as well as to devise non-invasive surveys and establish heritage protection zones.

Abstract: Quantifying evapotranspiration and drainage losses is essential for improving irrigation efficiency. The FAO-56 is the most popular method for computing crop evapotranspiration. There is, however, a need for locally derived crop coefficients (Kc) with a high temporal resolution to reduce errors in the water balance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a dynamic Kc approach, based on Leaf Area Index (LAI) observations, for improving water balance computations. Soil moisture and meteorological data were collected in a terraced nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) orchard in Cyprus, from 22 March 2019 to 18 November 2021. The Kc was derived as a function of the canopy cover fraction (c), from biweekly in situ LAI measurements. The use of a dynamic Kc resulted in Kc estimates with a bias of 17 mm and a mean absolute error of 0.8 mm. Evapotranspiration (ET) ranged from 41% of the rainfall (P) and irrigation (I) in the wet year (2019) to 57% of P + I in the dry year (2021). Drainage losses from irrigation (DR_I) were 44% of the total irrigation. The irrigation efficiency in the nectarine field could be improved by reducing irrigation amounts and increasing the irrigation frequency. Future studies should focus on improving the dynamic Kc approach by linking LAI field observations with remote sensing observations and by adding ground cover observations.