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Klimkova, S., Cernik, M., Lacinova, L., Filip, J., Jancik, D., & Zboril, R. (2011). Zero-valent iron nanoparticles in treatment of acid mine water from in situ uranium leaching. Chemosphere, 82(8), 1178–1184.
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.
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Mahindawansha, A., Külls, C., Kraft, P., & Breuer, L. (2020). Investigating unproductive water losses from irrigated agricultural crops in the humid tropics through analyses of stable isotopes of water. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 24(7), 3627–3642.
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Martínez-Santos, P., & Martínez-Alfaro, P. E. (2014). A priori mapping of historical water-supply galleries based on archive records and sparse material remains. An application to the Amaniel qanat (Madrid, Spain). Journal of Cultural Heritage, 15(6), 656–664.
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.
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Wilson, G. B., & McNeill, G. W. (1997). Noble gas recharge temperatures and the excess air component. Applied Geochemistry, 12(6), 747–762.
Abstract: The calculation of a groundwater recharge temperature based on the dissolved concentrations of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe requires a correction for noble gas supersaturation due to excess air entrainment. This entrainment is commonly attributed to the recharge process or to air contamination at the wellhead during sample collection. With the exception of some local studies, most work has concentrated on interpretation of the recharge temperature or quantification of the radiogenic content for palaeoclimatic and dating purposes. The magnitude and source of the excess air is not directly relevant to these studies and so is often ignored. In this work, excess air Ne and other data have been calculated from new and published noble gas data sets for several groundwater systems. For younger groundwaters which have been recharged under one broad climatic regime, the amount of air entrainment increases according to lithology in the order granites, sandstones and limestones respectively. A negative correlation between precipitation and excess air entrainment is identified in at least one aquifer, and some of the mechanisms which may influence the entrainment process are discussed.
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Ola, I., Drebenstedt, C., Burgess, R. M., Mensah, M., Hoth, N., Okoroafor, P., et al. (2024). Assessing petroleum contamination in parts of the Niger Delta based on a sub-catchment delineated field assessment. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196(6), 585.
Abstract: The Niger Delta in Nigeria is a complex and heavily contaminated area with over 150,000 interconnected contaminated sites. This intricate issue is compounded by the region’s strong hydrological processes and high-energy environment, necessitating a science-based approach for effective contamination assessment and management. This study introduces the concept of sub-catchment contamination assessment and management, providing an overarching perspective rather than addressing each site individually. A description of the sub-catchment delineation process using the digital elevation model data from an impacted area within the Delta is provided. Additionally, the contamination status from the delineated sub-catchment is reported. Sediment, surface water and groundwater samples from the sub-catchment were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively. Surface sediment TPH concentrations ranged from 129 to 20,600 mg/kg, with subsurface (2-m depth) concentrations from 15.5 to 729 mg/kg. PAHs in surface and subsurface sediment reached 9.55 mg/kg and 0.46 mg/kg, respectively. Surface water exhibited TPH concentrations from 10 to 620 mg/L, while PAHs ranged from below detection limits to 1 mg/L. Groundwater TPH concentrations spanned 3 to 473 mg/L, with total PAHs varying from below detection limits to 0.28 mg/L. These elevated TPH and PAH levels indicate extensive petroleum contamination in the investigated sediment and water environment. Along with severe impacts on large areas of mangroves and wetlands, comparison of TPH and PAH concentrations with sediment and water quality criteria found 54 to 100% of stations demonstrated exceedances, suggesting adverse biological effects on aquatic and sediment biota are likely occurring.
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